Left With Stars In Our Eyes...

I really do intend to do a better job of keeping up with my blog from now on...really I do...! The last few months have been hard for me as well as extremely busy.

I am reading a book off and on that Darrel has been urging me to read. It is called "The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian D. McLaren. Each time I pick it up, I am amazed at how God speaks directly to my heart. I want to talk about a particular quote today.

McLaren is talking about how Christ commissioned the disciples with a global mission in mind and how this was really pushing this group of Jewish men whose religion was typically not a missionary religion. Let's join McLaren as he discusses the Jewish religion in this light.

"Yet this idea of global mission was in another sense not unprecedented. As we mentioned before, the primal calling of the primal Jew, Abraham, had implicit global dimensions: "I will bless you and make you a great nation, and all nations of the world will be blessed through you" (see Genesis 12:2-3). The resonance between those words and Jesus' commission to "make disciples of all nations" is unmistakable. But the ancient Jews, like their more recent monotheistic colleagues, often devolved into being preoccupied with being blessed themselves, forgetting or suppressing their calling to be a blessing to others. They, too, often saw their calling as exclusive ("We are blessed to the exclusion of all other nations") rather than instrumental ("We are blessed for the benefit of all other nations"). "

This paragraph caught my attention today. I am beginning to see how modern Christianity has mistaken its' commission. You see, we get stars in our eyes. We can't get past the fact that God wants to bless us. Prosperity is such a hot topic lately - there are men shouting "money cometh to me now!" and declaring that "the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous!" while all the time missing the point that Christ was trying to make. Take this personal, relationship-centered gospel to world - start with your neighbors, then your town, then your state, then the world - and when I bless you, it is so that you can be a blessing to others by providing what they need and don't have. Sounds like a big order, huh? But really He was simply asking them and is asking us to do what He did. He started with a group of 12. He taught them, had relationship with them. He modeled life for them. Then each of them went out and did the same. It grows like that - not into mega-congregations mind you, but into more and more small fellowships. That is how is spreads world-wide. And while we are doing this...when God pours out His blessings on us, it is not to be hoarded and used for our own comforts - how can we do this with a clear concience? When we know there are those all around us that are in need of basics, bare essentials? We are to be a funnel through which God can bless the poor and hurting around us. Extravagance cannot be an option - Christ had no place to lay His head. He poured out all He had for the lost, poor, needy, and hurting.

Am I saying that we should all live in poverty? Well, all I can say is that I think we should seriously ask God to show us where we can make changes. How can we give more? What could we do without so that others might be able to have food, heat, clothes, relationship, the gospel...
maybe it's money, maybe it's time, maybe it's stepping out of our comfort zones and forming relationships with others.

Today I want to tell you that I believe in you. I see potential in you. I love you. Look up and out as you go on your way today. See the poor and needy. Give till it hurts. Love till you're worn out. Most of all, let me hear from you - I'm hungry for your feedback.

Remember that I still want your replies to the question "What is important to God?".

Can you help me?

Blogging has been and is one of my favorite things to do. I've missed it like I miss my old friends who live far away. My heart calls to it over and over, and yet life takes over and I am consumed by a million little things that keep me from corresponding. Today I have a question to ask of you, and I would like you to respond. You can either respond here on my blog, or if you like you may email me at keljosmom@yahoo.com and put "Observations on the Edge" as your subject - that way I won't delete it thinking it's some sort of spam.

OK, here's the question: What is important to God?

Please let me hear from you. I'd love to know what you think. Have a blissful Friday...

My Little Man...

There's a tear in my eye today...my little man has turned the big "9". If you will indulge me a little, I would like to briefly tell you his story.

We were so excited to be pregnant again - I new it would be a boy just like I knew we would have our precious little girl first. I could feel it in my very bones. I began to converse with this little boy and pray for him just like I did his sister. The usual routine began again - me puking my guts out. I attempted to make appointments for prenatal care with my obgyn, but because we were planning to move out of state in the next 3 months, nobody would take me on as a patient. I made the trip to the hospital to treat dehydration from the vomiting, simply seeing the ER doc. We packed and made the move to Potter, Kansas. We searched for doctors in the area that would take me on as a patient. There was only one new doctor taking new patients - Dr. Sonthiemer. I would later know that he was ordained by God to treat me. I was 4 months pregnant before I had any prenatal care. My blood pressure was high and so were my sugars - just like with Kelsey. He immediately insisted that I see a high-risk specialist at KU Medical Center. These were his exact words (which we scoffed at ignorantly...) "I don't want you coming in here at 7 months delivering a premature baby at this hospital (in Atchison) - we're not prepared or equipped for that kind of thing." Little did we know that this would be the case.

When I went in for my appointment the last few days of my 6th month, my urine was high in protien and my blood pressure was high. He sent me to KU Med to see my doctor there. We made arrangements for Kelsey, packed a little bag in case I had to spend the night, and drove the 70 miles to KU Med. They admitted me and scolded me for being late. The nurse tried to start an IV and my veins blew due to my extremely high blood pressure. Things were going so fast and I was given so much medication to lower my blood pressure that I am a little sketchy on what actually happened. Over the next 24 hours, Darrel's brother and sister came from Liberal, MO and I had two major ultrasounds that lasted 30 minutes each. Our beautiful boy was not moving or breathing at all. My amniotic fluid was gone - absorbed by my toxic system. I had toxemia - and the only cure was to deliver the baby. No time for vaginal birth, they rushed me to surgery and delivered the smallest child I had ever seen. He was 3lbs 3oz. He fit in Darrel's hand (head to butt). Over the next 4 weeks we were told daily that he would have problems - both mental and physical. But we clung to the promise God had given Darrel as we rushed to the surgery room that day - "everything will be all right." We were able to take our precious Jonah home after 4 weeks - a miracle in the NICU. Most babies were there for months and months. He has been a walking miracle ever since. Seeing him now, you would never think that he EVER weighed 3 lbs. - ha!

Today my calendar said, "He surrounds me with lovingkindness and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things!" Psalm 103:4-5 TLB What truth that is! Jonah is definitely one of those good things as is Kelsey.

We are going to Noah's House Pizza today with 5 of his buddies to play and have pizza and cupcakes. We are having a Superman birthday. Jonah is and always will be our SuperMan.