Green Tree or Tumbleweed?

Use your imagination with me for a minute. Can you picture in your mind a beautiful tree, fresh and green, planted in a lush garden?

Palm trees at the beach

Now imagine the opposite. Desolate land with fried tumbleweed blowing about aimlessly. Think about those images for a minute.

Chad and I just celebrated our 15^th wedding anniversary. For the first time since our girls were born, we took a few days off together for the sole purpose of getting away to relax and reconnect. We were amazed at how restful five days without our normal routine could be. Several days after we got home, Chad mentioned to me, “I see you” again. 

Upon reflection, I think that is what God intends the Sabbath to be, a time for us to see Him clearly again. When we take time to rest and tune into God, our minds clear, priorities realign. We have time to listen to what he wants to say to us. We are mindful of the still, small, voice of his spirit, and it’s direction. In fact, God knows our spirits need this rest and reconnection with him so much that he COMMANDS us to do it. The fourth commandment God gave Moses is “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy”.

Our culture pushes us to work faster, harder more. Through computers and PDAs we can be “always on”. We think somehow that if we don’t keep plowing through our days, that the work won’t get accomplished. Jeremiah 17:5-8 says this:

“God’s Message: Cursed is the strong one who depends on mere humans,

Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and sets God aside as dead weight.

He’s like a tumbleweed on the prairie, out of touch with the good earth.

He lives rootless and aimless in a land where nothing grows.

But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God.

They’re like trees planed in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers-

Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf,

Serene and calm throughout droughts, bearing fresh fruit in every season.”
(The Message)

Later in the chapter, he goes on to give some very stern warnings about keeping the Sabbath holy “This is God’s message. Be careful, if you care about your lives, not to desecrate the Sabbath by turning it into just another work day”.  The repercussions of not following his word are dire. I encourage you to read Jeremiah 17 to see what he has to say.

Now believe me, I do not stand before you as someone who has mastered this art of Sabbath rest!  But it is an issue God has been working on in my heart over the last few months. There are certainly seasons of life where it can be difficult, if not impossible, to completely walk away from your obligations. However, I think there are steps ALL of us can take to slow down. Here are a few quick tips that I find helpful:

-       PLAN ahead for a restful day- literally remove some distractions from view. If that means making sure your kitchen is clean on Saturday afternoon, or that pile of work that’s been staring you down needs to get moved, do it! Get things arranged so they can sit for a day. I know of one family who tries to have their table set and a meal prepared and ready to pop in the oven by Saturday night so they can have a restful meal together on Sunday. If you need to, create some routines that will allow you to take one day “off”.

-       Turn off the technology: the phone, the news, Facebook. Believe me, the world will still be there waiting for you.

-       Take a break from whatever it is you see as “work”

-       Remember, the mere absence of work does not mean you’re focusing on God, either. Take time to worship, pray, read your Bible, take a walk. Reconnect with Him.

Of course, I’ve barely scratched the surface here. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to watch the 24/6 videos on RightNow media for more ideas on the importance of the Sabbath and keeping it holy.  

I don’t know about you, but I want to be like a tree planted in Eden, not tumbleweed!

How do you relax and reconnect with God?

We Pray for Children

As a mom and sponsor of not enough children, this poem touched my heart. I hope it will yours as well:

"We Pray for Children" by Ina J. Hughs

We pray for children who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in math workbooks,
who can never find their shoes. 

And we pray,
for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
who never "counted potatoes,"
who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world. 

Ethiopian children behind barbed wire

We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
Who sleep with the cat and bury goldfish,
Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money,
Who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink,
Who slurp their soup.

Well worn stuffed hippos, "Hip Hip" and "Happy"

And we pray for those who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who can't find any bread to steal,
who don't have any rooms to clean up,
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
whose monsters are real. 

ICCM sponsored children eating rice

 We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed, and never rinse out the tub,
who get visits from the tooth fairy,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone,
whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry. 

Little girl jumping into the water

And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything,
who have never seen a dentist,
who aren't spoiled by anybody,
who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move, but have no being. 

Smiling Ethiopian girl

We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must,
for those we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance.

For those we smother…and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it. 

We pray for children. Amen

This poem was shared in a newsletter from International Childcare Ministries (ICCM), www.childcareministries.org. They also get credit for the beautiful black and white images above.  ICCM advocates for the spiritual, educational, physical, and social development of children by partnering with the global Free Methodist Church through sponsorships, scholarships and creative initiatives. May God continue to bless their work, and the work of similar organizations seeking to share His love with those He loves so much!

On a side note, if you've ever wondered if child sponsorship really works, check out this groundbreaking study http://www.christianitytoday.com/ In case you don't have time to read the whole article, the short answer can be summed up in one glorious word: YES!!!! With God's help, we can change the world one child at a time! If you have questions about child sponsorship, I'm not an expert, but would be happy to share our personal experience, answer what I can, and get you pointed in the right direction.

I hope that you'll join me today in praying for children today: those God has put in our lives and in our homes, and those we may never meet this side of heaven, but need our prayers, love and support. 

Credit for color photos, Chad Olson

Almost Christian

Today I'm in research mode. Pastor Josh and I had a conversation a few days ago about some self-esteem related issues that are affecting teens today. We both think it is important for the church to come alongside parents as they work through things like cutting or eating disorders at home with their teens, and one of the ways we can do that is provide good resources for further learning. I thought I would check out what Sean McDowell (son of popular Christian author and speaker Josh McDowell) has to say. I've heard Sean speak twice now at the D:6 Conference, and was impressed with his passion for teaching the gospel message to next generation in tangible and logical ways, and ability to tackle some tough topics head-on. He is an award winning high school teacher of Philosophy, Theology and Apologetics. Hearing him speak, you can tell that he teaches his students to really think through their faith, own it for themselves and articulate it clearly to others. Don't we all want our kids to grow in their faith that way!

On Sean's website seanmcdowell.org I stumbled across a great article I'd like to share with you, where he discusses issues raised in the book "Almost Christian" by Kenda Creasy Dean. In the outset of the book, Dean says "Let me save you some trouble. Here is the gist of what you are about to read: 'American young people are, theoretically, fine with religious faith- but it does not concern them very much, and it's not durable enough to survive long after they graduate from high school. One more thing: we're responsible" (pg. 3).  The article succinctly summarizes some of the main relationship issues (rather, issues that are caused by lack of real relationship) that are going on between kids, the church and home today. Here's a penetrating question for parents:

"Do we practice the kind of faith we want our children to have?" (p. 39).

Since this is a blog about all things D:6, I thought this would be the perfect place to share the article. I encourage you to read this now, www.seanmcdowell.org/index.php/youth-culture/almost-christian/, and if you have time, check out the rest of Sean's site. Even if you don't have teens yet, the time is coming, and it's never too early to start modeling real faith at home. It can can make an eternal difference in the life of your family! Oh, and it looks like I'll be adding another book, "Almost Christian" to my ever growing reading list.

The Disruption of Peace

I love Pinterest. I've made no secret of that, and I usually manage to keep my love of it within healthy boundaries. However, it can be easy to get sucked into a sea of new ideas for recipes, activities to do with kids, home organization projects, etc. One of the great ironies of Pinterest is gorgeous photos of tantalizing desserts immediately followed by tips on how get in peak fitness shape!  For those of you that have not ventured into the realm of Pinterest, it is a site where you set up virtual pin boards to collect and organize ideas you find from around the web. One of my favorite boards is a spot where I save quotes or phrases I come across that are meaningful to me. From time to time, I'll read through them and be inspired. Some are visually stunning as well as beautifully said. This striking photo with equally striking quote from C.S. Lewis never fails to spark my imagination:

C.S. Lewis quote

However, the most visually simple pin on my words board is the one I want to share today:

Mother Teresa quote

At Mattis Avenue FMC, we have recently started using a Christian video subscription service called RightNow Media www.rightnowmedia.org There are over 2,000 videos to watch on a huge variety of topics. It's a really cool resource! One short series I've watched recently that has been meaningful to me is called 24/6 by Matthew Sleeth, M.D.  We'll be encouraging the congregation to watch it this summer in the midst of our building expansion, a project where we're all tempted to work overtime!

Book cover for 24/6 by Matthew Sleeth, M.D.

Here's how the book and video series are described on christianbook.com: "It's not easy finding peace in our digitally crazed world. How can we free ourselves from busyness and reconnect with our Creator? Offering his prescription for living a healthier, more God-centered life, Dr. Sleeth shares how his family was dramatically changed by adopting Sabbath practices---and shows how you can be transformed by a 24/6 lifestyle!" 

To me, it seems that this medicine of slowing down Dr. Sleeth prescribes is treatment for the symptoms of suffering and lack of love in our families Mother Teresa is talking about. This advice is coming from two experts on healing! When we slow down we have more time to love God and one another, which ultimately leads to peace in our homes, spilling over into how we relate to the world. My prayer today is that God will truly help me to "be still" and know that he is God, and mindfully slow down, particularly on the Sabbath. That way my family and I can be recharged and refreshed to love him, one another, and our world throughout the week. For me, reducing my use of digital devices on the weekend is something I'm working on so I can focus on the real people in front of me. I guess that means I may have to confine my love of Pinterest to the other 6 days of the week!     

Do you have any tips for mindfully slowing down and reconnecting with God?

  

Before You Ask....

Matthew 6:7-8 "And when you pray, do not go on babbling like pagans, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (NIV).

Matthew 6 opens with Jesus teaching about giving to the needy and prayer. The verses following 7 and 8 (above) give direction on how to pray, including some of the most often quoted verses in the Bible, commonly referred to as "The Lord's Prayer." The second part of verse 8 came to mind this week at home, and although I do not typically blog about personal matters, this time I couldn't pass up the opportunity to say thanks to God, and share a story of his faithfulness. I never cease to be amazed about how God cares about the little details, and this week it seems that we have seen proof of the verse "for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" vividly. Here's why:

My husband, Chad, has been self-employed in some form or another for most of the time I have known him (over 16 years!) There are some great advantages to self-employment, and a few notable drawbacks; one of which is not always knowing where your next paycheck is coming from. We have been blessed beyond explanation over the years through his career, and in retrospect it is easy to see how God has provided for and directed us. I could write many posts on that topic! Being self-employed can be a roller coaster of great opportunities and great disappointments, and the past 18 months have been no exception for us.

A few weeks ago we became aware of a relatively small need that we could help out with. Chad felt led to help directly by giving a gift, and I agreed. Although we are regular givers, it's rare that we give in this manner. I guess we're traditionalists, and give to the church or other charities directly. This situation was unique, and we felt God had given us the resources and nudge to take care of it.

A few days ago, a letter arrived in the mail addressed to us both. Faithful servants of Christ within our church family felt led to write us a note of encouragement and give us a gift, to be used personally or to be put toward our ministry at MAFMC. The gift was given with no strings attached.... it was to be used freely in whatever way we thought appropriate. It brought a huge smile to my face. Not because of the money, but because of the way it made us feel blessed, loved and appreciated. I know that this family prays for us regularly, and it was just a sweet surprise. At the time, I didn't even think about the fact that the check they wrote slightly exceeded the gift we had just given.

Fast forward to yesterday. We received news of a short term self-employment speed bump we were not expecting. Will we be fine in the long run? Yes! God has us in the palm of his hand, I have no doubt. This month, we may be dipping into some savings. Not uncommon on our roller coaster- that's why we have savings! However, as I was reworking this month's budget, it hit me..... BEFORE I had the chance to be stressed one bit about how to cover the gift we had given earlier in the month, or hit my knees in prayer about it, God had provided (and then some!) through the gift someone had given us. Amazing. "For your Father knows what you need before you ask him", or in our case, even know about the need!

Our church family is kind and shows us their appreciation in many ways, including faithful prayer, occasional gift cards and notes. However, in almost three years of ministry at MAFMC, this is the first time anyone has ever sent us a check! Today I'm praising God for his perfect timing, and for providing for our needs before we even ask!

Praying For My Child

At Mattis Avenue we have babies on the brain this month! We had a first visit from our tiniest new member this past Sunday morning in worship, two more babies are due within the next few weeks, and we'll be dedicating a special little guy and his sister to the Lord later this month. Oh, and our nursery renovation is almost complete- just in time, I might add!

Photo of infant toes, Credit: Chad Olson

Later this year, we'll be launching a program called "Faith Path" which is a strategy used by churches to help provide birthday-driven coaching kits to parents to create a spiritual milestone or spiritual discipline at the ideal age and stage of development.

Faith Path logo

This training is given for 12 important milestone times in a child's life, from birth to age 18. For example, when a child turns 3, those parenting the child will get a kit of information including a video and some creative idea pointers on the importance of blessing your child. At age 6, the training is on prayer and teaching your child to pray, at 9 you're learning about giving and serving, at 11 preparing for adolescence, and so on. The idea is to provide "just in time" coaching to parents, or those significant in the child's development. We tend to get so busy with all life throws at us, we hope that these kits will help parents be intentional about building faith at home step by step in a way that's not overwhelming, and even fun!  In case you're curious, here's a sneak peek at the Faith Path steps:

faith_path_guide_inside.pdf

As I was reviewing some of the Faith Path information related to dedication, which is typically provided to parents with infants, I found these simple ideas for praying for your child. Even as a parent with school aged children, these really hit home! In fact, at my girls ages, I would enjoy praying them out loud with my kids. I think it would be a great springboard for conversations with them. I thought I'd pass the ideas on for you to ponder, and maybe even try out at home today!

From Faith Path's "Praying for My Child": One of the most impactful investments we can make in our chilren's faith formation is the habit of praying for them. Rather than repeating the same simple prayers asking for health, happiness and safety, consider these ideas to expand your prayer life and establish a meaningful routine of praying for your child.

Prayers from their head to their toes:
You can begin praying for your baby during feedings or while he or she falls asleep in your arms. Side note: I also remember praying some particularly desperate prayers while cajoling a colicky baby! One simple method is to pray "from head to toes" by touching the child gently on the head as you pray and gradully moving your hand all the way down to his or her toes as you pray.

• Head: "Give my child wisdom, discernment and an understanding of Your Word."
• Eyes: "Help my child see the truth and guard his/her eyes from impurity."
• Ears: "Let him/her listen to the Lord and those in authority"
• Mouth: "Help my child speak with truth and honesty and use his/her words to praise the Lord."
• Shoulders: "Let my child cast his/her burdens on the Lord and give him/her friends who will help him/her stand strong."
• Hands: "Help my child learn to work as unto the Lord with a servant's heart."
• Heart: "Open my child's heart to salvation, a love of scripture and concern for other people."
• Feet: "Inspire my child to follow the Lord all of his/her days."

Praying Scripture:

Another method is to begin praying scripture over your child, inserting his or her name. For example, pray Psalm 23 by saying "Lord, be NAME'S shepherd so HE/SHE shall not want."Or what about inserting your child's name into 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 in place of love? I pray that NAME would be patient, NAME would be kind, etc." Try it for yourself as well! Jesus modeled the incredible power of combating Satan by speaking scripture aloud in order to align our desires with God's purposes. 

For those who would enjoy further study on this topic, I recommend "Praying the Scriptures for Your Children" by Jodie Berndt.

 A copy was given to us by a friend when our children were born. I wish I could say that it is worn out from excessive use.... I will say that I'm inspired to go crack it open again and get praying for my kiddos. I hope you're inspired by some of these ideas too! Do you have a favorite method of praying for your kids or grandkids?

Holy Week is Here!

Resurrection garden, source: wearethatfamily.com

Throughout church history, families have joined together to commemorate and celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. No holiday season is more central to our faith or more important to emphasize with the next generation. Too often, however, we forget to create and capture moments at home that could make the holiday more impactful.

This year at Mattis Avenue FMC we're trying something new: distributing a guide to celebrating "Easter @Home" during Holy Week. Since everyone has a home, we created two customized versions, one for adults, and one for families with kids at home. Here is the guide for families. The following pages provide you with an easy-to-implement idea for each day from Palm Sunday to Easter. The goal is to try one ore more of the readings/activities to help focus on the true meaning of Holy Week together- at home. Pick an idea or reading and try one out!

Here is a link to the outside cover of the brochure:

Easter@Home guide, outside

and the inside:

Easter@Home guide, inside

One thing I love about the internet is the abundance of great ideas! Several months ago I found the photo above of a resurrection garden on Pinterest, and ever since then have been excited to make one. The girls and I had fun completing this project together. What a beautiful reminder that He is risen! Full disclosure: ours is sitting on the floor near our patio door so it will get some sunlight, and we're waiting on the grass to grow.  Oh, and one of the girls bumped into one of the little crosses and broke it, so we had to have the somewhat theological discussion of why we really do want three crosses there instead of two. Here's a link to the instructions:
http://wearethatfamily.com/

I tried to include some favorite ideas for celebrating Easter in the guide, but here are a few others that we ran out of room for:

Photo: resurrection rolls from eatatallies.com

Resurrection rolls are not only delicious, but a creative way to share the story and meaning of Easter. You can find the recipe and narrative here:
http://eatatallies.com

My Mattis Avenue friends can attest to the yumminess of these rolls. We made them to serve after our service last week, and they disappeared quickly! Side note: make sure you pick up PLAIN crescent rolls to use in the recipe. After completing one full batch, and wondering what the strange garlicky smell was, I realized I'd bought garlic butter crescent rolls..... definitely NOT the same! Fortunately, my sweet husband took pity on our church family, and rushed out to buy replacements.

My friend Ann found and shared this site and poem for using M&Ms (who doesn't love M&M's?!?) to share "The Sweet Truth of Easter":
http://katiewetherbee.wordpress.com/

I hope that in the busyness of life, you'll find time to slow down over the next few days, and really contemplate and celebrate the true meaning of Easter with your family at home, in addition to the special things your church undoubtedly is doing. Believe me, I know what a challenge carving out this can be! However, faith lived out at home in a meaningful way is so important in passing on truth to the next generation. Maybe some of these ideas will help! Please share- what are your favorite traditions or ideas for passing on your faith to your family at Easter?

The Story Challenge: Is God pulling back?

Don't you love it when you can see God orchestrate tiny details in life to work out according to his purposes? As some of you know, one of my favorite authors is Philip Yancy, and I've shared with you excerpts from his book "Grace Notes" from time to time.

Book Cover, "Grace Notes"

Well, yesterday I came across this reflection titled "Three Questions" and thought it pertinent to our reading of chapter 5 this week, "New Commands and a New Covenant", and want to share it with you. Here are Philip Yancy's words:

     Is God unfair? Is God silent? Is God withdrawn? Exodus and Numbers taught me that quick solutions to those three questions may not solve the underlying problems of disappointment with God. The Israelites, though exposed to the bright, unshaded light of God's presence, were as fickle a people as have ever lived. Ten different times on the melancholy pathless plains of the Sinai they rose up against God. Even at the very border of the Promised Land, with all its bounty stretching out before them, they were still keening for the "good old days" of slavery in Egypt.

     These dismal results may provide insight into why God does not intervene more directly today. Some Christians long for a world well-stocked with miracles and spectacular signs of God's presence. I hear wistful sermons on the parting of the Red Sea and the ten plagues and the daily manna in the wilderness, as if the speakers yearn for God to unleash power like that today. But the follow-the-dots journey of the Israelites should give us pause. Would a burst of miracles nourish faith? Not the kinds of faith God seems interested in, evidently. The Israelites give ample proof that signs may only addict us to signs, not to God.

     True, the Israelites were a primitive people emerging out of slavery. But the biblical accounts have a disturbingly familiar ring to them. The Israelites tended to behave, in Frederick Buechner's phrase, "just like everybody else, only more so." 

     I came away from my study of them both surprised and confused: surprised to learn how little difference it made in people's lives when three major reasons for disappointment with God- unfairness, silence, and hiddenness- were removed; confused by the questions stirred up about God's actions on earth. Has God changed, by pulling back, withdrawing?

It is so interesting to me that God put this very passage from Yancy in my path yesterday to notice and share with you, and yet the subject is contemplating God "pulling back" from signs. Maybe it's a good reminder to me that I need to focus more on him to be mindful of his everyday miracles? How quickly we forget that even the snow gently falling from the sky on a dreary March day is a miracle in and of itself. Every snowflake unique, and yet we trudge on through, grumbling about the mess on our boots!

I'd love to hear your thoughts this week!

Why did God really make a farmer?

Who says Genesis is irrelevant?  I must admit, when we started on The Story Challenge last week, I wouldn't have imagined that our reading would relate to what was arguably the most popular ad of last weekend's Super Bowl: Dodge Ram's "So God Made a Farmer" spot. In case you missed it, you can see it here:  

http://www.ramtrucks.com

Hopefully you were able to read chapter one of The Story, and ponder these words that God spoke to Adam:

"Cursed is the ground because of you;

through painful toil you will eat food from it

all the days of your life.

It will produce thorns and thistles for you,

and you will eat the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your brow

you will eat your food 

until you return to the ground,

since from it you were taken;

for dust you are

and to dust you will return."

God DID make a farmer, but it was the consequence of Adam and Eve breaking God's command not to eat from the tree of life. After last week's reading and seeing that ad, hopefully you felt Biblically knowledgeable, and culturally relevant as well!

A few of you are just joining us and getting your books this week (welcome!) and a few of you haven't been able to put The Story down and are chapters ahead. Wherever you're at in your reading, I'm glad you're on board! Up next: Chapter 2, "God Builds a Nation".  Try to finish it by Sunday February 10th to stay on pace. Infertility, favoritism and love triangles.....come to think of it, those issues sound like the makings of a memorable Super Bowl ad! 

The Story Challenge is here!

Have you ever set out with the grand ambition of reading the entire Bible (New Year's resolution, anyone?), only to start wandering in your mission about the time the Israelites start wandering in the desert? You're not the only one!  Ready to try again, with a good friendly support system, and a very readable narrative?  Then join us for "The Story Challenge!"  

First, what is "The Story"? Here's a description from christianbook.com: Condensed into 31 accessible chapters, The Story sweeps you into the unfolding progression of Bible characters and events from Genesis to Revelation. Using the clear, accessible text of the NIV Bible, it allows the stories, poems, and teachings of the Bible to read like a novel. 

And like any good story, The Story is filled with intrigue, drama, conflict, romance and redemption- and this story's true! From the foreword by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee: "This book tells the grandest, most compelling story of all time: the story of a true God who loves his children, who established for them a way of salvation and provided a route to eternity. Each story in these 31 chapters reveals the God of grace- the God who speaks; the God who acts; the God who listens; the God whose love for his people culminated in his sacrifice of Jesus, his only Son, to atone for the sins of humanity."

I'm up for a challenge, are you? We'll be reading one chapter each week and keeping each other accountable via e-mail. At that pace, the weekly reading should be manageable for everyone. Just shoot me a message at aolson@mattisave.org if you'd like to join the team! No need to be a part of Mattis Avenue Free Methodist Church- this is open to all!  If you need a book, there are a variety of ordering options here: http://www.christianbook.com/the-story-niv/  CBD's price is $7.50 for a hardback copy- a pretty great deal!

If you're "in" here's your first assignment. Read Chapter 1: "Creation: The Beginning of Life as We Know It" by this Sunday February 3rd.  If you're ordering a book, jump in and join us as soon as you can. The first Chapter is only 12 pages, so don't worry! I am excited to see how God will use his story to speak to us and teach us this year!