What Motivates My Life? God or Fear?

Self-realizations are good and very often hard to swallow, because most of the time what I see inside isn't pretty! The past few years the Lord has taken me on a journey challenging me to place my desire for control into His hands. Time and time again as He provides opportunties for me to submit to Him, He proves He is trustworthy, faithful and loving. Even when I choose to take back control sometimes, He patiently reminds me that with submitting comes freedom ... rest ... and peace. I read this article today and it again reminded me that choosing to live a life of fear and worry (two forms of control) is futile and crippling. So I posted part of it here, for the full article, just follow the link at the end.

Fight Fear With Fear by Suzanne Hadley

… I see variations of fear all too often. Fear over whether I'll get married. Fear about starting a conversation with a neighbor. Fear of whether I'll accomplish the thing I set out to do.

I recently discovered fear playing an unwelcome role in my relationship with a godly guy. At the beginning of our relationship, I was very reserved. Instead of reciprocating naturally as he pursued me, I worried about saying or doing things exactly right. As I looked more deeply at why I felt anxious each time we met, I realized that I was "playing it cool" as a defense mechanism. Of course, I could justify it as "guarding my heart." But the real reason I did it was because I thought if I didn't get too excited about the relationship or invest too deeply, I wouldn't risk being disappointed. Unfortunately, my fears were stifling the relationship.

I began to pray that God would remove ungodly fear from me. If I believed that God had provided this relationship (and I did), my action in it should not be motivated by fear. The verse that came to mind was 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (NKJV). Although Paul is saying this in the context of evangelism, an absence of fear should be a hallmark of any godly pursuit. As I committed to trust the Lord and not put my own "safety nets" in place, the relationship began to blossom.

Let Love Lead
Last year when I felt God urging me to take a teenager into my home, I had reason to fear. With a history of poor choices, my potential housemate came with some risk. While most of my confidants encouraged me to pursue what God had laid on my heart, a few offered unsettling warnings of what "could happen."

As I prayed for the Lord's direction, the truth found in 1 John 4:18 became real to me: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." God has perfect love for both Lena and me. The more I focused on God's love for Lena, the more fear faded away. My confidence in God's plan and His love for me convinced me I had nothing to fear. … When God's love is compelling us, there is no reason to fear.

Holy Fear
There is one thing we are told to fear, however, and that is a Holy God. ... A fear of the Lord protects us from foolish actions and motivates us to do things that rail against human wisdom. In "holy fear," Noah built the ark (Hebrews 11:7). Because they "feared God," the Hebrew midwives let the boys live when Pharaoh ordered they be killed. And Paul tells the Corinthians that their knowledge of what it means to fear the Lord is what motivates them "to persuade men" (2 Corinthians 5:11). In each of these cases, a fear of God obliterated lesser fears.

Whom or what we fear comes down to an issue of authority. Do I truly believe God has absolute control in my life? If so, have a submitted myself fully to Him? Ungodly fear arises when I attempt to depend on my own judgment and perspective. For over a year, there has been a project I have been dragging my feet to complete. Part of the issue is laziness. I am also aware that its potential spiritual impact isn't something the enemy is excited about. But another part of my hesitancy is fear that I'll fail—that the finished product will not live up to the idea. ... God is motivating me to move past doubts over personal failure and complete the task. When we have a proper perspective of God's greatness and His control in our lives, that awe causes smaller fears to dissipate.

Safe With Jesus
"Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We're going to drown!' He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'" Matthew 8:24-27

My life felt like that storm. The tasks before me were like the waves sweeping over the boat. But the truth was, the storm and the waves did not have the power to destroy me. They were obedient to Christ. Each new circumstance, relationship and challenge provides the opportunity for me to play with fear or choose to trust. When I allow the Christ who ruled the storm to rule my heart, fear loses its power over me.

Copyright © 2007 Suzanne Hadley. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
The complete text of this article is available at http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001529.cfm

Only in Florida!

Bullet causes US man's headache

A bullet has been removed from behind the right ear of a US man who went to hospital complaining of a headache. Michael Moylan, 45, from the state of Florida, is quoted as saying he had woken up with a headache so severe he thought it was caused by an aneurysm.

His wife, April, took him to hospital but left when the bullet was found. She was arrested later over the shooting, but said it was an accident. Mr Moylan remains in hospital in a stable condition. A gun was discovered during a search of his house, along with blood-stained rags.

According to the Palm Beach Post newspaper's website, Mr Moylan and his wife gave conflicting accounts to police throughout the day. Mrs Moylan told police she had returned to the house from the hospital to check if there were any signs that her husband had been shot from outside the building. Mr Moylan had told police no weapons were held at the house, the paper says.

He reportedly told police he had woken up with a headache and asked his wife if she had elbowed him in the head while he slept.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6246800.stm
Published: 2007/06/27 18:18:44 GMT
© BBC MMVII

You Will Be Missed Prime Minister Blair!

Tornadoes in Sheffield, the monsoon in Manchester, biblical floods washing over Merry England.

Who would have thought that the end of Tony Blair would feel like the end of days? As it happens, the deep depression swirling over middle England has absolutely nothing to do with the ebb and flow of power. The English remain an unsentimental lot when it comes to prime ministers. Those not too busy siphoning water out of their basements may dwell briefly on the dour Scot who used to run our money but will now run our whole country.

The nation whose lower lip once quivered for the passing of Diana, the People's Princess, will be as sentimental about the end of Tony and the beginning of Gordon as the movers lugging furniture in and out of Number 10.

It is here in America that Tony Blair will be missed.

Brother Tony

The ThankYouTony.com website has been virtually drowning in tears. Our neighbours, staunch Democrats who hate George W Bush, silently shake their heads when they contemplate the early retirement of Tony Blair. "Why, Matt, he's so articulate?"

The enthusiastic car insurance broker who gave me a 5% discount thanks to Tony Blair's steadfast support of George Bush -"if it weren't for you Brits, we'd be completely alone!" - is still deeply perplexed by it all.

America simply cannot get its head around the fratricide of Brother Tony in his own country. It reminds me a little of the way that Germany could never fathom the revulsion felt by ordinary Russians for Mikhail Gorbachev, the hero who helped to unite Germany by dismantling his own empire.

But rest assured, Mr Blair, America will make up for it.

George Bush has already offered you a job as the Quartet's Middle East envoy. You will be mobbed like a rock star on the lecture circuit and the book tour. In adulation you will be rivalled only by that other British superhero who was ejected from the nest and is soon to reside with his foster family, LA Galaxy, on the Pacific coast. David Beckham will bend balls and Tony Blair spin words for the delectation of a country that appreciates their talents.

Seeds of downfall

What I point out to my neighbours is that the British have always been nasty to their chief executives.

Winston Churchill, hailed at home and abroad as one of the greatest statesmen ever, was felled at the polls within months of British tanks rolling victoriously into continental Europe.

Margaret Thatcher, the unflinching Iron Lady, was melted down and reduced to tears by rebellion in her own ranks.

By comparison, Tony Blair's departure has been graceful and bloodless.

In each case, his or her success also harboured the seeds of downfall. By winning the war against Hitler, Winston Churchill mobilised a nation but also raised expectations of social mobility. Once the war was won, the nation outgrew a leader who hailed from a different class and a different era.

After years of dithering and brittle parliamentary pacts, Lady Thatcher ruled with an iron fist and a solid majority in the House of Commons. Without anyone snapping at her heels she was allowed to overreach with policies like the unpopular poll tax. She ended up aggravating her own Tory MPs, who feared oblivion at the next poll and thus pulled the plug on her. A British prime minister is after all elected by the winning party, not the electorate.

American infatuation

Tony Blair's success was that he managed to liberate the Labour Party from its traditional trenches and appeal directly to the nation at large. He stole policies and voters wherever he could find them. He managed to win three elections, a historic hat-trick for Labour. He charmed the globe into believing that Britain mattered and then put the troops where his mouth is. He was inspired by Bill Clinton's charisma and partially groomed by his advisers.

Tony Blair was perhaps the most presidential prime minister we have ever had, ruling with a small coterie of advisers, growling at his troublesome party while smiling at the nation. At first it worked a treat. We were Cool Britannia. Tony fixed Northern Ireland. What would be next? The Middle East perhaps. African poverty. Global warming.

And all the while Tony Blair spoke not about the minutiae of policies and quotas but reached for the stars with speeches about values and faith. He began to sound less and less like the man in Number 10 and more like the guy in the White House.

The combination of presidential charisma with a parliamentary majority was at its most successful when he persuaded his party against their better judgement to go along with the war of choice in Iraq. The infatuation with America, emboldened by the belief that Britain must stand solidly behind its strongest ally, became Tony's fatal attraction. The hour of success began the countdown to failure.

Tony's hubris?

America's founding fathers made sure that the president had many of the trappings of monarchy but none of its power. As George Bush is discovering now, the business of government is grinding trench warfare between the White House and Capitol Hill. It is meant to be unpleasant and tedious. The checks and balances built into the system are like speed bumps, road blocks, pot holes and traffic cameras on British roads. They are meant to slow things down.

The president is only allowed to serve two terms in office. He spends most of his first term trying to get re-elected and most of his second being described as a lame duck. No wonder they give him the shiny plane and the armoured limos. There have to be some perks to this job.

By comparison, a British prime minister with a solid majority in parliament wields far more power. The day that George Bush was fighting for re-election in the first presidential debate against Senator John Kerry, Tony Blair graciously conceded that he wouldn't be seeking a fourth term of office. "But he hasn't even won his third yet!" an American colleague pointed out indignantly.

It is the combination of a majority in the Commons and the temptation to appeal to the voters above the heads of your own party that has encouraged hubris and ultimately led to Tony Blair's early retirement. Which prime minister hasn't ended up disappointing the voters? But these days the moveable feast of policies, the squishy middle ground, the Third Way, also means that you end up losing the support of your party.

Modern British prime ministers are brilliant but lonely, and they benefit from none of the inherent respect which Americans harbour for the presidency. They may loathe the incumbent, but they revere the office. Even when George W Bush retires he will still be addressed as Mr President. On Thursday, the prime minister becomes Mr Blair.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6243328.stm
Published: 2007/06/27 10:47:52 GMT
© BBC MMVII

Thoughts spilling into spoken word

Last week as a writing team we participated in a whole day of learning our Myers-Briggs personality types. To help clarify between letters, we engaged in fun writing activities. After writing a few of us shared what we wrote--reminded me of free writing in my AP English class in high school! :)

After observing an abstract painting for about 20 seconds, we were asked to describe what we saw for 3 minutes.

Two cherries sitting on the side of a green road winding down out of view. Branches blown by the wind litter the green grass. Was there a storm? A ribbon left over from a dress, or is it a head scarf from a little girl? Green and red remind me of Christmas and make me want to add gold flecks into the painting. The shade of green calms me, it's my favorite color...

We were again asked to define another abstract idea--time. We only had 3 minutes or so.

Continues on and on and on. Doesn't stop for funerals, tragedies...doesn't slow down while joy or happiness are felt. Doesn't speed up during horrible lectures! Ten minutes can feel like an eternity at the doctor's office, but can feel like a second when you're with someone you love. Time is a paradox, a mystery that...

Then during another writer's meeting, we each received a scenario to write about for 5 minutes to get our writer-brains started. My boss gave coworker Melissa this scenario: The world is now backwards, describe it. She wrote this amazing poem, seriously genius! :)

The World of D'Lrow ~ by assilem

I woke up this morning and started to yawn
And realized that night had dawned!
People waved "Goodbye, hello"
The sun was blue, the sky—yellow!
And no one ever claps their hands
They clap their feet—an applauding dance
Ice cream never stays on cones
And dogs unbury chewing bones
The ceilings have become the floor
And rain falls up here, evermore…

My boss gave me this scenario: Describe the misadventures of Eddie the Yellow Snowflake...unfortunately I ran out of time and didn't finish my story. But you can probably guess where I was going with it...

Eddie loved himself. Loved himself to the point of ridiculousness. "What a beautiful snowflake am I!" he would croon. "Look at me glitter, look at me shine!" Everyday Eddie would walk down Crystal Avenue looking at himself in all the mirrors gloating to his neighbors. "I'm the best that's ever been made! I'm the best that will ever be!" Eddie loved himself.

One day the Maker Of All That Is Snow, MOATIS for short, needed snowflakes for a project. Everyone crowded around excitedly waiting to be picked. Eddie, of course, was right in front glistening in the sun. Well, he was chosen. "I knew it!" he cried, "now is my chance to show the world my beauty!"

As he lazily dropped to the earth, he grew more and more proud of his beauty.

Yeah, eventually I would explain how he became yellow... (aka a dog peeing on him!) :) which would then humble him and cause him to realize his true worth did not come from his exterior, but inner character!

Purity rings banned?

'Purity' ring case in High Court

A 16-year-old girl has gone to the High Court to accuse her school of discriminating against Christians by banning the wearing of "purity rings".

Lydia Playfoot was told by Millais School in Horsham, West Sussex, to remove her ring, which symbolises chastity, or face expulsion. She says Sikh and Muslim pupils can wear bangles and headscarves in class.

The school denies breaching her human rights, insisting the ring is not an essential part of the Christian faith. BBC News religious affairs correspondent Robert Piggott said a group of girls at the school were wearing the rings as part of a movement called the "Silver Ring Thing" (SRT).

Human rights barrister Paul Diamond told the High Court the school's action was "forbidden" by law. "Secular authorities and institutions cannot be arbiters of religious faith," Mr Diamond said. He said a question the judge would have to answer was: "What are the religious rights of schoolchildren in the school context?"

'Sexually pure'

Originating in America, SRT promotes abstinence among young people. Mr Piggott said it was now spreading to the UK as part of a wider protest by traditionalist Christians against what they see as the secularisation of society.

The rings are inscribed with a reference to the biblical verse I Thessalonians 4:3-4, which translates as: "God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. Then each of you will control your body and live in holiness and honour."

Miss Playfoot's school said her ring broke uniform rules and ordered her to remove it. When she refused, she was taken out of lessons and made to study on her own. She told BBC Breakfast: "In the Bible it says you should remain sexually pure and I think this is a way I want to express my faith."

Miss Playfoot is seeking a judicial review under Article Nine of the Human Rights Act which guarantees freedom of religious expression. She says that should protect her right to wear the ring.

In a written statement to Deputy Judge Michael Supperstone QC, Miss Playfoot said young girls faced a "moral and ethical crisis" and that other teenage girls at her school had become pregnant.

She said other pupils regularly broke the uniform code with nose rings, tongue studs, badges and dyed hair. The only reason for banning the rings was because the school refused to "give respect to aspects of the Christian faith they are not familiar with", Miss Playfoot said.

"The real reason for the extreme hostility to the wearing of the SRT purity ring is the dislike of the message of sexual restraint which is counter cultural and contrary to societal and governmental policy," she added.

Uniform code

Lawyers for the school will insist that it is not operating a discriminatory policy because allowances made for Sikhs and Muslims only occur for items integral to their religious beliefs. It argues that a Christian pupil would be allowed to wear a crucifix. In freely choosing the school, lawyers will also say that Miss Playfoot and her parents voluntarily accepted to adhere to the uniform code.

Miss Playfoot's first application to the High Court was turned down last year, but judges agreed to hear it today after she appealed. Miss Playfoot completed her GCSEs last week and has now left the school.

But her father Phil, who is a pastor, said she still wanted to take the case because of its wider significance for all Christians. "I think there's something bigger at stake here," he said.

Messages of support

Mr Playfoot and his wife Heather are part of the volunteer team which runs the UK branch of the Silver Ring Thing from their church in Horsham. The organisers of the movement say as many as 25,000 young people have joined so far in the UK and that numbers are growing.

Miss Playfoot has received messages of support from politicians, including former Conservative party chairman Lord Tebbit and Tory MP Ann Widdecombe.

She also has the backing of the Lawyers Christian Fellowship (LCF) which represents 2,000 Christian lawyers across the UK. The case is being funded through individual donations gathered through the LCF's sister group Christian Concern for our Nation.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/6229098.stm

Published: 2007/06/22 12:37:12 GMT

© BBC MMVII

Peaceful religion?

Why choose to kill innocent school children and teachers just to make a political point? What happened to valuing human life? Will disrupting and destroying society really produce the kind of country you want to live in? It doesn't make any sense to create fear and animosity, stir up strife and thoughts of revenge...and then expect a thriving country to develop! Society runs on morals, strip those away and you're left with a world that's out for themselves...which inevitably self-destructs...

Schools torched in south Thailand

Thirteen schools have been set on fire in southern Thailand, where teachers have increasingly become the targets of a bloody conflict.

The Thai authorities have blamed Muslim insurgents for a series of recent attacks on schools, as part of their separatist campaign.

The violence in the region has killed more than 2,200 people since 2004.

More than 200 schools have been torched and 77 teachers killed, according to education officials.

Classrooms unsafe

This appears to have been a co-ordinated attack - 13 schools set on fire almost simultaneously on Wednesday evening.

Hours later a bomb exploded in front of another school.

No group has yet claimed responsibility.

On Monday, two female primary school teachers were shot dead in front of their students, and another teacher was killed in an ambush.

In response, hundreds of schools closed their doors this week, with staff demanding better security from the authorities.

Many teachers already carry guns and travel with armed escorts. More than 70 have been killed in the past three years.

Muslim separatists are accused of targeting schools and Buddhist monks because they are seen as symbols of the state.

The violence appears to have escalated in recent months, with almost daily attacks taking place in Thailand's three southernmost provinces.

In a separate incident, a man was reportedly gunned down late on Wednesday in a drive-by shooting in Yala province.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6751295.stm