Do You Love Me?

Simon, son of John, do you truly love Me more than these?

John 21:15
 

In the evening of resurrection Sunday, the disciples were gathered together in a common room when Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst, startling them.  He showed them the scars on His hands and feet, ate a piece of fish, and then talked with them about all the prophecies that they had not previously understood.  Thomas was not in the room at that time, and refused to believe the report of the other disciples until Jesus appeared a second time when he was present.  According to Mark, Jesus rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe the early reports of the resurrection.

A few days later, Peter, Nathaniel, Thomas, James, John and two other disciples were by the sea of Tiberius when Peter decided to go out fishing.  The entire group joined him, and they toiled all night long without catching anything.  Early in the morning, Jesus called to them from the shore, "Have you caught anything?"  When they indicated that they had not, Jesus told them to "...throw your net on the right side of the boat."  Immediately the net was filled to overflowing with an abundance of fish.  John exclaimed, "It is the Lord!"  Peter, true to his nature, immediately dove over the side of the boat and swam to shore, where Jesus and breakfast were waiting.

When the meal was over, Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Do you love me?"  Peter replied, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."  Gone was the boastful pride, the self-assured cockiness.  Peter simply said, "You know me better than anyone, Lord; you know that I love you."  Jesus replied, "Feed my lambs."  Again, Jesus asked the same question, with Peter giving the same answer.  Jesus replied, "Take care of my sheep."  A third time, Jesus asked the exact same question.  This time, Peter quietly said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."  Jesus replied, "Feed my sheep."

 Three denials were swept away with three humble declarations of love and loyalty.  Peter was a different man from the one who denied his Savior in Caiaphas' courtyard.  He still had many of the old personality traits of the infamous impetuous fisherman, but never again would his connection to Christ be questioned.  No one had to ask if he was a disciple of Jesus - he proclaimed it to anyone and everyone.  When the day of Pentecost arrived, Peter stepped forward to speak for his Lord and Savior, and three thousand people were baptized and added to the church. 

Running for Redemption

He has risen! He is not here.  See the place where they

laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples and Peter...

Mark 16:6b-7a

Early on Sunday morning, while the city was still sleeping, the faithful women followers of Jesus made their way to His tomb.  The four gospels give the names of: Mary Magdalene, the "other Mary," Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanna, and "the others."  As they pondered who would roll away the huge stone door for them, they came upon the grave and discovered the stone already rolled away.  Angels were there to give them the startling news that Jesus had risen!   In Mark's account, the angel directed the women to, "...go tell His disciples and Peter..."

I think it is a safe guess that by this time, everyone in the tightly-knit group of Christ's followers knew of Peter's denial - that is just the way of human nature.  The angel made it clear to the women that heaven was not shutting Peter out, and neither should they.  Luke recorded that when the women found the disciples, gathered together in one place, that the men "...did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.  Peter, however, got up and ran..."

Can't you just see Peter sprinting down the deserted streets - running in disbelief, running in hope: dogging disbelief that Jesus could possibly be alive, dawning hope that somehow he was going to get a second chance to make it right with his Master. Luke recorded Peter running alone; John included himself in that dash to the tomb, with Peter actually arriving second.  But Peter was the first of the men to step inside the sepulcher, see the folded grave cloths, and discover with his own eyes that Jesus was no longer there.  John closed this portion of the story with the words:

"Then the disciples went back to their homes..." 

John 20:10a

[to be continued]

Was He There?

There were also quite a few women watching from a 

distance - women who had followed Jesus from Galilee

in order to serve Him.  Among them were Mary Magdalene,

Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the

mother of the Zebedee brothers (James and John).

Matthew 27:55-56

We have no record of where Peter went in those early, dark hours of that Friday morning so long ago.  He was alone, in tears, and fully conscious of the pain he had just inflicted on his Master.  After he departed the courtyard, Jesus was condemned by the religious leaders and taken to Pilate for him to finish the job.  John was the only remaining disciple in the courtyard, the other disciples having disappeared from the garden.  I've never given much thought to the question:  Were the disciples, and specifically Peter, at Pilate's judgment hall or at the site of the crucifixion?  This is what I discovered:

• Matthew does not mention any disciples or other followers at Pilate's palace.  At the crucifixion, he mentions women observers: Mary Magdalene, James and John's mother, and another Mary, mother of James and Joses.
• Mark makes no mention of Jesus' followers being at the judgment hall.  At the crucifixion, Mark also states that women were there, including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome.  He also states, ""Many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem were also there."  Note:  Not one mention of the disciples.
• Luke does not include any disciples in the crowds at Pilate's hall.  In verses 48-49 of chapter 23, Luke makes the following observation about the crucifixion:  When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.  But all those who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things."  This cryptic statement is the first clue that Jesus disciples were actually at the scene.
• John also makes no mention of any of Christ's followers at His trial.  At the crucifixion, however, he lists Mary Magdalene, Jesus' mother Mary and her sister, and Mary, the wife of Clopas [19:25].  Then John states that he himself was also standing by the women, and relates that Jesus gave His mother into John's care [19:26-27].  This is the only direct mention in the Gospels of any of the disciples being at the crucifixion site.

We know that John remained in the courtyard of the High Priest, and that he was at the cross on Golgotha's hill.  It is reasonable, I think, to assume that he was there the entire time, following Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate to the cross.  But what about Peter?  In Peter's speech to the Jewish people in the Temple following Jesus' resurrection, he gave brief details regarding what happened at Pilate's hall, and knew that Pilate had decided to let Jesus go [Acts 3:13-15].  He called himself and the disciples "witnesses" of Christ's death and resurrection.

Was he there?  I don't know how he could have stayed away.  Even wracked with guilt, shame, and remorse, he was still strong, impetuous Peter, and I believe he would have wanted to see this through to the end.  His anguish and fear drove him to deny his affiliation with his Lord and Savior, but his heart never stopped loving Him.

I Never Knew...

Peter blurted out, "Even if everyone else is ashamed of You

when things fall to pieces, I won't be."

Jesus said, "Don't be so sure.  Today, this very night, in fact,

before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."

Peter blustered in protest, "Even if I have to die with you,

I will never deny you."  The others said the same thing.

Mark 14:29-31
 

At the Last Supper, when Jesus made the bald statement that all of the disciples would forsake him during the coming evening, Peter launched into his usual bravado: "Not me!"  Considering the One he was talking to, you would think that Peter would have taken His warnings more seriously.  I am sure, however, that Simon Peter never envisioned the circumstances that would arise that dreadful night, forcing him to make a choice between loyalty or self-preservation.

After the arrest in the garden, Jesus was taken to the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest.  He was the one who had uttered the words that it was better for one man to die than for an entire nation to perish.  Peter and "another disciple," most likely John, followed the mob to the courtyard.  The "other disciple" knew the servants of the high priest, and gained entry into the courtyard for himself and Peter.  Almost immediately, one of the servant girls turned to Peter and said, "You're one of His followers!"  Peter quickly denied this, saying, "I don't know what you are talking about!"

Moving away from the woman, Peter sought another place to see and hear, only to be accosted by another of the crowd, saying, "You are one of them," but Peter said, "I am not."  Matthew indicates that this time, Peter added a curse word - perhaps to throw off the suspicion of his being with Christ.  At this point, if I were in Peter's shoes, I think I would have left the courtyard and called it a night.  It was obvious that the curious questioning was not going to go away, and just as obvious that Peter was not going to admit his allegiance to his Savior.

A third time, someone in the crowd (John indicates it was a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off) said, "Hey - this guy has to be one of His disciples - He's from Galilee!"  Matthew and Mark state that Peter began calling down curses upon himself, and denied that he knew Christ the third time.  Immediately the cock crowed, and Peter's brain finally kicked into gear.  Realizing what he had done, Peter glanced at Jesus, only to see the Savior looking straight at him, no doubt with eyes of pity, sorrow, and love.  Luke says, "Then Peter remembered the words the Lord had spoken to him..."  Rather a day late and a dollar short at that point, as Peter well knew.  He turned heel and fled into the blackness of night, weeping bitterly. [to be continued]

I, Simon Peter II

I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.

I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing 

as ours, all due to our God's straight dealing and the intervention

of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:1 [The Message]

One never quite knew what was going to come out of Simon Peter's mouth, or at what precise moment he was going to stick his big foot into it.  He seemed to excel in dramatic ups and downs.

He proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, but when Jesus began to explain to the disciples what the imminent future would hold for Him, including His suffering and death, Peter had the audacity to rebuke Christ for talking about it.  This action prompted Jesus to reprimand him in the strongest language He ever used with His followers, naming Peter as an instrument of Satan.

When Jesus came across the water toward the disciple's boat, Peter eagerly called out to Jesus asking to walk on the water as well.  After all, that was a pretty spectacular feat, and Peter clearly wanted in on the action.  His confident request quickly turned to pleadings of terror at the moment he took his eyes from the Savior's face.  Only the power/presence of the Almighty could keep Peter upright on the sea; breaking that connection instantly caused him to sink.

Peter left the last supper with the other disciples and Jesus, where he had requested for Christ to cleanse his heart and his actions. When his Master asked him to go apart from the others and pray for Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter [with James and John] could not stay awake long enough to utter a word. 

Without the strength and power of prayer, Peter was back to his old impetuous ways when the soldiers and a mob showed up in the garden with the intent of arresting Jesus.  Peter drew a sword and cut off the ear of Malchius, a servant of the High Priest, drawing another rebuke from Christ as the Savior reached out to heal the wound.

I sometimes wonder if Peter was like me at the times when my brain is so busy formulating a response or argument to a conversation that I don't actually fully hear what is being said to me. If he did have that habit, it set him up for the final tragic meltdown that completely transformed his life. [to be continued]  

I, Simon Peter

I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of

Jesus Christ.  I write this to you whose experience

with God is as life-changing as ours...

2 Peter 1:1

Simon Peter has always been one of my favorite biblical characters.  We know he was the son of Jonah, and that he, along with his brother, Andrew (and also Philip), was from Bethsaida, on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee [John 1:39-44]. He was married or a widower [Mark 1:30], and was a fisherman by trade [Matthew 10:2].  Peter comes across as an impetuous fellow who so very often opened his mouth before putting his brain in gear.  His life as recorded in Scripture was full of highlights and low lights.  Let's take a look at some of the bright moments.

• Simon Peter was one of the first disciples called by Jesus.  He readily left everything behind to follow Christ, after his brother, Andrew, told him that they had found "the Messiah."
• Peter was the first disciple to reach the tomb after Mary told the disciples that the stone was rolled away.
• Luke lists Simon Peter as the owner of the boat from which Jesus would preach to the multitudes on shore.
• After a fruitless night of fishing that produced no catch, Jesus asked Peter to go back out on the lake and throw out their nets.  Peter reminded Jesus that they had caught nothing in the previous hours, but because it was Jesus asking, he would go out again.  The net was filled with so many fish that it began to break; when the catch was hauled up, it was so great that it filled Peter's boat and another boat almost to the point of sinking.
•  When Jesus asked the disciples who the crowds thought that He was, several of the men spoke up with various answers.  When Jesus then asked, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter immediately replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of God."
• When several of His followers turned away from Him, Jesus asked the disciples if they would also leave.  Peter replied, "You have the words of life.  Where would we go?"
• When Jesus began to wash the disciples' feet at the Last Supper, Peter declared that Jesus would never wash his feet.  When the Master replied that Peter would then have no place with Him, Peter cried out, "Not just my feet, Lord, but my head (thoughts) and my hands (actions) as well."

Peter loved Jesus passionately, and believed that He was the promised Messiah.  Even with that belief, however, his impulsive, argumentative nature often got him into trouble.   [to be continued]

Keeping a Firm Grip

Keep a cool head.  Stay alert.  The Devil is poised to pounce,

and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.

Keep your guard up...keep a firm grip on your faith.

1 Peter 5:8-9a

This morning I received a call from one of my daughters - in complete despair.  Through quiet, swallowed sobs, she stated that she was not going to be able to continue in graduate school - she just "couldn't do it."  She had a test in one class on Monday that was supposed to be over Chapters 1-4.  The test also included Chapter 5, which she hadn't studied for.  She just "knew" she had failed.  When she went to the test today in her other class, there was a note at the top that all computations must be done "by hand."  Unfortunately, how to do it by hand was not covered in the class lectures or notes.  Again, she was sure she had "failed."  I spent a few moments reassuring her that she could indeed "do it."  She called back a short time later sounding much relieved.  She had just received her grade for the first test and she scored an 89 - hardly a failing grade.

This afternoon I received a call from one of my students who was due at my house any moment for a music lesson.  She was sobbing so hard I couldn't make out a thing she was saying.  When I was finally able to calm her down, I discovered that all of her responsibilities and pressures had descended on her head at one moment, and she just "couldn't do it anymore."  We spent a few moments discussing the fact that she could do whatever she needed to, as long as she started to manage her time a little better by not letting a pushy employer run straight over the top of her, dumping bucket-loads of stress and guilt on the way.  There really are times when you just don't need to answer your cell phone!!

The devil loves to throw mountains of discouragement and despair on all of us - choosing just the right time when we are most vulnerable.  Hanging on to your faith and your belief in yourself can be tough when everything seems to descend on us at once.  A few short moments conversing with the One who watches over us every second of the day should suffice to get us up and running again.  Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you. 

Self-Promotion

God has had it with the proud,

but takes delight in just plain people.

So be content with who you are,

and don't put on airs.

God's strong hand is on you;

He'll promote you at the right time.

1 Peter 5:5b-6

I greatly admire people with just the right amount of self-confidence. Much of the time, I am greatly lacking in that area of my life.  I have been told several times over the years that I "do not interview well," with one employer even saying I was the "world's worst" interviewee [not sure why they hired me anyway].  I find it difficult to talk about my accomplishments - a tactic which does not work well in the job search process!  I think that I am afraid that people will perceive me as boastful or arrogant.

I went to elementary school with a young girl named Judy.  We were both singers, had fairly well-matched voices, used to sing duets at recitals, did quite a bit of acting, and performed before the listening public often--I on television and Judy on the radio.  In the confidence department, however, we were as different as night and day.  Judy was naturally outgoing, friendly, self-confident, gregarious, and unafraid to "sell" her talents and abilities, even in 5th grade.  She became a famous Broadway actress; I became a high school music teacher.  Her temperament was perfect for the stage; mine excelled in the classroom.

Looking back, there are times when I nostalgically wish I had put myself out there more, catered to a wider audience, pushed for the brass ring.  On the days when I teach voice at the high school Specialty Center for the Arts, however, I realize that quiet, less confident me is right where I belong, I'm needed, and I'm happy. 

Hassled?

Friends, when life gets really difficult, 

don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job.

1 Peter 4:12

A young mother texted me this morning that her son was admitted to the hospital last night with stomach problems and they are still waiting for a definitive answer as to what is wrong.  A friend of one of my daughters is struggling with alcohol addiction, another feels isolated and all alone.  One of my colleagues is stressed over health issues, another is trying to recover from hip surgery and just lost her grandfather--his funeral is this morning.  A contractor friend is teetering on the edge of financial collapse, while another has already declared bankruptcy.  Gas prices are soaring, causing food prices to rise right along with it.  So many people around the world are just trying to keep their head above water.

The Apostle Peter says, "Hey - when life is hard, don't automatically assume it is God's fault!"  How I wish my mother [and my mother-in-law, for that matter] had somehow gotten that message.  To Mom, everything that happened in life was directly from God's hand - either as a blessing or as punishment.  When life is looked at that way, everything unfortunate that happens, from simple sickness to tragedy, is a direct result of sin in our lives.  The ancient peoples often believed that way, and even the people in Christ's time tended toward that philosophy.  

  

In the book of John, chapter 9, Jesus is about to heal a man who was blind from birth.  The disciples asked Jesus, "Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus immediately said, "No one is at fault that this man was born blind!"  When my oldest child was born with congenital heart defects, our parents rushed to the hospital to be with us.  I will never forget my mother-in-law's first words as she came through the door.  Looking directly at me and pointing a finger in case someone didn't get the point, she said in Spanish, "This happened to the baby because of her."  It took me a while to realize what Peter already knew:  no, God did not do this to me, either to punish or to "teach".  

We live in a world ravaged by sickness, disease, tragedy, and, as in the lives of my daughter and the blind man of old, all kinds of environmental, drug, heredity and health factors that combine to cause various birth defects.  The man in the Bible was born blind, my daughter was born with a heart condition, and Jesus healed them both - not to teach us a lesson, but to forever bless our lives. 

Be Generous

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless,

cheerfully!  Be generous with the different things God gave you,

passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be

God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help.  That way, God's

bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and

He'll get the credit as the One mighty in everything.

1 Peter 4:9-11 

I had to get gas  for my car last night.  I was amazed to discover that the price for regular had gone up to $3.48 in what seems like a matter of days.  I had heard on the evening news that prices were ascending rapidly, and are expected to reach $4.00 per gallon by the first of April, and $5.00 per gallon by June.  Today, my daughter in Maryland remarked that she also had to purchase fuel, and she paid $3.67 per gallon.  I own a very tiny car - 2-door hatchback - that only holds 10 gallons; I cannot imagine going to the pump to fill up an SUV or a truck.  This economy has a way of making one want to cinch in the belt and be a bit stingy.  But that is exactly the opposite of what God calls us to do.

One of the surprises for me in Peter's first letter to Christian believers is the amount of time and words he spends urging his fellow believers to take care of those around them.  In this passage, he is asking his friends to be generous with those around them.  Webster defines "generous" as: giving or sharing in abundance and without hesitation.  Peter is also clear that he is not talking about just money.  If all you have to share is words, make sure they are God's words.  If you can share material things, do so heartily.  No matter how lousy our life circumstance, there is someone who is far worse off than we are.  Sharing a hug or a smile, a handshake or a friendly word - all of these equal you being generous with those around you.

 

Your Life Depends on Love

Most of all, love each other as if your life depended

on it.  Love makes up for practically anything.

1 Peter 4:8

Cancer is a frequent, uninvited visitor to the congregation of the church where I work.  We just lost a beloved saint whose prostate cancer metastasized after seventeen clean years.  Metastasized  breast cancer took another a few months prior to that. There are several cancer survivors among the members (bladder, blood, breast, colon, lung, lymphoma, rectal, uterine), and several people who are currently fighting the disease. One of my older choir members is confined to her home, struggling with multiple myeloma while another is dealing with rectal cancer.  In the past, many of us knew someone - far or near - who had been touched by some form of the disease.  Now it seems to have reached epidemic proportions.

It is easy to assume that there is little one can do in the face of the onslaught of this disease, other than pray and console.  My choir found this week that loving also means looking for concrete ways to help.  One of my altos came to me with the information that an alto cancer patients was having difficulty paying her co-pays through 6 weeks of once or twice daily treatments of chemo and radiation.  "Could we take up a love offering?"  I turned to my choir patriarch/matriarch, and we concluded, "Yes, we can."  Word spread outside the choir to the congregation, and the money slowly came in: little gifts rather than grand gestures.  When the dust settled, we had raised $1200+ to relieve the burden of her co-pays, and to be God's hands in blessing to her.  

Did we just "set a precedent?"   I certainly hope so, for God has a way of making sure that there is always a little bit to give if our hearts are willing to do so.  Extravagant love leans on God for His guidance and blessing.  He is, after all, the One with the cattle on a thousand hills. As long as we are willing to be the conduit, He can and will keep the blessings coming. 

Listen to the Message

Listen to the Message.

It was preached to those believers who

are now dead, and yet even though they died,

(just as all people must), they will still get in 

on the life that God has given in Jesus.

1 Peter 4:6

Monday I had an appointment with my oncologist - four and a half years from the date of my cancer surgery.  I love my doctor - a wonderful woman who stands at the top of her profession but is the most compassionate, caring physician I have ever met.  We zipped through the exam like clockwork, and after telling me that everything look A-OK, she asked if I had any questions.  I knew she would ask, and I was ready with a big one.

I am in remission from uterine cancer.  My pastor friend and co-worker at the church is in remission from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  Recently we served at the funeral for a wonderful man in our congregation whose cancer had returned after 17 years!  Ben and I had talked after the service about the reality of the thought of recurrence always being in a corner of the mind of an individual who has had cancer.  I asked my doctor, "Will I ever get over this lingering question?"  She gently smiled and said, "No, not really," then went on to give me very encouraging statistics regarding my particular cancer and its chances of recurring after five years.  She even spoke of the word "cured," a label that might be affixed to my chart at my five-year visit in August.

In reality, however, long life is guaranteed to none of us.  I can survive cancer and die from a heart attack, or accident, or crime.  Most people want to live to a ripe old age, and I am no exception.  I would hate to leave this earth while my girls were still under thirty and perhaps in need of my help.  Whenever my time comes, however, I have no fears regarding the aftermath.  I know that God will continue to look after my children.  I know that He is my Savior and Redeemer, and that He has prepared a place for me that I might be where He is.  I have lived within the heart of the Message my entire life, and know the promises therein are true and faithful.

Not My Way

Since Jesus went through everything you're going

through and more, learn to think like Him.

Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that

old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way.

Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue

what God wants instead of being tyrannized

by what you want.

1 Peter 4:1-2

I had to laugh today when I read this passage written by a man who could throw a temper tantrum with the best of them.  Peter was such a rough character when he first joined Jesus' intrepid little band of followers.  He rumbled and blustered and generally thought himself very much "with it" for a man of his stature in the lower echelons of society, and very used to pushing his weight around to get what he wanted.  Yet he came to know that suffering has a way of exposing the selfishness in all of us - our need to control out situation so that we can have a favorable outcome - i..e., our own way.

The longer I am alive, the more I realize that there is very little in life that I can control, and when I try to do it anyway, I end up being shackled to the very thing that was supposed to make my life better.  Peter called it being tyrannized by the things you want.  When I take a good, hard look at that, I realize that I am much better off under the freedom of God's control than under my own willfulness.  Rather than say, "my way or the highway," I need to follow Christ's example and say, "Thy will be done."

With a Clear Conscience

Keep a clear conscience before God

so that when people throw mud at you,

none of it will stick.  They'll end up realizing

that they're the ones who need a bath.

1 Peter 3:16

Sometimes it seems like all I do is work, work, work, and in my spare time, run errands.  I try very hard not to complain however, for I am very grateful that I have a good job that I enjoy, and a part-time coaching position at a local high school that I also really like.  Both of my jobs involve teaching, but the high school job includes interaction in the classroom.

One of my daughters is also a teacher, as an adjunct professor at a local university, and as a professional tutor in the surrounding counties near her home.  She also loves to teach - at least most of the time.  However, this semester, two women in one of her classes were being extremely disrespectful in class to the point that she finally had to deal with the situation.  They, in turn, filed a complaint against her with the administration, alleging all kinds of things about her as a teacher that were completely false, including them asking her for help, and she telling them that she had no time for them and to go hire a tutor.

My daughter called me in tears, hurt and worried about the administration's ability to dig through the garbage and discover the truth.  After spending a few moments calming her down, I said, "Hey - when questioned, what will the rest of your class about these charges."  She paused for a moment, and then said, "They will all say that the charges are not true."  She has always been an excellent instructor, willing to bend over backwards to help a student understand and learn.  She is kind and polite to her students, fair to a fault, and wouldn't dream of being rude or unkind to anyone.  I advised her to just wait a time with patience and let the administration do their work.  

Sure enough, the next week at class, one of the women came up to admit her fault, profusely apologize and ask if they could just start over in their teacher/student relationship.  There was never a question with the administrators as to who was in the wrong.  My daughter has proven her character and professionalism as a teacher time and time again, and when the chips were down, she could face the accusations with a clear conscience.

Pursuing Peace

Whoever wants to embrace life

and see the day fill up with good,

here’s what you do:

 Say nothing evil or hurtful;

Snub evil and cultivate good;

Run after peace for all you’re worth.

1 Peter 3:10-11 [The Message]

When one thinks of the word, "peace," one is tempted to also think of the word, "impossible."  The daily new media remind us how difficult this is, both in concept and in reality.  I do not believe, however, that Peter is speaking about peace in the world - we could run forever and still be chasing such an elusive dream.  The apostle is speaking, I believe, about peace in our own hearts: the absence of fear and conflict with others, the calm trusting in His mercy that brings peace to our souls.  I wish you blessings in your quest for peace today. 

Valentine's Day

Summing up:  Be agreeable, be sympathetic,

be loving, be compassionate, be humble.

That goes for all of you – no exceptions.

No retaliation.  No sharp-tongued sarcasm.

Instead, bless.  That’s your job – to bless.

You’ll be a blessing and get a blessing.

1 Peter 3:8-9

Saint Valentine’s Day was established in 496 AD by Pope Gelasius to honor a Christian martyr named Valentinus.  The day first became associated with romantic love in the High Middle ages during the time of courtly love, and by the 15^th century it was a day for lovers to express their feelings through gifts of flowers, confectionaries, and eventually, greeting cards.  Today it is celebrated in hundreds of countries around the world, and although still associated with romantic love, the day gives opportunity for friends and families to express their affection for each other as well.

When my children were little, I tried to save a few pennies to buy them a special candy treat that would be given to them on Valentine’s Day.  As they grew older and were often away at school in February, I would mail them a reminder of some sort – usually chocolate for the oldest and youngest, and perhaps jelly beans for the non-chocolate middle daughter.  This year, I found a very economically priced gift of naval oranges and chocolate to send to the girls; I, in turn, received a beautiful e-card early this morning from my youngest. Being reminded that someone loves you is a wonderful way to start the day.

I am tempted to print Peter’s sage words above on a piece of red paper, cut it out in a heart shape, and tape it prominently where I can see it early in the morning before I start my day.  Expressing your love and friendship for those around you needs to be a daily experience, not just on a commercial holiday.  A smile, a compliment, a note of appreciation, a kiss, a hug, a nod of approval, a whisper of encouragement, a helpful hand, a word of compassion – all of these have far greater power and impact on the life of the receiver than a box of chocolates can ever deliver.

From the Heart

  What matters is not your outer appearance –

the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear,

the cut of your clothes - but your inner disposition.

1 Peter 3:3

 It has been a long time since I have attended a tour performance by a current recording artist [except for the Tran Siberian Orchestra last December], but I have seen plenty of clips on Youtube and watched various live performances on TV.  The numerous costumes worn by the artist [for female, the “less is more” wardrobe style] and the stage presentation [lights, strobes, lasers, pyrotechnics, smoke, fog, moving platforms, dancers, backup singers, etc.] often overshadow the singer and the message of their song.  Performers strive for greater and flashier special effects – anything to catch the audience’s attention and sell more tickets.

And then there is Adele, a woman who approaches her art on her own terms.  When she performs, there are no revealing costumes, no dancers, and no eye-bending stage technology.  For her concert performance Live at Royal Albert Hall, Adele stood almost stock-still in front of a single microphone [dressed in a rather frumpy knee-length black dress that one might wear to church] flanked by her musicians, and sang so powerfully that you could have heard a pin drop in that massive, sold-out venue.  Singing self-written songs about her own life – joy, sorrow, pain, rejection, betrayal – she held the audience in the palm of her hand.

Last night at the Grammy Awards, she performed onstage for the first time since vocal cord surgery.  Standing again in the center of the stage in front of a single microphone, flanked only by her musicians and back-up singers, clad in a simple, unstylish black dress, she proved why she was the best selling artist of 2011 – the pathos of her song reflected in the faces of her adoring audience.  She did not try to sell herself – she didn’t need to.  She sang from the depths of her soul, and walked away from the Grammy’s with six awards and the status of superstar.  Somehow I don’t think that will change her way of doing things.  Her strength and power lies in unadorned singing from the heart – in musically sharing the human experience with everyone who hears her.

                                            

Clean House!

So clean house!

Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense,

envy and hurtful talk.

1 Peter 2:1 [The Message]

Malice – an emotion that Webster defines as “…the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm.”  Synonyms would include cattiness, hatefulness, hostility, malevolence, maliciousness, meanness, nastiness, spite, spitefulness, venom and viciousness.

Pretense – is defined as the quality or state of trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case.  Synonyms: Affectation, affectedness, arrogance, grandiosity, self-conceit.

Envy – is mean resentment of another’s possessions or advantages.  Synonyms: animosity, covetousness, enmity, ill will, jealousy, malice, resentment.

Hurtful Talk (Gossip/slander) – to relate sometimes questionable or secret information of a personal nature about another individual; to make untrue or harmful statements that damage another's reputation.  Synonyms:  blab, bandy about, circulate, defamation, malign, reveal, insinuate, smear, snitch, tattle, vilify.

In the early church, Peter’s influence was enormous; he was, in many ways, one of the most powerful figures of the early Christian community.  In his introduction to the first of Peter’s two letters to the church, Eugene H. Peterson says, “From what we know of the early stories of Peter, he had in him all the makings of a bully.  That he did not become a bully (and religious bullies are the worst kind) but rather a…humble, self-effacing servant of Jesus Christ… is a compelling witness to what he himself describes as a ‘brand-new life, with everything to live for.’”

When Peter called for a clean sweep of the attitudes and actions listed above, he was not speaking from a vacuum, but from experience.  He was not standing as judge and jury, but as a fellow sojourner who had to deal with these issues in his own life.  Kindness and humility are listed as antonyms for the above attitudes.  Peter did not come to Christ either humble or kind; sometimes we are neither, as well.  God’s unconditional love, however, can act as a cleansing broom to sweep our houses clean, transforming our lives.

Handing Out Hope

You call out to God for help and He helps -

He's a good Father that way. 

But don't forget, He's also a responsible Father,

and won't let you get by with slopping living!

1 Peter 1:17 [The Message]

Yesterday, my favorite country radio station was holding a fundraising campaign for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Tennessee.  A leading research hospital in childhood cancers, St. Jude's is an amazing place where families devastated by a diagnosis of cancer can find hope and the possibility of a few more days/months/years with their precious child, or even a cure.  I have always been deeply moved by the stories of parents who have taken their child to St. Jude's, and I have been a Partner in Hope with the hospital for three years.

When I was finally home from work and errands yesterday, I received a phone call from my middle daughter, asking if I had $25 to spare.  "Depends," I said, "on what it is for."  She send me to Facebook, and the page of a mutual friend who recently married and gained a little daughter as well as a wife.  When the page came up, his post indicated that his daughter was riding in a "Trike-a-thon for St. Jude's" at her preschool, and she was raising funds on Daddy's Facebook page.  This darling child is going to ride her tricycle so that other children can find hope in their catastrophic illness.  St. Jude's founder's daughter, Marlo Thomas, often says, "Give thanks for the healthy children in your life, and give to those who are not."

When we have a need, we turn to God, and He blesses us out of His abundance - perhaps not what we wanted, but a blessing always comes.  The blessing does come with a caveat, however: Give thanks for the blessings God has given you, then turn to someone else and pay it forward.  God does not want us to hoard the hope.  There are far too many people on this earth who cannot see hope for the misery of their lives.  We have the opportunity to be a channel of hope to those around us.

We are His hands to touch the world around us,

We are His feet to go where He may lead,

And we are His love, burning in the darkness,

We are His love, shining in the night. 

A Canine Miracle

Every good and perfect gift comes down from above...

James 1:17

Juno, an abandoned Belgian Malinois whose previous owners did not understand the nature of this breed of dog, was three days away from being euthanized when a former law enforcement officer saw her picture on the shelter website.  He knew the breed well as trained police dogs, and needed just such a dog for his son, who suffers from Sanfilippo syndrome, an inherited metabolic and degenerative disease.  Children eventually lose the ability to speak, eat and walk, and experience neurological damage leading to seizures.  There is no cure or treatment available, and service dogs can run as high as $15,000.

The father adopted Juno, planning to give her plenty of time to adjust to the home before training her to help his son.  The dog, however, had other ideas.  Juno and the child had an immediate connection, and the dog instinctively knew how to assist him.  One day the father noticed the dog whining and nudging the boy with her nose.  He checked and found the boy's oxygen levels to be dangerously low.  After oxygen was administered and the boy began to feel better, the dog again took up her post next to the child's wheelchair.    "Somehow" the dog has the ability to detect neurological changes and alert the family when the boy is about to have a seizure or has very low oxygen levels.  She has saved his life several times, and devotes her time 24/7 to the little boy.

For me, there is no "somehow" in this wonderful story, and no happenstance in the father finding the dog's picture.  Juno's instinctive abilities to detect neurological changes in a human child were not taught her, but were placed inside of her by a loving Father who knew that those skills would be desperately needed by one special boy in Tennessee.  The father said, "It really feels like it was meant to be."  I couldn't agree more.

Knowing Without Seeing

You never saw Him, yet you love Him.

You still don't see Him, yet you trust Him - 

with laughter and singing.

1 Peter 1:8

My daughter owed me money.  Just when she graduated from law school, looking forward to establishing herself with her new law firm, the bottom dropped out of the economy and her job was deferred - for 18 months!  Her mentor at the firm found her a position as a law clerk in district court, but it was a "free" position - no paycheck involved.  The firm had given her a stipend to live on, and she possibly could make it through if she budgeted wisely, but it certainly was not enough to cover the agent's fees, security deposit and first month's rent on a tiny apartment in NYC.  Thus Mom came to the rescue with a large loan to cover those expenses.  They say that you never lend to your children expecting the money to be returned, but I didn't feel that way.  This was, after all, my beloved daughter whom I had raised and cherished, a child that I totally respected and trusted.  If she said she was going to pay it back, then there was no question as to that happening. 

A few months after her long hiatus was over, and she was getting back on her feet, the first check arrived for twenty percent of the amount she owed.  Several months later, a second check for the same amount.  This last week, a check arrived for the remaining sixty percent of the money.  Penned on the memo line was "Paid in Full!"  Yes, indeed - with laughter and singing, I am sure!  Not at any time during this last year could I ever "see" the money, or even the checkbook, but I knew it was coming.  I trusted the one who was going to provide it.

God has promised me endless blessings - including a home with Him that has been prepared for me from the foundation of the world.  I cannot see that home; indeed, I cannot see Him!!  I talk to Him all the time, and at times of wavering faith, I'll go outside and shout at the heavens in an attempt to get closer to Him and make sure He hears me.  In the final analysis, however, I know He is there and I know He hears me.  And the promised blessings?  I know they are coming, because I trust the One who is going to provide them.

Either Yes or No

And since you know that He cares,

let your language show it.

Don't add words like, "I swear to God"

to your own words.  Don't show your impatience

by concocting oaths to hurry up God.

Just say yes or no. Just say what is true.

That way, your language can't be used against you.

James 5:12

It is so easy to carelessly embellish our speech and stories with little tidbits that have no basis in truth or reality.  Somehow we feel that if we can make our facts a little more interesting or our tales more dramatic, then they will have more value to those who hear.  That could not be further from the truth.  After a while, those who listen to us recognize embellishment and exaggeration for what it is, and we are labeled as people who can't quite tell the clear truth.

Jesus advised:  Let your "yes" mean "yes," and your "no" mean "no!"  Anything more is from the evil one [Matthew 5:37].  If you want to stay out of trouble and have people accept you as a person of integrity, pass everything that comes out of your mouth through the filter of absolute truth.  We will end up saying a lot less and meaning a great deal more.

Betrayal and Death

A brother will betray his brother to death,

a father will betray his own child...

Matthew 10:21

The sun is peeking through my office window this morning bring cheer and warmth, but in the state of Washington, tragedy and grief darken the skies of at least one family today.  The saga of the Powell family has been in and out of the news since the mother, Susan Powell, disappeared in December of 2009 when her two sons were just toddlers.  The unfolding story was both tragic and bizarre:

• Susan Powell disappeared while her husband, Josh, took their two boys, ages 4 and 2, on a camping trip.
• Josh Powell claimed no knowledge of the disappearance of his wife
• Steven Powell, Josh's father, claimed that Susan was falling in love with him, intimated a sexual relationship, and suggested she ran away with another man.
• In 2010, Josh Powell and the boys moved to Washington to live with his father.
• In 2011, Steven Powell was arrested for voyeurism and pornography; he took pictures of his daughter-in-law and other neighborhood women and girls undressing and using the toilet and shower.
• The two Powell boys were removed from the home and put in the custody of their maternal grandparents.
• Josh Powell asked the court for the return of custody of his children.  This last week, the court denied his request and ordered him to submit to psychological testing.
• On Sunday, the two children arrived at Powell's home with a social worker for a supervised visit.  Josh Powell barred the social worker from entering the house, then locked the door with the children inside.
• The social worker called her supervisor, reporting the situation and the smell of gas.
• Moments later, the house exploded and Josh Powell and his children died in the conflagration.

I did not think this heart-rending story could get any worse until I clicked onto CNN Internet News this morning, and read the latest developments:  the oldest boy had just recently drawn a picture in school and verbalized to his grandparents that when they went on that fateful camping trip in 2009,  their father was driving, they were in their car seats, and "Mommy was in the trunk;"  when the house fire cooled and the authorities were allowed to retrieve the bodies, the children were found to have chopping injuries to the head and neck from a hatchet lying nearby.  Apparently their father attacked the boys almost immediately after they entered the house, then burned the house down on top of them while they were still alive.

Josh Powell's last communication by telephone stated that he "could not live without his sons."  This man's tortured mind could only process his own pain, guilt, needs and wants.  He was no longer capable of thinking about what his sons might want for their own lives, or the terror of being killed by their own father.  The last few moments of those little boy's lives - running across the lawn toward their dad, will stay in the memory of that social worker for the rest of her life.  There was nothing she could have done to stop this tragedy, but it will be years before she will come to terms with that.

What can be done to stop such horrific tragedies from happening to innocent children?  Families, relatives, schools, churches, social services, mental health units, courts and judges try to keep a lid on the narcissism and insanity that swirls through our adult society, but eventually the devil will collect his due.  God's tears surely mix with ours as we acknowledge that the further we get away from Him and His unconditional love, the more our souls shrivel and our ability to truly love diminishes away.

Getting Along

Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life

and is characterized by getting along with others.

It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy

and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next,

not two-faced.

James 3:17

What do you do when you have to associate with a person whom you absolutely cannot stand?  It might be a classmate, a neighbor, a work associate, or even a member of your family.  The reasons they tick you off might be few or many:  arrogant, rude, mouthy, loud, controlling, deceitful, slippery, know-it-all - the list could go on and on.  The other person's personality clashes with yours, and it is difficult to maintain civility while in the same room.  So how, exactly, do you manage to "get along?"

I have wondered this time and again with a woman that I must deal with professionally.  She is older than I am, which would automatically accord her respect in the tradition I was taught as a child.  She is, however, rude, demanding, mean, and arrogant, and has that attitude of privilege that somehow allows her to ignore the common rules of politeness.  This last week she lashed out at one of my friends, leaving them almost speechless in the face of her spitefulness. 

I wish I had some formula that I could share with you regarding getting along with such a person, but I am as clueless on how to do that as the next person.  I have finally adopted a practice of avoidance as much as possible, placing a boundary on how much I am willing/able to interact with her.  When I do have to speak with her, I try to listen with compassion, reminding myself that she is, in fact, a child of God even when she does not act like one.  As my father would say, "Someone has to be the bigger person in this relationship," and that person would be me.  It's not easy, but with God's help, I'll keep working on it!

Guaranteed Future?

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce,

"Today--at the latest, tomorrow--we're off to such and such

a city for the year; we're going to start a business and make

a lot of money."  You don't know the first thing about

tomorrow.  You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief

bit of sun before disappearing.  Instead, make it a habit to say,

"If the Master will it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that.

James 4:13-15

My father was not a practicing Christian, per se, but Dad was a very good man with little education, but a lot of back-alley wisdom.  He had a whole raft of proverbs and sayings that peppered his speech - a habit that he passed on to his kids.  When he announced that he personally, or we as a family, were going to do this, or go there, or do that, he would always end it by saying, "God willing and the creek don't rise."  I heard Grandma say it often enough that I am fairly certain he learned it from her.  

This coming July, I will have my 5th anniversary of my surgery for uterine cancer.  I am almost five years out, and every time I go in for my appointments, my oncologist reassures me that the cancer is long gone.  I know that her assurances are based on her vast knowledge of cancers in general and my tumor in particular, but the fact is, a cancer-free future is not guaranteed to me or any other survivor.  Cancer is a funny thing and definitely has a mind of its own.  I face my future - immediate and long-range - with great hope and a healthy respect for my adversary.  There is still a great deal that I want to do with my life - God willing, and the creek don't rise!

Forgiveness

Help us, O God our Savior,

for the glory of Your name.

Deliver us and forgives our sins

for Your name's sake.

Psalm 79:9

Forgiveness should be an easy subject, but frankly, it isn't.  When someone else wrongs us, the hurt is often so deep that the thought of forgiving the other person is repugnant to us.  They, after all, are the perpetrators of the offense, and we are the victims.  Why in the world should we forgive them?

Perhaps it would be helpful if we made a list of what forgiveness actually is, and what it very distinctly is not.  Let's start with the latter:

• Forgiveness is not weakness.
• Forgiveness is not condoning or approving the offence
• Forgiveness does not mean that the offence can be swept under the rug
• Forgiveness does not deny that the offence ever took place
• Forgiveness is not forgetting what happened
• Forgiveness does not make the pain go away
• Forgiveness does not restore trust
• Forgiveness does not guarantee reconciliation
• Forgiveness does not trump justice
• Forgiveness does not let the offender off the hook
• Forgiveness is not giving the other person permission to continue bad behavior

What exactly then, is forgiveness?

• Forgiveness starts with a mental decision - a choice
• Forgiveness is based on our attitude, not the other's actions
• Forgiveness is letting go of the need for revenge
• Forgiveness is letting go of bitterness and resentment toward the other person
• Forgiveness replaces anger with compassion
• Forgiveness realizes that the other person may never admit they are wrong
• Forgiveness of another is a gift you give yourself

 Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds 

on the heel that has crushed it.

-Mark Twain

God Works in ALL THINGS

And we know that in all things 

God works for the good of those who love Him, 

who have been called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Have you ever made a big mistake?  We are not talking about the garden-variety mistakes that we all make every day/week/month of the year.  No, have you ever made a real mistake:  tragic error, life-changing blunder, unforgivable faux pas, or inexcuseable blunder - a situation where you are totally and completely the one at fault, and in the process of your stupidity, you have hurt people that you respect and/or love?  If we were all totally honest, I think every one of us could raise our hand at this point.  I know I can.  I have been there, and I have done that.

After your total and complete lapse in judgment, you find yourself sitting with the broken pieces of your life scattered around you on the floor.  Things can begin to look pretty dark - no future, no hope, no nothing, and we can fall into gloom, depression, and withdrawal.  All of these consequences can and have happened to most of us.  But when the prognosis looks bleak and you feel like all and sundry have deserted you, listen to what Paul has to say about God's viewpoint on the matter.

There is nothing God cannot help, no circumstance that His grace cannot cover, no situation that cannot be made better by turning to Him.  Now don't get me wrong - He is not some heavenly superglue hero who can wave His magic wand and make everything whole again - returning things to the way they were before your horrible gaffe.  That only happens in movies and fairy tales.  There are real world consequences to the stupid things we do, and part of maturity is to take responsibility for your actions and being willing to take your medicine.  That's not an easy thing to do, but Paul assures us that God will be right there with us.  He can turn any circumstance into an eventual blessing for our lives.  He has promised, and He means just what He says.

The Cost of Strife

Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels

come from?  Do you think they just happen?  Think again.

They come about because you want your own way,

and fight for it deep inside yourselves.

James 4:1 [The Message]

Why do folks attend soccer games?  Wow, you say, that's kind of a dumb question!  You go to a soccer game because you love soccer; you want to watch a local team, or perhaps your favorite team play; you go to cheer on your favorite player(s).  I'm quite sure, however, that most people do not go to a soccer game to die.

On Wednesday, a soccer match in Egypt turned deadly when the home team of Al-Masry beat the Cairo team of Al-Ahly.  Tension had been building throughout the game with fans throwing bottles and rocks at the players.  When the game was over, however, they turned on each other.  Fans from both sides attacked each other with rocks, chairs, wooden sticks, glass bottles, knives, and swords.  Some fans died in falls from the bleachers, while other suffocated to death.  The death toll today stands at 79, while hundreds more are injured.  Authorities are unsure whether team rivalry or political strife fueled the fight.  Fans claimed that police opened some gates that allowed access between the two groups of fans, while not opening other gates that would have allowed people to flee the violence.  The government countered that there were organized groups in the crowds that purposely escalated the fighting. There is finger-pointing and he-said-she-said all the way around today.

In many of the areas of this world, the value of human life is slim to none.  That is such a difficult concept for me to wrap my head around, for I love life.  I wake every morning so grateful for another day in which to love my family and friends, practice and teach my art, and simply enjoy life and its beauty.  Seventy-nine people left home yesterday to relax and watch a soccer game; when the dust cleared, they were dead - never able to return to their homes and the families they loved.  The tragedy of that is a sobering thought on this Thursday morning.