Someday, I will organize this more coherently. Until then, it is just plopped out.
I really get tired of defending the FACT that I can believe both that the Bible is the infallible word of God AND believe that the days in Genesis may be longer than 24 literal hours.
Consider:
First, time is not linear to God. (see the end for a few Bible quotes)
I find it interesting that people on one hand proclaim we are still in the "soon" period of Jesus returning, yet refuse to consider that one day may be construed as long time. God's time is not within our understanding.
Second, let me put forth the matter of language. If I say "cool", what does that mean? Today it could be the temperature outside my window as it would have meant two hundred years ago. However, two hundred years ago it would not have meant "nice" as it could mean today.
(the controversy centers around the Hebrew article that goes with the Hebrew word day... It is most often indicative of a 24 hour day not "day" as in era.)
We have a hard time interpreting our own Constitution of the US even though it was written only 200 years ago, in this country and in our native tongue. Why should we be so certain that we understand the correct interpretation of one article of speech that was written over 3,500 years ago.
I worship and fully believe in God who inspired the writing of the original (Hebrew/Greek) Bible. I do not believe in the infallibility of theologians and linguists who interpret the Bible. Experts in Hebrew exegesis agree that the "literal twenty-four hour day" is not the only way the words in Genesis could be interpreted.
The important thing is not whether we interpret "day" as 24 literal hours or "day" as an era. The important thing is that we realize that God could have created the universe in any length of time.
Quibbling about the interpretation of one article of speech is petty. The important thing is not how long God took to form the earth, the important thing is that we believe that HE did it. I do not see that God would have us quarrel about how long he took. The time is NOT IMPORTANT. However, people would take this unimportant element and quarrel fearsomely about it.
The earth is a tribute to his glory no matter how long he took to make it.
What I am saying is that I believe in an infallible Bible, just different human thoughts that apply to the same little words. I have no problem with folks believing in the "literal twenty-four hour day". I do not see why they would have a problem with me believing in a "long day".
I have heard evidence on both sides. Neither can "prove" which is true. It is all interpretation...DO NOT QUARREL ABOUT PETTY THINGS!!!! Glorify God on all the earth, that is what is important.
Have a nice day,
Jane
Job 10:5 Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a man...
Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by...
2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day.
1 Timothy 3-7 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work-which is by faith. The goal of this command is love which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Friday, January 21, 2005
On Being Dead
I am struggling here. I am trying to understand the REAL purpose of funerals and my part in those funerals.
What I envision when I die is being in heaven. I could care less about my funeral. I will celebrate my life as I am living it. After I die, my life will not be made any more memorable by oration but I will be remembered by the ways I have affected the people I have touched. Ways they may not even know about.
I do understand that funerals are not for the dead but for the living....hmmmm... let me sort this out. Personally I think the REAL "reasons" for funerals are to make funeral directors rich. It is big business.
Let me recover here a bit. If someone dies young or suddenly, I realize the family may need a "confirmation of death", a time of support, a time of gathering. Or if they died heroically people should be made aware, however not necessarily by a funeral, as would be true if they have died in service to others.
What I am talking about is funerals for the great multitude that grow old and die as a natural part of living. Today I am closer to my "death day" than I was yesterday. Some people are gracious enough to take years to die. Their family is well prepared and may even be grateful at the passing of some folks. For many death is a wonderful release from a crippled or ailing body.
What would I want for "my funeral"??...I have trouble with this because it is impossible for me to "have" a funeral. When I am dead, I will not be at my funeral.
Okay, so, let me plan my body's funeral.
1. A plain box please... the most environmentally efficient whatever that is.
2. I prefer being "prepared" in the most environmentally friendly manner. No makeup, no false stuff...I really don't care if my body rots. It is a natural process created by God for environmentally sound purposes. I doubt if that is legal to do in town?? Whatever is minimal.
3. Just take me from the morgue to the cemetery...no "formal gathering". At the grave site, someone can pray that I do not irritate God asking too many questions. Thank Him for accepting me into His fold. If it is honest, thank Him for knowing me. Do not lie in prayer. I do not want people to sit around listening to selected folks talk formally about me. If you know me well enough to care that I died, then you know all that stuff anyway. FYI, I am appalled by open caskets. I certainly do not want people staring at me when I am dead...get a life. I would much rather people see me with their mind's eye the way they last remember me. I do not want people to travel from afar and create expenses. If you want to spend a bunch of money seeing me, do it while I am living, not after I have died. If people want to get together and "remember me" do it informally somewhere where everyone can get a chance to speak AND LISTEN. Have a dinner party if you must but I would have just had snacks. Or preferably if weather permits have a picnic at a nice park. Have s'mores and good bottled water. Take a walk together and see the things God created that I always have loved, like trees, birds, blue skies and clouds. Remember them, they need caring for after I die, I won't. I will be in good hands.
4. Speaking of trees and birds, at one time I thought cemeteries were a waste of land, until I realized that they are actually nice green spaces. They are a little manufactured but still most have some trees, squirrels, possums, etc. They are nice places to take kids bike riding. They are quiet places where you can walk and contemplate life and death. A person's imagination can be inspired. I would prefer my body's resting place be a beautiful cemetery with lots of trees. So animals and people can enjoy the space. Bury me in the town where I died. Do NOT waste resources and money transporting my dead body. Just pick the closest cemetery with the most trees.
5. Tomb stone... Maybe something like "My word to you is to glorify God"
What I envision when I die is being in heaven. I could care less about my funeral. I will celebrate my life as I am living it. After I die, my life will not be made any more memorable by oration but I will be remembered by the ways I have affected the people I have touched. Ways they may not even know about.
I do understand that funerals are not for the dead but for the living....hmmmm... let me sort this out. Personally I think the REAL "reasons" for funerals are to make funeral directors rich. It is big business.
Let me recover here a bit. If someone dies young or suddenly, I realize the family may need a "confirmation of death", a time of support, a time of gathering. Or if they died heroically people should be made aware, however not necessarily by a funeral, as would be true if they have died in service to others.
What I am talking about is funerals for the great multitude that grow old and die as a natural part of living. Today I am closer to my "death day" than I was yesterday. Some people are gracious enough to take years to die. Their family is well prepared and may even be grateful at the passing of some folks. For many death is a wonderful release from a crippled or ailing body.
What would I want for "my funeral"??...I have trouble with this because it is impossible for me to "have" a funeral. When I am dead, I will not be at my funeral.
Okay, so, let me plan my body's funeral.
1. A plain box please... the most environmentally efficient whatever that is.
2. I prefer being "prepared" in the most environmentally friendly manner. No makeup, no false stuff...I really don't care if my body rots. It is a natural process created by God for environmentally sound purposes. I doubt if that is legal to do in town?? Whatever is minimal.
3. Just take me from the morgue to the cemetery...no "formal gathering". At the grave site, someone can pray that I do not irritate God asking too many questions. Thank Him for accepting me into His fold. If it is honest, thank Him for knowing me. Do not lie in prayer. I do not want people to sit around listening to selected folks talk formally about me. If you know me well enough to care that I died, then you know all that stuff anyway. FYI, I am appalled by open caskets. I certainly do not want people staring at me when I am dead...get a life. I would much rather people see me with their mind's eye the way they last remember me. I do not want people to travel from afar and create expenses. If you want to spend a bunch of money seeing me, do it while I am living, not after I have died. If people want to get together and "remember me" do it informally somewhere where everyone can get a chance to speak AND LISTEN. Have a dinner party if you must but I would have just had snacks. Or preferably if weather permits have a picnic at a nice park. Have s'mores and good bottled water. Take a walk together and see the things God created that I always have loved, like trees, birds, blue skies and clouds. Remember them, they need caring for after I die, I won't. I will be in good hands.
4. Speaking of trees and birds, at one time I thought cemeteries were a waste of land, until I realized that they are actually nice green spaces. They are a little manufactured but still most have some trees, squirrels, possums, etc. They are nice places to take kids bike riding. They are quiet places where you can walk and contemplate life and death. A person's imagination can be inspired. I would prefer my body's resting place be a beautiful cemetery with lots of trees. So animals and people can enjoy the space. Bury me in the town where I died. Do NOT waste resources and money transporting my dead body. Just pick the closest cemetery with the most trees.
5. Tomb stone... Maybe something like "My word to you is to glorify God"
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Let it begin with me
My hair is grayer than yesterday, my skin saggier, my eyes baggier and even though I worked out last night my belly is still a pudge.
Should I be resentful or envious that God did not give me J.Lo's body, Kim Hill's voice, Kay Arthur's teaching ability, Connie Rice's brain, and Mother Theresa's heart? Those are what I would have chosen if given the chance. Isn't my plan better than God's?
Now let me think about what I would have chosen for my husband....well, I guess it is best not to go there....
In our country we struggle so hard to "be me" but so often "me" is so much based on "her" or "him". We strive to be so individualistic but spent so much time shopping for the right clothes the right shoes the right lipstick the right.... Maybe abaya's are not too bad.
When I was in high school I designed and made all my own clothes because I didn't want to look like anyone else. I wanted to stress my individuality. I finally decided that took too much time and I would rather be riding or hiking or doing something outdoors. So I ended up with only jeans and t-shirts.
I have reached a compromise of sorts. I "wear other people's clothes" when I need to be socially acceptable but I am in my jeans and "t" now.
So what's the point? What I look like is not me. I think of the young boy who is totally scarred because his wacko father attempted to burn him to death. I look at Joni Erickson Tada and do not envy her athletic ability. I don't know what happened to "the boy" but if I try to look at Joni with eyes like God's I see a heart that honors Him. Hopefully "the boy" has a heart for God.
If I look in the mirror and complain about my grayness, my saggy and bagginess, I am complaining about the gifts that God gave to me. I am his work of art. I do my best (well maybe not my BEST) to take care of what he has given to me. I try to function in the realm of socially acceptable without being obsessed with my outward appearance. I do dress according to social norms - abayas are not currently "in" in the USA.
Stressing the point: I am God's child made by his hand. He designed me to fit His purpose. In this I find great honor. Why should I compare myself to the rest of the world?
Should I be resentful or envious that God did not give me J.Lo's body, Kim Hill's voice, Kay Arthur's teaching ability, Connie Rice's brain, and Mother Theresa's heart? Those are what I would have chosen if given the chance. Isn't my plan better than God's?
Now let me think about what I would have chosen for my husband....well, I guess it is best not to go there....
In our country we struggle so hard to "be me" but so often "me" is so much based on "her" or "him". We strive to be so individualistic but spent so much time shopping for the right clothes the right shoes the right lipstick the right.... Maybe abaya's are not too bad.
When I was in high school I designed and made all my own clothes because I didn't want to look like anyone else. I wanted to stress my individuality. I finally decided that took too much time and I would rather be riding or hiking or doing something outdoors. So I ended up with only jeans and t-shirts.
I have reached a compromise of sorts. I "wear other people's clothes" when I need to be socially acceptable but I am in my jeans and "t" now.
So what's the point? What I look like is not me. I think of the young boy who is totally scarred because his wacko father attempted to burn him to death. I look at Joni Erickson Tada and do not envy her athletic ability. I don't know what happened to "the boy" but if I try to look at Joni with eyes like God's I see a heart that honors Him. Hopefully "the boy" has a heart for God.
If I look in the mirror and complain about my grayness, my saggy and bagginess, I am complaining about the gifts that God gave to me. I am his work of art. I do my best (well maybe not my BEST) to take care of what he has given to me. I try to function in the realm of socially acceptable without being obsessed with my outward appearance. I do dress according to social norms - abayas are not currently "in" in the USA.
Stressing the point: I am God's child made by his hand. He designed me to fit His purpose. In this I find great honor. Why should I compare myself to the rest of the world?
Monday, January 17, 2005
Watching God Work
As usual, this morning I got up to go muck stalls and feed my horses at six. The temperature in the low 20's was a bit nippy for this area. I dressed appropriately with several layers. By the time I got to the kitchen I realized there was a small stone in my sock.
The way I saw it, I had two choices.
One, I could use valuable time and stress my sore back by sitting down unlayering and removing my sock and then the stone, and then putting my sock back on...which is out of routine and difficult at best.
Or
Two, I could shuffle the little stone between my toes and go on. The stone might shift and occasionally cause some pain, but for the most part, I could probably shift it around and keep it from hurting me.
Although it was six in the morning, the analogy was potent.
The stone was a "little" thing I owned but was trying to ignore.
Not really a big threat to my whole life.
It could cause pain if not "kept under control".
It was easier to shuffle it away than to get rid of it.
When I had the time and it was easier, I could get rid of it with no stress to myself.
Hmmmmm.....
Okay, so I sat down, took off the sock and got rid of the little stone. Yes, it took concentration, time and some back pain, but once I was rid of the little sucker, I was free.
Moral of the story:
It was not the stone that was hurting me. It was me not taking the time to rid myself of it.
Hanging on to "little" sins just is not worth it. Free yourself by taking the time to:
Change an attitude
Change a habit
The time spent working on purging will be worth it on the other side.
When I first put the sock on, I did not know their was a stone in it. It took several steps to realize that I was hurting.
A word of advice:
Sometimes we do not even know that what we are doing is about to hurt ourselves and therefore others. Take time to make good choices. Do not choose to hurt.
The way I saw it, I had two choices.
One, I could use valuable time and stress my sore back by sitting down unlayering and removing my sock and then the stone, and then putting my sock back on...which is out of routine and difficult at best.
Or
Two, I could shuffle the little stone between my toes and go on. The stone might shift and occasionally cause some pain, but for the most part, I could probably shift it around and keep it from hurting me.
Although it was six in the morning, the analogy was potent.
The stone was a "little" thing I owned but was trying to ignore.
Not really a big threat to my whole life.
It could cause pain if not "kept under control".
It was easier to shuffle it away than to get rid of it.
When I had the time and it was easier, I could get rid of it with no stress to myself.
Hmmmmm.....
Okay, so I sat down, took off the sock and got rid of the little stone. Yes, it took concentration, time and some back pain, but once I was rid of the little sucker, I was free.
Moral of the story:
It was not the stone that was hurting me. It was me not taking the time to rid myself of it.
Hanging on to "little" sins just is not worth it. Free yourself by taking the time to:
Change an attitude
Change a habit
The time spent working on purging will be worth it on the other side.
When I first put the sock on, I did not know their was a stone in it. It took several steps to realize that I was hurting.
A word of advice:
Sometimes we do not even know that what we are doing is about to hurt ourselves and therefore others. Take time to make good choices. Do not choose to hurt.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Off track: Atheism
Okay, so this is not part two. While looking for a drawing of Granville Woods's 50,000 egg incubator, my search somehow led me to a university web site that glorified atheism. Hmmm.
I could not let go the opportunity to respond. The site was old and I wonder about its niche in cyber space. I wondered how on earth I ended up there. It wasn't eggactly what I was looking for....Sorry, I know that was lame.
The site for all of its narrowness was full of truths including the failures and stupidity of Christians that the author insinuated were reasons to not believe in God. I certainly hope that I am not the reason someone believes or does not believe in God. The very thought that a person's belief in God would hinge on the mediocrity of humans misses the nature of God altogether. However, it does greatly reveal the nature of man.
The site was also loaded with quotes from famous and "learned" atheists. All of them focused on the importance of humans....I already addressed my thoughts on this in Part One. I find it so sad that people who think they can think cannot think beyond the box of being human.
One thought proves that humans cannot comprehend it all. Try to comprehend time as something non-linear (soft) then explain when the abstract of when non-linear time began. Explain what there was when there wasn't time. I understand singularity and string theories. I understand attempts to try to explain that the infinite and the finite are basically one and the same. However, no mater how convoluted a theory is, no one can explain when time began or what was beyond the beginning.
Give it up. People are just fancy animals. We do have knowledge that the other movable organics cannot claim but we are not gods, not even close.
Take a look at the complexity of one cell and all the computer hardware in the world seems simplistic. If someone took enough time to teach me, I could understand computer stuff well enough to replicate one from scratch. Converesly, I cannot understand the simplest living cell well enough to replicate one from scratch. Interestingly, my body can do it all by itself....without a thought.
My point is disbelief is not a logical conclusion to incomprehension. Just because you do not understand God, does not mean He does not exist.
I could not let go the opportunity to respond. The site was old and I wonder about its niche in cyber space. I wondered how on earth I ended up there. It wasn't eggactly what I was looking for....Sorry, I know that was lame.
The site for all of its narrowness was full of truths including the failures and stupidity of Christians that the author insinuated were reasons to not believe in God. I certainly hope that I am not the reason someone believes or does not believe in God. The very thought that a person's belief in God would hinge on the mediocrity of humans misses the nature of God altogether. However, it does greatly reveal the nature of man.
The site was also loaded with quotes from famous and "learned" atheists. All of them focused on the importance of humans....I already addressed my thoughts on this in Part One. I find it so sad that people who think they can think cannot think beyond the box of being human.
One thought proves that humans cannot comprehend it all. Try to comprehend time as something non-linear (soft) then explain when the abstract of when non-linear time began. Explain what there was when there wasn't time. I understand singularity and string theories. I understand attempts to try to explain that the infinite and the finite are basically one and the same. However, no mater how convoluted a theory is, no one can explain when time began or what was beyond the beginning.
Give it up. People are just fancy animals. We do have knowledge that the other movable organics cannot claim but we are not gods, not even close.
Take a look at the complexity of one cell and all the computer hardware in the world seems simplistic. If someone took enough time to teach me, I could understand computer stuff well enough to replicate one from scratch. Converesly, I cannot understand the simplest living cell well enough to replicate one from scratch. Interestingly, my body can do it all by itself....without a thought.
My point is disbelief is not a logical conclusion to incomprehension. Just because you do not understand God, does not mean He does not exist.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Restructuring Contentment: happiness is a heart of love
Part One: Restructuring Your Perspective
Intelligence, happiness, money, fame...what is really important to make your heart whole?
Intelligence is a highly held value in our American Society. Often it is mistakenly one of the most respected qualities of our humanhood. Intelligence needs to be put in perspective far away from the top of the list of important qualities. Intelligence is obviously not a vehicle toward happiness as high IQ people are often miserable. Unless being miserable is one's goal, then it stands to reason that intelligence is not a quality sufficient to bring "success". I offer as an example, the Unibomber, obviously a failed miserable genius.
For the moment, forget about intelligence. Maybe another avenue is more important. Maybe being a happy person is most important. Human nature yearns for happiness. We crave satisfaction and happiness as elements of our survival. We strive to be happy and often mistakenly believe that somehow blistful happiness is attainable.
The truth is that this world does not have a job opening for "The Happiest Person". The entire world is full of sorrow no matter where you are personally. How can a person totally happy when people and animals all over the world are suffering? No one can be totally happy.
Conversely, we should strive to be content. Today I offer one step toward contentment.
Realize that you are no more important than anyone else in the world. That your personal self satisfaction is NOT the most important objective to your or everyone else's life. It is pitifully insignificant in the grand scheme of the material universe. Put yourself in perspective. Visualize yourself from the persepctive of Alpha Centauri (if it were living) and you will see that you are no more or less important to Alpha Centauri than George Bush, John Kerry, the pope or the scientist on the verge of discovering a cure for all cancers. This is a fact.
Polluter, murderer, adulterer, healer, janitor, president you are absolutely insignificant to the nature of the universe.
So from where does your value come? Your value comes from being a product of God. In only this fact can you rest assured that you have a valuable purpose here on earth and as a bonus, a purpose for all eternity.
If you are truly an open minded person, then open your mind to the thought that God exists. If this seems absurd, at least it is not harmful. Believing in God could only be harmful if God really does exist and you construe that your believing such will somehow change you in a detrimental way. If God does exist, His plan is better than yours. If God does not exist, then there is no harm done. Secondly, I encourage you to ask God to let you know of His presence. Listen for Him.
Plug for my website Agapehands.com
Intelligence, happiness, money, fame...what is really important to make your heart whole?
Intelligence is a highly held value in our American Society. Often it is mistakenly one of the most respected qualities of our humanhood. Intelligence needs to be put in perspective far away from the top of the list of important qualities. Intelligence is obviously not a vehicle toward happiness as high IQ people are often miserable. Unless being miserable is one's goal, then it stands to reason that intelligence is not a quality sufficient to bring "success". I offer as an example, the Unibomber, obviously a failed miserable genius.
For the moment, forget about intelligence. Maybe another avenue is more important. Maybe being a happy person is most important. Human nature yearns for happiness. We crave satisfaction and happiness as elements of our survival. We strive to be happy and often mistakenly believe that somehow blistful happiness is attainable.
The truth is that this world does not have a job opening for "The Happiest Person". The entire world is full of sorrow no matter where you are personally. How can a person totally happy when people and animals all over the world are suffering? No one can be totally happy.
Conversely, we should strive to be content. Today I offer one step toward contentment.
Realize that you are no more important than anyone else in the world. That your personal self satisfaction is NOT the most important objective to your or everyone else's life. It is pitifully insignificant in the grand scheme of the material universe. Put yourself in perspective. Visualize yourself from the persepctive of Alpha Centauri (if it were living) and you will see that you are no more or less important to Alpha Centauri than George Bush, John Kerry, the pope or the scientist on the verge of discovering a cure for all cancers. This is a fact.
Polluter, murderer, adulterer, healer, janitor, president you are absolutely insignificant to the nature of the universe.
So from where does your value come? Your value comes from being a product of God. In only this fact can you rest assured that you have a valuable purpose here on earth and as a bonus, a purpose for all eternity.
If you are truly an open minded person, then open your mind to the thought that God exists. If this seems absurd, at least it is not harmful. Believing in God could only be harmful if God really does exist and you construe that your believing such will somehow change you in a detrimental way. If God does exist, His plan is better than yours. If God does not exist, then there is no harm done. Secondly, I encourage you to ask God to let you know of His presence. Listen for Him.
Plug for my website Agapehands.com
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