New Beginning

I can still remember how my heart felt that day.  I was so excited to finally get to be an 'adult'.  Living in my own apartment, having no one to answer to as to when I would be coming home that night.  And yet my heart pounded so hard at times that I thought it might leap from my chest.  I would be 2 1/2 hours from everything I've ever known.  All those that I love would not be within minutes anymore.  I knew no one in town.  Not one single person.  Would I make friends? Would I be able to find my own rhythm in such an uncharted territory?  I think my first night alone in that small apartment my heart felt every single emotion possible.  Excitement...fear...optimism....worry.  No one knew who I was.  They knew nothing about my past nor who I was back in Sioux Falls...essentially I could be anyone I wanted to be...

Any young person who leaves their hometown and goes off to college will tell you it was life changing.  Sounds like a cliche but when you move away to a new place it is bound to change in one way or another.  You are given a clean slate. A blank page.  A fresh start....a new beginning.

Fast forward almost 8 years and I have been through a few new beginnings.  When I moved to MN after we got married, when we moved to Canby, and now Canton.  As I was walking last week I took a look around at the life that was going on around me and it hit me again.  No one knows us here.  They don't know anything about our pasts, nothing about our character or have any preconceived notions that they've heard from others.  We have been given another clean slate...a new beginning.

This is a huge gift.  Fresh starts are precious, beautifully rare gems.  A gem that we need to be intentional with how we choose to use.  And that got me thinking about how Christ offers everyone this beautifully rare gem.  He died on the cross to forgive us.  To give us a new life...a clean slate...a new beginning. 

"For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism.  And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live NEW lives."

Romans 6:4

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a NEW person.  The old life is gone; a NEW life has begun!"

2 Corinthians 5:17

How amazing is that? How many people do we have in our lives that could use and love this precious gift? Are we doing everything in our power to let them know about Christ? With such a hurting world today, it is crying out for fresh starts and new beginnings.  We need to do everything in our strength to get the word out.  Live our lives for Christ in a more meaningful way than ever before.  Be missionaries in our own communities to spread the word that in Christ we have new life.

"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean.  Your filth will be washed away and you will no longer worship idols.  And I will give you a NEW heart and I will put a NEW spirit in you.  I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.  And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations."

Ezekiel 36:25-27

New beginnings are precious.  A rare gift not everyone gets.  But in Christ, we all have the opportunity to have one!

And as for my current new beginning? I want to be intentional about smiling at everyone I come in contact with.  Saying "hi" to everyone I can.  If I become known as the 'crazy, happy, never stops smiling' lady in Canton....I'm ok with that.  Because maybe....just maybe...it will lead to a deeper conversation later on about where my light comes from.  Which of course is simple:

CHRIST.  

"Since you have heard about Christ and you have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your NEW nature, created to be God-like - truly righteous and holy"

Ephesians 4:21-24

I dare you....double dare you...

I want you to indulge me for a moment.  Close your eyes and dream.  Dream of a world where everyone lives in harmony.  What does that world look like to you? I imagine it is a beautiful place where everyone gets along.  There is no arguing, no harsh words being said, no insults being flung around.  Everyone is full of love and compassion towards one another.

Now let me ask you this: In this world of complete harmony, does everyone agree? Does everyone share the same opinions? Or is it a place where everyone has their own opinions and ideas but no one shares them out loud? Is it possible to live in a world of harmony but yet disagree with some of life's issues? That my friends is a HUGE question....

In today's world there are so many places people share their opinions and beliefs.  Social media....blogs... face to face conversations....texts...newspapers...news media..the list could go on and on.  Opinions, thoughts, feelings are everywhere we look.  Not everyone shares our same opinions and in America, usually....supposedly, this idea that we are all different is something we are called to celebrate.  But lately it seems that it's only cause to celebrate if the person shares our same opinion...

Go on Facebook at any given time and you can find a hot topic post.  Once you do this go ahead and click on the comments section.  When I do this I'm usually left heart broken.  Not only do I see non-Christians attacking Christians....I also see CHRISTIANS going after non-Christians...and even worse yet....Christians attacking CHRISTIANS.  Everyone frantically trying to get their own opinions out....wanting their voice to be heard.  And in the process of doing what is their right to do...they are taking casualties.  Insults are being flung around like they are no big deal.  Like there aren't real people on the other side of the screen with real heart felt feelings.  Name-calling...cursing one another out...belittling...it's all there and it seems we as a human race have started to see it as our God given right to treat one another this way.  Because, you see, we are being taught that when someone doesn't agree with us that we need to fight to the death to protect our opinions.  Like if we for some reason don't keep fighting for it, our ideas and opinions will be taken away from us.  We are being taught our opinions are right and everyone else is always wrong.  We are being taught that we are entitled to do as we please when we please.  We are taught that having a difference of opinion somehow gives us the right to rip to shreds everyone who differs from us.

As a Christian, I am embarrassed and heartbroken when I find conversations where such things are happening.  Especially when I see members of the body of Christ are partaking in such acts.  What does the bible ask of us?

"So then let us aim for harmony in the church & try to build each other up..."

Romans 14:19

"May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you to live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus." 

Romans 15:5

"Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful.  Grow in maturity.  ENCOURAGE each other.  Live in harmony and peace.  Then the God of love and peace will be with you."

2 Corinthians 13:11

When I read these verses, I don't dream of world where everyone is the same and has the same opinions.  After all God created each of us as unique.  What I do dream of is a place where people aren't afraid to share their own in fear that they will be viciously attacked.  I do not think the bible calls us to never disagree with anyone.  After all we all called to proclaim who He is and preach the gospel.  The whole world will NEVER whole heartedly agree to that.  But I do think it calls us to share our opinions and beliefs in love.  As followers of Christ we should be leading the pact with this.  But sadly, I fear, we are miserably failing at it.

"A gentle answer deflects anger,

but harsh words make tempers flair.

The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing,

but the mouth of the fool belches out foolishness."

Proverbs 15:1-2

When being pulled down into such evil, remember this verse.  The harsh words never win, love & gentleness do.  Let God's teaching, wisdom, and knowledge fill your soul when sharing your opinions.  Let them be dripping with love and gentleness.  Speak and share when He says share and when He says quiet....stay quiet.  

Let us show this tired, sad, longing for a savior world who Christ really is....

Can people live in harmony while still sharing their differing opinions? I say the answer is YES!

Friends let's show them by being the example of this.  We can and should stand up for Christ.  But above all...let's do it in LOVE.....

"Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.  For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.  And always be thankful.

 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.  Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom it gives.

 Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say.....DO IT AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LORD JESUS. Giving thanks through Him to God the father.."

Colossians 3:14-17 

 

An old fashioned kind of love...

It's the 1940s, a boy sees a girl from across the street.  Her smile is contagious....her laughter magnetic.  In an instant he knows she's the one for him.  Of course when he asks her out she tries multiple times to refuse.  The boy, in the same token, refuses to give up.  He sees her get on a ferris wheel with another guy and runs and leaps onto their seat.  When she refuses him yet again, he proceeds to dangle high above the ground in order to force her to say yes.  And from there, they proceed to fall madly in love.....a true passionate old fashioned kind of love.  Fast forward years later and we find this girl, now woman, has Alzheimers.  She has seemed to forgotten the love of her life and yet he continues to refuse to accept that and makes her fall for him over and over and over again. Until one day they lie down and drift off into heaven together....

We all know this story.  It's Nicholas Sparks book titled, "The Notebook".  Women, and let's be honest some men, fell head over heels in love with this story.  We fell deeply into each character.  We felt what they felt.  We cried when they cried and we laughed when they laughed.  Some may say we loved it so much because it was a beautifully written story.  And while I agree I also feel like we let it seep so deep into our souls because we all crave that earth shaking, knees quaking, no one else matters around you kind of love.  And not only that passionate, but a love that is so powerful it lasts until your final breath.  And not only until your final breath but also through all sorts of turmoil, heartache, and pain.  A love that is still felt even when one of your memory's slips away.  A real, honest, pure, simple, passionate, old fashioned kind of love.  In today's society.....in generations since that time, it just doesn't seem to happen when you look at the staggering statics of marriages.  Life it seems has gotten more complicated for families.  Both the husband and wife can easily both have booming careers outside the home.  Kids activities seem to clutter and fill up the schedule.  There's errands to run, chores to be done, functions to attend, meetings to go to....and it seems that the thing that takes the biggest hit is our relationships with our spouse.  We seem to take that relationship, that bond, that love for granted.  It's so easy to assume the will always be there for us.  They are married to us after all so they will have to wait.  Other things, other people, other stuff needs our attention more at whatever season we are at in our lives....

Recently, just a few weeks ago actually, Travis' beloved Papa passed away.  He lived to be the wonderfully old age of 92.  And by his side for almost 68 of those amazing years was his wife Lilian.  Can you even fathom that? When he was just 24 and she was just 18 they fell madly in love with each other.  And they never stopped.  They had their share of good times and bad.  They had 2 sons together and lived out their lives on the farm.  Ever since I started dating Trav I honestly don't think I ever saw one without the other.  With each glance they gave one another I saw the purest form of love I have ever seen.  The way he looked at her, his eyes danced.  I can just picture it in my mind as I close my eyes now.  When Travis would tell stories about the 2 of them he would say so many times how much they loved each other.  For the last several years we had said we didn't know how one would get along without the other.  They had that "Notebook" kind of love.  That love that society seems to view as a 'fairytale' these days.  We haven't been back to the farm since Papa's passing but I know how incredibly hard that day is going to be.  When we think of Papa and Grandma, we think of them as one unit.  They aren't 2 separate people in our minds.  They are 2 souls forever intertwined....

When I think of them, it makes my soul yearn....It makes my soul yearn and aspire to make sure that Travis and I have that old fashioned kind of love.  That love that people don't see much of these days it seems.  That love that intertwines us for eternity.  That love that makes people see us as one unit.  That love where if either one of us were to lose the other we wouldn't know how to go on nor would we want to live in that world.  A piece of us would forever be missing. 

In today's society we are told that we shouldn't depend on anyone like that.  Especially women are taught that.  That we need to be our own person and we need to take care of ourselves.  That we need to prove to society that we don't need a man in our lives to take care of us.  And men are taught that they need to prove that they don't need any women in their lives telling them what to do.  That marriage is a ball and chain relationship...

I tell you what ladies and gentlemen listen up.... I want that kind of love.  Society is lying to you once again.  That old fashioned kind of love is good for the soul.  That old fashioned kind of love works.  That old fashioned kind of love is the kind where the divorce rate isn't 1 out of every 2 marriages.  That old fashioned kind of love is the kind of love that God created for us all.  He wants us to feel that kind of love.  Our souls yearn for it.  It's why we love stories like the Notebook.  But they don't have to be just stories.  Love like that really exists out there.  Papa Donovan and Grandma Lillian are living proof of that.  I pray that Travis and I live to see 68 beautiful years together.  It's not going to be easy....but by God it's going to be WORTH it.  Find an inspirational couple in your own life and let them inspire you to do everything in your power to make sure you are fighting for them daily.  That that relationship is your top priority after Jesus.  Kids are amazing but they thrive when mommy and daddy are head over heels in love.  The busyness doesn't have to be so busy.  Carve out time for them.  Do unexpected things for them.  Pray for them.  And when life tries to bash the love out, dig in your heels and fight for them....

I want an old fashioned kind of love......the earth shaking, knees quaking, no one else matters around you kind of love......