Had a “Mad” On Lately?

We all have had moments of anger whether that anger is “righteous indignation” or just plain being mad because we didn’t get our way or had what we considered our rights trampled on.

Wrath is an emotion that we humans probably couple with anger or “getting mad” at someone. However, it is a much stronger word than we might expect and it is also a word we don’t use much anymore.

Dean and I are still slogging through J.I. Packer’s book, KNOWING GOD and have just finished the chapter Packer wrote on God’s wrath. This particular topic was of special interest to me since the Small Group I have attended this summer just finished Beth Moore’s study on the New Testament book of Revelation—definitely some graphic examples of God’s wrath.

According to Packer’s dictionary definition, “wrath is deep intense anger and indignation.” God’s wrath is not an attribute we like to think about, even as believers. It’s much more comfortable to rhapsodize about God’s love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, etc. which are all truly attributes of God. But we are doing an injustice to our unbelieving friends and relatives if we ignore this wrathful side of God.

Packer mentions an interesting aspect of the way our culture views wrath as a loss of self control, wounded pride, or just plain bad temper. That might be a picture of human wrath; it is definitely not a picture of why God would be full of wrath. “God is only angry whey anger is called for.” His indignation is ALWAYS righteous. God’s wrath is never cruel, for cruelty is immoral, but His wrath is judicial or administering justice. The Bible never quibbles about God’s wrath; in fact His wrath is mentioned more times than His mercy, kindness and love. That statement really surprised me.

Packer brings out another side of this topic when he shows that mankind chooses (believe it or not) God’s wrath. See John 3:18-19. I seldom think about that choice since long ago I chose to accept God’s remedy for sin as opposed to choosing His wrath. It's not pleasant to think of friends and family members who have, to this point, chosen God's wrath.

Yet He IS a loving God and because He is, He has made a way of escape from His own wrath, that wrath being aimed at rebellion and unholiness. The good news (Gospel) is that Jesus left His throne in heaven to come to earth and did on a cross taking on Himself God’s wrath that should have been directed at we ornery human beings.

When I read how God’s wrath will be poured out on humankind during the last days, I can only marvel at His love that also provided a way of escape from that wrath through Jesus’ sacrifice in our place. That escape is really good news!!!

Looking for a Women's Bible Study?

If you are searching for a Women's Bible Study for the Fall semester or are interested in taking a closer look at the women mentioned in the Gospels, check out my book, THE WOMEN WHO KNEW HIM.

 

In case you haven’t seen a copy of the book, there are discussion starters at the end of each chapter/story which will hopefully be a springboard to additional questions and discussion. With 13 chapters/stories in the book, it will nicely cover 13 weeks from a start in early to mid-September and ending in early December.

I have printed below the discussion starters from the story of Simon’s mother-in-law.

·                    Grief was a central part of Miriam’s life prior to meeting Jesus. Discuss the manner in which you or family and friends have dealt with such grief.

·                    Miriam questioned whether she was good enough to be admitted to paradise/heaven. What are your thoughts about her feelings?

·                    When Miriam discovered that Simon and Andrew were leaving their business to fish for men, she dreaded another change in her life. How do you deal with changes that are thrust upon you? If your reactions to such changes are negative, what steps might you take toward a more positive outlook?

·                    Worry can be a crippling emotion. What do you worry about? Jesus plainly stated that we need not worry, but how do we prevent that mind-set?

·                    Think of a friend who reminds you of Hannah. What characteristic(s) of hers do you appreciate most, and why?

 You can look at the book by going to my website at http://diehl2360.wix.com/pat-diehl (Ctrl-click) and click on Book Purchase. Then click on the Amazon link under the second flower which will take you directly to the book site. You can read a sizeable chunk of chapter One as well as look at the Table of Contents. (If you use the book for a Bible study this Fall, I would urge you to save chapter 1 until December since that is the story of Mary, Jesus’ mother.)J

I just checked Amazon and they’re selling THE WOMEN WHO KNEW HIM at a 10% discount with free shipping on orders over $25. So if you’re planning to order something from Amazon anyway, what a deal!

Investments

Investments. Money stashed in stocks, bonds, or treasury notes, or even CDs and savings accounts. As important as monetary investments may be, they pale in comparison to how I invest  my life. Such an investment might be a cause I'm passionate about or perhaps even the reason I chose a particular career path.

 This past week Dean and I were able to attend a simulcast entitled Global Leadership Summit which was put together and implemented by Willow Creek Association, an arm of a huge church not too far from Chicago, IL. It was an excellent way to spend most of two days, well worth the time and the fee.

Our personal realm of leadership is not as widespread as in earlier years, but it seems to me that one's circle of influence continues until the day we leave planet Earth. Therefore, in at least one sphere or other, it appears that we all have a leadership role.

One speaker from Nairobi Kenya exhorted us all to pour our lives into (invest) the generation that is now growing up. That could mean someone at least 20-35 years younger than yourself. Those individuals are the future and “the future is now.”

The speaker quoted from Psalm 71:18 where David requests, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.” That kind of investment is one which extends beyond the investor’s death and, if the vision continues, will not expire until the end of time.

Many years ago I saw this type of investment when a young family on staff at Campus Ventures at the University of Wyoming invited our older son to live with them for a year in order to experience their family life and ministry. At the time I would have called that a sacrifice but they called it an investment. The fruits of their investment are now evident.

The Global Leadership Summit is an annual event but the outcomes from those who participated must surely make a daily difference in their world. It’s definitely an event to watch for and participate in come 2014.

Depression to Dimples

I awoke this morning wondering why I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders (could have been the fact that the coffee was not yet made).

Then I remembered the events of the past two days: news of a dear friend whose father just died (on top of her husband dying last year and her mother, the year before), hearing that another friend had a serious relationship rupture, finding out that much-anticipated guests were not able to make the trip to Elko, sharing in the sadness of a beloved aunt whose granddaughter is paying for poor choices, and the topper—my brother’s call last night, saying he was having surgery early this morning which could either be out-patient or in-patient, depending on what the surgeon found when they opened him up.

While I waited for the coffee to perk, I was foolish enough to fetch the newspaper from the front porch, opening it up to front page articles ranging from negative to right-down bad happenings.

I usually associate dimples with visible signs of happiness My “dimples” began with a fresh cup of coffee. Realizing that I had not started myday reading the best material, I turned to Psalms 119, the second subdivision of that long chapter, entitled “Beth” and was reminded of how important it is to mediate on God’s Word. The old “pledge of allegiance” to the Bible from Vacation Bible School days is taken from verse 11—“Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against God.”

It wasn’t too long after that, a major dimple appeared with a call from my groggy brother. He had just gotten home from the hospital, was sitting in his easy chair and wanted to assure me that all had gone well with his surgery.

I anticipate other “dimples” throughout the day but if they don’t materialize, I’m grateful for what I was given. I realize dimples are depressions with a joyful attitude, so the lesson for me today would be: Look for the dimples.  

Well…That’s a Deep Subject

Wisdom. That’s the subject I’ve been looking at for the past 7-10 days. I have resumed reading aloud to Dean, J.I. Packer’s book, KNOWING GOD. I had checked the book out of our church library on a friend’s recommendation, and we have discovered that the book’s information is very detailed and extremely worthwhile. However, it is not an easy read as Mr. (probably Dr.) Packer is a Brit so his word flow is somewhat different than Nevadans J.  

We had just started reading the chapter on God’s Wisdom when my Quiet Time meditation just happened to be Psalm 111, the last verse reminding me that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Ergo, my "book report."

Packer begins his chapter on Wisdom saying it is “ the practical side of moral goodness…found fully, only, in God. Human wisdom can be frustrated by circumstances but God, Who knows all, plus being all powerful is totally worthy of our trust.

Packer discuss the OT characters, Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph and their various trials used by God to mold them into men he could use. Consequently, we shouldn’t be surprised at what we consider unpleasant, discouraging things which come our way. God can use these life events "to make something of us to which we have not yet attained." In American lingo that would read, “God is not finished with us yet.”

In our quest for wisdom Packer says we must 1) learn to reverence God, which includes embracing a humble, teachable spirit; 2) learn to receive God’s Word. Do we “soak” ourselves in Scripture? How many times have we read the Bible all the way through? Do we spend as much time reading the Bible as we do the newspaper (or watching TV or reading a novel)? Ouch—those are convicting questions!

Next Packer goes to the book of Ecclesiastes. The Preacher paints a pretty grim picture, but intersperses  it with hope and in chapter 12 gives an outline of gaining wisdom--“Fear God and keep His commandments.” The New Testament tells us the result of gaining wisdom is Christlikeness—peace, humility and love.

So the wisdom God gives to those who ask will be expressed “in a spirit of faith and a life of faithfulness.” Obviously, this is the quest of a lifetime but so worth the journey.

I have read that blog posts shouldn’t exceed 500 words, so I’m not quite there yet. I would love to dialog with any readers interested in this subject. Or better yet, check out Packer’s book. Just don’t plan to get through it in a hurry.

Children—Friends

The week following July 4^th we were able to enjoy the company of both of our adult sons. The original idea was to pick them up in Salt Lake City and drive to Thermopolis, Wyoming, the Hot Springs Capital of the World (or something like that) so Dean could sit and soak, the boys could swim and I could just hang out. There were some plans for a fishing trip too, but the vacation trip didn’t happen because Dean still hadn’t regained adequate stamina for the trek.

Like the good guys they are, Jeff and Brian rented a car in SLC and drove to Elko so they could spend time with us anyway. Jeff has experience as a landscaper so he worked on our yard. Brian did the mowing and trimming and various other tasks Dean mentioned.

Chef Jeff is pictured here putting together one of his delicious and unique meals for the family.

Brian kindly agreed to build a website for me so that I can easily direct people on how to find my blog, buy THE WOMEN WHO KNEW HIM or “friend” me on FaceBook. By the way that web address is:  diehl2360.wix.com/pat-diehl. (For some reason, the picture of him hard at work on my computer didn't make it into my camera???)

All of this narrative is just to state how great it is to have children who are now not only our beloved sons, but our prized friends. I can remember thinking as I looked at our little boys playing and wondering, “What they will be like when they grow up.” Time has now made the answer apparent and I am well pleased. They are men of kindness and integrity; I am grateful.

My Non-Garden

Last year I didn’t even pretend to have a garden. This year the intention was present but the carry-through has been lacking.

Three or four years ago Dean purchased a stock tank and filled it with dirt so that I could have a raised garden bed . Thus far I have raised some carrots, one extremely health green bean plant (it’s a mystery as to where the other seeds went) and a lovely tomato plant

The plants you see pictured here are the sole “fruit” of a package of spinach seeds sown at the beginning of June. 

There is a certain area of this “raised garden bed” that is akin to the Bermuda Triangle where the planes and ships mysteriously disappear. Both this year and two years ago, the seeds I planted just vanished. Perhaps I should check the bottom of the stock tank in case the seeds have migrated in that direction???

I was telling my brother about my tomato plant not yet planted as it seems to be doing perfectly well sitting on the kitchen counter. The first of June we were having freezing temperatures and the temperatures at the end of June soared into triple digits. He suggested that instead of calling it a patio tomato, I label it a counter tomato.  

I may yet plant it in one of these half barrels (more of Dean’s answer to my plea for a raised garden bed), but not in the one pictured as it contains the “bones” of a lovely rhubarb start that a friend gave me as well as a package of peas that I planted. Again—no sign of life. Seems to have caught the idea from the Bermuda Triangle stock tack.

ALL of my relatives, alive or dead, would be wondering where my gene pool went wrong. They were/are all decent, even world class gardeners  As for me, the green thumb stops here with a distinctly blackened hue.