31 days of Learning #13: A way where there is no way

Yesterday Kirsten called to say the insurer had asked if she wanted to appeal the denial of coverage she had received in a letter.

"What letter?" asked Kirsten. "I have not received a letter from you."

"We've sent a letter denying your insurance claim. I just wanted to know if you plan to appeal the denial."

Kirsten was upset, and so were W and I when we heard about it. Without coverage, how will she manage the surgeries booked for January? How would she pay rent? (You get the picture.)

There's no doubt Kirsten is disabled by the rheumatoid arthritis that has stalked her since she was 15. We continue to pray for healing. Times of stress aggravate the swelling, and she's in the middle of a flare. Many people agreed to pray with us on her behalf last night.

One friend said, "I'm going to pray that this just goes away." My heart leaped in agreement and was at peace.

This morning I got another call. "Mom, guess what? I called the company, and here's what happened." The gal had jumped the gun; the denial letter had been sent the day before. Hardly time to process it. And ...it was for a type of life insurance, not disability coverage. 

Lesson #13. God made a way through the prayers of our friends, dissolving this impossible situation in a manner like he blew the Red Sea into a dry walkway many years ago for a desperate tribe, running from their slave-masters. He set a table for our daughter where we sensed the presence of the Enemy.

Thank you all for appealing to God on Kirsten's behalf. God is able to act beyond our understanding and expectations. 

Waldemar preaches in chapel tonight at AGTS. I'm sure his heart will be lighter as well :-) Thanks be to God. 

Read more:

*Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!" Exodus 14:21–22 NLT

*God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.   

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:4-10 NIV

Taproot give 2nd chance to see An Ideal Husband

Performances added of An Ideal Husband at Taproot Theatre
Wilde’s witty classic is selling quickly, now extended through October 29
 
SEATTLE – October 11, 2011 – Due to extraordinary ticket demand, Taproot Theatre is adding a matinee performance on Tuesday, October 18 and extending An Ideal Husband through October 29. Now audiences have one more week to experience this vibrant production.
 
Misha Berson of The Seattle Times says, "Karen Lund's staging unpacks a scintillating farce about men and women, marriage and politics, blackmail and ethics." Considered by many to be Oscar Wilde’s finest social comedy, An Ideal Husband continues to be surprisingly modern.
 
Written by Oscar Wilde and directed by Karen Lund, An Ideal Husband features a talented cast of Ryan Childers, Anne Kennedy, Aaron Lamb, Adrienne Littleton, Joe Monroe, Pam Nolte, Nolan Palmer, Simon Pringle, Candace Vance, Nikki Visel and Sarah Ware. The production team includes scenic and sound designer Mark Lund, costume designer Nanette Acosta and lighting designer Jody Briggs. Anne L. Hitt serves as stage manager and Sonja Lowe as dramaturg.
 
###
 
An Ideal Husband Extension Fact Sheet
By Oscar Wilde
Directed By Karen Lund
 
WHEN:
·         Now through October 22 (Wednesday-Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Saturday matinees, 2 p.m.)
·         October 27-October 29 (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m.)
·         Matinee: Tuesday, October 18, 2 p.m.
·         Post-play Discussions: Wednesday nights
 
WHERE: Taproot Theatre Company, 204 North 85th Street, Seattle, WA 98103
 
TICKETS: Tickets are available online at www.taproottheatre.org/buy-tickets/ and through Taproot Theatre’s box office, in person or by phone at 206.781.9707. Tickets range from $20-35, depending on the performance. Taproot offers a $3 senior/student discount off regular priced tickets (excludes previews). $10 tickets are available for ages 25 and under. Tickets for the senior matinee are $20. Discounts are available for parties of 8 or more through Group Sales; call 206.781.9708. Tickets for the pay-what-you-can performance are available day of show at the box office only; contact the box office for details.
 
ABOUT TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY
Taproot Theatre Company is a professional, non‐profit theatre company with a multi‐faceted production program. Founded in 1976, Taproot Theatre serves the Pacific Northwest with Mainstage Productions, Touring Productions and the Acting Studio. Taproot exists to create theatre that explores the beauty and questions of life while bringing hope to our search for meaning. Taproot Theatre Company is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), Theatre Puget Sound (TPS), and the Greenwood‐Phinney Chamber of Commerce.
 
Thanks to our opening night sponsor, The Upper Crust. Support for Taproot Theatre’s 2011 Mainstage season is generously provided by The Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, The Seattle Foundation, ArtsFund, 4Culture, PONCHO and Nesholm Family Foundation.

31 days of Learning #11 & 12: Oh man. Oops. Oh woman.

It's been interesting (to say the least) to read the arguments against women ministering in American churches since the mid-1800s. Not much has changed. Language maybe. The reality? Many women have served in missions and pioneered outposts. But established churches and denominations "want a man" as their leader. The strong calling of a few women has made way for them to do extraordinary ministry, regardless of cultural restrictions.

The women's cohort of AGTS is here, learning, studying, laughing, and crying together. I'm not part of the cohort, but ate lunch with them to eavesdrop on their session. "I'm forever ruined for a mixed gender classroom," said one, wiping tears from her face after they spent a session sharing their dreams and calling with classmates. "Hearing the heart of Jesus through women is fantastic. We are so open to speak and listen to each other."

I get irritated with feminists who thump on men for being male. I'm not waving a flag for women's rights. But I want to encourage women--and men--who have heard the call of God to ministry to pursue that with all their hearts.

Lesson 11: Ask God what he expects of us and depend on his open doors rather than people's permissions. Letting the worldview chips fall where they may, women and men are called to follow God's plan for us. Effective ministry plows a way for acceptance of its delivery system and/or person.

Lesson 12: (for tomorrow) When ministering to a calling is impossible, it may be time to move on to work elsewhere. Don't be afraid that God will reshape us through education and experiences and then leave us without participation in his Church.

31 days of Learning #9-10

I'm in Springfield, MO, finally making good progress on my dissertation. For over a year, I've been gathering information on the women who made up the first generation of Pentecostal missionaries. At times I've been excited, bored, and downright discouraged.

I've never thought of quitting, but I have wondered how long this will take to complete. What I know (#9) from months of sitting is that the seat is less tolerant than the brain. When your bottom freezes onto the chair, it's time to let the mind drift to other things. Like a break or lunch!

#10 of 31 is that people have different tolerances of closeness when studying. The guy who plopped himself and his books right next to me in a big room with the excuse of "I hate to sit with my back to the door," obviously has less personal space needs than I do. We've worked edge to edge from 9-9pm today, and I'm hoping he finds another place to work tomorrow. If not, I may have to spread out my books elsewhere. Groan. I'm in the library room with a historical collection I need to reference several times a day.

It's been fun to pull together the long weeks and months of work. I'm editing, sorting, rearranging... and finding I have lots of material gathered. Hopefully in three weeks, the first draft of my dissertation tutorials will be nearly done. God be thanked for hope!

31 days of learning: #6-8 on the road again

#6 it is more exciting to plan a trip when you're under 55.
#7 it is fun to travel with someone you like, in this case W. Having a Delta Sky Club membership helps, too.
#8 it is more tasty to eat apple crisp someone else has made.

I'm in Springfield MO for 3 weeks of study. I made good progress editing two tutorials on the flights. However, the focused reading made me realize how much I still have to do before I can hand it in! Yikes.

We are at the lake cabin this weekend with Taylors, enjoying tremendous food, a beautiful view, and good friends. I get a lot of academic work done in four or five hours of solid effort, sitting in a screen porch overlooking the shoreline. Jay has four projects for his dad and W, and they get them all completed.

It's 81o at 8pm, according to Jay. Feels cooler, and my toes are cold while everyone else is warm and toasty. The crickets are chirping, the geese have tucked their noisy bills under their wings for the night.

All is well, and all is well.

31 days of Learning #5: 100th chance happen

We all hear about "second chances." Today I've learned that God never gives up on us, constantly reminding us that his forgiving Nature is our standard for relationships, past, present, and future.

This morning, listening to Isaiah 44, I again embraced the God of many, many chances. If we had only two opportunities to repent, to come back to our senses, or to return to the God who loves us, forgiveness would be "used up" before we left the toddler stage.

How much more does God call to us to reflect his loving forgiveness to those who sin against us!

Most people don't even know when they offend us. We easily get snarled up in personal slights (intended or not), being overlooked, or when a wrong is done against us.

Rather than letting those harsh experiences define us, let's let God be the avenger, the smoother-of-crooked-paths, and especially, the abundant source of joy in our hearts.

Read more:

*Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth;  his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Psalm 66:16-20 NIV

*This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, "It shall be inhabited," of the towns of Judah, "They shall be built," and of their ruins, "I will restore them," who says to the watery deep, "Be dry, and I will dry up your streams..." Isaiah 44:24-27 NLT

31 days of Learning #4: Free indeed

Each of us is born into a family with their own values and wealth. I'm not necessarily talking $ as the measure of wealth. Riches include shelter, kindness, love, food, security, peace, friendship, and other resources. The worst homes may have little "wealth" for its inhabitants. But nearly every group has some collateral that keeps them together, even if the price for cohesion includes suffering or challenges.


Today I read about the freedom that comes from immersing oneself in the plans our Creator has for us: 
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV

Our culture understands  that self-improvement makes us better. But we're headed in our own directions, trying to build up our egos, our bodies, our self-importance, with things that have no lasting significance.

• A year of gym workouts? In 2 months without maintenance, it disappears.
• Botox? Call back is 3-4 months.
• A face-lift or liposuction? Give it 5 years, if you have a good doc, and you'll look as wrinkly as ever.
• Eastern-style meditation? Lasts until the next idiot swerves into your lane and almost runs you off the road.
• Self-help courses? Temporary fixes unless underlying character are addressed.

You get the picture.


Yet God offers us glorious freedom from self-absorption. The full understanding of why we were created and what our role is on this lovely planet. A career plan that may be winding and mysterious, yet looking back over a lifetime will bring: "Ah, I was SO wonderfully and beautifully made!"

So, what does absolute freedom cost?

• Adoration. Not of self, but of God who is Beyond Understanding or Comprehension. 
• Love. Willingness to open our hearts, , to live wide open to God and others...no matter that it may hurt sometimes.
• Unconditional obedience to One who is Loving Kindness, yet knows the future and accepts the past. Obedience that means acquiescing to lifelong risks in the footsteps of an Omniscient (all-knowing) God, even when the path is not obvious to us.
• Surrender to beauty and gladness in seasons of joy or pain. (C'est moi in autumn/winter.)
• Loving acceptance of our neighbor as self, no matter how horrid that neighbor may appear. (Does anyone know your "whole story" to judge your actions perfectly?)
• Service. Looking out for the interests of others above our own.

This is what I learned today. I am tied in knots only where I do not live in the glorious freedom of the children of God. 

Oh to adore, love, obey, surrender, accept, and serve, so that the Spirit of the Living God can fall with freshness and freedom to rest on you and me...

Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me. 

Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me. 

Cleanse me, mold me, fill me, use me...

Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me. 

Amen.

31 days of Learning #3: Some people prefer autumn

I'm definitely a summer person. I used to be a spring person, loving the coming-to-life of new leaves and flower buds. However, the older I get, the warmer I like to be. I love the fully-fleshed gardenias and geraniums, the lush green forest behind our house, and the hot evening sun just before it goes down. This was the first summer we've spent in Seattle in years, and when it arrived in August, I was thrilled. I hate to let summer go, now that October rains have come.

Some people love winter, with its cold mono-palate shaded in white, grey, and black. These are probably far and few between. Many of them probably live in the Arctic or Antarctic zones. They must have warm houses to escape into and feel secure in. "Why else would you tolerate freezing cold snow, slush, and ice?" asks this former Winnipeg-ger. Not to mention the mud when it all starts melting!

Most of all, I have learned that fall seems to be the hands-down favorite season among my friends and acquaintances. They love the bright colors of leaves dying, the withering of stalks that permits berries to appear, the hardening off of stems to drop ripe apples and pears onto orchard floors. Even Dr. Oz talks about fall as his favorite time of year.

I don't get it. The whole atrophy process as nature heads for the dead of winter? Doesn't turn my crank one notch. I feel like God kills off the world's beauty so that we truly can appreciate the unfolding of a new season in Spring.

Only 8 months to go. God have mercy! (and I don't say that in jest.) I can't wait, hunkered down at my desk, looking out at a typical autumn sky. Rainy, grey Seattle. Time to wait for new life.

Thank God for central heating, bright electrical lights, a roof overhead, and thickly insulated walls to ward off the cold damp until the deck is habitable again.

31 days of Learning #2: "Are there dogs in heaven?"

Animals have different kind of souls than humans, according to scripture. I remembered that, sitting in adult class this morning talking about the wonder of salvation from Romans 8.

W, who's teaching the sessions, had just said, "Jesus died for people, not for poodles."He explained that God sent his Son to die for humanity, not for animals.

The gal next to me looked bemused. I leaned over to her and whispered, "We have two poodles. That's why he mentioned them."

She responded, "I'm sure there are dogs in heaven. It wouldn't be 'the same' without them."

[The same as what? Life on earth? As our imagination of heaven?]

I agreed with her sentiment if not with her assumption. "Dogs are cool. There might be some dogs in heaven. But scripture gives no indication that they sin or need a Savior."

On the way home, I mentioned the conversation to W, ending with, "I think she's right about there being creatures. But what kind will they be? What sort of animal would worship the Lamb?

Without a pause, W shot back, "A sheep dog!"

I lost my breath. He caught me off guard. I laughed long and hard, and W laughed along. It took me several minutes to recover composure.

What I learned today was that a serious theologian and my marvelous husband can still surprise me with his wit and humor. 

I was reminded that we DO know the most important things:

• We are loved by God. Cherished. Bought with a price and set free to live fully. 
• Our greatest privilege and best task are to look like Jesus, and glorify him day in and day out.

[With or without pets, now or in the future.]

Check out today's "31 Days" recommendation: 31 Days of Contemplation.

Overwhelmed with possibilities

Blogs to follow? Your choice - 485 choices, that is. "Chatting at the Sky"'s Emily asked for blog readers to write for 31 days. You won't believe the abundance of options - sign up for one or a few to enjoy all month.

My offering was "31 Days of Learning." I didn't see it in the long long list, but here's what I learned today: things are not always what they same. I never knew pigs' snouts were the basis for electrical outlets. Wow.