On yesterday’s flip side:

1. Maytag appliances
2. Craigslist – I’ve been astounded at what I’ve found when I’ve needed to find it.
3. Google – ditto.
4. Believing the best
5. My Swiffer wet jet
6. Orange roses
7. Saying less than I want to say
8. E-sword Bible software
9. Men who are trying to save money for a ring
10. Bleach! OH, I love bleach!
11. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary
12. Psalm 31
13. Soft answers

Even more on this list than the disappointing one.  Life is good, indeed!

Bo

1. The popcorn button on the microwave.
2. Any “breakthrough” hair removal product
3. Vacuum cleaners (though I must say my Dyson is giving me hope; that thing can pick up small civilizations hiding in my carpet)
4. Age-defying makeup
5. Ibuprofen from the Dollar Tree
6. Universal remotes
7. Infomercial knives
8. Sea monkeys
9. My budget
10. Citronella candles

In a world that overpromises and underperforms, I’m really thankful for Jesus.

Wishing you a disillusionment-free Thursday,

Bo

Yesterday I shared a little word that I think God has been trying to work into my stubborn, spinning self for a good year now.  “Relax and enjoy your life – I’ll take care of whatever is supposed to happen next when it’s time.”

I’m not that good at relaxing.  Sometimes I manage to relax my person, but it’s much tougher to relax my thoughts.  Toward that end, here is my super-duper action list for relaxing.  Heh.

1. Take a real Sabbath.  Not just a day off of work, but a day off of anxiety, worry, striving, plotting, planning and all such beehive activity.
2. Learn to push pause and absorb the moments that are important…or funny…or even difficult.  Just absorb.
3. Slow down in the car. (fast driving makes me tense and I only just realized it)
4. Love the quirky stuff in people rather than looking for ways to fix them.
5. Don’t spend any time dreading bad news.  Grace will be there if bad news comes, but there’s no grace to fear what hasn’t come.
6. Embrace a busy day and be thankful for purpose.

I really want learn to love – and fully experience -  the life I’m in.  I want to be always-thankful that God has chosen me to be His and to live in this moment on His timeline.  Oh, He is so good and so patient with me and I’m more convinced then ever that all His plans are good and all His promises are YES.

Wishing you rest,

Bo

Yesterday I was in a bit of a mental frenzy.  I was trying to plot and plan some sort of strategy for growth in 2010 which involved listing books I should read, people I should consult, topics I should research…I tell you, I was a veritable whirlwind of purpose-driven-ness!

After a long day I fell into bed, thoughts still swarming, when what should nudge its way into my little dust storm but a very sweet,  but very focused whisper that I feel certain was from Him, for me:

Could you – even just for a minute – relax and enjoy your life?  I’ll take care of whatever is supposed to happen after that.

Maybe it’s for you too.

With joy,

Bo

This weekend I had the great privelige of being with the women from Church on the Hill in Salem.  They were funny and fun and passionate and authentic and it was wonderful.

I also enjoyed the company of my fantastic sisters, Lila and Cheryl, who are some of the coolest women I know.  We ate an obscenely large lunch at Claim Jumpers and then Lila and I went off to conquer IKEA where I spent $22.  Shopping fail.

The theme of this ladies event was finding order and wholeness in the soul.  I had a blast studying for it and discovering God’s plan to deliver us from soul chaos and restore us to peace, grace, health, joy and a million other great things you can’t buy at IKEA.  One thing I talked about was how the gift of a sanctified memory will impact our lives.  As humans made of dust, we have a tendency to remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember.  At the end of the session, we met in small groups to discuss this very issue and here is the question that each of us answered:

If you were to make a memory list of the things that God has done that you never want to forget, what would be your top three?

This question made me cry when I thought about it and also when I heard the answers from the ladies in my group.  It seems that some of the most wonderful things that God has done, are tied to some of the most difficult seasons in our lives.  That’s true of my top three.

1. One time when our kids were very little, we were out of groceries and out of money.  A missionary from Africa left bags of groceries on our door step.  In one event, we learned both trust and humility.
2. The moment as I was lying on the pavement, watching my baby be flown to the hospital in Air Life after having been hit head on by a drunk driver.  I never want to forget the moment because I’ve never felt so much peace.
3. The moment – after nine days of relentless, consuming and unending doubt in the existence of God – His truth broke through.  I can’t explain it but I never want to forget it.

Oh, a sanctified memory is a powerful weapon against doubt, discontent and discouragement.  Maybe today is a good day to make your own list.  If you want to share it, I’d sure love to see it!

Earnestly remembering,

Bo

My husband and I – due to overlapping travel schedules – are on our longest stretch ever of not seeing each other.  He is flying home from six days in Orlando today and I am leaving for a conference in Portland.

I’ve learned a couple of things from our apart-ness:

• When necessary, I can remember what day the garabage guy comes.  This is a revelation to me and information I’m not sure I want my husband to have.
• I can live without fear in the presence of God…but it’s a decision and I hope it’s becoming a skill.
• There are few things I love more than having orange roses delivered to me at work.  He’s a good guy, that one I married.
• We don’t eat that well when Steve is gone.  It’s wierd because I thought I loved cooking for my kids, but this week we’ve mostly had pancakes and Jalapeno poppers.  They’ll be glad he’s back.
• Did I mention already the power of orange roses?  Tess captured one for me:

See?  Empowering!

So, I’m off to Portland and hoping that the tripcheck cameras are lying and there really isn’t a blizzard on Santiam.  I’m excited about this conference with the women from Church on the Hill.   I’ll tell you more about that on Monday and you can’t stop me.

Thankful for marriage,

Bo (ha!  I first signed it “Steve”…I think he might be a little bit on my mind today.)

Here’s a fun time:  answer a few questions at  Epicurious and a clever widget will select a mouthwatering Thanksgiving menu built around your preferences, time constraints and cooking skill.  Happy!

I loved the menu it gave me (“Bringing Fancy Back”) and, while I won’t make everything on it, I’m definitely going to take some of these recipes out for a holiday spin.

Take the  quiz here and let me know how it goes for you.

Ever so thankful for food,

Bo

Those are the first four definitions for the word “press”  – a sensation I have definitely experienced this year.  I have felt pressed, weighted, forced, moved, compressed and squeezed to such a degree that I would agree that my shape has been altered.  It’s not been entirely (heh) comfortable.  Sometimes, I’ve wanted to run from the pressing.  However, here’s another hidden and wonderful definition for this crazy little word:

5.  to hold closely, as in an embrace; clasp: He pressed her in his arms.

I have definitely experienced this one in abundance.

Aside from the “pressed but not crushed” verse in 2 Corinthians 4 (which is worth a re-read if it’s been awhile), here’s one of my favorites when it feels like the walls are closing in:

How great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to You for protection, blessing them before the watching world.
You hide them in the shelter of Your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in Your presence, far from accusing tongues.
Praise the LORD, for He has shown me the wonders of His unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack.
In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the LORD!” But You heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.
Love the LORD, all you godly ones! For the LORD protects those who are loyal to Him, but He harshly punishes the arrogant.
So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD!

Psalm 31

May you know the hugging love of Jesus today,

Bo

]]> http://bostern.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/pressed/feed/ 2 Bo http://bostern.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/secretly-dreading-christmas/ http://bostern.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/secretly-dreading-christmas/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:53:35 +0000 bolovesjoe http://bostern.wordpress.com/?p=3007 ]]>

Sometimes this silly blog gets inside my head in the strangest ways.  Tonight, it happened.  As I was doing completely unrelated and uninspired stuff, I saw my first Christmas commercial of the season and I heard this little whisper:   for those dreading Christmas. Interesting.

I often question my ability to hear clearly the things that are outside the realm of the touchable and seeable, but this was a time that I knew it was real…and right…and good.

So, since the Holiday Season is officially upon us, for those who are dreading Christmas, I want to say:

• Fear not.  The baby whose birth we celebrate is alive today and He cares about you.  He knows your gift list, your checking account balance and your family.  He knows. And He has the power and love necessary to do the miraculous for you.
• Love well.  In America, our love is sometimes expressed with a dollar sign in front, but let’s not kid ourselves: that’s the easy kind.  This year, love well.  Love richly.  Love with words and acts of kindness and notes that are brimming to the rim with hope.
• Hold on.  He is in the storm and the strife and He knows the pain and the doubts that have knocked you over and around this year.  He sees and He knows and He is the best possible defender for your soul.

And maybe once – even just for a minute – give yourself permission to laugh loud and long.  No matter how much you’ve hurt or been hurt.  No matter how little you currently possess.  No matter how many reasons you can list for living in a state of paralyzing grief: you deserve joy.   It was bought for you and belongs to you.  Squint your eyes hard and see if  – just maybe – through the tears, you can see the shimmer of  a light at the end of this long tunnel.

“For unto you a child is born.  Unto you a Son is given…”

Whoever and wherever you are, there is Hope.

Because of Jesus,

Bo

I have a custom.  Well, I’ve been doing it for four years, so…is that a custom?  Tradition?  A habit is 21 times, right?  So this is definitely not a habit.

Anyway, my custom is this:  every November I choose a brand spankin’ new Bible with which to ring in the new year.  Oh, goodness, I can hear the cries of outrage now:  “But I could NEVER replace my dear, beloved Bible!”  And I used to agree with you so I totally know your reasons:

• Your pages are highlighted.
• You’ve gotten acquainted with the lay-of-the-land and it would be hard to start with a totally blank canvass.
• How would you ever FIND anything in a brand new Bible?
• You love the Precious Moments  bride and groom on the front cover.
• Switching to a new Bible would be unfaithfulness on the scale of switching to a new mom just because you like her ravioli better.

I know, I totally know.  I was there, too.  I had the same wonderful, faithful Bible for 15 years.  It was dog-eared and marked and mushed and penciled and….loved.  But  then I discovered that I wasn’t reading my Bible every day, I was reading what I had already read.  The previous highlighting I had done made me feel like I had already “been there, read that”, and was keeping me from reading with fresh vision.

So, I bought a whole new Bible.  I picked the one that looked the coolest to me.  It arrived on December 6 and I couldn’t wait even one day before breaking it in.  And I hated it.  I really did.  It was new and unfamiliar…like visiting the grandma you love in the hospital you hate.  It was icky.  But I knew I wanted fresh and I was out of money to spend on new Bibles, so I kept at it.

Fast forward one year and it was time to pick the new Bible and I felt like I couldn’t…possibly…part…with that wonderful, beautiful, perfect-for-me Bible.

Bottom line:  I LOVE this system.  I love starting with a fresh Bible and a fresh tranlsation every single December (that’s my Bible fiscal year!)  And so, after much shopping and agonizing and researching…here is the Bible I’m going to be forming an intimate relationship with come December 2000 (ooo..I have goose bumps right now!):

Yep.  The ESV Study Bible in “cordovan” (that was the name of one of my dad’s shoe polish colors) and black.  Beautiful. The ESV Study Bible is relatively new and highly respected. Please feast your eyes on the number of study notes included with just the FIRST verse of Genesis:

Oh goodness.  Be still my little theology-loving heart.

It’s been good for me to get really familiar with the nuances of different translations – so far, I’ve read the NKJV, the Message, the Amplified – and this is my second go-round with ESV.  I often hear the question:  what do you do with all those Bibles?”   Answer:  I still use them.  I have my Bibles all stacked up next to my chair and I cross reference all the time.  But the other answer is: I’m saving them for my kids and grandkids.  Seriously, I have Bibles picked out for each kid to get when I die and I sometimes end my quiet time by writing a little note to him/her on the inside cover or the first blank pages.  I can’t think of any way I’d rather have them remember me.

My question for you is:  How long have you had your Bible and do you think you would ever be able to switch to a new one? No right or wrong answer…just curious as to how we all roll.

Loving His Word and His words,

Bo