Robin Gilbert Luftig's Blog, page 40

Sinners and Saints—Revisiting a Quote

[image error]Years ago I used a quote from Oscar Wilde’s, every sinner has a future and every saint has a past. While I’ve long ago forgotten the blog post, the quote stayed with me.

I remember how my interests drove me to look into Wilde’s life. After my research, I understood how these words came from the depths of his being. Both of Wilde’s parents had been successful. But the examples his parents offered him were filled with selfishness and narcissism. Reality had little importance; perception counted for more than anything. Following their example, he learned how to deal with living a double life—one presented to the public and the other that fed his desires.

His life knew no bounds until he was arrested and went to court to save his reputation. He lost soundly and his fall was precipitous, instantaneous, and very frightening.

Wilde had become a literary success. His matchless writing ability astounded his peers. But in truth, his life was tortured. Not because his lifestyle landed him in prison, but because he sought beauty first and then morality. He hid his true identity from others so he could seek pleasure.

Wilde’s example proves my point. We all know the struggle with living for perception or living for truth. I remember clearly when I stood at the crossroad of my own Sinner or Saint lifestyle. I chose a Sinner’s life: seeking beautiful experiences and possessions. It d[image error]idn’t take long, however, until I realized my life was lacking depth and a something I couldn’t describe. Nothing I set my heart on fixed what was wrong as my life circled the drain.

Then God appeared.

He loved me completely. He didn’t judge me because of my earlier choices—He already knew me. He had always known my heart. Instead, he tended my wounds. And he didn’t let me skate regarding my past choices. I still needed to deal with the consequences of my bad choices, but He was with me every step of the way.

I appreciate His love more as each day goes by. I remember my sinner days and am forever amazed how God still loves me. Every sinner has a future and every saint has a past fits us all. Don’t allow your sinner days to own you. God’s waiting for you, too.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Watch for Hope Prevails Bible Study!

[image error]Sometimes we struggle to get through the day. And even as Christians, we wonder if anyone understands.

Rest assured, someone does. Michelle Bengston, author of Hope Prevails carries many titles. Besides wife and mother, she’s also a Board Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist and helps people every day.

But she also understands depression from the inside out. She’s dealt with her own depression and [image error]found that no matter how dark it gets … hope prevails. She published Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression last year to rave reviews and is now offering her newest book, Hope Prevails Bible Study, being released October 25th.

Watch for it! You can also follow Michelle and learn more about both books, Hope Prevails and Hope Prevails Bible Study at http://drmichellebengtson.com/.

 

No Pretending

[image error]When I stammer and struggle with feelings and words, my dear friend, Lori Roeleveld, has the ability to put life back in order. It’s like she strokes my hair with her calming touch, only she uses words. If we’re honest, the Las Vegas Massacre devastated each one of us. Every last one of us was touched in one way or another.

Lori’s words did it again. They gave me the permission to feel what I already felt but didn’t know how to put them into words. I need to allow myself to lament.

Love you, Lori. My life is blessed because of your friendship and your words.

https://loriroeleveld.com/blog/be-wretched-and-mourn-and-weep/

Remember

[image error]The voices in your head. They can be all-encompassing.

They can motivate you to keep going or freeze you in your tracks.

They can make you cry out or quiet your voice to a whisper.

They can own you or arouse the need for freedom, deep within your soul.

Don’t let the voices in your head decide how you view life. Fear is real. We all deal with it, so don’t run from it. Instead, dig deep into it. Find out where it’s coming from.

What are you truly afraid of?



Are you afraid of failure—or the pressure of success?

Are you afraid of dying—or the sense of missing out?

Are you afraid of being alone—or opening yourself up to the vulnerability of being in a relationship?

Sit back, take a breath, and face today’s fears. Speak aloud to them if you need to. Their power tends to shrink and flee when challenged. Fear tends to flee when faced with truth:

“My God says he will never leave me nor forsake me.

“My God says he has a plan for my life.

“My God cries when a sparrow falls, yet he loves me even more.”

Trust that you have the tools to combat fear … just for today. The glory of it all is that the tools you need for tomorrow will return when you need them. Depression or fear may come again tomorrow, too, but you can be ready.

It’s crucially important to be ready. In John 14:1, Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me.”

Remember God. Remember Jesus. Remember the sparrow.

Dedicated to my father, who on a lonely morning in the fall of 1979, forgot to remember.

Remember

[image error]The voices in your head. They can be all-encompassing.

They can motivate you to keep going or freeze you in your tracks.

They can make you cry out or quiet your voice to a whisper.

They can own you or arouse the need for freedom, deep within your soul.

Don’t let the voices in your head decide how you view life. Fear is real. We all deal with it, so don’t run from it. Instead, dig deep into it. Find out where it’s coming from.

What are you truly afraid of?



Are you afraid of failure—or the pressure of success?

Are you afraid of dying—or the sense of missing out?

Are you afraid of being alone—or opening yourself up to the vulnerability of being in a relationship?

Sit back, take a breath, and face today’s fears. Speak aloud to them if you need to. Their power tends to shrink and flee when challenged. Fear tends to flee when faced with truth:

“My God says he will never leave me nor forsake me.

“My God says he has a plan for my life.

“My God cries when a sparrow falls, yet he loves me even more.”

Trust that you have the tools to combat fear … just for today. The glory of it all is that the tools you need for tomorrow will return when you need them. Depression or fear may come again tomorrow, too, but you can be ready.

It’s crucially important to be ready. In John 14:1, Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me.”

Remember God. Remember Jesus. Remember the sparrow.

Dedicated to my father, who on a lonely morning in the fall of 1979, forgot to remember.

A Special Time of Year

[image error]Autumn is my favorite season for several reasons. Mostly because it was my dad’s favorite, too. Not only was his birthday in September, but Hunting Season started then. He said he never remembered the correct date for his birthday because it always came in the middle of hunting season, and he was more excited about that.

So I became excited about hunting, too.

On those magical autumn mornings, we’d get up early and enter the woods before the squirrels started looking for their breakfast. We’d walk as quietly as we could, though acorns continually crunched under our feet. Twigs snagged our pants. Trouncing through the ground cover, the crisp morning air would wrap around my face. My boots would get soaked from the dew. Dad would lead us to a spot—a perfect spot—where we would wait for the squirrels.

That’s how it went—every time. Every magical and perfect time.

No talking. Hunters don’t talk. Instead, we bonded over milk-coffee (mostly milk in my case) and snack crackers or the occasional piece of candy. After all, hunters needed to keep up their strength up as they watched and waited for a good shot.

Thoughts of squirrel hunting came to mind as I walked from the car and to my office building today. On the way in, I[image error] stepped on fallen acorns and listened to the crunch of them under my feet. I stopped for a moment and looked up into the oaks that stood around me—and waited. After a moment, a squirrel scampered down a nearby tree and chattered. Had I disturbed his sleep? Was it the sound of the cracking acorns that made him holler at me? Standing there, I felt the crisp air wrap around my face and felt the dew cover my open-toed shoes.

In that moment memories of a simpler time flooded my mind. I thought about early morning adventures with my dad. When I thought I would always be his sidekick and he would always be my hero.

But Life took different turns … for both of us.

I sighed, wiped a tear from my eye, and continued my trek to the office building. Reaching for the door, I paused for one last moment and listened to the sounds of Autumn. After all these years the sounds were the same. And for a moment, I remembered why Autumn was my favorite season of them all.

Parents, take time to enjoy your children. You’ll make memories for them that will last long after you’re gone. And children (even grown children) give your folks a hug. Ask about their day. Let them know you appreciate them. They won’t be around forever.

There is a special time for everything. There is a time for everything that happens under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Brandon Shares Great Wisdom

If you don’t follow Brandon J. Adams, you should. His point of view brings a sigh of relief whenever I get fearful that the generation following this one might not have the answers to get us through.

Clearly, Brandon’s insight proves that God’s folks are alive and well, lined up for years to come.

Check out his latest post, How to Let Go of Our Christian Heroes. Let him know your thoughts. I’m sure he’d love to hear them. He’s that kind of guy.

Obstacles or Opportunities

[image error]Picture it:

You’re at a dinner party. You look over a sea of faces and you realize you don’t know a soul. As you hear snippets of conversations, you realize some of these people are from different parts of the country—even the world. You see young people dressed casually and others dressed in business garb. Some are sipping drinks while others are absent-mindedly crunching on ice. There’s a young African-American man with the most intriguing dreadlocks you’ve ever seen sitting on one side of you. To the other side is a businessman from Chicago making it known that he has no use for children—in fact, he views them as the enemy. Startling, rich, wacky and diverse, all these conversations are happening. If you’d just jump in, think about the opportunities there to touch base with people you may not necessarily meet on your average day. 

For me, this would be an incredible dinner party, but, alas, it wasn’t. Instead, it was a commercial air flight. And instead of opportunities, my focus turned to how long I’d have service on my phone before I needed to put it on airplane mode.  Instead of doing my best to take advantage of the situation, here are a few of the areas that held my attention:

The seats in First Class get to the destination the same as Economy.
Bathrooms are incredibly small yet space age.
It’s hard to sit on the aisle and not covet a view from the window.
It’s entertaining to watch the time change as you cross time zones.
Are people focusing on their electronics or in-flight movies, or are they trying to look involved so nobody speaks to them?
Personal space is defined differently.
Flight attendants need to be praised for their work.
Cows shoots have nothing over boarding gates.
Chewing gum needs to be offered along with diet soda and pretzels.
The blue mesh curtain that separates first class and coach is as prominent as the separation between The Losties and The Others in The Lord of the Flies.
Am I the only person who thinks this could be the flight that falls out of the sky?
I will take my seatbelt off before the sign signals that I’m allowed … and it will be my moment of independence.

I realize if I treated my time on a plane as I do at a dinner party, I’d probably be escorted off the plane. But my observation … of my observations … was still a good one. Lots of people can be in a tight space but never take the opportunity to get to know one another. We have different expectations these days. We’ve lost sight of what’s really important.

People are important. We mustn’t forget that.

So if someone tries to strike up a conversation with you during your next flight, don’t let it annoy you. Realize that you strike them as an individual rich with experiences they want to hear about. Remember, you may never see them again. Share a bit of yourself if they ask. And they may want to share a bit, too. Think how rich the world would be if we all just asked—and then listened.

Feeling Less Than

[image error]These are trying times. Whatever we say tends to make us feel “less than”. It doesn’t matter what side of a topic you hold. It seems folks have stopped discussing and have instead, turned to arguing. It breaks my heart.

And if it breaks my heart, how is this affecting the Holder of the Universe?

Check out Lori Roeleveld’s latest post Washing Feet in an Angry World. Let’s do what we can do … and that means starting with me.

After looking at myself first–and hardest–like Lori says, I feel a[image error] bit lighter. I might not be able to change the world. In all reality, I can’t even change you. But I can change my attitude. I can choose to see good instead of pouring over the not-so-good.

When I focus on Me and what I can do, my feelings of Less-Than leave. When I focus on me, I have more power than I realized before. It’s a good power. A calming power.

Give it a try. You’ll be surprised how good it feels.

After the Eclipse: Now What?

[image error]I enjoyed August 2017’s eclipse as did many others as we all watched the event through our NASA-approved glasses. I saw the sun’s shape slowly change to a crescent, then disappear behind a circle of black.

Pretty cool.

I read several social media posts from eclipse watchers, sharing their thoughts and feelings about how awesome God was to show us such beauty.

It was truly beautiful.

But let’s not forget that God’s beauty is also in a tiny wren’s song. Have you ever wondered how such a big song could come from such a little creature?

Beyond incredible.

As we all settle back into our post-eclipse lives, let’s not forget that the same God that offered the magnificence of the eclipse offers sights just as powerful every day. He offers power in whispers. We just need to take the time to listen for them. And when we hear them, they are truly magnificent. Some, I’d say, are just as spectacular and awe-inspiring as an eclipse. It’s our choice to seek, acknowledge and appreciate them.

Do you hear God’s whispers for you today? What’s happening that causes you to pause and marvel at His extravagant gifts?