Ringing In The New Year!

Out with the old and in with the new is a common sentiment expressed as we begin any New Year. The implication being that it is a propitious time to redirect our path by letting go of some things from our past and developing a fresh approach for the future. (Ecclesiastes 3:6- A time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away). I'm going to break this concept down a little further into the realm of mind, body and spirit. Let's review this past year in the realm of these three parameters of our well-being: mind, body and spirit.

Mind: How are you doing emotionally? Are you happy or sad? Anxious or well-balanced? Depressed or coping with things well? Are you exercising your mind in any way? As we celebrate the beginning of a brand new year you should do a review of your emotions and be completely honest as to where your are at. After all, there is always room for improvement. If your are depressed, what is that about? Should you think about moving, getting a new job or breaking up with that boyfriend?  Do you need to stop letting people step all over you and think about setting some godly boundaries? The thing is, we paint ourselves into some corners and think there is no escape. That is simply not true. That leads us to depression and even anger. But, it doesn't have to be that way.

One thing to do in the new year is to stop being on emotional automatic. Instead, take time to reflect upon how you are acting, coping and feeling and catch yourself before you do the same old reaction pattern. That means instead of getting into the same old disagreements about money with a parent or spouse, stop yourself and ask what else you can do instead. Are you in an abusive pattern with someone and it goes from verbal or physical abuse, to breakup and then makeup over and over again? Do you have a pattern of drinking or drugging to cope with stress? Have you lost a few jobs over your angry outbursts? (Ephesians 4:26- In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry).

Are there any bad patterns in your life that you recognize and would like to change, such as choosing bad partners? Men who aren't emotional available, or who refuse to work. If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, it's time to wipe the slate clean! If you're saying to yourself New Years resolutions never work, that is exactly the self-talk that you must combat as you endeavor to contemplate new goals for this upcoming year. Start by taking some small steps. Just say no when a bad boy asks you out, walk out of a room when feeling the urge to have an angry outburst. Anger often covers up other feelings that we feel less comfortable expressing such as fear or powerlessness.

(Proverbs 28:13- whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy). It is better to admit what we are really feeling than to cover things up with obfuscations. Admit the cause of your depression instead of drinking that extra glass of wine. The Bible says that wine is a mocker and that means we will end up embarrassed by our overuse of it. Is it time to challenge ourselves intellectually? If the clock has struck midnight it is! So, what language are you going to start learning? What craft will you learn? What about taking a business seminar? Take a book out of your local library.

Body: Every year people sign up in droves for a gym membership in the month of January. As opposed to a mind or spirit makeover, people can easily look in the mirror and say I need a makeover now. Yet, many fail in their quest to loose weight or get in better shape. Again, don't be hard on yourself. Try some small steps. Drink some more water, add a fruit or vegetable to your diet slowly. Cut your dessert portion by 1/4 than alittle bit more some time later. Try to walk,or do a half-push-up.

Try to exercise outdoors if possible. God created trees, and a beautiful sky with birds. God looked at His creation and He said it was good. Shouldn't we too? Studies show that when you look at these things that you will have a greater calm and relaxation. Don't we all need that?

Spirit: Your body was meant to be a temple of the Holy Spirit. If we are not in relationship with God, something is missing. (Be still and know that I am God-Psalm 46:10). Take some time to reflect on the miracle of creation, who God is and what He has done through His son Jesus Christ. Make this a habit every day. Start reading the Bible in January. Start in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, and see God's plan unfold.

Begin to look for God's plan for your own life. He has one you know. Start working with God and not against Him. ( Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a stream in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland- Isaiah 43:18-19).

Christmas Message

Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord

What does Christmas mean to you? How do you celebrate it? Over the years I have heard many answers to those questions. Family, traditions and gift-giving are central. Cooking and decorating come in a close second as to importance. What I have noticed is that all of the things that we do for Christmas go back in history to ancestral practices which pre-date Christianity. I had a really scary experience in Austria. Have you ever heard of Krampus? This half goat, devil man must win the award for the most pagan of all customs that has managed to merge into Christmas traditions. I feel that when you watch a parade with furry figures of Krampus in it, or send a Krampus card to someone, its pretty much spicing up Christmas with a little bit of a demon please. 

What about the Christmas tree? Over the years, I have spent a significant amount of time and energy devoted to having and decorating the perfect Christmas tree. This year, for the first time ever, I did not put up a tree. Sacrilege you say? Hold on a minute and let me explain. I made that decision for a few reasons. One is space. I happen to be storing some things for my church which cut down on available floor space. We don't want a fire hazard do we? Besides that, this year has been emotionally exhausting for me due to family problems. I do think it is important to be flexible and realistic each year as we contemplate the possibilities of Christmas. Some people were worried about me and shocked that I was not putting up a Christmas tree. A more manageable plan this year included putting up some garlands, wreaths, and  nativity sets around my home. I also have Christmas floral arrangements around the house and some mini lights displayed here and there.

As I walked around my house and I contemplated the meaning of my changed decorating habits I reminded myself that having a Christmas tree or the best lit house on the block doesn't have anything directly to do with remembering the birth of Jesus Christ. Although the Christmas tree seemed to be blessed by Martin Luther, and embaced by Queen Victoria doesn't it in fact go back to pre-Christian beliefs in tree spirits? Or doesn't my decor sound close to what the Romans did for Saturnalia? At the winter solstice the Romans decorated their homes with garlands, wreaths and gave out gifts. That is exactly what I am doing and I even do this the same time of year that the Romans did it.

Sometimes it is even hard to find time to contemplate the birth of Jesus amid all the running to and fro. The demands of the Christmas season varies from country to country but in general it seems like in addition to everything else that we have to do everyday that the season of Christmas brings a lot more work. Christmas plus final exams. Christmas plus end of year job requirements. Christmas plus all the other chores that we already  have to do. Does it sounds as if I am a Scrooge? I hope not. The Christmas season is a beautiful and joyful time. However it all came to this point of the way we celebrate it let's try not to exhaust ourselves or do things that would be ill-advised such as get into debt to buy gifts or drinking to excess. Also, remember that the expectations of the perfect Christmas makes many of us feel inadequate. Is our family experience as good as the person next door? Does our cooking or family holiday measure up?  A survey just done in the United States showed that the majority of Americans believe that we need more Jesus in Christmas.  If you are overwhelmed, discouraged or lonely this Christmas remember that God sent Jesus to be with you in your troubles and to give you hope and new direction. He didn't come to help perfect people in perfect families who live in perfect homes. He came to help those who could get real and realize that they are sinners in need of salvation. Keeping this in mind keeps everything in perspective.
Merry Real Christmas!

Allegory of the Missions Trip- Part 3

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.- William Shakespeare.

Allegory of the Mission Trip- The story of Queen Esther

Intro: How is the story of Queen Esther like my missions trip? Does the story of Queen Esther remind you of any events in your own life as a Christian?  Let us contemplate these questions.

Queen Esther:
Intro: The story of the greatness of Queen Esther undoubtably casts her into the light of the hero who has greatness thrust upon them. Nowhere in the Bible story of Queen Esther do I see her either born or striving for a mighty role in the drama unfolding before her. Yet, when the time for greatness came she accepted the scepter of responsibility.

Setting: The Babylonian empire had laid siege upon the Jewish people and destroyed their capitol in the sixth century B.C. Many Jewish people were kidnapped and enslaved at that time and taken to live in Babylon. Some time after that, the Babylonian empire was itself defeated by the Medo-Persian empire. After this happened the Medo-Persians became the overlords of the Jewish communities living in exile. A Persian King eventually gave the Jewish people permission to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild that city.

Many Jews chose not to return to Jerusalem. They had grown accostumed to the life and culture of the place they now lived. Perhaps they were less religious or had grown prosperous in their new environs. Whatever the reason, this is the setting that the young Esther, (Hadassah) found herself in as we begin our story. She was a stranger in a strange land (Exodus 2:22), i.e. a subject of the Medo-Persian King Ahasuerus.

Up until the Jewish people established the state of Israel, they forever lived a life of insecurity and persecution. As a longtime exiled people they always formed a minority in the many countries in which they lived. Although they made important contributions to every country which they inhabited, they ended up hated and reviled none-the-less.

The ups and downs of life for the Jewish people can be seen very clearly in the story of Queen Esther (Esther 3:8). It is an exact template of all of the most heinous things which have ever happened to them. Yet, the finale of this story is one of the most hope-filled stories in the Bible.

Esther is an orphan child being raised by her cousin Mordecai (Esther 2:7). Mordecai represents the faithful remnant of Jewish believers in exile. He is watchful and protective of Esther and the Jewish community (Esther 2: 10-11). The dangers are many for the Jewish people. There is physical danger, as well as spiritual danger. God called his chosen people to be different than those around them. Could they continue to be spiritually strong and stay unified as God's people should be with so many temptations in a foreign land?

When our story begins we see that the goings on in the court of King Ahasuerus include drunkenness and demeaning behavior toward the King's wife Vashti. In what can only be described as a sadistic mindset, King Ahasuerus and his courtiers decide that Vashti must be dethroned and replaced by a new queen. Moreover, pretty quickly we see that one of the King's advisors Haman hates the Jewish people and is plotting an early version of a Holocaust.

Esther: We all live in an environment in which we must operate: at home, at school, at work or at church. Further, we must make decisions as to our responses to both the good and the evil we are confronted with every day. When challenges come, there is always a risk to us when we stand against it. When we rise to meet a challenge it is never convenient. It costs something.

The costs can be physical, emotional, or spiritual. They could be financial or effect our life in a multitude of ways. In the Bible, God often chooses the least likely individual for a divine role. It shows the possible for each of us to rise to a challenge, and it shows God's providence in the situation. Without Esther, all would have been lost. She was the person who played a pivotal role in saving those who were wrongly treated and in need of salvation.

Was there a Queen Esther on my trip, a Haman or King Ahasuerus? The answer is yes. The Spirit of Esther, Ahasuerus and Haman exists in all our lives and in various situations. It is up to us to recognize and follow God in those moments.  Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?- Esther 4:14b

Allegory of The MissionsTrip- Part 2

Intro:  Last week, in part 1 of my missions trip story, I explained that I am not at liberty to reveal the country nor details of what activities transpired as I traveled with my church to try and make a difference for children in need. Part of that mandate is easy for me. In my blog, The Confessions of a Westchester Christian Housewife, it is policy to change the names of people and certain identifying characteristics in order to maintain some anonymity.

This blog is a spiritual diary that I share with you, my friends, as we all try to cast a spiritual light on this life we live. To do that I have to give frank portrayals of things that have actually happened. It has been a spiritual lifesaver for me. So, how do I begin to express the depth of pain that I have touched upon in this my latest missions trip without giving some salient features of that trip? How do I do honor to all those whom I have met and honestly tell their story without certain details?

The answer that I have come up with, is to explore the world of the allegory. That secret world that writers have created to host ideas and lay out commentary. The allegory has kept the writer safe from persecution throughout the ages. The allegory is a deep dive by the reader into a topic, sort of a brain teaser of truth.

Today, I am exploring my inspiration from literature of one of the great allegorical writers of all time, Dostoyevsky. As I pulled our my old "dog-eared" copy of his book, The Brothers Karamazov, and started to re-read it; I realized that there were many parallels between things that I wished to express and what he captured in his novel of ideas and emotions.

Inspiration: The Brothers Karamazov-

They all came from the same father. Yet, no unity existed. It had been many years since they had all been together as a family, when Providence would bring them all back together in their small ancestral village of Skotoprigonevsk. This is the place that it all started for these men, it is the place they were all born. The Brothers Karamazov all had business to attend to, but no uniformity of purpose or vision for their families' future.

They all had somehow survived their wreckage of a childhood. Poor Dmitri's mother died and he was sent away by his father to live with other family members who would raise him. He eventually joined the military. There is a sort of metaphor that emerges when you contemplate the career paths of all three sons. Would Dmitri be strengthened enough in the military to stand up against his biggest foe, his father?

Would Ivan ever find the reason behind all that had happened in his family life through his philosophical and intellectual explorations or a path to God? What of Alyosha?  He was studying to become a monk under the spiritual Father Zosima. What a sharp contrast father Zosima is to his biological father Fyodor in every way. Is that the point?

These men were all quite different how would they ever come together as a family? What other situations exsisted for these brothers which would come to bear upon their situation. One such circumstance was about to come upon the scene. A situation exists in the way of a scene stealer : another brother will emerge.

Conclusion: The total outcome of any situation will equal the sum of its' participating parts. So, here we have our allegorical equation. The situation as envisioned by Dostoyevsky is dire. Evil exists and explodes in our lives and in the pages of this novel. It is huge too: lust, greed, narcissism, and even murder.

However, the theme of redemption beats ever present throughout this mess. There is light, truth, and grace, many of the characters in this novel are in a allegorical quest for this prize, like the medieval knights of old. Some of the characters are not!

Next week: Conclusion: Queen Esther and my Missions Trip