Who Needs Margins?

This is a topic the Lord has been speaking to me about for some time. I kept waiting to have it more “together” before presenting these ideas to you, because I didn’t want to be guilty of sharing something I’m not putting into practice myself. But, I’m still a work in progress, and this is such good stuff.  You shouldn’t have to wait to hear it until I reach perfection in my own life. That’s not going to happen this side of heaven.

So, for the next few posts, I’m going to share about the importance of margins. They are important in every area of life, for our health and well being. Our society and human nature doesn’t teach us these things, but God’s Word is full of the wisdom of margins – what they are, why we need them, and how to put them in place.

When you hear the word margins (not margarine, which would be a substitute for butter), you probably picture a piece of notebook paper. The pink line on the left and white spaces at the top, right, and bottom are visual parameters for writing. These margins are guides. On paper, as well as in life, some people welcome these cues and others refuse to acknowledge or submit to them.

Why do we need margins?

Beauty and Clarity

From my years as a home school and private school teacher, I can tell you, margins are important for several reasons. School papers with words neatly contained within the margins are attractive, easy to read, and allow space for the teacher to make comments and corrections. It doesn’t matter how impressive the writing is, if the words span from edge to edge with added thoughts scribbled in all directions. Especially if there are no paragraph breaks. Reading a paper like this is like trying to listen to a person who talks at lightning speed without ever pausing for breath.

Margins are a beautiful thing.

People who live within healthy margins are beautiful too. Their lives are attractive, uncluttered, and have space to receive compliments, as well as correction and ideas for improvement. They give themselves room to breathe. When I’m around people like this, I feel like I have space to breathe too.

There’s another reason for margins as well.

Health and Safety

Margins are not only beautiful, many times they’re critical. I love walking the little back roads around our house, but I have to be vigilant, because in most places there are no sidewalks or shoulders for pedestrians. The road simply drops off into the ditch, a tangle of blackberry bushes, or an electric fence holding fields of curious milk cows. I remember the day I heard a car speed around a blind corner toward me. The driver swerved too far when he saw me, hit the gravel on the other side, over corrected, then headed back to the ditch where I had leaped for safety. I felt the wind from his car just inches away as he sped past me down the road.

Many of us, and I’m preaching to myself first here, are like this car – careening down the road with no margins, over correcting, endangering ourselves and others in the process. Every time I get sick, and it’s been more often than I want to admit in recent years, my husband, family members, and best friends ask, “Do you think God’s trying to get you to slow down?” The answer, of course, is yes. So I’ve been asking Him what changes I need to make in life to establish better margins and He’s given me a lot to think about…and put into practice.

I hope you’ll join me for this series on margins and see what God might say to you too. Then, as we listen and apply what He tells us, we can begin to add more breathing space in the following areas of our lives.

·         Money Matters

·         Relationships

·         Family Life

·         Physical Wellness

·         Thoughts and Emotions

·         Spiritual Vitality and Ministry

Book Recommendation for Young Parents: Homegrown Readers

 I'd like to introduce you to my friend Jan Pierce and her new book, Homegrown Readers. This book is an excellent tool for young parents and those who work with children, to help them learn how to read and ENJOY it for a lifetime.
  


Jan's experience in the field:
"I retired eight years ago from a long career in education. I taught all grades from kindergarten through fourth grade, but mostly first and second. So I had ample time to teach children to read. I earned a reading endorsement when I got my Master’s degree because I wanted to understand more about the nuts and bolts of reading. The last two years of my career I spent as a reading specialist."

      Jan's heart is to equip young parents:

"As I worked with children who struggled with learning to read I noticed recurring problems. Often these children lacked background knowledge in reading skills. They weren’t familiar with books and book language. They were discouraged. At the early age of six or seven they already felt like failures.

"I realized that many of the problems could be solved if parents knew what to do. And even more serious problems such as learning disabilities could be improved if parents knew how to support their child in reading.

"Many parents don’t have warm, fuzzy memories of learning to read. They may have felt embarrassed in reading groups as a child. They don’t want that negative experience for their own children. Homegrown Readers can help. And, parents can use the key ideas to brainstorm ways to solve reading problems for their children."



Special features of Homegrown Readers:
It’s written in everyday language and has resources in the appendix section at the back. It also offers Homegrown Readers Discussion Groups that parents can choose to take part in. There are key ideas for each chapter of the book plus ready to use questions for a discussion group.


Three Examples from Jan you can put to work immediately:

1. Number one will always be: read to your children. Start when they’re babies and never stop. Even middle school children enjoy family read-alouds.
2. Secondly I’d say to make reading fun. Let the kids choose the books part of the time. Keep reading sessions short, but do them regularly. Add small incentives such as stickers on a reading chart for independent reading homework.

3. A third suggestion is to teach children to ask questions as they read. You can model this to them as you read aloud. Reading is all about meaning. Children need to know about the characters, the setting and the basic plot.
Questions are also great prompts when your child gets “stuck.” Teach them to ask, Does it look right? Did that make sense? Or Does that sound right? Asking questions will always take the reader deeper into the meaning of the story.

You can read the reviews and order your copy of Homegrown Readers on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Homegrown-Readers-Simple-Child-Learn/dp/0990976408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429829367&sr=8-1&keywords=homegrown+readers 

Why Does She Get to be First? – Easter Afterglow

It begins early in life. We notice someone else is beating us to what we wanted – attention from Mom or Dad, the toy across the room, the first serving of ice cream, first words of praise. It only adds to the sting when the one receiving the attention is the class clown or prodigal child. We suffer the elder brother syndrome, feeling it’s unfair for them to get a party when we’ve been faithful all along.

That’s why, even though there’s no mention of it in the Bible, I wonder how the other believers felt when Mary Magdalene saw Jesus first after His resurrection. She had four counts against her – Mary was a woman, a former prostitute, former host of seven demons, and neither a family member nor a disciple. Out of all those who had followed Him, why did she get to be first? (John 20:1-18)

In the next chapter, Jesus takes Peter aside to reassure him of his position as a disciple, and tells him he will suffer death for His’ sake. Peter notices John following them (the author who calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved”), and asks, “What about him?” Even in the midst of this meaningful moment with his risen Savior, Peter still plays the comparison game. And what is John doing? Following, so he can be near the Savior too.

Since God knows this tendency of ours, why did Mary Magdalene get to be the first to see Jesus alive? God doesn’t do things randomly, so I think He had reasons. But the Bible doesn’t explain. Sometimes what God chooses not to tell us, is as meaningful as what He does. Here are four possibilities for you to ponder, which I believe are consistent with Jesus’ character. Jesus might have appeared to Mary first because of her:

1. Gratitude

2. Devotion

3. Need, or as

4. An Example

First of all, Mary was grateful. Imagine being freed from the dominion of seven demons to a life of peace and joy. Of course she was grateful! After He healed her, Mary followed Him. “Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out…and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means” (Luke 8:1-3).

Second, Mary was devoted to Jesus. Before His death Mary anointed Him with her own expensive perfume. Mary stayed with Jesus at the cross. All the men, except John, ran in fear. She observed His burial, and went back after the Sabbath with additional spices for His body.

Third, did Mary have a special need to see Jesus first? Was she alone by the tomb in such a state of despair that He rewarded her love by appearing to her first? Did the disciples show her a long unmet need for respect, because she was the first to see their Lord?

Fourth, just as Jesus did in His earthly ministry, He honored Mary as an equal, and set an example for us to follow. In that day, as well as today in places not governed by Judeo-Christian values, women were considered nothing more than property. They could be treated however a man deemed acceptable. Jesus spoke to and treated Mary as a valued disciple and beloved child of God.

Why isn’t any of this mentioned in scripture? Could it be that once the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, it didn’t matter who saw Jesus first? They were empowered; their mission was clear – regardless of their gender, their past, or their social standing. And they took the world by storm.

Maybe that’s the key to effectively reach our world for Christ--to stop focusing on who gets first place, and more about putting Jesus first. After all, the point is that we serve a risen Savior, not who's known Him the longest or has the most effective ministry. Jesus is alive--halleluia!

#Easter #jealousy #comparisongame #thelastshallbefirst #MaryMagdalene

At the Cross: Just Had to Be There, Easter

Today, we honor the symbol of the cross. People wear t-shirts, earrings, and necklaces with cross designs. They commemorate those killed in war or mark a dangerous curve where they died. It's a recognized symbol of comfort and faith. But it wasn’t always that way.
 

In Jesus’ day, the cross was the ultimate vehicle of torture and humiliation. Crucifixion was reserved for the vilest criminal or prisoner of war. It was a slow, agonizing death that went on for hours, sometimes days. It’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to be present at such a gruesome display, yet when Christ was crucified there were four groups who just had to be there.

As you read, see if you are one of them.

The Convicted:

The thieves, who died on either side of Jesus, had to be there because they were guilty. In Luke’s account he says, “Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed… they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left” (Luke 23:32-33).

All of us have sinned. We are guilty of breaking God’s laws and hurting our fellow man. Christ died to pay the penalty we deserve. We’re already there and we have a choice to make. Will we choose to accept Jesus’ gift, as one thief did, or will we turn away from Him, like the other? Both had to be there, but only one was forgiven and is in heaven with Jesus (Luke 23:39-43).

Just Doing His Job:

The second individual who had to be at the cross was the centurion. Scripture doesn’t tell us whether he enjoyed watching scores of men die this way, but it was his job, so he did it. However, this time he saw something he had never seen before – God in the flesh.  

“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, ‘Surely this was a righteous man’ ” (Luke 23:44-47). Or as Matthew 27:54 says, “ ‘Surely he was the Son of God!’ ”

Easter can be a lot of work for pastors and Christians involved at church. We might find ourselves “at the cross” just because we have to be there – working, serving, showing up - because it’s what we do. Do we pause to recognize the Son of God?

The Curious:

It’s hard to imagine, but a number of people attended crucifixions for the thrill of it. It was entertainment. They just had to be there to see their enemies suffer, feast their eyes on blood. To compare it to the last one; rate it on a scale of 1-10 of how thoroughly the soldiers did their job, or how stoically the crucified died. To cheer and clap when they cried like babies.

The crowd that gathered that day had the added pleasure of hearing Jesus degraded by the Jewish leaders. “The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One’ ” (Luke 23:35). But the show didn’t satisfy as usual. “When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away” (verse 48).

We may think our entertainment is much more sophisticated, but we’re not so different. Movies, television shows, video games, books, and music become more violent and explicit every year. And we hunger for more. Even at Easter, we focus on the gory details of Christ’s suffering, but only glance at the victory of His resurrection. Are we there for the show?

The Devoted:

The final group at the cross was there because of love. They didn’t want to see their Master and Lord suffer an excruciating death, but they had to be there, because they couldn’t leave Jesus alone. They were devoted to Him. “All those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things” (Luke 23:49).

Are you at the cross because you love Him? You just have to be there because you want to be near Him and share in His suffering? If so, it’s the best place to be, because His story doesn’t end there. The cross conquered sin and death forever. And because of Easter morning, we can live with Him.

If you’re at the cross today, I pray you will bow your knee and call Jesus Lord. It's the best place to be.

Happy Easter!

#whatthecrossmeans #whowasatthecross #crucifixion #thievesatthecross #whydoyoulovethecross