Monday, June 29, 2009

So Much

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 1 John 3:18 (NLT)
It was not the first time but this time it made me stop and think when Mark said, "I love you but I don't think you understand how much." My immediate response was, "I love you, too," but in the back of my mind, I wondered about his follow-up comment. Why didn't I understand? How does love express itself? One of the things I learned as I read The Five Love Languages is each person speaks and hears love differently and it is vital to learn the love language of your spouse if your efforts are going to mean anything. It might be a card with words of affirmation and affection. Or maybe it is getting the Honey-Do list done. Try catching the hand of your honey as you walk down the street or bringing home a small bouquet of flowers. And for some, just sitting down and giving uninterrupted attention and conversation makes the heart of your mate sing. It takes work to make this happen because we naturally speak to our spouse with our personal love language. The problem occurs when our expressions of love fall flat and he doesn’t get it. He missed all the effort I made and sometimes, even criticizes it. What good is that? In his book, Gary Chapman encourages each person to discover his particular way of expressing love and then talk about it together. If I know that Mark needs to hear "good job" or snagging him and planting a big kiss as he walks through the kitchen then I need to be careful to do it. Bringing home several bags from Nordstrom for him is just not going to make it. So, pay attention. Does your honey understand how much you love them? Are you speaking their love language? One more question. Do you have any concept of how much God loves you? He doesn't go half way. In fact, He gave up His son, willingly, for each of us so that we could know Him and be part of His family. And because He made us and knows how we think, He always speaks our love language. How do we show love back to Him? Spend time with Him…worship Him…obey Him…listen to Him…enjoy His presence…tell Him. "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Sea of Men

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)
I really like our new church. Each season highlights some of its traditions. Over the years I have seen roses passed out to the women on Mother's Day or the mother with the most children honored but our pastor had all the men stand and applaud the women present. His words of encouragement and this visible act of appreciation warmed all the hearts of the women in attendance. Last Sunday, he announced that Father's Day has a different tradition, one started when the church began fifteen years ago. He invited all men – dads, granddads, husbands, men, and boys to the front of the church to kneel down with him in prayer. As the leaders of the home, he wanted to ask for God's guidance and blessing for these men. Pastor got down on his knees behind the pulpit and as he prayed, I'm sure the spirit of God filled that room with glory and hallelujahs. Nothing pleases Him more than to see men bowed before Him, seeking Him, loving Him, desiring to do His will. Tears filled my eyes as I looked over that sea of men kneeling before God, thankful for the roles they play in their families. I heard some knees cracking as they stood to return to their seats but there was also a warmth and camaraderie. Sometimes it is a lonely job but these men knew that God had met them on a Sunday morning in June.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

What's for dinner?

Don't worry and ask yourselves, "Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?" Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. Matthew 6:31-33 (CEV)
Dairy-free, wheat/gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, seed-free. The words just rolled off the tongue of the nutritionist last week. I felt hit by a tidal wave as I listened to her explain Mark's new elimination/rotation diet for the next six months. I have a degree in home ec so this shouldn't be a big deal but the ramifications of these dietary restrictions seemed overwhelming to both of us. Retirement means many things but menu planning and cooking are not high on my list. Going out to dinner is much more fun. It seems that just when life begins to get comfortable, God initiates a change of plans. Over the past months, I keep learning that He wants me to depend on Him for each detail of my life—even down to what we are going to eat each day. It is amazing the food options that are now available for those with food sensitivities. I can only imagine how difficult this would have been a few years ago. We are learning options, reading labels, making mistakes but trudging along this new path. Mark is trying new things—some tasty and some not. Good thing he was not a picky eater before all this began. We even have restaurant options. He knows that ultimately, he will feel much better and with this hope, we keep going. God's plan for us is much the same. He challenges us with new opportunities to grow and trust Him. Sometimes we try to go our own way ending up with a stumble and fall. Other times, the communion with Him is sweet as we walk in the light and He warms our hearts with His love. Whether it is three steps forward and two back, we have the assurance that each step brings us closer to Home. I will update you on occasion about this new chapter at the Blumbergs. Eat hearty!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Meaningless

The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. Ecclesiastes 12:13 (The Message)
The pomp and circumstance of a Harvard graduation is awesome. It was great to watch Mark's son, Alan, graduate with his Master's degree and complete the journey that he undertook two years ago. Walking around the historic Harvard Yard brought me back to stories that my dad would tell of a semester he spent at Harvard back in 1945 as part of his Navy training. I don't think it has changed much physically in those intervening years but it is now coed, led for the first time by a woman president, and will soon have a greater percentage of women to men. Big changes for an all male school that began in 1636 and only became coed 1999. I have been reading Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived. He spent twelve chapters recounting his life experiences often stating it had all been meaningless. I wondered at his comments since he had it all. Why was it meaningless? As I thought about his view on life, it reminded me of all the young people that had just passed their hardest test and were ready to take on the world. There was a celebratory feeling permeating the campus. You could see it in the smiles of the parents and the joy of the graduates. But, at some point, would they look back and wonder if it had all been worth it? Solomon sums it up: Fear God and do what he tells you. The choices we make for our career, family, hobbies, or personal growth are meaningless if we don't consider God's purpose for our lives. His final admonition is worthy of great consideration.