Again, a kick in the spiritual butt from Oswald Chambers:

THE SPIRITUALLY LAZY SAINT

"Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..." (Hebrews 10:24-25)

We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints. We want to stay off the rough roads of life, and our primary objective is to secure a peaceful retreat from the world. The ideas put forth in these verses from Hebrews 10 are those of stirring up one another and of keeping ourselves together. Both of these require initiative -- our willingness to take the first step toward Christ-realization, not the initiative toward self-realization. To live a distant, withdrawn, and secluded life is diametrically opposed to spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.

The true test of our spirituality occurs when we come up against injustice, degradation, ingratitude, and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritually lazy. While being tested, we want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of finding a quiet retreat. We use God only for the sake of getting peace and joy. We seek only our enjoyment of Jesus Christ, not a true realization of Him. This is the first step in the wrong direction. All these things we are seeking are simply effects, and yet we try to make them causes.

"Yes, I think it is right," Peter said, "...to stir you up by reminding you..." (2 Peter 1:13) It is a most disturbing thing to be hit squarely in the stomach by someone being used of God to stir us up -- someone who is full of spiritual activity. Simple active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work can actually be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The real danger in spiritual laziness is that we do not want to be stirred up -- all we want to hear about is a spiritual retirement from the world. Yet Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement -- He says, "Go and tell My brethren..." (Matthew 28:10)

Deer Run Camp

Brad and Bailey just finished up a week at Deer Run Day Camp. They did this last year and absolutely adored it. This year seemed to be just as big a hit. Brad had to leave after half a day on Wednesday to make his play practice, but other than that things went pretty smoothly.
I got there in time for the final relay races today. This is Bailey's group about to get wrapped up in toilet paper.
Brad's group was finished by the time I got over there, so here he is chilling out with the Orange team. His counselor was Jeremy and he loved him!Bryant was so excited to get to spend his day at camp. He cried many tears on Monday when he didn't get to stay. He's already looking two years into the future when he finally gets to be a real camper.
After the relays, all the kids got to run through the parent cheer line. This cracked Bailey up!

Bailey and her counselor, apparently affectionately known as Pookie. This could hold her back when it comes time to interview for a real job.
That striped thing in the back is a giant trampoline called "The Blob." Kids sit on the edge and wait for one of the counselors to leap onto it and they go flying off. It's called getting blobbed. Definitely one of their favorite things at camp!

The reason Brad is not in this pic is because he chose to stay back and hang out with his friends rather than go on a hike with his mom. What a change from last year, when he wanted to show me every detail of the place. Could we really be entering that preteen stage of life where I am suddenly demoted to taxi driver who should be seen and not heard? It's happening way too fast!

It has been a thrilling week for both of them, but we are all completely exhausted from having to get up and be ready and out the door so early every day. Just preparing us for VBS next week when we ALL have to be ready that early, I guess!

Yes, I know I haven't blogged well this summer. I haven't read blogs well either. But I've been catching up this morning and just read a post on my cousin's blog that has me laughing so hard it hurts. Check it out here.

Enjoy! :)

I knew they had been quiet far too long...

Quote for today:

We are not meant to be seen as God's perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do.

Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest."

Newsweek's Evan Thomas to Chris Matthews on Hardball, June 5, 2009 at 5:15 p.m.

Well, we were the good guys in 1984, it felt that way. It hasn't felt that way in recent years. So, Obama's had, really, a different task. We're seen too often as the bad guys. And he -- he has a very different job from -- Reagan was all about America, and you talked about it. Obama is "we are above that now." We're not just parochial, we're not just chauvanistic, we're not just provincial. We stand for something -- I mean in a way Obama's standing above the country, above -- above the world. He's sort of God.

Wow.

Thought for the day from Oswald Chambers:

The counterfeit of obedience is a state of mind in which you create your own opportunities to sacrifice yourself, and your zeal and enthusiasm are mistaken for discernment.

In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel has to confront King Saul for failing to follow through on a command from the Lord. God wanted the Amalekites wiped out completely, because He knew that they were going to be a thorn in the side of Israel for many years to come, culminating when a descendant of Agag, Haman, attempts to completely annihilate the Jews in the time of Esther. Saul was told to kill every single person and their livestock. He was to make it as if they had never existed.

Saul carried this out... mostly. He killed everyone... except the king. He slaughtered all of the animals... except for the good ones.

When Samuel arrives at the camp, Saul and company have just completed an act of worship in which they sacrificed some of those animals to the Lord. (After he set up a victory monument in his own honor, of course.)

Samuel confronts Saul over his disobedience, and Saul says, "What disobedience? I did everything you asked me to do."

In a moment of darkly comical irony, Samuel says, "Oh, really? Then why do I hear sheep bleating and cattle mooing?" He then tells Saul that his days are numbered because the Lord is done with him and his evil disobedience.

Saul seems to be completely oblivious to his mistake. He says, "What are you talking about? We saved some of the best livestock for sacrifice. Where is the harm in that?"

The next words out of Samuel's mouth are so convicting that they can not be read at a glance. In The Message, it goes like this:

Do you think all GOD wants are sacrifices -- empty rituals just for show?

He wants you to listen to him!

Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production.

How many times do I try to snake around true obedience to something specific that God is telling me by busying myself with generic obedience? As long as I'm doing stuff for God, in accordance to His word, that should be enough to get by, right?

Apparently not. Apparently if God is telling me to do something and I offer up my good Christian works, they are like the filthy rags he refers to in Isaiah 64:6.

Let's say that I have a very busy day ahead of me, and one of the things that has to be accomplished is getting the lawn mowed. I ask Bradley to do that for me, knowing that will carve room in the day for us to go get ice cream for an afternoon treat. I go on with my day, assuming that the lawn is going to be nicely cut by the time I finish all of my own chores.

But instead of mowing the lawn, Bradley goes about doing his own thing. But today he makes a special effort to be kind to his brother and sister. He goes out of his way to do things for them and avoid arguments and meddling. They have a great day of harmony together. But the grass is left untouched.

Will I be pleased that he spent the day being kind to his siblings? I won't be angry that he did, for sure. But his generic obedience has done nothing to accomplish the work I set before him. Because the task was left undone, now the reward will go unreceived.

Granted, the example is flawed because I am limited by my humanity and God is not. But the concept is worth considering.

Again, the counterfeit of obedience is a state of mind in which you create your own opportunities to sacrifice yourself, and your zeal and enthusiasm are mistaken for discernment.

I'll have to chew on this one for a while.

Tiny Tigers Video. Enjoy :-)

Go Tiny Tigers!!

Good game. :)

I was completely taken back by the results of American Idol this season. And not because of who won.

If you didn't watch and you have somehow avoided the media deluge, you may not know that Adam Lambert (the one on the left) was supposed to win this contest. From basically the moment of his audition, the judges had crowned him the victor. It was sometimes more than a little annoying that they assumed all of America would make him the winner because they thought he should be. Most Americans, most people, don't like to be told how to think or what to do. It's the nature of the beast.

Both of these guys are incredibly talented. Adam is the consummate entertainer, always willing to take a risk to make his song an event more than a performance. He has a range that would make Mariah Carey proud, even if he may have a tendency to utilize it more often than necessary. Kris is a musician. He can sit down and jam on the piano, guitar or rely solely on the homey flavor of his voice to relate to his audience. He has a quirky way of scooting his jaw to the right when he hits certain notes, but it's more endearing than annoying. Again, both really great performers.

I believe that Kris won this contest because on the night of the finale the judges were basically consoling him for his inevitable loss to the great and powerful Adam, whom America simply had to crown king. Americans are notorious for loving the underdog, and I think particularly Kara, Paula and Simon catapulted him to that status, setting him up for a huge upset win.

But what shocked me about this was not the fact that Kris won. He was equally deserving of the trophy. It was not Adam's reaction, because he was as gracious as anyone could be and seemed genuinely happy for Kris. (Of course, he has nothing to be sad about. I'm sure the wolves were waiting outside his dressing room door with drool matting their silk shirts in a complete frenzy to be the first to consume this prey.)

What was unsettling was the reaction I saw on Facebook after the results were announced. People were genuinely angry that Adam lost. I guess that's not all that unusual, because we do get passionate about all kinds of ultimately meaningless things... but we're not doing football confessions in this post.

But I was reading things like "the idiocy of the American public...", "prejudice and ignorance equal injustice...", and even "I was hoping personal preference wouldn't decide the winner this year." Excuse me? Isn't personal preference what causes someone to vote one way or the other? That one didn't make any sense.

The prejudice remark refers to the fact that Adam Lambert is rumored to be gay. I honestly can't verify this because I haven't done any research. But it was definitely out there early on that he is. So there are all these articles out there saying that conservatives and evangelicals pushed Kris over the top because we hate gay people. Get serious. First of all, in the overall viewing audience of American Idol, how many do you suppose are conservative evangelical? I'm just saying...

I couldn't resist arguing with the person who posted his anger over prejudice and ignorance equaling injustice. I asked him if he was seriously saying that everyone who voted for Kris was an ignorant bigot. Assuming that homophobia played a part in all of Kris's support is to display exactly the same kind of prejudice that he was complaining about.

I'm so sick of being blamed for my choices based on labeling. I'm homophobic because I preferred Kris. I'm racist because I preferred John McCain (albeit slightly) to Barack Obama. Can't possibly be because I thought Kris was a better musician or completely disagreed with all of Obama's policies. This makes me crazy.

Labeling has gotten out of control. I call you a tree-hugger because you use reusable grocery bags. You call me an enemy of the environment because I drive a minivan. Even though I recycle and you probably take an airplane when you go on long trips, even though our similarities are perhaps even greater than our differences, we both get labeled and judged accordingly.

This pattern is going to continue in the world. This country is becoming more and more divisive each day. The only way to make a difference is to begin with unity in the body of Christ. We are united by a lot of common ground. If we could focus on those things that unite us instead of getting hung up on the lesser details, I think the impact could be great.

My friend Kristen always quotes St. Augustine, and I love it. In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.

Let's love instead of label. It would make the world a better place.

Know what happens when you put one of these...
right here...
and pull? A real, genuine thumb popper hickey.He's got them on the side of his cheeks, too. I asked him what happened to his face and he showed me.

I said, "Son, it looks like I've been beating you."

His perfectly-timed response? "At least now I have something to show the Court."

I got a new phone this weekend. As much as I loved my tiny little Zoolander phone, it really was past its prime. I realized that my trouble understanding virtually anyone I was talking to was probably not always a problem on the other end. So Jeff and I stopped by the AT&T store on Friday night and picked out my new toy.

Seeing as how my old phone isn't even in circulation anymore, the vowel keys were all worn off and the clarity of sound was completely messed up, it didn't seem prudent to try and sell it. So when Bradley asked me if he could have it, I thoughtlessly said, "Sure." He's been begging for a cell phone lately, and since that is not happening, I thought he would enjoy having it. I was sure the novelty would quickly wear off.

Two days later I am about to pull each one of my hairs out individually. The kid is driving me insane asking questions about the phone. Since all of the menu options are still there, he thinks he has the ability to text, send e-mail and get on the Internet, even though I didn't even have those last two capabilities when it was activated. No matter how many times I have tried to tell him that none of those things work, he is still confident that he'll be able to send me one of the 4,392 pictures he's taken since gaining ownership. It is maddening. He can't understand that what he holds is an empty shell which is not connected to any network. So no matter how many numbers he puts in, no call is going to go through.

And I got to thinking about how many people are like this. They are trying so hard to make their lives work, trying to push all of the right buttons and select as many menu options as possible. But the problem is not in their effort, but in the lack of connectivity. My church has had a real emphasis towards being connected over the past couple of years, and it really is a great illustration of what we are supposed to do as believers. Our job is to show people who are unconnected where the source of power really is.

God put us here for two reasons. The first one is to have relationship with Him. This is the most important. We are to love Him, worship Him, praise Him with all we have within us. The second reason is to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. That means showing people the way to true abundant life. If they don't know Jesus, we're supposed to introduce them. If they are believers who have gotten bogged down in the trappings of this world, we're supposed to remind them of what they're missing and encourage and love them back into the fold. It's pretty simple, actually.

But how many times do we temper what we are thinking based on where we think the person we're speaking with is spiritually? If I don't think you are a believer, will I alter my advice because I don't want to offend you or suggest that my way of thinking is somehow superior to yours? Or should I offer you the Prince of Peace, who is big enough to cover anything you may be going through?

Or if I know that at one time the ways of Christ were important to you, but for whatever reason you have left that behind, should I shrug my shoulders and absent-mindedly think what a shame it is, leaving you to wallow around in the pit, hoping that someone will come by who actually cares about you enough to offer some help? Or could the story of the Good Samaritan possibly have been meant for more than felt boards?

I recently had a discussion with my Bible study group about this topic because Facebook has created a strange sort of phenomenon where we are able to connect with people we haven't talked to for a while, often for many years. Sometimes people that we knew as straight are now proudly proclaiming themselves to be gay. Or people whose wedding we attended right out of college are now single. And some people are still exactly the same as they were in high school, which is in itself a sort of tragedy. I've been challenged recently to not just let this stuff go. Why not acknowledge the change and ask to hear their story? Open up a dialogue and see where it leads. Most people are willing to talk about themselves if they think you really want to listen.

So why not listen? Build relationship. Let them see what it is they are missing. Then show them where to find it. No activation charge or connectivity fee required.

Last weekend we had to drop my computer off at Mac Authority because there was a CD stuck in the drive. You could hear it churning and churning, but it wouldn't eject. Very frustrating since there is no real manual override.

Last night they called to say it was ready and Jeff picked it up on his way home. When he got there they told him it wasn't technically a Mac problem, but fortunately they didn't charge us for the service.

Here's what we got back.I was wondering where all the cash register coins had gone.
What do you think?

Bryant wanted macaroni and cheese for breakfast this morning. I offered him cereal, oatmeal, waffles, pancakes and banana bread, but all he wanted was the leftover macaroni and cheese. As I heard myself telling him he couldn't have mac and cheese because it wasn't a breakfast food, I suddenly felt a check in my spirit that said, Why not? Who says macaroni and cheese can't be for breakfast?
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I asked him, "Are you sure that's what you want? Are you going to eat it?"
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He assured me that he would, so I gave in. Look at the grin on that face. Of course, when I poured the Cocoa Krispies for Bailey, he suddenly wanted cereal, but that was only after he'd had his fill of processed cheese and noodles.
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But it got me thinking about all the ways that we decide for other people what is best for them, based on our own experiences, opinions and even prejudices. How often do we assume that someone's way of doing things is wrong because it is different from the way we would have done it? And how angry do we get when someone tells us that our way is wrong because it's not their way?
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So today I am celebrating the creativity of God, and that he was able to make billions of people that are so incredibly diverse. All it takes is a quick glance at my own three little people to be able to appreciate that.
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I can almost picture God smiling down on me the next time I make a decision that is going to lead me down a path of learning saying, "Mac and cheese for breakfast? Interesting choice."

Save the Date!

Bradley auditioned for a part in High School Musical and last night we found out that he made the cast! I'm so proud of him, as he had just about chickened out of auditioning at all.

He will be playing the part of Jack Scott, the kid that says all of the announcements over the PA system. He has cool lines like, "Catch me later for more skinny on the hooey," and fun stuff like that. He's a little nervous about the dancing part, but I think it's going to be an absolute blast.

The show is the third week of July, right after VBS, where Brad will be reprising his role as Jake in the Boomerang Express. Hmmm... Jake and Jack. Hope he doesn't get confused.

Hope you can join us for his big debut!

Two Bryant stories:

Bailey and I were just playing a game of Uno with Bryant hovering close by. He asked to play, so I told him to lay down my card and say "Uno!"

He gently laid it down and shouted, "Tres!"

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Last night he was playing his usual bedtime stalling game and suckered me into sitting down to read him just "one little book." I sat down in the chair and he walked over to the bookshelf and chose a small book. Then he handed me his little white New Testament.

You gotta give him props for that.

It seems like it's been ages since I sat down and actually wrote something on here longer than just a caption for a picture or a quick story. It's not that I haven't had anything to say. It's mainly just finding the time to sit down and try to articulate the stream of consciousness into something readable.

It seems that our country has literally lost its collective mind. I realize it's only half the country, but it's the half that controls the majority of media, and for now at least, controls the government. But to watch the news every day and see our nation sink further and further into the most oppressive, government-run, anti-capitalistic society of my lifetime is unsettling. If I allow myself too much contemplation, it's downright terrifying.

Yes, the United States does go back and forth between liberal and conservative leadership on a pretty regular basis. Obama's reign of teleprompted incompetence will draw to an end, hopefully sooner rather than later. But what will be left of this country when it does?

We are being led by a man who is more afraid of Fox News than Mahmoud Ahmadenijad. Who entertains the idea that returning Iraqi veterans are as much a terror threat as Muslim extremists. Who believes that it is proper for the government to take over failing industries rather than allow bankruptcy to take its course and weed out the companies that need weeding. Who actually believes that the way to help the poor is by taxing everyone into equal standing rather than allow businesses the freedom to grow and make money so that jobs are available. A man that seems to see America as one of the biggest problems in the world rather than a great nation with the ability to promote peace and liberty to people of all nations. Who seeks to weaken our national defense in an effort to appease those who have no understanding of what is necessary to keep our citizens safe. It is mind-boggling.

I've tried to pray for President Obama. I do pray that he will be awakened to the great danger he is putting us in, from both foreign threats and economic ones. I pray that he will not be given enough leash to allow him to put us in a place from which we can not recover. But it truly feels like each day brings a new dose of depressing news. It's only been 100 days. At least 1360 to go.

But I actually didn't open this post to discuss the state of the union. I opened it to draw attention to the work of Compassion International in India this past week. Many of you have been following the bloggers, but if you haven't, please check out Melissa, Pete, Angela, Robin and Anne.

As I've read their entries and vicariously traveled through the slums of India with them, I've just sat and wept. Because I remember. I remember what it is like to think that your heart can not stand to see anything more or it will quite possibly break in two. And I remember how startling it is to find great joy in the midst of utter depravity. To wonder how someone with nothing can seem to have everything they need. To cry out to God and question why? Why was I brought up in the relative lap of luxury when so many live lives like these?

I have said it before, and I now remind myself that ignorance is no longer an excuse. I can't pretend that I don't know these things exist. And neither can you. Christ did not suggest to us that we help the poor when we can. He commanded us to do it. It goes to the very core of what he preached. Put others first. Love your neighbor as yourself. Feed my sheep.

Do I think everyone should sacrifice a vacation and go on a mission trip? Yes, actually, I do. Because when we stay in this culture of stuff and never take the opportunity to stare reality in the face, it is far too easy to pretend that everyone lives the way we do. I've only been back from India a couple of months, and it doesn't take long for me to get sucked back in here and there to wishing I had this or that my furniture didn't look so worn or whatever the fleeting thought of the day may be. For this reason, I long to live in India. There. I do. I want my children to grow up with the awareness that American living is unique so that they won't ever take what God has blessed them with for granted.

I want to make a difference. I'm commanded to make a difference. And so are you.

I'm completely plagiarizing a quote from Pete Wilson's blog, but if you've already read it, it is well worth reading again.

“Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it.”

“Well, why don’t you ask Him?”

“Because I’m afraid He would ask me the same question.”

Get up and do something. If you need an idea, I'm sure Compassion International would love to have you.

Brad and Bailey both did an amazing job at their piano recital tonight. It is unlike any recital I have ever been to, and we were just blown away by it. Rather than play typical piano pieces, the majority of the kids played and sang worship music. By the time it was all over, we had done a lot of praising and enjoyed the God-given talents of some incredibly gifted kids.This is Mr. Nate, the coolest piano teacher around. You may recognize him, if you listen to a lot of Christian music. He's Nate Sallie. His current radio hit is "Lone Ranger." What an amazing teacher. Last year, Bradley was begging to quit piano. Once we found Mr. Nate, everything changed. I am so impressed with him. He is a class act, and my kids are light years ahead of where they would be without him. It's hard for me to remember that Bailey only started taking last summer.
Of course, being in Nashville, we just happened to sit directly behind Mr. Toby Mac, a fact that would have gone completely unrecognized by me if Brandon hadn't pointed it out. His son rocked the house on the drums during the band segment of the night. And that's David Morris up there on the piano jamming out "Mighty to Save." So great!

Sorry you couldn't be there? I thought you might be. So feel free to watch the Swords kids in action. I think they were fantastic!

I'm so proud of my hubby today. He ran in his very first 1/2 marathon, and finished it in under two hours. For someone who has only been running for the past year, I think that's pretty impressive! He just decided to do it a few weeks ago, and worked hard to get his run long enough. I can't imagine running for even two miles straight, so 13 blows my mind. But he did it!
Unfortunately, the kids and I missed his big finish. Unbeknownst to us, we were at the wrong finish line. Oh, well. There's always next year. At least Bradley was willing to give his little sis a boost, and that's worth something.
Even the Abbotts came out to celebrate, which made the day even more fun.

So proud of their Daddy!
Congratulations, Babe! :)

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We've had a busy weekend so far. Yesterday, Brad and Bailey went to the ropes course at MTSU and spent a few hours playing some fun team games before attempting the Alpine Tower.
Bradley went first, and he went higher than anyone that went before him, so he was pretty excited.

Until Bailey took her turn and went higher. Suddenly he had a driving desire to go again!

This is when she was being lowered down. Such a brave girl.
Today we went over to help our friends Clark and Jamie with their yard sale. They are in the process of adopting a baby girl from Nepal, and this was one of the fund raisers they have planned. A few weeks ago, Bailey had the idea of running a lemonade stand to help raise money, and we decided to go all out with full concessions. We had candy bars, Teddy Grahams, cheese crackers and more, along with ice cold lemonade and bottled water.
I was so proud of how hard they worked. By the time it was all said and done they had sold close to $170 worth of snacks. Absolutely amazing!
Even more amazing was how God showed up all over this event. From the incredible weather to the non-stop paradeq0 of people who were more than willing to shop and pay the amount on the tags to the crazy number of people who have also adopted or are in the process and felt a kinship to the cause, we could feel the Lord literally pouring out his blessing on the entire day. Including what we made selling snacks, they cleared close to $2000! That just blows my mind. I love it when God makes His favor so obvious!

Here's a little taste of what you would have heard had you been anywhere near this sale: