The Prof's Thoughts
I like to write and process through words and laughter. Hopefully as I journey in my own life you can be encouraged as well.
Friday, April 12, 2024
Uncommon Faith
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Not Staying "in your Lane"
I follow a number of topics and people on social media, specifically Twitter - I refuse to call it X! One of those topics is the never-ending debate and criticism within the Southern Baptists regarding women's roles in the church and in families.
Now hear me out: I am a non-conservative complementarian (if that is such a thing LOL). I believe that God has created men and women equally, with each having specific gifts and that God has asked men to lead and love their families as Jesus loves the Church. I also believe women can teach men from God's Word and can speak from the pulpit - gasp!!! I didn't say be a head pastor of a church - I said can speak from the pulpit to both men and women.
We can all flesh out and argue what that means until we are blue in the face. There is not ONE person on this earth that can interpret the Bible perfectly. Sorry, there just isn't - because we are sinful humans. I am shocked, appalled, disgusted, and saddened at the many comments I see on social media where followers of Jesus criticize each other for their interpretations of scripture. I am not here to convince you one way or the other. I am here to say that the testimony we are living out on social media, regarding these secondary issues, must really sadden Jesus. Not to mention, turn people away from Him.
Look, you can believe a woman shouldn't be a pastor, make more money then her husband, only teach boys under the age of 5, etc. but I think when you meet Jesus face to face, He isn't going to ask you what your personal interpretation of His Word was when it comes to these things. He is going to ask you if you know Him, if you loved others like He did, if you shared Him with others.
What are the two commandments? "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.....and the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
I am reading and studying through a new Bible Study book that uses stories from the Bible to teach us what they mean for our lives today. Today's was about Abigail from I Samuel. Sadly, I didn't know about this story. Here's the jist.....David and his men were out in Carmel and encountered Nabal's men with their sheep. David and his men stayed with them protecting them and all of their possessions by their mere presence. In return, David asked Nabal for provisions for his army. He was refused, which angered David.
David set out to kill Nabal and all his family. Nabal's wife, Abigail, got wind of this and took a risk. As a women in that time, she was probably expected to stay at home and support her husband's decision. She gets provisions together and heads out to meet David and pleads with him in order to prevent the oncoming violence he was about to bring on them. A few potential lessons from this story:
1. Saving lives was more important to Abigail than "staying in her lane". She bent expectations for the greater good.
2. Abigail acted in spite of fear and violence, and in spite of another's bad decision.
3. Her pleading for peace showed discernment and foresight.
4. Instead of violence, she gives. Instead of brashness, she demonstrated listening and intentionality. Instead of hostility, she shows hospitality. She commanded authority without being given it (by her role in society as a woman). She saw a need and took action to prevent destruction, even it it meant going against the norms.
In a world that puts celebrities, famous christian leaders, etc. up for all to see and honor, Abigail reminds us it is often overlooked heroes that make our world a better place. It also teaches us to take decisive action when met with opposition, because our tendency when met with opposition is "violence" - name calling, verbal attacks criticizing, speaking without listening, etc.
It confronts us with how we choose to respond to people around us - those who think differently, those who treat us poorly, or who criticize and lie about us. Should we take action? do we act in opposition, or do we supersede expectations, non-violently, in order to serve a greater good ..... like Abigail did.
Yet another story in the Bible where God uses a woman to teach us all some valuable lessons we would be wise to take heed of.
(The Good and Beautiful Bible Study)
Monday, June 20, 2022
Leadership ... and condos
Sunday, April 25, 2021
Lessons Learned
There are several things I have learned through my walk through cancer this past year. Some can be humorous but most are not. Here goes .....
1. Chemo brain is a real thing. I hear it can last up to a year, so I am still occasionally experiencing it. At its worse, I couldn't think of words and my brain was very fuzzy. At its best, words can still be hard to fine.
2. The exhaustion that comes with chemo is hard to explain but I imagine your body has to work so hard because of the chemicals that you can do nothing else but lay on the couch for months.
3. I can't stand the smell of alcohol wipes. Every time I had an infusion or gave blood they cleaned the area with alcohol wipes and now the smell makes me gag every time.
4. Burping has become crazy! I don't just mean a little burp, I am talking every time I stand up I can almost say the alphabet ... really, really loudly.
5. It is amazing what the body can handle - God has created an amazing thing.
6. I am in NO control of my life. Which is probably a good thing.
7. Nurses are angels ... particularily phlebotomists
8. Your veins can only take so much before they blow up ... literally.
9. The peace I had throughout treatment can only be described as from the Lord.
10. Hair ... I actually didn't mind being bald. Of course my friends said I had good head for being bald! LOL, which brings me to another point....at some point the hair on your head comes off in your hands but the hair on your arms and legs? One day it's just gone. Where did it go? anyway .....
11. Friends are your lifeline. This is not a solo venture, it requires support (Stuart Scott).
12. The power of prayer is powerful, yet hard to describe.
13. What you think you can't endure, you can ... one day at a time.
14. Binge watching tv is a real thing!
15. Grocery delivery is a great thing.
16. Falling and breaking your arm in multiple places, requiring surgery, while undergoing chemo really sucked.
17. Jack, my dog, wasn't really helpful.
18. Working on your dctorate during chemo may not have been the smartest thing cuz I don't remember what I learned. LOL
19. I was fortunate to be living near my family. I couldn't imagine being alone for this.
20. Your hair grows back fast, but very patchy.
Monday, April 19, 2021
Survivor's Guilt
A year ago, Saturday, I had a really good friend pass away from cancer. We have the same name. She was 50 years old. We had been texting and I missed a facetime call with her. She died the next day. Little did I know at the time I also had cancer but didn't know it yet. My experience has been very different than hers. She battled for years, I, for one year. She had uterine cancer, I had breast cancer. She suffered tremendously, I suffered but not nearly as badly as she did. She died, I survived.
In talking with my therapist today I realized that I have survivor's guilt. I have been thinking about how loved my friend was, how much she influenced others, and how much she is missed. I think about all the years she could have continued to positively impact others. I think about, why me.....don't get me wrong, I am not having a pity party. I am genuinely processing why God took her home but has left me on earth. I think we all, at some point in our lives, compare ourselves to others or think we aren't as worthy as someone else is.
In conjunction with those thoughts, I think about purpose. My purpose. I don't have the physical capacity to do much yet, so I wonder how God is going to use me. This is all I know...God must have a purpose or I wouldn't still be alive. My responsibility is to be faithful and obedient. He has to provide and take care of me, not because I deserve it or have done anything to earn it - I haven't - but because of WHO He is, WHAT He has promised in His Word, and WHAT He has done on the cross. He also plans to still use me because I am still here.
As a friend reminded me, God chose to bring Himself glory through my friends' passing but He plans on bringing Himself glory through my living. So I stay faithful to what He has for me now, teaching online, serving people in my circle, and if that is ALL I ever do, that is ok. It is counter-cultural because it isn't big and flashy. But I was reminded that God's ways are higher than mine. I'm not into big and flashy anyway.
I watch how God has and continues to provide for me and I stand amazed and in awe.....it has given me peace, confidence, and assurance where there once was panic, fear, and worry. I still do those things, but not nearly as much.
God will be God and I will work on being faithful and obedient.
Sunday, October 11, 2020
Apartment Living
- This is a no smoking complex, and by complex don't get me wrong, it's not a fancy gig. Like clockwork, every morning and afternoon when I walk Jack I see this guy sitting out on his porch smoking. Does he think the smell doesn't go back into the apartment with him?
- The washer/dryer room is right next to my apartment. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out where this smell was coming from. Well, the dryer vent to the outside is right outside my sliding glass door and so whatever dryer sheet smell is used, I smell it. It wasn't so good this weekend. How are there dryer sheets that don't smell good?
- There is an old couple who live next to me. What is it about older people who like to watch what goes on in the neighborhood? Every time I drive in with Hank (my truck), he has to look out to see what I'm doing. Usually, I park next to his truck, and tonight was no different. As I got out and began walking to the door, I saw him get up and come to his slider, "you didn't hit my truck did you", he asks. No, no I didn't hit your truck (insert eye roll) "just thought I'd ask" he said.
- I think the guy above me works out. The reason I say, I think, is because his appearance does not match that idea. However, his deck is full of work out equipment, including a punching bag. For the love of all that is quiet and respectful, it sounds like a herd of elephants is tap dancing up there on a regular basis. Either that or he can't carry those heavy weights he's lifting and so they drop on the floor. Oh, and numerous soda cans keep dropping and finding their way onto my deck.
- We have about 25 geese on our pond. I don't mind, I kind of like them. Jack on the other hand keeps our porch clear of them. Yes, they come up pretty close. I now know why. A lady in the building next to mind FEEDS them. I mean FEEDS them PILES of whatever it is geese eat! So they are used to coming up pretty close. The other day I heard her talking to them, and I heard, "oh, that's why you aren't coming up for food", as she hears and sees Jack barking his bloody fool head off at them. LOL
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Double Nickels