For those of you who have been with me on this writing journey, we took a very significant step forward. I got the critique back on Contingency and the comments were extremely encouraging. (Thanks to J.J. Hebert of Mindstir Media for his help. He gave me page-by-page comments and a summary report, plus he was extremely easy to work with.) The issues raised are straightforward and most of them will be relatively easy to fix. That said, I’m targeting a formal submission in about a month.

If you haven’t read the first chapter of Contingency, you can here.

In geeky news, I tweaked my Zemanta plug-in so it will cross-reference the blogs I read. That way, anytime my blogging friends have a post that connects with what I’ve written, a link will pop up at the end of the post. I encourage you to check them out.

I started reading Doubting by Alister McGrath. It’s gonna be a great book. He views doubt as an invitation to grow. Unbelief and skepticism, however, are willful decisions NOT to believe.

This verse caught my eye this week- “She has done what she could…” Mark 14:8. Jesus said these words about Mary after she anointed Him with her precious oil. Whatever my limitations, situations or opportunities, I want to do what I can to honor Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus had some real challenges in His ministry. We tend to think because He was God that everything clicked along smoothly. Everything DID click along according to plan, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was smooth. He said we shouldn’t expect any better treatment than He got.  Reading Mark 3 this morning, I saw a picture of ministry.

Jesus had some real challenges in His ministry. We tend to think because He was God that everything clicked along smoothly. Everything DID click along according to plan, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was smooth. He said we shouldn’t expect any better treatment than He got.  Reading Mark 3 this morning, I saw a picture of ministry.

• People will take advantage of your time and attention. Verse 20 said Jesus couldn’t even grab time to eat.
• People will question everything about your ministry. Verse 21, Jesus’ own people, His family and friends questioned His sanity.
• People will misattribute your motives. In verse 22, the religious leaders reasoned that Jesus had to be in league with Beelzebub.

If ministry wasn’t tough enough, what makes it more difficult is that these same people…

• May be part of the respected religious establishment (v.22)
• May believe they have your best interests at heart (v.21)
• May be well meaning (v.31)
• May be your closest associates, perhaps even family (v.32)

I tend to take opposition as a sure sign that I’m headed the wrong direction. That’s not always the case. I need to take the time in prayer and study to confirm with God. Once the confirmation comes, I can’t second-guess that.

The flip-side is a warning to be very careful before questioning or criticizing another’s ministry. I can’t presume to know how God is directing someone else.

I am back from the most unique vacation I have ever been on. I went to the beach. (My favorite place- Any beach will do as long as there is sun, sand and ocean.) But I went alone. No computer, and absolutely nothing I ‘needed’ to work on. Just me, some books I’d been wanting to read, my Bible and my notebook (and my cell phone- I can’t be totally gadget free).

Jon suggested the vacation, not just because I needed a break from my routine, but because I’m at a critical spot in my faith. God and I are wrestling through some major issues (I suppose, in truth, I’m the only one wrestling. He’s waiting for me to get it.) I feel like the father in Mark 9:24 who cries out to Jesus in desperation over his demon-possessed son, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” I know there are gaps in my faith, but I want a deep, intimate, intense relationship with God. So I went away with God.

I was ready for a Damascus Road experience with God. In fact, I walked out to the beach when I arrived and said, “God, what do You want to tell me?” He said two things. (Now when I say ‘God said’, I don’t mean I heard Him with my ears. What I got was a distinct, fresh thought in my mind.) God said, “You are worthy because I chose you.” I’ve got a lot of emotional baggage and struggle with self-worth issues. God knows this and He wants me to understand my worthiness rests with Him, and not me. Because of that, nothing I do (or don’t do) can change my worth. He imputes that worth to me just as sure as He gives righteousness and salvation.

The second thing came as I watched a mother hold her little boy’s hands, helping him jump over the incoming waves. God said, “I will not stop the waves, but I will never let go of your hand.” He knows that any time I read His word, especially in Psalms that the descriptions of waves or floods always mean some of this emotional turmoil I battle on occasion. Apparently, the battle will never end this side of heaven, but He will never abandon me, never leave me to fight for myself, never let me be swept under.

Those were two powerful statements for me. Then God didn’t speak again for six days… But I’ll save that story for another post.

Yesterday in Sunday school, my kids and I looked at Mark 4:35-41, in which Jesus calms a storm on the sea of Galilee. We had an interesting mix as the youth teacher was paged at the last minute so I had a range from 6-16, but the kids have had me for a teacher long enough that they are getting good at spotting the interesting details in a story.

While we would expect townies and landlubbers like say, Matthew or Judas, to be freaked out by a storm on the water, four of the thirteen men on the boat were experienced fishermen. They had been through storms before, but this one was enough to worry them. This was a huge storm. My son suggested it was a waterspout- a tornado on water.

Here are some of my own takeaways from the lesson-

1. Storms are going to blow up suddenly and without warning.

2. They may be the kind I’m used to dealing with, (like the fishermen were used to storms) or they may be something completely foreign (like the townies were experiencing).

3. How long do I try to handle things on my own, not wanting to ‘bother’ Jesus? Until it becomes a life-or-death situation?

4. How quick am I to accuse Jesus of not caring? (v. 38)

5. Why I am so fearful? How is it that I have no faith? (v. 40)

I have an answer to that last one. For me, the key to the whole story is the statement Jesus makes in v.35 “Let us cross over to the other side.” He didn’t say ‘let’s try’ or ‘I hope we make it’. He was completely sure of His mission, and confident that God would see Him through until the completion of it. I get fearful and lose faith because a.) I lose sight of  what I’m doing or where I’m going, SO b.) I’m not so sure God is going to bring me through it.

To help me out with some of this, my husband is giving me a fabulous gift. A week from today, I’m heading to Indy for an early Tuesday flight to a Florida beach for a vacation alone with God. Alone with God. Just me, and God and the beach. I know He’s always had the answers. I think I’m ready to hear them.

Church camp begins today for the 3rd-8th graders, and we have a series of lessons titled “I Am That Hero” stressing to the kids that God has empowered them for a very important mission- carrying out the gospel. Today we’re using Spiderman’s famous tagline- With great power, comes great responsibility. Most of us don’t consider ourselves anything special and certainly not heroic. Changing diapers, doing laundry or paying the electric bill are certainly not my idea of significant work. One of Satan’s great weapons is getting us to forget who we are. At the moment of salvation, Christ blessed us with “all spiritual blessings” (Ephesians 1:3) including eternal life! He also gives us the fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We don’t see these as special so much of the time. The fact is, all of these ‘powers’ are supernatural in origin and exercise! He also gives us the indwelling Holy Spirit.

So what’s our mission? Jesus spells it out at least 4 times in the New Testament-
(Matthew 28:18-20) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

(Mark 16:15-16) He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

(John 21:15-17) When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

(Acts 1:8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

A witness is someone who tells what he knows. We don’t need lots of experience or training to tell what we know. Did Jesus change my life? Does He matter to me? How are my daily activities different because of Jesus? How is my outlook affected? Does He make any difference?

Then here’s the ‘great responsibility part-
(Ezek 33:8) When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.

The character of God hasn’t changed. If He held an Old Testament prophet responsible for not doing His job, He’s going to hold us New Testament saints responsible as well. Our responsibility is limited to the “speaking out” part. We ARE NOT held accountable for someone’s rejection of the warning.

Today and everyday, I need to remember I am a superhero with a mission to fulfill.