rambling rosemarie

I was recently asked why I read theology and follow theological debates. "It's all just words and opinions." Words. Words on a paper, words on a blog. Words that travel invisibly through our airwaves and our minds. What would our inner monologue consist of without words? Harsh words, gentle words, untrue words, and solid you-can-die-behind them words. They have secret lives in the depths of our souls. They overflow in torrents of grief and joy. They seep out of our character flaws, wearing down the weak convictions that hold them back until they contaminate all those around us. All of us are stained within and without by the raw sewage of unkind words. Our souls are in jeopardy for want of The Word. Jesus Christ. The Gospel. The Good News. Words matter. Doctrine matters. Theology Matters. What you win them with is what you win them to. I study theology because I was lost too long in a world that scrambles truth with its own ideas and preferences. I was fed a diet of tosse...

I went to the doctor yesterday for a follow-up to my surgery. My doctor walked into the exam room, shook my hand and sat down and scrutinized me. His gaze held mine and I finally asked, "Are you just going to stare at me?" He smiled and said, "Yes, for a while. Is that alright?" After a time he said, "Wow, you really look good." To which I responded, "I feel really good. " Sheepishly I told him, "I probably look much better than the first time you saw me." We exchanged smiles for a moment then he got up and started his exam. He said something that made my head spin, "You were a dead woman on that table in the ER." As I lay on the exam table I was lost for anything meaningful to say. I think I managed something close to, "I am very appreciative and glad to be alive." How lame is that? Of course, that's not what I really wanted to say. What I really wanted to tell him was that I believe in the absol...

I know I tell you all that I love my church. I am such a blessed woman to have been placed in such a fellowship. I also know that a lot of my posts have to do about the importance of words. Scott, a younger man and associate pastor at my church, preached an outstanding sermon on why words matter. Scott's heart is first and foremost for his God and Savior, which makes him wise beyond his years. I recommend his sermon wholeheartedly. As a completely random side note, it's sort of fun to be able to refer to a pastor as a 'younger man.' I sometimes think being in my 50's is going to be the most empowering time of my life. Of course, I am hoping I get to say the same thing about my 60's.

Sometimes I have something I want to say, something that strikes a chord deep within me but I can't seem to find words to express what's on my mind. My last post was on the importance of words which made me think about the value of finding just the right word. I am taking some time off my licensing studies to listen to the Dividing Line and to attempt to relate my thoughts. I have a decent vocabulary and yet each time I read the Puritans, I learn a new word. When I do, I like having to look it up in the dictionary and see if I can find it. Sometimes words fall out of use and dictionaries no longer carry them. Although we do find new uses for words and make up a few as we go along, we are not replacing words as quickly as we are losing them. My theory is this: If everything is relative and nothing is wrong or bad, then we no longer need to differentiate one thing from another. Is it any wonder our thoughts, worldviews and cultures are in such a muddled mess? Each disciplin...

Last night I threw myself into a tizzy because of a couple of words spoken to me. They were delivered in a nonchalant manner and were benign, but because they fell into my heart where fear resides, they became bigger than life. The more I thought about them in an unbiblical fashion, the more they grew and caused me grief. After talking to a dear friend, I gave myself a time out and went to bed. Today I feel sheepish for having reacted in panic. My focus is no longer obscured by fear and doubt. Much of our lives we spend hanging on a word. Words have the power to heal, discourage, empower, humble, belittle, strengthen and wound. Whoever said "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words shall never hurt me" was living on another planet. Words are important. Words are as dangerous as fists. They can lead us straight into hell itself. Words can protect us from harm and help us keep our wits about us when our world is falling apart. The bible has a lot to say about words:...

I have been asked by a couple folks what has prompted my post on biblical confrontation. I guess it's a fair question but not one I can answer with the details I think folks are hoping for. As I said before, what really spun my wheels is not my story to tell. There's been more than one incident that prompted the post. As a biblical counselor it's my privilege to know things about people that they might not share with everyone. Biblical counselors do not hold to the world's idea of confidentiality, but we do hold to God's. What I mean by that is I have had more than one occasion to share what I have been told by someone seeking my counsel to an appropriate person, more than likely their pastor or a person in authority. This has never been a surprise to my counselee- they get full disclosure on what level of confidentiality they can expect from me. Additionally, they get the first opportunity to tell the person or to have me with them as support when they tell t...

God is working me over. Usually, I resent it when He does this because it generally means He is changing something I like about myself. Take sarcasm, for example. I am really good at it. It is really annoying to be good at something that God doesn't want me to use. Now, I am not saying all sarcasm is off limits, just the kind that is biting and wickedly funny. Which of course is the type I am really good at. Comic relief at the expense of others... a chance to show off my wit and intelligence. I even like sarcasm in others, unless of course it is focused at me. Proverbs 25:11 {Like} apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances. Colossians 4:6 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, {as it were,} with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person. (NAS)