Education is overrated.

Oh, alright.... let's take that in context...

There is a prevailing philosophy I keep seeing around me that says: "If you know better, you do better." Basically stating that people will make good choices if only they know what they are choosing.

Hogwash!

Perhaps I'm in the minority,.... so what! I believe that people are "fallen" and "imperfect" creatures. Yes, we do wake up in the morning and say "I'm going to go and do such and such. I know it's not good for me, but I really want to do it, so I will."

Education does have it's place. Without it we cannot know the effects of our choices, but just because we know stuff doesn't mean we're going to act on it. Come on, how many of you reach for the Pepsi (Coke for Joyska) and chocolate or chips when you're stressed, tired, or just plain munchy(in my world, that's a word)? Are we unaware of the negative effects of these things on our bodies? No... we have been educated. Do people still have unprotected sex with multiple partners? Sure. Don't they know about AIDS and STDs? Well, most of them have been educated. Do women still drink while they are pregnant? Not as many as used to, but some still do because the mechanics of addiction are more complicated than education alone can address. Do my kids know what to expect when they start whaling on each other? Yep. Still they choose it.

My point is this: education is good; knowledge is power; but the free will of man(kind) needs more than that to tame it.

The look of love, is in your eyes...

Thought I'd share another thing that happened to me on Sunday night.

I was sitting for awhile during worship. I think I had my eyes closed. And a conversation of sorts went through my mind.

Me: If I could only touch the hem of His garment I know I would be healed. (No, I have no idea what I wanted to be healed of... that's just the thought that went through my head - in first person.)

Jesus:(with an incredulous tone) The hem of my garment? (pause, while he gathers his composure and checks his tone so as not to give me the "what are you, stupid?" message) Okaaaay, well , yeah, technically that's true..... But (insert affectionate name here - I can't remember what He called me) don't you remember? You're clean now. You can look me in the face!


Wow! What a feeling! I can look Him in the face! The holy God of heaven and earth, and I can not only be in total awe of Him, but I can look Him straight in the face, and see love shining back at me from His eyes!

Laugh it up, fuzzball!

Does God ever make you laugh?

I mean, out of the blue, hilarious things He shows you that leave you teary and rolling on the floor?

Tonight I was supposed to be praying for healing for Erica and DJ. We were instructed to find out where the "illness" was and pray for the Holy Spirit to come into that place.

They had head colds.

So, Erica, I've reworded it slightly, but here goes:

Up your nose with the Holy Ghost!

*hee hee hee* *whoo*

You're it!

Well, I have learned something new.

While the kids, Doug's aunt, and I waited in the van for him last night we played some games. I Spy is pretty standard, and it worked for awhile. As Doug returned the boys decided to play Simon Says. I couldn't see how they could do that when they can't see each other (Kel sits in the middle row of the van, Matt in the back). But they managed. Then, before we got home they decided they wanted to play tag.

Tag? In the van?

Oh yeah, and this is how it went...

Kelvin: Tag!

Matt: Times!

Matt: Tag!

Kelvin: Times!

and so on, and so on....

I was just waiting for one of them to call "Home Free!" But we were home by then.

Seems to me that if you can figure out how to play tag in a moving vehicle when you can't reach another body then you really can't ever claim to be bored and be taken seriously, now can you?

Grey Matter

Oooooowwwww! My brain hurts!!!

I'm finding myself with the opportunity to involve myself in some discussions that require some thought on my part. Not just a passive interest, but I'm really having to think about things. (No, the corn discussion on Erica's Blog doesn't count. That's just a labour of love...)

Wanna know something?.... It feels great! It almost feels like I'm rediscovering a part of me that has been lost for a looooooooong time. Now, I'm not exactly a closet intellectual, and I don't think I have all the answers, but man am I enjoying the process of looking for them!

Excuse me... I have to go find a way to tactfully challenge someone on their exegesis....

Fresh Meat

I think what Jason shared on Sunday was, for me at least, the thread that ties all of this stuff I'm seeing lately together.

If you missed it, I'll try to sum it up. And Jay, if you're reading this, feel free to correct me....

The basics of it were this: You can only run so far on an old revelation of God. We need a new/fresh revelation of who He is.

Now, I'm not saying that there's new information out there that God has conveniently omitted in His previous revelations of himself. I'm not proposing a New and Improved Testament or anything like that. What I mean is that we need our hearts and minds to be freshly enlightened as to WHO God is and what He's saying.

My friend,Jude,is struggling with some things we might find basic, but I believe that when she comes through this that she will have a much stronger grasp on what she believes because, like Jacob, she refuses to let go of God until He blesses her ( in this case, I believe, with revelation - though I could be wrong - it happens).

I'm hearing other friends of mine over and over again saying how they just feel drawn to read their bibles more. I don't think that has a "natural" source to it. I think it's God drawing and wooing us.

I've been told by some people that I am a person with deep roots. That I know who I am in God. Well, I feel like I've been coasting along for quite awhile now, and this shaking up (since I'm sure it's from God) is just what I'm needing. I come from a Plymouth Brethren background. Big into the Bible, not accepting of prophecy (they believe that prophecy and tongues were gifts that ended with the cannonization of scripture.) I know that I know of my salvation, but I'm so glad that I can't say that I know all there is to know of God. There is more than this!

I was reminded the other day of something I learned at Bible School. We were being taught about the difference between positional and experiencial in regards to righteousness (I think). The idea was that while we are made righteous at salvation (positionally), that we are not immediately transformed but over time as we "work out our salvation" we see more and more righteousness in our lives as He works in us (experiencial). This was big. It means, for me, that He, being outside of time, sees me in that final state. When he longs to dance with me it is not the sin-ridden, guilt-laden, holier-than-none me that He sees. He longs to dance with the one who has been made clean - even if my experience hasn't caught up to that person yet. I can know that in a place outside of time, that's who I am. Or will be (since I am stuck here in time, for now). I'm still not sure of how I approach Him, but for once, I don't feel the need to pull away.

(Oh, and the title.... I was praying and that's what came to me after I wrote the rest of it. It's from the Shawshank Redemption, but I think it refers here to the meat of what He has for us...)