A a little Help From My Friends

The old Beatles song, "I get by with a little help from my friends" has been playing in my head the last few days. 

Yesterday, I finally made it home for a few precious hours. My dear friend Debbie Hayden had cooked the roast, potatoes, carrots, and squash I spooned onto my plate. As I sat down to eat the second "real" meal I'd had in a week, I thanked God for the friends that have made this crazy and horribly difficult week possible. I wept that there are people who love me enough to care for me in such tangible ways. 

I, who am cloistered most days in a universe of my own fanciful design, writing about people who exist only in my imagination, have experienced the kindness of flesh and blood humans and am astounded. 

My Wonder Girls (two marvelously energetic Shih Tzu's) were having a terrible time because of my long hours away. They do not prefer puppy pads for their potty needs, but will use them if they just can't wait anymore. They've had entirely too much "just can't wait" this week. 

We were struggling, then Linda Buchanan text'd me. "I'm coming back from Oxford. Can I walk your dogs?" I blinked back tears. Yes! That one gift of generosity turned this difficult week around. Since then, Jan Musgrove and Yvonne (who lives in my rent house and works incredibly long hours) have also walked and loved those furry bright spots in my life. 

When I returned home yesterday, my precious balls of fur greeted me as if I hadn't neglected them at all. They loved me and forgave me. 

I should be as generous with the people I love.

What if every homecoming was greeted with the unconditional love of my wonder dogs? We might have more prodigals finding their way back home. If they knew that unconditional love and joy-filled acceptance awaited, they might not hesitate when they finally come to the end of themselves.   

When two ladies from Blue Springs offered to help, including stay with Jamie, I thanked them, but thought, who really wants to sit up at night in a hospital with a sick person? Maybe no one, but Shelby Pannell was more than willing. I waited until I was dropping in my tracks to accept her offer, but that night's rest has kept me going. 

Getting away from the hospital to run errands and wash clothes would not have been possible without the generosity of Shelby Pannell and Jane Witt, who stayed with our rowdy patient to give Sam and me a much needed break. 

I saw the sky, breathed in the crisp fall air, and longed for more.  More time outside. More of a break. More delivering my problems into capable hands and simply breathing for a while. 

How foolish I am! There's not one day that goes by without the option of problem-transfer. Our Lord stands ready and waiting to handle every problem I have, every problem you have. I know that. I've lived it. So why do I hang onto the little stuff, as if I might, by some miracle, be able to manage something on my own? I can't. It's all too big for me. It's all too big for you. 

Why not give it all to God? Every problem, big or small, every heartache, every sorrow. Let Him handle life so we can concentrate on breathing. Being. Loving. 

There's no way to mention all the hospital staff who have cared for Jamie with such love while pouring out love and concern on Sam and me. They have helped with everything from an extra blanket to thermostat adjustment to cups of steaming black coffee to an understanding ear when I'd run out of steam. 

I've been the listening ear, the caring physician, the gentle helper. I haven't often been the receiver. 

I am humbled by this experience, and left wondering whether my life might not have been a bit easier if I had been willing to accept a helping hand, invite a few people into my life, step out of my invented world into the real world. 

I have seen you, my fellow humans, and I am in awe of you. I have felt your love and I'm offering my love, meager as it is, in return. 

When God created humans, he looked at them with love, and joy, and just a bit of sorrow for the mess He knew we'd make of things. He looked at us and proclaimed, "it is very good."

I, too, have looked at mankind this week. We aren't perfect, my friends, but in all of us there's a bit of that first creation, a touch of the hands of God, and it is still very good. 

Live well, dear ones. Love with abandon. Give without measure. And, every once in a while, receive with gratitude.

Well done, my friends. You've done this just right, and I thank you. 

#gratitude moreblessedtogive #thanks

How to Store Treasure in Heaven

from freeimages.com

Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:15-21 NASB)

This series began with a look at the generosity of God ("Who Owns My Stuff"), and our own view of wealth ("Being One of the Richest People in the World"). Yesterday, we looked at where our treasure is ("Is Our Treasure Stored on Earth or in Heaven?") Although we think we "own" our wealth, it is a generous gift from God. Most of us reading this post are among the richest people in the world. Most of the world lives with so little in comparison that we might find it impossible to emulate their lifestyle. 

Today we look at how to store up treasure in heaven. It can be summed up in three words: discipleship, generosity, and perseverance.

1. Matthew 10:42 - "And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward." 

Generosity and charity yield a reward that cannot be lost (a treasure stored in heaven).

2. Matthew 19:21 - Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 

A wealthy young man came to Jesus asking how to inherit eternal life. He had kept the law but knew he was missing something. He wanted Jesus to give him a task to do that would give what he was missing. "What good thing shall I do that may obtain eternal life?" Jesus' reply was shocking. The young man loved his money more than God. Jesus told him to loose himself from the thing that bound him (money) and give it away. More important than giving away his money, however, was that the young man needed to follow Christ. The most important way to store treasure in heaven is to transfer our love from things to Jesus and follow Him.

3. Colossians 3:23-24  “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”  

When we do our work and our good deeds for the acclaim of man, that will be all the reward we receive. When we do our work to please God, He will give us a reward in heaven. Work "heartily" to please God in order to have a heavenly reward, or treasure.

4. 2 Timothy 4:8 - "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." 

This brings up two actions that result in treasure in heaven. First is faithfully following Christ (perseverance) and the second is "loving His appearing" or keeping our eyes on the Coming Again Messiah rather than on this world.

There are many more verses that could be quoted. You probably have favorites of your own. There is one thing required to store up treasure in heaven. FOLLOW JESUS FAITHFULLY. Without that, no eternal treasure is possible. We must follow Him with persistence and endurance. As an outgrowth of our love for Christ, we will be generous to the poor and extravagant with our love for Him and those He loves. 

We serve a God who sees all and rewards all, either in this life or the one to come. If we want treasure in heaven, we must do what Jesus told the rich young man. Let go of the security to which we cling and follow Him.

~~~~~~~

Our Father, I confess that I have not loved You as I should. I have loved the things of this world more than the next. Forgive me for me greed and short-sightedness, my faithlessness. Restore to me the joy of my salvation and help me to follow You, do my work for You, and give generously to those in need for You. Help me to store treasure in heaven. In Jesus name, Amen.

Who Owns My Stuff? The Generosity of God

Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. (Luke 12:15-22 NASB)

Jesus not only gave His disciples instruction. He also gave them illustrations to make the instructions clear. The admonition against greed was so important that He followed it with an illustrative story. It went like this:

A rich man had very productive land. He had filled every barn on his land with his crops. When all his storehouses were filled, this man did not say, "I should give some of the excess to the poor." He did not think about selling the excess and using the money to build shelter for the homeless. His only thought was how to store more, to have a greater accumulation. 

What has always surprised me about this story is that the man did not decide to build an extension on his existing barn or to repair any problem with his old ones. He decided to tear down all his perfectly good barns and build new, bigger ones. He'd have been right at home in today's world.

More. Bigger. Better. It's a theme in our society, and it is one that Jesus clearly warned against. 

Let's take a look at our possessions and the things we have spent a lifetime accumulating. Are we like the rich man, constantly acquiring more, bigger, better, or are we content with less? Do we want to tear down and build or repair and preserve? There is a marked difference in the two perspectives that begins with a clear understanding of who owns the blessings we enjoy. 

If every good and perfect gift comes from above (and it does), then the good and perfect things we enjoy and call our own all came from above. They are a gift from God, not a benefit of our financial acumen or hard work. 

A godly perspective toward our possessions and finances begins with an understanding of their origin and ownership. It's all God. Embracing that basic truth brings us to the only appropriate response. Gratitude. 

For today, let's look at every possession as a gift from God and thank Him for them. Individually. One by one. It's a way of counting your blessings that will leave you humbled and in awe of the One who has been so generous to you.

~~~~~~~

Dear Lord and Father, thank You for the gifts You have so graciously bestowed upon me. Thank you not only for my home, but for the generosity that provided my home and the possessions therein. Thank you for a roof over my head, food to eat, clothes to wear. Thank you for extra to invest in the Kingdom of God. Help me to be a good steward of the things you have entrusted to me and help me to use them as You see fit, not simply to please myself. In Jesus name, Amen.

How to inherit eternal life, part 14: Walking past the need

Jesus replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. (Luke 10:30-32 NASB) 

In the previous post, we looked at the city of Jericho. (click on the link to read that post in a new window) 

The word translated here as "going down" is katabainō and means "to descend". As we saw in the previous post, there is a significant difference in altitude between Jerusalem and Jericho, so that a traveler literally "descends" when he travels from Jerusalem to Jericho. There have been some who suggested that the priest did not want to be defiled because of his duties as the priest, but he was clearly traveling katabainō, descending, which makes it obvious that he was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and away from the temple, just as the wounded man had been doing. That fact suggests that the priest had completed his priestly duties, performed in Jerusalem, and was heading to Jericho, possibly for the night. Matthew Henry references a historian (Lightfoot) who says that many of the priests lived in Jericho. If so, perhaps he was going home for the night.

Let's think for a moment about the position of priest. It was a highly visible leadership position. People would have looked to him, expected obedience to God from Him, and taken guidance from the priest's behavior. He was to set the example for righteousness because it was the job of priests to minister to the Lord in the temple on a continuing basis. Because of that ongoing ministry before God, one might expect them to understand something of the heart of God, the compassion of God, but apparently that was not the case in this particular priest. 

Why didn't the priest stop? Either he saw the wounded man or he did not. Jesus made it very clear that he saw the injured victim. Since he knew the man had a need that was obviously going to be tremendous, why didn't he stop? There are many potential excuses. Perhaps he didn't know what to do and thought he might cause more harm than good by trying to help. Perhaps he was concerned about the ritual cleansing that would be required after caring for this man and wanted to avoid that effort. Maybe he was headed home, running late, and didn't want to be delayed. God, however, is much more concerned with compassion than ritual cleansing or delayed dinners. 

There are many potential excuses, but perhaps Martin Luther King's interpretation is the best one yet. He said that the priest, as well as the Levite, asked the wrong question. They asked, "What will happen to me if I stop?" when they should have asked, "What will happen to him if I do not stop?" MLK suggested that their fear of what would happen stopped them from helping. That may be true, and, frankly, I hope it is. Equally as likely, though, is the possibility that the reason the priest failed to stop to help the wounded man was pure selfishness. He was concerned about himself and not the man lying, half-dead, on the side of the road. He was likely concerned about the things that would be delayed by stopping, the additional trouble he would encounter by stopping, and the risk to himself by stopping. He was only concerned about himself.

It is this selfishness that prevented the priest from loving his neighbor and caring for him, and that same kind of selfishness prevents us from loving our neighbor, as well. This passage suggests that, when we see a need, Jesus expects us to meet it, not walk by on the other side. The problem, then, becomes one of meeting one need or the other, either our own selfish desire or the one in greater physical or spiritual need. 

Perhaps the appropriate response today is to look at our own actions with regard to the needs of others. How quick are we to respond with aid to those in need? How consistently do we respond to need? How generously? Would Jesus view the kind and amount of aid we give as He did the priest and the Levite or as He viewed the Samaritan? When people look to us for an example of righteousness, do they see the kind of generous, compassionate lifestyle that they would do well to emulate, or not? 

Let us resolve, then, to give like the Samaritan, who risked himself for the one in need. 

The thanksGiving series: making dried celery

The last time I considered buying celery flakes, I actually looked at the price and was shocked. I had just been through the produce aisle and seen the price for fresh celery. Whew! Big difference! Of course, I thought, how hard can this be? I think that a lot, which leads me down paths that are best confessed another time. Fortunately, this little project turned out well. I've been drying my own celery ever since. 

Since my supply was getting low, and because I thought you might want to try this too, I bought some "name brand" celery yesterday at the little grocery "down the road from my house". They only had one kind and it was $1.39. 

I washed and dried my celery, then sliced it in 1/4 inch slices. (Really, I just sliced it on the thinnish side. But 1/4 inch sounds good, doesn't it?) put it on a parchment-covered baking sheet in a single layer. One stalk of celery needed two baking sheets. I put it in a preheated oven at 170 degrees and left it there for eight hours. Maybe nine. When I finally made it home from errand day, feeding livestock, and hauling water (which is not my favorite) I remembered the celery and took it out. It was fine. You might call it leather hard. It was not hard crispy but not at all soft. If you are making celery flakes, you've seen them before. It's like the ones in the store.

I actually weighed the dehydrated celery and one stalk had yielded 1.3 oz of celery flakes. My favorite place to buy herbs and spices is Penzey's, so I checked their catalogue. They don't have a 1.3 oz jar, of course, but a 1 oz plus a 0.3 oz supply of celery flakes sells for $7.34. I saved $5.95! It took me less than 5 minutes to slice the celery, tear the parchment paper, put it on a baking sheet and slide it in the oven. That's not a bad savings for five minutes of work. 

I don't know if this worked or not, but I sliced a thin slice off the end of the stalk and stuck it down in some water. It may or may not root (which would make my savings the full $7.34) but romaine roots pretty well like that, so we shall see. 

This has been a crazy week, and I've been a little disconnected with the savings jar totals, but at last report, it contained $210.81.  With the addition of the celery savings of $5.95, the savings jar total is up to $217.76! 

Even if you are not trying to save money, drying your own celery is so easy that it's  a shame not to do it (and now you know how!) In case you are new to this series, the purpose for all this saving is so that we can become extravagantly generous and splurge on giving. Don't forget what it is that God loves - God loves a cheerful giver and that is exactly what we hope to become. 

thanksGiving series, Part 11

Are you tired of reading about saving money yet? Hang in there! We may be heading into the annual shopping frenzy, but there are things we can do to be better stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us. It's probably not popular, but it sure is fun! 

Tomato soup was my mama's favorite, and it hurt her terribly when she was diagnosed with Celiac disease and had to give up her favorite Campbell's soup. Nothing I tried really came close to reproducing the flavor she preferred. Truth be told, it's my second favorite (next to pumpkin soup) and my all time favorite when served with a grilled cheese sandwich. If you haven't tried my recipe for tomato soup, you should. It's wonderful and, if not as convenient as the prepackaged Panera Bread soup, it is definitely as good. Maybe better. 

I've bought the Panera Bread soup before, and was happy to pay $10.98 to have it. Actually, I was happy to pay that price until I started this savings/giving project. I took a look at the price and thought, I can do that myself without much trouble and save a considerable amount. It turned out that I found the canned tomatoes and canned tomato paste on sale for 50 cents a can, grew the onions and basil (I count that as free), and bought a gallon of milk for less than $4.00. A very rough estimate of my cost for making the soup is less than $2.00. That's a savings of $8.98! Not bad for making soup that tastes better than what I would have bought! What's not to love about the last of the basil in the garden in homemade tomato soup? Yum! The savings of $8.98 for making the tomato soup brings the total in the savings jar up to $210.81! 

If the truth be told, I'm tired of adding the savings up. I want to write something funny! I want people to laugh and be moved by a touching moral. I don't really want to write about saving money every day. Apparently, what I want to do and what I need to do are not quite the same. Learning to be frugal and a good steward is an important life lesson, but choosing to be frugal and a good steward just for fun and in order to give what we save away is a little different, isn't it? It's not about us at all. This saving to give IS fun to me, but there is a part of me that wants to entertain the ones for whom this is not fun. When that temptation surfaces, I have to remind myself that the One for whom I write takes great delight in saving to give and choosing to invest in the Kingdom of God rather than in my own selfish desires. 

When I look at what that $210.81 can do for the Kingdom of God, I'm stunned. Bibles for young men and women in jail and ready to consider, perhaps for the first time, that they don't have all the answers, fruit baskets for senior citizens living below the poverty level, and blankets for the homeless are all things my Savings Jar can fund. Now, eleven days into the project, that Savings Jar can fund all of that (not just a part of it), and it absolutely astounds me! This is worth doing, and it will make a difference, so if you are ready to move on, too, let's choose to hold still a bit, deny ourselves a little more, and take up the cross and follow the One who denied Himself for us, sacrificing His very life to save us.

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' (Matthew 25:34-36, 40 NASB)

The thanksGiving Series part 3

(This is the savings jar after day 2. There's a total of $2.49 after using regular popcorn instead of a bag and clearing my drains with vinegar and soda)

Back in the spring, Ryan and I went to the Bahamas to see my cousin Christy and hear her musical group, C-Force, in concert. They are awesome, play Cari-classical music (basically Caribbean music that has been written down), and you should check them out on YouTube. Before I left, I enrolled in international texting. They told me to wait a few weeks after I returned to be sure all the charges had come through. I waited and watched, then forgot about it.

When I started writing about fiscal responsibility, you can well imagine that God had some refining to do. That texting package was right near the top of the list, so I stopped by the ATT Store. It turns out that, a few months later, I have still been paying for international texting. $30 a month. I'm ashamed to tell you that, but this is the evening confession and, more than likely, I am not the only one with an absurd outlay of money for nothing. I cancelled it on the spot. 

The young man helping me said, "Wow! $30 dollars a month is a lot. That ought to make a difference!" The automatic draft notice came yesterday and it is now $30 less than the previous month. That's $30 for the Saving Jar. How about that? 

The Saving Jar is beginning to look a little different, isn't it? The total in that jar after only three days is now $32.49! I've lived well, and not one frugal thing I have done has been hard at all. 

Do you have your Saving Jar yet? When it's time to invest our thanksGiving Savings Jar money in the Kingdom of God, you're going to wish you did. It's not too late, so get going today and have fun spending less!

The thanksGiving Season, part 1

What, you may ask, does a big empty jar have to do with Thanksgiving?  It is an important prop in the new thanksgiving series that starts today.  Last Thanksgiving, the posts centered around the thanks part of Thanksgiving.  This year, the posts will be centered on the giving part of Thanksgiving. I've been writing about stewardship, our extravagant lifestyles, and the better uses to which we could put our financial resources recently. Do not suppose that I am just on a tirade. I'm writing about it because the topics deeply concern me and, with all the emphasis recently on being prepared for survival in times of difficulty, it seems a little more frugality is in order. Even more important, when I look at the ease of our lives in comparison to that of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, I am ashamed that I do not do more to help them.  

With all that said, the posts this Thanksgiving Season will involve my attempts to cut corners, save money, and hang on to that money in order to invest it in the Kingdom of God in some way. If my history is any indication, not all my attempts will be as successful as I would have hoped, some will be unexpected, and some will yield a tremendous savings.  Get ready. I might just surprise you. There might also be a few of my efforts that you'd like to try yourself.

The jar you see is the thanksGiving Jar and will be where I keep the dollars and cents that are saved.  I'll post photos so you can follow along.  

Tonight, I'm making popcorn to go along with movie night. I won't bore you with the details again, but I recently realized that using bulk popcorn instead of the prepackaged microwave bags is considerably cheaper, and have calculated that the price of a single serving of popcorn can be decreased by 39 cents if you avoid the prepackaged bags.  You can read about the Lunch Bag Popcorn and get all the details.  Just so you know, I'm cooking that popcorn in a heavy pot on the stove rather than a bag in the microwave. Yum! The popcorn of my childhood! That's 39 cents for the giving splurge.  

That 39 cents looks awfully small right now, doesn't it? Just wait. Those few coins won't be lonely long, so stay tuned! 

The idea is not to be "cheap".  The idea is to live well but frugally in order to make a habit of generosity and the ability to splurge on giving.  Being intentionally frugal is the best way I know to finance that kind of spending. Since Lines from Leanna is about Faith Lived Out Loud, I've decided to "live out loud" as I do it in an attempt to show the way.  Why not do more than follow along? Why not join me as I begin this journey? It's going to be life-changing. You don't want to miss it.  

The Recognition, part 10: lifestyle

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:24-26 NASB)

We've come to a hard part. You may wonder why this series is called "The Recognition" when what Jesus has been discussing is the taking up of your personal cross. This series began with Jesus' question, "Who do people say that I am?" In the verses that follow that question, Jesus revealed more of Himself to the disciples, more about being a follower. It turns out that Jesus is more than a fun guest at a party, more than a miracle worker, more than compelling words. Jesus did not come simply as a sacrifice for our sin and to thus change our eternal destiny. He came to change our present, as well. He came to be our priority, to infuse our entire life with His Spirit. 

In this passage, He begins to talk about losing your life and saving it. The one who wants to save his life, Jesus said, will lose it. The one who loses His life for the sake of Christ will save it. "Whoa!" you make think. Is this a call for some kind of Christian jihad? No. It is not. This is a multi-layered passage and we will cover it in detail over the next few days, but for today, remember that this verse follows the one about taking up your cross and following Jesus. He who left the riches of heaven for us expects the same willingness to leave a life of luxury for a life of service to Him.  

This "life" Jesus speaks of saving is not that of our "life of luxury". He is not saying that, if we follow Him, we will somehow save the lifestyle we have come to enjoy. The median annual household income in the United States in 2013 was $51,939. Compare that to the median annual household income worldwide of  $9,733.  Big difference. The median annual household income in Rwanda is $1,101. In Liberia, however, it is only $781. This difference is incredible. 

A mother and father with children in their home in Liberia will feed and shelter the family for $781 for an entire year. We who are so accustomed to a very comfortable lifestyle, one that would seem luxurious by the standards in much of the world, would do well to consider whether or not we should try so hard to "save" our lifestyle. Perhaps, if we were less committed to our comfortable lifestyle, we could do more to help our brothers and sisters around the world. 

Jesus went on to say, "What is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?" All the riches this world offers will not save us. It will not matter one bit how much money we have in the bank, how many expensive toys we have accumulated, when we reach eternity.  If we have forfeited our soul in the process, it will be disastrous. 

A wealthy widow was once asked how much money her husband left behind. "Every bit of it," she replied. Not one dollar, not one toy will make the journey to eternity. The only way to store treasure in heaven is to invest in the Kingdom of God, to live a lifestyle of generosity. 

Jesus taught that the love of money is the root of great evil, and it is true. That love of money is closely tied to the love of the things money can buy. As we begin the study of losing our lives and saving them, we would do well to consider whether or not our present lifestyle is a deterrent to following Jesus. Does it limit our ability to invest in the Kingdom of God? Will we try so hard to keep our lifestyle that we fail to save our soul? How tragic that would be! Is there anything in your lifestyle that needs to change? Perhaps today would be a good time to invite our Lord to change what He will and make us into the disciples He intended us to be. 

Oh, dear ones, there is great joy in following Jesus, and it is worth any sacrifice we are called to make. Fear not. He is worth it. 

Lunch Bag Popcorn

The problem of personal extravagance has been on my mind recently, and has triggered a serious effort at better stewardship. I've been attempting to be more frugal in every area, so, since popcorn was on my grocery list, I decided to start trimming my budget right there. I had seen something online about microwaving popcorn in a brown lunch  bag. It is supposed to be much cheaper and better in every way. I didn't believe the hype but decided to give it a try. 

Of course, I had to buy popcorn and opted for name brand at $4.98 for 45 oz.  According to the nutrition facts, that will make 32 servings, which ends up being 15 cents a serving! I thought I might have hit upon a great deal. I checked the price on the brand and flavor I prefer. $2.18 for four servings, or 54 cents per serving. That's a real savings! (If you eat a lot of popcorn.)

Since I couldn't find my brown lunch bags anywhere, I used a white one. It matches the popped kernels and I really like for things to match.

Unfortunately, the white bag is not as thick as the brown ones, and the popcorn blew out the end of the bag. It made a nice pop and was kind of exciting, so I counted it as a plus. Next time, though, I'm using a brown bag or two white ones. 

I used 1/4 cup of kernels, poured it in the bag, folded the top over twice, and put it in the microwave. The instructions said to set it for three minutes or until the popping slows. It took mine 2 minutes and 13 seconds. I burned a few kernels though, so set it for 2 minutes if you try this at home, and pay better attention than I did. 

I still remember popping corn in a pot on the stove, so that is my standard. Next to that, the usual microwave popcorn is pretty poor fare. This lunch bag popcorn is light and fluffy without any of the weird stuff the bags usually have. It was a little boring but Maggie and Mamie thought it was terrific. They didn't get much, though, because corn makes the Wonder Dogs itch. They can get by with just a bite, though. Wonder Dogs LOVE popcorn!!

Well, to tell the truth, it was a lot boring. I  added a little salt and, because I don't like boring, I added a little butter. Still HoHum. I added some Parmesan cheese and that helped. Finally, I added some chili powder and that added just the right zing. It turned out that the lack of zing was partially due to all the zingy stuff going straight to the bottom of the bowl. Without the oil in the commercial bags, there was nothing to which the zingies could cling. 

This was a lot like air-popped popcorn. I had an air popper once. I used it to roast green coffee beans. It works great for roasting coffee, but not so great for popcorn. 

The popcorn was okay. Not great, but okay. For 15 cents a serving, it was fabulous. Next time, I will try a brown bag and add a little oil to the bag, as well as a pinch of salt and whatever zingy hits my fancy. It has potential and, since the price is right, I'm willing to make an effort. I'll keep you posted. 

By the way, I'm not just being "cheap". As you will know if you saw the Flipping Food post, my goal is to make a habit of generosity and to splurge on giving. Being intentionally frugal is the best way I know to finance that kind of spending. I saved 39 cents for the giving splurge tonight. Give it a try! Just think what a difference we could make if we really make an effort! 

Flinging Food

Belle, our very beautiful Quarter Horse, has taught herself a new trick, and I can't say I'm pleased. This morning, she went into her stall for breakfast, stuck her lovely head into the feed trough, and immediately began flipping that fine head back and forth, flinging food out of the trough. She made several passes through the feed, then settled down to eat. In the process, she lost a fair amount of her meal. 

Lest you think that something was "in" her trough and she was just trying to get it out, let me assure you that the trough was fine less than sixty seconds prior, when I put the feed in there. Unfortunately, this is not the first time she's done the head-flipping, feed-flinging trick. She persists despite the fact that the "flung food" is never replaced. My explanations about wasting food and starving horses around the world have not helped, nor has putting the feed in the trough while she watches. When she's in a mood to fling, she just flings. Belle is extravagant with her feed and wasteful, as well. When I see her flinging the feed out of her trough, it does not make me want to feed her more. Less, maybe, but not more. 

As I watched feed falling to the floor this morning, I wondered how God views my extravagances with the resources He has entrusted to me. Does He sometimes shake His head and think, "If she could be more faithful with what I've already given her, I could trust her with more?" How does He view my waste? My lack of stewardship over some of the things He's entrusted to me? Frankly, God has blessed me with so much that I find it nearly impossible to responsibly manage it all. 

In fact, I'm not the only one with extravagances, nor am I the worst. We live in a nation of extravagance and we are a decadent society. You may disagree with me, but take a look at the definition of "decadent" and you might change your mind. "Low morals and a great love of pleasure", "luxuriously self-indulgent", "decay in standards or morals". Does that sound at all like our country? 

Scripture tells us, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more."(Luke 12:48 NASB) WE are the ones who have been given much, and much will be required of us. Those are frightening words to me. Much will be required of us. It is required of stewards that they be found faithful (1Cor 4:2) and that is exactly the requirement for which we, who have been entrusted as stewards of wealth and freedom, will one day give account.

It breaks my heart to see the tragedies around the world, the hungry people, the homeless people. It breaks my heart that I could do more, but don't, because of my own extravagance. By the standards of many, I'm not at all extravagant, but by the standards of most people in our world, I am, and you are, too. I am not proposing that we stop enjoying the blessings God has given, but perhaps a little less pleasure would be in order. Perhaps a little less self-indulgence might allow us to give more, help more, do more. Those of us who can help, should help. 

Dear ones, take a few moments to consider your own stewardship of the blessings God has entrusted to you.  Have you invested in the Kingdom of God? Have you made a lifestyle of generosity toward those in need? How will you give an accounting when that time comes? 

May we not be like Belle, needlessly extravagant and wasteful. Instead, let's make a habit of generosity and splurge on giving so that, when the time for accounting comes, we will have only good news to report to the One who has given so much to us. 

The Giving Measure (Luke 6:38)

Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (Luke 6:38 NASB)

"Give," Jesus said. That should have been enough. Since Jesus said to give to others, we should be willing to give without thought of reward. He knew, however, that we are a people of "What's in it for me?" Despite being created in the image of God, we are not naturally generous. As toddlers, we are selfish to the core and it is often with many tears that we learn that sharing is a part of life.  It is not our natural inclination.  

To give us motivation in our giving, and perhaps to lessen the fear of doing without because we give, Jesus offered an amazing promise. We will receive in direct proportion to the generosity of our giving. If we give unreservedly, we can expect to receive in that same measure. He described the measure with which we will receive: pressed down to make room for more, shaken together to get the air pockets out and make room for more, and running over when the giving-container can hold no more. 

Oddly enough, He promises that we will receive, but doesn't promise WHAT we will receive. If we give our discarded clothes, will we receive more clothes? Not necessarily.  What He promised was not an exact payback, but a proportional return, a like-measure return. We decide what we will give, but God decides what He will return. He looks at our hearts and makes the decision about return based on what He sees. We don't know exactly what measure God uses, but I imagine things like the generosity of our giving, the obedience of our faith walk, the gentleness of our spirit, and the stewardship of our resource management all enter into the measuring. We know He gives good gifts to those He loves. That should be motivation enough if simple obedience was not. 

What measure do you use in giving?

Today, pray that we and our loved ones will have such generosity of spirit that we will give for the pure joy in the giving rather than what God might offer us in return. Pray for the body of Christ to demonstrate such generosity that no need around us goes unmet. 

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http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/rwandan-genocide-20th-anniversary.html

The gift of the fish (Luke 5: 6,7)

When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. (Luke 5:6, 7 NASB)

I've always thought that Jesus gave the great haul of fish to impress Simon and recruit him as a disciple, or maybe to show who was actually Lord of the Catch. This morning, however, as I looked over this passage, two words come to mind. "Pressed down". It's a reference to a verse in Luke 6. We will visit this verse again, but I wanted a quick preview today. 

 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (Luke 6:38 NASB)

Here's what happened. Peter was both obedient and generous with what God had placed in his hand (boat, employees, nets, time). He had a nevertheless faith and an obedient heart. He gave freely. He never once said he was tired. He never even mentioned that two word source of downfall to many of us, "NO", to Jesus. In response, Jesus did a miracle that simply demonstrated the way God works. He is immensely generous to us. There is no way to out give God. The fish in that boat, however, suggests it would be fun to try. 

Simon gave freely to Jesus that morning, and without any limits.  Jesus gave back to Simon with that same measure, freely and without limit. In fact, Jesus gave back so much that two boatloads of fish could not contain it. 

The Christmas season is a mixed-up hodgepodge of giving to friends and family, shopping frantically, and leaving Jesus until last. We would do well to pause, be still, and direct our generosity toward Christ and His desires first. I'm not suggesting we leave out those we love. I'm suggesting we focus our attention on Jesus during the celebration of His birth. Look for opportunities to give to Him. There is no telling what He will do in response!

Today, freely give the burden of your loved ones to Jesus. Just let Him have them. He knows your weariness and is eager to take control of the situation. Let Him. 

Two tunics (Luke 3:11)

And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." (Luke 3:11 NASB)

This is not my favorite verse. I'm telling you that right up front. I would much rather read "I will never leave you nor forsake you". Instead, for today, we are at the "what to do with two tunics" verse.

John's listeners were people who had spent a lifetime making sacrifices as payment for their sins and throwing a few coins in the offering as an extra gift. There was an order to it. A plan.

John emerged from the desert with something altogether different. He told them they needed more than a sacrifice. They needed a repentant heart. A changed heart.  It was much easier to just give up an animal. Forgiveness? Reconciliation? Repentance? Much harder, but essential for getting right with God.

It was not a familiar idea, and they asked John what they should do. What does this "bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance" look like? John's answer was startling. "If you have two tunics, give one to the man who has none..."  An extra tunic was a precious thing. We are accustomed to closets full of clothes. They were not. They were not giving away unused leftovers. It was something that mattered.

Why did John (the man wearing a camel hide) tell them to give away their extra tunic? First of all, generosity is a theme throughout Scripture. We are to be as open-handed with others as God is with us. Secondly, receiving from God requires open hands and open heart. When we cling so tightly to the stuff of this world, it's not only harder to cling to our Lord, it's harder to receive all He has for us. Extravagant giving requires that we look past our own life and recognize the needs around us.  It requires us to risk being uncomfortable as a result of our giving.

Maybe more important, extravagant giving requires us to recognize Who is in charge and who is not. We are not the source of everything we have.  No matter how hard we work nor how much money we make, God is ultimately the One who provides. It's all His, and when we share what He has given to us, we acknowledge that in a very tangible way. We take our eyes off ourselves and get them on others and on the Giver of all good gifts.

John was trying to help his listeners learn to live their lives in a way that matched up with the new-found repentance they claimed to have. Live like you mean it. That's what John was saying 2000 years ago and it's good advice for us today.

How many tunics are you holding?  Today, live like you believe the faith you claim. Let go and give.

Live like you mean it.