I’ve heard a number of people say that Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and many of these kinds of holidays are just “Hallmark” inventions for commercial purposes. Actually, history reveals that St. Valentine’s Day goes back to Roman paganism and early church history. Much is obscured in legend, but part of the story is attached to Christian martyrdom in the third century. We don’t associate religious persecution with Valentine’s Day, but there is an early connection. Continue reading
Spiritual Growth
A Blessed St. Valentine’s Day to You!!
At The Heart Of Love Is “Blessing”
I used to think that the words ‘blessed” and “blessing” were insipid, anemic, nebulous words. Like soft Jello, lacking shape and substance. That was before I started to study the words! Word studies enrich your mind and life! They will change your perspective on reality, because they open mental windows!
“Blessing” is at the heart of what it means to be loved by God and for us to love others. “Makarios” is one Greek word translated “blessed one.” It means possessing the favor of God. More specifically, “The believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit because of Christ and as a result should be fully satisfied no matter the circumstances.” [1] Continue reading
Devoted To The Pale Blue Dot
“The Pale Blue Dot” is the title of a famous photograph taken of planet earth in 1990 by the Voyager I spacecraft from a distance of more than 3. 7 billion miles away. Earth appears to be nothing more than “a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam,” wrote Carl Sagan in response to the picture. [1]
“When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers,” responds David, employing only his naked eyes tilted upward, “What is man that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man that thou does care for him? ” [2] Continue reading
Coursing Through Our Veins
Life courses through our veins. Crimson fluid: red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. Our blood speeding through the labyrinth of endless channels called arteries and veins nourishes, oxygenates, cleanses, defends, and protects us. I did a little reading online about blood and was breath-taken by the stunning performance that never ends until death. I exhaled, “Truly, we are fearfully and wonderfully made!”
“. . . The love [agape] of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5b). This is the end of a sentence that begins in verse 3. In another post, I’d like to discuss the relationship presented here between trials, character, and a heart capable of receiving the love of God poised to be poured into it. Continue reading
If Character Qualities Were Colors
If Character qualities were colors, love would be red. Red. Most of us associate red and hearts with love and the month of February. Here we are, entering this most interesting month when we celebrate Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, and this year we have Leap Year Day! February is one of my favorite months.
Love is red: passionate, determined, bold, tenacious, loyal. . . . Here at Troy Christian, we have divided the character quality of love into two categories: love toward God and love toward others. We define Godward love as “being devoted to God as demonstrated by my obedience.” We define love toward others as “doing good to others, meeting needs selflessly.” The opposite of love is selfishness. Continue reading
Growing Butterfly Wings
Have you noticed that it’s natural to do what makes sense to you and what you want to do, but that it takes intentional choice to listen to the Lord and follow after Him? It’s natural for a parent to respond in irritation to a whining child or for a child to roll his/her eyes at the instructions of a parent. It takes Spirit-self-discipline to respond calmly and humbly. This illustrates the two natures within the believer: the old nature (carnal – of the flesh) and the new nature (in Christ – of the spirit/Spirit).
God provides an illustration from His creation: the caterpillar and the butterfly. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17 NIV). This verse reminds you of the butterfly, doesn’t it? However, once a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it can never become a caterpillar again, nor act like one. Once we are “in Christ” we are positioned in Him, we have a new identity, and we have His provisions. We can fly. But we don’t have to. We can choose to crawl, operating from the flesh. We don’t become that caterpillar again, but we can crawl. Continue reading
Categories: Spiritual Growth
Tags: Be Like Jesus, Butterfly Wings, Character, spirit and soul
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The Breath of a Vapor
Every year goes so fast. We’re already well into January! Scripture tells us that our lives are like a vapor (James 4:14), so isn’t it interesting that we honestly act surprised at experiencing what we already know is true? This demonstrates two levels of knowing. Why does it take life experience to know the truth? Where does humble, inexperienced (child-like) faith come in? Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). Yet, faith also grows through experience (Hebrews 11).
The vapor speed of life stirs up stress and anxiety. I’m experiencing that right now. Are you? How do I grow in Christ and His character when my heart won’t settle down? For you, dear parent, how do you grow in Christ and His character when from the moment your feet hit the floor until your body folds under those sheets again late that night, you are simply answering the call of the immediate: cries for clean clothes, no time for a decent breakfast, where are those keys?, while driving to work thoughts of that difficult person you’ll have to face this morning nag your mind, and, oh, Joey’s game tonight conflicts with a deacon’s meeting! Continue reading
Thanking the Lord of Beginnings
Happy New Year! Without time, there would be no beginning. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). One of the many virtues of God’s orderly creation is the renewing quality of rhythms and patterns. God created both matter and motion – things in space and time – “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3 NASB).
Speed up to the present. The year 2012. Thank You, Jesus, for creating seconds, minutes, hours, days, and weeks . . . (Heb. 1:2; Col. 1:16). Teach us to number our days that we may gain wise hearts (Psalm 90:12). Thank You for the rhythm of the revolutions of the earth, the orbits of the moon around the earth and the earth around the sun. Thank You for the faithful dance of matter with motion. Here am I, a little dust fleck on planet earth, infinitesimal in the universe, yet stunningly created in line with the character of my Creator, bearing Your image – Your child! Thank You! Continue reading
Categories: Spiritual Growth
Tags: beginnings, challenges, Character, spiritual growth, thankfulness, time
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The Ponderings of a Four Year Old
The question I posted last time was this: “How does a child experience God?” I said that I’d start by telling you about my first remembered awareness at age 4. Relax and consider my story.
We lived in a lovely, snug, Cape Cod style house when I was little. My mother had a beauty shop in our home, “Yvonne’s Beauty Shop.” My parents’ bedroom was adjacent to the beauty shop, and as a little one, I would come and go, enjoying all the ladies who were Mom’s clients. My sister and I were sweet entertainment for them, bringing to them many smiles and laughs.
One day when I was four years old, I was resting on my parents’ bed while Mom was working. It was quiet and I was alone. Looking at the ceiling, I was unaware of it, because I was thinking. This may be my youngest memory, and it is abstract in nature. Continue reading
Categories: Spiritual Growth
Tags: God's image bearers, image of god, spirit and soul
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The Adventure Begins
“Does anybody here need Jesus?” asks Milton Carroll in his modern, Christian chorus. Does anyone reading this blog want to know Him, not only as your Savior, but also as your friend, intimate companion, and mentor? Does anyone want to be more like Jesus? Are you a parent, a student, a teacher, a coach, a staff member, a grandparent? We’re on this journey together.
This is a new blog for our Troy Christian Schools family. Journey North Character. Here at TCS, we aim to focus on character development as the heart of our endeavors, and by that, we mean growing in Christ from the inside out. So, this blog is a place where we can talk about spiritual growth and the Christian walk. Continue reading
Journey North Character 