Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Where did they go?

Recently, I was preparing for a friend's birthday dinner for 16 -(which turned out quite nicely, I believe)  in doing so was attempting to set the table.  Now, it is not often that I set the table for 16 people, so it is not often that I need to retrieve all my silverware.  Knowing that I have silverware for 24, yes 24, I did not think setting a table for 16 would be a difficult task.
I opened up my silverware drawer grabbed the necessary utensils and proceeded to the table.  Much to my surprise I did not have enough.  Thinking no problem, they are probably in the dishwasher - I emptied the dishwasher and then begin to set the table.  Again,  still not enough.  Now I was not a math major in college but it does not take a genius to figure out that something has happened to a large amount of my silverware.
This missing silverware problem began many years ago around Christmastime.  I had my (rather large, in numbers) family over for dinner.  Using my best silver, you know the kind you only pull out once or twice a year, I set a very lovely table.  At the end of this meal and the clean up - I discovered that one of my silver spoons was missing.  I did think this strange but just determined that it was misplaced.  That was until the next family meal, and another spoon went missing, and then another, and then a knife.  Now I was becoming concerned.  Did I have a family member that was slowly increasing their silver collection, did we have a kleptomaniac in our midst, was this going to require an intervention?
Not having my house wired with cameras I was never able to identify the culprit.  So I just forgot about it until recently when clearly many of my utensils had disappeared.  But now it was not even the good stuff.  I mean silverware is not like socks.  We don't just take them off wherever we are to have them lost under the couch.  We use them in one place they must go in the sink when their job is complete - where do they go?
I contemplated this for about 2 hours, wondering what in the world has happened.  Does my dishwasher feed on cheap metal?  Do the ants carry them off to use as silver gods to bring them more sugary crumbs.  This was very perplexing.  I did not have time to contemplate this any further - I had a dinner to give and a party to complete - the mystery of the missing silverware would just have to wait.  Although I was going to have to use some of my good silver, which made me a little nervous in light of every time I let them out of their house they seemed to run away.
Party ended, dishes are cleaned up and as I began to put everything away I looked to the center of my everyday eating table, and discovered what you see in the picture.........
Sometimes trying to be efficient can be oh so perplexing!    Mystery solved - just remember where you put stuff.
Although I am still missing 3 good spoons and a knife - so if you are reading this and guilt has gotten the best of you just return them and no one will get hurt.  (Unfortunately I think they are a casualty of children doing dishes when they are used to using disposable and they have landed in a landfill somewhere)

Sunday, May 9, 2010

The warrior

"I'll tell you when I shoot you."  "I will let you know when I stab you."  " O.K. Now come alive!" - these are the comments I hear as I listen to my six-year-old play with the neighbor boys.

There was a time I would have been horrified, embarrassed, and come completely undone to think that my child, my son would actually play like this.  Well, 13 years and two boys later ---- boys play like this.  It does not matter whether you allow guns in your home or not, or what your stance is on the 2nd amendment. Little and big boys will turn anything into a gun.  Did I mention that my 13-year-old son was in the basement playing some shooting wii game with a friend at the same time?

No, I have not thrown in the towel and no, I do not condone needless violence, but what I believe God has shown me over the years is...... the warrior is a child, or more accurately, the child is a warrior.   Inside these two boys of mine are very strong warriors.  As a mom (and a girl) it is a little hard for me to understand this level of activity.  The noise level can become unbearable and there are always the tears at the end of a battle that didn't go so well.

God is training me to train warriors.  I can choose to stand in the battle and prepare my sons for the physical and spiritual battles that will come, or I can continue to tell them to put down the weapons and not act on the gifts and talents that God has given them.

Throughout the Bible we see countless examples of warriors, the need for battle and the glory that comes when we battle in the name of the Lord.  I can work to understand what God is showing me and train them or I can give into the pacifist mantra of present society that demands, can't we all just get along.

I believe in today's society we are lulled into the belief that if there is no conflict then all is well.  If we read closely, the Word, which is given to us, we see that is not really the case.  I must as a mother who desires to raise strong Godly sons/men impress upon them the need to understand what it is to battle and to transfer those physical skills into the spiritual reality.  I think in today's church society we have a hard time getting down and dirty with the ugly reality of the battle (sin). We have been sold the lie that all is well if you show up on Sunday morning. We are losing our sons to the world that allows them to be strong, encourages them to be passionate and follow their hunter-gatherer instincts.  While in church pews we ask them to sit still and be quite.

I see it in my 13 year old - he is screaming let me be RAW, let me adventurous, let me be aggressive.  I must seek God to know the best way to train him to be all these things in a way that will glorify God.  I must not squelch this warrior spirit in him; I must guide it to be a warrior for Christ.  If I tried to stomp it out I am convinced that it will rise again but will more likely than not come out in a way that will not glorify God.  If I can step outside my "girlyness" and find ways that encourage my sons to be passionate about the world that God created - to revel in this time of training, knowing that there will be a much better day when we will be victorious, I will have accomplished the job of training my sons to be warriors.  To be passionate for the Kingdom, and to desire to stand and fight against the world and its distractions, sin, and rejoice in the life God has given us, is the ultimate goal.


The gospel breaks our train of thought, shatters our comfortable piety, and cracks open our capsule truths. His sentences stand like quivering swords of flame because He did not come to bring peace, but a revolution. The gospel is not a children's fairy tale, but rather a cutting edge, rolling thunder, convulsive earthquake in the world of human spirit. Brennan Manning-

Join me in the training........


Zechariah 10

The Restoration for Judah and Israel
 1Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field.For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd. 3 "My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.4From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler— all of them together.5They shall be like mighty men in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the LORD is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses. 6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.7Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD.8 "I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before.9 Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return.10I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them.11 He shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart.12 I will make them strong in the LORD, and they shall walk in his name," declares the LORD.

The Armor of God
 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

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