right or wrong, I'll take Jesus

We need to stop looking at Christianity as dualistic sets of ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ - for a Christian, there can only be one ‘right’ and that is the good news of Jesus! For a Christian, there is only one ‘wrong’ and that is to know Jesus but not allow him to transform us. What would happen if we, as individuals and as a people, began to re-examine the things we believe are ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ under the  magnifying glass of Jesus? 

-Zonoma

mirror, mirror

"Everybody looks into the mirror but nobody notices the mirror itself. They are naturally drawn to the image reflected in the surface. So through this [difficult season], my 'look-at-me' personality must be sure to say instead 'look-at-God'. All it takes is a little tilt. God is, perhaps, trying to shift my axis."

-Zonoma

8/17/2003

authenticity

We can give one another access to our successes and our failures. Successes are always more fun but the failures can mean the most to a struggling friend. Be authentic.

-Zonoma

just ask

Do you want to know how a follower of Jesus should live? Ask just about anyone except a Christian. Ask a Buddhist, a Wiccan, a Hindu, or a Muslim. Ask a pagan or an atheist. Don't know any? You might want to start there.*

-Zonoma

*If I am fortunate enough to have any spiritually minded non-Christians reading this blog, feel free to chime in. This is a question I love to ask from time to time myself.

harsh words

I see nowhere in my bible where we are given permission to name calling and harsh speech. Rather, the scriptures are full of admonishments to "season our speech as with salt" and in all ways maintain a gentle tongue and heart, for "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks". Perhaps this is because most truths are hard enough to swallow without allowing our words make them completely unappetizing to those who are hungry for the goodness of God.

-Zonoma

right vs true

Love remembers that it doesn't have to be 'right' to be 'true'. Cherish your loved ones.

-Zonoma

hope

“Of all the virtues and gifts, I believe that hope is the hardest to hold on to.” 

-Zonoma

anger issues

“I love the book of Jonah. It’s this epic story about a self righteous, hard-nosed guy with anger issues and here I am: self righteous and hard-nosed with anger issues. The thing is, though, that even though Jonah and I struggle with this whole hatred thing God still lets us be part of the solution, if we want to. He still uses people like Jonah and I to show His mercy to people who don’t know their left hand from their right and in the process, we learn about mercy, too. How cool is that?” 

-Zonoma

modern day slavery

“We are all called to walk the path before us but let us never, ever forget those whose paths are bloodier. Instead, let us continually remember them to God in prayer and let our prayers transform us from apathy into action.” 

–Zonoma

depression

Depression is consuming and elusive. My day can be moving along at a fine pace and I remember to thank God for the sunshine and the butterflies and the way the specks of dust catch the sunlight and sparkle like little faeries in a wooded glade.  I can lie down at night, safe in the knowledge that I have a good husband, fine sons, and a good life. Then everything falls into nothing and its all I can do to whisper, “Jesus, save me!” before losing myself to the vortex in my soul. These moments come on me with all the violence of a storm and I can't breathe. They pummel me from the inside- roaring to get out, to find some expression, to be free. I cannot describe it better than a struggle for my very existence, clawing and screaming my way back- denying this monster, this enemy, the satisfaction of another moment’s conquest. Yes, living with depression is a struggle that happens from moment to moment. Sometimes I am tempted to believe this lie that I am alone but then Jesus comes. Jesus comes and saves me in the dark. He sets me back on the solid ground of his love and, for another moment, I am safe in his presence once more. 

Somewhere in the world tonight there is a sister who needs to know. You are not alone. You are not broken because you struggle with this melancholy. God loves you and rescues you. The LORD has overcome and the LORD is overcoming. 

-Zonoma

holiness

Did you know that the word holy was originally used to refer to temple prostitutes? These women and, yes, men were set apart for service to their god and use by any who would petition their god’s divine intervention. Remember this next time you are tempted to withdraw from the world in order to pursue ‘holiness’.  To be holy is not to be apart only but to be set apart in service to our god wholly and completely. It is to be used up to our uttermost by Him while ministering to any who would petition His divine intervention.

Just a thought.

-Zonoma

acorns

Inside a tiny acorn lies a great oak, slumbering until surrounded by the soaking presence of the rains. How my soul is like the tiny acorn! Slumbering and silent, helpless against this world until the Spirit of God surrounds me with His presence and awakens me to the possibilities of life, of growth, of strength! May we always long for the Presence of God, may we always – like the acorns and the oaks- drink in the rain with abandon and learn to plant our roots deep in the soil of the Word of God for without both the deepening and the drinking, there is no growing toward the light of the Son.

-Zonoma

truth and love

Truth and love are inextricable intertwined. Separated, they become destructive parodies of the originals. Without love, truth becomes harsh and deadly to the soul. Without truth, love becomes sickly and false.

-Zonoma

idol times

Regret is the idol of the past and worry is the idol of the future but the only way to worship a present God is to remain in the now. After all, He is big enough to redeem both the past and the future when we seek Him today.

-Zonoma

occam's razor

To say, "God healed me" in our post-modern society is a difficult thing and often requires courage. Most of our friends, after hearing that, look on us as if we are slow-witted and to be pitied or, worse, under-educated and un-discerning of the 'logical' processes by which we are now well. This is because, though we are taught that the simplest answer is often the truest, we are also taught that God does not qualify as a simple answer.

-Zonoma