A conflict of interests I suppose?

So anyone who knows me knows my favorite hobby (and usual obsession) is counted cross stitch. (If you're interested in reading about that more (lots more!), check out my other blog The Purple Needle) The entire needlework industry, and cross stitch design in particular, has come an incredible way in the last 10 years or so and there is more variety of subject matters to stitch today than ever before. Almost anything you can want to stitch, someone somewhere has created and charted a design for it, which they're more than happy to sell you. And my fellow stitchers and I are all too happy to buy. (The operative word being *buy*, I didn't say we actually *stitch* everything we buy!)

I did some shopping a couple weekends ago, against my better financial judgment, and I purchased this design on ebay (aka the bay of evil!). Some evil person on the BB showed it and I immediately had to have it. He matches this and this, both of which I have in progress. Very sloooooow progress, but progress all the same.

But, you might say (I know because I have said it to myself), aren't you a Christian? Doesn't that go against everything the Bible teaches? Come on, Laurel, wizards? Enchanters? Magic? Why don't you stick to flowers and sweet Bible verses about God's love? Well, I have some of those too.

In the end, I see this much the way I see Harry Potter and the Christians who were all up in arms over that. I know what I believe. A book or a piece of cross stitch is not going to change what I believe. If it did, I'd seriously need to reexamine my faith. That said, in a lot of ways this is a Christian liberty issue a la Romans 14 and I have friends who have very strong feelings about Harry Potter or about stitching fantasy or certain themes and that's their right. In the same way, I have the right to stitch what I like and what my conscience allows without being lectured by my fellow believers over it. In some matters, I have the weaker conscience, and there are things I don't stitch or do that others have every right to do without incurring judgement from me.

A bit of a wake up call

Jesus the very thought of Thee
Bores me, I must confess;
Putting You first in all my life
Int'rests me even less.

I'll give you time on Sunday morn-
Then I will sing and praise;
But after that, my time's my own-
Mondays through Saturdays.

Demand no more of me, O Lord-
There is so much to do;
I have a life, I can't afford
To waste it all on You.

Credits to Lori Wick and Phil Caminiti- This re-write of the hymn Jesus the Very Thought of Thee appears on page 147 of Wick's novel Bamboo & Lace.

We would never say this out loud, but we live this way often, don't we? I know I'm guilty. We put pencil in time for God on Sunday morning, and then live as we wish for the rest of the week. I believe that's known as Churchianity - we get all involved in programs and ministries and such at church, using Christian lingo, saying the right things, having merchandise with Christian logos on it (hmmmm, a topic for another blog...), etc, but forget the central focus of the Christian life is God and a relationship with Him, putting Him first in everything, including the way we use our time.

I'm completely guilty of this. Taking the time to pray or to read my Bible daily or practice other spiritual disciplines - I just don't do it. And it's never because I don't have the time. It's because I'm lazy. I'd rather read the BBs or stitch or watch television, or most often, sleep. But as my youth pastor in high school (wonderful man! I miss him dearly. I hope he's doing well.) used to say, it's hard to have a good relationship with someone you never spend time with or talk to. I shall have to work on this.

It is amazing though how aware I am of the extent of my sin! I've been very lax about devotions, but somehow I haven't forgotten how far short I fall of God's perfection. I'm still aware every time I have a bad thought or am ungrateful or disobedient or put something above God. Praise be to God for his glorious grace in forgiving sin and His Holy Spirit who keeps us on the right path even when we slack!

Happy Resurrection!

"If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith....And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." 1 Cor 15:13-14,17-19

Welcome to my new blog! I won't re-explain it, it's there on the right for you, as well as on tonight's post on my other blog, The Purple Needle.

Let me give you a little background on me. I became a Christian when I was 13 or 14. My friend invited me to the junior high youth group her church was starting and I've been going ever since. In fact, I still belong to the later incarnation of that same church!

My church has joined the United Reformed Churches of North America (their homepage is also linked on the right). Reformed churches have sort of a reputation, some good, some not so good. What I really like about my pastor, and the Reformed church, is their commitment to good theology and sound doctrine, and their commitment to teaching it to their congregations, even when it's technical and difficult. I don't like fluffy, sugary sermons on Sundays. I want substance and depth in a worship service, and that's what I appreciate most about my pastor. Perhaps I'll get into what I don't like about the Reformed church another time, although I imagine if you're at all familiar with it, you can guess.

Not to say that there isn't a place for fun and fluff. I enjoy that too! Just in a different time and place. Like talking to my friends. Or in a blog. Or something of that sort. I hope to have both in this blog - serious stuff and fun stuff.

But first, let's talk about why theology is important - after midnight or at any other time. Theology is what you believe about God, and what you believe about God determines what you do. It doesn't matter what you believe, either - if you believe, don't believe, if you believe in a vengeful angry God, if you believe in a loving grandfatherly God, if you believe in the cosmic vending machine who gives you what you want for the asking, if you believe in the God of the Bible, or whatever you believe - it affects the way you live, the way you think and the way you feel about things.

A set of core beliefs about God that are always true and always constant gives you an anchor to hold on to. You can always go back to those as being true no matter what and remind yourself of them. I was looking at the lyrics of an album that I love this weekend, and the songs often show the singer reviewing her theology. God never changes. God doesn't make mistakes, what He does is never wrong. God does things for a reason, and we aren't always privy to that information. When she's going through something hard or painful, she reminds herself of these things. "This is what I know to be true about God, and I will believe it even though I can't see it now."

Contrary to what some will say, theology really does matter. It's not just the basis to argue or judge or divide (although, again, there is a time and place for those things as well). It really does matter to your life what you believe.

testing..

Just a test