as the Hebrews study by Nancy Guthrie tackles it. I hope those of you trying to read along have your books by now.

In this post, I wrote that I was struck by God’s requirement of people to respond to His revelation of Jesus Christ. That truth is one I realized while studying through Romans. There is no neutral position for anyone when it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ. You will either be found as His object of mercy and therefore, saved, or you will be found as His object of wrath, and therefore, condemned. See John 3:36 on this.

Really then, no one is going to get the abstention place as His object of indifference and get to hang out in the undecided waiting room.

Which is why the latter part of Guthrie’s chapter 1 deals so thoroughly with the consequences of drift. More specifically, drifting away. Obviously, a Christian must deal with the reality of what to do in life between the walk down the aisle moment and the enter into glory moment. Again, there is no waiting room scenario here. Although, many Christians treat their receipt of the gospel as though it were a ticket at the DMV office, waiting to be called and just annoyed with everything else in general and specific.

God did not save us to bide time till glory. He saved us unto Himself and every day from the first to the last is to be filled with walking worthy of our calling, with working out of our salvation, with the good works He foreordained for us, with paying careful attention and thereby staunchly refusing to neglect this very great salvation. To neglect Him is drift.

The full and abundant life promises of Jesus to His disciples, the giving of peace not as the world gives but that which overcomes the world, all have their foundations in the pursuit, the race, the tasks, and the perseverance of keeping hold of His word in every thought and choice. Daily lived out. To refuse to live out the gospel is drift.

How desperately grievous it is to see a professing Christian waiting to embrace His throne of grace, ignoring the glories of a Spirit led life, and even more so, refusing the training of His righteousness. All these are drift too.

Guthrie makes a clear point that everyone daily makes choices to pay attention to the things that matter to them and in those choices will go to great lengths to clear the distractions away so that full and uninterrupted attention can be paid to the desired object. Whether it is our blogs or Twitter or Facebook, our closet or homes or exercise routine, our jobs or children or menu plan, our television shows or chick lit or women’s magazines. Every thing that demands our attention requires the choice of not paying attention elsewhere.

How can we not pay attention then to the greatest gift, the most precious treasure, the sweetest of Saviors, our Lord Jesus Christ, His word and His works?

To do otherwise is drift.

went by and I didn’t blog not one day. Wow.

What was I doing? Well, let me think.

Monday: Summer school session, meeting with friends, swimming, and cooked dinner at the Ronald McDonald House.

Tuesday: Summer school session, swimming, dropped one son off for spend the night birthday party, cooked dinner for the rest of us.

Wednesday: Summer school session, swimming that got rained out & turned into a play date while me & the other mom solved the world’s problems, got back the one son from the spend the night birthday party, & cooked dinner for the family.

Thursday: Summer school session, went to two libraries for school resources, studied the Alamo, heated leftovers for the family & enjoyed a quiet evening alone while the family went to paint at our new church building.

Friday: So far, we’ve volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, eaten lunch & preparing to go swimming.

Added to each day would be the usual other meals, other errands, other house chores & keeping up with my regular study & summer studies.

Blogging just had to wait. But there are things to write. Hopefully, today and the weekend will afford that complete thought time.  Hope your week was full of living as well.

better than Friday. Or Ode to Thursdays.

1. I was born on a Thursday. I had one of those porcelain figurines that read “Thursday’s child has far to go.” I’d like to think it meant the work of sanctification even then.

2. Thursday is spelled like it sounds. Unlike Wed-nes-day (windsday).

3. Thank God It’s Thursday gives the acronym TGITH which sounds like something Tigger would say. I like Tigger.

4. Thursday signals the end of the week is near but without all of that Friday end of the week pressure.

5. Thursday means you have one more day to get your week’s work done.

6. Thursday night television is better than Friday night. Okay, maybe this one doesn’t count since all TV really stinks right now.

7. Thursday gets the limelight of being the last day of the week on a four day work week but again without all of that Friday pressure.

8. Thursday gets the highlight of being the beginning of a three day weekend.

9. Thursday is refrigerator smorgasbord day which means no cooking, just reheating.

10. Thursday is our family’s official sleep-in day September through May.

11. I know I said 10 but here’s the best reason today: This Thursday is my Dad’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Thursday!

the solution to bring about world peace. At least in our schoolwork, following directions could bring peace to a particular child and this mom.

Time and again, one of my sons persists in skipping right over the directions or instructions of his assignment in an attempt to get something on paper. His frustration at having to re-do the assignment is proportional to my own exasperation that once again he ignored the directions. The multiplied effect is that prior to the assignment I specifically instruct that he read the directions first.

It’s two times of neglecting to pay attention to the instructions.

And there are lots of tired stories about the man (okay, or woman) putting together a cabinet and not reading the directions. Those stories alone created the etymology for “catty-wompus”.

But the most severe examples of consequences attached to not following directions exist in the lives of God’s people choosing to disobey His Word’s instructions for faith and life. I can speak personally to this. You can too. There is no peace found in not following His directions.

And just like this parent, my Heavenly Father requires that I acknowledge my error and re-do the assignment He gave. Confess, forgive, reconcile and then, walk worthy of the manner to which I was called. There can be no mere getting something down on the paper that suffices before the Lord. He rightly requires more.

Father, please continue to show grace to the child known as me to learn how to follow Your directions, the very first time.

to you!

If your day is at hot as the one we’re having here in High Humidityville, I certainly hope that a cool pool is in your plans.

If your day is full of life’s littles and their needs, I certainly hope that time in the Word first filled you up to meet their needs.

If your day is reeling with life’s troubles, I certainly hope that you will see God in His providence cherishing you as His child and keeping His everlasting arms beneath you.

If your day is simply a day, then I certainly hope that it is one you choose to live fully grateful to God for His many gifts.

Happy Monday.

An expression my pastor often uses in teaching the Old Testament is “pop-up book”.  This illustration really makes sense to me when you consider all the visual symbols of Christ that God gave in the layout and articles of the Tabernacle, the Levitical priestly garments, and the details to the nth degree for the sacrifices and offerings. Each ceremony and law pointed to Christ.

In Chapter 1 of Hoping For Something Better, Nancy Guthrie describes this process as well regarding how God the Father from Genesis through Malachi was teaching His people about Jesus, who was to come. Hebrews is the book that gives the inside explanation on how all that had gone before is now seen clearly and fully in Jesus Christ.

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son…Heb 1:1-2

Jesus is throughout the OT, from Genesis 1:1, He is found in the Word before He is seen in the Living Word-Flesh. Believers should joyfully celebrate Christ in the OT truths of Law, prophecy, narrative, symbolism, poetry, songs and proverbs.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through each detail of Hebrews 1 and relishing the intimate descriptions of Jesus Christ: heir of all things, radiance of God’s glory, exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. What an amazing Savior the Father has given!

What struck me in this chapter was the requirement of God to respond to His giving us the fullness of Christ. In the questions at the back of the book,  Nancy asks you to express in your own words the idea of Heb. 1:1-4. I answered, “Jesus is the first, last and eternal Word of God, in His life and model, in His instruction and work, in His character and Person.”

At the end of the chapter, she challenges, “God’s message to us in Jesus requires a response. God has spoken to us plainly, clearly, personally in the person and work of Jesus. And we need no other word. Jesus is everything God wants to say to us. Are you listening?” (Chap. 1, p.20)

There’s the rubber to the road. My personal profession that Jesus is the first, last and eternal Word of God requires an application response. If I’m listening to what God is saying to me in the model of Jesus, then I must seek to know and obey His Word in my own life and model, in my instructions to others, in the work He has given me to do, and in my character and person. A response to the Person of Christ is always required.

I’ll discuss the warning of drifting away in the next post on this chapter. I know that several of you are still waiting on books. When your book arrives, the first chunk of reading includes the foreword, introduction and before you get started section. Then remember to work on the Chapter 1 questions in the back before you read Chapter 1.

If you’re reading along, let me know in the comments what you thought.

has been the other significant event in the Chairman’s life this week. While picking blueberries the other morning, he stated, “The frostier the blueberry looks, the better it is.” And then he proceeded to tell me that this was his motto for picking blueberries.

While picking blueberries, he remembered the new Natalie Grant song, Perfect People, and stated that, “There is no such thing as perfect people.” He told me that this was his new motto for living. I realized this was a discussion waiting to happen so I asked him what he thought about God telling His people to be perfect as He is perfect.

Which turned into a discussion right there between rows 3 and 4 of the blueberry patch how if you can’t be perfect on earth, then why even try?

We talked about why God tells us to be perfect, Who God gives us in perfection, and what it means to be perfect in God’s eyes. He was glad to hear that God is perfecting us. And even more glad to know that one day all will be perfect.

Thereby reminding me of a necessary parenting motto, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deut. 6:5-7

And when you’re picking blueberries.

the Chairman is lonely. I’ve been so informed. When you’re the fourth in line, the third to his relevant experience, having always had someone to entertain him, being the only has its downside. His two older brothers are living the camping life with their Boy Scout troop and will not be back until the weekend.

In the effort to dispense some undivided attention, which would be the upside for this lonely only, he has helped me plan each  day with a particular “fun” thing to do to keep the lonelies away. Sunday featured jellytelly.com computer games with Mom and Dad. Monday had a playdate with movie and popcorn. Tuesday highlights were blueberry picking and blueberry eating plus an afternoon pool party.

Wednesday…whew! Mom is tired. Apparently it is easier to keep up with three than with one.

I know from Husband’s report that the bigger guys are having the time of their camping life, and I am certainly grateful they are getting this experience. But for the record, I miss the bigger boys too. Guess the Chairman and I will just have to soothe our loneliness with ice cream.

Probably on Wednesday.

consists of not much running at all. It does consist of extra sleep and relaxation which always leads to mind clearing that segues into conversation followed by family goal setting interspersed with much laughter and general romantic jazz. This is our week of intense re-connection with one another. And both of us really, really look forward to the time.

For both of us, mountain time involves the concentration of communication with one another. The dailiness of life can crowd out the complete thoughts we mean to share with one another but mountain time gives us a whole week of date nights and days to spend finishing thoughts with one another. Mountain time should not be reserved for only the mountains though.

A friend recently commented to me how much she sees Husband and I talking with one another. About everything. And all the time. I thought all husbands and wives talked a lot with one another. I grew up seeing my Mom and Dad talk all the time. My sister and her husband talk with each other a lot. It is the pattern I am accustomed to following.

More than a pattern though is the fact that Husband is my best friend. He knows me better than anyone else in the whole world. And still loves me. That’s worth talking. A lot.

It took time for us to work out communication skills. But we worked at it (and still do), and God orchestrated events in our lives that necessitated real communication. In our first year of marriage we lived in South Korea. When an argument surfaced, I did not have even a local friend to call to “vent”, let alone call, email or drive home to Mom’s. The talking, the communicating had to be done with the man across the room from me. Our 800 square ft apartment could suddenly shrink to 4 square ft if we chose to ignore the “issue”. Not talking was not an option that allowed for sustained living.

The roughest patches of our marriage have always been when we chose to stop communicating. Whether it stems from laziness or indifference or selfishness, not communicating with one another is a relationship killer for us. So, we keep working at it. What mountain time has impressed upon us in its luxury of extra space and time is that the daily work of talking with one another makes this time so much more special.

We know that we will not always have the mountain time, but the daily and weekly time opportunities do happen and therefore require the consistency of communication.

How do you and your husband carve out “mountain time” during the day, week, month and year?

is how Nancy Guthrie pulls you in to her study on Hebrews. Coming off my own recent set of disappointments with the specifics and generalities that is constantly life, I was more than eager to read her comments. I did not want her comments to be the next 12 step program for building self-esteem, being successful with fill-in-your-blank, or heaven help us, don’t worry, just be happy-isms.

Nancy does not disappoint. She hits the facts of what life is in its upheavals and frustrations and disappointments with the sincerity of one who has walked the road. What I appreciated most in this introduction though was her honest portrayal to believers of what it means to have even been disappointed in Jesus (meaning our understanding of Jesus).

Why did He, why does He work this way? The naked question every authentic soul has asked at one time.

I am an idealistic realist. I know that in Christ alone, there is something better. Most assuredly, all better, eternally better, absolutely and utterly better. But in the between time from here to there, life is hard. Really, really hard. In the small and large things of life, people, circumstances, and stuff all combine to equal hard.

Nancy writes, “The book of Hebrews is an appeal for endurance in spite of difficulty, perseverance in the face of disappointment.” (Intro, p.xx) Which meant that even though Hebrews is my favorite book of the Bible, she had me hooked with that sentence. I mean, have you seen my tagline?

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4

I chose that tagline years ago but its point still hits my heart. I am called by God to persevere in my faith, in my obedience, in my life roles, in my work. I am to trust in how God perseveres in me through each circumstance as well. And Jesus Christ is the keystone for my perseverance. Knowing Him more thoroughly, adoring Him more completely, and obeying Him more completely are the goals I took from Nancy’s introduction. I loved her challenge, “The great theological teachings in Hebrews are not just to increase our theological knowledge; they are intended to serve as the basis for action.”(Intro, p.xxii)

All right then, Lord, please fill me up with Your Word, the Person of Jesus Christ, and set my life to the actions of perseverance You alone have ordained.

Let me know in the comments if you are reading along with me. Feel free to comment otherwise as well.