Gleanings from “The Gospel of Ruth”

August 15, 2011 in 2011 Reading, quotes, reading, Resources with 0 Comments

“Ultimately the impact of submission means those with power over others give it up. Women grow strong and flourish as kingdom builders. Children thrive and begin to realize their calling to give back. And slaves walk free, side by side in full equality with their Christian brothers who were once their masters.”

“The sermon on the Mount knocked down the walls that religious living had constructed around God’s law and pointed to a way of living that goes beyond the letter of the law to the spirit. Formal religion only takes us so far – for it is both safe and doable. Love however, knows no limits, takes costly risks, and looks for ways to give more.”

“Boaz gets the shock of his life when a first-time gleaner–a foreigner at that–takes him to a higher level of obedience. By her actions, Ruth is not merely going the distance to fight for her mother-in-law’s needs, she is also pressing Boaz to color outside the lines of his understanding of God’s law. The letter of the law says, ‘Let them glean.’ The spirit of the law says, ‘Feed them.’ Two entirely different concepts. Ruth’s bold proposal exposes the difference.

God’s law creates a healthy conflict of interest for Boaz. At harvesttime, God meant for landowners like Boaz to wrestle with such basic questions as, How big is a corner? How wide is an edge? How thoroughly do I want my workers clear my fields of grain, given the fact that we only have one chance to clear it? How much will I leave behind for the poor? Walking with God takes us into a sea of possibilities that stretch our capacity for sacrifice and our imagination for obedience, reminding us there’s always more to following God than we think.”

“Although Boaz wasn’t hiring Ruth, his actions create a powerful gospel scene: a gleaner seated alongside paid workers, a Moabitess dining with Israelites, a man serving a woman, the poor included among the rich, an outsider embraced by the inner circle. Looks like the kind of feasting Jesus would have enjoyed, a prefiguring of the kind of world his gospel restores, where ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28). Ruth was on the losing end of all three categories, but Boaz refuses to maintain those boundaries. Ruth embraced God’s people sight unseen on the road from Moab. Now they are embracing her.”

~excerpts from The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules (Carolyn Custis James)

The “Can’t Talk” Rule

August 13, 2011 in 2011 Reading, quotes, reading with 4 Comments

The most powerful of all unspoken rules in the abusive system is what we have already termed the “can’t-talk” rule. The “can’t-talk” has this thinking behind it: “The real problem cannot be exposed because then it would have to be dealt with and things would have to change; so it must be protected behind walls of silence (neglect) or by assault (legalistic attack). If you speak the problem out loud, you are the problem. In some way you must be silenced or eliminated.”

Those who do speak out are most often told, “We didn’t have all these problems until you started shooting your mouth off. Everything was fine before you started stirring things up.” Or else, to make it sound really spiritual, “You were angry [or bitter]–you didn’t confront the matter in a ‘loving’ way. So it proves you weren’t handling the matter in a mature, Christian manner.” In either case, the problem remains.

The truth is, when people talk about problems out loud they don’t cause them, they simply expose them.

In abusive spiritual systems, there exists a “pretend peace”–what Jeremiah decried, saying, “The prophets say ‘peace, peace’ when there is none.” If what unites us is our pretending to agree, even though we don’t agree, then we have nothing more than pretend peace and unity, with undercurrents of tension and backbiting. This is far from “preserving unity and peace in the Holy Spirit,” which is to be the hallmark of healthy Christian churches. That is to say, any topic should be open for discussion, and on some points we may agree to disagree and to continue open dialogue on the subject, both parties willing; or we may both agree to suspend discussion for a time if it raises tension. The important point is that both parties be involved in forming the agreement. If what unites us is truly the Holy Spirit and love for one another, then it is possible to disagree and it will not destroy our unity.

The “can’t talk” rule, however, blames the person who talks, and the ensuing punishments pressure questioners into silence.

~page 68, The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse: Recognizing and Escaping Spiritual Manipulation and False Spiritual Authority Within the Church (David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen)

 

Who to Marry and Other Important Questions of a Three Year Old!

July 28, 2011 in family, kid quotes, photography, reflections with 8 Comments

Hana Kate loves to spend the moments before bedtime asking deep questions, usually about topics and themes related to the Bible, probably because we’ve just read from her Bible. Usually Daniel is the one fielding her questions and enjoying the discussions. Last week, she asked Daniel to talk to her about “the people, the people who were the first people without any other people” (Adam and Eve), and then what life was like in Eden before man sinned. She loves to talk about how all the animals got along together and how none of them were “angry animals.” Somehow, the discussion and questions progressed to marriage, and Hana Kate told Daniel that she wanted to get married. Daniel told her that she had to wait until she was older and bigger , but Hana Kate told him she already knew who she wanted to marry: Daddy. :) Daddy quickly informed her that he couldn’t marry her because he was already married. Without much hesitation or pause and with great seriousness, she informed him that if she couldn’t marry Daddy, she would like to marry Jesus. :) Upon being informed that Jesus didn’t get married (for some reason, Daniel didn’t bring up Christ and His bride the Church. ;) ), she knew that she would like to marry Aunt Emby. And then, it was time to tell her that she had to marry a boy (not to mention a non-relative). After that the discussion led to Mommy and Daddy’s wedding. Looks like it will be a few more years after all before we devote ourselves to serious wedding planning. Whew.

What questions puzzled the mind of a 3-year-old when it came to asking about Daddy and Mommy’s wedding (she hasn’t seen a wedding video, etc…, so it’s not something she’s had much exposure to)? Well, of course the first was, “When it was Mommy’s wedding, did you ask her to marry you?” Second was, “Did you brush your teeth when it was your wedding?” Very important, for sure. :)

And to close out the discussion, Hana Kate asked “Do I need to be as big as Jesus to get married? I want to do that, Daddy.”

God has gifted Hana Kate with a love for Jesus as she knows Him. We are planning to move soon, and Hana Kate has multiple times come to us and said things like, “Instead of moving to our new house, I just want to move to Jesus’ house,” or “I don’t want to move to our new house. I just want to go live with Jesus at His house.” She says this, knowing that there are things about our new place that will make it an exciting place for a child to live (like community pool, playground). To be honest, I have to admit that these kind of statements sometimes scare me that this is some way of softening the blow of something happening to Hana Kate, and then knowing she wanted to be with Jesus all along. But truly, I am so thankful to see evidence of the gift of faith and love for God that God has mercifully displayed in her life. There are a lot of gaps and holes in her knowledge of the Gospel, but what she does know she treasures. Multiple times she has asked us, “Mommy, do you believe that Jesus died for us? I do, Mommy.” or “Do you believe in Jesus? I believe in Jesus.” We have taken caution not to over-apply or overdo our explanations and presentations of the Gospel, but we praise God for the fact that at this point in her life Hana Kate seems to delight in learning and loving the things of God.

3-Ingredient Summer Tomato Salad

July 28, 2011 in recipes with 4 Comments

Here’s an easy recipe for a healthy, refreshing tomato salad. With only 3 ingredients, it’s easy to make and easy to remember:

  • 2 tbsp Garlic Expressions vinaigrette (I’ve seen this at Fresh Market and Whole Foods, I assume you can find it elsewhere, too), add more or less to taste
  • 1 lb. heirloom tomatoes (choose multiple colors for variety)
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese

Cut tomatoes and cheese into 1/2 inch cubes. Gently mix in with vinaigrette, and let flavors blend for at least 15 minutes. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

Skittle Painting

July 28, 2011 in craft, family with 6 Comments

After a few fun “experiments” with Daddy, Hana Kate has been fascinated with things that dissolve. So this morning we combined that interest with her love for painting. We did Skittle painting, and got to see how crazy all that food coloring is!

Just a few bowls of water, and we added the Skittles and watched them dissolve and give us watercolors. Hana Kate even tasted it to see what the “paint” was like. :)

Now I get to see how washable our Skittle paints are! If it’s not, I guess I can console myself with the fact those shorts were 10 cents at a yard sale. ;)

Huggies

July 27, 2011 in family with 1 Comment

Huggies aren’t diapers at our house. They’re this (Listen for Hana Kate’s question to Eden near the end. ;) ):

If the house is moderately clean (apparently a prerequisite for their happiness) and they’re feeling well, then I can count on this occurring at least once a day. We had just made brownies together, thus the missing shirt and Hana Kate’s question to Eden (she’d just changed shirts). :) This was taken on my phone, but someday perhaps I’ll record such jubilation with slightly more cinematic quality.

Blinded by the Insulation of Prosperity

July 24, 2011 in 2011 Reading, quotes, reading with 1 Comment

Our cloistered discussions about God’s purposes for women and the resulting infighting that ensues among us leave women elsewhere in the world scratching their heads. Blinded by the insulation of prosperity, we are at risk of transmitting a message as irrelevant and unworkable as Marie Antoinette’s solution for the starving masses: “Let them eat cake!”—a message that when sanctioned as “biblical” is cruelly beyond the reach of those with less.

We need a global conversation about the Bible’s message for women because a global conversation safeguards us from proclaiming a prosperity gospel for women that works for some (at least for a time) and is utterly crushing to vast numbers of women in our own culture and elsewhere in the world. The Bible’s message for women doesn’t depend on ideal circumstances, but applies fully to those who live in the brutal outskirts of society where poverty engulfs, education is nonexistent, women’s bodies are ravaged, and lives are in constant peril simply because they are female.

Global thinking raises deeper questions and sends us in search of answers that are expansive and dynamic enough to frame every woman’s life from birth to death. Within this wider global context, we will discover—for their sakes and for ours—the true strength of God’s message for women. Here we will unlock the gospel’s potency to bring wholeness and purpose to a trampled and discarded life. This is where we will plumb the depths of God’s love for his daughters and see for ourselves that no life is ever beyond the reach of the gospel’s restorative powers, no matter how a woman’s story plays out. Until we go global, we can never be sure of our questions, much less the answers we affirm.

~Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women (Carolyn Curtis James)

**Related: World’s Most Dangerous Countries for Women in Pictures

Eden Funnies

July 23, 2011 in family, kid quotes with 1 Comment

Lest there be any concern that Hana Kate is the only one to take time saying all the funny things, the advent of a rapid increase in Eden’s speech has also marked her saying a few funny things, too.

While at the pool, a normally shy Eden randomly looked at a little girl and said, “Hi, girl.” What made it funnier was the fact that the girl acknowledged Eden saying this, laughed, and said “hi” back.

While praying before bed (and Daniel was away), I was thanking God for a variety of things during the day, when all of the sudden Eden exclaimed very loudly, “Pooooool!” I asked her if she was wanting to thank God for the pool, and she vigorously nodded yes. A few moments later, she said, “Daddy!!!” requesting to pray for him, too.

History Lessons and Bathtime Fun

July 20, 2011 in family with 0 Comments

We are up visiting my Mom while Daniel is out of town for on a business trip. Yesterday we visited the school where Grandma teaches, and had fun playing in the school gymnasium and visiting Grandma’s classroom. Hana Kate thinks it is amazing that Grandma teaches at a school, so she asked her to teach “real school” for her. Grandma had to teach a real lesson and Hana Kate was such an attentive student that Grandma had to keep teaching and teaching and teaching… I’ve been taking videos of our days to share with Daniel, and these are some of the highlights that I want to remember. (These were taken with my phone, so the quality isn’t so good. But that’s probably a good thing since most of them were taken in the bath. And if you’re not family, take my warning that these might be incredibly boring. In fact, they might be so even if you are family. :) )

(Warning, this first one is long, but it is hilarious to see HK so enthralled and studious about listening to “school.” Grandma had actually been teaching for several minutes when I started recording, teaching about George Washington. I’m not sure how Hana Kate knew students take notes in school; Grandma told me that Hana Kate asked for the paper and pencil so she could take notes.)

Later on (in the bathtub), Hana Kate remembered that the first President’s name was George Washington, after being prompted that his last name was Washington. However, this takes places after some major bathtime craziness at the beginning of the video:

Speaking of bathtime craziness, this one is my favorites. The girls are being really loud and making each other laugh:

And continuing the theme, here’s a final bathtime video, in which Hana Kate will instruct you on how to clean your bathtub:

May 2011 Reading

July 11, 2011 in 2011 Reading, reading with 0 Comments

May’s reading was pretty simple. (For June 2011, reading see here. These are posted a little out of order for the late spring/early summer months.)

The Listener’s Bible – English Standard Version (audio, narrated by Max McLean)

Since this is the Bible, I don’t know that there is much explanation needed as to what the reading content contains. This was my first time to listen to the entire Bible via audio, and also my first time to go through the entire ESV (having previously read through the KJV and NASB). This audio version is not overdramatized, though it does have light background music playing in the background of some portions. I did not find this to be distracting, though others may. I began listening to this audio at the beginning of the year, but did the majority of my listening primarily in April and May. It was wonderful to listen to the entirety of Scripture within a short time span, and it is something I hope to do again later this year. Max McLean’s reading here follows the English Standard Version text.

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced (Nujood Ali, Delphine Minoui, translated by Linda Coverdale) (audio, narrated by Meera Simhan)

I became interested this book after reading the June issue of National Geographic Magazine, where I am Nujood was referenced in the article, “Too Young to Wed: The Secred World of Child Brides.” I am Nujood is the story of Nujood’s tragic enslavement as a child-bride and her triumphant victory over a system that has destroyed countless young lives. As a child in Yemen, Nujood’s father agrees to ease his own burdens by selling her to a man in his 30′s. Although it is promised to Nujood’s father that her new husband will not have sexual relations with her until she officially reaches puberty, it is quite the opposite from the very start of her marriage. Nujood continues to be physically, sexually, and emotionally abused by her husband and her in-law’s; she also continues to plead to be taken back to visit her family. Eventually, her husband relents, but Nujood finds no comfort in seeking her family’s aid to help her escape her horrible plight. So, she pursues the only other option she knows of: while on an errand for her mother, she escapes to the court, seeks a judge, and asks for a divorce, becoming the only person in her situation known to do so.

This book is an eye-opener to the way-of-life for many rural Yemeni girls, though many say these customs are being eliminated. Because of Nujood’s courage (and the courage of those who assisted her in court and in gaining an international voice), many other young girls are at least now aware that this is a possibility of escape. It is a short book, but by no means an easy read.

1 FREE Audiobook RISK-FREE from Audible

(Note: Both of these books are available as a free download on Audible.com, when you sign up for a free trial. I actually downloaded the Bible as part of my trial at the beginning of the year, but found the Audible membership to be worthwhile enough to continue my membership. The links in this post include my affiliate links.)

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