Pure and Faultless Religion

James 1:27: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

With everything that is going on economically in the world today, I am reminded of this verse. There are those who are sick and tired of paying for the health care and other costs of those who are less fortunate and those who are just too lazy to get a job. I understand this being part of the highly taxed middle class, but consider this verse. Our job as genuine Christians is to take care of those less fortunate than us. It is not an option. James says that it is the "religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless..." Nothing else matters in this world other than us taking care of others...showing the love and mercy to others that was so freely given us.

"Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. All of the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'" (Matthew 22:37-40)

So who is our neighbor? Our neighbors are ALL of those around us...good or bad...genuinely unfortunate or not...who need Christ. I firmly believe that if we show the love of Christ to everyone, whether they are taking advantage or not, Christ is glorified, and that is all I want to do. It is not my job to judge whether someone is worthy of my help or not. It is simply my job to help and wait for Christ to do His work. When we love without conditions (something the world doesn't expect) and give without regulations, His Word is brought forth, and His love is shown. Jesus loved me without conditions and regulations. Who am I to not love others the way He loves and takes care of me?

Sunday Refections-October 5, 2008

This Sunday's Communion message was, for me, exactly what I needed. During the message Pastor Mark said that there are 3 things that Communion encourages us to do. Those include:
1. To look within ourselves and examine our own lives
2. To look back at how God has delivered us from things in our lives
3. To look ahead to the time when we will see Him face to face.

Pastor Mark also asked us 3 questions related to these 3 concepts:
1. What do you see when you look within yourself?
2. What "God-memory" is most special to you?
3. What are you looking forward to with God?

It's the answer to the 3rd question that I wanted to talk about in this blog. When I was about 2-3 years old, my biological father committed suicide. I never got to know my real father, and that has truly affected me over the years. I ask myself questions like, "Why was I not worth him living?" This was a constant battle in my mind as I was growing up and even now, at times. I was adopted by my mom's next husband, but I never felt like I was good enough for him. I grew up feeling like a major burden in his life. So, for me, when I think about the answer to this 3rd question, my eyes fill with tears, because I can just picture it in my mind...when I see Him face to face. I picture myself running as fast as I can to Him, laughing the whole way, and He's running full-on towards me. Then He grabs me up and twirls me around, and we just laugh and play like this for hours. (Ha...you REALLY don't want to be behind me in line to meet Him. Prepare to wait). Then He speaks to me and tells me how much He's always loved me and cared about me. I sit there completely dumbfounded that it's even possible to feel such amazing love and grace. And then I fold my head into His chest, and I just stay there for a really long time listening to His heart beat...His arms engulf me without a hint of Him ever wanting to let go. I never want to move from this position. Just let me stay like this for all of eternity. I am with my Daddy...

God is so real and so full of love. When I think about all of the things we must endure in life, I think about how all of that will just fade away when we see Him face to face. All of the hurt, frustration, and anger that we carry around will melt at the very sight of Him. But the amazing thing is that we don't even have to wait that long to let all of these issues go. If we surrender to Christ right now, even in this very moment, He floods our hearts with His grace and mercy, and everything else just falls away. He is good and faithful. If we seek Him, He will not hide Himself from us. That's a promise that we can count on.

Question of the Day...9/11/2001

Where were you and what were you doing when the terrorist attacks occurred? What was your initial reaction?

I am going to answer this myself first. It was a huge turning point in my life, I think. I was living in the garage apartment at the Parkinson's house. I woke up, turned on the television to watch the news, and that's when I saw the first building in flames. I watched for several minutes in complete disbelief, and then when I thought it couldn't get any worse, a second plane crashed into the second building. I saw it on Live tv. I remember one reporter in the background had been debating whether it was an accident or a terrorist attack, but after that second one happened, she began to panic. Then I began to panic. I ran downstairs to try and wake up the Parkinsons. I really thought we were under attack or something. I remember thinking that life as I know it will never be the same, and I was right.

Seven years later, terrorism is still a major problem in the world, and it will probably always be. Not long after we moved here to Germany, there was an attempted terrorist attack at the Frankfurt Airport. They traced the terrorists back to the town of Ulm...about 1.5 hours away from where we live in Reutlingen. Recently, it was uncovered that these men had plans of attacking about 5 other German airports. These were all attempts to target Americans. One of these 5 airports is the one we are flying out of on Sunday. It's kinda scary, but my trust and faith is in Jesus. Ok, enough of that. What are your thoughts?

What I Believe

I've had people who have questioned my morals and values over the last few weeks just for simply evaluating both presidential candidates fairly and without bias. I think that it's easy for people who don't really know me to judge me in such a harsh way. So I'd like to clear up some things.

I believe:

1. Most importantly, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. I believe that my life must, in every way, reflect the mercy and grace that was given to me so freely in that I show the same grace and mercy to others.

2. Abortion and especially partial birth abortion are definitely the most hideous practices that we have in the U.S. I was talking to a German friend here, and he absolutely could not believe that in some states in the U.S. the practice of partial birth abortion is legal and acceptable. For people who say that life doesn't begin until such and such a time, I say, "How do you know?" Are you willing to take a chance on such an assumption? I am not. Life begins when Jesus breathes life into a child, and that happens at conception. Who are we as mere mortals to decide who lives and dies? We are not God, and we should not pretend to be.

3. The war in Iraq is an illegal and unethical war which is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people: our soldiers and innocent civilians. However, I believe that our soldiers are brave and are doing a noble thing by fulfilling the duty in which they were assigned. I think our soldiers' votes in this election should count twice!

4. The genocide that is going on in Zimbabwe and in other parts of Africa is one of the worst in our lifetime, and I think if they had oil, we'd be "liberating" them as well. Unfortunately, they have no one to fight for them, so women are being castrated and raped, children are being brutally murdered, and people are literally starving to death. No one is there to help them, and it grieves my heart more than you can imagine.

5. It is the church's job to provide the majority of the social services that the U.S. so desperately needs. How much money do we put into social activities and various programs in our churches that could be used to feed families in our communities who have no food? Why don't we have more orphanages that are church supported so that women who want to have an abortion have an alternative? The Bible says in James that true religion is taking care of the widows and orphans, and I think that many churches in America have missed the mark. Please note that I am not trying to dis the church, but I think that most of us can agree that for some churches the priorities just aren't in the right place. I can also say that there are many churches who are doing the right thing, but I just want to appeal to the ones who may not be.

6. Insurance companies in America are the bane of our existence. Because of insurance companies and their deals with doctors and hospitals, people are paying unbelievable prices for healthcare. There needs to be radical reforms here. I don't know if universal healthcare is the answer, but I think we can all agree that something has got to give.

7. Many people in America misuse their 2nd Ammendment rights, and as a result we have too many incredibly dangerous weapons on our streets. Why does a person need a semi-automatic or an automatic weapon? There is absolutely no reason! These types of guns are polluting our streets and causing the deaths of too many Americans. The laws need to be more strict, not less. Many would say, "Guns don't kill people; people kill people." And to that I say, if the person with the gun didn't have a gun, maybe that person on the other end would still be alive. Why are we so blah see when it comes to human life?

8. Racism in America and all over the world is completely unacceptable. To discriminate against someone based on religion or color is atrocious. We can all agree that people are people. Everyone has a vital role to play in this life, and how dare we suggest that one race is inferior to another. Our differences should be things we celebrate and respect. Some of the racial things that I've heard about Obama from people who live in my community have embarrassed me so much. I love the south and America, but I am ashamed of the racial prejudices we have in our country. I don't know how we bridge the gap, but we have to find a way.

9. Americans are some of the most wasteful people in the world, and we have to take responsibility for our actions and the damage our actions have caused to the environment. How many Americans drive gas-guzzling cars for no reason other than vanity? How many Americans drive around in F250s or 350s, and they don't even have a farm. Oil is not a renewable resource and America with its 300 million people uses 1/3 of the world's yearly oil supply. That is preposterous. On top of that, we don't recycle, and therefore, our landfills are overflowing and pollution is at an all time high. For the record, in Germany it is unacceptable for a person not to recycle. It is mandated here as it should be in America. I applaud Gov. Schwarzenegger for leading the way in these good practices in America.

Ok, so I think that's enough for now. I beg you, before you judge me, get to know me. If you have a question about what I say, ask, but don't attack me. You have your own opinions, and they are valid just like mine. I've been crushed by people this week who have even questioned my commitment to Christ. Please know that I weigh everything I believe against what the Bible says and the example that Jesus Himself left for us. I am changing and growing and learning (the reason for the title of this entire blog), and I am very opened to others' opinions as I continue on this journey of knowing Christ and following Him wholeheartedly. I welcome your thoughts and opinions, but I do not welcome personal attacks against me. I am willing to accept that I am wrong about certain issues, and I would hope that anyone who reads my blog is also open to the fact that they may also be wrong. We are all learning here. No one has all the answers, and we need to listen to one another rather than arguing. I hope this helps clear up some doubts that people have had about me. =)

More Fun Trips

This past weekend, we traveled to Nürnberg and Rothenburg ober der Tauber. I'll tell you a little about Nürnberg first. (Man, Rick Steves should hook me up with a job)!!

Nürnberg is really old. There's even a house dating back to 1338 and a pharmacy dating back to 1486. So obviously, people have been hanging out here for a long time. Adolf Hilter also liked the place, and his aim was to make it the capital of the National Socialist Party (Nazis). An architect was hired to plan everything, and everything was set to go until America came to save the day. Haha...that's not exactly how it happened, but I just wanted to say that. Anyway, all the plans were in place. Laborers were working day and night to complete the plans. A capital building was partly built. A huge stadium that could hold 400,000 people was planned, and the sight of many of Hilter's speeches was completed. It was quite eerie to see all of this, because we were able to walk on the actual platform where Hilter gave so many of his speeches. You could imagine all of the hundreds of thousands of people standing there listening to these false promises thinking that this man was going to change Germany to make it a wonderful place. So many empty promises; so many lives lost, and for what? It made me really sad. Even the architecture that the Nazis used was very concrete and bland, but it was also so big; larger than life. You could see that it was truly Hilter's aim to take over the entire world removing the Jews, the Christians, and any other religion that exhalted itself above the power of the Nazi party. Sound like a story you've heard before from the Bible? It reminds me of when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to Pharoah, and they were tossed into the fire. God ultimately received the glory in that situation, so sometimes I wonder why so many had to die in the Holocaust. I know I can't see the broad scheme of things, but it is just plain sad. I know that God saved and protected so many of the Jews, but I wonder what His purpose was or is in so much persecution taking place. Don't think I am doubting God. I know that if anything good happened from the Holocaust it would have to be our awareness to the dangers of the persecution of one religious group by another. I really do believe that in such a horrible situation that God was revealed to so many, and that His purposes, while they are unknown to us, were made known to many. Maybe the world is a better place because of the sacrifice. What do you think? Let's think about this for a minute. Sorry I am on a bit of a tangent right now. Can you imagine being a Christian during this time period? People had to honestly think that Hilter was THE antichrist and that Jesus was coming back on his chariot of fire at any minute. I wonder how many people found Jesus during that time. I mean, even during the cold war, there were so many Americans who honestly thought that they could be nuked at any time. I wonder where their hearts stood with Jesus. Maybe we have to go through things such as war so that we are reminded who is ultimately in control. It sure isn't us, and thank God for that!! Anyway, these are just some things I have been thinking about. Here's some pictures of Nürnberg:

 

On the River

 

I love all of the flowers on the houses and buildings in Germany.

 

Really old Pharmacy (1486). Just remember that America wasn't discovered by Columbus until 1492!

 

This house dates back to 1338. How do I know? Well, there's a plaque on the wall in front of it that tells me. haha.

Rothenburg ober der Tauber is honestly a place I know nothing about. All I know is that it's old, and a lot of tourists go there. There is, however, a really cool medieval wall that surrounds the town that you can actually walk in and circle most of the town. We did get to put our heads into the stocks which was kinda cool in a weird sort of way. Here are some photos:

 

Taken from inside the wall around the city.

 

Part of the city square

 

I am supposed to look like I am dying. Yeah, I can sing a little, but I surely can't act. haha.

 

Danny's the happiest guy you'll ever see in the stocks.

Why I Have No Fear

Yesterday, Danny and I had the pleasure of celebrating the 4th of July with a bunch of people from the military. Many of them expressed some deep concerns about the fate of our country and their fears about where the U.S. is headed. With the economy spiraling out of control, continual rises in oil prices, and a war that seems to be never ending, I can completely understand their worries. I've heard many people say that they fear that as soon as the U.S. removes its support from Israel, God will remove His hand from our country, and I think many people believe that it is a distinct possibility that with the next presidency, our support will waver. I hear all of this, and I think to myself, "Peace be still". Israel is God's chosen people, but so are the gentiles who love Him and are devoted to Him. Do you think that God will remove His hand from those who truly seek Him and who are in fellowship with Him? While it may be true that He will remove His hand from our country, He will never remove His hand from me. This is what I gives me peace, and this is what causes me to have no fear. He has never, ever turned His back on me. He's shown me some tough love, but He still loves me nonetheless. For that, I will never stop praising Him. I will love Him and worship Him no matter what the state of our country is, because it's His gentle voice that I hear daily guiding me in all areas of my life. He is the source of my life, and while I love my country, it has nothing to offer me in comparison to what Jesus has already given me.

I love this!!

I love theological debate with Christians and non-Christians alike. When I was younger, I used to sit in coffee shops and engage in friendly debate with friends and people I didn't even know. It strengthened my faith so much during that time in my life. I really miss those days. I have always thought that Jesus smiles on us when we debate each other about things in His Word. I think that's why He left us some mysteries to try to figure out. While I am no theologian, I can't help but really get into deep conversations about God, our origins, etc. I found this blog today that I think is super interesting. Everyone should take a look.

http://gospeloffrank.blogspot.com

Leave comments and think about how you REALLY feel on topics that are really relevant to our Christian faith.

Beth

That is the Question

What would you attempt for God if you knew you could not fail?

Figuring Out My Purpose

Having been here in Germany for almost 7 months, I have had a lot of time to think and pray and figure out what's truly important in my life. I've been doing a lot of God seeking about what He wants me to be. I feel kind of like a teenager wondering what I want to be when I grow up, even though I've had a pretty successful career so far in nursing.

Today, God used one of my best friends to show me that for basically all of my life, I have been living in incredible fear of being rejected. I've feared actually stepping out and doing what I know God has truly called me and gifted me to do. I've settled for things in my life, because I was scared to truly go after and pursue certain things.

So, today I've made a decision to put an end to the fear in my life. I've decided to go after my dreams and passions and understand that if I get rejected, it's ok. My life is my Jesus' hands, and if I am going after His will, then He'll open the doors that need to opened and close the doors that need to close. You have to understand that this is a little intimidating and scary for me. I've never really faced the types of rejections that I may face here in the near future. So pray for me, that God will guide and instruct me on this new journey in my life. Ooooo...I am actually really excited about this!!

Beth

Open Discussion

Confession time...

I have always had self-image issues. From a really young age, I never really felt girly enough or pretty enough. My biological father committed suicide when I was a baby, so I never really felt like I was worth him living. Feeling that kind of rejection my whole life was just not good!! My adoptive father, whom many of you know (sorry if this offends you, but it's the truth), was very hurtful to me when I was young. He told me so many times that I was fat and stupid. It may have been a joke to him, but I didn't take it that way. When I was in high school, I set out to lose weight, and I ended up losing about 50lbs (23 kg for my European friends). Essentially, I had developed an eating disorder, and it was tearing my life apart. Thankfully, Jesus picked me up out of that place, and I can honestly say, that I don't struggle with that anymore at all. (I am making a long story short, so if you want to know exactly how Jesus did it, I'm more than willing to tell you. Just shoot me an email: mrsehl@gmail.com). Over the last few years, God has blessed me with a wonderful husband who always makes me feel beautiful and never puts me down. God has taught me how to love the person He's made me.

But in a world where physical "beauty" reigns supreme, I can understand how women can sometimes feel ugly; like they just don't fit the mold. How absurd!! Think about this. God created the heavens and the earth; the stars in the sky. All of these things add so much beauty to our lives. God is such a magnificent artist!! He created all of this, and then He created mankind (ending with women...saving the best for last...haha). Man was so beautiful to Him that He chose to take a break (on Sunday) just to admire what He created. He wasn't satisfied with the heavens, the earth, the animals, or anything He created until He created mankind. What I think this tells us is that our view of what beauty is totally corrupted and contorted. God is the embodiment of beauty, and He created us in His own image!!!

So this is the discussion: I want to know what in your life makes you feel beautiful, physical or otherwise. How has God shown you that you are beautiful when society may say otherwise? With all of our physical flaws, there are things we all admire about our bodies. What are those things to you?

Challenge: We need to try to undo our thinking about how we define beauty. Try to see something beautiful in someone else this week. The fact is that when you try to find things about others that you think are beautiful, you start to see those same things in yourself. Also, try to see something beautiful in your enemy or someone you just don't like. It's not as easy, and it really reveals the state of our hearts.

Sorry if this seems more geared toward women, fellas. But I think guys deal with the same issues...maybe just not as outwardly as women. So guys can participate too!!

I Love This!!

"Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong; I cannot. If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata--of creatures that worked like machines--would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they must be free."
C.S. Lewis

This is a quote from Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. He is amazing. I've never had much time to read things I want. Well, now I have a ton of time, so I get the opportunity to do lots of things I've always wanted. I encourage everyone to read Lewis' books, whether you're Christian or not.

My Journal

I've never much been one for keeping a journal. I guess all those years in school where I was forced to keep one just didn't sit too well with me. Anyway, I have been keeping a blog for quite a while. I guess I feel like with a blog, I don't have to write every single day. I can just write when I have something on my heart. So I was reading some of my old blogs (not located on this page), and I am just so thankful for everything God has done in my life.

One year ago, I was struggling a great deal, because we were leaving Cornerstone, the church I'd been going to since I was a baby. I remember crying so much over that decision, but having such peace that we were doing what God wanted. I remember thinking I didn't know where to go or what to do, because there was just no place in this world like Cornerstone. I mean, I met and married my incredible husband there. Cornerstone was a shield for me when I was a kid. When things in my family were tough, it was my place of refuge. Pastor Rick taught me how to love and trust in God with all of my heart. It was also really hard to leave some of our dear friends. That was the hardest thing of all, considering Pastor Rick had been gone for years. It's amazing how people put God in a box, and they see the world only in the four walls of their own church. We lost so many friends, because they just could not see how they could remain friends with us if we didn't go to the same church. For crying out loud; it wasn't like we were joining a crazy sect or something. We were still part of the Church...God's church. But Danny and I learned how to be content with just the two of us, and God showed us what true friendship is all about through that situation. Sometimes I wish He didn't have to use such painful trials to teach us things, but I guess if it weren't so painful, it wouldn't leave such an impression.

Last year I was also having a really tough time sleeping at night. Until you've had insomnia, you can't even imagine how important sleep is. I had all these doctors wanting to put me on anti-depressants and stuff like that, but I just didn't have a peace about that. It's not that I think taking them is wrong. I just had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach about it. I prayed, prescription in hand, for what God wanted me to do, and He said flat out that I needed to just trust Him. (That's the one area that I struggle with the most...Type A personality and all). The Lord promised me that He would take care of me, and I believed it. I decided not to take the medication (because I wasn't depressed!!), and amazingly I started sleeping really well. I believe that God completely healed me, and I am so grateful for that. God took something that was completely out of my control (yep control freak right here), and He showed me how to trust Him and not myself for everything.

So now my opinion of journaling has changed a little. I can now look back on the last year and see how God has worked in my life. There are so many little things He does for us each day that we don't even see. I can't wait until I can talk with Jesus face to face, and He can show all of the things He did that I didn't even know!! Maybe He keeps a journal on all of us. Maybe He writes things like: Yay, Beth trusted me today...finally!!! I guess we'll find out.

Beth