Idiosyncrasies

March 7, 2010 By cyndi 7 Comments

By Cyndi

The other night I was helping my son study for a vocabulary test, and I have to admit, there were some words on the list that I didn’t know. But one which I did know was idiosyncrasy. What a great word. Isn’t it fun just to say it? It has a unique feel about it. I feel different just for saying it. The definition of it, according to dictionary.com, is “a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual.” Hmm…I know a verse that mentions the word “peculiar,” 1 Peter 2:9—“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people…”

It is so interesting to see how diversified we all are. Each one of us has certain quirks and tell-tale signs that identify us. We have different likes and dislikes. We have our own marked style of how we talk, how we walk, how we dress, and how we eat. For example, take eating Oreo cookies. You will find multiple modes of what some say are the “right” way to do this. I know within my family there are at least three “best” procedures to eat them, and they all must include milk. However, the fact is, there is no right or wrong method, just your own.

One of my idiosyncrasies is how I put my shoes and socks on always left foot first. The order has to be left sock, left shoe, right sock, right shoe. I do not know why I do this, but I do. Just like I have always put my left earring on first before my right, and wear my watch on my right wrist instead of my left. I have some peculiar habits that make me who I am and not someone else.

God delights in our individuality. He created us in His image (Gen. 1:26), yet has given each one of us our own characteristics, distinguishing us one from another. We all develop unique habits and mannerisms that pertain solely to us, making us peculiar people. We are supposed to be diverse. Revel and enjoy your idiosyncrasies. You are special.

Filed Under: Father's Love, Rest Tagged With: acceptance, Father's Love, individuality, love

The Crossing of Emotional Boundaries

February 27, 2010 By cyndi 15 Comments

The other day Robert and I were going to go grab a bite to eat for lunch. He suggested a sandwich shop or a pizza place, but I was in the mood for Chinese food. After a brief discussion, we ended up getting Chinese take-out. I knew what I had wanted so I stated it clearly, but not demandingly. As we drove away, the Lord reminded me of some changes that have taken place in my life over the last few years.

There was a point in time where I could hardly make a decision on my own. If you would have asked me what I wanted to do, without thinking I would have replied, “I don’t care, whatever you want.” If you would have asked me where I wanted to go out for dinner, I would have replied, “I don’t care, wherever you want.” If you would have asked me what movie I wanted to see, I would again have replied, “I don’t care, whatever one you would like.” It wasn’t that I really didn’t care, though I thought so at the time, it was that I didn’t know what I truly felt. I didn’t take the time to think and ask myself those questions—I thought my point of view had no value.

My emotions had been pushed so far down in order to please others and “follow the rules,” that I had stopped considering what my own feelings were or what opinions I might have.  This happened because I allowed my emotional boundaries to be crossed—I had allowed others to tell me what I should think and feel.

Boundaries are where one thing stops and another thing begins.  Think about borders of countries or even a fence, for example—one area is separated from another.  In people, there can be physical, mental and emotional boundaries that define who we are, and who we are not. Whenever these lines are crossed without permission, it takes away from my personhood, blurring the point of what makes me, me and you, you.

If I agree with everybody and everything, changing my beliefs, opinions, and morals to morph with whomever I am with, then I am not defined. I become like a child, as Paul states in Ephesians 4:14, who is “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.”

Others can influence me to the point where I really don’t know what I believe, nor why. My own personhood doesn’t get developed. I stop making decisions based on what I think or want because I’m more concerned with what others think or want. Eventually, for me, this led to believing that they really do know what’s best and that my views or impressions didn’t have any value or worth.  I didn’t set an emotional boundary that said, “You have a right to your likes and dislikes, and I have a right to mine.”

At times I still struggle to set boundaries with others, but knowing Father God sees me as a unique individual with value, and Who made me different from others for a reason, has given me great strength and courage to define myself.  My decision making has gotten better too. Now, if I say, “I don’t care, whatever you want,” then it’s because I already thought about it, and I truly don’t have a preference. Although Chinese food is one of my favorites.

Filed Under: Boundaries, Father's Love, authority Tagged With: acceptance, Boundaries, Father's Love

Hard or Soft?

February 12, 2010 By cyndi 11 Comments

By Cyndi

How do we Christians come across to the world around us? What do our friends, family, and co-workers think about our Christianity? Do we display the attributes of Christ in our daily lives? I was challenged by these questions just the other day and wondered how I appear to the people I meet every day.

Last week I was having a conversation with a friend and afterwards I realized that I dominated the conversation. It was all about me. What pride! Oh, I asked about how she was doing but I wasn’t really listening. I was waiting to share some more things about me the minute she stopped talking. And then when I got caught in traffic driving to another part of town, I was extremely impatient and furious with all the incompetent drivers I was around. “If they could all just drive like me it would be so much better,” I thought. Yes, dear reader, sometimes my Christianity is quite hard and harsh. It’s not always a pretty sight.

So I picked up Andrew Murray’s Humility book and decided it was time to re-read it again. (I think this is one of those books you need to read at least once a year—at least I need to.) I found this particular line quite interesting:

In striving after the higher experiences of the Christian life, the believer is often in danger of aiming at and rejoicing in what one might call the human, the manly, virtues, such as boldness, joy, contempt of the world, zeal, self-sacrifice, while the deeper and gentler, the diviner and more heavenly graces, poverty of spirit, meekness, humility, lowliness, are scarcely thought of or valued (pg. 56).

So I can take the “onward Christian soldiers” approach, plowing through everything and everyone who gets in my way of living for God, or I can attempt to live by the “more heavenly graces,” as Murray says. If I were humble, I would carefully listen to my friend share about how she was doing—her challenges, her delights—so that I could pray for her or rejoice with her as Rom. 12:15 instructs me to do. If I were meek and lowly, I would not stress out in traffic, or get angry and judge the inapt drivers, but be patient and kind instead—-preferring others (Rom. 12:10).

I have repented for my rude behavior of the past and am trying to focus on the sensitive side of Christianity. Yes, I still think there is a place for the harder, stronger virtues of fasting, fearless preaching, and warring in the Spirit, but maybe our world needs to see more of the softer, gentler, loving and forgiving attributes of us Christians.

Filed Under: Christianity, Father's Love, humility Tagged With: Chrisitianity, humility, love, responsibility

Life Is A Marathon

January 18, 2010 By cyndi 4 Comments

The older I get, the more I see that life is all about endurance, not quick fixes. This is not to say it is about just getting by or coasting, no; it is about seeing a mountain in front of you and taking on the challenge to climb it, even if you know it will take years to do.  Then after going to that summit, looking for the next one to climb and conquer. It is a long-term life trek.

I personally have taken on the challenge to run a marathon this year and I have been training for months. This is a long-term goal I am working towards.  Paul, in 2 Timothy 4, talks to us about living that marathon life-of enduring, longsuffering, watching, and fighting, to finish our course. Our society today is not real big on any of these. Technology is usually designed to make things easier on us, not harder. But our lives should be different from the world; we are to walk through a narrow gate, not the wider, more comfortable one.

When our problems are fixed quickly, we tend to fall back and get more lenient, not necessarily seeking the Lord every day; but when there are challenges and mountains ahead of us, we fall on our faces and cry out for mercy.  This is the true life of a Christian-diligently seeking Him, going for those insurmountable odds, knowing that it is His grace that causes us to triumph, and believing “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me!” And notice that it is “I.” It is not Him doing it, we are. “We” have to get intotraining, pick up our hiking sticks, our running shoes, and learn how to do it. He will strengthen us, but it is us who has to walk it out.  Let us take our responsibility to finish our course, leaning on Him for guidance, and going for the summit regardless of the pain and discomfort. We are overcomers taking our life-long trek of 26.2 miles, one step at a time.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Unexpected Christmas

December 20, 2009 By cyndi 6 Comments

I sit here in my living room between a brightly lit up Christmas tree and a lawn mower. Yes, there is a lawn mower in my living room, as well as a weed eater, gas cans, miscellaneous hand tools, and an empty propane container. Why, oh why, you ask, is this stuff in my living room? Well, it is like this: we are in the process of painting the house. This necessitated pressure washing, which led to the discovery of rotten wood on the porch, and then the exposure of a plethora of termites. This, in turn, caused the porch to be torn down, which led to the lawn mower and other items from the porch coming into my living room.

Isn’t it interesting that we can start out with one plan and it gets drastically changed to another in a matter of moments? Just think of Mary and Joseph. I would presume the original plan was to go Bethlehem, take the census, visit some friends and family, and then return home. Having their baby boy born in a smelly stable was probably not on that script, yet it happened. Imagine Mary’s thoughts-God had done so many supernatural things from angelicvisitations, the prophecy from Elisabeth, and supernatural conception, and yet He did not provide a room for her in Bethlehem. But she continued to trust. Things sometimes just don’t work out as we plan.

Many times we get frustrated, angry, even depressed when our plans go awry, but God knows the end of a thing before the beginning (Isa.48:5). Mary and Joseph had no idea of the unforeseen ramifications from the birth of their son, the shepherds coming, or any of the other unusual events that later took place. We too, have no idea what the future holds or the understanding of the reasons why we are forced to experience certain things in our lives.  However, Father God does, and He uses all things for our good (Rom. 8:28) to shape us into the person that can fulfill the unique calling and destiny He has for each one of us.

So “Merry Christmas to all,” I say, as I sit back and enjoy my cup of tea, relishing the smells of pine and terra firma. Whatever God has in store for you this season, it is going to be good-unexpected maybe, but good.

Filed Under: Christianity, Rest

Expressions of God

November 27, 2009 By cyndi 1 Comment
BY CYNDI
While walking through Home Depot the other day, I passed by the paint department and was drawn to the many color samples on the wall. I began looking at all the different shades and was somewhat humored by the names of the colors: Cheerful Hue, Crème Brulee, Medieval Forest, Chai Latte, Polar Bear, Woven Basket, just to name a few. With so many shades of colors, there must be one person whose only job is to come up with names!

paint samplesThinking about the sample names and stepping back to take in the realm of colors, it dawned on me that this is a great example of the many ways God creates people. Having traveled to different parts of the world, I have seen multiple “shades” of people. I am not just referring to skin tones here, but personalities, ways of looking at life, unique talents, distinctive abilities to bless and be life-giving to the world around them. Each and every person is uniquely made–an original–handcrafted by God Almighty Himself.

Looking at paint cards for Toasted Marshmallow and Blueberry Cobbler I think of how God knew who we would be before we were even formed (Eph.1:4). Before the foundation of the world He designed us–what we would look like, what parents we would have, when we would be born. He took the time to think through all these things, even down to how long our eyelashes would be. To me this is a very comforting thought since much of the world seems to believe in randomness and happenstance.

crowd
We each have our own color to bring to the world–different shades and nuances to reveal the nature of God, to paint a picture of Who He is. You may be Wild Honey and I might be Passionflower, but we each have something to contribute to the world, a facet of God to express to those around us. As we see the tints and hues of each other and ourselves, we gain a better picture of Who God really is. You have an expression of God the world needs!


Filed Under: Christianity

The Blank Page and the Goodness of God

November 20, 2009 By cyndi 5 Comments
Ah, the proverbial blank page. Now they are on computer screens so you cannot crumple them up when they have only one or two lines of dead ideas that are getting you nowhere and toss them purposefully to the trash can.  At least then you could have racked up some points.  But this morning as I open up my Word document to a glaring white rectangle staring at me, I must testify of the goodness of God.
blank page
Last night as my son was heading into the computer room to work on an English paper, it violently occurred to him that he forgot to bring home the article he was supposed to write about.  His mood turned frantic, as this was an important paper, and he tried to think of all the ways possible to do it, but no one could help, so he might as well hope for the best and turn it in a day late. He never even got to the blank page.

Now is the part where the goodness of God comes in. As he conceded to his fate and I began washing the dishes it occurred to me that this article might possibly be on the internet. I relayed my idea to him, he quickly searched the web, joyfully found said article, and began writing his paper.

I continued washing the dishes smiling within at how full of loving-kindness Father God is. Oh, how He reveals things to me and guides me in such little things. Sometimes it is just simple help with my son’s homework, but His goodness is immeasurable.

And now this blank page in front of me has been filled. I could easily take many more words and use innumerable adjectives to describe how wonderful and caring my Father is, but it would probably be better if you opened up your own blank page and started yourself.

Filed Under: Christianity, Father's Love, faith Tagged With: Chrisitianity, Family, Father's Love

First Things First

November 13, 2009 By cyndi 3 Comments
I was reading a little devotional the other day and it made this statement: The things that are urgent are rarely important, and the things that important are rarely urgent. As I write these very words, I open up my calendar and place another task on my list that I just remembered needed to be done–today. So many things pile up on my list of “things to do,” and, unfortunately, I find my devotional time getting squeezed out and more pressing matters taking its place.

Urgent matters tend to scream louder, I think: wash the dishes, balance the checkbook, walk the dog, put the car in the shop, pick up the kids, mow the yard, write the bills off, call the plumber, and so on. We all have our lists and many of these things are quite important; however, what is the One thing that will enable us to do all these other things better? Phil. 4:13–I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

If I walk into a dark room and God is my only source of light, then it would be best to put the “Light” on before trying to navigate around the room. I could do it without Him, but it would probably take longer and I may stub a toe or two as I felt my way through. Bible 2

My prayer is that I see the urgency and necessity of having a “Light” to guide me through all the particulars on my “to do” list. Many things are critical to me, my family, our ministry, but with the Lord strengthening me, I can get them all done. Taking the time to acknowledge Father, listening to His words of love over me, seeing His promises in the scriptures, and connecting heart to heart with Him is putting first things first.

Filed Under: Christianity, Father's Love

Open Your Toolbox

November 7, 2009 By cyndi 5 Comments

By Cyndi

Last week we had a wonderful night of worship. We sang some encouraging songs and some uplifting prophetic words came forth. In the midst of it God was speaking to me and I kept hearing the verse that says He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Then I heard, “You have everything in your toolbox.” My toolbox? What is that supposed to mean?toolboxred

In a flash the Holy Spirit revealed to me a picture of a toolbox behind me with everything I needed. It is like this: if I come upon something that needs to be cut, I get a saw out of my toolbox. If I have a plumbing problem, I pull out the wrenches and PVC pipes that I need. Other problems might just need to be hammered down or screwed in tight with the appropriate apparatus. Now, of course, I am not referring to actual problems in the natural, but in the spiritual realm.

In the days that we are living in, we are all facing challenges from many directions, but what the Lord was encouraging me with is the fact that we already have all that we need to face them. We already have every “tool” necessary to overcome, He has given them to us—His divine power has given them to us, the verse says. It is our job to unpack them, to open up our toolboxes and take them out. This may take some discernment as we do not want to bring a sledgehammer to work on a computer virus; or a needle and thread for cutting a tree down. But this is our part, taking the time to listen and find out what resource we need to accomplish the task and get the job done.

These tools may be used as weapons against the enemy, or ways we can stay encouraged, or even ways we can find a solution to the problem—look for a strategy and find a gadget tool for it. In addition, do not forget that the Word is one of the best devices we have. Jesus says in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” It is no surprise that we have troubles. However, He has given us everything we need to overcome. Therefore, open up your toolbox and see what you have.

Filed Under: Christianity, faith

My Father’s Workshop

October 3, 2009 By cyndi 6 Comments

By Cyndi

When I was a little girl, I used to love to go out back into my father’s workshop. It was a separate building behind our house where he had a big table saw, a long place to work on and tools hanging on nails all along the walls. Sheets of plywood of all different sizes from various projects were leaning on one side of the room, and a cabinet with multiple boxes of nails, screws, washers and other things was mounted on the far corner.  Underneath the table my dad kept a bucket of scrap wood just for me.  I could use anything in it to pound nails into or create and build whatever I wanted. Sawdust was everywhere so I got a bit dusty at times, but I liked the smell of it.

I loved hanging out with my father “out back,” as we would say, because he was always working on something and I just liked being around him. It was fun. We built all kinds of things, everything from shelves for the hall closet to a deck around our above-ground pool. My job was usually the holder, you know, the one who holds the end of the board while it’s being sawed so it doesn’t break off and fall.  But for me it wasn’t so much about working on a project necessarily, it was about spending time together.

He would explain how all the different tools were used for different reasons, how sometimes it’s better to use screws instead of nails, how particle board is different from masonite, how sometimes you use fine sandpaper instead of rough, all that kind of stuff. One of my favorite things was using his chisel set to chisel out my name or some design in a piece of wood. He would show me how to gently tap it to make smaller dents or to use a thick one and hit it hard if I was taking a whole section out. It was a time of impartation, of communion. It was a time of sharing.

I often picture myself with Father God “out back” in a workshop. It’s not so much about what we’re working on—I have plenty of things in my life to work on, for sure—but it’s about having communion with Him. Sometimes I just read one or two scriptures and let Him explain it to me, like my dad did with the tools. Sometimes I pull thoughts or dreams from my “scrap bucket” and want to just create—thinking, talking, singing, joking—no real agenda. But that’s it—no real agenda. Simply fellowship. Much is imparted to me simply by being in His presence. We’re spending time together, and there are even moments when I think I smell sawdust.

Filed Under: Christianity, Father's Love Tagged With: acceptance, Chrisitianity, Father's Love, love
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