Unseasonal Snow & Some Personal Theologies

Fireside

We were all incredulous today. Woke up to what I suspected was snow, but didn't quite believe was snow until I got outside and felt it for myself.

Folks down here just don't know what to do with themselves on the rare occasion we get any sort of frozen precipitation. Schools close, roads close, stores close at the first sign of ice.

I didn't complain. Another excellent excuse to stay in my pjs.

I've never been one to "frolic" in anything colder than room temperature. I must be part feline. Don't like to play in the rain or slosh in puddles, because then my clothes get that icky, heavy, sticky, soaky feel to them. My socks and shoes saturate around my feet, hair sticks to my face. Just makes me all-around uncomfortable.

Rain, snow, sleet, thunderstorms create a powerful yearning in me to curl up in a womb-like environment. Must be in soft, comfortable clothes. Must have the thermostat turned up. Must have a blankie within hand's reach. Must have an abundance of hot beverages and/or soup available to me at all times.

And that's when I like to read or write or doze or daydream. Outside, the world lashes the same ancient elements that drove people to mountain caves or under the earth in times immemorial. But me, with modern conveniences like central heating and canned tomato soup (with grilled Swiss cheese sandwiches), I fold up my knees, tuck my feet under me, cover up with a warm afghan, and thoroughly enjoy the lulling contrast between exposure outside and hearth-conditions inside.

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Definitely/Maybe/Never

I never judge anyone on what they believe, but in conversations or in reading articles online, I often take lots of mental notes on things I don't believe myself.

I'm certainly no expert on theology. There's a whole lot more I don't know than what I do know. Most of what I do know, God's revealed to me through scripture or sermons. It's safe to say I'm unschooled and uneducated, at least Biblically speaking.

Be that as it may, some things just feel wrong. On those things, I form an opinion and bookmark the thought to return to at a later time. Among the thoughts and questions I've encountered along the way...

1. It's blasphemous to say I'll pray for someone, and then neglect or refuse to do it. I believe this is true. Now, I also believe God knows my heart, so if I truly forget to pray for someone, He understands and pardons that. But neglecting or refusing to pray for someone to whom I've given my word...it's not only a lie, but a blasphemy, because I've used God's name against him.

2. At 3 AM, the veil between the spirit world and the fleshly world is thinnest, so that's when Christians are most likely to be wakened by the Spirit to pray for someone. I believe this is false. I don't believe principalities are governed by time in the same way we are. I don't believe the spiritual realm functions according to the laws of earth. That's not to say I don't believe the Spirit may wake a person in the middle of the night to pray for someone else. I believe this happens all the time. But I don't think it has anything at all to do with the hour of the night.

3. Animals have souls/spirits. I believe this is false, in that I don't believe animals will go to Heaven or Hell. I don't make a point of hammering this fact home to the kids, especially as we've lost beloved pets in the past. And even though I don't believe animals have a spiritual construction the way we do, a part of me hopes God has a place for them somehow.

When I was little, Mom used to tell me she believed God had a place after death for animals. She mentioned the horses of the armies of Heaven (Revelations 19) and said she liked to believe those horses were the horses of Egypt that drowned when the Red Sea closed over them after Moses brought the Israelites across.

Her imaginings may have no basis in truth at all, but I don't think we'll know until we get there. But even if animals don't have a place "beyond," I trust in God's complete plan, and I won't question it. Pets are a blessing, and we're thankful for them, even if they're only meant for us to enjoy for a short time here on earth.

4. "It's a day-to-day salvation." I believe this is false. When it was said to me, it was implied my salvation is secure until the moment I sin again. When that happens, I'm unfit for Heaven again, so I have to go through a constant process of confession and repentance if I'm going to be allowed into Heaven's gates.

I personally, deeply believe my place at the Father's table is set and secure. I'm paid for and redeemed, no matter how many times I fail over and over again here. I believe I will go through a constant process of confession and repentance for the rest of my life, but I believe it's a process of drawing close to Him and has no bearing on my salvation, which is already established.

5. Some tangible, earthly objects are holy. I believe this is true, but for me, this concept is limited. I believe some tangible, earthly objects are holy, like a Bible or a church. But I don't believe these objects hold spiritual energy or power in and of themselves, as some people believe certain rocks are sacred, or certain gems can bring blessing or curse.

I believe God sanctifies some things for His purposes, as symbols. A church by itself is consecrated to God by people, but let's say the building and property are sold to a restaurant franchise. The restaurant then is not holy and consecrated. The actual building and the land its on are no longer holy and consecrated.

I believe the same thing holds true for things like jewelry with crosses on them. The crosses are not holy in and of themselves, but for the wearer, they may symbolize a holy, consecrated faith.

Of course, there are people who wear crosses with no conviction or symbolic meaning for them at all. In this case, the crosses are meaningless, tangible objects that hold no significance.

And there are times when people wear crosses to express a contrary quality. I think of the use of crosses in certain music videos, worn by some artist who advocate violence and obscenity. In these instances, the wearers know the cross holds meaning for Christians, yet they wear the cross to oppose, resent, discredit (or worse) a faith in Christ. Then, the use of the cross becomes unholy thing.

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Holding On

I went into the freezer tonight to pull out the meat for supper tomorrow, and I found the kids' last, desperate attempt to hold onto our unseasonal snow as long as possible.

Elegant, sweet, and sadly...temporary.

From the Heart of Eve & Renewing the Sabbath

Grampa's Ornament

Grampa Plainview suffered cancer for three years before he died in 2006, three days before Christmas. Because he lived several states away, the Plainview children didn't get to say goodbye.

When we were pulling out our ornaments for the tree this year, I found an ornament Eve made sometime shortly after we lost Grampa. No one ever knew she made it. I suppose it was a her special secret gift. It was a special secret gift for us this year.

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Eve's Rag Doll: Day 1

She beat me to the punch. I intended to make all the girls handmade rag dolls for Christmas, but Eve was inspired to make her own, so I didn't stop her. She worked on part of it today.

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Renewing the Sabbath

I spent the day trying not to move too much. I think yesterday, I may have eaten something that didn't agree with me, so my insides have been all knotted and twisted up in protest. Mr. Plainview took up my slack and cooked dinner, then he retired early.

The girls and I opened the next window on the Advent calendar. Since tomorrow evening is Sunday, the activity is the second candle lighting. We'll read Scripture and create a new prayer list for the week.

So, the house is quiet now, and everyone else is in their bedrooms trying to fall asleep. James returned just a few minutes ago from an out-of-town outing with his best friend's family. The Christmas lights are glowing in the windows. The Christmas tree, nativity, stockings...all are in their places and radiating festive cheer.

On my mind is the Sabbath. Last night's reading was from the book of Deuteronomy, and how God created the Sabbath as a holy day of rest.

We never have been a family to observe the Sabbath in the traditional sense, or in any sense, really. As far as everyone else is concerned, it's the last day to relax before the busy week begins on Monday. For me, it's usually about making sure the laundry is done and the lesson plans are prepared.

The scriptures last night gave me a lot to think about. I was really impressed by the way God ordered rest not only for His people, but also for the servants, the "strangers", and all the livestock. The Sabbath, whether it was a Sabbath day or a Sabbath year, was meant as a time of rest for the land, too. It seemed the whole world grew still on those days. I could even envision a sky absent of birds; perhaps the wind itself did not blow and the waves did not crash on the Sabbath.

What I cannot envision is myself doing nothing on Sundays. I cannot imagine serving cold meals all day long, not putting things away, not making the bed when I get up, not loading the dishwasher at the end of the day.

On a normal, busy day, the thought that usually follows me to bed is the thought of all the things I didn't accomplish, even despite all the things I did accomplish. I cringe to consider the thoughts that might nag me if I go to bed having left a day's dirt, dust, and disorder.

What I can envision is a day of a restful heart, mind, and spirit.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:34

I can willingly devote the day to remaining in an attitude of prayer and walking with Him no matter what it is I'm doing. I should aspire to this kind of mindfulness every day of life, but especially on Sunday, because the Sabbath is holy.

Keeping the Sabbath holy was never much of a priority for me until I read Moses's account in Deuteronomy. Strangely now, after all these years of mothering the household and trying to do what's right, I find myself called and compelled to give Sundays back to Him.

Tonight, I'm not quite sure what a proper Sunday might look like, but I'm sure He'll show me soon enough.

Thoughts on Job & This Old Bible

Thoughts on Job

Since I haven't had a routine devotional in a while, I decided to poke around BibleGateway.com for some Bible study resources. At this point, I'm not all that interested in reading full blown devotions; I just want some quality time in the Word, to hear God, to be with Him, and to hear what He has to say.

I chose to go with the Chronological Bible Reading Plan (61 days). This plan is perfect for me right now, because it'll get me reacquainted with the Word and orient me as to the arrangement of content. Kind of like reading the Table of Contents in a new book and then skimming over the subheadings.

Once I'm done with this plan, I think I'll pick up My Utmost for His Highest. Or not. I'd love to do an in-depth study of Romans again.

But I'm into Day 3 of the chronological plan. Tonight's reading was from the Book of Job.

The thoughts I found most astounding:

• When Job's friends saw him, they didn't recognize him for how badly he'd been marred by disease. They were so overcome with grief at only the sight of him, they sat with him in utter silence for an entire week, because they could just feel how deep and dark his despair truly was. Regardless of what transpired later in the book, these friends genuinely loved Job. They shared his pain. If we all had friends that close....


• When God finally relieved Job's agony, He accepted him again so quickly, expediently. Almost every chapter of the Book of Job portrays the man's misery in great detail. And the chapters of God's monologue...powerful and overwhelming. Yet, toward the very end, Job repents and glorifies God. Job spoke only five short verses, ending with "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes," and immediately, God accepted him.


• The book ends on a most beautiful thought...I felt like my heart would just burst with joy: "So Job died, being old and full of days." Full of days.... Full of days blessed by Almighty God Himself. I cannot imagine....

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This Old Bible


The Bible I have now is the same soft-bound leather, giant print that was given to me when I was about ten years old. The pages are falling out in clumps, several pages are torn, but none are missing. The margins are scribbled with notes in blue ink, and lines throughout are starred, circled, and underlined.

I love that Bible. It's a part of me now, but each time I read it, I have to hold it so carefully by the spine so I don't lose any part of it, or what's left of the binding doesn't rip and come undone.

I've considered investing in a new Bible, but I don't think I could. It wouldn't be the same. This Bible from my childhood is almost like a cloth wrap for my faith. It holds so many tears of pain and joy, answers to tough questions, stories that made me happy.... It would be like putting away all the years of my life walking with the Lord. If I had a new Bible, my mind would always return to this old one. It feels like home.