November 20, 2010
Procrastination
There's something about a weekend that makes one ask the question "what needs to be done?" And since I have no assignments due this week, I've decided to spend my day procrastinating. Granted, there are two papers due the week after Thanksgiving... but those can wait. This weekend, I will simply focus on what is pressing: a few reading assignments (only one left) and a short response to a video (which I need to finish watching). All in all, not too bad. So... I will procrastinate. And I will enjoy the weekend for a change.
November 18, 2010
surgery?
Yesterday, I found out that there is a surgery that might be able to be done for my neck. My migraines are triggered by a deviation of a disc in my spine and this deviation has caused a large lump to form next to my spine (possibly scar tissue or possibly joint fluid). It might be possible to surgically remove this lump.
Until I meet with a surgeon, I can only speculate based on information given to me by my doctor and therapist. There is a chance that the surgeon might not be willing to do the surgery. The lump is right next to my spine and about an inch from my brain. Needless to say, its a very intricate area with high risks.
I hesitate to get my hopes up for anything more than relief from the migraines. However, this could make a huge difference for my trap muscle as well, and my trap muscle is the muscle which causes the large majority of my shoulder, neck and upper back pain.
I am faced with two challenges right now. First, to keep my hopes from getting too high. Second, to prepare myself mentally for the idea of having less pain. I'll have to write more on that later (likely after I meet with the surgeon). In the meantime, I appreciate your prayers... Prayers for wisdom, peace, and discernment on my part. Prayers for wisdom and discernment on the part of the surgeon as well. And, if the surgeon agrees to do surgery, then I will need even more prayers!
Until then.... May I praise God in this storm!
Until I meet with a surgeon, I can only speculate based on information given to me by my doctor and therapist. There is a chance that the surgeon might not be willing to do the surgery. The lump is right next to my spine and about an inch from my brain. Needless to say, its a very intricate area with high risks.
I hesitate to get my hopes up for anything more than relief from the migraines. However, this could make a huge difference for my trap muscle as well, and my trap muscle is the muscle which causes the large majority of my shoulder, neck and upper back pain.
I am faced with two challenges right now. First, to keep my hopes from getting too high. Second, to prepare myself mentally for the idea of having less pain. I'll have to write more on that later (likely after I meet with the surgeon). In the meantime, I appreciate your prayers... Prayers for wisdom, peace, and discernment on my part. Prayers for wisdom and discernment on the part of the surgeon as well. And, if the surgeon agrees to do surgery, then I will need even more prayers!
Until then.... May I praise God in this storm!
November 16, 2010
The Jacob Epiphany
I am often amazed at the epiphanies which occur at Bible college. I shouldn't be. In my heart, I know that I do not really know my Bible and that there is so much more to discover. Yet, in my head I think that I do know enough of the basics so that my paradigm will remain un-shifted.
Today*, my paradigm was not only shifted, it was thrown out the window of a speeding train.
Jacob. We all know the story. Abraham and Sarah had a miracle-son named Isaac; Isaac married Rebekah; Rebekah conceived after Isaac prayed for her. She soon discovered (through a revelation from the Lord) that she was pregnant with twins. When the time came, out came Esau with Jacob clutching onto his heel.
The boys grow up. Esau comes home one day and is starving, so he asks Jacob for some stew. Jacob offers to give him some stew if Esau will sell him his birthright. Esau agrees. Time passes, we don't know how much time, and the time comes for Isaac to bestow the blessings before he passes. Rebekah talks Jacob into pretending he is his brother Esau; Jacob goes in wearing goat hair and receives the blessing from his father.
And he receives the reputation of being a deceiver. After all, did he not deceive his father into thinking he was Esau? And he receives the reputation of being a stealer. After all, did he not steal the birthright from his brother?
Hold up. Did he steal the birthright from his brother? Because when you read Genesis 25, it seems pretty clear that Esau sold Jacob his birthright. There is no stealing involved. And before you start to defend Esau, notice what the author says about the exchange:
so he [Esau] swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau the lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
Hmm...
As for the deceit, who's idea was it that Jacob go into his father wearing goats hair?
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau... Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you... so that he may bless you before his death."
So Rebekah tells Jacob what to do and Jacob quite simply obeys. Yet, can we actually say that the idea was Rebekah's?
...the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the Lord.
The Lord said to her,
"Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger."
So it seems that Rebekah gets her idea from God. Now, this does not excuse what was done either by her or by Jacob, but it does give some perspective. It seems to be an honest attempt on Rebekah's part to seek after God and His will. Not that her method was correct, but we should at least consider that perhaps her heart was.
Also, if Jacob owned the birthright, then who does the blessing belong to? Jacob. So he is being obedient to his mother, and is trying to get what legitimately belongs to him to begin with.
One final thought... Jacob was not only a willing participant in obeying his mothers' advice; he seems to have wanted both the birthright and the blessing. Esau, on the other hand, despised these things. Why did Jacob value the birthright and blessing so highly? Genesis 25:27 tells us that Esau was a man of the fields and a skillful hunter. Jacob, in contrast, was a peaceful man, "living in tents."
Esau spent his time in the fields. Jacob spent his time in the tents... If Jacob was in the tents, who would have been in the tents with him? His mom... and his family. Remember, this is not American culture! Families stayed together - extended families lived together.
So who would have been hanging out in the tents with Jacob? Very likely his grandfather... Abraham. It is very likely he would have grown up hearing Abraham's stories of God... and he would have heard of the promises given to Abraham, passed down to Isaac. And he would have understood that these promises would belong to the child with the birthright. And Jacob wanted the birthright.
Jacob wanted the promises of God. Esau despised them.
* This post was over a month in the making - so "today" does not refer to the day that this was posted, but instead to the day that the writing of this post began.
** Much credit is due to Ms. Domani Pothen, who provided these insights during a British Literature class... although I could not tell you how this tied to any of our readings in British Lit, the insight was still greatly relevant to us all.
Today*, my paradigm was not only shifted, it was thrown out the window of a speeding train.
Jacob. We all know the story. Abraham and Sarah had a miracle-son named Isaac; Isaac married Rebekah; Rebekah conceived after Isaac prayed for her. She soon discovered (through a revelation from the Lord) that she was pregnant with twins. When the time came, out came Esau with Jacob clutching onto his heel.
The boys grow up. Esau comes home one day and is starving, so he asks Jacob for some stew. Jacob offers to give him some stew if Esau will sell him his birthright. Esau agrees. Time passes, we don't know how much time, and the time comes for Isaac to bestow the blessings before he passes. Rebekah talks Jacob into pretending he is his brother Esau; Jacob goes in wearing goat hair and receives the blessing from his father.
And he receives the reputation of being a deceiver. After all, did he not deceive his father into thinking he was Esau? And he receives the reputation of being a stealer. After all, did he not steal the birthright from his brother?
Hold up. Did he steal the birthright from his brother? Because when you read Genesis 25, it seems pretty clear that Esau sold Jacob his birthright. There is no stealing involved. And before you start to defend Esau, notice what the author says about the exchange:
so he [Esau] swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau the lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
Hmm...
As for the deceit, who's idea was it that Jacob go into his father wearing goats hair?
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau... Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you... so that he may bless you before his death."
So Rebekah tells Jacob what to do and Jacob quite simply obeys. Yet, can we actually say that the idea was Rebekah's?
...the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the Lord.
The Lord said to her,
"Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger."
So it seems that Rebekah gets her idea from God. Now, this does not excuse what was done either by her or by Jacob, but it does give some perspective. It seems to be an honest attempt on Rebekah's part to seek after God and His will. Not that her method was correct, but we should at least consider that perhaps her heart was.
Also, if Jacob owned the birthright, then who does the blessing belong to? Jacob. So he is being obedient to his mother, and is trying to get what legitimately belongs to him to begin with.
One final thought... Jacob was not only a willing participant in obeying his mothers' advice; he seems to have wanted both the birthright and the blessing. Esau, on the other hand, despised these things. Why did Jacob value the birthright and blessing so highly? Genesis 25:27 tells us that Esau was a man of the fields and a skillful hunter. Jacob, in contrast, was a peaceful man, "living in tents."
Esau spent his time in the fields. Jacob spent his time in the tents... If Jacob was in the tents, who would have been in the tents with him? His mom... and his family. Remember, this is not American culture! Families stayed together - extended families lived together.
So who would have been hanging out in the tents with Jacob? Very likely his grandfather... Abraham. It is very likely he would have grown up hearing Abraham's stories of God... and he would have heard of the promises given to Abraham, passed down to Isaac. And he would have understood that these promises would belong to the child with the birthright. And Jacob wanted the birthright.
Jacob wanted the promises of God. Esau despised them.
* This post was over a month in the making - so "today" does not refer to the day that this was posted, but instead to the day that the writing of this post began.
** Much credit is due to Ms. Domani Pothen, who provided these insights during a British Literature class... although I could not tell you how this tied to any of our readings in British Lit, the insight was still greatly relevant to us all.
November 14, 2010
Ephesians
This term I am studying Ephesians for Advanced Bible Study Methods. I'm working on my 15th assignment this term and I just realized that, although God has been showing me a lot, I haven't shared any of it! So here's just a little glimpse...
"And masters, do the same things to them..." (Ephesians 6:9)
Paul begins to address how being a child of God should look in our outward relationships half way through chapter 5. Ephesians 5:21 says, "and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ."
He then demonstrates what this looks like in the marital relationship between husband and wife, then in the familial relationship of parents and children. He also demonstrates this in the relationship between slaves and masters.
Being subject to one another when you're speaking to slaves makes sense. Telling them that this means being obedient - that's just logical. But then Paul tells the masters to "do the same things to them." Who is "them?" Their slaves. What are "the same things?" Being obedient and being subject.
Hold up! Masters are supposed to be obedient and subject to their slaves? Well, that appears to be what Paul is saying!
Have you ever wondered why God doesn't condemn slavery in the Bible? Maybe this is why... Because slavery, done God's way, is a beautiful image of our relationship with Him (after all, doesn't Paul choose to be a bond-servant of Christ?). Slavery the way we understand it today flies in the face of the picture Paul is painting. But slavery, done God's way, can be beautiful.
"And masters, do the same things to them..." (Ephesians 6:9)
Paul begins to address how being a child of God should look in our outward relationships half way through chapter 5. Ephesians 5:21 says, "and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ."
He then demonstrates what this looks like in the marital relationship between husband and wife, then in the familial relationship of parents and children. He also demonstrates this in the relationship between slaves and masters.
Being subject to one another when you're speaking to slaves makes sense. Telling them that this means being obedient - that's just logical. But then Paul tells the masters to "do the same things to them." Who is "them?" Their slaves. What are "the same things?" Being obedient and being subject.
Hold up! Masters are supposed to be obedient and subject to their slaves? Well, that appears to be what Paul is saying!
Have you ever wondered why God doesn't condemn slavery in the Bible? Maybe this is why... Because slavery, done God's way, is a beautiful image of our relationship with Him (after all, doesn't Paul choose to be a bond-servant of Christ?). Slavery the way we understand it today flies in the face of the picture Paul is painting. But slavery, done God's way, can be beautiful.
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