Tag Archives: christian living

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If I were to ask you if you're a religious person, what would you say?

Really. Stop reading and think about it for a second.

I know my answer six months ago would be different than it was when I was growing up. And it's different today than it was six months ago.

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It might be my imagination (I have a strong one), but it seems that religion has become (world-wise) little more than a bad word. A religious person is often equated with a zealot, a Pharisee.

Religion is more commonly being seen as "the act of being a belief nut". Religious folks are said to be fanatical; singly focused on righteous acts. The religion of Christianity has recently been compared (many times I might add) to that of Muslim extremists.

Reading commentary and scrolling through my Facebook this past week has confirmed my belief that religion is widely becoming tabu.  Even Christians are aligning themselves with this frame of mind. Here are some popular thoughts.

You don't need religion to have morals.  If you determine right from wrong, then you lack empathy, not religion.-Anonymous

My religion is very simple.  My religion is kindness. -Dalai Lama

Jesus is my Savior, not my religion -Unknown

Religion is the cause of all the problems in the world.  It's what separates people.  -Gwyneth Paltrow.

I have to admit six months ago had I been asked whether or not I am a religious person, I would have hesitated before answering, especially if the question had asked for a simple yes or no answer.

Why?

By answering yes, I feel that an astoundingly increasing number of people would mark me as a tyrant; an unloving and intolerant.    A "yes" answering person is often viewed as one who goes about (can I say) Heaven-bent on doing the right things so that they might think they're dandy and God might think they're dandy along with the less-than-righteous rest of the world. Religion has been redefined as the act of acting.

That kind of religion exists. It's called empty religion and it's widely practiced. I'm guilty of it. I'm sure we all are.

But true religion? That exists too.

…..pure and genuine religion

Religion, in its rightful practice, is the belief in, and worship of God.

It's about our relationship with a loving father who we know always "gets it right". We know we're not dandy people, but rather fallen ones in need. We believe this to be true. Out of that belief, we worship. Part of that worship is our obedience to Him; our attempt to do what He says we should do.

Here's the other thing that bugs me. It's almost as if we've tried to make Jesus the very opposite of religious. Jesus did get all over the religious leaders (We like to use that), but not because they were living worshipfully by faith. They were interested in puffing up themselves instead of God. They were self-righteous. We find their example detestable. I'm glad we do. Their story is a great reminder not to fall into that trap we find ourselves tip-toeing around and sometimes caught in.

Was Jesus religious?

He trusted His Father.

His life was one of constant worship.

I'd say He was.

He participated in Jewish traditional feasts and the Passover. He knew the scripture. These things He did,.... these things we do.... are more than mere acts. With the right heart these practices are part of worship. These things we do are part of our religion.

Jesus said, "Do not think that I have not come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17

Are our religious actions always practiced with a proper heart, in the right frame of mind? Certainly not. But that shouldn't mean that we shy away from organized religion, the public sharing of our faith and all appearance of religion.

We just have to ask continually ask our self these questions.

Is my religion pure and genuine?

Is the world corrupting our view of what is right and good by trying to convince us that religion isn't what Jesus wants?

We have been told to watch out for such things-

Keep oneself from being polluted by the world

Is my religion all about Jesus?

Should it be about anything else?

If I find times that it's not, should I give up trying to make my religion all about Him?

I count myself as one who strives to be religious. I want my life (be it popular or the modern crime) to be a life led by faith and heart-felt worship. I'll mess up a million times; more the reason to trust in the One who died for my Sin…..

more the reason to sing, and pray and tell the world.

That's religion.

 

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Yesterday is gone.  Tomorrow has not yet come.  We have only today.  Let us begin.  -Mother Teresa

Ignore the black shirt I'm wearing in this post. I'm in the same shirt on Facebook a couple of times in the past week, with different accessories. It's a comfortable shirt.

And I like comfortable.

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We passed this bus last week on our way to Waco. With its red flames in our rear view mirrors, we said we should have taken a picture of it.

Shoulda coulda woulda.

My life is full of those.

I had a terrible dream two nights ago. It was vivid and powerful. Sharing it is somewhat weird because the dream was seriously depressing. I have no idea why I dream so dreadfully, but I do.  I have a Stephen King sort of mind. (I have no idea whether or not I should be making that comparison. I've never read or seen anything of his. I just know he's creepy......My dreams are creepy).
In my dream Jason and I were in an unfamiliar church in a small room getting ready for Sunday School. We were with a boy and a man who I assumed to be the boy's father.
Another man walked in and approached us talking in a way that I quickly knew we were going to die at his hand. I looked at Jason for direction. Should we run? Should I say something about Jesus? Beg for my life?  


I wasn't ready to die and I knew that it was likely that my choices at this point were of little consequence.


A single thought then overwhelmed me. Surprisingly it WASN'T the things I'd miss out on in the event of my untimely death. l wasn't thinking about not seeing Hayden graduate. I wouldn't see Hallie or Rylie get married, but that's not what I was thinking of either. My heart wasn't even broken at the fact that I hadn't gotten to say goodbye to all those I love.
Rather than thinking of my dying, I was thinking about my living. I remember in facing death there was sorrow in all things I had not done that I'd had the chance to do. -Days I had taken for granted in my living for Friday, comfortable black shirt kind of lifestyle.

Lets' face it. How many lackadaisical days are near empty of worship while I live life according to my own good and self-pleasing will? Is my service faithful? Is my living well done?

Three hundred sixty-five days on repeat I wake up, eat some food, do some stuff, speak to some people and then hit the pillow and think about doing the same thing again. Sure some prayers are strewn in, in thankfulness, adoration and desperation. But those prayers tend to be more about me and in my timing than about an almighty God who is worthy of my everything.
In my dream I was about to lose my life but the thing I cared the most about was how I'd lived all the days that had been "written in (His) book".


We're not promised tomorrow. Not promised it here anyway. Today is the only thing we have control of.


This dream weaved a big thought. 

Regret in a fair sense is not what you're going to miss, but rather what you've missed in all the days you were GIVEN. Regret isn't intended to bring about  shame, but rather gratitude in another chance and hope that we'll do better with that chance.

Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear, avarice, lust and ambition look ahead.

C.S. Lewis

I tell the kids; the only good thing about bad dreams is that they're only dreams.

You wake from them.

Hopefully when they're particularly sobering you literally and FIGURATIVELY wake from them.


At least for now, I'm awake.


Jason and I had several days with our schedules cleared which made room for a clearer mind. We worshiped at our first church and met with other believers at the BGCT convention.

unnamed (110) Jason and I broke (a lot) of bread (including West's famous kolaches) with four of FBC's most awesome ladies.

unnamed (111) I spent time with some of my dearest friends. Last night we were moved by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy (the people who inspired The blind Side)to live a life of giving.
The past few days I was able to rest and experience God's goodness in slower motion.  Through that rest and a sobering dream, I'M AWAKE.


I want to stay awake.

As we headed back home, the red flames adorning the"On Fire for Jesus"bus were in our rear view mirror again. This time we looked back after we'd stopped and got a picture.  And this time I looked back without regret because, just maybe,  I found my fire again.


Or at least a desire for it.
God will take care of the rest.


...Let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably (each day that we're given) with reverence and awe, for "our God is a consuming fire". Hebrews 12:28-29

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My mom is here.  My sister and her kiddos are too.   Yesterday we took a trip to the beach at Galveston.    Both the gulf water and the beach were teeming with life; each doing their thing.  There were small children with shovel and pail in hand and teens with footballs practicing the perfect spiral.  Grandmas watched while adults stole time to enjoy a good book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hallie, my animal lover, rushed to the water to show off her beach skill.  She has a knack for catching hermit crabs.  I see a new reality show in her future.  It could be called Redneck toe-crabbing.  Yesterday she and her protégés easily caught more than fourteen crabs in about twenty minutes.

Hallie scootches her toes through the sand along water’s bottom.  When she feels wiggling beneath her toes, she reaches down to the muddy bottom and grabs the crab's shell. Maybe this is typical hermit crab hunting, I find it creepy.

The crabs who haven’t lost their lives to Hallie and her partners have a near-death experience to share with their friends.

It is in honor of these crabs that I write this blog.

There is a behavior that has been observed in the life of the hermit crab which deserves our attention.

I'm talking about molting .  A hermit crab’s exoskeleton doesn’t have a life-time guarantee.  There comes a time when the hermit crab has grown and must shed his old skin.

A crab must molt to continue to grow.

A crab must molt for life to continue.

Interestingly the crab buries itself as it sheds its skin.  As the crab sheds its skin, evidence of the old skin disappears (the crab eats its old exoskeleton).  Its old self is gone.

The crab, in his much needed fresh “suit” is not immediately strong. The new creation needs time to come into its brand-new self.

God continually reveals himself in nature. I smile that molting closely resembles the transformation that we go through as we accept Christ.  For life to continue beyond this earthly vessel, our old life must be cast off and buried. “ As we are buried in Christ’s likeness, we rise to walk in newness of life.” We are not instantly strong Christians.  A disciple is made in time which brings me to my ultimate point.

This year at VBS we had fifteen salvation decisions.  New life has sprung. This beautiful picture will be displayed Sundays to come through baptism.  We have reason to pray; these babies in Christ need nurturing.  But above all, we have reason to rejoice.