happy, shinny people

Nobody is as happy as he seems on Facebook. And no one is as “spiritual” as he seems in what we deem as “spiritual” enough for Christian worship. Maybe what we need in our churches is more tears, more failure, more confession of sin, more prayers of desperation that are too deep for words.

Maybe then the lonely and the guilty and the desperate among us will see that the gospel has come not for the happy, but for the brokenhearted; not for the well, but for the sick; not for the found, but for the lost.

So don’t worry about those shiny, happy people on Facebook. They need comfort, and deliverance, as much as you do. And, more importantly, let’s stop being those shiny, happy people when we gather in worship. Let’s not be embarrassed to shout for joy, and let’s not be embarrassed to weep in sorrow. Let’s train ourselves not for spin control, but for prayer, for repentance, for joy. –Russell Moore

I SO agree with these last few paragraphs of a recent blog post on Moore to the Point about how facebook is making us sad.

I remember when I first was coming out of a long, deep depression a few years ago.  I was at a Christian gathering full of missionaries, as I introduced myself I had no qualms expressing my recent struggles and God’s great kindness towards to these near strangers because I knew they were sisters in the Lord.  My blunt honesty was met with blank stares.

It bothered me then and still does now that we are not “allowed” to show weaknesses, not permitted to be frail.  But, the reality is I am OH so thankful that my God is a God of mercy who forgives my wretched sin.  The reality is that it is ok to boast in OUR weaknesses (2 Cor11:30 and 12:5).

Father, keep my heart soft.  Help me to be transparent with others and honest about my struggles and weaknesses to You, to myself, and to my fellow brothers and sister in Christ.  And, when we gather to worship You, let us be a people able to express our emotions, both our joys and of sorrows.

love unreserved

Lawrance is leading worship this Sunday at the bilingual church we are a part of, and below is one of the songs he’s using.  I think it is such a pretty song.

In fact, I first heard it when our friends sang it at our wedding.  There is another version with the lyrics changed to make a wedding version of the song.



Since the song originates from Hong Kong, I can only find it online in Cantonese and English.  (Well, I did find it here, but I think the Cantonese version is prettier.)









Lyrics in Chinese:

常聽說 世界愛沒長久，
哪裡會有愛無盡頭？
塵俗的愛只在乎曾擁有，
一刻燦爛便要走！
而我卻 確信愛是恆久，
碰到了你已無別求：
無從解釋、不可說明的愛，
千秋過後仍長存不朽！
誰人受 痛苦被懸掛在木頭？
至高的愛盡見於刺穿的手；
看！血在流反映愛沒保留，
持續不死的愛到萬世不休！
惟求奉上生命全歸主所有，
要將一切盡獻於我主的手；
我已決定今生再沒所求，
惟望得主稱讚已足夠！

Lyrics of the English version (not a direct translation, so it’s more “singable):

I’ve always been told love won’t survive
Promises will turn into lies
The world just thinks love comes and passes though
It never lasts pure and true
But I still believe can last
It’s your unfailing love that gives me rest
You were there when I needed you most
I’ll never walk all alone
On the cross you died and took away my curse
Love so wondrous no one ever could deserve
Your bleeding hands proved your love unreserved
You’re my greatest joy and treasure on the earth.
Make my life a fragrant offering I pray
Help me Lord to serve you truly every day
Through tears and joy I’ll give you all my praise
Let the whole world know your love and grace

redirect: for moms, former moms, and wannabe moms

I needed this today.  It was a perfect reminder of truth.



Keep reading here.

qing ming jie and christians

The issue of ancestor worship is complex.  It would be impossible to express exactly what it is and what it means to the Taiwanese.  Each year I’m here I understand a little more.  And, now that I’ve married into a Taiwanese family–as a daughter-in-law to the first born son–I understand even more.

And, still words fail to truly express all that is embodied in ancestor worship.  It is more than simply worship.
Worship of the ancestors and showing filial piety is of utmost importance to the Taiwanese.

The worship of ancestors is probably the most difficult aspect of conversion to Christianity for new Taiwanese Christ-followers.  Giving up idol worship and temple worship is much easier than giving up ancestor worship.

Why?

Here are my thoughts on the matter:

(1) When a young believer (18-35 yrs old) tells his parents he is Christian, his parents hear “I don’t love you, and I am ungrateful for the fact that you have given me life and provided for me all these years.  I don’t care what happens to you after you die–rot in hell for all I care!”

(2) Ancestor worship is corporate worship.  It is almost never done alone.  The family gathers, two or three pass out incense and the worship commences.  If you refuse to participate, it appears that you are ungrateful, disrespectful and have no manners.  It’s almost as if you are spitting in the face of those who gave you life.  So, the pressure–not peer, but rather familial–is STRONG, VERY STRONG.

(3) The social function of ancestor worship is more than just “worship.”  The coming together to clean a family tomb and pay respects is a form of family reunion.  To be expelled from participating in qing ming jie is perhaps the most severe punishment that could be given in traditional society–it means that you are no longer seen as part of this family.

Dr. George MacKay, the first presbyratian missionary to Taiwan, had this to say:

This venerable cultus, the worship of ancestors, in indeed the most stubborn obstacle Christianity has to face.  It is so ingrained in the nature, and appeals touchingly to the heart, that it requires the strongest conviction and the finest moral courage to beak its thralldom and brave the scorn of friends and relatives, to whom neglect of one’s ancestors in the spirit world is the most inhuman and cruelest of crimes. (Far from Formosa, emphasis mine)

In 1925, the author of an article entitled “Chinese Ancestor Worship: A Study of Its Meaning and Its Relations with Christianity” concluded that “the problem [of ancestor worship] will ultimately be solved by the Chinese themselves. Only those who have grown up within a system in which ancestor worship is central can wisely make provision for its future evolution and sublimation. Ancestor worship still awaits treatment at the hands of those who are both truly Chinese and truly Christian. In their hands we may safely leave its destiny.”

One Christian family I know, uses a scroll to maintain the family tree instead of using ancestral tablets.  The names are still kept, family history still proudly displayed and the deceased still remembered.  We know lineage and family history is important to God–why else would there be so many lists of who begot who in Scripture if it were not?

Another family held a graveside worship service the year after their mother/grandmother had passed away on qing ming jie.  They read Scripture, prayed to the Most High God, sang praises to him, and told stories of remembrance.

I think these are great alternatives . . . the advantage these two families have is that they are not alone.  They are families of believers.  The first one was a first generation believer, but he is the oldest son and now the head of the household, and his wife and children are also believers.  The second one is a several generation Christian family (what a blessing!).

So, for those that are first generation believers, the only one in their family, the challenge to show respect to those who have gone before them and yet also want to make a stand for their faith is huge.  One alternative for first generation believers who are also the first believers in their families is to attend the ceremonies, but not participate.

This is what Lawrance and I did.  We did not hold incense, we didn’t join the group in their prayers and bows, and we burned no paper money.  After they had finished their corporate worship and had gone to line up to place incense before the gods who protected the tombs, Lawrance placed flowers inside the structure at the tomb area.

Lawrance has been a believer for 11 years now, so his parents have had time to grieve and accept the fact that he will not worship them after they’ve passed on.  Even so, Lawrance still has to stand up to the pressure from aunts and uncles to join in the worship.

My point in this very long winded post is actually quite simple.  Your Taiwanese brothers and sisters in Christ need your prayers.Would you please intercede on their behalf?  Would you pray for them to have “the strongest conviction and the finest moral courage to beak its thralldom and brave the scorn of friends and relatives”?   Ask the Most High God to give them wisdom and courage to say and do the things that are pleasing to Him.

great is the Lord

Running through my head this morning:

"Great is the Lord, He is holy and just, by His power we trust in His love.
Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true, by His mercy He proves He is love."

"For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods" (Psalm 96:4).

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable" (Psalm 145:3).

"But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, Great is the Lord! (Psalm 40:16).

men worshiping

We typically sent in the front, so when we sat in the back (yes, there are only five pews and three rows) I noticed something unusual for Taiwan--lots of men.  More men than women in fact on this particular Sunday. 

Lord, bring more Taiwanese MEN unto Yourself!!!  Raise them up as leaders of their families and of this nation.  Lord, please let what was true for the jailer Acts 16:33-34 be true for men throughout Taiwan "he was baptized at once, he and all his family.  . . . And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God."

how do ghosts eat?

Sarah Beth, an MK in Peru, asked on my last post:

That's
interesting. Who ends up eating the food? In Peru we have something
very similar. They put tons of food on top of the graves of their
family members and leave it for several hours. But when midnight comes,
the family eats the food! I wonder about the logic... what is it like
there??

Something similar happens here.  The food and drink offerings are made first before the paper money is burned.  In order to offer the ghosts (at ghost month), ancestors (during ancestor worship), and idols (at temples and Chinese New Year), incense sticks are stuck into the foods or food packaging.

After a set amount of time--it varies from family to family and holiday to holiday and probably other factors too--the offering table is taken down and the food brought inside. 

The family will then eat the food. Many college students have told me waiting for the tables to come down at Chinese New Year (after midnight) so that could eat the goodies was one of their favorite parts of the yearly holiday.

I have been told that the "spirit of the food" is eaten, they are after all feeding spirits.  Some have told me that because the spirit of the food has been eaten the food tastes bland and stale.  Others have told me that because the spirit of the food has been eaten the food tastes better, as if it has been blessed.  And, then others admit to the food not being that much different at all.

The offering tables are set up differently from area to area and family to family, just like every American family decorates their Christmas tree differently.  But there are also differences in setting up an offering table to idols, ancestors, or ghosts. 

At Ghost Month, often a basin of water and a hand towel can be found on or near the offering table so that their "honorable guests" can wash their hands before partaking of the meal being given to them. These two flickr photos (here and here) show ghost month tables with the typical basins with hand towel out front. 

Not to be confusing, but I don't have any Ghost Month photos easily accessible.  What I do have is photos I took last November outside of my school.  I noticed everyone was setting up tables with drinks as the main offering.  (I have no idea who or what was being worshiped.)  And, at many tables instead of the traditional little red wine cups, there were bottles of coke and tea boxes.

{seven traditional little cups with rice wine}

{seven cans of beer from a restaurant}

{seven lemon tea boxes from a resturant}

{seven bottles of coke}

{coffee boxes from a grocery store}

roaming souls

Many (if not most) Taiwanese believe that it is best to die at home.  If someone does not die at home it is believed that their souls may roam the earth restlessly, haunting people.

It is also believed that each person has three spirits and seven souls.  Every seven days a soul leaves.  Thus, traditionally the mourning period used to be 49 days. This gives each soul a chance to escape from the earthly body.  At the burial, when the body is cremated, loved ones will cry and scream and plead for the spirits and souls to please, please leave the body before it is burned.

Spirit money and clothing will be burned as a gift for the
deceased and food given as an offering so that the loved one will not starve or go without in the
after life. 

But, if there is no body and/or the body is not at home, when the souls leave the body the souls will wander, becoming ghosts.

This weekend was the "first 7th day" since the big typhoon washed away homes and lives.  Therefour, it is believed that souls are beginning to roam, and people who've lost loved ones are pleading with them to go home.

Here is a CNN video that explains:

This is only more troublesome because Ghost Month is upon us.  Ghost month is the seventh lunar calender month when it is believed that the gates of hell open and all the lost souls have one month to roam the earth and be fed (since they did not die at home and were not able to be given a proper burial, there is no one to worship them, so it is believed that they go hungry in the afterlife).

All I can say is please pray. 

Pray for the Lord's mercy on the Taiwanese.  Oh, how they need to be set free by Truth Himself.  Pray that as believers we never forget the reality of lostness and never lose a sense of urgency to proclaim truth every chance we have.  Oh, Father, let us not become lazy and complacent.

If time allows me, I plan to discuss further Taiwanese funeral traditions and Ghost Month in the coming week or two. Anything specific you want to know? 

PS: I feel for the child in the video who is being lied to by the others about the whereabouts of his parents.  I know they believe they are doing what is best for him, but in my mind it can only be making matters worse for him. 

abortion survivor

(not here comes the bride . . . but something absolutely worth sharing right now!!)

I remember reading Gianna Jessen's autobiography years ago. 

Watching her talk and share her heart is AMAZING! 

If you have not read or heard her story . . . this is worth your time.

morning of wedding

Our wedding was at 6:30 pm in another town about 45 minutes away from my parents' home. 

Since we didn't have a rehearsal the night before, we did a walk though around noon with the family members in the wedding and then met for a lite lunch.  Then the girls left to go get hair and make up done. 

But . . . before I get ahead of myself . . .let's talk about the morning of. 

Lawrance decided to include a tradition from Taiwanese weddings into our wedding day in America.  In Taiwan the bride and groom give a gift of appreciation to their parents.  Since we were not going to do this at the wedding, he decided to invite my parents over to our neighbors' home (where he was staying; they are more than neighbors since we've worshiped together for over ten years). 

Lawrance desired not only to thank my parents for how they raised me and for allowing him to become a part of the family, but he also desired to start off the day focused and centered on Christ.  He wanted to calm his own nerves by worshiping the Lord, reading Scripture, and spending time in prayer.  He wanted to remember the whole purpose of this day was to glorify God.

We met at the neighbors' home at about 9:30 for a great southern breakfast and then a time of worship and prayer.  During this time, Lawrance presented my parents with a gift of appreciation.  And, I also presented the neighbor couple a gift of appreciation. 

Lawrance led this very special time . . . which left all the girls in tears. :)

It was a WONDERFUL way to start off one the most special days in our lives! 

a fortune teller

On Sat. night Lawrance's mom along with her mom and some of her sisters met with a fortune teller.

Of course high on Lawrance's mom's list of things to talk about was the impending marriage of her son. 

The
fortune teller told her that Lawrance and I would have a very happy
marriage.  That things would just get better and better.  He also
predicted that by the end of next year we'd have a daughter--he was
afraid to tell her this since most Chinese women want sons before
daughters.  He wasn't sure if the daughter would be born by the end of
next year or just that we'd be pregnant.  He also told her that even
though at the beginning of our marriage we'd be tight on money, in a
few years it wouldn't be a problem.

Lawrance asked me to tell you all this so that you can be praying for us. 

I
might have already told you that Lawrance's sister saw the two of us
together in a vision before she even knew Lawrance had a girlfriend. 

There is definite spiritual warfare going on in his family.  Please pray for us and for them. 

Thanks much,
amanda :)

(Originally posted on June 9, 2008.)

the faces of persecution

A Believer dies for their faith in Christ every 3 minutes according to Voice of the Maryts.
{RSS Readers: Click over to see the embedded video.}

Join me today in praying for our brothers and sisters around the world.

fighting for joy and sampling infinity

It is good for our days to remind us that we are a small dot on the
landscape of time, and that eternity holds the sweeping brush strokes
of a masterwork of which we, at present, are only catching glimpses.

. . . God is real and wondrous, the Spirit instructs us in all knowledge and
wisdom, and Christ is both present and coming, calling us further up
and farther in to his kingdom. The thoughts of God are well beyond our
own. All of creation declares the glory and power of its creator. And
we are at present only sampling infinity.

-- Jill Carattini of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries

Yesterday morning I had to fight for joy.  I had to seek to continually remind myself that it's not about me. 

When the CD player didn't work for my listening class . . . when the room was sticky hot with humidity and an AC that didn't work . . . when a student accidently stepped on my foot bending the nail on my big toe backwards spilling blood everywhere . . . when I left my whimpering dog alone at home . . . when my office was in an upheaval of rearranging all the funiture while I needed to prepare for class . . . when I thought of home . . . when I wanted to have a pity party.  Oh, how I wanted to feel sorry for myself!

But . . . reality is: it is not about me.  I am but a "small dot on the landscape of time."  All day long I was faced with the same choice over and over again . . . to wallow in self-pity or choose joy.


It is so easy to become envious of others . . . it is so easy to see
what I think I lack . . . it is so easy to be selfish . . . it is so
easy to sin.  Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Praise God that he is merciful and gracious!  Unlike my 16th birthday where I did choose to wallow in self-pity throwing an emotional hissy-fit when I thought that the world should be revolving around me and it wasn't  . . . yesterday I fought to choose joy.  I still look at the pictures of that 16 year old with her purple braces and purple silk shirt similng at the camera holding up her purple birthday gifts and all I remember from that day is my own depravity and self-centeredness.  Oh, how selfcentered and selfish I was on my 16th birthday!

The morning of my 30th birthday wasn't easy. Tears were spilled . . . more than once.  I had to heavily rely upon the grace and goodness of our Lord to empower me to be able to keep a positive attitude.  I depended greatly on the Spirit bringing to mind scripture in order to keep my heart pure.  Cuz, oh, it sure didn't want to be on it's own.

Praise God for His unfailing love and tender mercies!!  He is so kind.

Things got a little better in the afternoon and ended on a very sweet note . . . more about that later. :)

Although, in recent days, I've felt old for the first time in my life (is that because my students are no longer in the same generation as me??), I am thankful for the reminder yesterday that I am but only "sampling infinity."

from my 1999 journal

In the summer of 1999, I moved to Taiwan to be an exchange student for a year.  It was a very difficult summer.  I recently came across my journal from that year as an exchange student.  Reading the pages brings tears to my eyes--what a life changing experience. 

Tucked inside the front cover was this:

This summer I struggled with the conflict between the God I know and the situations I found myself in.  It was this last month in my time alone with Him that God both convicted me and comforted me with "I am your Father, what child would I forsake?  When you are in my will, all is well." 

Our feelings and experiences provide inaccurate pictures of God.  Accuracy should be left to history and Scripture.  God showed me that I need to remember that revelation has priority over experience!

When we base our decisions and faith solely on experiences and emotions, we might miss Truth.  What an important, but difficult, lesson to learn.

worship

Reading through the biblical account of the Creation and the Fall get me excited.  They are my second favorite part of the Bible "to story" to people who have never heard it before.  There is some really great stuff in there that as people who've grown up with the story just totally miss.  (Note to self: this is a post topic for another day.)

But, the other day, in the midst of being excited about reading the opening chapters of Genesis, I saw something I'd never noticed before: it was during Seth's lifetime that men began to worship (call upon the name of the Lord or be called by the name of the Lord). 

I read my Bible with colored pencils near by so I can mark themes (kinda my own version of Kay Arthur's inductive study).  One of the things I love marking is worship.  So, perhaps that is why this time I actually saw this verse.  This verse left me pondering much and asking lots of questions.  I did look it up in a commentary, so I could get some of my questions answered.

All this thinking about worship reminded me of a post I wrote last January  . . . I share it with you again:

Do you wanna know what verse my kid-brother (13 yo) counts as his favorite verse in the Bible?

I'll give you a hint: it comes from today's chronological Bible reading.

Sam's favorite Bible verse (if memory serves me right) is Job 1:21: "And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'"
(And this is coming from a kid who had all of his birthday presents and
all  of his Christmas presents from 2005 stolen during multiple break-ins in the
course of just a few months.)

I, however, tend to favor the verse right before Sam's favorite:
"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the
ground and worshiped" (Job 1:20).

In a matter of seconds--in the time it takes to utter a few
sentences--the greatest man of all the people in the east tragically
lost each and everyone of his ten children, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels,
500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and all but four of his very many
servants. 

And what does the grief-stricken guy do? He worships.

I love that word: w o r s h i p. 

It has become so much more meaningful to me living here in Taiwan.
I have seen people worshiping great, big, HUGE idols, people worshiping
tiny 12-inch tall idols, people worshiping old trees, people worshiping
even the stumps of old dead trees, people worshiping stones and
tablets, people worshiping ancestors (both those from generations long
ago and those recently deceased).

My idea of what is worship has changed so much since living here.
Before it was only something I did with others.  It was something I did
in Church--it was singing songs and listening to sermons.   What I did
alone was "quite time" or "devotions."  When I was a new believer, I
did not know I could or should bow before God of All and worship.

Don't get me wrong.  I knew and could teach others and wax eloquent
about the fact that our daily act of worship was how we lived our
lives. And, I knew that worship is a coperate act we do together when
we gather as believers.

Don't get me wrong.  I know that people in the western world
"worship idols"--TV, football, blogging, movie stars and so on. I know
that.

But that is not what I am talking about.  This is different.  It is markedly different. 

We, in the West, do not kneel before our TVs and computers clasping
our hands in front of us and make a choice to actually, physicaly bow
before a graven image of the "god of entertainment."  But, I have
friends, coworkers, students, neighbors who do make the choice to
kneel before an idol, clasp their hands around sticks of incense and
worship.

Watching them worship has changed the way I myself worship the
Almighty.  I cling to that word "worship" in the Bible more so now than
ever.

Job, upon hearing that all he owned was destroyed, did what?  He worshiped. 

The scholars from the East followed a star and traveled miles and miles, why?  They wanted to worship. 

What did one of my favorite characters in the Bible, Gideon, do
after hearing the interpretation of his dream?  That's right, he
worshiped. 

Moses, Joshua, David, Samuel . . . they all "worshiped." 

Often the Bible simply tells us "he worshiped."   Sometimes it says "they bowed their heads and worshiped," but, many, many times it is written as "and he fell down and worshiped."

When
was the last time you "fell down worshiped"?  When was the last time
you stopped activity, put aside the reading plan, the prayer request
list, and memorization cards, and worshiped? 

Don't
get me wrong.  I am not saying don't do those things.  I am not even
saying those can't be "acts of worship."  But, I am wondering, when was the last time you (and I) fell down, face to the earth, and worshiped the Most High God?

I wanna be like Job, and Gideon, and Moses, and David, and Samuel,
and . . . . .  I want my first response to the proclamation of good
news to be that I worship.  I want my first desire after hearing bad
news to be that I worship. 

And so, after she clicked save, she knelt before the Most High God and worshiped.

Originally posted on January 4, 2006.

cruel mercy

When the sun shines--the ice melts. When the Sun of
righteousness once shines with beams of grace upon
the soul--then it melts in mercy and tenderness.

Mercifulness is a melting disposition whereby we lay
to heart the miseries of others, and are instrumental
for their good. We must chiefly be merciful to the
SOULS of others. Indeed soul-mercy is the chief of
mercies.

That is a cruel mercy--when we see men go on in
sin, and we let them alone. And that is a merciful
cruelty--when we are sharp against men's sins and
will not let them go to hell quietly.

Fond sentimentality is no better than cruelty.

The surgeon cuts and lances the flesh—but it is in
order to a cure. They are healing wounds. So when
we lance men's consciences and let out the blood of
sin, we exercise spiritual surgery. This is showing
mercy.

"Rescue others by snatching them from the fire!"
(Jude 23). If a man had fallen into the fire, though
you hurt him a little in pulling him out--he would be
thankful and take it as a kindness.  Some men, when
we tell them of sin say, 'O, you are unloving!'  No!  it
is showing mercy.

If a man's house were on fire, and
another should see it and not tell him of it, for fear of
waking him--would not this be cruelty? When we see
others sleeping in their sin, and the fire of God's wrath
ready to burn them up--and we are silent--is not this
cruelty?

(Thomas Watson, 1660, "The Beatitudes." Public Domain as seen on Grace Gems.)

a very noisy 1st Sunday of Advent

I sit in my living room contemplating advent, thinking about hope and grateful for grace while candle light dances on the wall beside me and Christmas tree lights twinkle in front of me.

But, my home is not a quite place on this first Sunday of Advent.  No.  A Taiwanese god is having a birthday, and the temples of Tainan and making sure that he is well celebrated. 

From my back window I can hear worship instruments playing their song.  From my living room window I hear the sounds of an opera being acted out for the god to enjoy.  I hear worship drums being beat in a rhythm unfamiliar to me.

That is I hear these things only when the fireworks and firecrackers have subsided.  Since six this morning they have been worshiping all across town.  All day long firecrackers have boomed and fireworks whizzed and popped.  And, since they echo off the nearby high rise buildings the sound can be overwhelming.

And, from 10-11 this morning and then from about 9-10 tonight they shot fireworks and firecrackers for an hour straight each time--A FULL HOUR OF NON-STOP FIRECRACKERS!  I begin to think they might never stop.  They are still going strong as I go to bed at 11:30--however, now it is more random.  Like every five minutes one temple decides to pop something rather than all the temples all shooting off fireworks at the exact same time for an hour.

ALL DAY LONG these people have worshiped their idol with loud songs and amazing firework shows.  I didn't go investigate, but I assume their worship has also included sacrifices, burning of spirit money, colorful costumes, dancing, spirit possession, dragon dances, and there has probably been some blood shed as shamans pierce parts of their bodies with swords and daggers.  They probably have, are right now, or probably will go on a "god parade" dancing their idols through the streets so he or she in his or her different forms (one for each temple) has the opportunity to bless those nearby as the idols are returning from another more powerful temple where they went to get "recharged."

Less than two out of every one hundred Taiwanese are Christian.  Sunday as I sit in my living room, preparing my heart to celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, I am fully aware of this fact.   Lostness surrounds me, literally deafening me, making me sad . . . very sad.  When will the Taiwanese be able to share with us the hope we have in Christ?

My little neighbors and their mom join me in my candle-and-Christmas-tree lit living room to worship our Savior (I'm new to Tainan, but I've known this family for eight years).  We light a candle, read Scripture, thank Jesus for coming and for being our hope. . . . We worship the King of kings with very little display while the temples all around us worship an idol with great display. 

I will never forget the odd juxtaposition of this day  . . . the first Sunday of my first Advent celebration.

come away

Awhile back, Blair's post on letting God do the talking reminded me of one of my favorite songs growing up.

It was a 1980's song, probably by the Maranatha! Singers (but not sure) called "Come Away."

The chorus was the most powerful part to me:

Can you hear the Spirit calling "come away?
Come and spend some time with Me, come away.
Let your heart and mind be stilled,
Let your empty cup be filled.
Come and spend some time with Me, come away."

This simple song gave "having a quite time" new meaning.  It transformed it from a spiritual disciple filled with things I should do and check off simply because they are spiritual disciplines into a time of relationship building with the Most High God.

Can you hear the Spirit calling  . . . . "come away?"

The Beauty of Truth

The beauty of truth is that it sets us free.

"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32).

I know . . . I've experienced this truth--that the truth sets us free--several times.

As a kid, lying was probably the sin I struggled with most.  I didn't lie straight out, I stretched the truth or made up my own "stretched facts."   I blurred the lines between reality and my imagination.  But, still it was lying.  I distinctly remember one day--maybe in third or fourth grade--sitting in the cafeteria and telling one of my stretched stories.  I remember being so convicted.  I realized that I couldn't keep all the details of all my stretched stories straight.  It was liberating to discover that if I told the truth and only the truth, I didn't have to worry about keeping anything straight.

In college, I sinned and then was convicted by the Holy Spirit; I struggled for an entire summer with the guilt of not confessing it.  The moment I went to the person I had sinned against and confessed, the moment I told her the truth, I was able to breathe freely again. 

A few years ago, I suffered from depression.  Part of it was hormonal, and while hormonally imbalanced, it was easy for me to believe "warpy thoughts."   So, part of getting out of the deep dark pit of depression was washing away the lies I had been believing with Scripture.  I remember one of my friends telling me: "no wonder your depressed, anyone who believes that would be depressed."   Her speaking truth to me and encouraging me to feed on Scripture again, helped set me free from the chains of depression.

Satan is the father of lies, and shoots flaming darts at us.  "He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing
to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies,
he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of
lies" (John 8:44).  He loves to keep us bound and imprisoned.

Oh, but our Heavenly Father delights in truth in his inward being (Psalm 51:6).  And it is Him who sets us free.  His truth sets us free.   What a glorious thing to delight in! 

Truth . . what a very beautiful thing indeed!

This post was submitted to the Carnival of Beauty sponsored by following an unknown path.  This week the theme is The Beauty of Truth and is hosted by Bethany at Picturesque Life. Join us next week for The Beauty of Babies--right here on my blog. 

the splendor of flowers

 

The lens of my camera loves to focus on flowers.  Maybe that is because the amateur photographer behind the lens loves to gaze upon flowers. :)

Each flower is unique and special and beautiful.  How creative God is!!

And, if he takes time to dress the flowers in splendor, how much more does he care for us? 

“Therefore
I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or
what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not
life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look
at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into
barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more
value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But
if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and
tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O
you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  (Matthew 6:25-34, emphasis mine)

How great God is!!

This post was submitted to the Carnival of Beauty sponsored by following an unknown path.  This week the theme is The Beauty of Flowers and is hosted by Ellen at MzEllen & Co.  Join us next week for The Beauty of the Holy Spirit. 

P.S.  Can you tell that the bottom left-hand photo is the flower that is in the logo for the CoB?