I Give, Therefore I Love

There are few experiences in life as powerful and transformative as love.  And yet, there are few words as difficult to define.

Lucky for me I found the perfect mate.  We have an anniversary coming up at the end of this month.  We have had ups and downs as in most marriages.  I really have no words of wisdom to share on how to make a marriage perfect.  Two humans living together, bound by an oath, doesn’t make for perfection.  Yet here we are, still bound by love,

Contemporary Western culture is obsessed with love, particularly romantic love.  Movies, books, songs, advice columns, talk shows, tabloids.  We are saturated with images and stories of love lost, won, renewed and unrequited. 

And yet, when one compares the idealized version of love glorified in popular culture with the real statistics there is a sharply increasing divorce rate, broken families, and millions of chronically lonely people.  There is a profound disconnect between our idyllic expectations and actual reality. 

Love, therefore, is multifaceted and complex.  Our Lord demonstrated real love.  He preached love as well as lived it.  He was in fact teaching the precepts of the Hebrew word for love……….Ahavah. 

The Hebrew word, Ahavah, means to give.  Hebrew language is wonderful and complex.  Within each word are several layers of meaning.   Ahavah is derived from the word hav which means to give, revealing the Lord was teaching that love involves forgiveness and giving! 

Love is not all about you.  Real love calls us out of the confines of ourselves and into the wilderness of relationships!! 
It is a transformative experience that dethrones our egos and puts us to work in the fulfillment of the needs and desires of another.

True love then, is not about how you feel but it’s  how you make others feel when they are with you!! 

There is also another facet to the word Ahavah. 

Love is not primarily about how you feel but what you do!  It’s the doing that demonstrates true love. 

Jeshua (Jesus) commanded us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 23:39) How can we be commanded to feel something for those we don’t have feelings for?  One answer to that command is not to focus on our internal feelings but on external actions!

An old rabbi said.”  That which is hateful to you, do not do unto others.”  That’s the negative comment.  The positive one is “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Luke 6:31) Both apply.

Our feelings are secondary to our actions and how we treat and relate to others.  Feelings keep us focused on self; actions are what connect us to others. 

Since the root of the word Ahavah is based on giving, the philosophy then becomes…….the more we give the more we love!

In the final analysis, the emotional sensation we call love is, in fact, a creation generated by our thoughts, words, and deeds which cause us to put action into our emotions.   
                    I give therefore I love!  Ahavah!!!

                                       When I don’t feel like praying

I am not an early riser.  Just give me five minutes more under the covers.   I like rising before my husband.  It’s my chance to be alone with no TV and nothing to disturb me.  I also know it’s a good prayer time.  But I don’t feel like praying!! 

 I wake up unsure if I would rather return to an unconscious state or if I’m ready to re-enter the world of consciousness.  However, I bravely tip -toe into “reality” or at least my version of it. 

I pull out my Bible from the basket I keep at the kitchen table.  Do I want to go there…… do I want to enter into the world of the 1^st Century?  I love to study the Gospels but am I ready to really understand and pray while reading?  I love the Psalms also.  Most of them by David who pours his heart to God. 

Prayer is where I connect with those early disciples living and working with the Lord.  Prayer is not just asking for something.   Prayer is where I can enter the oneness of being with those early believers.  You could call it study but it’s also a type of prayer.  The rabbis call study the highest form of worship.

                              Study is worship!!  Study can be prayer!

To be honest, I’m usually more interested in my creature comforts.  I am on the fence about a new day.  I am still determining if I really agree with this whole thing called life.  It’s not easy is it?  Sometimes we are just spiritually weary. 

Should I check my inbox first?  Perhaps there is someone or something I need to know. Perhaps there is something there to inspire me to pray.

The early sages describe prayer as a “service of the heart.”  Prayer demands that we direct our minds and hearts to our Creator while contemplating the purpose of our lives as we ask for the means to fulfill our mission. 

The Word is to inspire me.  It’s how I really connect to the unseen world of God.  Through my reading the stories of the times and struggles of those early believers I am inspired.  They are real people living and working and praying.  I transport myself in time.  I read of the thousands that heard and saw the Lord.  Even though they lived and died 2000 years ago they come to life on the pages of my Bible. 

Now I know.  Praying isn’t easy but Its part of what I do and who I am.  Prayer gives me energy to face what the day brings.  It’s my morning caffeine. It is my lifeline and my way of being.

My soul is refreshed.   It is my choice to not just be up, but to be in a state of thankfulness and prayer. Prayer shouldn’t be just a one-time thing in the morning.  It’s a part of who we are as believers.  It’s seeing prayer as active in our lives.  It’s not audible but available.  It’s our connection to the Someone who really loves us. 

As Paul said………” Pray without ceasing.”   (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

                                                  Now I know what he means.             

                                    IT ALL STARTED WITH WORDS

I don’t know about you, but I love word games.  I enjoy playing Scrabble and Wordle.  There is an apt on my phone called Whirly Word.   There are only six letters, but the challenge is making these six letters into words.  Crossword puzzles have been around for years. 

But let’s go back to the beginning.  Gen 1:3 “And God said……….”  He started it all with words! 

Have you ever thought of a world without words?  Words are essential building blocks for all communication.  They can be used for good and or evil (think Hitler). Words are necessary to express our thoughts and feelings.  They communicate our wishes and desires.  What would we do without books in our lives? We can live vicariously through the characters….. their fears and challenges.    

In the last chapter of Deuteronomy, we read compelling words of Moses to the people as he was leading them to their new land.  The land of promise.  “Be  strong, be bold, don’t be afraid or frightened (of enemies) . For Adonai, your God is going with you.  He will never fail you or abandon you.” (Deut31:6-8)

These are powerful words and still speak to us today.  We are fearful. We fear what the future holds for us.  At times we are blindsided with fear.  We are indecisive in making decisions.  We are fearful of new challenges, new situations. What will the Dr tell me at my appointment tomorrow?

Moses said that God would be with His people and would protect them from “giants” in the land.  Perhaps our giants aren’t literal giants, but rather all the things that are out of our human control.

Winds of change come to each of us.  In 1849 the French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karl wrote, ”plus ca change, plus  c’est la meme chose,” which translated roughly means, “The more things change the more they stay the same.” The one thing in life we can expect is “change”.  Nothing ever remains the same. 

Words can comfort us.  Jesus/Jeshua told His followers “So I say to you do not worry about your life.”  (Matthew 6:25) These words give comfort to us also.  That’s where trust comes in.  We are not fearful.  We know the one who is in control but allows us freedom to choose.

You and I are to be encouragers.  We are to put actions into our words. As James said……. “ Faith without works is dead.”  (James 2:17) The Hebrew word is mitzvah. It’s a simple word that means “good deed.”  It’s a concept defined by acts of kindness.  Another word is Tikkun Olam.  Doing good deeds will help repair the world.   It’s what we do for others that counts. 

God put us here to be Doers of the Word.  Let not your ears be dull of hearing!!  Wise words express faith, truth, and kindness.   Put action into those words!

          God’s word is always the same yesterday, today and on into the future. 

       The Paradox of Free Will/ Between a Rock and Hard Place

Have you ever heard the old question about God creating a rock so heavy even He can’t lift it?  This was probably spoken as an idea that there are certain things or problems that God himself has created.   

For us, it is the problem of free will.  He has bestowed on us mortals the power of choosing.  With His unlimited power to supply life and knowledge He has chosen this paradox. 

                                  What is that paradox?

 It’s our free will to respect or ignore His authority yet He knows in advance what our choices will be!!

An old Jewish rabbi once said.  “All is foreseen, and permission is given.” Meaning there is a destiny that is known.  It is that way because God wills it to be that way. And yet, He gives you permission to arrive there by your own free will!  Pretty amazing stuff. 

Here’s the key: A paradox is not a blunder of logic.  What appears to us to be an irresolvable conflict of two aspects of our life we are forced to see a higher reality.  It is a discovery of the wonderful power of a paradox.  If everything would make sense to us, then we would not hold to the power of God.

 He alone knows the end from the beginning.  His thoughts are not the same as our thoughts nor His desires for us are often not what we desire.  Therefore, bad things do happen to good people.  We are unknowable about the paradox of good vs evil. It’s a paradox that mankind has been asking through the centuries and yet we know our Creator loves us.

We view life from our limited perspective.  We are created beings attempting to understand the workings of our Creator. But we exist on entirely different planes. We live in a one -dimensional world.

Indeed, our societies, laws and morals are founded on the assumption of free will.  Yet, we also realize how impotent we are before the forces of a virtually infinite universe and the Creator who makes this happen.

Resolving the paradox then, is a matter of making peace between the subjective experiences of our free will and the power of God as an all knowing and all loving Creator.     

As promised, the paradox of divine knowledge and our free will leads us to a more meaningful concept of God. Not only is our ability to choose a reflection of God in this world but the realization of our very sense of self…… as autonomous beings, that too is God!

All this comes from a knowledge of the Divine within us.  How can it be otherwise? 

                                  My “Soul Glasses”

Last week I woke up with a sharp pain in my right eye.  I could barely open it and thought perhaps I had accidentally jabbed it during the night.  It was so painful.  I was able to see the Dr that very day and now after four days of eye drops it has settled down and I’m fine.

However, I realize what a dreadful thing it would be losing one’s sight. Since my cataract surgery I only need my reading glasses.  Without them the words on the page become a blur.  The images lose their shape as well as their meaning.  I’m stuck trying to decipher what I am seeing. 

When reading the words of our Lord and His teachings, I need to put on my “soul glasses.”   I want my glasses to grant me the ability to perceive the world from an inner and deeper perspective.  Through these lenses, I can see the real essence of people, situations, and my relationship to the Divine.

Without these “soul glasses”, we see people consumed by their struggles and their unattractive qualities.  Everything that makes them unappealing.  But Jeshua (Jesus) taught us to look beyond these superficialities and to delve into the core of each person, unearthing their real personhood.   We all are created in His image.  An actual fragment of the Divine! 

This perspective extends to situations as well.  How often do you find yourself entangled in circumstances where everything and everyone seems out of control.  Our situation seems hopeless and bleak.  Yet, by putting on our “soul glasses” we can see His hand working. 

So, when my situation seemed hopeless, I found Hope.  Hope is in the form of a person.  He is our Hope! 

Throughout our lives there are moments of triumph where we succeed to perceive people and circumstances through the lenses of our “soul glasses.”  Of course, there are also times where the veils of concealment are overpowering, and our vision is blurred.  However, even those moments, our vision is one of hope and renewal.  We are inspired toward a future when our vision will be 20/20.  Those “soul glasses” won’t be needed.

“For now, I see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully……..”  1Cor. 13: 12

                       “When life gives you lemons……. make lemonade! “ 

Ok……I didn’t make that up! It’s always good to remind myself that life has ups and downs and it’s not always easy making lemonade.

 As I see it contentment is not a matter of what happens to us as much as knowing that this is what our Creator has given to us.  So, what is contentment and how does being content make our lives more interesting as well as leading to being happy?

 A definition might be helpful.  To be content is to feel or show satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation. 

There is a beautiful freedom that accompanies contentment: freedom to be and live the life you were destined to live.

Most people, I believe, desire to be content with what they have.  Many of us, especially older ones like me, are secure in life.  That doesn’t mean that we are complacent. 

Contentment isn’t about giving up or not wanting more.  It’s just that life becomes more meaningful.   Contentment is a powerful force that can provide the inspiration to reach higher than we ever dreamed.  Contentment doesn’t squelch ambition.  Contentment fuels it.    It’s about recognizing what we already have, valuing it, and deciding to make the most out of it. 

When we are content, we better focus our energy on what truly matters.  When we’re no longer pursuing endless material acquisitions, we’re able to redirect our effort toward our passions.  We get to invest our time, our resources, and ourselves in the things that brings real meaning and fulfilment into our lives. 

Contentment leads us to make deliberate choices about how we spend our lives.  No longer are we running the rat race, trying to keep up with everyone else.  We choose our own path, embracing what gives us meaning and letting go of what doesn’t.

A mindset of abundance brings ambition because we are not acting out of scarcity, but out of gratitude for what we already have…..enthusiasm for what we can achieve, and a desire to share our gifts with others.

Contentment sparks perseverance.  We learn to be satisfied with what we have.  We become better equipped to tackle life’s ups and downs.  Contentment isn’t about giving up on our dreams or settling for less.  It’s about appreciating what we have, recognizing our potential and dreaming even bigger dreams for our lives.

                             Contentment can help us make real lemonade.!

                                   Jealousy: Its Toxic!

OK…….I must admit it.  I do get jealous.  Not really what others have; perhaps a bigger and nicer home:  clothes from the most trendy shops…..well, you know.  The list goes on.  I’m more jealous of what is in their repertoire of achievements.  They can do more and accomplish more than I could ever do.  

People use the word jealous as just an expression.  “Oh, you are making a trip to Italy, I’m, so jealous! “Of course, they don’t mean to it to be anymore than expression of interest.  But perhaps there is more.

Remember, in the Hebrew scriptures, Numbers 16: 1-18…Where Korah, who was also of the tribe of Levi, gathered a group of leaders from the 12 tribes and presented themselves to Moses.  They challenged his right to be the only leader of the whole assembly.  After all, they too felt as though Moses should not be the only champion among the people.  God had chosen them all and he, Korah, also should be allowed to lead the people, perhaps even to replace Aaron, as high priest. 

Here we see how jealousy plays a part in people’s lives.  Not only did God choose Moses as leader but He likewise punished those who sought to replace what God had commanded.

Feelings of jealousy are normal, but if those feelings are allowed to evolve, beware!  Excessive jealousy is self-sabotaging and hijacks a person’s clarity and perception. 

God grants each of us resources with which to achieve our specific life purposes.  Saying to yourself, “I deserve this just as much, or even more than someone else.”  Why don’t I have what she/ he has?  Is implying that God’s agenda is flawed.  Thoughts such as these express entitlement and that led to Korah’s downfall.

Our material possessions, talents and circumstances are needed to best play our earthly roles in the script of life that we are given.  That is to say,  we also must live up to our potential. 

What we have or lack is necessary for our role.  It’s not the part we play that matters, what matters is how well we play the part!!  Jealousy distracts a person from accomplishing what she/he has been placed in the world to achieve.

 Our thoughts and actions influence our direction.   Harboring jealousy produces negative ramifications and is harmful to our health and well-being. 

How can we/I avoid falling into the clutches of jealousy?  Recognize that thoughts lead to actions.  Wisely and proactively choose what thoughts you allow to occupy your mind.  Eliminate the phrase, “I’m so jealous” from your vocabulary.  It may be just an expression, but it’s certainly not a positive one worth repeating. 

Jealousy is also negative thinking.  Focus on the blessings that God has given us.  Be positive in what you do and what you say.  Put that into action by telling others what you admire about them or their accomplishments. We will never really know anyone’s real situation in life.  But being a friend, being supportive will not allow jealousy to be part of your life. 

Let’s learn from the mistakes of Korah and his followers.  Aspire to overcome feelings of jealousy. 

“Love your neighbor, as you love yourself.”  That solves the problem of jealousy.

                                                            The Dangers of Vision.

You have heard it said that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”  In other words, what I find beautiful you might find ugly. 

I have been rereading the story of Samson.  He was chosen by God to play his part in Israel’s war against the Philistines.  But he bungled the job.  Well, at first.  He was to be one of the judges of Israel.  These judges didn’t always adjudicate disputes but often were assigned the task of being military commanders. 

Samson was the man God had chosen for a special assignment. To help free Israel from these Philistine invaders that lived on the coast.  He was endowed with Herculean strength.  But his story remains, in the end, a morality tale; he is a man that brought about his own undoing.  He seems like a type of Greek god, but this man brought destruction upon himself though his own willfulness.

As one Jewish theologian wrote, “Samson is brought to destruction through no arbitrary decree of the gods but through his disobedience even though this man is charged with a specific and divine mission.  God gave a choice to Samson, including one whose destiny had been marked out for him.  He must show himself worthy of the trust reposed in him through his free choice of the right path.  Otherwise, the partnership between him and God is broken. “

Samson’s hair was to remain uncut. This was according to his Nazarite vow.   This vow could be a short term vow or to remain for a lifetime.  He knew where his strength lay.  But the problem really wasn’t his hair.  It was his vision!

Most artists depict the Philistines, jumping on Samson after revealing the secret of his strength to Delilah who cut his hair! But the story goes back to an earlier time. 

In Judges 14:1-3, Samson tells his father that he saw a woman in Timnath of the Philistines, and he told his father that she was “pleasing in my eyes.”  It is his sight that draws Samson to the women. So, it eventually draws him to Dalilah.  Samson’s demand to his parents is based on what is pleasing his eyes.   Samson rebelled against God through his eyes, as it was said.  “Get her for me because she is pleasing in my eyes.”  Therefore, the Philistines put out his eyes. 

Moral sight is worth more than physical sight.  Our eyes can dangerously distract us.   We do not deny the value of the aesthetic; the beauty of our surroundings; of design; the skills of great artists.  Sight is important to our life, but “insight” keeps us and directs our path. 

Samson’s greatest virtue lies in his blindness.  It is his “new vision” which brings him to the pillars of the pagan temple and his death brought him the greatest glory. 

To believe without seeing; to have faith without understanding……….………. brings us to our knees. 

As Jeshua (Jesus) told Thomas………”Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
(John 20:29)

                                         How Does God Work?
No one can explain God’s intentions or how He works.  Who are we to explain what He is doing in our world?  However, He has given us proof of loving us and being with us, both through the Bible and our Messiah, Jesus (Jeshua)

Not My Land!

Not My Land!!

Not only are the Chinese producing dangerous and life taking viruses (also known as COVID) but now they are buying up farmland in the Dakotas.  Read where they have already purchased 325,000 acres in 2020 more than 25 times the 14,000 owned in 2010. So, what’s the big deal? 

Well, for one, I don’t want the Chinese, who are sworn enemies of the US, invading our space on the pretense of developing this property for energy use. These parcels just “happen” to be adjacent to sensitive to U.S. military sites!! 

How did this happen?  How did the Chinese get these properties in the first place? 
Who owned the land?  I can imagine the amount paid to the owners who apparently saw nothing wrong in accepting huge sums to have the Chinese owning valuable land in the U.S.   I have had some experience in dealing with foreign entities who are interested in buying up U.S. properties.    

My father bought 200 acres of wooded land next to the Mississippi River.  He called it the “bottom land.”  It wasn’t good for farming, as in central Illinois, but was a forested area with all sorts of lovely walnut trees, birch trees but mainly Christmas type pine trees.  After my father passed away, he left the “bottom” land to me.  Since I had married and moved away, my good mother had to maintain the property, by making fire breaks every so many feet and keeping up with the undergrowth.  I was compensated for doing this by the state of Illinois.  They paid me a nice sum every year to maintain this property.  This was to be considered an open space by the state.  I was still the owner and had every right to sell it even though they had been paying me to maintain it as a forest reserve.

One summer, when I was visiting my mother back in Illinois, we received a call from some corporation in Chicago.  They offered to buy the property for a goodly sum (at least in those days!).  Who were these people who wanted to buy this land and what were going to do with the property and all the trees which the state of Illinois had paid me to maintain?  Well, after some inquiry I found this cooperation was owned by some Chinese development company. They were going to remove the trees and build a residential area close to the river.  Big plans for making this into a model community! 

I considered their offer but at the same time I respected the fact that the state of Illinois had been paying me to maintain this as a forest reserve.  I  decided to contact the Department of Agriculture first and see if they would buy this property.  Indeed they did and for the same price as the Chinese wanted to pay me.  I could have bargained with the Chinese for more money, but doing that went against my principles of keeping American land in American hands.

 It was my one small contribution and I know now it was the right and moral thing to do.

I don’t know about you but it’s time to set some ground rules. 

No Germans, English, Japanese, Arabs, Chinese buying property in the US. It’s our own prized possession.  There is only so much available and tillable farmland in the America’s heartland.  Let’s keep it for us and not for them!