The Oilers

Wow! Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Championship did not disappoint me at all. I have to admit, I have not watched a lot of hockey -- this was game #2 for me (the first being the final game of the playoffs which was fantastic). Oh, I've seen bits and pieces of other games in the past, but nothing really captured my interest . . . until now.

I did not watch the first two periods -- some people have said that the Oilers did not play that well in those periods. I did, however, see the third and final period. I was mesmerized by the beauty -- the dance -- of the game. Both teams were INTENSELY focused. Their ability to "play" with the puck was awesome to see, as well as their ability to bluff with their bodies in an incredibly graceful manner. It seems as if these guys can change to the completely opposite direction in a split second.

I could not see much of a difference between the teams for the first few minutes of the period. Both seemed on top of their game. Soon, though, it appeared to me that Carolina had the edge. It seemed as if they knew in advance where the puck was going -- they were always there. They seemed fresh and fast. Our players are scrappers, though, and they dug deep and never once appeared down to me -- I loved that! They just kept going on. They had opportunities and as far as I could tell capitalized on them as best they could. One rebound by Pisani should have hit the mark for sure. He was there, it was his.

In the final two minutes, with the Oilers down 2-1, the Edmonton goalie came out, and we had 6 offensive players on the ice. We did not convert, and unfortunately, the Hurricanes captured a goal. Alot of people will probably question the wisdom of the decision to remove the goalie, but I don't. I think the Oilers did exactly the right things.

Sometimes, though, things just don't go the way you think they should -- this was one of those times. The game could have gone either way, but it could only go one way, and it went the other way.

Sometimes, things in my life don't seem to work out the way they should. Sometimes, I can do the right things and yet seemingly lose the game. Fortunately, God loves those who take a hit but get up and try again.

Finally !!

Well, I'm not quite sure how to feel about this piece of paper -- the cost has been tremendous. The experience has been great. But I'm not sure what the future holds, so I'm not exactly in a celebratory mood right now. In fact, I'm a little depressed, but still happy to have received this degree which validates education received over the course of about 27 years.

1 Kings 10 - 13

Well, I thought I had found something really interesting in the Bible. I thought it was really interesting in this scripture that it was the Queen of Sheba who came to test Solomon's wisdom. It wasn't the King of Sheba, but the Queen. I have to admit that everytime I see a woman in a leadership role in the bible, I get excited. There has either been so much emphasis, or so much misunderstanding from both insiders and outsiders, on the subservient role of women in the church. My father always said that Christian churches were not very good to the women in the churches -- meaning in regarding them as equals, or even allowing them to "speak". And I think he has a point.

I've been reading the bible for nearly 3 years now, and most of my time has been spent in the Old Testament. The laws were not kind to women in Old Testament times. But there were some women in leadership who are truly inspirational -- Deborah is a great example. One of Israel's judges. Chosen by God. Esther. Queen. Chosen by God. Even the Queen of Sheba. God rules all, so He appears to have allowed her or chosen her to test Solomon's wisdom. These women were leaders -- all with different styles it would appear.

I love what Jesus does for women. He just seemed to accept women. He freed them from bondage just like everyone else. He would have them be so much more than sideliners. And yet, my impression throughout the New Testament is that women are almost viewed with even less regard in the church. I believe it was Paul that provided guidelines for the "new church" that suggested that women should not speak in church. (Much less lead anything.) I've read a commentary that suggests that that should be contextualized as a way of establishing order in the emerging church at that time. I've liked adopting that.

Maybe you think I am male bashing -- far from it. There have been so many great male leaders -- I totally appreciate the front line leadership that men provide. I honestly don't know how they do it. I also think their job is hard -- they have to provide and yet are required now to play a pretty large role at home, too. I just get impatient with the assumption by so many, ingrained it seems, that women should play a certain role -- boxed in. I don't know quite why it gets my goat so much, but it does. I like to think in terms of teams with players all having roles, all roles having importance, interdependence, etc.

Prayer

God, I thank you for today.
I thank you for those who touched my life today.
I thank you for those who lives I may have touched today in a positive way. I ask your forgiveness, for the hurts I caused anyone today.

I praise you for creating this day for all who lived it,
For the opportunity to serve you just even one more day.
I praise you, God, for your love and care today.
I praise you, God, for your love and care of my church today.

Lord, I pray for my church today.

I pray for the pastors in our church, Lord.
I pray that you guide them in their pastoring of people to guide those people to you.
I pray that as your priests, they recognize and revere the privilege afforded them in
serving a God whose greatness exceeds all of our understanding.

I pray for the board of our church, Lord.
I pray that you fill them with the sense of responsibility that governance of
your church brings.
I pray that they embrace the change and adjustments you would make in
their lives and the lives affected by their governance.

I pray for the support in our church, Lord.
I pray that we get a sense of your Spirit and your presence even in the smallest
detail of the work we do.
I pray that we stay settled and unruffled even if there is unsettledness around us.

I pray for the sick in our church, Lord.
I pray that you touch the hearts of those who are sick and let them know you are in charge,
that they are closest to your heart.
I pray they sense your love through their infirmity.

I pray for the families in our church, Lord.
I pray that the ministry of our church directly and positively impacts relationships in the
families at our church.
I pray that your presence is evident in our families.

I pray for the single people in our church, Lord.
I pray that you let our single people know that they are not alone, that they have a family
given them by you to minister to them.
I pray that singles entering our doors feel accepted, loved, encouraged at our church.

I pray for the spirit of our church, Lord.
I pray that your Spirit is the spirit of our church; the spirit of servanthood, of genuine
relationships, of mercy, of kindness, of love.
I pray that we actively seek your Spirit through guidelines you have set out for us in your Word, that we exemplify what you would call Christianity.

Thank you, God, for loving us, guiding us, training us, blessing us.

Well, God?

What would you have me do?
I know what I heard you say, Lord.
Although my hearing doesn't always appear to work right.
People speak, I listen, I don't hear.
You speak, I listen, do I hear you?
Override my own voice, God, with your truth.
Lies surround me.

God

I see the sky -- the clouds, the sun, the rain --
I think of You
I hear the mighty pine trees, swaying ever so gracefully in the wind,
I think of You
I feel the cool wind on my cheeks, hair whipping about and stinging my eyes,
I think of You
I smell the torrent of rain as it falls upon the green, green grass of summer,
I think of You
I taste the salt of the ocean as memories are stirred in the far recesses of my mind,
I think of You.

How great You are, my Lord,
In all creation there is none like You.

Perspective

You know, I find it oh so very hard to maintain perspective sometimes. I was going through the French Open results and other articles to see what I might be able to send to members of North Pointe's Tennis League, and I run across this sight on MSN:

T E N N I S N E W S

• Blake, Venus try to improve U.S. tennis rep
• Nadal breaks consecutive clay-court wins record
• Likhovtseva 1st seeded player to lose at French Open
• Blake, Venus, Clijsters advance at Roland Garros
• Kohlloefel, Babos win NCAA singles title
• At No. 13, Venus Williams rankled by low ranking
• Federer overcomes slow start to win at French Open
• Roddick practices, probably will play at French Open
• Iraqi tennis coach, players killed for wearing shorts

There's one item that just doesn't fit in the list, isn't there. I can't believe it. The tennis playing western world is riveted to their tv sets to watch the French Open, and the tennis playing Middle Eastern world is dying for wearing shorts to play.

I pray for the tennis players and other athletes in that part of the world today. I experienced such freedom as a young girl playing tennis -- I can't imagine the surreal horror these tennis players must have felt just before they died.

Da Gullible vs. Da Skeptic

I tell you what - I can not believe what people are willing to believe. Seriously. I heard today that 1/3 (that is, one-third) of all Albertans believe that The Da Vinci Code (a novel) is actually true. If that is true, then surely we have indeed arrived in The Twilight Zone. I also heard today that a large chunk of a satellite downlink was devoted to an e-mail from a man who said he is a Christian and that the book "confused" him.

I don't understand where the confusion comes from. I honestly don't. But now, though I don't believe the Da Vinci code is a concern, I do believe that gullibility and the lack of a healthy skepticism, among Christians and non-Christians alike, is definitely a concern.

Galatians 1:6-7, written nearly 2000 years ago, warns of believing anything other than the Good News that was shared with you: "I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who in his love and mercy called you to share the eternal life he gives through Christ. You are already following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who twist and change the truth concerning Christ."

I was so very strongly called to Christ and subsequently to God's teaching in the Bible, that I can't imagine adopting as truth something written as a novel today. I was hugely skeptical and disbelieving of God for 42 years. I can't imagine adopting a 5-year old novel, that was researched for 1 year as the truth about God. Skepticism, even about God, is understandable to me. It seems to me that God is sometimes glorified when he shows how our skepticism about Him is flawed. He is glorified when a skeptic brings an issue to Him and ends up surprised at how God can overcome anything. Skepticism is not necessarily unhealthy. There is alot of information that comes our way every day, and if we don't have a healthy dose of skepticism, well, we could spend a lot of time like a blade of grass in the wind, blowing to and fro.

to be continued.

Psalm 23

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."
(Lord, thank you for shepherding me. Thank you for loving me and bringing me into your
family. Thank you for your Word which guides me just as any shepherd guides his flock.
Lord, thank you for providing for my needs. Thank you for ensuring I want for nothing.)

"He makes me lie down in green pastures,"
(Lord, who but you can make sure the pastures turn green each spring? Each year is a
miracle of your making and your praises are sung by the very beauty you have created.
I praise you, Lord, for making me rest in your presence.)

"he leads me beside quiet waters,"
(Lord, you know that lately the quiet seems scarcer, it seems there is constant pressure
to be moving as a turbulent river moves -- thank you for the quiet waters. I pray that you
teach me to rest quietly even as turbulence surrounds me. To be a testimony of you in
this way would be the delight of my life."

"he restores my soul."
(Thank you, Lord, for forgiving me and restoring me. Thank you for restoring my soul
though I will never deserve restoration. Thank you for choosing to love me and restore
me, and for loving and encouraging me even when I can see nothing but failure.)

"He guides me in paths of righteousness"
(Thank you, Lord, for your guidance. Thank you for your correction. Thank you for your
discipline. Thank you for your Word.)

"for his name's sake."
(Lord, I thank you for anything in me that glorifies you. Lord, I ask for your help in my
life, your strength, your wherewithall, to guard my testimony of you in my life.)

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,"
(Oh Lord, sometimes it feels as if this valley is constant!! Like the shadow of death is
everywhere and overshadowing everything. As if every step taken is examined and found
wanting.)

"I will fear no evil, for you are with me;"
(Thank you, Lord, for being with me. I pray you do not forsake me, Lord, as there is no
other than you for me. I pray for a sense of security in you, a tangible shield of your
very presence around me, so fears are allayed with the very thought of you and your
love.)

"Your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
(Thank you, oh Lord, for your discipline, for your training, for your refining, for bringing
me into your workshop no matter how painful, how difficult, etc. Lord, thank you for the
knowledge that any other way is useless and futile.)

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."
(Lord, I do not understand why there are enemies, and I don't always understand the enemies
I fight. But I love you and praise you, Lord, for your divine sense of justice, humour and
irony as you allow me to dine at your table even while not being welcomed at others' tables.)

"You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows."
(Thank you, Lord, for not just accepting me into your family, but for bringing an overflowing
cup of grace, mercy, blessings, and love, from the family surrounding me daily. Thank you,
Lord, for allowing me to work for you, and for honouring me. I pray I will not forget these
gifts you have given.)

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,"
(Thank you, Lord, for your presence in my life.)

"and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
(Oh Lord, thank you.)

2 Samuel 10 - 14

"But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying. Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, 'Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, don't be so upset. Since he's your brother anyway, don't worry about it.' So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in Absalom's house. When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry." 2 Samuel 13:19-21

Some days, I hope no one ever reads this blog -- I could be way off this time. But my focus is the last sentence of the above scripture. You see, King David was very angry . . . but the bible makes no reference to him actually taking any action to rectify the situation. In fact, the notes in the bible I am reading say that though David was unsurpassed as a king and military leader, he lacked skill and sensitivity as a husband and father. Typical.

Perhaps you think I will start male-bashing here -- but no. I think that in many ways, guys have a tough job. They are expected to be good at their jobs, progress, get promotions, make money, make more money. And all the while, they will hear that they need to spend more time with their families. In fact, some would suggest that men not being home with their families more can lead to a breakdown in the family structure. But you know what? It is hard to be "super" successful (or sometimes even just successful) in the workplace if you don't spend the majority of your waking life at work. The trade-off unfortunately is often your family. For David to be the best King and military leader took a good chunk of his time! It is hard to go off to war and say "Maybe I'll reduce my hours to 4 per day so I can dwell on my family a bit more, or write home, or whatever." Try winning a war that way -- good luck. And many of us have work environments or work requirements that could be compared to war zones or war times.

But I think of the frustration that Tamar must have experienced. Wronged by her brother, she was even further wronged by her father. I say further wronged because David was really the only one who could take some sort of action that would have rectified or bettered the situation. The only one. If you can't trust your father, who is the only one who can help, who can you trust? Can you imagine? It must have been nightmarish for her. David, most admired, most successful, most powerful, decides to take no action on his daughter's behalf. It begs the question, then what good was his anger at all? It would have been insulting to me to know of and perhaps even directly hear of his anger . . . and then wait in futility for the King to take action. Perhaps day after day. Maybe Tamar thought "Well, nothing today, but I'm sure something is in the works.....tomorrow, perhaps tomorrow my name will be exonerated." And then nothing again. Knowing how hard it is to control my thought life, I can only imagine that Tamar would perhaps start thinking her life's value was little compared to many other things.

I thank God for sending his son, Jesus, to the women in this world. There are many situations in which women can find themselves feeling like Tamar, and I am thankful that Jesus is constant in his regard for women as well as for men. I see no evidence in the bible of Jesus devaluing the lives of women or encouraging or condoning having women in powerless positions. In fact, he was quick to point out and correct the double standards that existed (and still exist).

So, (righteous anger) + (no action) = what?

2 Corinthians 6-8

"We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors." 2 Corinthians 6:8

The opposite of people pleasers! You've got to love Paul for his singlemindedness. My perspective gets a bit out a whack sometimes. For instance, because of I read of disciples & apostles in the Bible and admire them, I think they must have been admired in their day. I forget that they were definitely in the minority and were often slandered as opposed to praised. I really like their standing their ground, though -- their bold seeking of truth and goodness.

Mark 15-16

"So Pilate, anxious to please the crowd, released Barabbas to them."
Mark 15:15a

People pleasers -- how many of us are people pleasers? I hate the thought of it, yet I do it myself. I can't imagine facing the same situation Pilate faced. He certainly had a stressful job, particularly on that day. Based on Mark and the other gospels, he did not flippantly hand Jesus over to be crucified -- he tried to find a way out. But the people would not be pleased without Jesus' blood being shed. Mob mentality is tough if not impossible to deal with.

It is easy to say that "if I was Pilate, I would have done something differently." But to say that is not very realistic.

Exodus 17-20

"Then Moses pleaded with the Lord, "What should I do with these people? They are about to stone me!" The Lord said to Moses, "Take your shepherd's staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile. Then call some of the leaders of Israel and walk on ahead of the people I will meet you by the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come pouring out. Then the people will be able to drink."
Exodus 17:4-6

Hmmmmmm......let's see how I would look at my options at that point in time. Now, the people are so upset with me that they are getting ready to stone me. The Lord gives me this plan to hit a rock with a stick and water will come out. If no water comes out, I am a dead man for sure.

In keeping with the appeal of bold Christians and Christians who take risks, I love how Moses was bold for God. (He wasn't happy about the public speaking for sure, but in these other matters.....). No matter how you slice and dice it, it takes some nerve with an entire population upset with you, to count on water coming out of a rock. Good grief.

2 Corinthians 4-5

To be completely honest, I don't know what to pull out of today's reading that supports my thoughts and experiences today. Or even what thoughts and experiences today support my reading of the above-referenced scripture.

What is coming to mind, what is impacting me, what is resonating inside of me, is the "bold Christian". Lately, I've run into some bold Christians, and I am very attracted to them. Whenever I have an encounter with a bold Christian, I think "that is how it is supposed to be." People who speak up for Christ, but who don't get wrapped up in traditional church culture, traditions, routines, etc. These Christians tend to be go-getters and fun. That's right -- FUN! I LOVE the energy that comes from a bold Christian.

It is so easy to let church or denominational traditions dictate our behavior, as opposed to what is supposed to dictate our behavior, which is the Word of God. Jesus had no hesitation in correcting the Pharisees in this regard. Nor should we hesitate to correct ourselves for the same thing. If we don't, we get the boldness sucked right out of us and are simply left with a dreary, boring, tedious existence. I don't think God intended that at all. I think that God intends us to live bold, interesting lives. My basis for that is my belief that God is pretty interesting himself -- no one boring would create what God has created -- just look around. And he created us, didn't he? In his image. We are supposed to become more and more Christlike as we live an obedient life, aren't we? Well, Christ wasn't a boring, tedious, law-driven man. He traveled, he made wine from water, he met and loved lots and lots of people............he lived on the edge as it were.

As I said, I don't know what to pull out of the above-referenced scripture to tie my thoughts and experiences of the day together. Perhaps the fact that Paul wrote it that is significant. Paul was far from a wimp himself. He was bold for Christ and he seriously lived on the edge.

How am I living on the edge for Him? How can I be bold for Christ instead of living an insipid, boring, tedious, law-driven life as if that represents obedience and humility?

Thanks to my friend Kim for sharing some bold Christians with me tonight. This is Kim:

Mark 13-14

"As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, 'Teacher, look at these tremendous buildings! Look at the massive stones in the walls!' Jesus replied, 'These magnificent buildings will be so completely demolished that not one stone will be left on top of another.' " Mark 13:1-2 (NLT)

Every time I drive down Airport Road, and look at the Edmonton skyline, or when I see it as I approach downtown from the south side of the river, I think how beautiful the buildings look to me. Really. I'm not really sure why I find the sight so pleasing. I've seen some pretty impressive skylines -- New York, Chicago -- but none are so pleasing to me as the Edmonton skyline.

It is for sure interesting to think that everything, EVERYTHING, of a physical nature that we build will be dust at some point in time. Everything. Every house, every school, every highrise, every road.......every church.......will be dust. There is not one thing we can physically build today or tomorrow or a hundred years from now or whenever, that will be exempt from being flattened, eradicated, demolished, even irrelevant. Just as God sees beneath our outward appearance, directly to our heart, He sees right through the walls of any church to its heart.

All that being said, it makes it very interesting to be involved or a part of a church that is building a new home. It is perhaps wise to ponder how irrelevant we may become if we associate ourselves too strongly with a soon-to-be irrelevant building. The only thing relevant about our new home will be the relationships that develop within it -- that's it.

And so, I pray. Lord, I pray that we have done and continue to do the very best with what you have given us, in all possible categories -- giftings, personalities, funds, love, etc. I pray that we honor the old and the new relationships that will enter that building, and that we associate none of them with the building, but all of them with you. That while we walk and tour the facility, we actually walk in your Spirit. And that we remain walking in your Spirit everywhere else we go as well. Father, I pray that we please you. Amen.

Jeremiah 22-26

"If any prophet, priest, or anyone else says, 'I have a prophecy from the Lord,' I will punish that person along with his entire family. You should keep asking each other, 'what is the Lord's answer?' or 'What is the Lord saying?' But stop using this phrase, 'prophecy from the Lord.' For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the Lord Almighty." Jeremiah 23:34-36

Wow. God is not at all wishy-washy in his desire for people to speak, hear, and understand the truth. Just the other day, I listened to a self-proclaimed 'prophet of the Lord' and I am thinking the study of Jeremiah is very, very important today, just as it was important in its time. It is so easy to get caught up in hype, or peer pressure, or manipulation, or any number of other tactics sometimes used by powerful speakers. But when it comes to the word of God being preached/spoken/etc., we have to be oh so careful that we do not allow false prophets to speak into our lives.

On the flip side, the responsibility we have as Christians is not to give ourselves or our ideas authority by claiming we have a 'prophecy from the Lord.'

Job 33 - 34

"But God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in bed."
Job 33:14-15

Oh my, this really does encourage me! The idea that God may speak to me in my dreams and while I'm sleeping is heart-warming at the very least. Sometimes it seems as if the day is far to short to sit and breathe and rest and listen long enough to hear what God is saying to me. At these times, I pray that he will speak to me in my dreams and work on my transformation through the nights as well as the days.

Psalm 50

"I don't need the bulls you sacrifice;
I don't need the blood of goats.
What I want instead is your true thanks to God;
I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High.
Trust me in your times of trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory."
Psalm 50:13-15

It is so easy to fall into the trap of going through the motions. Of believing that anything we sacrifice -- bulls, goats (back then) or money, time (today) -- benefits God. What a great reminder that it is ALL God's. He absolutely does not need us to sacrifice even one little whit of anything. He gains nothing from any sacrifice we make -- nothing. When we sacrifice with a right heart, the sacrifice benefits us.

2 Samuel 1-4

There are so many examples in these passages of misplaced priorities. And then also a God King David.

In 2 Samuel 1, there is the Amelekite who mistakenly thought David would reward him for killing Saul. Ironic, given David had opportunities to kill Saul himself and never did. His reverence for God precluded taking God's anointed King's life. You can not always or perhaps ever overcome evil by squashing/killing it -- at least not without God's permission. Saul was so evil, so demented, etc., that it must have seemed logical to kill him given the opportunity, but no so. And so, the Amelekite paid with his life.

In 2 Samuel 2, note Asahel, who chased Abner with single-mindedness and relentlessness. His obsession with his cause, and not with the Lord, led to his demise.

In 2 Samuel 3, Joab killed Abner in revenge for Abner's killing of Asahel.

In 2 Samuel 4, Ishbosheth was killed by two men, who proudly took his head to David in anticipation of gratitude. They could not have possibly been in attendance when the Amelekite issue was resolved, eh?

People are constantly trying to fight someone else's battles aren't they?

Choices

"Tell all the people, 'This is what the Lord says: Take your choice of life or death!' "
Jeremiah 21:8

That seems fairly simple until you read the statement within its context in the bible. It became clear that the choice of life He was presenting depended on one's turning oneself over the enemy at that time. No wonder people thought Jeremiah was a bit off. Can you imagine your country being invaded by the very worst enemy -- imagine an enemy that murders, rapes, is noted for their cruelty, terrorizes everyone -- and then the Lord sends a word to your country that "Hey, you want to live? Well turn yourself over to them. If you fight, you will die." True, the society that the Lord spoke to had become rampant with sin, but imagine being Jeremiah or perhaps another "good guy". Wouldn't it be hard NOT to fight your enemy?

Sometimes the Lord wants me to do exactly the opposite of what I think would be right -- and sometimes that is hard to discern.