You Are Like A Donkey

What? Why would you say such a thing?

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem:
behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation;
lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an
ass."Zechariah 9:9

As you know yesterday was Palm Sunday. Being as such many
pastor's chose to speak on the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Mine was no different. He took a very different spin on it though and focused on the donkey! A very new perspective, at least for me. So with this new outlook I wanted to take it a bit further.

We are like the donkey - how? We are dirty and we smell.

We are clothed in the uncleanness of our sins. From
living in the "world" and not according to God's guidance. We wreak of filth. We carry an odor on us that only can be cleansed by the Most High God.

So have you gotten out your thinking caps and figured out where this is leading too? Let's continue, shall we?

We move forward into Luke 19:29-38
29As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' " 32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34They replied, "The Lord needs it."
35They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in th e highest!"

V. 30 "You will find a colt tied there" - Just as this colt we are tied to the world, thus to sin. It is only by allowing Jesus to untie our binds that we are truly able to move forward.

V. 30 " Which no one has ever ridden" - We too were untamed and unbroken until we submit our lives and ways to the master.
V. 31 "The Lord needs it" - As with the donkey of the story, the Lord needs us. He has a job for us to do, just as this donkey had a job to fulfill. Will you go forth and do it?

V. 35 "They brought it to Jesus" - As many of us were once lead to Christ, so was this donkey.
V. 35 "Threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it" - They dressed the colt. Much the was we receive new clothing (Armor) when we accept Jesus...as this donkey did on his back.

It was a long night here at Clan D. I as usual did not get to bed until after 1am. I know shame on me.

So last night I crawl into bed and crash. At least until exactly 3am. This is when, for some reason, the electricity going out woke me...and the Bomb. Usually we sleep right through these sort of things. Only to wake in the morning, usually late, because the alarm didn't go off at the appointed time.

I got out of bed and using a cell phone for light creep into the living area to locate a flashlight, candle, and matches. You know in case the electric is still out when Bomb has to get ready for work. Just as I have located at least the candle and matches I figure good enough and head back to bed. I had just gotten back to the bedroom door when I see a light and hear footsteps! I froze and called out "Who's there!?" At that time Autumn steps around the corner to inform me that her battery back up to her PC is beeping. Using the wisdom that only a mother can possess I tell her "Turn it off." This seemed to satisfy her and she headed back to bed.

No sooner had I laid back down then my own silly backup for my PC starts beeping. I ignore it as it only lasts a few minutes. No need to get up in this cold house for that! It stopped only to be replaced by the follow the leader beeping of my house phones. In between these we have then added the beeping of the computer routers.

Literally by now we have BEEP...BEEP..........BEEP........BEEP...quiet for a few seconds then BEEP...BEEP.........BEEP......BEEP. Finally I get the bright idea to unplug the phones. Silly me they also have a battery backup! Who knew? Bomb reaches over and turns off the PC routers. Now we are down to just the phones BEEP...BEEP (one in the living room and one beside the bed). Or at least now I think that will be all.

Laying beside me and knowing how irritated I am getting at this point is my dear husband. Oh how I love his sense of humor and bravery! He looks over at me and goes...BEEP....BEEP....BEEP. The funeral is tomorrow.....

Introspection

I am quiet. I am looking inward while being guided from above. I don't usually look inward to much. I know that I am living pretty much how I should. Or so I thought. God thought differently.

Of late I have been looking back over my friend's lives who passed away last year. There were 3 good friends, 2 family members, 1 beautiful dog. As I looked back at the lives they led and the things God had placed before them, this got me to thinking on my own life. The ministry God has appointed me. One, sadly, I have not really touched in nearly 2 years. I keep thinking, God will push me on. Most times he has. But now I am learning that God sometimes wants you to take the reins he has placed in your hands. DO the groundwork, through prayer and his guidance of course.

Yesterday, during worship service, I was shown my own mortality. I was neither prepared for it nor expecting this. I have such a tendency to put off what I should be doing NOW. I was shown myself making out my will. Decisions that needed to be made regarding my children. The mere thoughts and visions brought the tears. I am ready to join my father, though I still long to be with my children and a mother, here on earth. They are still young. To be a wife and partner to my husband. So you can see where the mixed emotions came into it.

I was also given the answer to a prayer. Two actually. OK, Three now that I really am focusing on it.

1) My weight. I must do this. I am back to were I started when I lost over 50 lbs nearly 2 1/2 years ago. I swore I would not be back here. Yet here I am. Today I am back on Weight Watchers. God is with me and I CAN DO THIS!

2) My ministry. I am no longer on being fed milk. I am not a child in need of discipleship. I am a
I am strong enough for solid meat and to lead others in discipleship training. I have already been doing this for many years. Though I am a teacher, and I know this, I still tend to run from it. I must move forward. It is a gift from God. I do not want to see him place someone else over it. I must move forward in my gifts. Starting today!

3) Though I have felt that I was near God I realize now it is not so. I have lost my worship of him. Oh, I sing and I pray. Just not at the depth I need to in order to say I am sitting at his feet. I want to be Mary. To be close to him. To hear each word he speaks. So this area must increase.

Today for the first time in ages (it happened last night actually) out of no where a spiritual song just popped in my head and came out of my mouth. I felt...free. This morning I awoke with a song on my heart, in my head and I could do nothing but to thank God for it and for giving me another day, another chance, to be what he has designed me to be. His servant. At his feet. Going about his work he has placed in my care.

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com

Mental Note

A noted psychiatrist was a guest at a gathering of humor editors, and his host
naturally broached the subject in which the doctor was most at ease. "Would you
mind telling me, Doctor," he asked, "how you detect a mental deficiency in
somebody who appears completely normal?"



"Nothing is easier," he
replied. "You ask him a simple question which everyone should answer with no
trouble. If he hesitates, that puts you on the track."



"What sort of
question?"



"Well, you might ask him, 'Captain Cook made three trips
around the world and died during one of them. Which one?'"



The editor
thought a moment, then said with a nervous laugh, "You wouldn't happen to have
another example would you? I must confess I don't know much about history."

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OK, if you know me then you know how my mind works sometimes. Can go off at the drop of..well anything really. So here is the latest.

Today someone told me God can not make evil. I have heard this many times and never thought twice of it..actually agreed with it. Today though the wheels started turning.

If God can not create evil, then where is it from?
He created everything. Right?

He created the angels, to my knowledge without free-will. How then did the revolt in heaven begin?
How is one of God's creations the most vial and evil thing to exist, if indeed God can not create evil?

(I welcome your responses. Please no nasty replies. Lets keep this nice. Thanks)

Update

So the pastor calls the following day. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what I can do..." I tell him all I expect him to do is keep it in prayer and possibly bring forth a message in the classrooms about behavior.

What bothered me is he seemed more interested in sitting down with me and "setting me straight" about Pokemon. Hello? Pokemon was not the issue. Children's behavior at church (and probably elsewhere) is. I don't need sat down. I don't need to discuss the matter. I KNOW where I stand on the matter.

"Perhaps you should research the matter...?" Excuse me, but no. No need to thank you. Why on earth do I need to research a topic based on other "Christian" writers beliefs on the evils of the Pokemon? If it is documented it will be slanted toward what they see as wrong. Not myself.

I told him I have done the only research I need. I went to the throne. God has not yet convicted me Pokemon is wrong some....8 years?...later..... I don't think he will.

Now, today I found out that the kids at this church are OK with War of Warcraft (WOW) and even Neopets. These games actually use magic/sorcery where Pokemon do not. Granted there are like 3-4 "occult" (their name for them not mine) characters of Pokemon...out of hundreds of characters. So its not like you are subjected to them at every turn. I myself rarely saw them used in the show and games.

Here is my take on Pokemon. We have a vast amount of personalities in this world. Pokemon characters are based on those same personalities. Believe it or not there is occult in our world. Like it or not as hard as you try you will not be able to keep your kids from confronting it at some point.

Bad Pokemon

Bad Pokemon

This evening at our new church my daughter was informed that Pokemon are bad. Now, it didn't stop there. They went on to humiliate her with all her new found friends and made her feel very hurt and unwanted. Kids speaking of course in their own words. This is what it boiled down too.
"You need to be like us. Forget Pokemon and think as we do."

Now, I am not looking for debate on this matter of Pokemon. It is old and it is tiring to me. I allow it in my Christian household. I have prayed, I have sought God, I have not been convicted it is evil in his sight. So the decision is the kids can play it and watch it without hindrance.

Now, my issue with the matter of tonight, besides the obvious of my child being hurt, was the children's actions. 1) They showed no tolerance to a fellow believer and churchgoer. (who is new to the area and church). 2) They went at her with vengeance to the point of yelling it at her as we were leaving...then yelling it at me! (disrespect much?) 3) That the parents of these children did nothing to hinder this barrage. 4) That they started spreading it about church my child had Pokemon games. 5) That these kids think they are in the right and did the right thing.

Evil is evil. Sin is sin. IF Pokemon is sinful and evil and my daughter is in fact guilty of this sin. It in no way gives credence to the actions of these children and does not entitle them to be vicious and mean. Thus sinning as well.

I wrote an email to the pastor. I will await his response. In the meantime I need to console my daughter and try to explain why church kids were being so mean to her about a game she has long played (and honestly is fast outgrowing).