Grief shared in death

 I wrote the following on a Facebook post just recently...remembering about Lew and that experience with him as he passed to Heaven was healing to remember and write about: 

Kate, bless you dear heart...thank you for each word you wrote. I hope that you received a bit of healing through this process. I was with my brother in the hospital when he died around 3 in the morning. The nurses were ok but I will say, the young man in the bed next to my brother was the kindest as he looked at me with compassion in his eyes and said "I'm sorry for your loss" And a young, in training nurse brought me a cot to sleep on next to my brother - taking me out of the very uncomfortable chair I was in. It was another healing time for me and this young nurse because he had done something wrong earlier that I had scolded him for. My brother was on hospice care there and close to death so the nurses had him on a morphine drip with instructions to not bother him because he was in a coma. This young man had come in earlier to take his vitals and when he did this it put my brother in a state of distress. I ran for the nurses, they came in and took the equipment away and apologized to me. I looked at the young nurse and said "don't ever do that again" Later, when he brought me the cot, he was so full of compassion and as painful as all of that was, I believe he learned from it. Being present when death arrives is a "human experience" time that care givers and family need to experience as a time to share in grief. 

The Psalms

we need the Psalms! In a world that either allows emotions to rule or attempts to rule over our emotions, we are in desperate need of a biblical theology of emotion. Since the Psalms show us what prayer and worship looks like in every conceivable emotional state, they give us divine permission to bring all our emotions into the presence of God. The Psalms show us God welcomes us no matter our emotional state. In fact, he gives us the language we often lack to understand and navigate our confusing and troubling emotional life. When we read the Psalms in the context of all of Scripture, we discover that the Psalms were Jesus' prayer book. They are the prayers of his heart whereby he redeemed all the emotions of human experience.

Though we won't find the word "emotion" in Scripture, many have recognized that the Psalms have long served as a primary "emotional handbook" for Christians. 

• “In the other books one hears only what one must do and what one must not do… but in the Book of Psalms, the one who hears, in addition to learning these things, also comprehends and is taught in it the emotions of the soul” (Athanasius).
• "For the early Christians the Psalms were also the unique emotional handbook for personal use of what might be termed “psalmno-therapy” (Bruce Waltke). Though the analogy isn't perfect, reading and praying the Psalms is like having God for your therapist! Who wouldn't want that?!

As we deepen our personal and corporate prayer life together this year, let's allow our emotions to move us past a surface relationship with God into a deeper trust, hope and love for Him and deeper joy for the comprehensive redemption of our humanity in Christ.

A few takeaways from our study so far for you to reflect on:

• Our emotions shouldn't be (and ultimately can't) be denied. Our emotions simply "are". God knows about them already. He wants us to bring them all to Him in prayer. 
• Our emotions shouldn't rule over us. But they often do - consciously or subconsciously. Prayer is inviting God's rule into our emotional lives through prayer. 
• Our emotions are part of what it means to be made in the image of God. 
• We mistakenly equate being spiritual healthy with always being happy or being emotionally flat. David - the man after God's own heart! - was anything but emotionally flat. Jesus - the Greater David - was anything but emotionally flat.

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Medal of Honor Day

Today is Medal of Honor Day. March 25 marks the date in 1863 when the first of these medals was awarded. It also falls, appropriately, during Lent, 40 days of reflection and sacrifice that begin with Ash Wednesday’s stark reminder of our mortality — “From dust you came and to dust you shall return” — and near their end on Good Friday, when Christ gave the ultimate example of fearlessly offering himself for others.
Medal of Honor recipients fully understand that example.

Lamenting

 Wrote this in March 2016: Feeling very sad this morning...another attack...another chicken lost...our favorite...she survived multiple attacks in the past...we nursed her back to relatively good health and enjoyed her for a few months...we could pet her...she cared for our two youngsters...and now she is gone. Charlie built a fortress with much thought and time and energy spent. "there is NO WAY a predator can get in" we said. Yesterday morning, while I was out working in the back a larger animal with much strength pulled up the bottom of the fence. Last night we saw the evidence of its strength. Didn't sleep well last night...first thought for me this morning was "why didn't I go down and check on them yesterday morning when I heard them making noise?" False security..."there is NO WAY a predator can get in" They are just chasing each other. So, this morning during my quiet time, which I begin with writing in my gratitude book, I said, "I don't feel any gratitude this morning...I need to read from the Psalms"...and this is what I read "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy doings; I muse on the work of Thy hands. I stretch out my hands to Thee; My soul longs for Thee as a parched land." Next to it some time this past year, I had written in pen the word "gratitude". Hmmm Even my sweet chicken is teaching me...but I am still struggling with this.

Challenging My Brain

I enjoy keeping unofficial scores for Landon's Little League games.  I have a clipboard with VERY limited data that I write.  It keeps me focused on the game.  Then, I told Charlie I wanted an official score keeper's book.  He got me one and OH MY!  The data that can be kept made my eyes cross!  Without making any marks I closed it and said "Take this back and get your money back"  Charlie said "No".  He wants me to work with it day in and day out and learn the details of score keeping.  WHAT A CHALLENGE TO MY MIND!  This will be a slow process but the challenge is so good.  So, here I go 3-2-2019.  I'll post my progress.

Abortion

Letter to my U.S. Senator:

Senator Feinstein,  It is disgraceful to see your name on the list of U.S. Senators who will not support the born-alive abortion survivors protection act.  I know you are a grandmother as I am.  I'm hearing stories like Tim Tebow's that speak loud and clear against abortion.  I want to appeal to your humanity and relationship to Almighty God.  PLEASE rethink your position on this Right-to-life issue. Surely you know, as I do, we each will stand before our Creator and be held accountable for our actions here on earth.  He is the giver and taker of life.

Memorizing God's Word

This is an email I sent to my sisters in faith at TOC:

Dear Hearts

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14  "Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee."  These two verses speak of a healthy spirit. I want this to be true in my life.  But wanting is the easiest part...doing is harder.  If you feel the same way, read on ---

*  I need a memorizing method.

*  If I make it too difficult, I will give up before I begin

*  Gini, begin with easy to memorize verses, and verses that have special meaning in your life.

   ex.  I am often anxious - Psalm 27:1 answers this. "The Lord is my light & my salvation.  

   Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life. Whom shall I dread?  Members of my

   family have favorite verses.  I often memorize these.  Here are two more special to me: John

  14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives I give to you.  Let

   not your heart be troubled. Nor let it be fearful." and Psalm 94:19  "When my anxious

   thoughts multiply within me, thy consolations delight my soul"

*  How do I relate to God.  Do I think of Him as personal? Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a  

   lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."  majestic? Proverbs 21:30 "There is no

   wisdom, no understanding and no counsel against the Lord."

*  My method - 3x5 cards easy to carry with me.  When I write it, I try to write it in easy to

   memorize phrases.  Ex Galations 5:22, 23

   "The fruit of the spirit is

    love, joy, peace

    patience, kindness, goodness

    faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

    Against such things there is no law."

    It is easy for me to remember when I can visualize 3 groups of 3.  There are 9.  I work on

    each and add it to the next when I am comfortable with it.

*   Last, choose a translation you are comfortable with.  A paraphrase can be good for helping

    to understand difficult passages and can be good for sharing with unbelievers. 

    Ex.  Ephesians 3:20 NAS  "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding, abundantly, beyond all

    that we ask or think according to the power within."  Here it is in The Message: "God can do

    anything, you know--far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your

    wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit

    deeply and gently within us."  I prefer the NAS because I'm not a real fan of modern...but it

    has its place.

So, there you have it!  Gini's recipe for memorizing His Word to keep your spirit healthy.

                                                      To your good health - cheers!  Gini