Let the Discerning get Guidance 6-28-10

“Let the wise listen and add to their learning and let the discerning get guidance.” Prv. 1:5




Solomon, son of King David and Bathsheba, and author of Proverbs has quite a lot to share with us … if we will chose to listen. The wisest man ever to live, raised by a deeply flawed father (but of whom God describes as “a man after my own heart”), could have asked for anything he desired from God and chose to ask for WISDOM, but nonetheless succumbed to the very sins he now warns us against. This man of authority, both worldly and spiritually, addresses us from transparent personal experience. We are wise to listen and assimilate his advice into our lives. (For a quick back ground on this dude, check out 1 Sam. 12:24; 1Chr. 2-10; 2Chr. 1:11-12; Deut.17:16-20; and 1Kings 11:4).



Solomon’s recorded words are extracted from a personal life filled of contrasts. And who better to have taught Solomon in addition to God and his own experiences? DAD. From to David’s successful war crusades, to living in caves as he hid from murderous King Saul, to his palatial life in Jerusalem, David lead a life full of both physical and spiritual contrasts. One cool thing we continue to learn from David’s example is that despite changes in his physical and spiritual environment is that his heart remained supple in God’s hands until his dying breath.



This same theme of ‘contrasts and dependence’ upon God has been rather profound in our lives these last 2 weeks as we’ve ventured from 2 cabins on a lake at 11,000ft. in Colorado to the Palazzo Hotel on the Vegas strip. ~Simplicity, peaceful solitude and grandeur to…well…the Las Vegas strip. Yet despite the difference in temperature (figuratively and literally), one theme remained the same: “listen, add to your learning and get guidance from the Master Creator Himself despite our surroundings”. (~And our peaceful state actually continued as we hung out by the oasis pool and found that if we entered the hotel on the 2nd floor we missed all the ching-chinging and got ourselves great free massages at the Brookstone store. ;-))



In Vegas we were tested with obvious “Vegas stuff”, but back in Colorado, despite the peace and grandeur of our surroundings and an extended family that is incredible and very loving, we dealt with the very real interpersonal dynamics of A LOT of family living in tight quarters. (And in a family where most individuals are “chiefs”, living in tight conditions can be tricky and sometimes feel like navigating a mine field in a foreign land!) It’s in these times of interpersonal relationship that Shaun and I become UTTERLY dependent on God’s guidance. ~And sadly, shame on us for not being “this” reliant 24X7x365.



There is no doubt: we ALL have “a dark side”, whether or not it’s “expressed outwardly”. Iniquities modeled for us in our childhood are often the same sad iniquities we continue to discover in our own humanness. ~~The cool thing is that S&B are learning to much more readily identify our own personal “ET” behaviors, and call them out by name. (We give them acronym names to better help us readily recognize them without insulting one another, thus making matters worse.) ~~Although we’ve been married a while now, and one would think we should have this rubbish “wired”, both of us continue to discover new manipulative/selfish ways that reside within our own personal flesh nature! But the beautiful thing is, God is doing some amazing things in us as we call these ugly areas out for what they are, ask for forgiveness and for the strength to do better next time.



What’s equally encouraging to us is that from Solomon’s and David’s writings we learn that these men struggled with the same kinds of stuff. Even better, they’ve recorded their struggles, insights, and practical applications for us to learn from! On printed pages both men share their hearts transparently and actually plead with us to learn from their experiences. Shaun and I pray that our own hearts will remain supple in God’s hands until our dying day. We pray yours will too!



Much love,

Shaun and Betsy

VIDEO: Blueprint Essentials PT1

VIDEO: Blueprint Essentials PT 2

A Time for Everything 6-7-10

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Eccl. 3:1

Ever eaten fruit that wasn’t in season? ~Bitter, sour, bland, and ultimately unsatisfying. Many of us are shifting from a busy school year into a more relaxed summer mode, and we’re wise to allow the Lord to lead us through such changes (even summer vacation) in a manner that makes us both graceful and effective in our living.


So, what does the Lord have in store for you this summer season?

• A little R&R to refresh & rejuvenate our weary souls?
• An adventuresome trip to create some life long memories and touch lives around the globe?
• An opportunity (t-i-m-e) to deepen relationships with our family and friends?
• A chance to celebrate our wonderful “one nation under God” on the 4th of July or visiting U.S.A. sights?

Here are some neat scriptures the Lord put on our hearts this week regarding the seasonal change we’re experiencing:

“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, one that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Ps.1:3

• The fruit of some seasons appointed by the Lord can be bitter-sweet. This is the life verse the Lord gave to us for our son Conner when he was born. We are very excited to see how the Lord’s promise is coming true as he heads of to college in the Bay Area this fall. But it’s also very bitter-sweet in that we won’t get to see him very much over the next few years, and we just love this guy sooooo much that it hurts.

"The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning; He awakens my ear to hear as the learned.” Is. 50:4

• How cool is this? ~A few words spoken at the right time can provide a tremendous boost to a weary brother or sister.
• But this is about their season, not ours. (~Looks like God desires us to be prepared for this every single day (24x7), through our daily quiet time.)

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.” 2Tim. 4:2
Bear in mind, we never get a vacation from sharing the GREAT NEWS about Jesus! And why would we? This is the most exhilarating & fulfilling thing we get to do here on earth. So let’s stay sharp!

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Eccl. 3:1

• With every opportunity that presents itself, let’s learn to ask ourselves, what is “this” going to cost? (cost to my walk with Christ, cost to my relationships, cost to my health, cost to my work…) ~This way we live with minimal “if only’s”.
• Determine to embrace our present season and live life to it’s fullest for God in this particular time.

Let’s live forth His abundant life this week!
Much love,
Shaun and Betsy

What's our Life Song Communicating? 5-31-10

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” Col. 3:16

Ok, we get the part of this verse regarding ‘getting into God’s Word so that God’s Word gets into us’. (e.g.: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him.” Jam.1:5) ~~But what about the part of this verse that urges us to teach and warn one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs? Is Paul actually exhorting believers to recite psalms of the bible and sing of God’s greatness to one another as the primary means of edification and accountability? Oh Lord, Shaun and I pray not, or we’ll be reduced a very very small group of friends.

For while worship leaders sing with the ability to usher their listeners into the very presence of God, the earthly voices God has chosen to give Shaun and Betsy do anything but this. (We can’t even sit in the front row at church or we throw the band off!) No no, the more we live and learn, the more we’re convinced that it is not some spiritual chorus coming out of our mouths, but it’s our very lives that become a spiritual song and psalm for (or against) the Lord.

God exhorts us: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” And “Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength…and love your neighbor as yourself.” With verses like 2 Tim. 2:15 and Mk.12:33 as our ‘life’s backbone’, Shaun and I realize that our ‘life’s ribs’ (our marriage, our family, our interpersonal relationships, our work, our recreation, this R&R ministry, etc.) are either reflecting God’s image or tarnishing it. ~~Our imperfect lives either sing a song for Jesus or against Him. And although the words out of our mouths are without notes or melody, hopefully they effectively communicate God’s word, (both logos and rhema), and usher others into the presence of God.

Recently, I’ve been disheartened upon hearing the news of 2 teens belonging to believing friends of ours, saying that they no longer feel that Jesus is the way. ~~ WHY?? ~~What have they witnessed in their lives that would cause them to arrive at this personal conclusion, a conclusion that is so contrary to the faith they were raised with?

One of these teens communicated to me that she simply has rarely seen a Christian with a genuine on-fire love for Christ. And in the rare instances she has witnessed God’s splendor through the life of another believer, the very next moment she has witnessed another Christian cut this person down for the very song that Christ has put inside him or her. ~~The lives of these 2 teens have sadly witnessed more religion than relationship, more judgmental spirit than a spirit of love, more rules than trust, and more hypocrisy than honesty in church and in their Christian role models, and consequently, they are choosing to leave a Jesus they never really knew.

~~God IS love! And although we believers are called to keep one another accountable (1 Cor. 5:12b-13;6:3), we mustn’t let the fear of 1 Tim. 4:1-2 cause us to “police” in such a manner that we risk losing the “rhema love picture” (and thus become nothing more than “logos legalists). Equally important, we must guard ourselves against becoming so casual with God (or calloused by the world) that we lose our passionate excitement for Jesus or the wonder of His magnificence.

(Can’t you envision the angels in heaven, who constantly worship God Almighty in ALL of His magnificence, being totally mystified by how we, God’s chosen squirt-ant kids could be so judgmental OR so casual with God’s splendor?!)

Our God is so awesome and so worthy of our comprehensive devotion. May we each experience Him more fully this week. God bless you!

Shaun and Betsy