Freedom # 2

FREEDOM TO OWN YOUR FAITH

Long ago, people lived by a system of rules and regulations that told them how to live their lives, and they used priests as intermediaries between themselves and God. We read through the Old Testament and feel thankful that we no longer operate under this burdensome system. We don't have to follow the law and we're plugged directly in with God, we tell ourselves. Yet when you step back to observe the lives of many Christians today, has that much really changed?
In far too many instances, we have created replacement "priests" and laws. We have a mental checklist of things we have to do in order to be okay in our spiritual journeys. Did you attend the Sunday service this week? Read your Bible every day? Prayed before each meal and at the end of the day? Tithe your 10%?
We rely on the experts to interpret scriptures for us and tell us how God wants us to live our lives. Does this sound familiar...you seek direction from God for something in your life, then run what He put on your heart by church leaders only to abandon the nudge you felt if these experts don't agree with it? We worry we'll somehow fall off the deep end or make a major mistake if we don't have a spiritual covering (usually leadership in an institutional group).
Let's face it...as long as your religious practices match up with the accepted creed and principles governing your chosen group of believers, don't you feel you're on track? That you've done enough? Be honest now! And if you don't measure up to the accepted checklist, don't you feel that you're somehow falling short just because another human being is telling you it's so?
While the advice and encouragement of other brothers and sisters who are walking this same journey with you can be invaluable, don't let it end there! This is your life and your spiritual walk we're talking about here. God's desire is a personal, intimate relationship with each one of us. No intermediaries, no list of rules. Just a two-way, no-holds-barred relationship. It's important to know that:

* God wants to walk and talk with you directly
* Jesus came to bridge the gap and show us a better way than through intermediaries or a religious system
* You may not have fancy education or specialized training, but you have Christ's Spirit within you
* The Holy Spirit is big enough to guide us...trust Him
* It's time for you to take ownership of your own faith instead of abdicating that control to other people or a system of rules

Mike & Laura Ege
Outside Edge Coaching

Funny things that kids say....

Today Matthew W. was over and the boys wanted him to jump on the trampoline with them for the 2nd time and he was stalling. John-John came in the back door with his fist held up and said "MATTHEW, come out here THIS SENTENCE!" lol....sentence, I think he was trying to say instance!

Then we were having a conversation with Bekah about who was a boy and who was a girl and we asked her if Rachel was a boy or a girl and she said "she's a baby". So I said "what? she's not a boy or a girl? When will she be?" And Bekah said "in 20 minutes."

Kids make me laugh!

7 Radical Freedoms

I signed up for this free mini-series of e-mails. Pretty good, basic information that I need to be reminded about reguarly. I'll post, study, contemplate and question one at a time. Let me know what you think of them and how they speak to you. Here's the first one.

Freedom #1
The Freedom To Feel

As Christians, we are often told how we should feel or not feel. We're supposed to always be happy, content, and loving. We're not supposed to feel angry, hurt, afraid, discouraged, or disillusioned. In fact, if you dare to express doubts, you may find your faith is quickly questioned. So we paste on our plastic smiles and pretend our lives are going just great. Or if we do let on we are having problems, we end our story with a long-suffering sigh and smile assuring our listeners that this is all for a purpose and everything will turn out fine.
The problem is this isn't real or honest. Pretending doesn't make our pain or discomfort go away. Life hurts sometimes. Bad things happen to everyone. Things don't always go the way we hoped they would. People disappoint us. We get mad, scared, and discouraged. We question what's real and right.
We are human beings with a full range of emotions. There's nothing wrong with this! Where do you think those emotions and feelings came from anyway? God gave them to us! We are, after all, created in His image. And we read in the Bible of God getting angry (righteously so, of course), and He is even described as jealous. One could say Jesus was very disillusioned with the religious system of His day, and He questioned and pushed against the status quo all the time.
Not only are feelings (the full range from happy to painful) a part of being a normal healthy person, honesty about our hurt or discontent can be a really good thing. We feel pain, physical or emotional, in our body when something isn't right or isn't fitting. We have to acknowledge that pain before we can begin to do anything about it.
So the next time you're feeling things that fall a bit short of happily-ever-after, instead of medicating your pain or putting on a false face, remember:
* It isn't wrong to feel, even "negative" emotions
* It's okay to feel disillusioned or offended or to disagree
* God would rather we be honest with ourselves and with Him than live a lie (hey, we're not fooling Him anyway!)
* Being uncomfortable is a normal part of change and growth
* Acknowledge what isn't working and learn from it
* Let the hunger or discontent lead you to something better

From the Outside Edge,
Mike & Laura EgeOutside Edge Coaching
P.O. Box 232Malta, IL 60150USA

What do you do when you are confused by your emotions?
How do we medicate? With what?
How do we change those patterns?
What in your life seems to be "working"? What doesn't seem to be "working" and what if anything should you do to begin changing things?

Rest

God took a break and enjoyed the view and so should we!

It's funny, after I read my sister Christians post about how unrestful her Sunday was and her frustration with Sunday supposedly being a day of rest but often isn't, today I read our FamilyTime weekly devotion and it was on a day of rest. For her, Friday and Saturday seem more like a day of rest than Sunday and I often feel that exact way. A great many of us have been programmed that Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. We have that expectation and then when it's not met we are frustrated. Does it really matter what day our day of rest is? Does it specifically have to mean Sunday? What did/does God mean when He encouraged/encourages us to take a day of rest?

Week 2 of our study of Orderliness.....a day of rest.....interesting. Week 1 was the order in which God created the earth and now week 2, rest.

I also popped in my DriveTime CD today and would encourage you to listen to the parents tip, begins at track 9. Looking forward to our FamilyTime Wed!!! And there's a special surprise to follow!!

Divine Appointments

I've just devoured a book entitled Divine Appointments that Matt's parents sent us. It has really challenged me to get outside of my comfy cozy circles and be more attentive to divine appointments that God will send my way. As I'm challenged to do that and making decisions to do that, I recieved a divine appointment today. What an encouragement to me as I'm looking to be lead more and more by Him yet proceeding with hesitation. Oh, me of little faith

Here's More "Soul Food" From Chip

"The deep level of prayer and of divine attendance is the most important thing in the world. It is at this deep level that the real business of life is determined." Thomas Kelly

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" Corrie ten Boom

"Jesus' disciples did not ask him to teach them to preach or cast out demonsor perform miracles. They asked him to teach them to pray. There must havebeen a very good reason for that."--Chip Kirk

Soul Food

We recieve an e-mail pretty regularly from a good friend of Matt's that always has insightful things to say. So insightful we wanted to share it here.

Soul Food: You are what you eat.
If you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do.
.--General George Patton

If you are going to win any spiritual battle you have to do one thing. You have to make your spirit run your body and your mind. Never let your body or your mind tell your spirit what to do.
--Chip Kirk (with appreciation toGeneral Patton)

2008!

The oldest two boys have been remarking...."I can't believe it's 2008" or "2008, a new year, wow, that year went by fast!"
Yes! A new year, a fresh start.

We begin this new year with an emphasis on Orderliness: Arranging things to make your day easier.
Ephesians 5:15-16 Be very careful, then, how you life- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

What does this mean for you?
For me it means, being as prepared as I can be. I'm not speaking here of organization, though that is important. But getting myself prepared to meet the demands of my day instead of the demands of the day meeting me first.

As we study orderliness this month I'm looking forward to what God will teach me about Himself, myself and how we should order our days!