Link to Day Ten, The Throne

When you walk into a person’s house, you usually enter the living or family room. Whatever piece of furniture sits in the middle of that room is probably symbolic of the lord who lives there. It may be a lazy boy recliner with a remote on the arm, or an oversized chair with an ottoman. It may be a leather couch flanked by neat piles of books and magazines. The central piece of furniture in a woman’s home might be a multi-pillowed couch with luxurious blankets for snuggling. What then, do you think we will find in the middle of heaven?...

Click on the link below to read this post.

http://bethvice.blogspot.com/2011/03/40-days-of-lint-day-ten-throne.html

Day Nine, and the beginning of Part Two in the the "40 Days of Lint"

Follow the link below to find Day Nine: In the Middle of Camp

“Which way is your tent facing?” Are you distracted because your focus is on others? Does the holy presence of God descend unnoticed as you gaze dejectedly into the desert? How do you know when it’s time to stay put and when to get going? What does the banner say that flies above your home? Is God in the middle of your camp?
http://bethvice.blogspot.com/2011/03/40-days-of-lint-part-two-bellybutton.html

Day Eight, Insults

Here is the link to yesterday's blog for the "40 Days of Lint" series:

http://bethvice.blogspot.com/2011/03/40-days-of-lint-day-eight-insults.html

"I still remember the day my college roommate hurled her dresser drawers at me..."

Day Seven in 40 Days of Lint

Excerpt from today's post:

"...No one is excluded from the Lord’s invitation. A barren, unfruitful life given to Him will flourish and become productive. None of us are beyond the reach of His love and healing. He will not reject anyone who comes in repentance and humility. That goes for first-time comers, as well as repeat customers. He has a way of taking our messy lives and making something new and beautiful out of them. Instead of remaining worthless, we become showpieces of His amazing love. 

Follow the link below to read this article.


http://bethvice.blogspot.com/2011/03/40-days-of-lint-day-seven-i-have.html

Day Six: Sprouting from Dry Ground

Excerpt from today's post in the "40 Days of Lint":

"As a gardener, it always amazes me when I see weeds, even trees, growing from cracks in the sidewalk or breaking through solid rock. Why is it that what I plant on purpose has to be coaxed into existence, while these rebel plants thrive in the least likely spots? They are tenacious for life, willing to fight impossible odds, flourishing in the most inhospitable environment. They don’t care if anybody wants them there, or if anyone makes bouquets from their flowers. They laugh at our efforts to kill them. No matter how many times we pull or spray these plants, they keep coming back."

Follow this link to read today's post:
http://bethvice.blogspot.com/2011/03/40-days-of-lint-day-six-sprouting-from.html

Day Five: When the Brook Dries Up

If you are following the 40 Days of Lint series, today's post can be found at:
http://bethvice.blogspot.com/2011/03/40-days-of-lint-day-five-when-brook.html

Here is an excerpt from it:
"...If your brook has dried up and you’re mourning the easy life you once enjoyed, God may be changing your situation for reasons you haven’t yet realized. Maybe there’s someone out there dying of starvation that needs to hear about God. Sharing Him in your own time of need is a miracle that can’t be done by the brook. Or, perhaps you need more than just physical comfort..."

Click on the link to read this post.

Day Three in the Lent series: A Dry Fleece

If you're looking for Day Three of the 40 Days of Lint series, follow this link, or type "40 Days of Lint, Day Three" in the search engine at the top left corner of the blog :

http://bethvice.blogspot.com/search?q=40+Days+of+Lint%2C+Day+Three

Day Two: In the Desert

Apparently the first time I posted this series, Day 2 was inadvertently left out. So today's blog is a never-seen before piece of the Forty Days of Lint.

In grade school I learned the difference between the word ‘desert’ and ‘dessert.’ “The way you can tell which one has two S’s,” my teacher said, “is that you always want more dessert, but you never want more time in a hot, dry desert.” Trials and suffering are desert times; we wish there was less pain, and more water, more palm trees and dates, and more time to chill at the oasis. Trouble comes to us all though, regardless of whether we’re believers or not. The difference is God’s people have a place to go to for relief.

King David knew how to do that. I’ve had my heartaches, but I can’t say anyone’s hurled a spear at me lately when I tried to soothe them with praise songs. No one’s chased me with an army intent on killing me. No one’s thrown rocks at me and cursed me to my face. My friends at church don’t openly ridicule me or celebrate when I get sick. And none of my children have taken possession of the house and kicked me out. But all of this, and more, happened to David. How did he survive? He talked to God about everything.

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1
Life is hard sometimes. The desert can be a miserable and lonely place to be. You head for a green oasis for some cool, refreshing water and end up getting a mouth full of dryer lint instead. Why? Because what you saw was a mirage, there was really nothing there to quench your thirst. But when we express our thirst to God, He will satisfy our longing and get us to the other side of whatever desert we’re in.

Throughout Psalm 63, David provides the map to the Oasis: earnestly seek God; keep going to church and see God for who He is; praise Him in the desert; sing songs to God at night; and hold on tight to the Source of living water.

Lint Removed: Desert Thirst
Cleaning Process: Seek, Worship, Praise, Sing, Cling

What Will You Do for Lent This Year?

Today is the first day of Lent, which is the 40 day countdown (not counting Sundays) until Easter, which will be on April 20th this year. It’s a time for us take inventory of our hearts and do a little house cleaning. It helps us focus on what Jesus did for us and how we want to respond to Him.

Jesus didn’t just die for our sins and rot in a grave somewhere. He rose from the dead, demonstrating that He is God and has power over death. Because of that we can die to our old sinful life and be raised to life with Him.

People often give up something for Lent, or do something they don't normally do. I’ve decided to give up fear for Lent this year. Fear of rejection, fear of what might happen, fear of letting go and giving God complete control. I am posting scriptures all over our house and in my car to say aloud every time fear makes an appearance, so I can refocus my mind.

One of the most popular posts I've had on my blog is the series I did in March of 2011 called the "40 Days of Lint." Here's the introduction:

"Just for fun, I want to offer daily readings on my blog during the next 40 days with a little house cleaning in mind. It's not a typo; I really mean Lint. Annoying, ever-present lint may seem like a stretch from repentance and self-denial, and yet, I couldn’t resist the idea of exploring the parallels between physical and spiritual lint.

Lint is that collection of dust and material fibers that seem to get everywhere. Even though we diligently clean it from our dryers, pockets, and bellybuttons, it always seems to be back again the next time we turn around. Many people fast during Lent to clear their minds and hearts of selfishness and distraction. We ask God to sweep sin from our hearts to make way for worship and praise to our risen Savior Jesus Christ. So there are many similarities.

We get rid of lint for several reasons. It looks untidy; we de-lint to look presentable to others. Lint can also clog things up, so we regularly clean it from our dryers, vacuums, and equipment so they will run properly. Last of all, lint is a form of dirt, so we vacuum and scrub to keep sickness at bay and vermin from moving in. We clear away spiritual lint for the same reasons: to present an attractive testimony, to remove anything that hinders our walk, and maintain personal purity before God.

I hope you’ll join me here for the next 40 days of Lent season for a new twist on an old tradition. I want to be clean and ready for the best Easter ever! Won’t you prepare your heart with me through a search and destroy mission for these five kinds of lint?"

· Lint In the Dryer (Spiritual Dryness)
· Bellybutton Lint (At the Center of Things)
· Pocket Lint (What is Hidden)
· Clothing Lint (Appearances) and where would Easter be without
· Dust Bunnies (Deep Cleaning)

If you would like to read these updated posts, click on the link for Day One: http://bethvice.blogspot.com/2011/03/40-days-of-lint-part-one-in-dryer.html

My Confession

She sat huddled in the cold outside the church, hood bundled around her head, backpacks at her feet. Probably all she owns. I felt bad for her, but the service wasn’t starting for another hour and a half. I was there to do a sound check, but because of a miscommunication, I was there too early. It would be an hour before anyone else arrived. I hesitated before opening the door.

“Hi Babby,” she said, looking out from under her hood. She looked tired, cold, only a few teeth, yet surprisingly cheerful. “What time does the service start?”

“Not for more than an hour,” I apologized. “There’s another event going on in the gym now, if you want to come in and get warm.” I pointed to the side door, “You can go in that way.” She shuffled that direction, but it wasn’t long before she came in the sanctuary and sat down. Just the two of us. I was uncomfortable.

I was tired and feeling sorry for myself. It had been an eventful week. I rehearsed my annoyance at having to leave the warmth of family and friends to hang out in an empty sanctuary because someone forgot to call me. Nursing my anger, I ignored the nagging feeling that I should talk to her. I picked up garbage in the pews, warmed up my instrument, and wandered to other parts of the church until more people came that I felt comfortable with.

I wanted to talk to her, but felt inept. What do I say? What if she’s crazy or wants money or sucks me dry with neediness for the next hour? I feared the unknown. Instead of asking and trusting the One with all the answers to pour His love through me, I recoiled.

I missed a chance to show another human being the love of Christ - the whole reason why the church exists – because it made me uncomfortable. I am ashamed.

The next morning I read a quote by John Henry Jowett:

“God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters.”

I thought of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, some of my favorite verses. Was that why God had put this woman in my path?

I have examined my fears of whatever “terrible” things could have happened if I had reached out to her. I have grieved over my failure to be used of God when I had the chance. I’m done beating myself up, mostly, although it’s difficult to let it go. And now I’m ready to let God use it for good.

Yes, I failed my Lord. Yes, He has forgiven me. But what follows next is the most important part. Will I let this experience change my behavior? I hope so. I’m asking for another chance, and I’m confident God will give it to me. I hope to see this woman again and apologize for ignoring her the first time. And when I see others who make me uncomfortable, and I’m tempted to think I have nothing to offer, I will look to Jesus for what is needed. He has comforted me in all my troubles so that I can pass it on to others. Even when it’s an uncomfortable situation.