Nine Years Ago...

...we received three pictures and a translated file.  

All this, just 11 months after God awakened our hearts to the orphan.

Our hearts haven't been the same since, praise HIM!

This tiny little girl was placed in our arms.

And we were smitten.

Kayden Faith, we have watched you grow...

And blossom.

The biggest blessing so far is when God called you to salvation, and you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior!

You are growing into a beautiful young lady!

Nine years ago your world was turned upside down and you lost everything, including the status of 'orphan.'  We gained a precious daughter, and God showed us the picture of spiritual adoption through your physical adoption.  

Kayden Faith, your life has changed ours forever!

Watch the video HERE!

But I don't have time for...

What are all the things you don't have time for?

Exercise?  Good food choices?

Oh.my.word, me either!

But, I certainly don't have time for ~

Please don't hear me say that exercise and good eating habits will eliminate the possibility of ill health.  Not.saying.that.  Also, don't think I sit around worrying about whether I might wake up tomorrow with some mysterious illness.  Nope.  Don't have time for that.

Here's what I DO have time for regarding my health:

* Meal planning

* Reasonable exercise

* Packed family lunches v. drive-thru

* Grabbing fresh fruit v. unwrapping the goody-goodness called oatmeal creme pie

* Setting an example for my children

Let me break it down.

*Meal planning ~

This takes about an hour or two each week when I use my family's favorite recipes.  It takes a bit longer when I'm in a rut and hop on one of my favorite websites with free menus like Make Dinners Easy and search for new ideas.  I choose a main dish, then add the sides.  I don't assign meals to a certain day of the week because we roll spontaneous flexible.  I make a list of 10 to 12 meals, including sides, special meals or snacks needed for the week's events, and then prepare my shopping list.

*Reasonable exercise

Now this is a doozy.  I.am.tired.  I have a billion reasons why I don't have time for this, including ten of the most adorable peeps still in the nest.  BUT the truth is, I don't have time NOT to exercise!  In this life God has given me one body.  I had no idea He would give us the invitation to s.t.a.r.t adding to our family through adoption when we were well.into.our.forties.  This body is tired.  But I praise God every day that I CAN get out of bed and move.  I am also reminded that this body is a temple.  I am so far from perfect, but I really do want to treat my body as the temple it is.

I have to make a choice every.single.day to get my rear out of bed and do this.  A while back, around 4:30 a.m.-ish, as we were starting Insanity, hubby said, "We're old.  Shouldn't we be doing something different...like walking?" Whateva!  Truth is, hubby and I have to do a lot of things intentionally these days.  For instance, many weeks our Treasures have several doctor's appointments, and we are both self-employed, so what might be 'ideal' for one family is not possible for ours.  Occasionally we both get to attend the visits, but most often, only one of us takes the 'patient' and the 'tag-alongs' while the other works.  No paid vacation, medical leave or mileage reimbursement here :)  We just do what we need to do.

And that really got me to thinking.  What would either of us do without the other?  Don't-even-wanna-think-it!  But seriously, what if one of us became ill?  I never lose sight of the fact that God knows the number of our days.  He is the One who led us down an amazing and unexpected path, slightly out of the norm, and He is in control.  I don't worry about what tomorrow will bring.  I do want to steward what He has given me.  

So, what do we do?  Hubby and I work out together.  We cut ourselves some slack when we just don't get it done!  We encourage each other.  We laugh at each other.  We push each other.  Right now we are fighting our way through Insanity.  Let me tell you, Shaun T is kicking our tail!  This is an extreme workout and is not for beginners, so it's not for everyone.  The average workout is 35-42 minutes, *and add a few for passing out - just.kidding!!!!*  Out of 24 hours.  That includes warm-up, stretching and cool down!  

Insanity's not for you?  Think of how far you could walk in 42 minutes.  Even if you didn't go anywhere, on the treadmill.  And we get to do this at home - bonus!  Also, we get to do it while the kids are sleeping...because they have been our harshest critics:  Ya' know, our shoes aren't right, we aren't doing the same thing as the video, our shorts are baggy, yadayadayada.  But for a couple of 'old folks' we are having fun.

Here's another thing:

*Packed family lunches v. drive-thru

Although ours are more this size: :)

As our family grew, I started packing snacks for sports events because we couldn't afford to buy them.  Then I started packing meals.  Two reasons:  costs less, and I get to choose what we eat.  The hardest part of this is taking the time to plan.  But it is so doable.  I pack meals for our doctor's appointments as well, especially the ones that are hours away.  Many of y'all are so much more creative than I am, so you could make this like a treat.  I am still working on that.

*Grabbing fresh fruit v. other goodies

Okay, I like a creme pie as much as the next guy, but I want to make sure there are always healthy options in the house.  Although I do keep some empty calorie foods around for occasional quick kids' snacks, I also have easy-to-eat nutritious foods available such as chunked cantaloupe and watermelon, grapes, bananas, apples, applesauce, cheese sticks, almonds and yogurt.

*Setting an example for my children

This is so important to me.  Our children can only eat what we provide.  They can only learn from what we do.  I'm not talking about pressuring my kids to be 'skinny minnies' or constantly acting like the food police.  They are smart enough to see what is important to us.  It's up to us to set the tone.

I have 11 children who will one day be husbands, wives, and parents to my grandchildren.  My priorities today will influence their choices today and in the future.

I would like to encourage you as well!  A baby step forward is a step in the right direction.   

A hero to me is the person who gets off the couch and takes the first step!!!

How can I encourage YOU?

How can I pray for YOU?

Leave a comment or email me!

To HIM be glory!

If He's 25...

...I'm gonna have to get over being 39 ;-)

He likes Star Wars...almost as much as he likes VW!  But not nearly as much as he likes Caitlin :)

Kuyler, I remember the day you were born.  I was overjoyed to be your mom, and I am proud of the young man you've become.  God is so very good!!!
Happy birthday, son!

Philippines Trip - Picture Preview...

I've been wanting to write a lengthy post about Kolton's recent trip to the Philippines and the awesome work that God did through these four men.

But most things lengthy get nixed from my schedule, so in lieu of that, I'm posting a short preview of the 'before' and 'after', hopefully with a meaningful post to follow...

The A Team!

To give perspective, here is the church 'before' shot.  The floor is gravel with rebar, and the walls are cinder block.

And here is the 'after' shot!  Concrete floor with tile and finished walls!

To Him be glory!!!

The Reason for God ~ Chapter 14 ~ The Dance of God

This is the last chapter, y'all!  If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to read this entire book, and listen to Tim Keller's sermons on line. Here is the summary from Stefanie's blog:


Keller quotes from Simone Wiel’s book Waiting for God, to start the chapter, “In my arguments about the insolubility of the problem of God I had never foreseen the possibility of that [Christ possession], of a real contact, person to person, here below, between a human being and God.” (p. 222)

Keller writes, “I believe that Christianity makes the most sense out of our individual life stories and out of what we see in the world’s history,” and he uses the previous chapters to prove his point. This final chapter’s goal is to, “…draw together the various threads of the narrative.” (pp. 222-23) Keller continues, “The Bible has often been summed up as a drama in four acts — creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.” (p. 223)

The Divine Dance

So, what is the difference in Christianity Keller wants us to understand?

“Christianity, alone… teaches… The doctrine of the Trinity…means that God is, in essence, relational,” Keller answers. (p. 223) John’s Gospel is quoted to describe the unique positions of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and how the relationship is for the glorification of the Three. Keller explains to glorify each other means, “To glorify something or someone is to praise, enjoy and delight in them… To glorify someone is to serve or defer to him or her… Your ultimate joy is to see them in joy.” (p. 223)

There is no self-centeredness in the Triune God and it shows us how we are to interrelate. Keller writes, “When we delight and serve someone else, we enter into a dynamic orbit around him or her, we center on the interests and desires of the other.” (p. 224) This is exactly how They interact. None wanting the glory but rather Each pursuing to glorify the other. “Each person of the Trinity loves, adores, defers to, and rejoices in the others,” Keller says. (p. 224) He continues by explaining the Greek word perichoresis, “…means literally to “dance or flow around”… they [Greek Christians] meant that each divine person harbors the others at the center of his being.” (p. 224)

The Dance of Love

So, who is God and what you think of Him, according to Keller, can give us an idea of what you think of love. “If God is unipersonal… Power is primary… if God is triune… God really has love at his essence… Eastern religions believe the individual personality is an illusion, and therefore love is, too… for the Christian… it [love] is the purpose of God because he is essentially, eternally, interpersonal love,” Keller argues. (pp. 225-26)

Community, represented by the Triune God, Keller writes, is the ultimate point of our reality and result of our loss of self. (p. 226) “When Jesus said you must lose yourself in service to find yourself (Mark 8:35), he was recounting what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been doing throughout eternity… Unless you are willing to experience the loss of options and the individual limitations that comes from being in command in committed relationships, you will remain out of touch with your own nature and the nature of things,” Keller postulates.

This is born true in the community of the world, as Christians understand its creation. “We [Christians] believe the world was made by a God who is a community of persons who have loved each other for all eternity,” Keller writes. (p. 226) God created a world that works only based on who He is. Therefore, community is the essence of love, and selfishness is the essence of hell. In actuality, “Self-centeredness destroys the fabric of what God has made,” Keller concludes. (p. 227)

The Dance of Creation

“Jonathan Edwards… concluded that God is infinitely happy,” Keller says. (p. 227)

Why?

“Within God is a community of persons pouring glorifying, joyful love into one another,” Keller continues, “…God is infinitely happy, because there is an “other-orientation” at the heart of his being, because he does not seek his own glory but the glory of others.” (p. 227)

Keller then rebuts the argument that God does not want to be glorified by saying, “He wants our joy… and the only way we… can have this same joy, is if we center our entire lives around him instead of ourselves.” (p. 227) Historian George Marsden summarized Jonathan Edwards thoughts on the subject of creation, “The ultimate reason that God creates… is not to remedy some lack in God, but to extend that perfect internal communication of the triune God’s goodness and love…” (p. 228)

Keller continues, “God did not create us to get the cosmic, infinite joy of mutual love and glorification, but to share it.” (p. 228) We are not separate but rather sharing in the glory of the creation. In that sharing, we are not central either; Jesus is. “We were made to center our lives upon him, to make the purpose and passion of our lives knowing, serving, delighting and resembling him,” Keller contends. (p. 228)

Losing the Dance

When did the perfection of the Trinity, man, and the earth screech to a halt?

Keller says, “…in Genesis 3 we read of the Fall.” (p. 229) Adam and Eve were given explicit instructions about the Tree and fruit of the Tree in the Garden of Eden. Rather than follow the instructions out of love, “…Just for my [God] sake… we failed. We became stationary, self-centered.” (p. 229) Through our failure, the relationship unraveled and creation’s dance was interrupted. We tried to become the center and have everything spin around us and we simply cannot exist in the intended position God is to have held. Our self-centeredness disengages us from the physical, mental, moral, natural and spiritual worlds. “Nothing makes us more miserable than self-absorption, the endless, unsmiling concentration on our needs, wants, treatment, ego, and record.” (p. 229)Thankfully, God has not left us to our own devices.

“The Son of God was born into the world to begin a new humanity, a new community of people who could lose their self-centeredness, begin a God-centered life, and, as a result, slowly but surely have all other relationships put right as well.” (p. 230) Jesus obeyed His calling and died on a tree for us while Adam abandoned his calling for a tree and to the detriment of us. Our Lord “…came into the world and died on the cross to deal with our sins, he was circling and serving us.” Jesus received nothing from it so why do it? “He began to do with us what he had been doing with the Father and the Spirit from all eternity. He centers upon us, loving us without benefit to himself.” (p. 230)

Returning to the Dance

“If the beauty of what Jesus did moves you, that is the first step toward getting out of your own self-centeredness and fear into trust relationship with him… He invites you to begin centering everything in your life on him… If you respond to him, all your relationships will begin to heal… sin is centering your identity on anything but God.” (pp. 230) Without him, you are only committing to those relationships and activities that lead to your fulfillment but, when you feel Jesus speaking to you, you must make a choice. “We can make him the new center of our lives and stop trying to be our own Savior and Lord. We can accept both his challenge to recognize ourselves as sinners in need of his salvation, and his renewing love as the new basis of our identity.” (p. 231) If we accept, then we begin to recognize that a life lived for others is a true life. You only reach your full potential by reaching it for others because C.S. Lewis says, “…outside the system of self-giving is… simply and solely Hell… that fierce imprisonment in the self… Self-giving is absolute reality.” (p. 231)

The Future of the Dance

So, what is the future? If you follow Jesus what happens in the end? “…in the final book of the Bible… we see heaven descending into our world to unite with it and purify it of all its brokenness and imperfection,” Keller says (p. 232) This will be the new Garden of Eden, per Isaiah. “The Trinity virtually “rejoiced” the world into being. Out of delight God created a universe of beings to step into his joy, and the new-made stars sang of it… God moves toward his world in care and love… and though sin and evil have marred the world… at the end of time, nature will be restored to its full glory and we with it.” (p. 232) The end will really be the beginning as God restores the world and us to the glory He intended originally. Keller states, “The human race finally lives together in peace and interdependence.” (p. 233)

The Christian Life

“…Christianity is not only about getting one’s individual sins forgiven so we can go to heaven. That is an important means of God’s salvation, but not the final end or purpose of it,” according to Keller, “The purpose of Jesus’s coming is to put the whole world right, to renew and restore the creation, not to escape it. It is not just to bring personal forgiveness and peace, but also justice and shalom to the world. God created both body and soul, and the resurrection of Jesus shows that he is going to redeem both body and soul. The work of the Spirit of God is not only to save souls but to care and cultivate the face of the earth…” (p. 233)

Keller says no other religion has this as a central tenant. He quotes Vinoth Ramachandra, “The Biblical vision is unique. That is why when some say there is salvation in other faiths too, I ask them — “What salvation are you talking about?” No faith holds out a promise of eternal salvation for the world — the ordinary world — that the cross and resurrection of Jesus do.” (p. 234)

So, what does authenticate Christian life and faith look like?

Keller answers, “God made us to ever increasingly share in his own joy and delight within himself. We share his joy first as we give him glory… second, as we honor and serve the dignity of other human beings made in the image of God’s glory; and third as we cherish his derivative glory in the world of nature…” (p. 234)

Another view Keller states is, “Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection was an infinitely costly rescue operation to restore justice to the oppressed and marginalized, physical wholeness to the diseased and dying, community to the isolated and lonely, and spiritual joy and connection to those alienated from God. To be a Christian today is to become part of that same operation, with the expectation of suffering and hardship and the joyful assurance of eventual success.” (p. 235)

The Gospel makes sense to our God-given senses. It in no way violates anything of, from or for God. Only in our fallen state do we lose sense of the purpose. We are to meet in community with others and God. The Trinity is a community and so God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit call us to a life of community. Here Keller adds, ” …the Christian life means not only building up the Christian community through encouraging people to faith in Christ but building up the human community through deeds of justice and service [mercy].” (p. 235)

So the point of this adventure called life is reach the point where we can exclaim along with all the other adventurers, “I’ve come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I’ve been looking for all my life, though I never knew it,” Keller ends. (p. 236)

Question: Has reading this book strengthened your convictions? If so, how? Is there a particular chapter or truth that stands out?

*My Response*
Reading this book has caused me to evaluate my relationships - with the Lord and with people.  After all, my relationship with God is reflected in how I relate to people.  I have been too focused on my self and my own feelings, too easily offended by things that really don't matter.  No thing is more important than a person!  I am learning to focus more on the heart and soul of everything ~ the person.  There are broken and hurting people all around me.  Each exhibits his or her hurt in a different way.  I don't have to know why they are hurting, but I can serve them by simply loving.  Several chapters in this book resonated with me, but the final chapter has touched me most.  I love this statement: 
To be a Christian today is to become part of that same operation, with the expectation of suffering and hardship and the joyful assurance of eventual success.
We have adopted such an 'entitlement' attitude, and it's easy to get caught up in that.  What do we really 'deserve'?  I desire the joy that comes from a right relationship with Jesus, and that includes loving with abandon.  Even with the expectation of suffering and hardship.  Not to earn His favor.  But if God humbled Himself to the point of death, for my sake, then surely I can stop living for myself.  Living for self is ultimately so isolating and unfulfilling.  I have looked into the eyes of the lonely, the marginalized, and the oppressed.  I have seen their joy in receiving even the slightest attention, affection and love.  That God might use me to show His love is unfathomable.  But as long as I have breath, that is my desire.  Imagine walking into a dark room.  It takes only a bit of light to make an impact.  Conversely, it takes a lot of dark to impact light.  Lord, help me to be the little bit of light.  And together, as the body of Christ, imagine the measure of our love!

So Far to Find You ~ Casting Crowns

We Now Return to Our Regularly Scheduled Khaos

Corn harvest 2013 is officially over!!!

But let's recap...

Our faithful 5 a.m. sorting help!  We couldn't do it without them.

 The sales crew.                The cuteness factor.

The high tech equipment.

The office space.

 The corn cutters.

Day after day.  We cut 6 bags of corn this year!

(that's 456 ears cut off the cob)

God's bounty! 

 The electronic bagger and counter.  Priceless!

From picking cukes and cants...

 ... to shucking ears, we have awesome help!

I love serving breakfast to the crew!  

I stuck to 4 things...

Monkey bread...

Eggs in biscuits or eggs in tortillas...

And in a pinch, One Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie :)

The Kutest crop of all...

It was nearly 5 exhausting weeks.  But we always look forward to next year.  God raised an amazing crop this year.  And He brought the people to buy the corn.
To our customers, we thank you!!!
Lord, we thank You for Your abundant provision!!!
To HIM be glory!!!

Mama Talk!

Friday I had the privilege of meeting a bloggy friend (and prayer warrior) in person!

Many of you know Laurel from Our Journey of Faith.

I found Laurel's blog a few years ago when we were going through a rough patch in adoption.  Laurel is so transparent, and her blog is a haven for families needing prayer, seeking advice from someone who's been.there.done.that. or just needing the assurance they are not alone.

I've also had the privilege of getting to know her better on our recent fitness journey, and I can tell you, she is quite an inspiration and a beauty inside and out!!!

Laurel and four of her Treasures stopped for a much-too-short visit as they traveled through our state.  I look forward to our next visit where we will pick up right where we left off!

The Reason for God ~ Chapter 13 ~ The Reality of the Resurrection

Here is the summary from Stefanie's blog:

Keller begins with a quote from Leo Tolstoy that resonates with many who fail to recognize the power of Jesus’ resurrection, “Is there any meaning in my life that the inevitable death awaiting me does not destroy?” (p. 209)

Keller describes his own college experience, “I was taught that the resurrection of Jesus was a major historical problem, no matter how you looked at it.” (p. 209) Whether coming at the resurrection through philosophical or historical method, you must wrestle with the growth of the early church and the mystery, or lack thereof, of miracles. Keller argues, “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.” (p. 210) To the early believers, Keller says, the resurrection changed everything. It also meant that there was nothing to fear. “If Jesus rose from the dead, it changes everything,” Keller finishes.

There are many arguments against the resurrection, just as one would expect of such a life changing account and philosophy. The first that Keller presents is that the early believers were unsophisticated and prone to believe in the supernatural so the death of Jesus and there heartbreak over it caused them to believe he was there and then write the gospels to support the belief. (pp. 210-11)

The Empty Tomb and the Witnesses

He presents the second argument: the four Gospels were written well after the actual events so the writers created – and therefore lied about – the empty tomb and the eyewitnesses. Historically, this is impossible as the earliest works of Paul, where the narrative is also found, was a mere 15 – 20 years after the event, per Keller. (p. 211) Paul not only mentions historical facts but also names eyewitnesses, the exact same eyewitnesses who would have still been alive at the time of the writing and certainly would have argued against any errors, omissions or outright lies during the public readings of Paul’s letters. Keller states it this way, “…he also appeared to five hundred people at once, most of whom were still alive at the time of the writing and could be consulted for corroboration.” (p. 212) Keller continues, “…Paul is claiming that the reports of the resurrection he conveys were taken intact from the mouths of the people who actually saw Jesus.” (p. 213)

If one were to attempt to concoct such a tale, they would not mention eyewitnesses who could argue against their distortions. And they would surely not create a scenario which violates the most widely held and strongly believed tenants of their society at the time. Women during this time were not allowed to be witnesses in a court proceeding or have their opinions counted. So, it would be utter foolishness to make the first witnesses of an empty tomb be women, in a society that shunned women as second class citizens at best. The only possible explanation is that it was true, according to Keller, and the repeated retelling of the greatest event in human history would have solidified the account of women as the first witnesses and therefore stymied anyone trying to change or adapt the accounts to meet the requirements of societal norms. (p. 213)

“[N.T.] Wright argues, the empty tomb and the accounts of personal meetings with Jesus are even more historically certain when you realize they must be taken together,” writes Keller. (p. 213) If they are separated into just an empty tomb or just an eyewitness account then, “…no one would have concluded it was a resurrection…” (p. 213) Only if they are taken together then can one conclude a resurrection took place. “Paul’s letters show that Christians proclaimed Jesus’s bodily resurrection from the beginning.” (p. 214)

Resurrection and Immorality

Keller says, “There is, therefore, very strong evidence that the tomb was empty and there were hundreds of people who claimed they saw the risen Christ.” (p. 214) The argument then proceeds that the witnesses (i.e. believers) wanted the resurrection so much to be true they created it. Keller says the problem with this is that resurrection, just like today, is not only not credible but would have been viewed with even more skepticism than women being witnesses. Why? “To all the dominant worldviews of the time, an individual bodily resurrection was almost inconceivable… the universal view of the people [east and west] of that time was that a bodily resurrection was impossible.” Keller answers. (p. 215) Greeks and Romans saw the physical and material world as things to escape – salvation was seen as liberation from the body. Death was an escape from this world not a way to get back to it. “The goal was to get free of the body forever,” Keller reminds us. (p. 215) Likewise, the report of a resurrection would have confounded the Jews because they believed death was a tragedy and the resurrection would be the end of this world and the beginning of the reign of the Messiah. Keller says, “The idea of an individual being resurrected, in the middle of history, while the rest of the world continued on burdened by sickness, decay, and death, was inconceivable.” (p. 215) Jesus’ resurrection would be met with skepticism at best and blasphemy at worst for the person delivering such news. “The very idea of an individual resurrection would have been as impossible to imagine to a Jew as to a Greek.. [and] to be as impossible as the people of our own time, though for different reasons,” Keller writes.

The Explosion of a New Worldview

So, “After the death of Jesus the entire Christian community suddenly adopted a set of beliefs that were brand-new and until that point had been unthinkable. The first Christians had a resurrection-centered view of reality… This was not simply a resuscitated body like the Jews envisioned, nor a solely spiritual existence like the Greeks imagined. Jesus’s resurrection guaranteed our resurrection and brought some of that future of new life into our hearts now,” Keller says. (p. 217)

Any new way of thinking takes time but this adoption of completely disparate views from the surrounding cultures happened immediately and without warning. What caused the change? Keller answers, “There was no process of development… They [his followers] were just telling others what they had seen themselves.” (pp. 217-18)

Keller then says the history of the church following the resurrection, if it is not true, then is equally puzzling. How did a group of Jews begin worshipping, as Divine, another Jew? “Eastern religions believe that God is an impersonal force… Western religions believed that the various gods often took on human guise… Jews, however, believed in a single, transcendent, personal God. It was absolute blasphemy to propose that any human being should be worshipped…” Keller explains. (p. 218) Even more questions are raised by the sheer fact that nearly all the disciples were martyred for the contrary beliefs they held until their very public and very painful deaths. Keller asks, “Why did Christianity emerge so rapidly, with such power… What changed their worldview overnight? How do you account for the hundreds of eyewitnesses to the resurrection who lived on for decades and publicly maintained their testimony, eventually giving their lives for their belief?” (p. 219)

The Challenge of the Resurrection

“…the resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact much more fully attested to than most other events of ancient history,” Keller begins. “Every effort to account for the birth of the church apart from Jesus’s resurrection flies in the face of what we know about first-century history and culture.” (p. 219) The modern thinker – rather than arguing about the resurrection of Jesus and its historical fact or fiction – resorts to the trick of discounting miracles and thereby discounting resurrection by caveat.

So many of these modern American skeptics find it difficult to explain why so many do not seek justice even though their own views help hinder this very thing. “Why sacrifice for the needs of others if in the end nothing we do will make any difference? If the resurrection of Jesus happened, however, that means there’s infinite hope and reason to pour ourselves out for the needs of the world,” Keller says. (p. 220)

N.T. Wright says, per Keller, “The message of the resurrection is that the world matters! Easter means that in a world where injustice, violence and degradation are endemic, God is not prepared to tolerate such things — and that we will work and plan, with all the energy of God, to implement victory of Jesus over them all.” (p. 221)

Question: Have you ever doubted the validity of the resurrection? If so, what happened to erase those doubts? How has doubt affected your relationship with Jesus?

*My Response*
Before my salvation I knew nothing of the resurrection, but since then I have not doubted the validity of the resurrection.  Do I always live as if I'm going to heaven?  Sadly, no.  But the resurrection of Christ is my hope.  The same Christ who overcame death lives within me.  There is a battle waged every day in me, but I know He is victorious, and it is He that gives me the power, strength and courage to persevere.  Before the resurrection there was death.  My Christ was tortured and murdered.  For my sin.  And then He rose.  For my life.  When I think I am tested or hurt beyond imagination, I am reminded of the scorn and death of my Christ.  He endured it in human form, and He overcame it as God.  To Him I owe everything, and that causes me to depend on Him and praise Him.

Why Can't I...

...get anything done?

It doesn't matter how early I rise, it seems I don't finish all the things I should.  And then I am reminded of the work in progress...

Two Littles...

Five Middles...

And three Teens...

...one of which is a senior this year, but these are the things of which we do not speak!

I fall short every single day, but with the Lord's constant help, surely I will finish well *only because of HIM*.