"Can you render unto Caeser that which is Caeser's!?"

Imagine being in a courtroom on a jury panel. 22 prospective jurors. After hearing about 15 jurors get questioned at length about their job, interests, and viewpoints you're up to be questioned in front of 30 strangers.

That was my experience this week on jury duty. As I began sharing about my job and my life, the district attorney was definitely concerned somehow that I would not be a fair and impartial juror. After hearing my answers to the judge and to the defense attorney, the first thing he asked me in a somewhat raised voice:

"Can you render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's!?"

It was pretty funny. The judge wouldn't let him ask that question and he actually stopped the DA from getting into a few other religious conversations. I wasn't surprised when I wasn't picked to be on the jury, but I was amused.

valentine from my sister

In an earlier post, I wrote about the occasional e-mails my 11 year old sister sends me. Here's what I got yesterday for Valentine's Day. I repeat now what I wrote then, I wish everyone had a younger sister like her!

You know you've been gone so long you're still here. You know why?, because everybody keeps you here. We all, atleast once a month, talk like you, tease like you, dance and sing anoyingly like you, and we do other things like you just to keep you here. So you see, you never left 121 Seminole Way. I love you and miss you, and Maren too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

-amy-

"don't waste your life"

Here's a quote I just read from the book by John Piper that I just picked up:

Somehow there had been wakened in me a passion for the essence and the main point of life. The ethical question "whether something is permissible" faded in relation to the question, "what is the main thing, the essential thing?" The thought of building a life around minimal morality or minimal significance--a life defined by the question, "What is permissible?"--felt almost disgusting to me. I didn't want a minimal life. I didn't want to live on the outskirts of reality. I wanted to understand the main thing about life and pursue it.

what's the point of exodus 20 through numbers?

My One Year Bible plan doesn't look super exciting for the next two months or so. Right now I'm at Exodus 28 and I've got Leviticus and Numbers to look forward to. But you know what? God is starting to show me some of the purpose in these books and the imagery speaks of Christ and his redemption of the world.

Exodus 28:15
Make a chestpiece that will be used to determine God's will
v.30
Insert into the pocket of the chestpiece the Urim and Thummim...the objects use dot determine the LORD's will

Exodus 28:29
...Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the chestpiece over his heart when he goes into the presence of the LORD in the Holy Place. Then, the LORD wil be reminded of his people continually.

In all the details given in this portion of the Old Testament I think it's important to keep two big pictures items in mind--God's purpose in all of this is to reveal His presence to His people and to reveal His will.

Nothing speaks "I love you" like White Castle

What are your plans for Valentine's Day? You can find Maren and I at the Midway White Castle on Lexington and Univeristy in St. Paul. Hurry up! They'll run out of reservations soon.

Patience

Psalm 27:14--Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.
Psalm 37:7--Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.
Psalm 40:1--I waited patiently for the LROD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.

I never realized how much David talks about patience in the Psalms until just today. Lately, I have been the opposite of patient--especially in the area of house shopping. Read these definitions from Webster's:

Patience:

• will or ability to wait or endure without complaint
• steadiness, endurance, or perseverance in the performance of a task
  

*patience implies the bearing of suffering, provocation, delay, tediousness, etc. with calmness and self-control


Patient:

• bearing or enduring pain, trouble, etc. without complaining or losing self-control
• refusing to be provoked or angered, forbearing, tolerant
• calmly tolerating delay, confusion, inefficiency
• able to wait calmly for something desired
• steady, diligent, persevering
  

desperation

Matthew 13:44--The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field--and to get the treasure too!

Proverbs 2:1-5--My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
THEN you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 1:7—The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.

How does this verse say to get the fear of the LORD and the beginning of knowledge which is the primary spot to begin spiritual growth?

Receive God's words
Treasure his commandments
Make ears attentive to wisdom
Incline heart understanding
Cry out for discernment
Life voice for understanding
Seek for these things as for silver
And search for her as hidden treasure

To me that gets summed up in three words: desperation, humility, obedience.

Heaven

Revelation 4:8-11--And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night do not cease to say

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come."

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne saying,

"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive, glory and honor and power; for you created all things and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

Romans 8:18--Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.

What strikes me about these four living creatures is it seems their sole purpose is to see all of God's glory--revealed in both His personhood and His creation. The response is unceasing worship of God's character, "Holy, holy, holy." If the created beings seem like a spectacle to behold, imagine how much more glorious He will be!

rev 1:6, 1 peter 2:5

Revelation 1:6--He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father
1 Peter 2:5--And now God is buliding you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are God's holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:9--But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession.
1 Peter 2:11--Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here.
John 14:6--I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.

The Kingdom of God: A spiritual kingdom that is not of this world. My home is not earth but rather heaven.
Priests: God's servants that offer worship and praise and sacrifices to the only true God of the universe. They are not priests of this world but rather on assignment from God to witness to his greatness, glory, and character.
Temple: The place where God is worshipped. God is building a spiritual temple comprising each of us believers.
Jesus Christ: Through him, all people may enter into God's kingdom as a living stone of God's temple and a priest offering sacrifices to worship God.

Christmas lights sighting

Mark it on your calendars:
Tuesday, November 9th at approximately 11pm
I saw my first string of Christmas lights, including a lite-up snowman on the roof.

Seriously, there should be a law that prevents this kind of insanity until at least the weekend of Thanksgiving.