if it's electrical or mechanical, I can mess it up

Sheesh...  I don't know why mechanical things are so hard.  I understand the stuff that most people don't in terms of theory, but I just locked myself out of my own blog.  I've obviously gotten back in, because here I am typing, but I don't even really know how I fixed it.  Worse yet?  There was no one to talk to.

I wanted a Sosthenes (see I Cor 1:1-2) to bounce ideas off of.

I've missed my journey and its daily impact on me.  Sure, I was listening to Francis Chan, reading "Wonderstruck" outloud,

"The unblemished snow silenced the hooves.  The first shadows of dusk softened the lighting of the landscape.  We entered a sacred moment in time, hushing human and animal alike....We glimpsed a world no one else would see.  My mind wandered to how many places like this God reserves for himself...."

Those are amazing, AMAZING, words!    But I'm growing addicted to the words in my Bible. 

I almost didn't come.  I've got way too much to do today.  I cut my hair at 5:30 a.m., fixed breakfast, read a little to my beloveds, waved them goodbye, worried about their fatigue level and the after effects of some recent MAJOR choices we're living through.  (Even good choices carry a price.) 

Soon,  very soon, I have people coming HERE, messy-here-to-my-house at 10:00ish and I should be getting dressed and trying to be professional.  My back hurts and my leg is stiff.  I need to work out a bit.  I've got my sneakers on!  But this...

this......  (with some undercurrent of excitement and growing confidence) is where I'm desperate to be.

I Cor 2:1-2     1And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

Chapter 2.  Wow.  I feel so unprepared to leave Chapter 1.  There's so much there!  But it's time.

I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom...

I keep thinking about my very evangelistic atheist friend.  Sometimes, I wish I could use superiority of speech so that I could win those facebook arguments... just to win them.   And here's Paul.  Better educated, better trained.  And once again, he tells me how pointless that is.  But here's what he did do... he came...proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

So what is that?  What IS the testimony of God?    

........Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

Paul says he was determined to know nothing EXCEPT

........Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

All the differences in religions (and those who are religiously non-religious) are flying by my face at rapid speed right now.  But it all boils down to this one thing.


........Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

We can all smoke our pipes or sip our coffees or back pack our trails and give ourselves to awesome causes and debate every intricate detail of our differences, but everything hinges on this one thing.


........Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  What will we do with the fact that Jesus was either an idiot, or He was - and is  - actually who He said He was?

If I determine to know only this one thing:

How will Jesus Christ, and Him crucified effect the meeting I'm about to have in an hour to plan the fashion spread for Northwest MOM Magazine?

How will Jesus Christ, and Him crucified effect how I care for my body today?

How will Jesus Christ, and Him crucified effect the sorrow I feel that my kids had to miss out on something wonderful this past week... but not eternal?

How will Jesus Christ, and Him crucified effect how I worry that my kids will get hurt as they go through this immediate phase of life?

How will Jesus Christ, and Him crucified effect  how I get so panicky & frustrated that my friend's intellect is his weapon for running from love?

How will Jesus Christ, and Him crucified effect how I spend my tithe today, even though it seems we can't afford it?



........Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.    

           ........Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, and risen from the dead.

                         ........Jesus Christ, and Him the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 
                                            whether I bow down today or not.

Lord, Paul said he was "determined" in this matter.  I'm no Paul, that's for sure.

"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to my mortal body through His Spirit who dwells in me."   (Romans 8:11)

Lord, I've just GOT to pray it.  Let your word be true in me, for Your name's sake.  Just please be gentle with me, because it scares me to ask for this.

love, scaredy-cat me,

Lydia