Signs You Might Be A Fundamentalist

A friend of mine told me about this recent thread over at Sharper Iron. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at some of them. This was what I grew up with and some of these (very funny, but often true) examples are why I am no longer a fundamentalist. Most of these I have pulled from the thread, though I will add a few of my own. Enjoy!

* If you've ever watched Sheffy on New Year's Eve.
* If you can tell a person's spiritual condition by a passing glance at their CD rack.
* If you actually believe NIV stands for Non-Inspired Version.
* If none of the preachers you know called "Dr." have earned degrees.
* If you've ever worn culottes, over snow pants, while skiing.
* If you've roller skated to Majesty Music.
* If you've heard more rock music played backward than forward.
* If you ever dressed up as a Bible character in late October for "Harvest Festival."
* If you know what a "six inch rule" is.
* If you were taught that the better option than the "six inch rule" was to place your KJV between you and your date.
* If you've had to get on your knees to have your skirt length measured, and you ever carried safety pins in your purse to pin necklines and skirt slits.
* If you are scientifically certain that the hottest flame is black.
* If you've ever raised your hand to indicate you're not saved because you were distracted during the invitation.
* If you believe NaCl (or any simple chemical formula) will leap into flames when in contact with water on the face of a man who played with it at a party.
* If you know for a fact that rock music kills house plants.
* If you have thrown a stick in either a fireplace or bonfire on a Friday night.
* If you've heard it preached that the letters in "Santa" can easily be rearranged to spell "Satan."
* If you have a Hollywood Video or Blockbuster card in your wallet but think "not supporting Hollywood" is a good reason not to go to the theater.
* If you've ever worn guys shorts (as a girl) so that they'd be long enough to "check."
* If you regularly tell co-workers that you went to a "small, private college," instead of an Independent Fundamental Baptist Bible College in a town they've never heard of.
* If you have your doubts about any preacher with facial hair.
* If you understand that the term "mixed bathing" has nothing to do with personal hygiene.
* If you have ever held hands with a girl (or guy) during the prayer at a youth rally because you knew it was the only time the pastor wouldn't be looking.
* If Sissy Seagull was your first crush. (for guys)
* If you know who Ace, Baba, Christy, and Pudge are.
* If you can't have a church picnic with the other independent fundamental churches in the area because their standards aren't the same as the church that you attend.
* If you ever changed the last part of the chorus of "Now I Belong to Jesus" to "not for the years of Tom Malone."
* If you felt "dirty" when the pastor didn't give an invitation after his Sunday night message.
* If the front of your Bible has your hand-written note of the exact date and time you were saved....from all 7 years you went to camp.
* If you checked your parents' bedroom to make sure they were still there for at least a week after your church hosted the multi-night series of A Thief In The Night movies... er, films.
* If you are offended by any of the content above.

Feel free to add your own.

Today

My friend Tina had a post last week where she invited others to participate. Well, better late than never, so here goes.

I'm wondering . . . how long will it take me drive to the wedding this afternoon up in Oshkosh? if we can stop adding things to the "to do list" long enough for me to finish what is already on it? how it can be that soccer season is already upon us? if more of our butterflies will hatch today?

I'm reading . . . End of the Spear.

I'm feeling . . . tired, lost, frustrated, unsure

Kim is not doing well again. Nothing has changed in our lifestyle that would seem to cause any changes, yet all of her symptoms are back.

I'm wanting . . . my headache to go away. More coffee may be the answer.

I'm wishing . . . I could take my family far away for a vacation and when we came back everything was better.

I'm thinking . . . about my spiritual walk. Something is not quite right, but I can't fully put my finger on it.

I'm going . . . to a wedding at 1:30. Who gets married at 1:30 on a Friday afternoon?

I'm hoping . . . in the riches and depth of God's mercy (Eph 2:4)

Though there a lot of things going on in my life right now, my biggest problem is still me. I continue to be in debt to God and my debt grows larger every day. Yet He is rich in mercy because of His great love.

I'm thankful for . . . laughter.

Hannah's smile when she realizes I am teasing her, Caleb's unique viewpoints on everything, Alex's growing grasp on the fine art of sarcasm, and the same private jokes that Kim and I have laughed about for years . . . all of these make everyday better.

I'm clinging . . . to Lamentations 3:22-23.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and He will never change. Any situation I find myself in does not change who God is. He has been faithful in the past, He knows where I am today, and He holds my tomorrow. I can sleep at night in His bosom and know that when I wake in the morning He will still be in control.

Our Great Need

Recently I have had a partial quote of a sermon rolling around in my mind. I had heard the sermon a few years ago and remembered the preacher, but could not remember which sermon of his the quote had come from. Well, yesterday I found it and I thought I would share it here. The quote is by Pastor Alistair Begg.

"What was the great need of the sacrifice of Jesus? What was the problem? Not our predicament, but God's wrath. God's wrath. Because if God had been complacent in relationship to sin there would have been no need of a sacrifice. But because God was so holy that He could not even look on sin, and because all of His wrath had been revealed against all of the unrighteousness and the wickedness of men, the great need was for the wrath of God to be propitiated. So that in the dying of the Son the Father's wrath is propitiated. Christ takes the burden of our sin and our rebellion and our guilt on Him. And we as a byproduct discover the wonderful provision of forgiveness, and freedom, and hope. Because in the death of Christ, He has done all in relationship to sin, He has done all in relationship to God, and He has done all in relationship to Satan." (emphasis mine)

For me, this quote brings a shift in my mind from a God who is loving, and He is, to a Holy God who demands justice. My focus seems at times to be to much upon God as the forgiving God, and that He is, but at what cost? At the cost of His full wrath and anger for my sins being poured out upon His son. May I keep my eyes on the Cross and see in a new and fresh way the glories of Calvary.

Sixteen

Last Friday, Kim and I celebrated our sixteenth anniversary. For the special occasion we took the kids out for pizza. In the days leading up to August 1, I began to reflect on what has changed about our relationship in those years and how our vows have become a living breathing part of our marriage. Following are a few random thoughts in no specific order.

-On a daily basis we find ourselves thinking the same thing at the same time, or saying the same thing together. It is unbelievably weird, but I love it.

-There is great comfort in having one person who will laugh with you when no one else would.

-We meant what we said about the "richer or poorer" part of the vows, but are very content living in the poorer part and doubt seriously that we will see the richer. Which is fine with us.

-Feeling completely at home can be achieved just by being in the presence of one person no matter where you are.

-Loving someone unconditionally on your own is hard work. It can be done, but it is almost impossibly hard.

-Loving someone unconditionally through Christ and His grace is much easier and more fulfilling.

-The "in sickness and in health" part of the vows seemed very insignificant sixteen years ago, but I wouldn't trade a moment of the years we have together. The hard times have always been hard, but they have also been the times when our love and marriage have grown the most. As Browning wrote, "I walked a mile with Pleasure, She chattered all the way; But left me none the wiser, For all she had to say. I walked a mile with Sorrow And ne'er a word said she; But, oh, the things I learned from her When Sorrow walked with me."

-I could never have imagined having what we have.

-When I said "I do", I did, but I never knew how much more I would.

An Opaque Transparency

Since the beginning of this blog I have attempted to be very transparent about what God is doing in my life and what He is teaching me. There are a few reasons for that. The first is that is who I am. I don't think I am very different from the blog to real life. The second reason is that when I write about varying spiritual issues in my life, it is to benefit me. I have found that when I write things out I gain a better grasp on what I am dealing with.

As I thought about this apparent transparency that I have online, I realized that it is only a veiled clarity. What I mean is that I am not completely transparent. And I don't think anyone could be. I am still uncomfortable with having my last name associated with the blog and in all truthfulness, no one wants to know every thought that crosses through my brain in a given day. Some of my thoughts would be quite amusing if you could see them just due to the unbelievable stupidity of my brain process at times. While many other thoughts would only offer views of my own wickedness and that is an expose that no one wants or needs to see.

Quite often my spiritual life works like my blog. (At this time some of you are commenting about it being poorly done, infrequently updated, and mostly devoid of true substance. That's ok.) I have found that in moments of repentance and in the process of asking God to reveal sin that lies within my heart that I only want to be partially honest. That I only want to be transparent in part. "God, help me deal with this sin here and here, but I would prefer that you don't look into the sins in the corner." I try to hide and justify some while at the same time asking God to make me like He is, and that doesn't work. Honestly, who do I think I am fooling? I'm hiding sin from God? After all He has searched me and known me. He knows my thoughts from afar. Before I utter a word, you God know it. Where can I go that you are not there? Any attempt to hide sin from God is completely futile.

Yet I think there is another aspect to this issue of sin in my life. I recently came across an illustration that opened my eyes. Picture yourself getting on a plane. You have had your boarding pass checked at the gate and are now on the plane. Settling into your seat 1G you began to run through your mind the varying minuscule snacks that will be offered shortly. "Should I take the package of ten peanuts or the pack of 5 pretzels?" As you prepare for takeoff and taxi out on the runway the voice of the pilot comes over the speaker system. "Thank you for flying with us today en route from Chicago to Houston. It is my pleasure to be piloting this aircraft to your destination today. I just wanted to let you know that in the years that I have been flying it has been my resolution to crash very little."
Excuse me!?! "Very little?" How about not crashing at all. I think that one crash would be enough. But is this not how I live my life on an almost daily basis? If I am being completely transparent, wouldn't my prayers sound more like, "Dear God, in my walk with You today I resolve to sin very little." Is that not how most Christians approach their daily walk with Christ? "God, it is inevitable that I will sin today, therefore I hope to keep my sinning to just a small amount today. Oh, and I would prefer to sin in the following ways. I know that this will be alright with You, because you are the forgiving God. Amen."

I think that my sin may be less of trying to actively hide it, though there is some of that going on, and more a matter of accepting sin in my life. I know that I will sin for I cannot escape my flesh, but my attitude toward my sin needs to change. Instead of viewing sin as unavoidable in my life, I need to be viewing it as the very root of all evil that it is and be active in destroying it. I need to stop being resolved to sin and become resolved to actively kill sin in my life. The late great Scottish preacher Robert Murray M'Cheyne once said that within his heart lay the seeds of every known sin. As in his, so in mine. May my life be ever the more clear of sin that I may know more of Him.

Update

Well, I have good news to share. Yesterday we went with my parents to the first visit with the oncologist. It seems as if though someone made a mistake in reading the previous scans of my dad's chest. The mass is not getting larger, it is actually getting smaller. I'm not sure how you make that mistake, but the result of that news is that the oncologist felt quite confident in telling us that he did not believe that my dad has cancer. The doctor told us that the common markers for cancer were not there and that the PET scan that my father had earlier this week showed no signs of cancer anywhere. My dad will have a follow up scan in three months to see if the mass is still there.

That's all for now. Thanks to all for your prayers and have a delightful Fourth of July weekend.

The Weight of Affliction

Here is a very brief update on our life and a verse to share that is a great comfort to me.

In April my father had a hemorrhagic stroke while in Austin, Texas. He was completely paralyzed on the right side, but is making a remarkable recovery. He is walking with a walker and will even use a cane from time to time to get around. The first weekend of May, we flew him up to Wisconsin for the summer.

On May 15, due in part to his lack of mobility, he threw a massive clot from his leg to his lungs. He was flighted by helicopter (his second med-flight in 7 weeks) from Watertown to Madison. The clot had traveled from his legs through his heart and stopped in his lungs. The doctors placed a metal filter in one of his arteries to prevent future clots and he was released from the hospital three days after going in. Normally, a person can be given medication to help break up clots, but due to the type of stroke my father had, he cannot take that medication.

In the first week of June, my father had a routine follow up scan where they discovered a mass in his lungs. The doctors compared the scan from June to one taken 3 weeks prior and realized that the mass had grown in size and had changed shapes. The doctors believe that it is cancer. My father will have a full body scan done on July 1, to determine definitely what we are dealing with.

Last week, we evacuated my parents and their RV home from the campground where they were spending the summer. Due to the rain and flooding we have received in the Midwest, the campground flooded. They are currently living in their RV in our driveway.

Through all of this, Kim has been doing well. Most of her symptoms had stopped occurring and her pain was much less. We made sure to take care of her and she made marked improvements from where she had been. However, her symptoms have flared this last week. Yesterday was the first time in a long time that she complained of leg weakness. Whatever she has seems to be back to an extent. By the end of yesterday, she had numbness in her legs and her right arm was numb. Many of her other symptoms have come back in the last few days as well.

I post all of this so that I may ask for your prayers. I also wanted to share one of my favorite passages in the whole Bible. It helps to put into perspective these slight inconveniences of the last few months. May grace upon grace fall down.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.