Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Anticipation of Beauty

Wow! When I signed on to check the blog, I have NO idea why the print is so large at first, then minuscule to end. Sorry.

Welcome to my table once again, Friends! All of Mrs. E's pear jam is gone, but my friend Letha is up for making more tomorrow. Sweet treats from another labor of canned pear jam love:-)

Many of you have no information on canning pear jam. The word "canned" indicates a metal receptacle filled with some sort of edible product produced by a large company. Home canning is a whole different process involving fresh produce (even meats) and glass jars that must be filled by hand. Not only does home canning yield healthy food for making "happy meals," it also produces beauty. When glass jars of canned fruits and vegetables are on display, the collection of colors can make even a root cellar look like a county fair.

I would encourage you to make something with your own hands: a batch of cookies, a pie, a cake, a necklace, a potholder, an apron, a flower bed, an essay, a drawing--anything that involves personal engagement and interaction with ingredients that come from God's creation.

Not only will you have something delicious to eat (or an hysterical story if the "treat" hits the trash before the platter), but you also will get in touch with a part of you that is never called forth except in this way. No degrees of separation in creation. All "hands" are essential and directly affect the outcome.

Here, I have an apron/sterling silver beads/yarn/material/garden fork/fountain pen/colored pencils just for you. Let's get started!

P.S. Involving someone else in your adventures doubles the fun and divides the work--a very old saying for this brave, new world!


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Notes from Cannon Beach Conference Center, Oregon, Session 2 Notes

Morning, Friends! Welcome to my Table! There is homemade pear preserves made from Mrs. Elizabeth's pear tree on the counter; just put your whole wheat bread in the toaster and fill your coffee cup.


Had a wonderful time at Cannon Beach Conference Center on the Oregon coast with about 400 new and old friends! Thanks so much for all your many kindnesses (and prizes!). Remember to send us your photos through Facebook or e-mail with name tags.

I look forward to being in some of your churches in the future to share the Gospel and encourage others that Jesus is more trustworthy than we can imagine--so we can trust Him!

Below are the PowerPoint notes I promised--albeit a day late and a dollar short. Let me know anything you think needs to be added.

Have a great day in Jesus!

Truths for Resurrection Living from Jesus to John to You and Me

TEXT: First John

THIS MAY BE TOO MUCH MATERIAL TO COPY AND TO LISTEN IN AN ENGAGED MANNER—at the same time

THEREFORE, I WILL POST ALL THIS ON MY BLOG BY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2010 [almost made my deadline!]

RoseAnneColeman.blogspot.com

“YIPPEE!!!” say the B’s.

“Youbetcha I can copy anything you have on the slide!” say the A’s.

“Who died and left you in charge?!” say the C’s.

Coming in October

Our friends at South Central Media will unveil our new web site!

RoseAnneColeman.com

Updated at least weekly, mainly when I believe I have something to say worth recording

Join RoseAnne’s Riders’ Club to have access to visual blogs, clips RA records at midnight, pictures, first shot at new products!! (disclaimer: Not like Gnosticism, not a secret society—purely economic in intent)

BEHOLD!!!!

manifest v. Attest: provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude,

or external attributes; readily perceived by the senses and especially by the sight. 2.: easily understood or recognized by the mind : obvious.

Shed Light on the Dark

LIFE IS HARD WORK.

GNOSTICISM

BASIC BELIEF: ONLY SPIRIT WAS GOOD, AND MATTER WAS ESSENTIALLY EVIL

False teachers and prophets had arisen


1 JOHN 2:22
“LIARS!” declared John.

FALSE TEACHINGS:

Denial of Jesus’ Messiahship—First John 2: 22

“LIARS!”

SECOND FALSE TEACHING:

THE DENIAL OF THE INCARNATION

SERIOUS! This came from within the Church to bring Christianity into line with Gnosticism

REMEMBER:

Spirit = Good

Matter = Evil

If spirit is fully good and matter fully evil, the incarnation is IMPOSSIBLE.

JOHN DECLARED IN JOHN (John) 1:14: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we BEHELD His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (NASB)

This “darkness” took 2 forms:

Docetism or (as Dr. Goodspeed translated) Seemism

Taught that Jesus only seemed to have a body

Seemed to have a material body at times, then was immaterial at others

Never left footprints when He walked

Second “dark” lie:

Definite distinction between the “human” Jesus and the divine Christ.

Dark Ways of Life

1-asceticism n. The principles and practices of an ascetic; extreme self-denial and austerity. The doctrine that the ascetic life releases the soul.

2-body didn’t matter, therefore, its appetites could be gratified without limit—note to self: If I claim I have special knowledge of God but my conduct says otherwise, what does that say about God? About me?

DARK WAYS OF LIFE

3-True Gnostic was altogether spiritual man, so was above and beyond sin—had reached spiritual perfection [I may have shortcomings, but no SIN]

4-Was able to do this only by means of elaborate and esoteric knowledge (def: intended for or understood by only a chosen few, as an inner group of disciples or initiates)

RESULT? DARKNESS

CREATED A SPIRITUAL ARISTOCRACY WHICH LOOKED WITH CONTEMPT AND EVEN HATRED OF WHAT THEY WOULD CALL “LESSER” MEN

CONSEQUENCE? DARKNESS

THE DESTRUCTION OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

THIS IS THE REASON WHY JOHN INSISTS ALL THROUGH HIS LETTER THAT THE TEST OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Morning, Friends! Welcome to my Rose Hill table!

My last post encouraged us all to "Be brave; it pays."

Have you found that to be true? Life is hard at best, between a rock and a hard place at worst?

Friend, that darkness can press all it wants: What the pressures express, however, is the key---sweet or sour? If the Rock against which I am pressed is Jesus, my highest hopes, my perfectionist nature would cross-fingers for the sweetest expression for God's glory.

However, oft times what comes forth is a vinegary mixture of unground chips of my brokenness, of my failures, of my best intentions, of my brazen acts of rebellion.

Now comes the test: Will I be brave to trust that God is permitting the dark force to exert what it believes to be its best grinding tool of destruction--but that the Godly result is the pulverizing force of His power, mercy, grace, foreknowledge and unconditional Love which can melt a stone?

Let us be brave: Let us trust that God's unconditional love--on a daily basis--can melt our unground chips or boulder-sized problems/shortcomings/sinful rebellion/failures with His cleansing Blood--all without our crossed-fingers, our "cross-my-heart-I hope-to-die" feeble bleatings that only substitute baking soda for sugar.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

hotter than hell

morning, friends,

just came in from making three stripes of tilled soil, and I am soaking wet with sweat. Miss Millie kept coming closer and closer to me, her way of saying, "WE GOTTA GO IN BEFORE WE DIE!"

I am working on a book, but it seems all I am reading and writing has nothing to do with what I am supposed to be doing. My asthma is vying for all my attention, as well as all my oxygen flow, and to top it all off, my tomatoes are tanking. My response?

"Blessed be the Name of the Lord God Almighty."

No exclamation point, no raised fist, no battle shout.

Just a whisper, just an exhaled prayer in this hot realm of dreams seemingly dying on the vine, caught up on the whirling swirl of sacred sacrament into the heavenlies--straight from my mouth to God's ear.

Lungs maybe struggling, but it is well with my soul.

Be brave; it pays.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Daily Light Musings

Rose Hill Hellos from the garden!

We are having August heat in June, so gardening by "how we've always done it" does not apply to this season! My friend Shirley has already had two tomato harvest--we usually are racing to see who can have the first ripe tomato by July 4th.

Yes, the times, they are a-changing.

However, God never changes. He is never surprised at how things turn out. As I was reading Daily Light this morning (June 16), I was struck by the Joshua 22:5 verse (NKJ), saying that we are "take careful heed to do the commandment and the law . . . to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

I get the serving part, I get the obeying commands part. All gods demand service and obedience. However, the Big "G" God, the living God, the Creator of the Universe God--He wants our love first. When love is the first element in our relationship with God, then service and obedience are not given grudgingly.

This morning I have dug trenches, prepared two new plant beds, organized unrolled weed blocker material, put together the replacement finish mower (my truck tire ran over the last one's back wheel--BAD TRUCK!), and then I sat in the swing under the big trees in the shade to drink my weight in water---all the while pondering what kind of God this is, Who wants my love first--maybe because He knows my love will be my best gift, far exceeding my feeble service and faltering obedience?