Who is the liar?

1John 2:22 "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist- he denies the Father and the Son.

Some verses in the Bible seem somewhat ambiguous to me. Others very clear. 1John 2:22 strikes me as being pretty straight forward.

I paraphrase it here: The one who refuses to accept that Jesus is "the anointed one", the Son of God, the Savior of the world- is the one who lies, who does not tell the truth. He is the one against Christ, the antagonist of Christ, the false christ- the antichrist.

I notice that this verse does not say that the antichrist is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, yet has questions about what that really means for him and for the world. I notice that this verse does not say the antichrist is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, yet questions the teachings of modern day preachers and the practices of current "Christian" culture. I notice that this verse does not say that the antichrist is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, yet finds himself on a journey of faith where Truth and untruth sometimes look quite similar. A journey that brings him to such crossroads where he must first ask God for guidance, second search the scriptures and third think for himself.

Believing Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world is the beginning of a personal journey that has as many varied paths as there are people who choose to believe. God can be trusted to separate the Truth from the untruth for those on this journey who are willing to ask Him. That is why they call him Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace...

...ah the peace, when our trust is in the Lord alone to make all things known to us!

Ask, seek...and think for yourself,

Scars of a Chef- biography of Rick Tramonto

I just finished reading, Scars of a Chef, a biography of the famous Chef Rick Tramonto. Serious foodies and plain old Food Network lovers, such as me, will devour the book for its mouthwatering descriptions of dishes ranging from the family style, Italian Sunday dinners of Chef Tramonto's youth to the intricate, painstaking restaurant creations that continue to hold him in place as one of the world's top chefs. This is Rick's story about his enrollment in the school of hard knocks and his unlikely rise to success. Success as the world defines it, complete with fame and fortune, followed by that which often accompanies worldly success- complete failure. But there is a greater story here. A sweeter story of that Hound of Heaven, as described by John Stott in his testimonial, Why I Am a Christian. The Hound of Heaven, our good and loving God, who patiently waits, but relentlessly pursues the hearts of His children.

I'm a natural cheerleader for those who overcome the odds, escape family dysfunction and earn their way by hard work and perseverance, so I was quickly caught up in the storyline of the kid who wasn't much for school and lived less than a happy childhood, but held great promise for a career in cooking. I did feel sad for all the joy the young man, Rick, gave up in exchange for momentary alcoholic and drug highs, as he fully immersed himself in partying. I breathed relief for the grown Chef Tramonto when he swore off his addictions, but felt disappointment in the way he trampled others, even those he loved, as he strove to build his empire of fine dining. But what impressed me the most was when, after not having seen her for years, Rick Tramonto took the opportunity to apologize to his childhood friend, Eileen, upon whom he had unleashed words of fury years earlier when they worked together in one of his many restaurant ventures. She accepted his apology. This was a single instance of reconciliation that symbolized the beginning of Rick's relationship with God.

Tramonto describes the freedom found in forgiveness:

"I smiled as a weight I hadn't even realized I'd been carrying slipped off my shoulders."

How much pain just melts away with two little words sincerely spoken- "I'm sorry". And how much clearer we see when blinding pain is removed.

God uses the teeny, tiniest spots of softness in the heart, created by moments like these of apology and forgiveness, to plant an awareness of Him, his Redeeming Love, his Mercy and Grace. With that awareness of God's presence in his life, Tramonto turned and became the pursuer of the God who'd been there all along waiting to give Tramonto the gift of Life.

Scars of a Chef point to the scars of a Savior, the only One who can fill the deepest desires common to every man and woman, which have nothing to do with fame or fortune or cooking. You have to read all the way to the end to discover Rick Tramonto's true message. 

Feast on The Word of God. There the most beautiful banquet ever prepared has a table reservation in your name.

Happy One Day After St. Patrick's Day

Happy one day after Saint Patrick's Day. I hope your visit here finds you well and full of the hope that comes with springtime- new life!

You may notice a big lapse between blog posts here. One day I signed onto my blog, looked at the page and decided the background was too booky, my profile picture was too sleeveless and the whole thing was boring. So I went to the privacy settings place and changed the settings so that nobody could view my blog except me. I figured some day when the cows came home and the spirit moooved I'd work on the site, fix it up and then get back to bigger and better blogging.

Didn't happen.

What have I been doing since February 9th? Sulking would not be too strong a word. Not every-single- day-24/7 sulking, but an overall-if-you-add-it-all-up-and-divide-by-30 sulking. The sulking that comes from being a 47 year old mother, who is unsure of her purpose now that the kids are gone, the sulking that comes from living inside a body that is acting like some other woman you've never met in your life and the sulking that comes from staring at the green grass on the other side of your fence.

To solve my problems I read books. My nightstand is piled with self help material covering empty nesting, peri-menopause (gosh I hate that word!), how to be this, how to be that and how to make it all come together for my highest good. Words from pages are so jammed together in my head I can barely sleep at night.

And of course I have to keep up on all the latest Christian non-fiction- probably my favorite genre. More words. More ideas.

In his book, What's So Amazing About Grace, Philip Yancey writes: "to get away from the crush of ideas and people, I would take long walks in the pine forests splashed with dogwood.....I liked the sure, inevitable way of nature giving form and place to all living things."

Yesterday I got away from the crush of ideas and met I.T. at a Butterfly Garden that is open only this time of year. It was warm inside this large, indoor greenhouse where beautiful plants grow and a stream complete with waterfall flows. Butterflies flitted everywhere- swirls of vibrant color. It was calming and comfortable in there. Later we dined at Rosie's and sat by a warm fire at a table overlooking Reed's lake. And I thought about how patient I.T. is. He misses the kids, but not in the same way I do. And he doesn't have a woman he's never met living inside of his body (thank goodness!). But his love is steady and true. He's standing by me and trying his very best to understand- even though I have very little to give in return right now.

And I thought...

This is grace. Grace- comes free of charge to people who do not deserve it. Healing. Forgiveness. Goodness.

My husband has accepted the grace that God offers to him and in his understanding of that grace, with thanksgiving, he is extending that grace unto me.

And for that I am truly thankful.