Jesus was born in a humble place, a stall, with a manger as his first bed. The lowly circumstances of his birth tell us that he came for everyone: the poor, the hungry, the homeless and the hopeless. No one is beneath him. But he also came for the rich and affluent, the famous, the diligent workers and the people who can get by. No one is well off enough to do without him.
His mother, Mary, was found to be pregnant before she was formally married. Therefore, we should remember that God uses all kinds of situations for His divine purpose, and so guard against judgement of "imperfect" circumstances.
His father, Joseph, looked after his family - including the son that technically wasn't his. He didn't make decisions based on outward appearances - but maybe we wouldn't either if we were in on God's plan. We must listen if we are to hear God's direction for our lives, which means always leaving time for silence during our prayers.
Angels announced his birth. A fitting welcome for the King of the Universe, isn't it? This tells me that I should announce his birth too. Christmas carols, poetry, blog posts, greeting cards, my Facebook status and Tweets and all forms of communication can bring to mind "the reason for the season".
Shepherds came to see him, which tells me that they believed and acted on that belief. The multitude of angels suddenly singing in the sky got their attention, and down to the stall they went to greet the new king. If it happened today, would we go or would we wait for the media coverage and watch it at home?
Wise men brought gifts, and very valuable ones at that. Rethinking gift giving would be in order. No more consumerism, as people often complain, but gifts of value to mark the birth of our King. This could be something needed or wanted, but it could also be a phone call or a helping hand. We are commanded to love our neighbors as we love ourselves and to take care of the less fortunate, and our gifts can show our loved ones how much we care about them.
Jesus gave us our mission: go and make disciples. Let us announce him to all people, accept our imperfect circumstances and hear God's voice and believe. Let us act on our beliefs and give the gift of eternal life this Christmas, and for all the Christmases to come. For as Jesus said, Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. (John 17:3 CEV)
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Reflecting on Stuff...
The last few months have been difficult. I moved: I left my home of 22 years, an apartment in the city center, and went a few miles away to a new house (with a yard) in the suburbs. It's definitely been an odyssey and a test, and I can't see the end of it yet!
In June, my girls and I started packing and moving our things to a storage facility. In mid-July, the moving company came. But there was still stuff in the house! So we slept on the floor for two more nights and we finally succeeded in moving the last box out the day before signing the sale papers.
I didn't move into my new house until about a month later. In the meantime, my girls and I stayed elsewhere while the house was being painted. Our furniture was moved in on August 24th, but I'm still unpacking boxes....
Truth be told, almost a fourth of my possessions are still in storage. I had never realized I owned so much STUFF: furniture, books, clothing, books, dishes, books, appliances, books, shoes, books...I think you get the picture. The house seemed to cough up stuff as quickly as we could take it out. Some of that stuff didn't feel like it was mine, and some wasn't fit to keep, but I was required to move all of it simply because it was on my property. I was literally overwhelmed because I had never really taken responsibility for owning so many things and I didn't realize how much energy, time and money taking care of stuff requires.
Which got me to thinking...I had to organize to move all that stuff, and I'm in the process of moving it again - either to the new house or the municipal separate collection facility! I would finally have the chance to choose what I keep and what I do away with, AND how I dispose of stuff I don't want. To make the job less overwhelming, I've come up with a checklist:
Is it useful? Is it beautiful? (If even one of the answers is "yes", I still might not want it.)
Have I used it in the past two years? (Especially for clothing.)
Do I have a place to put it?
Can someone else use it or appreciate it more than me?
All this "stuff management" naturally brought me to consider the spiritual baggage I carry around year after year. After all, I have to "move" it because it's on my property, and I can choose what to do with it just like with physical objects. But how much "stuff" is lurking there that needs to be eliminated? The trash bin can have the guilt, painful memories and disbelief in my own abilities. I should clear out all that stuff so that it can't be used against me.
What do you think of this checklist for attitudes, habits, commitments and the rest of the spiritual "stuff"?
Is it loving?
Is it helpful?
Does it build up or tear down? (Myself and others.)
Does it need to grow? (Keep trying!)
Does it make my relationship with God stronger? (For difficult situations.)
The garbage sack in the driveway is therapeutic, and the orderly look of the cabinets is refreshing.
Just think of the space for new joy and new goals.
His mercies are new every morning...and now I've got a place to put them!
How do you deal with a surplus of stuff?
In June, my girls and I started packing and moving our things to a storage facility. In mid-July, the moving company came. But there was still stuff in the house! So we slept on the floor for two more nights and we finally succeeded in moving the last box out the day before signing the sale papers.
I didn't move into my new house until about a month later. In the meantime, my girls and I stayed elsewhere while the house was being painted. Our furniture was moved in on August 24th, but I'm still unpacking boxes....
Truth be told, almost a fourth of my possessions are still in storage. I had never realized I owned so much STUFF: furniture, books, clothing, books, dishes, books, appliances, books, shoes, books...I think you get the picture. The house seemed to cough up stuff as quickly as we could take it out. Some of that stuff didn't feel like it was mine, and some wasn't fit to keep, but I was required to move all of it simply because it was on my property. I was literally overwhelmed because I had never really taken responsibility for owning so many things and I didn't realize how much energy, time and money taking care of stuff requires.
Which got me to thinking...I had to organize to move all that stuff, and I'm in the process of moving it again - either to the new house or the municipal separate collection facility! I would finally have the chance to choose what I keep and what I do away with, AND how I dispose of stuff I don't want. To make the job less overwhelming, I've come up with a checklist:
Is it useful? Is it beautiful? (If even one of the answers is "yes", I still might not want it.)
Have I used it in the past two years? (Especially for clothing.)
Do I have a place to put it?
Can someone else use it or appreciate it more than me?
All this "stuff management" naturally brought me to consider the spiritual baggage I carry around year after year. After all, I have to "move" it because it's on my property, and I can choose what to do with it just like with physical objects. But how much "stuff" is lurking there that needs to be eliminated? The trash bin can have the guilt, painful memories and disbelief in my own abilities. I should clear out all that stuff so that it can't be used against me.
What do you think of this checklist for attitudes, habits, commitments and the rest of the spiritual "stuff"?
Is it loving?
Is it helpful?
Does it build up or tear down? (Myself and others.)
Does it need to grow? (Keep trying!)
Does it make my relationship with God stronger? (For difficult situations.)
The garbage sack in the driveway is therapeutic, and the orderly look of the cabinets is refreshing.
Just think of the space for new joy and new goals.
His mercies are new every morning...and now I've got a place to put them!
How do you deal with a surplus of stuff?
Thursday, June 21, 2012
News #1 Baptisms / Battesimi
June 10, 2012 - Bollate, Italy
A small backyard swimming pool filled waist deep with warm water stood in a large corridor in the prison. The pastor and four men were ready. Roughly 75 people were watching - about 25 people visiting from the churches, five to ten guards and over 40 inmates - touched by the presence of Jesus in that place.
The pastor said he had come to help them make it through life, day by day. He gained access to the prison after the request of one inmate, but now he holds a service every week for a sizeable group. It's a difficult task, but the results are already showing. Other inmates are already preparing for their own baptisms.
Una piccola piscina da giardino montata in un corridoio ampio della prigione, riempita con un metro d'acqua tiepida, il pastor e i quattro battezzandi erano pronti. Quasi 75 persone erano presenti a questa funzione: 25 fratelli, un gruppetto di guardie e più di 40 detenuti toccati dalla presenza di Gesù.
Durante il suo intervento, il pastore incoraggia i nuovi fratelli e simpatizzanti dicendo loro che sarà insieme a loro giorno dopo giorno sostenendoli nella loro vita quotidiana, che al momento è la prigione.
Sorprendentemente, il pastore si trova a portare avanti questa missione a seguito di una richiesta da parte di un detenuto che lo aveva conosciuto in precedenza in un altro carcere, e oggi celebra una funzione ogni settimana per un gruppo numeroso. Un compito arduo, ma già con chiari risultati. Altri detenuti si stanno già preparando per i loro battesimi.
A small backyard swimming pool filled waist deep with warm water stood in a large corridor in the prison. The pastor and four men were ready. Roughly 75 people were watching - about 25 people visiting from the churches, five to ten guards and over 40 inmates - touched by the presence of Jesus in that place.
The pastor said he had come to help them make it through life, day by day. He gained access to the prison after the request of one inmate, but now he holds a service every week for a sizeable group. It's a difficult task, but the results are already showing. Other inmates are already preparing for their own baptisms.
Una piccola piscina da giardino montata in un corridoio ampio della prigione, riempita con un metro d'acqua tiepida, il pastor e i quattro battezzandi erano pronti. Quasi 75 persone erano presenti a questa funzione: 25 fratelli, un gruppetto di guardie e più di 40 detenuti toccati dalla presenza di Gesù.
Durante il suo intervento, il pastore incoraggia i nuovi fratelli e simpatizzanti dicendo loro che sarà insieme a loro giorno dopo giorno sostenendoli nella loro vita quotidiana, che al momento è la prigione.
Sorprendentemente, il pastore si trova a portare avanti questa missione a seguito di una richiesta da parte di un detenuto che lo aveva conosciuto in precedenza in un altro carcere, e oggi celebra una funzione ogni settimana per un gruppo numeroso. Un compito arduo, ma già con chiari risultati. Altri detenuti si stanno già preparando per i loro battesimi.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Finalmente ... anche in italiano!
E' tanto che ci pensavo: scrivere un blog mi darà l'opportunità di condividere i miei pensieri. Non so se ho qualcosa di rivoluzionario da dire, ma forse ci sarà qualcosa di utile per il lettore.
Voglio parlare di fede nella vita di tutti giorni, che non è così pesante come potrebbe sembrare. Gesù ci offre libertà - dobbiamo solo capire la sua definizione del concetto di libertà. Ci offre la possibilità di guarire e cambiare le nostre vite in positivo, e in modo permanente.
Questo è un blog bilingue, quindi in mezzo agli articoli tradotti perfettamente (da me, traduttrice che sa esattamente come interpretare le sue stesse parole), ci saranno anche degli articoli singoli in italiano oppure in inglese. Infatti, il blog sarà simile alla mia vita quotidiana in questo senso: mi capita di saltare da una lingua all'altra in base all'argomento e/o l'interlocutore. Ma tutto avrà un senso, ve lo garantisco.
Vi auguro buona lettura!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Getting out of the Boat
Have you ever tried to imagine what it felt like? Peter sees Jesus walking on the water and says, “If it’s you, Lord, let me come to you.” Jesus says OK and Peter swings his feet over the side, aware of being nowhere near the shore but too keyed up to really think about it. He must have felt pure excitement in the heat of the moment, fear when the wind ruffled his hair, and then dread when he accidentally looked down.
Would you have wanted to get out of the boat? After all, Peter was the one who asked.
The different translations of Matthew 14:22 say that Jesus made his disciples get in the boat and set sail “straightaway”, “immediately” or “as soon as the meal was finished”. In fact, the disciples had just seen Jesus break bread and divide fish into enough portions to feed over 5000 people! And they even had leftovers!
On that day long ago, Jesus was interested in teaching his followers to have faith. He asked them to do the impossible, and then he used what was available to demonstrate that nothing is impossible for him. Before entrusting his disciples with their miraculous mission, Jesus needed to reveal the magnitude of his power, which would serve as the foundation for their faith in real-world, hands-on miracle making.
Now, speaking of faith .... What kind of faith does it take to do miracles? Faith in God is really the easy part (excuse me for saying that). What caused Peter to sink wasn't a lack of faith in Jesus - it was a lack of faith in his own ability to put one foot in front of the other without listening to his mind screaming, "It won't hold you!!! It can't!!"
Faith is designed to override fear (and sometimes to fight logic). Ephesians 2:10 says that God prepared good works for us to do. If we lack the faith in our own ability to do them, we "sink". Why would God call us to do something he knows we're incapable of doing?
The very fact that he calls you to it means that he knows you can do it.
Do you want to get out of the boat now?
Matthew 14:13-33 (NKJV, NIV, MSG)
Would you have wanted to get out of the boat? After all, Peter was the one who asked.
The different translations of Matthew 14:22 say that Jesus made his disciples get in the boat and set sail “straightaway”, “immediately” or “as soon as the meal was finished”. In fact, the disciples had just seen Jesus break bread and divide fish into enough portions to feed over 5000 people! And they even had leftovers!
On that day long ago, Jesus was interested in teaching his followers to have faith. He asked them to do the impossible, and then he used what was available to demonstrate that nothing is impossible for him. Before entrusting his disciples with their miraculous mission, Jesus needed to reveal the magnitude of his power, which would serve as the foundation for their faith in real-world, hands-on miracle making.
Now, speaking of faith .... What kind of faith does it take to do miracles? Faith in God is really the easy part (excuse me for saying that). What caused Peter to sink wasn't a lack of faith in Jesus - it was a lack of faith in his own ability to put one foot in front of the other without listening to his mind screaming, "It won't hold you!!! It can't!!"
Faith is designed to override fear (and sometimes to fight logic). Ephesians 2:10 says that God prepared good works for us to do. If we lack the faith in our own ability to do them, we "sink". Why would God call us to do something he knows we're incapable of doing?
The very fact that he calls you to it means that he knows you can do it.
Do you want to get out of the boat now?
Matthew 14:13-33 (NKJV, NIV, MSG)
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Finally!!!
I've been thinking about blogging for a long time, and I know I need to start putting my thoughts out there for others to read. I don't know if I'll ever say anything revolutionary, but maybe I'll say something that someone can use.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for reading.
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