Baby Got Blog » My Faith Walk

This verse caught my eye: 1 Cor 8:3

Trisha — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 04:24:10 +0000

“But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.” http://read.ly/1Cor8.3.NLT

Do I truly love Him? Does He recognize me?

Life Question #2

Trisha — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:12:58 +0000

Think about a close friend or family member. In what way does this person reflect God? Does he or she possess a quality or trait that reflects what must be like?

When I started thinking about this question I thought it would be easy to answer, but as it turns out it was a LOT trickier than I thought. There are a lot of people that show me bits and pieces of what God must be like.

One of the first people that comes to mind is my cousin Wesley. Granted he is only twelve, but hear me out. When he was just a toddler, two or three at the most, he loved to be around me. I was on medication at the time that made me very sleepy and kept me in bed most of the day if I took the pills like I was supposed to. That little boy would wait for me to wake up, and would run and wrap himself around my legs as I made my way to the front of the house. One day I was in bed most of the day and I began to hear the pitter-pat of tiny feet and when I rolled over I found this little blonde head right next to my pillow. Wesley had a simple question: “Are you going to come play with me now?”

I had to smile. I got up then, I may have just cuddled him on the couch but I went to him. That little boy loved me so much that he sought me out.

I see God in Wesley in that God’s love for us is unconditional, it does not matter what time we get up or what our day has been like…God is there as a God of love and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). I also see God in Wesley’s actions and reactions in that, like Wesley, God wants a relationship with me so much so that He seeks me out.

I also see what God must be like in my Grandmother. One of the ways that I see God in her (though not the main one by any means) is in the many names that she has. Josie, Josie Jean, Momma, Grandma Josie, Ma Josie, Ma Jo, and Jo Jo.

The main way that I see God in my Grandmother is as the loving parent that instructs me in the way that I should live my life and present myself to the world around me.

The Bible calls believers not to conform to the world in which we live (Romans 12:2) and for years JoJo has voiced her opinion on the way we choose to live. There are certain things that I have been raised hearing that they were just flat inappropriate or inappropriate outside of marriage and I have not one doubt that we Granddaughters (the Grandsons are a tad young, but getting close) would be on the receiving end of a stern and disapproving lecture if we are seen as not living by the standards that we have been taught. I also have no doubt that no matter what we’ve done we can come home, explain ourselves, and get some of what we need most…forgiveness both from her and often from ourselves. I know for sure that when I’ve had a really bad day I can call JoJo up and simply say “Hey it’s me, JoJo, I just need to talk” and after I’ve had my say, while the tears may be flowing and the sobs may be shaking me, I generally feel better.

Oh, and while this may not be the way that the Apostle Paul meant for us to receive comfort, there are days that the God of all Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) shows himself in one of her packages of homemade chocolate chip cookies or on really rare occasions a package that contains a cheesecake.

Life Question #1

Trisha — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:21:23 +0000

Think of a time when when you noticed — really noticed the beauty of the natural world?

The outdoor world has always been soothing to me. Some days I notice every little detail and others I only notice the sun beating down on me.

Last fall there was a day that I got really bad news about Uncle James, his cancer had spread aggressively and his time was extremely short. My friend Zachary came to me as quickly as he could and after hugging me and letting me get angry he grabbed my camera and a bag of Resse’s cups that I had stashed in my room and coaxed me out onto the front porch of Roberts Hall. There I saw a beautiful fall day just before sunset and I could not resist the smile that crept to my face. After taking photos from the porch, I got down to the sidewalk and down in all the colors and I laughed.

I was beginning to cope and the outdoor beauty that my Uncle James loved so dearly was helping me do that.

The leaves are turning again as I write this and I can tell that within the next few weeks that beauty will call me out to it and I will once again be surrounded by something that can bring me great comfort.

[View with PicLens]

Life Question #12

Trisha — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:52:03 +0000

Do people still rely on covenants or contracts today? What purpose do they serve?
Yes, contracts are still in use today but they seem to be used to punish people when they do not do as they had agreed to do they are two sided documents. When God makes a covenant with some person or nation it is, or at least it strikes me as, a one sided thing kind of like: he is just stating what he was going to do, like it or not, take it or leave it, appreciate it or take it for granted, that was up to the people that God made the covenant to. He is always faithful and will not be unfaithful to himself.

Just a few of the names of God

Trisha — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:09:19 +0000

Elohim – Let’s start with a common term for “God.” In fact, it’s the third word in the Hebrew version of Genesis. It’s used more than 2,500 times in the Old Testament alone. Some scholars say the word comes from “strong,” while others say “fear.” Either way it makes sense. What’s interesting is that some scholars see it as a PLURAL word, but in the bible it is used with singular verbs and adjectives. Think about it: God is so big that a singular noun isn’t big enough. And think about it some more the Old Testament does not talk about the notion of God as Trinity — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — but it uses the plural in suggesting that God isn’t singular. If you’re into things like grammar, this is remarkably interesting stuff.
Adonai - which means “Lord” or “master”. When the word was referring to a human master, such as a slave owner, it was singular. This also was usually plural when referring to God, and the Old Testament used it more than 300 times to refer to God. In Job 28:28: “Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom.” The term is a reminder that we are subservient to Him, and that God owns and controls everything on heaven and earth. It also was one way to refer to:
Yahweh – the name that God called Himself. We can get close with the term “Jehovah.” We see it first in Exodus 3, when Moses encountered God at a burning bush at a place that the Bible describes as the “backside of the desert.” READ EXODUS 3:11-15 Let’s first get past the Popeye “I am whats am I am” stuff and move into what God meant when He named Himself to Moses. “I am who I am.” Other commentators have defined it as “I am He who is.” It translates from the Hebrew as “to exist” or “to be” or “to become” or even “to become known.” If you do the tenses, you know it means all three key tenses — past, present, and future. It describes a God who: (1) Exists — Unlike all the other fake lower-case-g gods out there, we have a God who is. (2) Is independent of everything else — God is “self-existent” – He is the creator, but had no creator. He does not rely on anything or anybody for His existence, and that also means that He relies on nothing to do His will. (3)Is Unchangeable. Whatever He was, He continues to be, and He will continue for forever. In a world where we are not promised tomorrow and rely on others, we pale in comparison to God’s power. (4) Is incomprehensible. Ever tried to explain to a toddler how a car works? You can talk about transmissions and drive shafts and fuel explosions in pistons, but you’re wasting you’re breath. Suffice to say “It goes!” (And that may be too complicated, too.) The name “I am” provides a way to try to understand the mystery of God. That’s a lot or us to wrap our heads around, because our brains are too tiny to understand it. Could it be that “I am” means ‘I will only be understood by My own subsequent acts and words of revelation’? And it’s also a call to faith — God simply says “I am,” and it’s up to us to respond to that. That is so complicated to understand, and so holy, that the Jews eventually became afraid of using the name that God used to reveal Himself to Moses. And it freaked people out when Jesus explained himself by using the same name for God: READ JOHN 8:48-59. They wanted to kill Jesus because they believed Jesus has committed blasphemy, which was punishable by death according to Deuteronomy. But Jesus was just pointing out that He was equal with God, and that forced the Pharisees — and us — to have to deal with it. When you see the name LORD in upper-casein many English translations, that’s what you’re looking at — “I AM.” It’s used more than 6,500 times in the Old Testament alone, more than any other name for God. Simply put, the writers took the name of the Lord seriously. Jews by the third century AD would not even say the name believing it to be too holy for their filthy human mouths. We tend to not do that so much, do we, in our casual uses of “OMG” and “oh my Lord,” etcetra. Still, “I AM” is pretty difficult to wrap our heads around. So the writers of The Bible used many different phrases to describe the attributes of God. Some of them start with the word “El” — meaning “God” — or Jehovah:
“El Shaddai: simply means all-sufficient one. You see it six or seven times in the Old testament. The word “Shaddai” comes from the word “breast,” and it refers to how God nourishes us and feeds us, just as a mother feeds a newborn. Simply put, this means that God is our sustainer. When you hear someone refer to “God Almighty,” they’re referring to El Shaddai.
El Elyon – “most high.” When put together, it means “the most exhalted God.” It’s used 28 times in the Old Testament and refers to the majesty of God and some scholars say it means “to go up.” If you’ve ever been to a place with a real tall mountain, you begin to understand a little of what we’re talking about here.
El Olam – “forever” or “everlasting God”. The word “olam” gives us our word for “eternity”. We live in a world where time is fleeting, and a world in which we are not promised time and a world in which we are under control of time. But this name for God reminds us that we serve a timeless God — a God who created time and a God who transcends time. As you worry about time — whether it be worrying about what’s going to happen to you, how long you’ll live, what will become of you, etc. — calling on the help of the Everlasting God will remind you that you worship the creator of time, who promised to sustain you.
Jehovah Nissi — used once in Exodus, it means “the Lord my banner” or “my miracle” in the Old Testament days, armies built banners — poles with flags attached — so they’d know where they were in relation to the rest of the battlefield and to give them encouragement. It’s a reminder to us that God serves as our encouragement – our hope – and provides the focal point for our lives.
Jehovah Raah — “The Lord my Shepherd”. It’s used just once. In Psalm 23, which you probably know. And, sure enough, the word “raah” means shepherd. But the word also has a root that means “friend” or “companion”, which suggest that we serve a God who not only protects us like a shepherd but also seeks to be our friend
Jehovah Rapha — “The Lord our Healer.” The word suggests healing, and also “to restore.” It’s used once, in Exodus 15. That “restoration” is a wonderful thing if you think about it in the context of the sin in our lives–we have a God who is willing to not only heal us physically, but to restore us after we fall.
Jehovah Tsidkenu — pronounced “tsid-kaay-noooo” — and means “The Lord our Righteousness.” The word “tsidkenu” means “to be stiff” or “to be straight,” from which we get our word “righteous.” It’s used twice in the Old Testament, both times in Jeremiah, in referring to God’s promise to save the people of Israel. We serve a God who is straight up — a God who is perfect and just, but also shows us mercy. The word also refers to scales used for measuring, in a time when people cheated other people by using scales that weren’t honest. But we serve a “straight up” God whose scales of justice are balanced. That ought to make you feel good — or frighten you — depending upon your relationship with Him and His son.
Jehovah Mekoddishkem – “the Lord who sets you apart.” It’s used twice in the Old Testament, and both times it refers to God’s promise to the Israelites that they are His chosen people. The Hebrew word means “sanctify,” “holy,” or “dedicate.” It’s a reminder that God sets His people apart – and we are to act in holy ways so others can see that we are different because we are God’s people.
Jehovah Sabaoth — “The Lord of Hosts.” This has nothing to do with a party. The word “sabaoth” refers to armies or “hosts.” It’s a reminder that God is king over everything, with an army of angels who are devoted to His rule over all of heaven and earth. Isn’t it great to have a God who is in charge of the army — who can come to your rescue.
Jehovah Jireh – means “The Lord with Provide.” The word “Jireh” means “seen” or “provide.” The term is used once, in Genesis, when Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac and instead God made sure a ram was nearby to be sacrificed instead. It’s a reminder that God provides for us. The word “Jireh” also translates as “seen,” which is a reminder that The Lord looks out for us. He sees to our needs because He holds the future and because He loves us.

Life Queston #24

Trisha — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:44:59 +0000

Jacob longed for a wife. Rachel longed for children. What do you want more than anything else?

I find myself in Jacob and in Rachel on this one but what I want more than anything else is not just one thing…it can all be grouped in to a phrase that I hate more than most people know…oh man this is going to be a tough one to write, I can already feel the tears coming.

I want to be NORMAL.
Now I know that I have always said “”Normal is what is normal for you”", but the truth is I want to be considered Normal by society too.

I am a 29-year-old female with Cerebral Palsy and that does mean that I am in a walk er or wheelchair pretty much at all times (unless one of my pals decides to just be cute and carry me all over the place). I am also on my fourth, yes I said fourth attempt at a college degree. I have never been in a relationship and have never known what it is like to live life without needing help. Before you ask, yes it sucks…at times. I live with a foot in two worlds, one where all of those around me are in their late teens and early twenties and another world where people are in their late twenties or early to mid-thirties…I want things that I see in each world but I am not sure if I will ever have them.

Yes, the most obvious of things that I want is to be able to walk. Yup I said it, I admit it…I wish that I could walk and run around just as easy as all the friends that I try so hard to keep up with. I hate living a life that I describe as being in slow motion. That 10 minute shower you take is a 45 minute task for me…and that is only after I really get in that rhythm where I just know how to set it all up perfectly and stay as warm as possible. It takes you 5 minutes to dress and another 5 or 10 to do makeup, it takes me 20 to dress and I am just now learning makeup…it takes me about 20 minutes to feel as though I have done it right. Getting anywhere on campus that should be a five minute walk takes me at least 15 minutes…lets not even talk about the joke that is doing laundry…I want just one day of my life to be easy, one day where my body doesn’t fight me.

I watch as my younger set of friends begin to experience the freedoms of living away at college and to be honest I am experiencing some of these freedoms right alongside them, but I also watch as many of them fall in love for the first time. When I see this happen two things happen in me, one is that I begin to truly long for that experience in my life and the other is that I find myself becoming very possessive and protective of my friend. I’ll be the first to admit that it is very rare that I think some girl/guy is good enough for one of my friends and I am not too shy to let you know it.

For the record, nomatter which age range of friends I am talking about, I can think of only one relationship right off the top of my head that I was 100% comfortable with / in favor of from the very start. Some relationships that my friends get into I warm up to rather quickly, others take a little longer and there are still others that I am fairly sure that I will never really be okay with.

Yes I really do want to fall in love some day and find a great guy that I can be in a wonderful, meaningful, blessed, lasting relationship with…but right now I pretty much know I am not ready…that I cannot give a godly relationship the attention and care that it deserves. As crazy as it may sound that is one of the reasons that I set this challenge for myself, so that I would write my answers down and really have to think about what it is that I think and feel…not to sugarcoat it but to be honest with myself and with my God and I have no doubt that when I am ready God will bring the best man for me into my life and will make our marriage the strongest and most godly that it can be.

The other world that I am in is that of individuals in their late twenties and/or early to mid-thirties all of my friends in this world are engaged or married. If they are married odds are they have one child and if they do not have a second child, they are expecting or planning for it. I want the type of relationships that I see among these friends more than anything…and I want to be a mom. I am not sure that I could ever be a mother because of my Cerebral Palsy but I know the motherly instincts are there at least to a degree…I may not feel the need or desire to be with a small child for hours at a time but I do remember how I loved holding my cousin Wesley when he was born and will still sit up with Wes and his brother Cam when we are all visiting our grandparents at the lake…its supposed to be one movie but I will let it turn into two or three, and when they were small enough I would rock them to sleep. Wes is now 12 and is taller than me but he, along with his brother Cam is one of the 9 kids that I consider “”mine”"…nope I have no intentions of ever gaining custody of any of them, but I can be the cool cousin or pseudo aunt that will spoil them rotten and have all kinds of fun with them. When I am away at school, nothing puts a smile on my face faster than making the rounds to their blogs and finding new pictures, opening my email and finding a note from them or their parents with some tidbit about their week, talking to them on the phone, or even just hearing them fuss in the background. And if you want to see me melt, just let one of them hug my neck.

I want my own children but I am fairly certain I could never properly care for them without either having my husband be a stay at home dad or making enough money to hire a live in nanny….(not sure about letting my mom move in with us…but, you never know). I know that if I am meant to be a mother, it will happen and I am well aware that adoption is an option if I can’t or shouldn’t have one or more of my own.

So, yes, what I want more than anything is to be NORMAL.

Verse that is on my Heart : John 11:35

Trisha — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:32:56 +0000

Jesus Wept.

Note from Trisha: James died yesterday. I have not been this heartbroken in a long time. The story that this verse is in brings me some comfort, if Christ loved a friend so dearly that he wept at the death, even knowing all the plans that lay ahead and knowing that he had the power to call his friend back from the dead…I guess I can find comfort in that even as my heart breaks…I miss you Uncle James, hug Lloyd and Paul for me, and Mama and Papa too