An Answer

An Answer

Mihaela, my daughter

Waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. Year after long year.
Waiting.

Rushing.
Running.
Moving.
A phone call. An answer to prayer. A dash of activity. A baby daughter is here.
Hurrying.

Learning.
Discovering.
Persisting.
A first step. A first word. Counting and the alphabet. Off to school to read, to write, to know.
Understanding.

Growing.
Developing.
Expanding.
A young lady. A protective sister. A pleasant student. A lovely daughter.
Maturing.

Hoping.
Praying.
Yearning.
May she be light. May she be salt. May she seek to glorify You. May she have Your heart.
Pleading.

Grateful.
Appreciative.
Pleased.
A daughter of beauty. A daughter of grace. A daughter of mine.
Thankful.

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Mihaela is the "Star Student" in her class this week, a program by which the teacher highlights each student for a week so that they can all get to know each other.  As part of the program, the parents are asked to write a letter to their student that is read in class.  I wrote my daughter this poem for that assignment.

Week 19 - Dealing with Truthfulness

We live in an era marked with marketing gibberish. Our world is surrounded by slick words designed to artificially elevate the stature of whatever is being described. We no longer have employees, but “associates.” Students no longer fail, but “face academic challenges”. We bribe politicians through “campaign contributions” and they make good on the bribe by budgeting “earmarks.” We’ve become a wary people, always questioning what “wiggle room” could possibly be present when we hear a word; what does it really mean?
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Week 18 - Dealing with Marriage

Christianity is filled with the struggle to adjust the idea of marriage with the reality of living in a sinful world. That struggle makes this very short passage to be one of the most difficult and controversial sections in the Sermon on the Mount.

One of the goals of this study has been to really try and understand the culture and people to whom Jesus is speaking. Therefore, it is important to note that, marriage, and subsequently divorce, in the ancient world had tones and aspects that are dramatically different than in the modern world. Thus when we study the biblical texts that deal with these issues, then much caution needs to be exercised in applying the concepts. This passage is unquestionably addressing marriage as it was understood in the first century Jewish world. While, timeless truths emerge from these texts as objectives and expectations of God upon His people for all times, a one-to-one transfer of the surface meanings of the texts is impossible and leads to twisted, false understandings.

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Week 17 - Dealing with Lust

As our study continues in the "parting of the Yoke," we see Jesus address the sexual norms of his society and how the 7th commandment had been misinterpreted and misapplied.
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Week 16 - Dealing with Anger

As previous lessons have covered the “You have heard it said…but I say unto you…” has been interpreted to imply that whatever Jesus is going to teach is different from his predecessors. However, we know now this is a common rabbinical language to issue a binding or loosing of a text. This study we are going to be look at the binding Jesus places on his followers in regard to murder and anger and discover how this teaching moves us up toward the peak of piety.
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