Pre-Born Purpose

I have been reveling in the joyous truth of Jesus birth today; one of the most meaningful events in human history.  I was listening to Bill Randles speak about who the Maji were in Matthew 2 and he stated this truthful fact in his message. " The first person to recognize Jesus was an unborn child."
I keep reading Luke 1:44 where this fact is stated, "As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy."

The Saviour, still in the womb of Mary, was recognized by John the Baptist, in Elizabeth's womb. (*Note: Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins).  The pre-born babies both had a calling of service to the Lord, the connection between them was before birth and was shown through both their ministries after birth.

The dynamic of pre-born calling for God's service is throughout scripture and shows that God's plan for human kind is indeed inter- active, inter-relational and full of purpose.  King David was told that He was formed by God in his mother's womb (Psalms 71:6, Psalms 139:13). Jeremiah was appointed as a prophet from before birth (Jeremiah 1:5).  Sampsons' parents were told their son was to be a Nazarite (Judges 13:5,7) Jacob and Esau were to be fathers of great nations (Genesis 25:23).

Meditating on the fact God wants to bless humankind through His involvement in their lives which does take an obedient stance to what He has planned on the part of the individual is mind blowing to say the least. 

I told my daughter of this joy I was thinking upon as we sat and watched It's A Wonderful Life. I told her the Lord made it very clear to me when she was born how I was to make sure she knew Him. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 has been my parenting motto to live by. I told her this command given by God for all his people but specifically impressed upon us for her life shows how important she is to God. 

I find all this very rich with meaning. Alex chose to write a research paper on abortion and learned quit a bit about the subject. We have a friend who works for Pre-born, an agency that helps point toward adoption. She shares when a mother-to be makes the choice to bring life into the world instead of death  and we rejoice that another soul has a chance to glorify God. Reading the account of Jesus' birth and reflecting on the purpose of his life, to bring salvation to all, causes me to worship in wonder at such an amazing gift.

Listen to O Holy Night and Silent Night a few times and think upon the birth of Jesus this Holiday Season. Let the delight of the gift of life (physical and eternal) sink in your heart and praise God for giving you purpose.

Merry Christmas!

Love, Chandra

Anger On Tap

I was rummaging through boxed up memories I have deep in the attic when I came across some old journals, I was skimming through them laughing at some of the youthful, sometimes silly, sometimes profound things I thought about as a young girl. Underneath the juvenile volumes I saw my black tap shoes and brought them out of the box to show my daughter a relic from my past. Dancing was my youthful passion and it flooded me with sentimental, good feelings. It also brought up a saying I like to fling out there in jest when someone in the family has a bad encounter during the day. They'll tell of their humiliating ordeal and I'll quip in a mobster tone, "You want I go do a tap dance on their head." At least it makes them smile for a moment.

Photo by: Chandra Brown

My little saying got me thinking about the advice that abounds for releasing anger and stress in this crazy, rat-race, non-stop world. Doctors say exercise, religion says meditate, mothers say take deep breaths, psychiatrists say talk about it, educators say listen to calming music.  This advice has one common thread, divert the negative energy elsewhere.

I asked my daughter how she deals with anger and stress, she says, "Kick something or ripping up paper helps her. "

This woman says, use humor to divert that negative energy. Do the opposite of what you're feeling and turn that emotion upside down; Laugh instead.

What are some funny quips your family uses to get through the 'angries'?

Nancy Sinatra had her boots, Chandra has her tap shoes.

 

For more 'Anger Management' check out this funny song…click here.

Intelligence Quotient For Inanimate Objects

INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT FOR INANIMATE OBJECTS

Rating Scale:

Not So Good             -----  >     Not So Smart

Not So Bad               -----  >      Retarded

Bad                           -----   >     Dumb

Worse                       -----   >     Stupid

Worst                        -----   >     POS

Worse Than Worst   -----   >     FU

Wrath of God           -----    >    Apocalyptic

Disclaimer:

The assigning of the I. Q. F. I. O is not a reflection of the individuals politically correct or incorrect views or is not an indicator of moral values, it is a totally relative bias for measuring personal knowledge of individual relationship between said inanimate object and said living entity.

Any misrepresentations, mis-understandings, legal, litigation, personal injury or general mental disparagement is solely, purposefully, absolutely the responsibility of the assignor.

The content of the material contained and the views expressed in this dissertation is not reflective of the egghead who penned said Intelligence Quotient, therefore, peruse and assimilate at your own risk.

General Usage Guidelines:

The rating scale embarks upon the lowest level of emotional output towards said object and progresses up the scale as the emotional agitation increases.

Users have experienced staccatoed vacillations within the varied scale causing neural lapses leading to cerebral exhaustion; although these episodes tend to be quite entertaining to spectators, the individual experiencing the episode may feel the emanation of utter mortification.

Proceed usage with caution.

Case In Point:

A cathartic montage for your I.Q.F.I.O pleasure.

Spawned from the brain of John Debee
with the embellishment assistance of Chandra Brown

Growth Requires Pruning

After the Rain By: Loneangel

I was reading O Pioneers, by Willa Cather, a book about the Swedish land settlers of Nebraska. The main character, Alexandra, is a strong-minded, resourceful woman. She stoically takes over the family farm after her father passes away and creates a successful , thriving business that expands through risk, hard-labor and sacrifice but with a price of loneliness.  She is nearing middle age when a past love interest returns to the homestead. Before she can even begin to think about the possibility of settling into happiness, Oscar and Lou her brothers, make their case against any companionship for Alexandra. They site many selfish reasons for her to withhold going forward in a 'foolish' decision to get married; her love interest is a loafer and wants to be taken care of, he wants to take the property from the family, she is too old for thinking of marriage and should have done that when she was young and they finally get to the crux of their real concern; they worked harder for the land then she did. They disregarded her wit, slighted her ingenuity and her strength to make hard decisions against the grain of the town and come out on top. They essentially wanted more even when they had plenty and at the cost of someone else's happiness.

They went as far as accusing her of being hard on them...
                            "Hard on you? I never meant to be hard. Conditions were hard.
                             I didn't choose to be the kind of girl I was. If you take even a
                             vine and cut it back again and again, it grows hard, like a tree."


Her last sentence stuck with me and shouted out the goodness behind God's pruning sheers on my life.

I have two rose bushes in my backyard that the previous owner planted. One Fall day I was looking at the gangly things and not exactly knowing what to do and not caring too much I whacked them down to the ground. I figured, I don't really care for rose bushes anyway and not having to look at the mess of unorganized leaves was better then trying to shape them. When I was finished I looked at the nubs poking out of the ground and thought I did them in for sure. I even chuckled at the bad haircut I gave them thinking some avid rose gardener would scold me intensely. Not a thought entered my head about those rose bushes until the next Spring when I had a mass of red flowers blooming that were breathtaking to view from my kitchen window. The beautifully mounded bush had every inch covered in color, and I began to like the rose bushes against my fence. They brought birds and bees to the backyard to watch and enjoy.  My harsh pruning brought forth a beautiful display.

This is also true of our walk with God. Many lessons can be learned from the harsh pruning God wants to administer to us in our walk. I happen to be going through one of those right now. Circumstances are sheers in which He prunes away the branches that don't bear fruit. He looks at the shaggy parts, even when we think they aren't that bad and artistically cuts a branch here, trims a leaf there or even knows that when harsh conditions are prevalent a total cut back of the plant will be a life saving  decision in the long run. The plant may look ugly or dead but it can do one of two things; it can wilt and die or it can rest in the Winter season so it can thrive and grow to produce a bountiful harvest in the following season.

I have had my share of tears, fears, worries, emotions and questions but it comes down to this...am I going to trust that He knows what is best for me even when the outside view seems foolish, ugly or unfair? He is the artist, the tender of our spiritual garden, the grafter of vines and branches, the master gardener along the narrow path. Unlike my unthoughtful onslaught on my rose bushes, He removes those branches tenderly at the right time and in the right way. All we have to do is be aware, willing to respond and be patient in waiting as the growth takes place for the next season where we can bear fruit and be a strong, beautiful testimony to His handiwork.

Alexandra made a great point when she said, "cut it back, again and again, it grows hard like a tree." There is something to being harshly pruned, stripped to nothing; it builds character and a resolve to keep growing into something unmovable. (James 1, Hebrews 10:32-39 and 11)

By the way, I've let those rose bushes grow on me, they now have a special place in the backyard where I'll let them be.

John 15

Jeremiah 18

A Long Walk

Sixty Paces etched in time will test the demands on body and mind.

No matter the elements, terrain or aptitude;

traversing the course requires a fit attitude.

Along the way sojourners happen by,

some just wave and others stop to say hi.

The best companions on a long walk are similar in kind

and may be connected by blood or a contemplative mind.

Smart travelers on a long walk take pause

 and glean lessons that give life cause.

To mention;

Nature gives canvas to philosophic theme

and points to discussions of

The Supreme Being.

Or

An expression or two weave a web

through well traveled terrain

and some get lost on a path

between thoughts and a dream.

                                            But

Young and old on a long walk will ponder this question from time to time,

"How many paces have I till trails end?"

In causerie fashion they wonder,

"It could be a long haul or just around the bend."

For those in the know,

A long walk lends an open view to years and

measured time that focuses on true substance

and how to use the one's supplied.

Chandra Brown

"Don't just count your years,

make your years count."

Ernest Meyer

Dedicated to my Father on his 60th birthday celebration. Thanks Dad for setting the pace and showing us how it's done!

 

Cactus Flower

photos by: Chandra Brown

Cactus Flower

Bud to bloom

Brief is life;

Capture beauty

In eternities time

 Fleeting moments

Cause rapturous sublime

Pistil, Stamen, Pollinate

Wilting quickly

Death; law of nature

Seasons dictate bloom or dust

thus,

contemplate conundrum;

 from this death comes life again.

Chandra Brown



Chronological New Testament: A Few Thoughts



"Do whatever He tells you"
by andycoan


I've been reading The Chronological New Testament, and have been eating up every page. As I read the books of the New Testament on the timeline in which they happened, I find certain dynamics being revealed in such a way that it caused me to feel as if I was reading The New Testament for the first time.

I wondered why the members who debated, studied and eventually put together the twenty-seven books known as the New Testament Canon, did it in the order they did. I've heard some evidence points to the notion the books in the order we are use to were aligned this way in order to help make doctrinal issues clear. Without going into that tangent; following the order of events as they took place in time has only helped make doctrine clear for me and I've read the New Testament in "traditional" order many many times and have never seen things as clear. The problems that arose and how they were addressed, the struggle to keep the church pure, the teachings of Jesus born out in believers life through real experiences all follows the sequence and definately reveals a pattern that if we pay attention shows us clearly how the church should function.

Does the modern church live this pattern out? There's some homework for ya!

There have been many moments where the words have popped off the page and started a brainstorm of thoughts. Since being part of the church means sharing your experiences with the Lord with other believers I thought I'd at least share how this book, put into action by a believer so others could benefit, has at least on a basic level helped spur me on in my understanding of how to walk with God and be an active participant in His church (I Corinthians 16:15-18 CNT WebVersion).

The book starts off with the preparation of men who were to take God's message out into the world, Acts 1-11. Paul's experiences have a great impact on the church and as the text unfolds I notice I can relate as the Holy Spirit has taught me some of those same things through my own personal experiences and have also given me reason to keep trying for those things I know I lack.

I read 2 Corinthians 11 and 12 and I can understand Paul's point, talking about his weakness is made strong in Christ. In chapter 11 he talks of being unskilled in speech yet he speaks boldy the things of Christ. There are times I feel the worlds weight glaring down on the truth and my flesh wants to quiver and hide, yet through the Holy Spirit's strength and guidance He has made my mind sharp and strong able to dispell the world's reasoning in order to show Christ's glory for what it truly is. I am honored and humbled this vessel was used to Christ's gain.

I read chapter 11 verses 22-33 and if you look at that account of peril through fleshly eyes it makes no sense that someone would go through all that for his fellow believer and to be obedient to Christ. Why would someone choose this path of constant struggle and pain? Then in chapter 12 the Lord sends a demon to keep Paul in check, he even asks for it to be removed and the Lord says no and Paul responds with gladness. Paul understood the principle of sumbission at all cost because his gain was Christ. His spiritual life meant more to him then the fleshly, time condensed one he had now. Being able to go through this willingly and gladly has to have personal, knowledge and devotion to something alive and tangible and utterly true. From a fleshly point Paul would look insane but when someone has found the truth and knows it, they are a rock unmoveable and it doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks.

I ask myself the hard question, Could I go through what Paul went through to follow Christ? (Remember Christ was our ultimate example in what He gave for us)

The more I talk to God, get to know Jesus and follow what the Holy Spirit teaches me through real life events, I'd like to think, YES. Experience to experience I am being transformed by the reality of Christ in my life and the joy given only by God surpasses any worldly sorrows.  There is gladness in my weakness because He is being glorified for who He truly is and I get to be part of something I don't deserve. I am coming to understand what taking up your cross really means through the personal teaching of the Holy Spirit as He reveals to me what I need to do or what He wants to do, confirmation of it in scripture and then relating it to other believers carrying their cross too. Now that is the real church and I am proud to be part of it.

As the first lines in the Chronological New Testament say, "The first church was not the one in Jerusalem; it was Jesus and the 12 disciples. The real pattern cannot be based on mere assumptions drawn from letters Paul and others wrote. Jesus set the example for His church."  It is based on relationship.

Paul is a shining example of following Jesus' pattern, as were countless others in the New Testament, and we must include the righteous in the Old Testament as well. The fact I am offered the chance (my life) to try and follow the example and pattern too makes my spirit soar....

Thanks to Ken Brown and James Dinsmore for putting together the Chronological New Testament!

Note: The picture above has special significance pertaining to my walk with God...2 Kings 4...when I found this on the photosite I use the title the photographer gave it sealed the deal for my choice in using it with this post...

Doing Nothing

I accidentally took this picture while attempting to put the lens cover back on my camera. When I downloaded the pictures onto my computer I saw this one and it made me stop. I didn't remember consciously taking a picture of relaxing by the sea with a book. I liked looking at it, it made me feel as if there were no other pressing things on my docket, it took me back to the ocean with all the sounds and warm breezes. I felt relaxed, I captured a moment without even trying. Do you feel the calm, uninhibiting call to put the grind behind you and mesh with nature where you can get away from it all; the urge to delve into a book, where your mind can escape? A place conducive to transporting your mind to a pace where time slows down and you feel yourself catch up, wind down and have a moment to just be?
The older I get the more I just want to slow down and enjoy! At times life tends to be a task master, your schedule the constant reminder that you should try to be super woman and get all the items checked off the list. The more you do the better you are, the less idle time you have the more successful you feel. It's a race against who? Oursleves, friends, The Jonses', society? But I ask, with all this time eaten up with; do-this, go-here, juggle-that, where does the time fit in for nothing? Nothing to many people means laziness, boredom, lacking in ambition, a vice that can lead to bad habits. Keep going lest you stop long enough to be tempted. Tempted to what? Tempted to get to know yourself, tempted to let your mind rest long enough to listen to your conscience, tempted to actually talk to God. Being still long enough to spill out the sludge of stress, to get away from monotonous everyday life chatter and embrace the void can be excruciating to humans because we hang on to what's tangible, instant and comfortable, even if it exhausts us and makes us feel good on some level. The idea of nothing scares us! It is a place where we don't have control and may end up facing the fears of the unknown or the fears of facing the bigger questions of self or God.
Are you afraid of nothing?
I guess I didn't mean to let my thoughts take me this far, this post started as thoughts about relaxation. In the end my point comes full circle....in order to relax, doing nothing has it's place.
What does "doing nothing" mean in your life?