Best Places to Retire

Although we are far from retirement age, my husband and I like to dream about where we would like to live when that time comes. We read articles that talk about the latest retirement hot-spots and discuss the pros and cons of each. Most of these articles mention towns that have similar characteristics: a nice climate, learning opportunities, recreational activities, access to health care, low cost of living, low crime rate, etc.

Ideas about retirement have changed. It used to be that people were expected to take it easy when they retired: maybe play some golf, clip some coupons, spend some time with the grandkids, and play scrabble at the senior center. Now it seems that you are expected to be hiking, biking, kayaking, and zip-lining when you retire! Sounds exhausting, if you ask me!

My idea of retirement is finally being free of the need to perform to the world’s expectations. To find rest, peace, and contentment. I would rather have loved ones around me than sandy beaches…the warmth of good friends nearby, than tropical weather. Now, if I could have it all--family and friends, all living on the Big Island of Hawaii--I’d be cool with that too.

I’ve come to the conclusion that what I want is to be surrounded by love, stability, and security. What I want is Paradise. I was reminded of this when I read the following verse:

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High,
Will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
He is my God, and I trust Him.” (Ps. 91:1-2 NLT)

Smartphones

I’ve had a smartphone for about 2 years now. At first, I missed my old, simple, clam-shell phone. For one thing, it didn’t act like it was smarter than me, and it was small enough to fit into any pocket. It took me months to get used to my large smartphone with its touch-screen, internet, built in GPS, and all the other apps. I used to make calls and occasionally check email, but refused to be a smartphone addict and wait outside buildings with the smokers, trying to get reception. I used my phone minimally.

That is, until I discovered this new app called “Myfitnesspal”. This amazing app lets you scan barcodes of foods and keeps track of calories, fat, protein, and weight. Or you can just put in the ingredients of whatever you are cooking, and it adds it all up and remembers that meal for the future. I wish someone had told me about this months ago. I can’t believe I had access to this all along, but never used it. Now I’m hooked on my smartphone.

There are aspects of my faith that I don’t use fully. I have access to the Holy Spirit and all His power and wisdom. However, He doesn’t fit into my pocket easily. Plus, I have to acknowledge that He is smarter than me. So I’m reluctant to be dependent on the Holy Spirit. However, I suspect that one of these days, I will discover something new as I continue exploring my faith. And then I will wonder how I got along all this time without it.

My Green Tomatoes (The Sequel)

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my tomato plant and how it bore fruit. Well, here is an update on that. The plant has grown, and there are a lot of tomatoes, but they are all green. I keep going out there to pick tomatoes for lunch, and I come back in empty-handed. So, I called my gardening consultant, JW, and she diagnosed the problem. I was supposed to provide support for the plant by staking it. The weight of the tomatoes is dragging the plant down. They are too close to the ground. They need to be held up to the light to ripen.

I went out and tried to stake my tomato plants. They were already too big for the traditional tomato cages. I ended up tying them to upright posts.

This got me thinking about the importance of a support system. We may grow and bear fruit, yet remain green. It is our support system that holds us up to the light, enabling us to mature and become useful.

I have a group of family and friends who hold me up to the light. Occasionally I feel caged in and held back by these upright individuals. Some days I just want to drag on the ground. Sometimes I just want to grow wild, in every direction, without restriction.

However, I’ve experienced the drawbacks of trying to bolster myself. I need guidance and people to lean on. I cannot bear the weight of this life without loved ones to hold me up. I cannot ripen, reach my full potential, be beneficial, without support.

The Beginning of the End

Today is the 1^st day of the our last year of home-schooling. My son has been home-schooled since kindergarten. Today, he starts his senior year.

Once upon a time, when my husband and I first heard of home-schooling, we shrugged it off as an aberrant phenomenon. So, when we started home-schooling our son, we were as uneasy about this new venture as the rest of our family and friends.

Every year, I get nervous on the first day of school. I feel unsure about the curriculum, the schedule, the paper work, and my ability to toggle between the roles of teacher/mom. And every year, I remind myself of the advice that a veteran home-schooling mom gave me 12 years ago: “When your back is against the wall, call out to Jesus.” And I have followed this advice.

When the Israelites were stuck between the Red Sea and their Egyptian enemies, Moses said to them:
“Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm… 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 14:13-14, 21-22 NLT)

When I feel inadequate, scared, frustrated, panicky, exhausted, or brain-dead, I call out to the Lord. I can identify with Moses. Convincing an apathetic, recalcitrant, hormonal teenager to tackle difficult subjects is no easy task. Yet, the Lord has helped us navigate the Red Sea of chemistry, Kierkegaard, pre-Calculus and statistics.

I have learned a lot of things in the last 12 years of home-schooling my son. I’ve learned to depend on the Lord, to stay calm, and to look to Him expectantly. I’ve learned not to focus on the challenges, but on God’s power.

Humility

Humility must lie between the extremes of arrogant pride and servile self-deprecation.” (from The Philosopher and the Gospels, by Keith Ward)

We’ve all met individuals from both these extremes. On one side of the spectrum are arrogant, overbearing people who ridicule others. On the other side are people who belittle and undervalue themselves constantly. Neither self-promotion nor self-flagellation is honorable.

The Arrogance/Self-deprecation spectrum is similar to a color wheel with different shades. A bit of arrogance blends with insecurity in some people. Pride and confidence mix together in some others. Submission and self-consciousness create yet another hue. Humility is found in the sweet-spot between all these different shades.

I read the following excerpt by Dallas Willard on how to be humble:

“First, never pretend. Be yourself. We all face those tight moments when we are tempted to claim inside knowledge or special talents we don’t possess. Or we make quick promises we know we can’t keep. Under pressure we may downplay our abilities because we think it makes us appear humble. Wrong on all counts. True humility claims nothing more or less than the truth. What you see is what you get.
Second, never presume. So often we think we know what others are feeling or we act as if we can read minds. Humility doesn’t pass judgment on why people do what they do or why they say what they say. The humble man realizes he looks on the outward but God alone sees the heart. He refrains from snap judgments, hasty conclusions, and negative assumptions. When he doesn’t know, he simply says, “I don’t know.” We could save ourselves from a ton of worry if we stopped presuming on the future or on what others might do or say.
Third, never push. Humility waits for the Lord to move first. Sometimes we get in trouble because we try to force people to do what we want. This may be expressed by giving commands in a loud voice or by nagging others or by making a series of critical comments or even by using violence to get our own way. If we were asked, we would all say we don’t like to be treated that way. People want to be led, they hate to be pushed. They want the freedom to think things through and to come to their own conclusions. George Fox, founder of the Quaker movement, was a pacifist. Once he was approached by several soldiers who had become followers of his teaching. “How long should we wear our swords?” they asked. “As long as you can,” he replied. Not long after that the soldiers put away their swords voluntarily.

Here are some questions that may help you: Do I talk in ways that make it hard for people to know what I really mean? How often do I assume bad motives in others? How do I react when others don’t immediately follow my advice? In what areas of my life am I pushing when I ought to be waiting on the Lord?
This is the path to humility. Never pretend. Never presume. Never push.”
(excerpt from a talk Dallas Willard gave on leadership)

Hijacking Jesus

Yesterday, I used the analogy of chauffeuring to describe how we should take care of our bodies, which are vehicles of God. This morning the following thought came to me: When I’m chauffeuring God around, which of us decides the destination and the route? Do I drive carefully or recklessly?

I’ll be honest. Most of the time I decide where I am going and how I get there. I don’t even think about the fact that I’m supposed to be driving Jesus to where He wants to go. It’s a rough ride, and I’m sure He is uncomfortable. It’s more like I’m hijacking Jesus than chauffeuring Him. Like a hijacker, I have agendas. I force issues. I assert my will. I’m mortified by what I’ve turned into!
I’m sorry, Lord.

The following lyrics from an old Christian hymn float into my mind:

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy.

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Food Abuse

I gained 5 lbs last week. I had visitors, so we traveled and ate out a lot. I cooked fat-laden meals and desserts. We did a lot of social and recreational eating and very little exercising.

I ate more food than my body needed. I used food improperly, in a harmful and injurious manner. This is the definition of abuse. If I took more than the prescribed amount of a medicine, it would be called drug abuse. When I eat more calories than I should, it’s perfectly acceptable.

“Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.” (1 Cor. 6:19 NLT)

This verse is quoted most often as a warning against sexual immorality and self-indulgence. However, most of us who recognize the damage of other forms of bodily injury, tend to downplay the harm we do daily through our food choices. Why? Because it’s a common, acceptable practice. If everyone around us is self-indulgent, morally lax, drinking, using drugs, or promiscuous, we tend to think of that as the new normal. And anyone who speaks up against these common practices is viewed as a contrarian.

Our bodies are vehicles through which God gets around. We are just chauffeurs, driving our Master’s cars. Chauffeurs are expected to maintain the cars they drive, not to abuse them. Likewise, we are duty-bound to care for our bodies and not abuse them.