Category Archives: MUSINGS

Tabs on You

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Some habits die hard and follow hard lessons learned along the way. I know I will be strong until the day I die. That is not a habit; it’s a God-given benefit, but some ways that I display my strength are what need to die. My eyes opened to this last week when my ears peaked with panic when I heard my middle child screech “Mama, where are you!?” My 4-year-old asks me this just about every time I leave the room. He wants to know what I’m doing, why I’m doing it and when I’m coming back. And, when I’m deep in contemplation or just sitting, being quiet and chilled, my husband often asks, “What are you thinking?” He wants to know if I’m okay.

I get it. They are both concerned. My 4-year-old is checking on his physical safety, asking questions to help him deal with his separation anxiety, and my husband is checking on my mental safety, wanting to make sure that I don’t drown in my deep thoughts. But I want to go where I want to go and think what I want to think without having to share my whereabouts and what I’m thinking about. I want my own walk and my own thoughts, still yearning to be independent in ways that I am now interdependent. I have learned to not get aggravated by their “intrusions” and examine my desire for seclusion, and I have concluded this: I don’t want my natural inclination to become my spiritual inclination because with God my walk is not my walk and my thoughts are not my thoughts, at least they shouldn’t be.

My family keeping tabs on me helps me see how much of my past is still my present, those things I need to shake loose. When they remind me of my interdependence, I am in prime position to remind myself of my dependence on God. And that makes their asking so much more worthwhile.

How have you struggled with letting go of independent ways now that you are interdependent? How, if at all, does your natural inclination reflect your spiritual inclination? Please, tell me what you think?

Friday Feature: Seed Sense

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We are a snacking society. This is obvious with the widespread availability of these seductively tasty treats. But with most of these snacks loaded with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and hydrogenated oils, we are contributing to our death every bite we take. And some of us aren’t even hungry; we are just in the habit of putting something in our mouths or simply eating out of boredom.

To help steer your snacking in a more healthy direction, you can add seeds to your munching menu. Most seeds are high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids (EFAs). These EFAs “balance and regulate energy production, blood circulation, nerve function, inflammation, hormone regulation, recovery from exercise, immune function, cell growth, . . . and can elevate mood,” and “improve brain function and development.” The benefits of eating seeds are a great contrast to any typical processed snack food you could eat.

As a snack, you can eat seeds by the handful and you can eat them in more substantive ways by adding them in smoothies and protein drinks, putting them on salads and in salad dressings, and mixing them into garden burgers and other raw recipes.

I offer you a list of edible seeds to reach for next time you want to snack:

Chia seeds – These are good in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids and are high in calcium, copper, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc. They are a great source of protein and fiber, and have anti-inflammatory and laxative properties.

Flax seeds (AKA linseed) – Like chia seeds, flax seeds are high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 EFAs and have anti-inflammatory and laxative properties. They are rich in several B-vitamins, copper, iron, lecithin, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, and all 8 essential amino acids. They are a good source of fiber and protein and contain lignan, a phytoestrogen that has been shown to prevent cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis. These seeds should be ground before using.

Hemp seeds -These nut-like flavored seeds are high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 EFAs and are a great source of fiber and protein, containing all the essential amino acids. These are great in raw and cooked foods.

Pumpkin seeds – Great in and out of the shell, these seeds are rich in B-vitamins, copper, iron, lignan, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, Omega 6, and vitamin E. They are a great source of protein and fiber.

Sesame seeds – Another good choice to add to raw and cooked foods, they are rich in B-vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc, Omega 6, linoleic acid, protein and fiber.

Sunflower seeds – These seeds have the same properties as pumpkin seeds , but they are also rich in calcium and linoleic acid. These, too, are rich in protein and fiber.

If but just in a minimal way, I hope you at least add seeds to your snack menu. You now know the great benefits of seeds being a part of your diet. Won’t you add them to add health in a significant way to your life?

Help for the Weak, Part 3: How To Exhibit Biblical Strength

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What Do You Think? Wednesday

 —To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). Selah.

Yes, that is one of those ‘think on this’ verses for me. I think about why this verse is there and why the more I get the more I have to give. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem right, at least in my human mind where I make up the rules and conjure my own strength. But this verse is biblical, supernatural, beyond our expectation and reach. But whatever God expects us to give we have the ability to give. He makes sure of that (Ephesians 4:11-13; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Philippians 2:13). This is true in all things, including exhibiting biblical strength.

In parts one and two of Help for the Weak I share what biblical strength is and why we are to exhibit biblical strength. This, the third and final part of this series, I explore how we should display biblical strength. First, those of us who are spiritually mature have the capacity to control our desires and allow God to bring the weak into a mature faith. Our faith keeps us centered on the macro of life (the Kingdom of God) and not the micro of life (what someone eats, drinks and other self-imposed standards that don’t go contrary to God’s word). This is important because there is a lot of work that goes into focusing on the Kingdom of God. Focusing right doesn’t leave us time to focus wrong.

So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men (Rom 14:16-18—ESV).

To help us focus on the Kingdom of God, we must pursue righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Righteousness is correctness in thinking, feeling and acting; peace is tranquility between individuals; and joy is gladness that is caused by the Holy Spirit. We are called to renew our minds so we walk in the new life we have in Christ. This is the pursuit of righteousness; this is seeking to get our thinking, feelings and actions right according to the Bible. That alone takes diligence, but we are also called to live at peace with all people as best we can (Romans 12:18) and to focus on the joy of our salvation. Seeking the Kingdom of God is a full-time agenda. It is the macro of life. It is the best life.

We are able to pursue righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost because our faith is 1) in our convictions that don’t go contrary to God’s word; 2) solid enough to allow us to suspend our convictions so we don’t offend someone who doesn’t share our convictions; and 3) rooted in our confidence that righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost are superior to all else.

Those who have biblical strength are those who know how to seek righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Our firm conviction of our freedoms in Christ and our trust that Jesus Christ is Lord and that we have eternal salvation through Him should make focusing on the Kingdom of God natural to us. Asserting our rights to our freedoms in Christ is what those walking in human strength do. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost are where we must focus. These are the crux of our faith.

What do you think about this post?

Help for the Weak, Part 2: Why Give Up Your Freedoms

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On Friday I had a good time of fellowship with one of my good friends. We walked and talked and ate and talked, but nothing trivial was on our minds, though we laughed at the little things, like hurting legs and sweating like pigs in the 90 degree weather. We talked about her recent graduation from seminary, other ministry pursuits, our families, our concerns, our strengths, and our weaknesses. Then she asked me this: “Has anyone ever asked you about your love for jazz and have you had to explain it to them?” No one had and I never had to explain this freedom in Christ that I have. I told her this. She said, “I was just wondering if someone younger in the faith had asked you about it.”

“Personally, I don’t see how jazz could be a stumbling block for younger Christians. There are no words, sensual lyrics or other bad language,” I said. “But, there could be sensual notes, I guess. And the music could take someone back to a sinful time in their lives,” I added.

“Anything could cause someone to stumble,” she said. And I shook my head and nodded as she recounted her faith experience in a church that called any activity not labeled Christian as sin: going to the movies, listening to music and dancing topping the list. Her husband had to cease some activities on her sin list so she wouldn’t begin to question his walk with Christ and compare his walk with hers–his sinful and hers sanctified, and maybe even questioning if he were capable of leading her.

Through a number of experiences, including study of the Word, deep introspection and examining the lives of those strong in the faith, she has begun to walk in her freedom in Christ, publicly displayed at her 40th birthday celebration where a major portion centered on dancing (albeit to Christian music). She had begun to see that her denomination had put a burden on her that God Himself does not require. As she matured in her faith she was able to see that her attempt at pleasing God was structured by man and never intended by God. God had to reveal this to her, and my friend’s story is one we should well remember as we embrace biblical strength.

Remember, biblical strength is putting others’ needs above our own, not for some self-seeking martyrdom but for the glory of God’s Kingdom. So in the context of Romans 14 and 15, from which our text came in Part 1, we should refrain from dancing, drinking wine or listening to jazz if this will negatively affect a believer’s faith. Our voluntarily laying down our freedoms until others can grow in theirs is necessary for two main reasons: 1) so we don’t cause our weaker sisters to stumble and 2) it’s God’s job, not ours, to usher the weak in faith into maturity.

Through observation and listening, we will be able to tell which of our liberties could cause another believer to be drawn into sin. For instance, I know someone who had an issue with lust and seeing half nude images or reading a racy scene in a novel will cause her to have lustful thoughts that she will consider acting upon. I would never suggest us going to a movie or for her to read a book that might have sexual imagery, no matter how discreet or brief. We might think that all Christians should just walk in their freedoms in Christ so we might choose to encourage them to go see that movie or read that novel. When we do this, we are likely creating the stage for their downfall and trying to usher them prematurely into maturity. This is us walking in our human strength and trying to force others to ascend to where we are spiritually. We may have an understanding of our freedoms in Christ–a big part of spiritual maturity, but trying to force others to get there before time shows that we are trying to do God’s work and is a sign that we still have some growing to do.

Romans 14:4-10 challenges believers not to judge one another’s choices in honoring God because we all belong to God and He is the one who will judge us. Verse 4 gets to the crux of the matter: “Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.” God has the spiritually mature and immature in His hands and is well able, without our help, to get us to mature and please Him. As my husband, Pastor Flynn Smith, who directs our church’s Christian education department and years ago that took a group of us through a yearlong study in Romans, said: “The totality of the Christian existence is summed up in the fact that we belong to God and exist for His purposes.” We, therefore, must embrace biblical strength because that is what God has called us to. Doing so won’t cause our weaker sisters to fall into sin and will give God room to minister in their lives. God ministered to my friend and we have to trust that God will fulfill His word for others, too.

What freedoms have you had to give up so you wouldn’t cause another believer to stumble? What struggles have you had in conceding your liberties?

My One Thousand Gifts List

#651-660
Walking the Dequindre Cut with Joshua
Being available to care for a friend’s child
Flynn cooking dinner without me asking, just because he wanted to bless the family
Getting to the Prayer Walk on time
Seeing thousands of Christians gathered to pray to God for revival of the Detroit region
The wonderful praise and worship and the atmosphere of worship
God showing me four major distractions to revival: food, fellowship, fun and fame
A restful afternoon of a movie and sleep
Polishing my nails
Watching “Bride Wars”

Friday Feature: Six Ways to Stay Cool with Fruit

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The heat wave that has swept the nation has most of us thinking about how to remain cool. This is on my mind today as the high temperature in Detroit is expected to reach 100 degrees. With the exception of taking my mom to therapy in the morning twice this week, I have remained in my cool, air-conditioned house. And I thank God for my cool house because powerful storms this week knocked out power for many surrounding neighborhoods and they are feeling the heat. But if you have been blessed to still have power you might want to try my six ways to stay cool with fruit:

Cold Fruit—The most basic way to keep cool is simply to eat cold fruit. My family has been enjoying watermelon and pineapple mixed as a salad. I have added to my mix blueberries and cantaloupe and sometimes strawberries. I love how these taste together. At the end of my bowl I have wonderful fruit juice.

Natural fruit juice—You don’t have to wait until you get to the end of your bowl to drink fruit juice. In fact, to have cold fruit juice you can put the cold fruit in your juicer or blender and have a tall glass of freshness without refined sugar and other unnecessary additives. Use fruits with a lot of water to create a juice. Use these along with the softer ones, like banana, mango and papaya, for smoothies.

Smoothies—I make these almost daily for my boys and me. Their favorite is Mango-Strawberry-Banana with honey. I put these and about five ice cubes in the blender for a luscious treat anytime of the day. I even use frozen strawberries that I buy or freeze myself to add to the drink’s refreshing coolness.


Frozen fruit—Frozen fruit is not just for my smoothies; I like to eat them. My favorite is blueberries that tend to melt in my mouth. If I let my frozen strawberries sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes I eat those, too. Otherwise they are too dense to bite. My friend Carla loves frozen grapes. Frozen raspberries are a nice treat, too.

Frozen fruit ice cream—One treat that I love that sends chills throughout my body is ice cream. I just can’t eat it whenever I want because I don’t like the taste of, and even if I did I refuse to buy, cheap ice cream. Cheap ice cream has high fructose corn syrup and a bunch of other ingredients that I can’t pronounce and have no idea why they are in ice cream. When I buy ice cream I am eating Haagen-Dazs or some equivalent that only has cream, milk, sugar, eggs and a truly natural flavor. But with that ice cream being high in fat and cholesterol, I opt for frozen fruit. I like to freeze a banana, a ½ cup of chopped up mango and ½ cup of pineapple and then blend them with a little orange juice to give them that ice cream consistency. I get a sweet treat without the cholesterol and fat we all need to avoid.

Fruit juice popsicles—I wonder what natural fruit juice would taste like as popsicles. My boys and I pour bottled juice in ice trays to make popsicles so I think I’ll try juicing some fruit and freezing it to make popsicles. I can’t imagine that these won’t be good.

I hope you try or continue to use these methods to stay cool this summer or for a healthy treat anytime during the year. These have refreshed me and I hope they refresh you. Tell me; in what ways do you keep or plan to keep cool with fruit?