on being a Christian, or words that end in "-ian"

I was talking to this chap the other day, and toward the end of the conversation I said, “Well, you’re a Christian and…”. I didn’t get to finish my sentence because he quickly interrupted me with, “No, I’m Catholic, not Christian”.

I had to leave and didn’t have much time for any theological debates, so I sort of clicked my tongue in exasperation and went, “Yes I know, but you are a Christian right?? I mean, you follow Jesus Christ right??”

It’s not that I was really annoyed or anything, but I just don’t understand this. I mean, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this sort of thing. Sometimes it’s the Catholics who say they’re not Christian, and sometimes it’s the non-Catholic Christians who say that Catholics aren’t really Christians.

I just don’t understand why there are these distinctions being made. Broadly speaking, I regard all people who believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, and who follow His teachings, as Christians. Like – Jesus Christ right? Christian right? (like... um... Victorian... Utopian... Martian...?).

I found the following dictionary definitions of what a “Christian” is, all of which I agree with:

As an adjective:
1. Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. Relating to or derived from Jesus or Jesus's teachings.
3. Manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus; Christlike.
4. Relating to or characteristic of Christianity or its adherents.
5. Showing a loving concern for others; humane.

As a noun:
1. One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.

Now I’m certainly not going to get all deep and academic and analyse the history of the church and the Nicene creed and the pope’s “infallibility” and all that sort of thing – I’m just wondering, why is there this division among lay Christians? Ok yes, I know – where there are people, division just seems to happen.

But it bothers me a bit to have a Catholic person imply that I’m not quite a Christian because I’m a Methodist, or to hear a Protestant person pooh-pooh a Catholic’s faith as not being “real Christianity”. I’ve been in little inter-denominational meetings where the subtle air of condescension, and the little judgmental, patronising jabs were just not funny.

I was actually in the middle of asking that chap to pray for me when he corrected me about his faith, which seemed to imply that somehow he wouldn’t be praying to whom I thought he would, or praying the kind of prayers I expected, and he’d better let me know. Which to me was just ridiculous, because there on his wall was a cross, a symbol of our common faith.

Isn’t the main thing what the dictionary says? “One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus”. I know this definition is just from some basic English dictionary, and not some profound ancient Greek text, but hey – if we truly can live out that definition, isn’t that worth celebrating? Most of us can only profess the belief, yet struggle to truly follow it. Honestly, pedantics and other man-made rules and definitions – many whose origins are lost in the vague sands of time – just don’t help.

To me it’s simple – the life and teachings of Jesus are laid out in the New Testament for anyone to read. Surely we Christians should be united, strengthening and praying for one another, instinctively loving and caring about each other and rejoicing in our common faith. Jesus said, “… if two of you on earth agree (harmonise together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them” (Matt 18:19-20).

Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being brought to desolation and laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will last or continue to stand (Matt 12:25). Thankfully, the Church – and I mean the entire body of all Christians of every denomination – has shown great resilience and lasting power, but let’s not be divided as individuals.

“Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]” (James 5:15-17).

As a Christian, I don't think it's about names, or flavours or brands. What I think it all boils down to is this: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt 22:35-40).

The rosary in the picture above was given to me as a very young child; I keep it reverently till this day.

on Pavlov, old habits, and new responses

There was this space of time between when I got out from the bath and when I said my nightly prayers, during which I noticed I’d start off on a certain particularly negative train of thought. This had been happening for about a week already and honestly, I was just fed up with it.

I do know what triggered it the first time, and knowing that, you’d think I’d subsequently give myself a kick in the **** and just stop it, but no – as my particular brand of spiritual challenges would have it – I’d fixate on the thing and go on my little train ride every night after my bath, till I’d spoken to God about it during my prayers.

Well last night I cried out to God in sheer frustration, because I realised that this negativity was becoming a dangerously bad habit – I mean, it would even manifest itself in physical sensations, which didn’t bother me at all at other times of the day. On previous occasions when I’d spoken to God about it, He had pointed out that it was the end of the day, and I was weary, and that it is a favourite time for spiritual vulnerability and attack.

But last night two words popped into my head: Pavlovian conditioning. Now, I hadn’t heard those words since first year university (which you can bet was a long time ago) and even then I wasn’t paying much attention in class. But having them come to me now, I decided I’d better go look it up today.

From the lovely Brittanica.com, I’m told Pavlovian conditioning is “a type of conditioned learning which occurs because of the subject’s instinctive responses, as opposed to operant conditioning, which is contingent on the willful actions of the subject. It was developed by the Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov”.

I vaguely recall from class that Pavlov did some experiments on dogs, and observed that not only did the dogs begin salivating in the presence of meat, but they gradually began salivating in the presence of their feeder. He concluded that if a stimulus – say a bell – was used when the dogs were being fed, then eventually the dogs would associate that bell with food, and salivate whenever it was rung, even if there was no food present. Which essentially was what happened.

In looking up Brittanica, I chanced upon the phrase “Pavlov’s dog” – it is used to describe someone who instinctively reacts to a situation, rather than use critical thinking. And so now that it’s daytime, and I am critically thinking – do I behave like Pavlov’s dog?

I think the answer is probably yes – at first I started on that negative train of thought about something specific, but then – even though God had already reassured me on the subject – I began doing it habitually as I was getting into my pyjamas (looking back, I think pyjama-dressing is one of those mindless times where if you're not thinking right thoughts...). It reached the point where just being in my pyjamas, at night, somehow made me instinctively get into that negative mode.

Of course, even starting on that train at all is bad, but to keep doing it? Even after God had reassured me? When faced with a challenge, why is it so instinctive to get anxious, depressed, negative?

I’d clearly gotten stuck in the wrong response. Like the dog who salivated just hearing the bell, I was doing my negative thing out of sheer habit! And for what? There was no food for the dog, and there was nothing good or productive in it for me either.

Like the bell, the pyjama-dressing – or the allergy flaring up, or the husband forgetting to call, or the friend who says hurtful things, or whatever else it is that sets you off – is just a wicked deceit and strategy; put on God’s whole armour and resist it (Eph 6:11)!

The dog should have just stopped himself and thought, “Wait a minute. What am I getting all messed up for? It’s just a stupid bell. There’s no food there; we’ve been over this a hundred times. I’m getting all worked up for nothing. I’m going to just relax because my nice owner takes good care of me and is going to give me real, proper food soon”.

Well, that last is wishful thinking as far as Pavlov’s poor dogs went, but for me, I know – I know I AM in God’s good hands and He takes very good care of me. Our habitual, instinctive response to challenges should simply be – relax, and trust God.

And so I ask God to help me keep my mind set on the right things – all that is pure, lovely, excellent, praiseworthy (Phil 4:8) – so that I’ll be conditioned to think, feel and live right, the way God intends.

In John 16:33, Jesus says, “…in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you]”.

And the apostle John writes, “Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

It’s never to late to kick bad habits – even for old dogs :)

Hep Cat pin

A new Hep Cat pin in the shop now.

Hep Cat is sometimes quizzical, but always happy! (Clay really captures the term "handmade" I think :)

Owlet

Custom-order Owlet waiting to be stuffed. This one has lots of embroidery - very fiddly!

on litterbox living

Do you have a cat? Or a rabbit? Then you’ll know what I’m talking about with this litterbox revelation. When I was in university, I lived in this one rented room with my cat (dear, sweet Anisah; who would sleep at my head purring like a motorboat engine and fetched balls better than any dog I’ve ever known). She used a litterbox of course, but being the young/busy/irresponsible/lazy owner that I was then, I wasn’t particularly religious about changing it.

As any responsible cat owner would/should know, the litterbox should essentially be cleaned out as soon as the cat has used it, and then given a thorough clean about once or twice a week. Meaning, as soon as you know your cat has pooped or peed in the box, you should go scoop out the stuff, and then once or twice a week, throw out all the litter, scrub the box clean, and put in new litter.

Well I’m sorry to admit that I wasn’t exactly fastidious about doing this in those “younger days”. Of course I would clean out the whole box “now and then”, but the reality was more along the lines of scooping out the messy parts and occasionally putting more litter in on top. What would happen with that kind of routine was simply this – the litterbox never got truly cleaned. The icky bits were merely masked with nice-looking clean litter.

But inevitably, what gave it away was this – the sour odour of something bad. And no amount of baking soda or lemon spritz one tried to add on top was going to help. Almost worse was the fact that that odour gradually permeated the entire room, seeping even into my clothing, so that my Mom would comment on the “weird smell” my sweaters had when I went home for the holidays.

And perhaps worst of all was the fact that I often ceased to notice the malodorous buildup – until it became too much – because I’d allowed it to become so much a part of my everyday life.

While praying the other night about my own stinky thoughts and feelings, I had a sudden crystal-clear vision of that little undergraduate room, and dear sweet Anisah – and Anisah’s litterbox in the corner. I remembered how I’d try to get away with doing the minimum amount of work with regard to cleaning the box, and then be compelled to deal with the unpleasant effects of that lack of discipline afterward. The stupid thing was, adding clean litter to the dirty box, and coming up with ways to mask the odour, actually created more work, and was way more troublesome and disagreeable than just giving the box a regular, thorough once-over.

But isn’t that just how some of us are in our thoughts and behaviour sometimes. We lapse so easily into negative thinking and bad, undisciplined behaviour, and then we have to deal with, and cover up the yucky effects. We let ourselves become stinky with fear and worry, unkindness, vindictiveness and unforgiveness, all kinds of ungodly attitudes and behaviour, and then we have to deal with the rank consequences – anxiety, stress, broken relationship; lack of peace; weak, unvictorious lives.

The more we let it go on, the harder it is to eradicate, because we’re just adding layer upon layer of gunk. We become so used to the stink, sometimes we even cease to notice it. We just accept our negative, miserable, unfruitful lives because we’re too undisciplined to do anything about it, until one day it all becomes too much, too unbearable. The bits of poop do add up. We might even wonder why we’re so depressed, anxious, negative about everything and everyone. That’s when – maybe – we cry out for help.

But because we’ve been so lazy and apathetic, and not been in the habit of walking in the Spirit, this is going to take effort! I definitely have to regularly ask God for help with this. Occasionally going to church or saying a prayer in desperation just isn’t enough – we need to be thoroughly renewed and cleaned out. And we have to routinely walk in the Spirit – habitually thinking and doing right.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]”.

Like the average litterbox, many of us have nasty bits (chunks? blobs?) hidden under a nice, pleasant exterior. And for so long as we aren’t renewed in the spirit, we’re going to find those nasty bits gradually growing and extending their influence further and further into the rest of our lives.

I've learnt that I shouldn't just occasionally dig around my intolerant, mean, unloving, fearful, negative clumps and then slip back into my old shoddy habits – I shouldn't accept or ignore even the tiny poopy bits or the slight stains - instead I ask God to help me cast it all out, and get spick and span. As the psalmist says, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow… Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps 51:7, 10).

In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul writes, “I… appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God's service,

Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.

Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.

… let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

… you must no longer live as the heathen do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.

Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].

In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].

… Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],

Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;

And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],

And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another.

When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down.

Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].

…Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favour) to those who hear it.

… Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).

And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4, italics mine).

loving today

1. Lisa Larson tiger, Afrika series by DomestiKate

2. Victorian hand necklace by Cobracult
3. Vintage enamel tiger pendant by The Looksee
4. Vintage Czech glass bib deco fringe necklace by The Looksee
5. Jack and Jill necklace by Mad Tea Garden
6. Bone bracelet by Cobracult

on keeping on the right track

Today’s a public holiday and I’d thought to sleep in a bit. But I woke up prematurely at about 8am, and horrible to say, I immediately went downhill on that train of negative thinking. You will not believe (or maybe you can) the number and intensity of negative, fearful, miserable thoughts that crowded in upon me, one after the other. They were of the infamous “what if” variety, and suffice to say they were not the exciting “what if I found a million bucks, where would I holiday first?” type, or better yet, the uplifting, “what if Jesus appeared in my room right now?”

Instead, I sat squarely down in that train of dire, catastrophic thinking, and even buckled my seatbelt. For at least 10, 15 minutes – which felt immeasurably longer – I rode that train, indulged in it, really, and got myself on the express to Depressiontown (which is very close to Panictown).

And yet, it was surely the Holy Spirit in me that rose up saying, with increasing urgency, “Stop it, you’ve got to stop it, you’ve got to stop it right now”. And I saw, in my spirit, how surely I was heading into that terrible pit, where one seems to forget God and all sense of perspective. Gradually, with increasing power, these words came to me, and I repeated and repeated them, meditating on them with all my might: The Lord is my healer, He is faithful to deliver me. I will not worry or fear, because I AM in His good hands. I literally repeated those words again and again until they were the only thoughts in my head. And I fell back to sleep.

This is what happened next. I had a dream. The finer details are vague now, but the essential action was this: I was on holiday somewhere, and having a good time. I had my book of devotions with me, and I wanted to sit down and read it and pray. But every time I started to do so, someone or other would come along and distract me. On the last occasion, someone even took the book away from me. And the holiday became less and and less enjoyable each time this happened.

While I’m thankful to say that I did get another two hours’ sleep, that dream stayed on my mind for quite awhile. I think dreams are to some extent an expression of what’s going on in our sub- or unconscious, and I’m also aware that God does speak to people in dreams sometimes, like He did with Jacob or Joseph, for example. I just couldn’t help wondering if somehow the Holy Spirit was telling me that I was letting myself get distracted from God, that I needed to be more dedicated and steadfast in my worship and faith.

I was letting fear and other unholy thoughts and emotions take away from my devotion to Him. And how can we truly enjoy our lives if we let that happen, if we don’t keep close to Him? Remember how I’d felt God was telling me that the way to overcome my challenges was simply to “Spend time with Him”? Well I suppose lately I’ve been spending more time with my fears.

Fellow Christians, please pray for me. James 5:16 says “Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]”.

Thankfully God is full of love, mercy and compassion. I’m sure He does not want us to live fearful, miserable, powerless lives, subject to the deceits and strategies of the enemy. In Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, who “wasted his fortune in reckless and loose [from restraint] living”, we see how loving God is.

The prodigal son repents and returns home, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness [for him]; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him [fervently] … the father said to his bond servants, Bring quickly the best robe (the festive robe of honour) and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet… let us revel and feast and be happy and make merry, because this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” (Luke 15:20-24, italics mine).

Indeed, every time I get off that wrong train and return to God, I am uplifted and encouraged. I am refreshed and strengthened. And then I am calm enough to see God’s miraculous power and goodness at work in my life. How wonderful to know that He says, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness--trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation” (Ps 91:14-16).

loving today

1. Vintage Bancroft navy military army cap by Vintage By Alex Keller

2. You choose the color - organic t-shirt by Strand Redesign
3. Organic Linzer heart cookies by Ink And Paper Arts
4. Vintage leaf motif and pearl sweater clip by The Art Floozy
5. Vintage 1950s navy blue beaded cocktail hat by Fab Gabs
6. Red mushroom bell jar by Alina Hayes

on marilyn, and being truly fabulous

I finished reading The Secret Life Of Marilyn Monroe by J. Randy Taraborrelli a little while ago. I can’t say I’ve ever been much of a Marilyn Monroe fan, or that I knew much about her or her movies. But she certainly was very beautiful, in – to me – a sad, privately hurting sort of way, and I had been intrigued by an article on her that had appeared in Vanity Fair in November last year. It looked at a whole archive of Ms Monroe’s letters, poems and diaries that were being published in a book that same month.

Naturally, much of these private writings provide a lot of insight into the kind of person she was. But some of her words made me particularly sad for her; for example, “Scream – you began and ended in air”, and “Ah Peace I Need You – Even a Peaceful Monster”.

This beautiful woman, apparently so successful and adored, saying such things, feeling such anguish and despair… well, everyone has their personal challenges it seems. I feel so sorry that she never knew the peace and comfort of Christ in her lifetime.

Well, when I recently saw Mr Taraborrelli’s book on sale at the store, I decided to pick it up and give it a read. And I’m glad I did, for it certainly is a well-written, entertaining biography.

But it is also full of sadness in its revelations. I didn’t know Marilyn had had such a difficult childhood. I just think of my own children, and I feel so terrible for her, and for all children who to this day go through the same neglect and abuse. Such mistreatment can so easily set a child up for a lifetime of misery and wrong choices.

There were many things in the book which struck me, but one thing that especially did was what she said when she was pregnant during her marriage to Arthur Miller. This was shortly after she’d come upon Miller’s journal, which, it seems, he’d deliberately left open for her to see (cruelty in its finer form?). “On those pages, Arthur confessed that he had second thoughts about having married her. She wasn’t what he’d thought she was… She wasn’t as intelligent as he had hoped and, in fact, she was someone he pitied” (p.294).

Marilyn had apparently been very much in love with Miller, and discovering that journal had been devastating to her, and made her lose a great deal of confidence in herself. It was after this, during her pregnancy, that she said, ‘“My little girl is always going to be told how pretty she is”… She was sure it would be a girl. “When I was small, all of the dozens and dozens of people I lived with – none of them ever used the word ‘pretty’ to me. I want my little girl to smile all the time. All little girls should be told how pretty they are and I’m going to tell mine, over and over again”’. (p.300).

How very, very sad. I do, in fact, know something of what she meant, which is why I always make sure to tell my daughters not only how beautiful they are, but how smart, and wonderful, and capable, and powerful they are too. And more than that, they have GOD, who loves them and is always with them – making them more than conquerors in Him (Romans 8:37).

So I was very happy to stumble upon this book B had been writing in, while I was tidying up. It’s Think Pink – The ultimate ‘go-for-it’ guide for girls! by Lisa Clark. On the back it says, “… prepare to become the star shine girl you’re destined to be and live your life permanently in the pink… dream hugely, be inspired and wear whatever you want without fear of ridicule because, let’s face it, life’s not a dress rehearsal!”

I flipped through it (no, not snoopingly! I just thought the illustrations were cute), and I saw:

What would you like people to know about you? I am a very happy girl

How would you describe yourself? A fabulous girl
What are your kick-ass qualities? Silly, funny, determined, happy

How would you sum yourself up in one sentence? Fabulous

I would love for my daughters to keep summing themselves up this way for the rest of their lives. For indeed they are fabulous and wonderful and all things great in Christ. And so are you. God loves us, and at the risk of sounding cliched, God does not make junk. Don't let a miserable childhood, or rejection, or cruel words, or challenging situations bring you down - we are more than conquerors in Him who loves us!

Remember Hebrews 13:5-6, "... be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]".

(And her dream wish list? I wish I could fly. I wish I could drink chocolate milk for an hour. I wish I could have mushroom soup for all my meals).

Hep Cat pin

Now you can wear Hep Cat!

I love Hep Cat because he has such a cool, upbeat attitude. Nothing gets him down. He likes to wear stripes and black turtlenecks (but he would certainly never smoke), and says things like "I'm hip to the jive" and "Now you're on the trolley!".

In the shop now. R's pin wears a teeny red beret.

the Lily of the Valley

I LOVE this hymn. It was written by Charles W. Fry in 1881 and is still so rousing today. Whatever you are going through, however you feel – set your mind, and keep it set, on God and the higher things; keep praying, keep thanking, keep praising and keep singing – you WILL come out victorious!

Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord,
At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father (Eph 5:19-20).

I have found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay;
He tells me every care on Him to roll.

Refrain
He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tower;
I have all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart and now He keeps me by His power.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal.

Refrain

He will never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
From His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face,
Where the rivers of delight shall ever roll.

(The version in this video does not follow the traditional lyrics entirely, but I'm sure you get the idea and the tune - so sing along!)

loving today

1. Egersund Norway Pottery vintage childrens' set by Mouse Trap Vintage
2. Vintage 1960s brown wicker basket purse by Athertons Vintage
3. Vintage 1950s pale pink dress by Athertons Vintage
4. Organic canvas red bear paw tote by small batch production
5. Dog silhouette address labels - design your own by Fire Hydrant Press
6. Goldilocks bowl set by Laura Walls Taylor

we boinga all boinga long

My kids are ENORMOUS fans of The Backyardigans. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about - The Backyardigans is a 3D, CGI-animated children's series by Nelvana and Nickelodeon. In each episode, the show's five characters - Pablo, Uniqua, Tyrone, Austin and Tasha - use their imaginations to transform their backyard into all sorts of fantastic worlds, in which they play out their elaborate, extravagant adventures.

Personally, I love The Backyardigans; I think they're just brilliant. Every episode has music and dancing, with each one focusing on a particular music genre (like country, mariachi, or rock), which I think is great for getting kids interested in music, learning the different genres, and picking up cool dance moves.

The video above is one of our favourites; it's from the episode "Mission to Mars". Uniqua, Pablo and Austin meet Mommy Martian, who teaches them the Martian language. The kids love dancing to this song and I'm just really tickled by it.

Sample lyrics:

Mommy Martian:
Almost everything is boinga here,
Just in case you hadn't heard.
Almost everything is boinga here,
It's the Martians' favorite word.

Uniqua:
Do you call these hands?
Mommy Martian:
Nope, we call them boinga!
Austin:
Do you use pots and pans?
Mommy Martian:
Yup, we call them boinga!
…

Pablo:
We wear hats on our heads
Mommy Martian:
Really? We wear boinga!
Uniqua:
Do you guys sleep in beds?
Mommy Martian:
Nope, we sleep in boinga!
…

Mommy Martian:
Do your birds say boinga?
Uniqua:
No, our birds say tweet!
Mommy Martian:
Do your flowers smell boinga?
Pablo:
No, they just smell sweet!

Hahahahahahahaha... just typing this out makes me laugh. Go listen. And dance. And learn the words so you can sing while you're doing whatever it is you have to do. Thinking boinga definitely beats being depressed and negative! (Alicia Keys is voicing Mommy Martian, by the way).

rise and shine

Today at Easter service, our pastor made mention of a well-known incident between Martin Luther and his wife Katharina. Luther had sunk into a deep and prolonged depression; Katharina, seeing him thus, decided to put on black mourning. Of course, Luther asked her why she was dressed like that, and she answered, “Because God is dead”. Luther rebuked her saying, “How can you say such a thing – God cannot die”. Katharina replied, “Well, the way you’ve been acting, I was sure that He had!”

How often do we act like that – all doom and gloom, wallowing in fear, self-pity and negativity. SHAKE IT OFF! Recall, as David did before he went to kill the Philistine giant Goliath, how faithful God has been to you in the past, and declare with confidence how faithful God will continue to be.

David told King Saul with full assurance, “Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God!”

This Easter we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection with exclamations of “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” So put off your mourning, arise to a new life! Remember Isaiah 60:1 – “ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you--rise to a new life]! SHINE (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!” With God’s power working in you and for you, you will conquer all your giants!

Here’s a little article I'd written for our church magazine; it came out just a few days ago. Again, a blessed Easter to you and yours – remember to rise and shine!

As Easter approaches, we find ourselves inundated with chocolate eggs, rabbits, sundry baby animals, and all things spring. They are not what Easter is about of course, but I can understand the use of the imagery, symbolising as they do renewal, purity and hope.

For Easter – the Christian celebration of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection – is what puts the “Good” in Good Friday; despite all the pain and suffering Jesus went through, God worked it out for good, giving us our greatest blessing ever – our salvation and everlasting life. What a glorious hope!

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole (Isaiah 53:5).

It is a hope not only for our final outcome, but in our daily lives. For while we may have to go through hard times, we can be confident that our heavenly Father is always with us, that He will see us through, and that He will work it out for our good. Whatever it is you have to face, it will pass, and you will rise again!

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labour] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose (Romans 8:28).

May this coming Easter remind you of – and fill you again – with that perfect peace and confidence, and that blessed, glorious hope!

Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] (John 16:33).

on spending time well

I am sooooooo glad I went for evening service this Maundy Thursday. It is so wonderful to be in God’s presence with other believers, to experience that love and peace and joy, that refreshing and renewal of one’s spirit.

Did you know, by the way, that the word “Maundy” derives from the Latin mandatum? "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos", or "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you". Jesus said this in John 13:34, when he was explaining to the Apostles the significance of his washing of their feet. Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus’ Last Supper of course, and tomorrow will be Good Friday.

Our pastor delivered such a great sermon this evening (we have four different pastors at our church by the way, so when I say “our pastor” I’m not always referring to the same person). During it, he asked us to spend some quiet time reflecting on the sins we struggle with in our lives, and then to ask God how we can overcome them. Naturally, a whole string of sins and shortcomings came immediately to my mind; they probably came to my mind pretty quick because I’m always having to ask God’s forgiveness for those same sins in my daily prayers.

At the same time, as our pastor had requested, I cried out to the Lord (in my heart) to tell me how to overcome these weaknesses in my life. And I heard then, again and again, with increasing emphasis – “Spend time with Me”.

And in the extra minute or two that our pastor gave us to pray before resuming his sermon, I just came to the realisation or revelation that yes – the way to conquer our weaknesses, to cast out our demons, to break the addiction of our sins, is best summed up by that invitation, that direction, that injunction – spend time with God.

The time we invest in unhealthy habits, negative thinking, immoral, bad or plain stupid behaviour, can swiftly be turned to excellent use by giving it to God. Spend time with Him. Make time for Him. Talk with Him, get to know His character and His ways, listen to His promptings, follow His guidance, ask for His grace and His help. Mark 14:38 says, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” If I don’t discipline myself to spend time with God, it is so easy to drift into sin and all sorts of bad behaviour.

Our pastor used himself as an example, referring to the time he was preparing for a marathon. With discipline and dedication, he eventually did manage to get his body into excellent shape, and complete the run well. But while it had taken him months of effort to get fit and healthy, it was easy, and didn’t take long at all, to drift back to crappy eating habits and couch potatohood.

He cited an excellent quote by Canadian theologian D.A. Carson: "People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord.

We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated."

Yes, spending time with God, keeping to His path, is definitely a discipline, but really, it is so so worth it. And you know what, the more time you spend with Him, the less you feel the discipline, and the more you notice the blessings and the gains.

Remember Isaiah 30:18, which reminds us that “the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!”

“I love those who love me,” says the Lord, “and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me” (Prov 8:17).

Have a lovely, blessed Easter!

on the quiet cauliflower

OK, so I’ve cut down on my dear beloved broccoli because it seems I might actually have been overdosing on them (yeah, it’s possible). Did you know – I was told that broccoli would be orange or yellow if not for the green chlorophyll, so an overdose of it could tint your skin orange the way an overdose of carrots might. And so I’ve started exploring cauliflower, the closest thing I could think of to broccoli.

I’m afraid I have to admit that I’d always thought of cauliflower as the less tasty, less colourful version of broccoli, with a weird texture between soft and crunchy. But I’ve decided to like it, and really, now that I’ve started, I realise that it’s really not half bad. (And a mound of melted cheese on top doesn’t hurt either haha).

Anyway, while having my cauliflower for lunch today and thinking half-wistfully about broccoli, I decided I really did need to find out what benefits eating cauliflower had. You always hear such a lot about broccoli’s life-enhancing powers, but not so much about cauliflower (well I hadn’t anyway). I mean, it’s such a subdued, colourless vegetable, I really couldn’t help wondering if there was any real point in my eating it.

Well – it turns out cauliflower is a powerhouse in its own right. Besides the obvious no-fat thing, it’s super high in vitamin C, vitamin K, and omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains other good stuff, including phytochemicals, glucosinolates, carotenoids, folic acid, fibre, potassium and manganese (yeah I know, some of us still wonder what’s manganese for). It’s really quite as decent as broccoli. So have some today! (With a mound of melted cheese on top haha). Remember though, that boiling reduces cauliflower’s nutrient levels, so try steaming or stir-frying instead.

WHFoods has a good article on cauliflower.

And that picture above is my painting entitled, um… Choux fleurs. Yup.

be a joyrider

Let’s say you're taking the train home. If you were to get on the wrong train, it probably wouldn’t take you too long to realise it. After the first wrong station or so, you’d likely feel a little annoyed, dismayed, anxious even. And – unless you enjoyed wasting time or getting lost - if you had any sense at all – you’d get off as soon as you could and get on the right train.

It’s funny how we know how to do that, but when it comes to our thoughts… We get started on a wrong train of thought, and more times than not, we just stay on! The stupid part is, sometimes we’re actually aware that we’re going in the wrong direction, and we’re conscious that we’d better stop and get off quick before it’s too late – but we don’t!

What is it that makes us keep getting on those wrong trains, and then staying on? We start thinking of whatever our apparently negative situation is, and then we start embroidering it, adding our self-blame, our anxiety, our what-if thinking, and our negativity. We add on station after station of wrong thinking, until we’re so far gone that we don’t know how to get back where we should be. I imagine these wrong trains as rides out into the wilderness or to nowhere – they’re like a downward spiral into depression and despair.

And it’s one thing to go on these miserable rides once or twice, but to do it repeatedly? No sane person would keep taking the wrong train home every day, yet I think this is what many of us do with our thought life. We know that going in that wrong direction will only lead to misery and torment, and yet we get on anyway – out of habit, if nothing else. It’s almost as if we develop this perverse addiction to negativity. But how can we expect or hope for good, positive results in our lives if we keep on that way?

For me, I’ve found that one way to get out of that pointless round of going-miles-in-the-wrong-direction-and-then-struggling-to-get-back-to-the-right-one, is to consciously STOP myself the moment I’m tempted to start off on that wrong track. And I know from experience when I’m about to – it usually starts with “what if…” or “if only…” or some other non-joyful, non-helpful, non-victorious thing.

I can literally feel the joy oozing out of me the moment I start, I can literally feel my mouth going down at the corners, my shoulders slumping, I can literally feel myself getting tired, cranky, or short-tempered. Sometimes I even start first thing in the morning, when I’ve barely opened my eyes; somehow in that sleepy haze I’m more than able to start focusing on every apparently negative thing I can think of and even add to them with my boundless imagination. It’s a miserable ride.

So I actively STOP myself – really, I literally tell myself, “Stop it! Just STOP IT!” Remember Philippians 4:8? “… whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honourable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them] (Amplified).

Right away, I ask God to help me, to give me the strength and grace to fix my mind on the right things. I ask Him to help me resist the temptations of worry, self-pity and negativity, and remember that I am more than a conqueror in Christ, and that He is faithful to deliver. The fact is, we are in control of what train we get on, for God has given us a spirit of power, a well-balanced mind, discipline and self-control (2 Tim 1:7) – we can choose our direction, our thoughts, we can decide whether or not to let ourselves go downhill and be ruled by our worry and negativity. If we actively get on the right train, filling our minds with the right thoughts, there just won't be room for the bad ones.

And then go do something positive, productive, joyful or plain fun.

From experience, I realise now that it helps a lot to keep close to God all the time, not just when I’m really desperate. If I try to walk closely with God all the time, then I find that it gets easier and easier to stop myself and get off that wrong train. In fact, it gets easier to avoid it altogether, because I'm already heading in the right direction. I actively remind myself that

"... the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!" (Isaiah 30:18). Isn't that wonderful?

As with any bad addiction, I think that resisting the temptation to give in to it when one is most tempted, is the best way to effectually beat it. Striving to establish the right mindset at all times really helps with this I think; if one establishes a good spiritual foundation in one’s everyday life, if one habitually walks in God’s love, joy and peace, it’s a lot easier to stop wrong thoughts in their tracks.

Colossians 3 for example is full of useful advice for this: “… set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth…

⁵So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God)...

⁸But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips!

⁹Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices,

¹⁰And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it…

¹²Clothe yourselves therefore, as God's own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].

¹³Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].

¹⁴And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].

¹⁵And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].

¹⁶Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts".

As Carlene Carter sang more secularly -

We won't turn back, we got some place to be
A better life ahead for the likes of you and me
Leave our sorrows behind
That was a bad old time we had
We're gettin' off a nowhere train

loving today

1. Art deco honey glass bracelet by Pinguim
2. Eco-friendly faux suede flower clutch by Milk & Honey Handbags
3. Shadowbox pendant and brooch with golden butterfly by Kathi Roussel
4. Clandestine "Treasure Trove" necklace by Julie Nolan Jewelry
5. Vintage librarian chic pleated wool skirt by Darling Vintage
6. Antique porcelain hand-painted doll leg necklace by Contrary

be happy now

Of late, the Lord has been dealing increasingly with me on my bad habit of worrying and wasting the present. It really is such a bad habit to jump ahead into the future and think "what if" type thoughts. I mean, it's one thing to jump ahead and think postive, uplifting thoughts, but if you're going to be all negative and self-defeating... The stupid thing is that it's just so pointless! We simply can't know the future. All we know is what we have here and now - if we keep anxiously jumping ahead, we're losing the present, what we do actually have.

There's no other way to put it, and I can only say it again and again - worrying is completely pointless, and it is a total waste of time, a total waste of the now that we do have. Luke 12:25 says, "And which of you by being overly anxious and troubled with cares can add a cubit to his stature or a moment [unit] of time to his age [the length of his life]?" (Amplified).

I've been reading Present Perfect, by psychologist Pavel Somov. The book is about "a mindfulness approach to letting go of perfectionism and the need for control". Dr Somov makes many pertinent points, including, ' "Any time you're thinking about something that no longer is or about something that isn't yet, you are thinking about something that doesn't exist. And any time you are thinking about something that doesn't exist, you're not thinking about something that does exist. Put differently, you are missing out on life. Here's how a great Soviet Georgian philosopher, Merab Mamardashvilli, conveyed the existential suicide of rumination and worry: "We often get stuck on that which does not exist. And, in so doing, we cease to exist ourselves" ' (p130 - 31).

Dr Somov's book is intelligently and well-written, but it does not factor in the powerful advantage we Christians have - God. So besides the sheer torment and pointlessness of worry and negativity from a practical standpoint, there is also the power of God at work in us and for us. Our perspective should be greater, higher, reaching beyond our small, earthly confines. The Word is full of encouragement, comfort and reassurance for all our challenging times, and I've found it helps enormously to focus on them and even repeat them out loud in faith.

For example,

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God (Phil 4:6).

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully (1 Peter 5:7).

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favour to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it] (Heb 4:16).

The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him (Ps 28:7).

Unless the Lord had been my help, I would soon have dwelt in [the land where there is] silence. When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up.
In the multitude of my [anxious] thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul! (Ps 94:17-19).

For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you! (Isa 41:13).

I am heartily sick of fretting myself. The Bible says, "This is the day which the Lord has brought about". I will rejoice - yes, make a conscious decision, discipline myself, deliberately choose - and be glad in it.

I can't keep saying "I will be happy when...", even subconsciously, for isn't that what I'm doing when I'm not choosing to be happy now? Why wait to be happy when? Why not just be happy NOW? We can't know the future, but it is enough that we know the One who does.

(And the picture above? It's the kids managing to have an enormous amount of fun with nothing in a tiny changing room).