Inspired by one of my inspiring roommates, I contacted most of my family and extended family (my parents, their siblings, and my grandparents) and asked them to send me their favorite Bible verses. After receiving many responses, including their words of explanation as to why those verses have been influential and life-giving, I decided to formulate a similar list for myself. In no particular order, these are the Bible passages that have shaped me the most and given me a vision for my life.
Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech...
This psalm describes beautifully the way I feel about nature.
Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear?
...One thing I ask of the Lord; this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling...
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
In the season of my life when I most needed a refuge to cling to, this psalm calmed my discouraged, fearful heart.
Isaiah 58: 6-14
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free....If you do away with the yoke of oppression...and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land...
This is the vision that inspires me every day.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
1 Kings 19:11-12
The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountaintop in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, bu the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
As someone who has trouble slowing down to hear the gentle whisper of God, these verses have helped me learn to listen.
Matthew 19:23-24
Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven."
In tenth grade, I did a research project & presentation for my Bible class on the question "Should Christians be wealthy?" Looking back, I think it was one of the most beneficial projects I did in high school.
Luke 9:23-24
Then he said to them all, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
Luke 10:27
He answered: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."
Romans 12
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship...
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...Live in harmony with one another...
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Philippians 1:3
I thank my God every time I remember you.
This reminds me to be constantly thankful for the beautiful people in my life.
1 John 3:1-3
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
We studied these verses in my baptism class, and it was the kind of promise I needed at that time in life.
Colossians 3:14-15
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
To my mother
Whether or not you know her, I hope this will make you thankful for the important women in your own life.
My mom taught me that you can be a mom and have a full-time career, but that your family is more important. She taught me how to love and be angry at the same time. She taught me that nothing is more important than being honest. She taught me that it is possible to always challenge yourself, try new things, and continually grow to be a better person, even after age 40.
Both my parents have done an incredible job of modeling life as a follower of Jesus. I'm still trying to figure out how they instilled their values and faith in me so well. They conveyed to me how important these values are, but not so that they felt forced upon me. My mom is a wide-minded idealist who doesn't think any dream is too big, and who isn't afraid to take a few stumbling steps to find the path she's searching for.
She's funny and quirky, but knows how to get along with everyone. She's often said she's not good at small talk, and it's because she wants to talk about things that matter.
If you want someone to listen to you, especially if you have a question or dilemma, and give helpful suggestions, there's no one better. In all my growing up years, including all four years of high school, my mom was the person I would go to for ideas and advice about projects, relationships, and decisions of any kind (and often I still do). For a while I wasn't sure how I would survive at college without her always there to help me brainstorm.
It's funny sometimes how much we resemble each other -- not just in looks, but also in voice, mannerisms, personality, and quirks -- but I never mind claiming this, because I am honored to be like her.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you.
My mom taught me that you can be a mom and have a full-time career, but that your family is more important. She taught me how to love and be angry at the same time. She taught me that nothing is more important than being honest. She taught me that it is possible to always challenge yourself, try new things, and continually grow to be a better person, even after age 40.
Both my parents have done an incredible job of modeling life as a follower of Jesus. I'm still trying to figure out how they instilled their values and faith in me so well. They conveyed to me how important these values are, but not so that they felt forced upon me. My mom is a wide-minded idealist who doesn't think any dream is too big, and who isn't afraid to take a few stumbling steps to find the path she's searching for.
She's funny and quirky, but knows how to get along with everyone. She's often said she's not good at small talk, and it's because she wants to talk about things that matter.
If you want someone to listen to you, especially if you have a question or dilemma, and give helpful suggestions, there's no one better. In all my growing up years, including all four years of high school, my mom was the person I would go to for ideas and advice about projects, relationships, and decisions of any kind (and often I still do). For a while I wasn't sure how I would survive at college without her always there to help me brainstorm.
It's funny sometimes how much we resemble each other -- not just in looks, but also in voice, mannerisms, personality, and quirks -- but I never mind claiming this, because I am honored to be like her.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
becoming part of New Community Project
Many of you probably know that in an effort to learn more about the world, engage in the local community, and make both a better place, I decided to volunteer with two different organizations and learn how they do what they do. The main criteria were for a clear mission to build up the local and global communities, a small enough size that I could easily learn about different aspects of their work, and close enough for me to bike to.
The two I ended up with are Artisans' Hope and New Community Project. Very different, but both awesome and doing great things to help build a healthy and beautiful world.
Today was my first day at New Community Project, working in two of their gardens. I have many reflections that are only seeds right now, but here is a small effort at sharing what today was like.
I gathered dripping lettuce in my hands and thought, This is amazing. This came from the earth. Everything we did today, from dropping tiny beet seeds into dark soil to transporting bins full of compost back from the food co-op on bike trailers, helped to enrich the earth and make it better.
Did you know bronze fennel tastes like black licorice and feels like soft hamster fur? Did you know comfrey plants contain so many nutrients that soaking the leaves in water will produce fertilizer for a garden? Did you know you can put rose petals in salad mix?
It's going to be a good summer. :)
The two I ended up with are Artisans' Hope and New Community Project. Very different, but both awesome and doing great things to help build a healthy and beautiful world.
Today was my first day at New Community Project, working in two of their gardens. I have many reflections that are only seeds right now, but here is a small effort at sharing what today was like.
I gathered dripping lettuce in my hands and thought, This is amazing. This came from the earth. Everything we did today, from dropping tiny beet seeds into dark soil to transporting bins full of compost back from the food co-op on bike trailers, helped to enrich the earth and make it better.
Did you know bronze fennel tastes like black licorice and feels like soft hamster fur? Did you know comfrey plants contain so many nutrients that soaking the leaves in water will produce fertilizer for a garden? Did you know you can put rose petals in salad mix?
It's going to be a good summer. :)
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