I Bowed On My Knees

I had an emotionally moment in church this morning that I was not really ready for. We have a choir for the "seasoned" citizens of the church called the Sunshine Singers, and every once in a while they will sing instead of the regular choir. As I was looking through the bulletin before church started, I saw that they were going to be singing "I Bowed On My Knees". Just as I read this, they started practicing just a little bit of the song to make sure the mics were working. Tears came to my eyes, and I had a hard time holding myself together. When they actually sang the song during the service, tears streamed down my cheeks and I was sure everyone around me was wondering what was going on. This song was sung by my aunt at my grandpa's funeral in September. It was hard remembering the emotions of that day, even though we were celebrating his life, there were lots of tears and it was difficult. The words of the song also struck me this morning in a particular way as I longed to see Jesus and leave all of the struggles of this world, like studying for a crazy mid-term in Hermeneutics (just kidding!). :) The words of the song are really great, so here they are. I am learning that in the grieving process, different things will hit you at different times. Sometimes I know a certain memory or situation will be tough, and others things just are hard that I'm not expecting. But, I am thankful for God's strength for every situation, and I'm so thankful that my grandpa is in heaven praising Jesus.

I dreamed of a city called Glory,
So bright and so fair.
When I entered that gate I cried, "Holy"
The angels all met me there:
They carried me from mansion to mansion,
And oh what sights I saw.
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for all."

Chorus
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory, Glory to the Son of God."
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory, Glory to the Son of God."

I thought as I entered that city,
My friends all knew me well.
They showed me the streets of Heaven;
Such scenes too numerous to tell;
I saw Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
Mark, Luke and Timothy.
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for me."
http://www.my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis2/bowed.html ( you can listen to the music)

A Few Highlights

This weekend I have several big assignments to complete for school and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Instead of getting too bogged down and to hopefully keep a positive attitude (for me, Miss Pessimistic), I am going to list a few highlights and special moments, or fun things from this last week.

~ Erika and I got to have lunch today at one of our favorite places called Taco Delight. It's only about 4 blocks from the church, and so we braved the "cold" weather to walk. It was great to catch up and just chat.

~ We have had some interesting mice adventures in the office this week. While a mouse running around in my office is definitely NOT a highlight, we've had lots of laughter over the whole situation, and it's become exciting to check the closet and see how many we've caught (the count is up to 8, although 5 of those were at one time).

~ I got to have a Skype call with my sister on Thursday night. I always enjoy talking to her and any other family member and just laughing and talking.

~ Girls' Bible study on Wednesday was pretty crazy. We were trying to finish our series on Esther but we (meaning the girls) were easily distracted and talked about the most random things. We also played a rather simple version of Wheel of Fortune which was lots of fun.

Well, those are a few of the fun things from this week. :)

Living Simply

For my Spiritual Formation and Worship class this semester, we are reading the book Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster. He divides the spiritual dicsciplines into the 3 categories: the inward disciplines, the outward disciplines, and the corporate disciplines. I have been reading this week in the section of the outward disciplines, and was struck by the discipline of simplicity. Foster gave 10 ways that we can practice living simply, and these really made me think so I wanted to share them.

1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry, like time-saving devices
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.
7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes. They are a trap and only deepen your bondage.
8. Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech.
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God.

Musings...

This morning as I sipped a Pumpkin Spice latte (very good for soul-searching), I read Zephaniah 3:17, which says, "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." I want to dive deep into this verse, and let it change my life. God delights in us! He delights in me. This is something that I often have a hard time believing. But I want God's love to wash over me, to quiet my soul, to show me what is truth. I hope you know how much God loves you! Perhaps like me, you need to discover this in a new way today.

This verse brought to mind a neat song based on the words of this passage. Here is the song:

"Sing Over Me" by Bethany Dillon

I live in the wonder of Your love
You rise like the sun in my heart
Even when the night draws near to me
There You are

I will wade in the water of mercy
I will walk in the light of Your will
Whatever should come against me
Teach me to be still

As you Sing over me
Draw me close to rest in Your peace
Sing over me
Oh, sing

Sing of Your unending faithfulness
That knows no doubt or fear
In the face of all that I don't know yet
Remind me of who You are

You are mighty
You will save
Rejoice over me with singing
You will quiet
By Your love
Glory over me with singing

God's Heart for all the Nations

This weekend I attended a conference on sharing the Gospel with Muslim peoples. This was really an amazing day and a half of stories and learning from former Muslims who have found the Truth of Jesus Christ. We had some good times of singing, speakers, and breakout workshops.

God is doing some amazing work among Muslim peoples, but there is much work to be done. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, and is taking over Europe and even the United States. There are 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. In France for example, one out of every 6 people is a Muslim.

Muslims who become Christians face many difficulties. They must confront their families and face possible rejection. Many of the Muslim background believers face threats on their life because they will not go back to their Muslim faith. One girl who lives in Los Vegas told the story of when she became a Christian, her uncles came from India to question her. They beat her with a hard-back copy of the Qur’an, the holy book for the Muslims, and she was in the hospital for quite some time. Her father beat her up in a grocery store parking lot. But her faith remains strong, and she is committed to telling her story so that people will know persecution happens even in the US.

So what can we do? First of all, we need to pray for God to continue to reveal himself to the Muslim people, so that they will know the Truth. Second, we need to build relationships with Muslim people. This is really the best way to share the Gospel with them. This takes much time, patience and great love. We need to invite them into our homes and get to know more about their culture and religion. Many Muslims believe that Christians are no different from the movies they see of Americans and consider them to be hypocrites. We need to show them we are different by loving them with Christ’s love. Also, a huge need in many other countries is for discipleship of new believers. In Iran, for example, thousands are coming to Christ, but with no one to shepherd them and teach them the Bible, they are being led astray by anything that might have the label “Christian” on it. We need to look beyond just “converting” someone, to really teaching them to obey Christ’s commands.

This conference continued the learning process for me on outreach to Muslim peoples, and I’m excited to see what opportunities God gives me to live out what I’ve learned.

One Month

Wow, the last day in September! The month (and the whole year for that matter) has gone quite quickly. I wanted to take the opportunity for one last blog in September to share a few more pictures of my grandpa, Donald Anderson, who passed away a month ago. The picture above is of my grandpa's parents and siblings. Grandpa is the 2nd from the right in the row of kids.

My grandpa served in the army, and was in the Korean War. He let us grandkids try on this hat and jacket.

My grandparents, Donald and Lorraine, on their wedding day, August 17th, 1954

My grandpa with my mom Chris, on her and my dad's wedding day, June 7th, 1981

My grandparents with their oldest 2 grandkids: me (standing up on the couch) and my cousin Lars (the baby)

My grandparents on their 50th wedding anniversary with my uncles Brian and Arden and my mom, 2004

25 Things

Earlier this year there was a note that was popular on Facebook where people listed 25 things that represented them. I was in Asia at the time that most of my friends were participating in making these lists, so I missed out on most of them. I recently ran across a couple, and this made me think about what I would choose. So, here is my list. I’m not sure if these really capture who I am, and I know some of these things are random, but here they are anyway! :)

1. My relationship with God is the most important relationship in my life.


2. My passion is missions- taking the Gospel to the people who don’t have a chance to hear about Jesus- but I don’t consider myself to fall into the category of a ‘typical’ missionary.


3. I love my family! I consider my siblings to be some of my best friends, and each one has been influential in my life. My parents are 2 of my heroes.


4. Being a good big sister, a responsible oldest daughter, and a worthy role model as an oldest grandchild are roles that I take pretty seriously.


5. I am a Nebraska farm girl, a small town Iowa girl and a big city Texas girl. I pretty much have loved every place that I’ve lived!


6. I enjoy traveling, seeing new places and finding fun things about different cultures, but I get tired of flying pretty easily and I would rather be settled in one place than moving from place to place.


7. My life goal is to worship God with believers on every continent. I still need to go to Africa, Australia and Antarctica (although I am more interested in the first two).


8. I am fascinated by weddings- the dresses, flowers, music, etc. My dream was to be a wedding coordinator but then God shifted my focus to preparing the bride of Christ for the Bridegroom. I still love seeing friends’ wedding pictures, browsing wedding magazines every once in awhile, and popping into the wedding dress shop at the mall.


9. I have always wanted to walk in a parade, wear a tiara, have a book published, be a good cook like my sister, and be influential in someone’s life. Not necessarily all at the same time.


10. I have fallen in love with Starbucks, but because I am poor I don’t go very often. I love to take my Bible and journal, get a Vanilla Latte or Carmel Macchiato, and have some good reflection time.


11. I miss my undergrad college days, and the community of the dorm that I lived in for 4 years. Those were some of the best years of my life.


12. I love hearing “God-stories”, how God has worked in a way that only He can in peoples’ lives. Often these powerful stories will move me to tears.


13. I love listening to the rain, but I hate getting wet. I especially don’t like when my feet or shoes get wet, or the bottom of my pants. I would much rather just be able to watch and hear the rain from inside.


14. I am quiet, and I always have been. I would rather listen to what is going on around me than add to the conversation. I would much rather talk to people one-on-one than in a group. Mostly I feel like other people have something more important than anything I might have to say.


15. I appreciate a dynamic speaker. I get very restless when I have to listen to a speaker who isn’t very engaging. I also get nervous for people who I know well who have to get up and perform. Sometimes I get more nervous than they do!


16. I enjoy going to the public library and reading the Wall Street Journal, or buying it in the airport if I’m flying on the weekends (when it’s cheaper).


17. Throughout my, life my dream jobs have been to be a writer, a journalist, a secretary, a veterinarian, and a wedding coordinator. I guess I am currently a secretary, so at least I have gotten to do one of my dream jobs!


18. My favorite movies of all time are The Sound of Music, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Roman Holiday. I love just about any musical.


19. I used to greatly dislike talking on the phone, especially having to make phone calls. But then when I worked one summer at my home church, the pastor asked me to call everyone in the church to remind them about a special service we were having that Sunday. That pretty much helped me get over my dislike of making phone calls.


20. I would much rather write a letter to someone than send an email or make a phone call. I absolutely love getting mail!


21. My primary love language (how I give and receive love) is gifts. The second is words of affirmation.


22. I have a hard time being flexible, but traveling overseas has helped with that a little bit. I like to know what’s going on, and am very curious (which sometimes gets me in to trouble).


23. I greatly dislike games that involve a high level of athleticism or skill. My favorite games would probably be Clue, Spoons and Phase Ten.


24. I love working behind the scenes to help people. Even if I am just keeping the coffee pot filled, I enjoy serving people in this way.


25. I hope to finish grad school, serve overseas, and live my life in total service to God wherever He takes me and in whatever way I can further His Kingdom.

Feel free to share your 25 things with me by email or whatever!

The Role of Women

The topic of the role of women especially within the family has been brought to my attention by an article in our local newspaper about a woman whose daughter graduated from high school with me. The woman has recently gone through a divorce, and is raising awareness of the Quiverfull movement and her escape from this way of thinking. (To read the article go to http://www.norfolkdailynews.com/ and search Quiverfull) I am not really writing this to respond to her in particular (because I don’t think she even knows my blog exists), but because so many things from the article and also reading the woman’s blog have bothered me greatly. In coming out of the movement, she has gone to the other extreme of turning away from anything relating to God. My thoughts will deal more with the Quiverfull movement itself, rather than her actions and reactions.

For a full history and description of the Quiverfull movement you’ll have to do some of your own research, but the movement gets its name from Psalm 127 which talks about the man being blessed whose quiver is full of arrows (children). In an effort to turn away from the feminist uprising of the 1920s and following, this movement strongly opposes the use of birth control and particularly focuses on the role of women as wives who submit to the authority of their husbands and mothers who view their children as blessings from God and who raise them up to change the world.

So, here are some of my thoughts. First of all, one of my big problems with the Quiverfull movement is the extreme nature of women’s submission to their husbands. In some examples of literature of the Quiverfull movement that I found, the woman is said to be the help mate to her husband, to fill his every need, and build him up to be all he can be. Last time I checked, this isn’t all there is to it. Ephesians 5:22 says, “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (New International Version). But it doesn’t stop there. Verse 25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”. I don’t think submission and respect are supposed to be one-sided. Yes, women are to let their husbands be the leaders in the home, but the husband isn’t supposed to rule with an iron fist. Instead, he is supposed to love his wife, following the example of Jesus, who gave His life for the church. I think a better picture of the marriage relationship-rather than one being dominant over the other- is that both husband and wife are mutually submitting to and loving the other. They are both respecting, encouraging and serving the other.

Another aspect of the Quiverfull movement is the idea that women should stay at home and raise perfect, godly children. This idea, too, has been taken a bit to the extreme. Every parent should train their children to follow the Lord, and some women I think are definitely called to stay at home to do this. Here are two examples of women from my life who really are my heroes but have taken different paths in this regard. My mother chose to stay at home and teach her kids at home. My parents chose this direction because they felt this was what God was calling them to do. My mom has shown me an example of a loving wife and mother. My grandma, on the other hand, worked outside the home for many years as a teacher. Was she dishonoring God by doing this? No, definitely not. My grandma is my other hero, and she has been another example to me of a godly woman. She loved her husband and served her family, and she trained my mom and her siblings to be followers of God. I don’t really think one way is better than the other, and each family should seek God’s direction on what is best for their individual needs.

I personally believe the Quiverfull movement goes against Scripture, or at least misinterprets certain passages, but I also totally disagree with the reaction of the lady from my hometown (read the article on the newspaper website if you haven’t yet). There is still lots to think about, and I hope that dialogue continues to happen in my hometown and elsewhere.

And to end on a happy note, here is a picture of me and my siblings! ;)

Turn Your Thoughts to Christ

For my Spiritual Formation and Worship class I am reading the book Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard (and will have to write a paper on it this week). Willard talks about how we are spiritually formed, and how all the different parts of who we are- mind, soul, spirit, body- go through a transformation.

In the chapter on how our minds are transformed, Willard used a quote from Thomas Watson's book All Things for Good published in 1663. I really loved this quote and I want to share it with you.

"The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. He who is in love, his thoughts are ever upon the object. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the contemplation of God. 'When I awake, I am still with thee' (Psalm 139:18). The thoughts are as travellers in the mind. David's thoughts kept heaven-road, 'I am still with Thee'. God is the treasure, and where the treasure is, there is the heart. By this we may test our love to God. What are our thoughts most upon? Can we say we are ravished with delight when we think on God? Have our thoughts got wings? Are they fled aloft? Do we contemplate Christ and glory? Oh, how far are they from being lovers of God, who scarcely ever think of God! 'God is not in all his thoughts' (Psalm 10:4). A sinner crowds God out of his thoughts. He never thinks of God, unless with horror, as the prisoner thinks of the judge" (quoted in Willard p. 106).

I was really struck reading this quote by how important it is to direct our minds to God. We have so many different thoughts during the day concerning our tasks, worries, relationships, what to fix for dinner, what to wear to work, etc. But I really had to ask myself, how much time do I spend thinking about God? Asking questions, thinking of His goodness, pondering his love for me? This was a good reminder that I need to turn my thoughts more to God, and away from all of the other things that really aren't important.

A Few Pictures of my Grandpa

My grandparents with their first grandchild- me! :)

Grandpa showing me something neat in the pasture.

Our whole family: aunts, uncles, and 15 grandkids, with my grandparents for their 50th wedding anniversary in 2004