tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43936138053386360422024-03-04T22:38:01.630-06:00Life Is GoodJourneying into abundant lifeCelia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-17280391851546842512011-10-21T15:34:00.002-05:002011-10-21T16:25:43.230-05:00Not Just Saved -- Transformed<span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black;">A whole world of potential is deposited within us when we’re born again. We know it. We believe it. We can taste it. But perhaps, in all honesty, it isn't springing forth very abundantly. Could it be that our transformation into effective Christ-followers has been delayed because we still think like the world?</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfefKJxIvn-_yklaew4YHiZ-YNVkpH72cApVPyYG2wuA7VyTCSfUs8x_CHAReUqqtIF1nriPeFursSHqhLxFV_ksAPasq0anC57PCY22Pgy28CyzlsG9HbKlvlrPUjgs2PpJA-pwKEh95/s1600/imagesCA0VJI50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132px" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfefKJxIvn-_yklaew4YHiZ-YNVkpH72cApVPyYG2wuA7VyTCSfUs8x_CHAReUqqtIF1nriPeFursSHqhLxFV_ksAPasq0anC57PCY22Pgy28CyzlsG9HbKlvlrPUjgs2PpJA-pwKEh95/s200/imagesCA0VJI50.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Rom. 12:2NLT).</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black;">So what do you think? If we think and act like our fellow Christians, are we safe from the "behavior and customs of this world"? Well . . . </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black;"><em>. . .</em> how about</span></span><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black;"> the large group of Christians who feel that it is virtuous to heap sarcasm on right-wing politicians who do not always uphold traditional Christian values? In reacting this way toward opposition, are they being distinctively Christian? Let's check it out:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black;"><em>For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. . . . </em></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><em><span style="color: black;">It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king (1 Peter 2:13, 15-17).</span></em></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em>Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. . . .</em></span><span style="color: black;"><em> Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone (Rom. 12:14, 17-18).</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black;">The early Christians really lived like this. And they rocked the world. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black;">We will be world-transformers also, as we let God--by his Word and by his Spirit--radically change the way we think.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">P.S. A God-changed mind releases God's "good and pleasing and perfect" will in every area of our lives. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J </span></span>The political arena is just one example.</span></span>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-14143556010694648112011-10-04T13:14:00.005-05:002011-10-14T19:47:07.517-05:00Voice Activated DoorsThe first time I ever heard of voice activated doors was when I was a child, listening to the reading of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” In this story, Ali Baba, a poor woodcutter plying his trade in the woods, watched unnoticed as a mob of thieves rode up to the door of a cave and called out “Open sesame.” The magical door swung open and the thieves entered to deposit their loot. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyvCXORBpTvYUJhaXLWfcPqrI28QWfuGsHMtrRUfQn293vMH6iNwlI6ZxDHWzkJG3GCwpZeZKwkjiBiBApGmWAmpMjMBAma_vKSCOuOO94NKzStJUugwIxdPYdMBkSFMj1_XMNk1G9yu6/s1600/door+ajar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyvCXORBpTvYUJhaXLWfcPqrI28QWfuGsHMtrRUfQn293vMH6iNwlI6ZxDHWzkJG3GCwpZeZKwkjiBiBApGmWAmpMjMBAma_vKSCOuOO94NKzStJUugwIxdPYdMBkSFMj1_XMNk1G9yu6/s1600/door+ajar.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Of course, I did not think of this fictional cave as having a “voice activated door.” If there was such technology then (I am confident there was not), I had certainly not heard of it. At that early stage in my life, I was dumbfounded when my father announced that the United States was going to release into space a satellite that would—get this—stay up there. Come on now! I thought. What about gravity? That was the 1950’s and I was a preteen. Guess my science education had not extended yet to centrifugal and centripetal forces.</div><br />
All of these thoughts about Ali Baba’s “open sesame” and modern technology’s voice activated doors give me a great new perspective on Luke 11:9:<br />
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<em>“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”</em><br />
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These are among the words Jesus spoke when his disciples asked him how to pray. How to pray . . . hmmmm. How do all three of these verbs relate to praying? <br />
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<em>Asking</em> . . . sure, that’s something that we do when we pray. <br />
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<em>Seeking</em> . . . does that mean listening to the Holy Spirit and searching the Scriptures to find God’s will in the matter so we can pray according to his will? Probably so. Cool. <br />
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But now, <em>knocking</em> . . . there’s no physical door that will swing open to give us access to God’s provision. And if there is a door of some kind, we can’t actually knock on it. <br />
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For a clue about “knocking” in prayer, consider these quotes:<br />
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<em><u>Psalm 18:6-7, 16-17</u></em><br />
<em>In my distress I called to the LORD; </em><br />
<em>I cried to my God for help. </em><br />
<em>From his temple he heard my voice; </em><br />
<em>my cry came before him, into his ears. </em><br />
<em>The earth trembled and quaked, </em><br />
<em>and the foundations of the mountains shook; </em><br />
<em>they trembled because he was angry. </em><br />
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<em>He reached down from on high and took hold of me; </em><br />
<em>he drew me out of deep waters. </em><br />
<em>He rescued me from my powerful enemy, </em><br />
<em>from my foes, who were too strong for me (emphasis added).</em><br />
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<em><u>Acts 4:23-24, 29-31</u></em><br />
<em>On their release [from jail], Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. </em><br />
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<em> </em><em>Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”</em><br />
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<em> </em><em>After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly (emphasis added).</em><br />
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These are both examples of a distinctive sort of praying. In the psalmist’s case, he was crying out to God. Peter and John’s Christian friends raised their voices—together. (How loud that must’ve been!) Neither the psalmist or the Christians were silently directing their thoughts to God. They were knocking—with their voices—on heaven’s door. And the door swung wide open. Wow! <br />
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Do you need answers from God? Ask. Don’t give up. Knock, even. He invited us to. He’s waiting for the sound of our voices.<br />
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<em>Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; </em><br />
<em>therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. </em><br />
<em>For the LORD is a God of justice. </em><br />
<em>Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isa. 30:18).</em>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-37122791603110757852011-09-30T13:18:00.005-05:002011-10-14T19:47:39.091-05:00Overcoming with Christ<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvxKX75ME1IEgZyV-GfKerFcJ2j-h2IWT8Vc5Zb8pwMd73SkK3NbyHU8XI80YcVTgkRDXCFnrrTd01zaugbqjLW366_OPpJ0al3VJmWHFI49UPPVVuRV4gyZBp5ShnDFrWZl8rme-umHm/s1600/Overcoming-100x150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvxKX75ME1IEgZyV-GfKerFcJ2j-h2IWT8Vc5Zb8pwMd73SkK3NbyHU8XI80YcVTgkRDXCFnrrTd01zaugbqjLW366_OPpJ0al3VJmWHFI49UPPVVuRV4gyZBp5ShnDFrWZl8rme-umHm/s1600/Overcoming-100x150.jpg" /></a><em><a href="http://wlmlbooks.com/works/434853/overcoming-with-christ">Overcoming with Christ</a></em>—this is the name of a book my father,<a href="http://wlmlbooks.com/about"> F. Burleigh Willard Sr.,</a> wrote a number of years ago and published in 2008, while he was living with me. I’m thinking about it today because my brother, Frank (FBW Jr.), called me this morning to order six copies for members of his church. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here’s how that came about: Frank and Jeanne have been attending a bible study on the book of Revelation. Frank mentioned to their teacher that his dad had written a book on the message of Revelation. In fact, he loaned his copy to the teacher, and this instructor had used material from it. When the teacher mentioned the book to the class, six people wanted copies. Happily, I found that many copies in the "signed books" box in my garage. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">. . . Such a sad fact that I did not think to have Dad sign<em> all</em> of the stockpiled books while he was able! Last Christmas, he signed about seventy cards (“Grandpa Willard,” “Uncle Burleigh,” etc.). It took him a couple sessions. It was not long afterwards that he was unable to even endorse a check. Now that Dad has graduated to heaven, a signed book is a precious commodity.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But let me tell you more about his book (one of five we prepared for publication while he lived with me). It is a unique study of the book of Revelation. A long-time friend of Dad’s, Bishop Emeritus Robert F. Andrews, of the Free Methodist Church of North America, describes it this way:</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>As I read Overcoming with Christ, all in one sitting, I seemed to hear a great choir in the background. Like the King of England listening to Handel’s Messiah, I want to stand! </em><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>While other scholars have approached the last book of the Bible with slide-rule and calculator, hoping to decipher a “playbook” for the “End Days,” Willard inductively uncovers a “Divine Oratorio” that not only enabled early Christians to sing victoriously while being thrown to the lions in the Roman Coliseum, but also assures overcoming victory to the followers of Jesus who face the evil forces of Satan in our lives today. </em></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And that’s truly what the book is like—inspiring, encouraging. It is a helpful read for individuals . . . and a valuable resource for a group bible study. Incidentally, when my sister, Emily, used it for a bible study, she designed study sheets to use with it. Dad also handed out a couple worksheets to members of a class he taught in my church. These <a href="http://wlmlbooks.com/works/434853/overcoming-with-christ">study materials</a> are available for individuals or groups.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It makes my day to know that Dad’s books are still going out to spread the word about the Revelation message he loved so well.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-14007616798408511502011-09-12T16:46:00.009-05:002011-09-12T16:56:42.474-05:00Wisdom from Ivan TaitF<span style="font-family: Calibri;">or weeks, our pastor had announced that <a href="http://www.whatmattersmm.org/index.php">Ivan Tait</a> would be preaching at our church on a Sunday morning in July. People who had heard him “last year” in Springfield made it seem as if this would be quite an event. </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I saw what they meant. . . .</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Half-Mexican and half-Scottish, Ivan conveyed an unusual depth of godliness and love for the physically and spiritually needy. His message to our church was so rich in one-line zingers, I was hard-pressed to jot them all down. Here is one I captured:</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
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</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8z0ysF66wti5dm5G2IxWll193ie1xvc5AP8vdBbkOeeMDs1JasyxPK1eSM2S38e1CWeAF9piswFC48uP5EeB9gMuNuSNmq3_HK9NmOoZEkfL1SLv_AFYW2glz5cDfrSOEiJrfKyG_nVq/s1600/U-turn+imagesCADGKSBY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8z0ysF66wti5dm5G2IxWll193ie1xvc5AP8vdBbkOeeMDs1JasyxPK1eSM2S38e1CWeAF9piswFC48uP5EeB9gMuNuSNmq3_HK9NmOoZEkfL1SLv_AFYW2glz5cDfrSOEiJrfKyG_nVq/s200/U-turn+imagesCADGKSBY.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="rg_hr">Image from bubbewisdom.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Our experience becomes our bible. </span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We need for the Bible to reinvent our experience.”</span></span><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I ponder his statement again, Isa. 55:9 comes to mind: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my [God’s] ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” That concept seems pretty obvious to me. So why do I look at God’s principles and commandments in the Bible and say, “Oh, that wouldn’t work in my situation”?</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I must think I know more than God. What if I respected and trusted him enough to do things his way? Ivan seems to have found out that a whole new world of experiences awaits me when I do.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-1498758978155738692011-08-30T12:03:00.003-05:002011-08-30T12:08:22.534-05:00Punching Bag or Ambassador?<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When you are at work, do you feel like a punching bag? Are you an employee your supervisor loves to hate? </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you asked God how he feels about this? Here’s the answer King David discovered:</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfekY0m0Z4jCa-YXCGZYUTsduQQgLWpUR9KxmlfJHMCRq2NDWupG3f6YsGiDMrBVREzySjC624hXV2ePQehGBnK4lhPoPNywsjv7uH9VgbdNKGZclGpPoN8u6-oReJZcuzjjh0toEbEh2C/s1600/Thumbs+Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfekY0m0Z4jCa-YXCGZYUTsduQQgLWpUR9KxmlfJHMCRq2NDWupG3f6YsGiDMrBVREzySjC624hXV2ePQehGBnK4lhPoPNywsjv7uH9VgbdNKGZclGpPoN8u6-oReJZcuzjjh0toEbEh2C/s1600/Thumbs+Up.jpg" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my distress I called to the LORD; <br />
I cried to my God for help. <br />
From his temple he heard my voice; <br />
my cry came before him, into his ears. <br />
The earth trembled and quaked, <br />
and the foundations of the mountains shook; <br />
they trembled because he was angry (Psa. 18: 6-7). </span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t know about you, but I was surprised when I read this psalm and realized that the Lord cares that passionately about his children.</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what are you asking the Lord to do for you? Immediately remove you from that situation? Miraculously change your employer’s attitude toward you? Take your boss out with a heart attack and bring in one who appreciates you? </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How about asking for . . . comfort? Before you say, “I need a whole lot more than that!” let me explain that comfort includes a whole lot more than we normally think. </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">God’s comfort not only heals hurt feelings and damaged self-esteem, it<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> strengthens</i>. In fact, the second part of the word “comfort” comes from the Latin word “fortis,” which means <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">strong</i>. If you receive comfort from the Lord each time someone mistreats you, you will eventually become so strong on the inside that you will no longer feel humiliated when people harass you. </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If all you ask the Lord is to help you escape each difficult situation . . . well, there will always be another one. With the inner strength that Christ gives, you can be an overcomer in any situation.</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></i></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8:35, 36).</i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And here’s another reason to let the Holy Spirit (the “Comforter”) make you strong—and it’s a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very important </i>reason. The Lord has called us to be his ambassadors to hurting, ugly people. </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. . . God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:19-20).<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">How are we going serve as ambassadors without going where messed-up people are, rubbing shoulders with them, and showing them God’s love? And here is how we show his love:<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jesus said, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matt. 5:44-45).</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The apostle Paul said, “Bless</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> those who persecute you; <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">bless</span> and do not curse” <span class="keywordresultextras">(</span></span></i></span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12:13-15&version=31"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Romans 12:13-15</span></span></i></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="keywordresultextras"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">).</span></i></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The apostle Peter said, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Pet. 3:9). </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (1 Pet. 2:12).</span></span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s a strategy that will take your “enemies” by surprise. It will open their hearts to learning about the God whose love—and strength—they see in you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-30983257191943283622011-07-22T18:15:00.034-05:002011-08-05T16:33:50.134-05:00The Way Out<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Are you a fan of A. A. Milne's books about Christopher Robin and his stuffed animal friends? If so, you will enjoy the new Winnie the Pooh movie. A subplot of the story (I won't give away the main plot) has Winnie the Pooh helping to dig a pit to trap a fearsome (imaginary) animal. As one might expect, Pooh and all his friends fall into it themselves. However--as one might also expect--by the end of the story, they escape from the pit, their other problems are beautifully solved, and they seem poised to live happily ever after. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY65rOQ8hErqOdBS6drqkhoPNc74dHqmpbtrxW2au4GKFvsA1lqhUrWljJsK_xQmVKeXhauZaJobW0vjFHz_0tPbP7qRIdfpUfp9QZdypXfpZjIekD0it3stbWpXJFrb_t6FTzlexc3OG8/s1600/Deep+pit+%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY65rOQ8hErqOdBS6drqkhoPNc74dHqmpbtrxW2au4GKFvsA1lqhUrWljJsK_xQmVKeXhauZaJobW0vjFHz_0tPbP7qRIdfpUfp9QZdypXfpZjIekD0it3stbWpXJFrb_t6FTzlexc3OG8/s200/Deep+pit+%25233.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Can you and I escape as easily from the deep pits we might be in? Probably not. But Pooh and his companions did something that anyone in a pit should do. They looked up a lot . . . not down. The one thing we can't afford to do is focus on our problems and our feelings. Of course, we need to consider the situation carefully and make a plan for fixing it. However, once we've made that plan, we'd better get on with life, as much as possible. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Dwelling continually on fixing your problems or healing your heart will not make it happen any faster. In fact, the more you focus on them, the more miserable and hopeless you’ll become. Focus on where you want to go, not the place you want to leave. Focus on the things you were created to focus on—God and others. As you put your trust in God and follow him, you will find your pit getting shallower and shallower.</div></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em> <span style="font-size: small;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-16461"><strong>5</strong></sup> Trust in the LORD with all your heart <br />
and lean not on your own understanding; <br />
<sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-16462"><strong>6</strong></sup> in all your ways submit to him, <br />
and he will make your paths straight (Prov. 3:5-6).</span></em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em> <span style="font-size: small;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-16509"><strong>18</strong></sup> The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, <br />
shining ever brighter till the full light of day (Prov. 4:18).</span></em> </span>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-27634497781325119002011-07-11T16:15:00.008-05:002011-08-05T16:36:32.933-05:00Helpful Truth<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">A thought that just gelled for me a few days ago:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6oWpus4a-QmeutHjtKOa209TrEFPPn9GkYiL5yCn0vQX_zEHSdiUMMmjoGpUA_8rmNrmekNJzYgFJbP5sGs3uA4wVogU1iz5uv6kkNTj5foKsQAUgA0jIGRIPSeVOuRZHW5Y4AcWTQcm/s1600/Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6oWpus4a-QmeutHjtKOa209TrEFPPn9GkYiL5yCn0vQX_zEHSdiUMMmjoGpUA_8rmNrmekNJzYgFJbP5sGs3uA4wVogU1iz5uv6kkNTj5foKsQAUgA0jIGRIPSeVOuRZHW5Y4AcWTQcm/s200/Bridge.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The truth, not spoken in love, comes across like a battering ram. Love is the bridge between me and others, which allows the truth I speak to walk across, looking like a friend. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to make the love felt? I will need to preface my statements with “I don’t want to offend you,” or “May I say something as a friend?” or “May I make a suggestion?”--spoken with friendly ease. </span></span><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. . . that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Eph. 4:14-16).</span></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Notice that the apostle Paul refers to growth twice in this passage--and that <em>both times</em> he links it with love. So, it's not just speaking truth to others that causes them to flourish--it must be mixed with love.</span>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-45573763149924250932011-06-21T16:09:00.003-05:002011-06-21T16:15:12.599-05:00Adult Children<em>Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it (Mark 10:15 NIV).</em><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_ygVsdBEsQZoldNdyAkTI16QtAFQ2PkgAYyOB9N0q5TpK81NGViUtxi0D7tNYChC6_g9CrPTyyhRO260EKLMnFBBvMJx01qFL_nFcKgIa_Sh6T_fum9h4V3YTPVr2JhCXvpU0_AQLIfW/s1600/helping+Mom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_ygVsdBEsQZoldNdyAkTI16QtAFQ2PkgAYyOB9N0q5TpK81NGViUtxi0D7tNYChC6_g9CrPTyyhRO260EKLMnFBBvMJx01qFL_nFcKgIa_Sh6T_fum9h4V3YTPVr2JhCXvpU0_AQLIfW/s200/helping+Mom.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>Children are well aware of their dependency and are comfortable with it—as long as the adults in their lives are reasonable and caring. We adults are not so different. Life is less perplexing and overwhelming when we have a wiser, more capable Person to depend on.<br />
<br />
<em>"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7 NIV).</em><br />
<br />
Children love to be mommy’s or daddy’s little helpers. Adults, too, are highly motivated to work well when they are working for someone they esteem and emulate. And we all <em>are </em>working for such a Person, regardless of who our earthly supervisors or clients are. <br />
<br />
<em>Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Col. 3:23 NIV). </em><br />
<br />
I believe I will take a good look at children this week. The closer I get to being an adult child, the better I will relate to my King.<br />
<br />
<em>Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it (Mark 10:15 NIV).</em>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-73964660129880290452011-06-11T16:49:00.015-05:002011-06-21T16:12:07.428-05:00A Quick Fix or The Real Deal?Do you know anyone who is angry with God? Disillusioned with him because he didn’t answer their prayers? My heart sinks when I meet such a person because it’s such a tough situation to be in—with no guarantees of a satisfactory outcome unless the person is willing to look beyond their confusion and disappointment and check out God’s view of the situation. <br />
<br />
The best way I can explain what I mean is with this illustration: <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lR14CWELYnHdcbxIZz7G2rCCjuT0fXw9HmXdJbNkWqaoBu45HRxa2mjRHZ0X7MfJjkkdVyOmtCDg5V9CF69wGkGOHF_J-fQTSjtxQJQKX18iyLplC1X4DS-6COEq0g3qKKBWnJwAssd8/s1600/car00707_small%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lR14CWELYnHdcbxIZz7G2rCCjuT0fXw9HmXdJbNkWqaoBu45HRxa2mjRHZ0X7MfJjkkdVyOmtCDg5V9CF69wGkGOHF_J-fQTSjtxQJQKX18iyLplC1X4DS-6COEq0g3qKKBWnJwAssd8/s1600/car00707_small%255B1%255D.jpg" t8="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: <a href="http://www.freeimages.co.uk/">http://www.freeimages.co.uk/</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>A man takes his car to his mechanic and asks him to change the brake pads. An hour later, the mechanic calls him back and says that his brake pads are fine, but he needs . . . . The owner of the car angrily asks him what he was doing poking around in his car instead of doing what he asked him to do. Then he demands that he install new brake pads.</em></div><br />
<em>The story could end in one of two ways. The mechanic could politely refuse, saying that’s not what the car needed. The owner would then complain to everyone at his office that the mechanic had the nerve to refuse to work on his car.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Or, the mechanic could have gone ahead and installed brake pads. When the owner drove off in his car and experienced the same problems, he would call the mechanic up, accusing him of putting in defective pads. When the mechanic said they were perfectly fine brake pads but they weren’t what the car needed, the owner could petulantly say that he wasn’t much of a mechanic if he couldn’t give him what he <strong>wanted</strong> and make it work for him.</em> <br />
<br />
How about it? Will we be angry when he doesn’t go along with our desire for a quick fix? Or—when our ways fail—will we get back on the road with him and see where he leads us? <br />
<br />
<em>There is a way that appears to be right,</em><br />
<em>but in the end it leads to death (Prov. 14:12 NIV). </em><br />
<em> </em><br />
<em>The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, </em><br />
<em>shining ever brighter till the full light of day (Prov. 4:18 NIV).</em>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-70964068597937403792011-06-03T11:46:00.009-05:002011-06-18T17:03:04.992-05:00FreedomHow do you see freedom? Several days ago I saw two images that represented different conceptions of freedom:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7YU0B3HovpTBCmY2cgwlpT0gmlJII1wHI_3tffil-Z1Bn47cKTfKgnc1POZ23h1EHbjk1K03wO_zBf9sr-5WuH9MzcDvZkat1rbmd1geuEMlYZcJug1njAmTnOznTXtebpi8E8K-PMNq/s1600/Mt+stream_Gatlnbrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7YU0B3HovpTBCmY2cgwlpT0gmlJII1wHI_3tffil-Z1Bn47cKTfKgnc1POZ23h1EHbjk1K03wO_zBf9sr-5WuH9MzcDvZkat1rbmd1geuEMlYZcJug1njAmTnOznTXtebpi8E8K-PMNq/s200/Mt+stream_Gatlnbrg.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i>A marsh has total freedom. It spreads out, going wherever it desires. But it’s shallow and sluggish. It represents freedom from restraint and freedom to chill and relax.</i></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><i>A river follows a course laid out for it by its banks. But, oh, how it leaps and roars and sings! It represents freedom from distractions—freedom to focus and go somewhere. </i></div><br />
To my surprise, these thoughts turned into a poem, which I believe I'll send somewhere. (Maybe it will be published. I’ll let you know.) <br />
<br />
In the meantime, what are<i> your</i> pictures for freedom?Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-230859684977126642011-04-18T18:30:00.022-05:002011-06-21T17:05:43.828-05:00Remembering Dad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs766ExoLavBkpJcm6auHQOiKHLVIPPCWLWykTnYVvXxzUoV-MCTxk-1LkHugBqOA1mmqo52CSoPA18ZAPvsUfslqlkZdjE_o3RVgwxF41aiFxOZ1GjvOX0kgxEbNEbGgQEixExis2x4_n/s1600/Dad+w%2527+student.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs766ExoLavBkpJcm6auHQOiKHLVIPPCWLWykTnYVvXxzUoV-MCTxk-1LkHugBqOA1mmqo52CSoPA18ZAPvsUfslqlkZdjE_o3RVgwxF41aiFxOZ1GjvOX0kgxEbNEbGgQEixExis2x4_n/s200/Dad+w%2527+student.jpg" width="200" /></a><em>My father, F. Burleigh Willard Sr., went to be with the Lord on March 16, 2011. As a missionary Bible teacher for 40 years, Dad influenced whole generations of Christian leaders in the Dominican </em> </div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>Republic and Mexico. But his influence was not just in what he taught, but in how he lived. </em><em>That is reflected in the following memory of Dad. It is in fictionalized form, as written for a Christian Writers Guild assignment (For example, my sister would have been about ten when this happened. She would not have spoken in such an infantile fashion); however, the substance of the story and many details are true.</em></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">“There are holes in the wall,” my little sister, Emily, said. </div><br />
“Huh?” I said, turning and looking up at the front of the newly-dedicated church south of the border. “Those aren’t<em> holes</em>,” I informed her. “They’re glass blocks. They’re for decoration.”<br />
<br />
I took another look at the building. I was pretty impressed with it, myself. Its façade was broad and tall enough to grab anyone’s attention, I thought, and the regular array of glass blocks made you look twice. It was different . . . interesting. Then there were the stairs leading up from street level to the church. They were as wide as the building and there were—a lot of them. Quite a climb. They gave the impression that the church was positioned in a lofty place—like heaven. I wouldn’t want anyone to know that a fifteen-year-old had such thoughts, but that’s kinda the feeling it gave me.<br />
<br />
Maybe it was the whole occasion that had put me in that frame of mind. It was Easter Sunday. Now, Easter Sunday in Mexican mission churches is always a glorious experience—not because of pageantry, but because of the heartfelt celebration of people awakened out of darkness by the risen Lord. But this service was over the top. <br />
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It was not only Easter; it was the climax of an evangelistic crusade in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, 175 south of our home in Nogales, Arizona. Dad had taken his students from Nogales Bible School to Hermosillo to serve as choir members and counselors during the crusade. So on Sunday, the new Hermosillo church overflowed with new converts, bible school students, pastors from around Mexico, and American missionary families—like us.<br />
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There he was. My head turned to follow the wiry, black-headed man who had testified so powerfully before being baptized. His traditional Catholic family disowned him when he gave his life to Christ last week, but—seemingly—that had barely fazed him. Christ was so worth it. I wondered if I would ever love the Lord that much.<br />
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The steps were getting crowded now. Pastor Diego Sanchez—the pastor of this promising new church—walked up to my dad. As they talked, I watched the mixture of people now swarming the steps. Poorly-dressed worshippers from the nearby barrios mingled with neatly-dressed students from the bible school and Mexican pastors and businessmen in suits. Different from the uniformly simple folk who filled the rural and small-town mission churches I was used to visiting with my family.<br />
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“<em>Hermano</em> [Brother] Ruben,” Pastor Sanchez called out. A roly-poly, brown-skinned man turned, face lighting up. <br />
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“<em>Hermano</em> Willard,” Pastor Sanchez said to my father, “This is one of our new converts. He lives just down the street from the church.”<br />
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“<em>Mucho gusto, mucho gusto</em> [pleasure to meet you],” the man said repeatedly, practically bowing as he shook my dad’s hand. <br />
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“He gave his life to Christ on the first night of the crusade last week, and by the end of the week his whole family was attending with him,” Pastor Sanchez told my dad, as the man beamed and looked nervously from Dad to Pastor Sanchez and back again.<br />
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“<em>Si, si</em>,” the man said. “We heard about Christ like never, <em>never</em> before. We come now to this church. We need to know more. <br />
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“The Catholic Church—we’ve always gone there. Every Sunday . . . the holy days . . . the processions—you know. But now—we come here.”<br />
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“My cousin—he is a priest. And my daughter—she wanted to become a nun . . .”<br />
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Pastor Sanchez began to shift uneasily. The man rambled on. . . .<br />
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Suddenly, I understood. To this man, my father and Pastor Sanchez were great men. He didn’t know how to act in their presence, but did want to keep their attention as long as possible. <br />
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Brother Sanchez excused himself and moved away. I looked at my father. He smiled vaguely but kindly as the monologue continued. <br />
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“In the Church—the Catholic Church, you know—I know it’s not the only church . . . well, anyway—only the priests had Bibles,” the man was saying. “Now--I have a Bible. I read something yesterday—we have to obey all authorities. So, I guess the stupid laws—not just the good ones—we have to obey them.”<br />
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My father’s face became animated. “That’s right, Brother. You have understood that correctly.” The man looked surprised, then stood up a little straighter.<br />
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“The Scripture explains,” my dad continued, “that God puts people in authority. So when we cooperate with them, we are honoring God. <br />
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“Keep reading your Bible. It will change your life.” My dad shook the man’s hand, and walked away.<br />
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<br />
“Why is that man still staring at Daddy?” Emily asked as we headed in Mom’s direction. <br />
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“Dad . . . made him feel important,” I said. "He acted like he was the same as one of the pastors."<br />
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<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My head had been spinning from all the inspiring things that had happened that day, but now my heart was touched. I had seen a little bit of Christ in my Dad's attitude toward this awkward man. I felt that I would—from now on—treat people differently because of it.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs766ExoLavBkpJcm6auHQOiKHLVIPPCWLWykTnYVvXxzUoV-MCTxk-1LkHugBqOA1mmqo52CSoPA18ZAPvsUfslqlkZdjE_o3RVgwxF41aiFxOZ1GjvOX0kgxEbNEbGgQEixExis2x4_n/s1600/Dad+w%2527+student.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-64114131885689840062011-04-16T08:19:00.003-05:002011-06-21T16:14:23.226-05:00Confession of an Achievement-Oriented Person #1I tend to be an achievement-oriented person. It used to be one of my chief frustrations to not complete every single project on my "To Do" list for the day. It was much easier to dive into a task than to wait for the Lord to have input (let alone leadership) in it. Yes, that was pretty presumptuous for a person who had supposedly given her life to the Lord, and I realized it, but it took the Holy Spirit's intervention to get me off dead center and become a different me. It has taken about six years, since I got serious about it--but that's a short time compared to the decades I spent previously, knowing I wasn't very "spiritual."<br />
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I don't mean to say that I have completely arrived, but a few months ago I noted that a shift is taking place in my in my basic motivations. Accomplishments alone do not satisfy; I need to do things in fellowship with the Lord. This morning I realized how I had arrived at that point: by experiencing partnership with God often enough to develop an appetite for it.<br />
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I now believe that's how all true spiritual growth occurs--by desire born of much tasting. (Or hunger for something that seems superior to what we now have.) Yes, my default personality came in handy in determining that I wanted to change. But then I impeded progress by trying to engineer transformation (by praying harder, spending more time reading the Bible, etc.--which could have been highly fruitful if my heart had been connected with the Holy Spirit as I did so). Gradually, I learned to<em> respond</em> to the Lord instead of always <em>initiating</em>. At first, learning this new style was as painful as pulling teeth--and very sporadic. But once I perceived that I was changing from a perpetual motion machine into a person of peace and focused effort, my old habits began to give way to my new appetite for following the Lord.<br />
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To try to become more spiritual because we "ought to" is like trying to fall in love with a random stranger. Love grows by itself--one incident and one shared experience at a time. It's just the same for coming into closer partnership with God.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em>"Taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psa. 34:8 NIV).</em></div>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-52665269363678118052010-12-13T14:24:00.002-06:002011-04-16T15:21:48.479-05:00UNENDING JOY"VITA" read the sign. It is the Latin word for <em>life</em>, and there it was--in large, enthusiastic letters . . . on the wall of the catacombs—the sewer system tunnels under the city of Rome where early Christians hid from persecution. <br />
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Life! What kind of life could one possibly have in a smelly sewer? <br />
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Probably the same life we’re all looking for: internal vitality and joy. When we think of our favorite things—is it the things themselves we’re seeking, really? Or is it the fulfillment and joy they give us? <br />
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We set our hearts on the next cruise, a new home, a chic outfit, a husband or wife, a baby, chairmanship of the board, a blue ribbon at the fair, or a best-selling book. Why? We desire the pleasure, delight, love, or fulfillment that they offer. So we continually run after one more experience for one more moment of feeling really alive and joyful.<br />
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It reminds me of Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well in Samaria. He told her that if she asked of him, he would give her water that would spring up eternally—unlike the water for which she had to return day after day to the well.<br />
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It was that eternal, living water that welled up inside the early Christians in the catacombs. It did not come from external sources, so changing circumstances could not cut off its supply. <br />
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Okay—but there is a mystery here. They had turned to Jesus, been born again and filled with his Spirit—but so have many of us. Why were they so much more full of life than we? <br />
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Here’s their secret: They had weaned themselves from a merely earthly lifestyle. They were living for Jesus and for his kingdom. In order to follow Jesus, they had turned loose of all they had once thought was necessary for happiness. In the process they had found greater and more constant life and joy than they had ever experienced before.<br />
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<em>For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it (Matt. 16:25).</em><br />
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<em>So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ . . . But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt. 6:31, 33).</em>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-11774728734181481452010-04-10T06:34:00.006-05:002010-04-10T16:52:30.748-05:00A Bigger Picture<em><span style="font-size:85%;">From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." . . .</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Jesus went thoughout Galileee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people (Matt. 4:17, 23).</span></em><br /><br /><br />The Good News, as I remember hearing it--from my earliest years to now--has always been a message of personal reconciliation with God. What a different flavor Jesus' good news carried! It was an invitation to join a new order of things. A heavenly order. His kingdom.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">. . . your kingdom come,</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">your will be done</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).</span></em><br /><br />Yes, those who believe on Jesus enter into a saving, sustaining, satisfying personal relationship with him--a very personal one, because he is a Shepherd-King. But the relationship is not primarily about "me and Jesus." A follower of Jesus is one of many citizens of his kingdom, one sheep in a large flock.<br /><br />Does this viewpoint make a difference? Does it illuminate some scriptures that have been puzzling up to now? Are you unhappy about giving up the strictly personal understanding of the gospel? Or does the kingdom view make the "good news" even better news? In what way?Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-65389445493674000472010-03-09T06:48:00.003-06:002010-03-09T07:25:14.558-06:00Come cleanI read this incident again a few days ago. This time, instead of leaving puzzled, I left with awe.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness" (Matt. 3:13-15a)</span></em><br /><br />Jesus knew and John knew and you and I know that Jesus did not require baptism. Baptism, as John preached it to the people, signified repentance and cleansing of sin. So what was sinless Jesus' purpose in participating in this rite?<br /><br />The first thing that struck me was a single word--<em>righteousness</em>. Jesus' first public act, the launching pad of his ministry, was to align himself with baptism to show how important sinlessness and righteousness was to him. God is holy!<br /><br />I also saw this: He who desires to preach should be clean himself.Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-84943454293664624992010-02-02T15:38:00.004-06:002010-02-02T16:14:26.047-06:00Ready--or Blindsided?Several days ago I was reading in Exodus 14 the account of the crossing of the Red Sea by Moses and the Israelites. I saw something which I have--for some reason--entirely missed before. When Pharaoh's chariots came thundering up behind the fugitive Israelites, trapping them between the army and the sea, Moses was not thrown into panic like the rest of his compatriots. Was he just a clear-headed, courageous sort of man? No--here's what I noticed: God had told him ahead of time what would happen. In fact, he had instructed him to lead the people in an seemingly random path to give Pharaoh the idea that they were confused and would be easy prey for his troops. So, when the Israelites spotted the Egyptian army, and the people accosted Moses with their terrified accusations, he had a ready answer:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Ex. 14:13-14).</span></em><br /><br />Actually, his answer had more information in it than what is recorded in the Lord's message in verses 1-4. I'm curious--did verses 1-4 just leave out some of what the Lord said in his initial message? or was Moses hearing more on the inside as he spoke to the people?<br /><br />Either way, this narrative portrays a God who is gracious to prepare us for whatever lies ahead. The key to being ready instead of being blindsided is to follow him, consult him , and listen to him. Those who were panic-stricken were following Moses (but with no real conviction); they were following their countrymen (because they dare not stay behind in Egypt); they were following whatever seemed the least threatening at the moment (which changed constantly). They never entered into the soul rest of those who lifted their eyes a little higher than people and circumstances to find and follow God. The minority who did--like Joshua and Caleb--seemed to hear him too.Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-10243694505133535112009-09-25T08:16:00.002-05:002009-09-25T08:30:13.168-05:00Just come<div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Before I was afflicted, I went astray, </span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">but now I obey your word (Psa. 119:67).</span></em></div><br />When I was afflicted, some years ago, by a failing marriage, I came to the Lord regularly, wondering when he would get tired of my coming to him for me, me, me and problems, problems, problems. But at least I was coming to the right place, and I was contacting him--from the heart--far more often than usual. Gradually, a desire to know him and be consumed by his purposes began to dawn.Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-71792536753223652542009-04-01T16:06:00.002-05:002009-04-01T16:20:02.955-05:00This little light of mine<em><span style="font-size:85%;"> "Arise, shine, for your light has come,</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.<br /> See, darkness covers the earth</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> and thick darkness is over the peoples,</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> but the LORD rises upon you</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> and his glory appears over you.<br /> Nations will come to your light,</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> and kings to the brightness of your dawn (Isa. 60:1-3).<br /></span></em><br />In the past, when I have read this passage, I have envisioned a time of especially great grace for the church, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit which will cause believers to be filled with the glory of the Lord. I still believe that. However, the political and economic circumstances have caused me to see this phenomenon in a new light. I am noticing that in the above prophecy, a glorious light rises on God’s people <em>at a time when</em> thick darkness envelopes the (rest of) the earth.<br /><br />Could it be that one factor in this brightening of believers is that light appears much brighter in darkness? Automobile headlights which barely show up at high noon are practically blinding once night falls. And, in the dark, even a small light is visible from a distance. I am aware of this because of an object lesson I observed a number of years ago. Our pastor instructed the ushers to turn off all of the lights in the sanctuary. Then he lit a match. In the dark, that pinpoint of light flared up brightly—to the farthest row of pews. Even a small amount of light is conspicuous in the dark.<br /><br />So what is it about a believer that shows up as light? This verse contains a clue:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe (Phil. 2:14-15).<br /></span></em><br />A cheerful, willing attitude in the midst of low morale. Honesty instead of corruption. Peace rather than anxiety. Helpfulness in place of self-centeredness. None of these spring up automatically in those of us who follow Christ. We become more and more like him by seeking and praying, by trusting and obeying.<br /><br />It may seem that our small daily choices, our trust and our loyalty to the Lord are unseen, private matters. We may forget how different these attitudes are from those of people around us. But to those watching us, the bright contrast is unmistakable.<br /><br />Then . . . let disaster strike. Let the moral climate spiral to all-time lows. How do simple displays of goodness appear then? They blaze up gloriously. Those who observe this distinctively godly behavior no longer simply say, “How commendable.” In their dark uncertainty and fear, they are irresistibly drawn to the brightness of this light. It stirs up hope. It challenges them to better things. They begin to crave the glory of God in their own lives.<br /><br />In these unnerving times, following close to the Lord is much more than a matter of survival. It is a prime way for each of us to arise and shine. In the dark, even small amounts of light in us will brilliantly show forth the glory of the Lord. Let's be ready to introduce to the Lord those who come to the brightness of our rising.Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-88321399021322969602009-03-15T21:39:00.003-05:002009-03-15T21:49:42.340-05:00Chosen<em><span style="font-size:85%;">When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. . . . When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" . . .<br /><br />When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. . . .<br /><br />As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed (Mark 5:2-3, 6-8, 15, 18-20).<br /></span></em><br />I have often considered the last part of this story to be no more than an epilogue—a small glimpse into the aftermath of a mighty miracle. But the last time I read this narrative, I was struck by the significance of this exchange between the healed demoniac and Jesus. The newly-delivered man, full of gratitude and love did not want to be separated so soon from Jesus. He wanted to join the group of disciples who traveled with him. Instead, Jesus sent him on an important mission to his home town. My heart sank with empathy at the thought of his disappointment. Then I realized: this is an example of the fact that <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">heaven’s agenda often messes with earth’s.</span></strong> And my heart was awed by the honor of being chosen for heaven’s. The healed demoniac was not being held off at arm’s length by Jesus. He was being invited into the fellowship of doing the will of the Father.Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-61239146979310248282009-03-04T08:00:00.002-06:002009-03-05T17:35:48.487-06:00The luck of the IrishWhere did this expression come from, anyway? As I review my limited knowledge of the history of the Irish people, I don’t see a lot of luck—not good luck, that is.<br /><br />Take the Potato Famine of the mid-1800’s in which 20% to 25% of the population of Ireland either starved or emigrated. Oh . . . but that was back in the old country. Perhaps those who immigrated to America met with better fortune? No, not at all. They were rejected, exploited, and ridiculed. They lived in extreme poverty, endured back-breaking labor, and accepted employment that was only considered suitable for servants and slaves. Some luck!<br /><br />But they persisted in pursuing a better life. They banded together to protect themselves and teach their tormentors a lesson. They worked hard at becoming Americans. And they succeeded! Next to Washington and Lincoln in the hearts of our people stands the memory of our first Irish American president, John F. Kennedy. Was that the “luck of the Irish”? I think not. It was determination, spunk, and hard work that won the Irish a place in this country.<br /><br />And not just a place, but an honored place. The St. Patrick’s Day parades that they held to declare—to themselves, if no one else—that they were proud to be Irish, caught on. It illustrates the concept “Respect yourself and others will respect you.”<br /><br />Are the Irish lucky? I’d call them <em>plucky</em>. On the 17th of this month, how about celebrating the PLUCK OF THE IRISH?<br /><div align="center"><br /><em><strong>Plucky</strong>: having or displaying courage and </em></div><div align="center"><em>spirited </em><em>resourcefulness in trying circumstances.<br /></em></div>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-30429461157280566132009-02-27T16:12:00.005-06:002009-02-27T16:30:16.810-06:00Fragrance or Stench?<em><span style="font-size:85%;">. . . if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chron. 7:14).</span></em><br /><br />I had never thought about this Scripture in the way that Shirley—a fellow church member—expressed it last night in prayer meeting. She said that when we share the gospel with someone or stand against corruption in our community, but have ungodly attitudes or behavior in ourselves, we hinder our listeners from accepting what we say and what we stand for. Of course! Why would a person take seriously our message that they need to change if there are obvious ways in which we haven’t allowed the Lord to change us?<br /><br />Shirley further pointed out that this verse lists <strong>several </strong>things that God requires of us if we want him to heal our land: 1) humbling ourselves, 2) praying, 3) seeking God’s face, and 4) turning from our wicked ways. We tend to concentrate on #2, she said, and ignore the others. No wonder we don’t see more answers to our prayers!<br /><br />As I have considered these four mandates, it becomes clearer and clearer to me why all four are essential. If we are not <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">seeking God’s face</span></strong>—really getting to know him, learning how he sees things, and letting his attitudes rub off on us—we won’t even <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">pray </span></strong>the right prayers. For example, we might very well be praying for God to destroy “those wicked people” who are perverting our community. But the Lord is not willing that any should perish. He wants us to pray that they will be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Or we might pray the right thing out of a wrong motive. For example, have you ever prayed for someone to be saved so that they will not be so hard to get along with? If so, do you really love them in a way that will draw them to the Lord?<br /><br />Also, when praying about the wickedness of others, what about the <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">humility</span></strong> to recognize that we ourselves are not perfect? Is that not critical? Have you or I ever lied to smooth a situation over instead of solving it? Have we ever looked out for our own interests and ignored those of others? Have we ever struggled with moral issues? Then are we so different from lying politicians, self-serving bosses, and immoral people? If we do not remember that we too are captive to sinfulness without the grace of God—if we are not willing to confess and leave behind every bad habit and wrong motive of our own, we will not give off the sweet aroma of the nature of Jesus. Instead, we will give off the stench of hypocrisy.<br /><br />Shirley’s final insight was this: If all we see in 2 Chron. 7:14 is that WE SHOULD PRAY for revival in our land, then we are thinking that OUR efforts (our prayers) are the most important factor in bringing change. But this verse says that GOD will heal our land. What is our part in this? Well, we don’t really have a part unless we recognize that we too need to <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">turn from our wicked ways</span></strong>, to be <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">forgiven</span><strong> </strong></span>and healed! When we humbly remember what God has had to redeem us from in the past and admit that we still fall far short of what honors him, then he can forgive us and continue the transformation into his likeness. Then we will know how he wants us to pray, and we will be a help, instead of a hindrance, in changing the world around us. In short, it’s not about our herculean efforts to help God save the world. It’s not even about realizing our own sins and trying to be better. It’s all about looking to his great grace*—to transform us, and then to change the world.<br />____________<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*The best definition of grace, in this instance, is: </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>“Grace is the divine influence upon the heart, enabling us to do the will of God.”</em> </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">As the hymn title “Grace Greater Than Our Sin” implies, God’s influence on our hearts is more powerful than the stranglehold of our sinful habits and attitudes. Let's quit hanging on to them. Let's quit struggling to improve ourselves. Let's put ourselves into his hands, trust and cooperate with him, and let him complete the work he started when we first believed in him.</span>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-41193147663848860402009-02-20T09:00:00.001-06:002009-02-20T09:00:00.189-06:00The best gift<em><span style="font-size:85%;">If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13).</span></em><br /><br />This is how Jesus concluded his response to his disciples’ request to teach them how to pray. First, he gave them "The Lord’s Prayer." He followed that by an illustration of a man successfully receiving assistance from his neighbor by persistent entreaty. He applied that to prayer by instructing his disciples to be persistent in asking, seeking, and knocking. Then he highlights the willingness of earthly fathers to give their children the good things they ask for, rather than something harmful. Finally, he concludes with the statement that God, who is far better than an earthly parent, will surely give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.<br /><br />I must admit that this statement has mystified me. I wonder how much Jesus’ disciples knew about the Holy Spirit and whether they had the remotest intention of praying to receive the Holy Spirit. I’m sure there were many other things for which they were interested in praying.<br /><br />Through the years, I’ve reasoned that Jesus was pointing out that if one has God, one has everything. That is, if one is rightly related to God, one can <em>“come boldly to the throne of grace, [to] obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).</em><br /><br />But today, my thoughts on this statement of Jesus’ took me somewhere else entirely. I had been reflecting on the joy-to-be-alive, security, sense of direction and purpose, fulfillment, and love that fill one’s inner landscape when living in communion with the Lord by his Spirit. I realized that this inner landscape is where we really live. Outer circumstances cannot override what is in one’s spirit. The best of circumstances cannot put a smile on the face of an insecure, grasping person; and the worst of circumstances cannot take the song out of the heart of a person whose <em>“mind is stayed on [God]” (Isa. 26:3 NKJV).<br /></em><br />The writer of Proverbs had a similar thought when he said<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,/But who can bear a broken spirit? (Prov. 18:14 NKJV).<br /></span></em><br />Truly, the glorious presence of the Holy Spirit within us is gift enough. He is a better answer than we usually ask for.Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-91136435613042460682009-02-13T09:00:00.001-06:002009-02-13T09:00:01.079-06:00The Main Event<em><span style="font-size:85%;">"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?<br /><br />"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt. 6:25-33).</span></em><br /><br />“. . . all these things (food and drink to sustain life and clothes to adorn the body)will be ADDED to you”—in other words, they’re NOT THE MAIN EVENT—they are add-ons. The main event, according to verse 33, is:<br /><br />· God’s kingdom—cooperating with God’s will coming to pass on earth as it is in heaven.<br />· God’s righteousness—allowing God to make things right on the inside of us and in the world around us, by letting his good and holy Spirit operate freely in and through us.<br /><br />Steven Covey, in his book <em>Seven Habits of Highly Effective People</em>, identifies four kinds of tasks that face us every day: tasks that are 1) not urgent and not important (like reading the comics sometime today), 2) urgent but not important (like catching a TV program that is coming on in 5 minutes), 3) not urgent but important (like teaching one’s children safety rules), and 4) urgent and important (like taking an injured child to the emergency room). [All of these examples are mine.] Covey points out that an effective person prioritizes. He puts first things first. He does not do the unimportant first so that there is no time left for the important. He makes the time for important things—even the ones that don’t have to be done yet.<br /><br />When I read <em>Seven Habits</em>, I was appalled to recognize that I wasted a lot of precious time creating things over again because I did not have a good enough filing system so that I could find my creations the next time I needed them. I found the time to get organized, and was rewarded by a less frantic life, with more leisure to do things creatively and well.<br /><br />How does this apply to Matt. 6:33? Most of mankind—even Christ-followers—have succumbed to investing almost all of their time and energy into what Jesus categorizes as not urgent and of lesser importance. According to his statement, “earning a living” will happen as an add-on if one puts one’s best time and energies into the Father’s business. This is hard for most of us to believe. It seems to be irresponsibly leaving the matter of providing the necessities of life “up in the air.”<br /><br />Here’s an example I read years ago of putting first things first, Jesus’ way:<br /><br />R. G. LeTourneau* was struggling one evening with a design problem. One of the machines that was essential to performing a task the next day, needed to be fitted with a part that would enable it to function differently. What kind of part would it take?<br /><br />It was almost time for a weekly meeting at church [I believe it was with a group of young people that he was leading], and he was no nearer to a solution than he had been all day. The design was urgent. He had to have an idea to implement by tomorrow. But, finally, he decided to honor his commitment to the Lord and to the church. . . . As he started home, later that night, the needed inspiration burst into his mind. Sitting down to his drawing board, he quickly sketched the perfect design.<br /><br />Obviously, we each need to ask the Lord exactly what the balance should be in our individual lives between godly priorities and earthly tasks. But one thing is certain, we will never get around to obeying God’s call to be about the Father’s business unless we purpose in our hearts to put that first.<br />___________________<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">* Available through Amazon.com: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/God-Runs-Business-Story-LeTourneau/dp/B000HLSCCK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233098866&sr=1-4"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#000000;">God Runs My Business; The Story of R. G. LeTourneau.</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> by Albert W. Lorimer and 77 (Paperback - 1941).</span>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-6915280294485902622009-02-08T17:17:00.005-06:002009-02-10T15:48:26.093-06:00Being known by himBob Sorge, in his life-changing book, <em>Secrets of the Secret Place</em>, arrested my attention with these words:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Someone once asked, “Do you know God?” But there’s a question that is far more important: Does God know you? The issue on the great day of judgment will not be whether you know God but whether God knows you.1</span></em><br /><br />This is the issue in the last three verses of the parable of the ten virgins. Two blogs ago, I investigated this parable in an effort to discover the secret of “THOSE WHO STAY FILLED.” I concluded that their secret is avoiding “second-hand religion” but instead drawing near to God and living by his Word—for themselves. In the next blog, I explored what it means to truly know God and stay alive in him, the way the five wise virgins were able to do. Now we come to the last three verses of the parable, which expose the critical matter of being known by God.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'<br /><br />"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'<br /><br />"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour . . .” (Matt. 25:11-13).<br /></span></em><br />These three verses are puzzling to most of us, I venture to say. A great deal of light is shed on them by Bob Sorge’s continued discussion of it:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">“But,” someone might counter, “I thought God knows everything about us anyways!”<br /><br />True, He does. But just because He sees certain dark rooms in our heart doesn’t mean we’ve invited His light into those dark rooms.2<br /></span></em><br />Have we failed to talk to God about our dreams, because we’re afraid he might not agree and might try to talk us out of them? Do we avoid discussing our attitudes with him, because we don’t want to change them—we feel so strongly that “this is part of who I am”? Do we “keep from him” our secret sins or sinful thoughts, because of the shame and condemnation we expect to feel in his presence?<br /><br />If so, we have completely misunderstood the type of relationship God invites us to. We are operating out of how we have learned to behave in human society. We have learned to reveal only a little about ourselves to other people. And there’s wisdom in that. Who knows what certain people will do with intimate knowledge about us? Who knows whether they will reject us, if they know our weaknesses and our past deeds? Who knows whether they really even want to hear about our dreams and our struggles? But God is different. His love is unconditional. His understanding is complete. Our secrets are safer with him than they are with us. We don’t know what to do with them. He does.<br /><br />Still, many of us might feel that mentioning ugly things about ourselves to God is as unseemly as wearing stained clothing in public. We may feel that it would be disrespectful to God to “wear our dirty laundry” before his eyes. But the Bible clearly states<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">He who conceals his sins does not prosper. . . (Prov. 28:13).<br /><br />If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault . . . (James 1:5)</span></em><br /><br />God is not surprised, shocked, or turned off by our sins and our shortcomings. He is frustrated by our unwillingness to admit the obvious and let him change us by his love and his grace. Being open with God about our sins and our lacks is the way to grow and prosper in our relationship with him. Peter is an example of an honest, transparent follower of Jesus. He blurted out what he was thinking countless times. He undoubtedly was expressing what the rest of the disciples were thinking—but they were too proud and too afraid of Jesus’ rejection to say so. And who prospered the most? Who grew by leaps and bounds in love for Jesus? Who dared to believe that he could do what Jesus did (like walking on water)? Who was admitted into Jesus’ closest circle of disciples? It wasn’t the careful, fearful ones who kept their thoughts to themselves. It was Peter, whose heart was an open book to the Lord.<br /><br />Consider, for example, an incident after Jesus’ resurrection, when the disciples were at loose ends, wondering what they were to do next. Peter didn’t hang around, trying to figure out the pious response to the situation. He said, “I’m going fishing!” This candor did not put a rift between him and the Lord. It actually set the stage for the Lord to meet him with the miracle of a super-abundant catch—and to commission him to “feed my sheep.”3 The Lord wants to meet us where we are. He can’t meet us when we’re pretending to be somewhere else.<br /><br />Bob Sorge, in speaking of Zecharias’ vision of the lampstand and the two olive trees,4 says this:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">What we really want is wider pipes. The pipes that carry the oil from the bowl to the seven lamps are critical to the degree of light emitted by the lampstand. If the pipes are open and unclogged, oil will flow freely to the flames of our hearts. When this admixture of oil (the word and the Spirit) flows into our hearts and sets us ablaze for Him, the kingdom will advance in and through our lives in staggering proportions. The issue is not, “Work harder!” The issue is, “Get oil!” The secret is: Apply yourself to enlarging your connection to the source of divine oil.5</span><br /><br /></em>Opening our innermost beings to the Lord greatly widens our pipes and enlarges our connection to the source of divine oil.<br /><br />How about it? Will we entrust ourselves to his love and let him know us? Much rides on our decision.<br />__________________<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">1Bob Sorge, <em>Secrets of the Secret Place</em> (Lee’s Summit, MO: Oasis House, 2001), p. 175.<br />2Bob Sorge, <em>Secrets</em>, p. 176.<br />3John 20<br />4Zech. 4:1-9<br />5Bob Sorge, <em>Secrets</em>, p. 207.</span>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4393613805338636042.post-44595500294637452872009-01-31T16:56:00.004-06:002009-02-07T16:04:04.546-06:00Knowing himToday’s thoughts are a follow-up to the previous blog (“THOSE WHO STAY FILLED”). How did the five wise virgins manage to have a constant supply of oil? First of all, what did the “oil” in the parable represent? Zechariah 4:1-9 gives a clear hint. In a vision, he saw seven lamps which were kept burning by a constant supply of oil piped in from two olive trees. The angel’s explanation of this vision was that it was “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” that the temple would be rebuilt. So the oil that supplied the lamps was the Spirit.<br /><br />How can a Christian have a personal supply of the oil of the Holy Spirit instead of having to depend on others to re-supply them? Actually, it’s not really a matter of not having the oil “on board.” The Holy Spirit indwells every believer. But, somehow, there are believers who are more greatly motivated by the Spirit than others. One way to understand this is by considering the example of buying a new product. Once you buy it, it is always available to you. However, this product does not begin doing you any good until you 1) study it—read the directions, try the controls, etc.—and 2) use it to perform some tasks for you. Every time you use it, you become better acquainted with the product’s capabilities and how best to operate it. Eventually, it will have changed your lifestyle to such a degree that you wonder what you ever did without it. . . . On the other hand, it might sit on your shelf and not benefit you in the least.<br /><br />This analogy falls down in the respect that we don’t “use” the Holy Spirit. We are his followers, making ourselves available to serve him and partner with him. However, in other respects, the above analogy is helpful because it points out that being indwelt by the Holy Spirit has minimal consequences in an individual’s life, unless that person takes it upon himself to <em>learn</em> all about him and to begin—in a daily, personal way—to <em>apply</em> his Word to his life and live in deliberate reliance on Him. As this believer interacts with the Lord in everyday living, his understand of how the Lord operates grows by leaps and bounds. Not only that, his kinship with the Lord deepens tremendously. The oil does not lie dormant in his heart, it flames up continually.<br /><br />A trademark of such a person is that her faith doesn’t have to be bolstered by someone else. While others are up one day and down the next, she has a fresh supply each day of the joy of the Lord. She has insights into the Word of God that sometimes run counter to what “everyone else in the church” says about it. She is confident in the knowledge of the Lord’s will for her.<br /><br />How is that different from other believers? Here are some contrasts:<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Keepers of the flame</span></strong> have such a rich personal history of God’s provision and grace that they are not dismayed by misfortune—they expect God to come through, as before, in his perfect way.<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Passive carriers of the oil</span></strong> are rocked by misfortune. When someone reminds them of God’s promises to help in time of need, they say, “I hope so,” in a tone that says that they don’t really.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Keepers of the flame</span></strong> read in the Word that liars will be thrown in the lake of fire, and react with the “fear of the Lord.” They begin to avoid little deceptions and evasions and whitewashing of the truth. They become confident and fearless witnesses of the Truth.<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Passive carriers of the oil</span></strong> read in the Word that liars will be thrown in the lake of fire, and say, “The Lord must not really mean this. After all, all of my Christian friends do it, and I’m sure we are all going to heaven--we have already accepted him as our Savior.” They become weak, compromised Christians.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Keepers of the flame</span></strong> keep their hearts open to the Lord’s leading and enabling in every aspect of their lives. They recognize opportunities to bring Life into everyday situations, and they perform even mundane tasks with divine inspiration and ability.<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Passive carriers of the oil</span></strong> are not aware of the Lord very often. They operate on the level of their own agenda, wisdom, and ability most of the time.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Keepers of the flame</span></strong> believe and depend on the Lord and his Word. They love to be in the presence of other believers and learn much from the preaching and testimonies of others. However, they are like the Bereans;* they do not accept anyone’s word as truth until they find out that it is supported by the Word and by the witness of the Holy Spirit.<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Passive carriers of the oil</span></strong> depend heavily on the teachings of their church and the (sometimes unspoken) beliefs of their Christian friends. They are mostly unaware that some of these are not Scriptural. They assume their friends know what the Bible says and that, therefore, it is safe to just follow their friends.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Keepers of the flame</span></strong> study every part of the Bible, meditating on the meaning of each passage and asking the Lord to show them how it applies to their own life.<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Passive carriers of the oil</span></strong> review the promises of God and other parts of the Bible that are popular in their church, but do not think too deeply about the rest. If they read something that seems to contradict what their church teaches, they tell themselves that there must be an explanation for this. Surely their church’s beliefs are not wrong.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Keepers of the flame</span></strong> are enchanted by the Lord and fellowship with him regularly.<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Passive carriers of the oil</span></strong> enjoy the worship and programs of their church—and sometimes sense the Lord’s presence too (usually during a good worship service).<br /><br />The list could go on and on. The common thread through all of these contrasts is this:<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Keepers of the flame</span></strong> interact eagerly, deliberately, and regularly with the Lord in fellowship and by considering his Word. They exemplify these two Scriptures:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken (Psa. 16:8 NIV).<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you (Psa 119:11 NIV).<br /></span></em><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Passive carriers of the oil</span></strong> trust, depend on, and follow many things more than they do the Lord and his Word. They think they are just not very spiritual. They doubt their ability to understand the Word themselves or to hear, and know and relate to God any better.<br /><br />Their pessimistic beliefs about their ability to follow God joyfully and fruitfully . . . are simply not true. Here’s what true:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. . . . Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:8, 10 NKJV).</span></em><br /><br />Here's my paraphrase for these verses: "make a point of getting to know God better for yourself. He will not hide from you. Purposely clear away the sins and confused thinking that keep you at a distance from him. Be like a child before him, in trust and dependence, and he will make you an amazingly strong and fruitful believer." You will be like the five wise virgins who had a personal—not second-hand—supply of the oil of the Holy Spirit—because you have come to truly KNOW HIM.<br /><br />And then, besides knowing him better, there’s another side to the wise virgins’ secret. For this, tune in to the next blog where we take a look at the last three verses of this parable.<br />________<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*Acts 17:11</span>Celia Milslaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14252608595505693403noreply@blogger.com0