The End of a Long Week

Thanks to our lovely independence from our British friends :), I have an especially welcome holiday today. It's been an extremely long week with last weekend's wedding (my daughter's best friend), packing and moving from my office of 6.5 years, and cleaning.

It seems like cleaning has been the general theme of the week. I wanted to leave my office clean for it's next occupant so some scrubbing and cabinet wiping was in order. I wanted my new work space to be clean as well, so once again, out came the paper towels! A young friend is trying to get her "new" repo house ready for move in, but she works full time, has an out of town husband, and is pregnant - so a bit of cleaning help was again in order. Late last night, after the weeks work was over, I decided it was time to file taxes. Cleaning again as I went through the paperwork and chose what to keep and what I could throw away.

As I look at my "to do" list for the weekend I am not surprised to find more cleaning! The list includes laundry, dishes, house, garage, yard and more taxes. (Don't worry, there's some fun on the list too!) Like I said, cleaning is the weekly theme! More to the point though, I think there's some spiritual cleaning that needs to take place as well, some washing with the pure water of the Holy Spirit and the Word. The stress of the week, of the last few months, has left a layer of grime on my soul not unlike what I found in the waiting lab space. It's not that they didn't clean in preparation for my coming. The kind men had given it a cursory cleaning to prepare for my arrival the week before, but in the intervening days a new layer of dust accumulated. And then there were those hidden corners, nooks and crannies, and drawers that no one remembered to open.

My spiritual life is a lot like that with a new layer of dust from the stress of the week, places where I have not been able to willingly trust and walk in faith. I think that there are a few drawers that have gone unopened for a while as well and some hidden corners that need some light before they can be scrubbed clean.

Psalm 51:6,7 "Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

Yes, it is a season for cleaning. Come Holy Spirit and apply Your truth; wash me so that I am clean.

A Day for Prayer

It's time for finishing up; tomorrow is my last day at the post I've held for 6.5 years. I've been packing and trying to figure out what paperwork is needed at the old place and at the new. I'm afraid neither set is done properly yet. So, it's been a trying, frustrating time because of lack of communication between departments and schools. Each is upset with the other because I wasn't properly instructed and do not, therefore, have things in order as I should. It's a mess and I'm caught in the middle - not fun!

This morning though, I was reminded that this work communication issue isn't the only communication area giving me problems! It's been a hot, dusty time in my spiritual life as well. I feel as though I'm struggling to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I need the water of prayer, a visitation of the Holy Spirit to minister life to me and help me remember God's promises. I need to remember not only who I am but whose I am.

For prayer isn't getting on your knees--prayer is the elevation of the heart to God. That's all a man needs. You can pray in a prison, you can pray in an airplane, you can pray in a ship; you can pray anywhere and you can worship God, because it's Himself that we want, Himself.

AW Tozer, Success and the Christian, 30.

Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, bu the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26, 27

God in a Box

Just a couple of Tozer quotes to start the day to remind me that God has a purpose for my life - today - at work - as I finish up. Hard to remember in the face of crisis, but needed. I need to remember that God is here, with me. I need to remember that He has allowed my circumstance and that He wants me to walk through them in a patient and worshipful fashion, trusting His character. It will require an extra measure of grace as the day draws near for this to be all done at work, especially with no where else to go. And yet, I know He is with me when I stop being fearful long enough to take time to breathe a prayer and remember. He is constant even when I am not; He is faithful even when I am not; He is unchanging when I am like waves tossing things about.

"The whole import and substance of the Bible teaches us that the God who does not need any thing nevertheless desires the adoration and worship of His created children."

Whatever Happened to Worship?, AW Tozer, pg37.

Worship: God's Presence on Monday

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the
glory of God
--1 Corinthians 10:31

On Monday, as we go about our different duties and tasks, are we aware of the Presence of God? The Lord desires still to be in His holy temple, wherever we are. He wants the continuing love and delight and worship of His children, wherever we work.

Is it not a beautiful thing for a businessman to enter his office on Monday morning with an inner call to worship: "The Lord is in my office--let all the world be silent before Him."

If you cannot worship the Lord in the midst of your responsibilities on Monday, it is not very likely that you were worshiping on Sunday!...

I guess many people have an idea that they have God in a box. He is just in the church sanctuary, and when we leave and drive toward home, we have a rather faint, homesick feeling that we are leaving God in the big box.

You know that is not true, but what are you doing about it?

Whatever Happened to Worship?, AW Tozer, pg122.

Collateral Damage

Just back in Chicago and facing many deadlines this week, so this will be brief; however, I have few thoughts I want to share with those of you who are still reading.

Collateral damage in times of warfare is what comes to mind as I've read through your comments from the past few posts and I'm very sorry that they were all published unattended by the moderator, naughty girl that she was off working and all......

I do not mind if you debate; but I do mind all this name calling and nastiness. Many of you, I am sadly afraid, are entrenched in nasty, each in your own way. Some of you dig into your position and fight, refusing to retreat even when you are wrong. Some of you like the full frontal attack, but when attacked back turn, run and hide behind a convenient excuse. And then there are some of you who like sniper warfare, quiet for a while and then a barrage of bullets is launched just before you again retreat. And in your nastiness, you are causing collateral damage to all members of the blog, myself included.

This scripture, whether applicable to all blog contributors or not since James is addressing "brothers", comes to mind. James 3:10, 11 "From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. my brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?"

So, I'm going to ask each of you to take some time and consider the collateral damage you have already caused as well as what you may cause before you speak. Some enemies are worth fighting and some are just a distraction that draw us away from the real question, the real battlefield for the hearts and minds of men, the ground before the cross of Jesus Christ. My intent for this blog is, as it has always been, I want it to be a place where 1) there can be a real discussion about the hope that is within us (1Peter3:15), and 2) a place where we may all come face to face with both the Man and the Cross and be radically transformed into His image.

For I am NOT ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...

Grace and peace,

Susan

comment moderation

has been placed on the blog as long as I'm away and can't moniter what is being said - I'll reconsider when I get back home later next week and can sort through what's been going on in my absence.

Going back to school and other updates

Well, since we have heard from almost all of our regular participants, I think we can consider the blog migration a success! Now my goal is to find out how to export the contents of the original halfmom blog hosted on Xanga and merge them here as well.

Tomorrow I leave for "school" and I am rather excited. I am attending a practicum at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. It will be strange to be back in class 9-5, even if only for a week. I am very much looking forward to this special school put on by the Office of Dietary Supplements of the NIH. So many people, perhaps you readers too, think that botanicals or dietary supplements are without the potential to do harm since they can be purchased over the counter without a prescription. The Internet is full of unsubstantiated health claims for these preparations as well. I'm afraid this more than just simple misinformation; it could be quite dangerous in fact. Potentially every organ system in the body, including the brain, can be negatively impacted by botanicals and dietary supplements (even mineral and vitamin supplements) leading to impaired function or death. Since this is an area of research interest for me, I'm particularly excited to go and hear what the national and international experts in the field have to say. It will help me to design and carry out my research and to teach more effectively. Well, that is if I get to continue to do research and teach :)

On the job front, I still do not know where or if I will be employed come July 1, but God does. So I continue to do what needs to be done, send out job applications, do the work I am currently paid for to the best of my ability and wait patiently. Some days, or at least parts of days, I have a tremendous amount of peace and assurance of God's control. Other times, I must admit that I get a bit panicky! I never have liked feeling out of control and surely do not now - but it strikes me as though being "out of control" in this area of my life might be just what I need in order for God to be "in control". I suppose in some ways it reminds me of the comment John the Baptist made when questioned about his ministry versus that of Jesus. He said, "He must increase; I must decrease". In the same fashion, I must give control of my life over to Him to be truly in control of my life.

Hopefully there won't be tremendous amounts of homework, so maybe I'll "see" you all in the coming week (and a bit of sightseeing as well). If not, I'll see you on the other side of "going back to school".

Migration almost done

Migration back to this blog (the original in blogger) is almost done - have transferred all of the HalfmomAKASusan back here.

Please come here from now on. I'll leave the other site up for a while until I'm sure this works and then will delete it altogether. Too hard to keep up with the email accounts for both!

Want to make sure not to loose any of your lovely comments though!

The correct link will be here http://halfmom.blogspot.com/

"Warning, Warning, Danger Will Robinson"

The line from an old sitcom from the 60's comes to mind as I begin to think about "migrating" this blog so that it is joined together with the old "halfmom" blog.

Just thought I'd give you a "warning" that I was going to try to do this in the next week or so. That way if you drop by and find something looks askew, you'll know I'm in the process of trying to put the two together to simplify the whole!