faith

How To Hear God’s Invitation That Will Make You Dance With Him (Part 1)

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

girl twirling around room
Photo by Laura Fuhrman on Unsplash

“That’s crazy!” My husband responded.

But we are trying not to use that language. So we corrected each other. “That’s normal life as a Christian,” we corrected ourselves.

But deep down, we thought, “That’s kind of crazy.”

The crazy hasn’t become routine yet, though if you peruse through this writing, some published and some not (I’m working on it!), you may see hints, blips, or sparks of true Christian livening peeking through the darkness of this writing.

You may see moments where He has been showing up.

And though it is not every day that such experiences happen, they are happening more frequently, as we have been pressing into Him in prayer, scouring our Bibles like thirsty drunks, and asking more profound questions of others in our community.

As we surrender more fully and squeeze moments to pray from the busyness of the day, we have noticed His tangible presence more often. He is always with us – yes – but perhaps a more mute version of Jesus is who we expect. And actually, it is not that Jesus is mute but, more accurately, that we’re deaf. The volume of the noise of our life is turned up so high that we can’t hear Him for the headache-inducing drum beat.

Anyway, here is what happened.

I paid for my to-go coffee and snack.

Leave a tip, I sensed the Lord nudge as I hesitated on the “Add a tip” button.

It was a to-go item. Do they need a tip? I sensed God’s compassion for the barista for a moment. What would it be like to work in this cafe that hardly anyone comes to, and people are brisk all day as they get their coffee? He looked downcast, and I unwillingly felt my heart go out to him.

I had just quickly snipped that I wanted X decaf coffee with one pump of X syrup, and . . . I was in a hurry, ok?! So . . .

I didn’t leave a tip.

Did I hear from God? Maybe not. How can one REALLY be sure anyway and . . .

After paying for my coffee, I handed back the Interac machine, and my mind involuntarily returned to the growing rush of to-do items coming at me during my day like an ever-increasing tsunami. But then, I again sensed that still small voice, gently and patiently. Leave a tip. He spoke again as if I hadn’t just ignored Him. That’s when I noticed a tip jar.

I am trying to grow in obedience, and if I’m honest, all that change in my wallet is a drag, so I dropped one of the heavy, annoying coins into the tip jar.

Immediately after this, I felt a profound wave of God’s love for this young person working as a barista. I felt God say the word Mine, and I knew this young man was one of God’s children, whether he realized it himself or not. At the same time that I heard those words, I felt God’s love for him, which was overwhelming. It made me want to cry. Of course, theologically, this is only a tiny bit of God’s love for this person, but that small amount felt so overwhelming to me.

And that was enough.

Sensing more love for another is enough. God showed up. Love was passed, invisibly, imperfectly to another because God showed up.

But there was more.

And there was a surprise. But perhaps these surprises should become less surprising because we are learning to dance with God. And I’ll finish this story next time.

For now, how do we accept God’s invitation to dance with Him?

  • We expect God to speak, not only at church but even and especially in the most mundane of places. (Did you hear God asking you to dance?)
  • We get up after we fall. That day, would I tip the second time He nudged me? (What is God patiently whispering to your heart again?)
  • We obey the nudges of His Spirit. We get up and dance. (Will you rise from your seat and take His outstretched hand?)
  • We open our hearts to God’s love for others, as our hearts overfill with His love for us, as we are held close to His cheek, dancing with Him. (Will you let God open your heart to sense his love for those around you?)

As the song below plays, consider giving some thanks to God and then ask Him, “How are you asking me to dance? Do I hear Your invitations?” Sit quietly as the song plays. What does your heart sense?

God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will.

Expect love, love, and more love! . . .

You’ll resume your singing,

grabbing tambourines and joining the dance.

The Message

God, help us hear your invitation to dance with You more clearly, we pray. Clean out our ears. Clean out our hearts to notice the people You love all around us, we pray. Help us learn to touch them with the love for them that You want to pass through Your arm, to our hand, to touch their hearts, we pray.

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Advice: Toss Christmas Booze! (Try Drowning Sorrows Here Instead)

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

I looked for a regular Christmas picture of our family (so I could prove to you all how proper we are and suitably impressive in demeanour), but all I could find were these photos.

Our kids are SO wiggly and annoying that they wouldn’t stand still long enough to get a proper photo!

Yes, that’s me on the right. (Why do you ask?) Well, I guess this one below will have to do.

Merry Christmas!

Oh – and just a little bit of advice – I know that’s why you read this stuff, after all!

Ahem . . .

If you are tempted to turn to the Christmas booze or whatever your vice* of choice is today, remember – try God instead!

Then you can have the enviable advantage over others** of being perceived as (relatively) “regular” like us!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Footnotes

*PS – All of us carry pain within, friend. Seriously, God has a path out of the mess. What’s your next step?

**The point of life is to look normal! (Isn’t it? It’s too bad my editor has the day off, or she could fix this.) “What is the point of life?” I wonder. Well, I’ll tell you the answer next time, friends! In the meantime, I wonder if I should get some booze for this growing existential angst I’m feeling today or … wait – I’ll ask God!

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.

The Message

I hope you take another step towards the One who quells your chaos, too, friend.

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Lose Fear With This Simple Life Hack!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
pug covered with blanket on bedspread
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

I know why you couldn’t sleep last night, tossing and turning.

I know why you are looking at me wide-eyed and wondering how you can live your life authentically.

I didn’t publish a blog post last Friday like I usually do, and THEREFORE, your normal rhythms for coping through life have been disrupted because I didn’t tell you how to live your life this weekend!

But first, I will explain why I didn’t write a blog post.

It was because I was busy. What was I doing? Remember in this blog post when I mentioned that our Pastor is a crazy nutcase because he travels to politically volatile places?

The places he visits for a fun vacation are some of the poorest countries on earth, riddled with civil war, genocide and other stuff we don’t like to think about because we need to get to Walmart and back before the ball game starts and if we think about other stuff, we may forget to buy all the snacks we need for the game. We all have a lot of things going on and to think about already – Thank you very much!

Anyway, while we were busy cleaning out our garage last week, I suddenly thought, “Why not join our Pastor on one of these trips to an unstable country?”

So, that’s why I didn’t write a blog post. Our Pastors had to talk me off the window ledge of my fear to jump into the unknown*. Should we go to the place where the worst day there is EVEN WORSE than my worst day, for example?

person wearing pair of black Nike shoes sitting on metal frame
Photo by Omar Prestwich on Unsplash

When I researched one of these countries, it seemed EVEN MORE DANGEROUS than our family vacation to Disneyland last year!

During that vacation, we got stranded in a shady area of Los Angeles, and no Ubers came because it was the night of the Oscars and they were busy driving celebrities. Luckily, an LA city bus driver held the bus and waited for us for 20 minutes until we could connect with another ride because the bus driver didn’t want us left alone there (How sweet!). So don’t worry, Mom! (She reads this blog.)

And so, what is the simple life hack to losing fear?

Find someone who is doing something stupid, and mindlessly follow them!

Since you are doing something scary, you no longer have to fear your fear!

So, our motto this weekend is:

  1. Do what you fear, and the death of fear is certain!

Another helpful thought for you to mull over as you continue to ponder this topic of losing fear is to consider the second reason why I didn’t write a blog post this weekend. It was because I spent many hours binge-watching a new historical period drama this weekend. So, another motto for this weekend is:

  1. Distract yourself with online entertainment so you don’t have to think about how to live well!

Choose your motto with whichever one fits best, and remember to read every blog post so I can help you live your life more authentically!

P.S. – There’s probably a third motto for how to shake fear and live authentically, but I haven’t figured that one out yet.

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Footnotes

*There is not civil war in that country right now, as there was when these events happened to Chrissy Chapman, so it’s likely not quite as unsafe as I’m pretending it is, but stay with me for the emotional effects of this blogpost that I’m trying to create.

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Finding God’s Unexpected Path To Healing Is Actually Easy?

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
grayscale photography of girl lying near field
Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash

She was a shell. She was skinny, sickly, and often lost in her little world.

Her stomach racked her in pain. Friends were elusive. She was unhappy, never having exploded in childhood giggles that should have been her right.

My husband and I oscillated between worry and confidence that she would grow out of “this.” One of us, either he or I, carried the ball of fear for this child. The ball never went away.

Occupational and physical therapists dribbled through our home – in and out – like a constant stream, reminding us that something wasn’t quite “right.” The ball of concern for our child, which we took turns carrying, grew heavier.

Doctors punctuated our lives.

An exclamation point with a specialist doctor in September. A question mark with that prominent city specialist who visited in April. The regular full stops of our home doctor, where “many” childhood milestones were missed, again, were a part of the regular background noise.

The cloud of “something” felt suffocating.

It was hard to breathe.

And doctors get so concerned nowadays. Our other daughter was told she “might” have a problem detectable only by modern medicine (pulmonary stenosis!), and yet that asymptomatic “problem” mysteriously resolved itself only a few years later.

“Would the same thing happen with this other daughter?” I wondered on the days when my husband carried our ball of worry.

And then it happened.

God’s voice was carried by the wind of the Spirit that day as I chatted with a friend about her struggling child.

“Try it.”

What now? I looked around, wondering if I had heard right. My heart sensed my Father’s love for me and my daughter as He spoke. Was I imagining things, though?

“Could you repeat that?” I asked

Nothing. Stillness. Quiet.

Had I heard correctly?

I had been learning that God speaks when we remember to attach our spiritual ears. I bent down to look for my spiritual ears which seemed to have fallen off again. Had He spoken?

At the moment that I wondered if God was nudging me, my good friend had been talking about a special diet – Yes, a special diet – that she was preparing for her son, who had developmental delays.

Diet?

But that’s not what the specialists EVER recommended!

But that was what was working for him. I felt God was asking me to try this same approach. Would I obey?

And so, how are we led on God’s specific, chosen path for our lives and families that usher in His healing?

  1. We pick up our spiritual ears and attach them to our heads. Oh! There are your spiritual ears lying next to you on the ground! Shall we learn how to use them?
  2. We do what God says.

That’s it.

And oh – our daughter was healed. But that’s a story for another time.

By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. . . . As a result, Noah became intimate with God.

The Message

An additional fun result of following Jesus where He leads is buried within the quote above if our eyes are open – Intimacy with God! Wow.

As the song below plays, ask Holy Spirit, “What is the ONE NEXT step, or person you want me to ask advice from, regarding this problem in my life that is literally burning a hole in my gut?”

God:

  • Help us look for our ears, re-attach them so they stick, and pick them up again when they fall off.
  • May our hearts be strengthened by knowing how You delight in watching us take our baby steps toward You.
  • Help us to drink a bigger glass of the gift of Your love, which often carries healing for our bodies, minds and spirits.

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Advice: Stop Being Afraid Of The Wrong Thing! Become Fearless (By Fearing This)! Part 2

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
person jumping on big rock under gray and white sky during daytime
Photo by The Chaffins on Unsplash

Previously, we talked about the fear that sometimes descends over our culture like an unwelcome blanket, smothering us. And yet, we cling to our fear as a self-soothing exercise. We are used to it

How do we throw away the fear that always seems to linger on our hands, like unwanted gum we are trying to put in the trash?

We can’t entirely eradicate fear.

The reality is that we are tiny little people, and who knows? A comet may arrive in ten minutes, throwing us into another ice age like it did for the dinosaurs. Then we’re hooped!

But this, ironically, like all my best advice, is where we find some of our hope.

What if we didn’t fear “death” (I said THE word!) QUITE so very much?

It is the denial of death that is partially responsible for people living empty, purposeless lives

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

This one fear, the fear of death, instead of being a blanket that twists itself around our neck, strangling us, is the one fear that can ultimately comfort us.

For example, it doesn’t matter to me whether I get two likes or one like on a post (No, that wasn’t 2,000 likes or 1,000 likes – Why do you ask?) when I remember that one day, I will die.

So, one of the best ways to eliminate a bunch of our lingering fears, it turns out, is to confront the biggest, most terrifying fear looming in our bellies’ most bottomless pit.

It’s to confront our mortality.

So, how do we recognize our mortality, though we (kind of) don’t want to?

When we realize that we are resting in the palm of our Saviour’s hand and that His love is the warm blanket that comforts us, we find we can sleep a bit easier, and this life is a little easier to live.

But what if we’re having trouble grasping hold of God as we clench our frightened fists around His Spirit, grasping for something to hold onto?

What if we reach out to touch God, and our fingers, instead, only close around thin air?

Well, let’s return to something I learned in university while wrestling most deeply with this question. (Don’t you find that you thought more interesting things in university? These days, the thing I seem to think about most is when I can next grab some deep-fried chicken or chocolate cheesecake.)

When I wrestled most deeply with this question at University, the philosophical argument called Pascal’s Wager, was a great balm to my soul.

Here it is, summarized. A fuller version can be found here:

  • There is not enough evidence to know with ABSOLUTE certainty that God exists, the mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal began.
  • So, a game is being played with the endpoint of our deaths. What will be the outcome after our death?
  • The MOST RATIONAL choice is NOT to play this game.
  • However, NOT playing the game is not a choice. We all must die therefore we all MUST play the game.
  • When we play the game, we are wagering on God.
  • If we believe there is a God, and there is, we gain ALL.
  • If we believe there is a God and there is not, we lose NOTHING.

Wager, then, without hesitation that He is. (…) There is here an infinity of an infinitely happy life to gain, a chance of gain against a finite number of chances of loss, and what you stake is finite.

Blaise Pascal

As the song plays, consider asking God, “Am I afraid of the right things?” When we face our fear of death, a most surprising thing happens. Other fears seem to fly away somewhere!

Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?

The Message

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Advice: Stop Being Afraid Of The Wrong Thing! Become Fearless (By Fearing This)! Part 1

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
girl in white hoodie jacket lying on green grass
Photo by Khashayar Kouchpeydeh on Unsplash

When she was in the hospital, only a few days before her death, my fierce, feisty, 89-and-a-half-year-old grandmother fixed her intense blue eyes on me and said the one thing I never thought she would say.

“Lori,” she said, “I never thought this would happen so soon!”

She was talking about death.

My mind was like one of those old-fashioned calculators that was overheating, trying all different ways to understand what she was saying to me. In the end, was she saying that she was 89 and a half years old and hadn’t figured out that she could die soon? Yup.

That’s exactly what she said.

Of course, the fact that we die was not a truth that my grandmother was wholly unaware of. This fact approached her through all the deaths she witnessed during the Great Depression and the Second World War. However, this knowledge seemed to approach her from the side, not head-on. Unfortunately, she suffered from anxiety in her long life and feared a lot of stuff. But she was too busy fearing other stuff to remember to fear everything!

And so, you’re probably afraid of the wrong things, too.

You cringe at home, cornered up against the wall, afraid. I know. I can see you.

Actually, I can’t see you, but we all kind of live that way.

Sometimes, it feels like a blanket of fear settles over us all. And this fear comforts us somehow, just like a blanket comforts us from the cold. The only problem is that as it comforts, it also eats away at our souls, destroying us.

a neon sign that says fear eats the soul
Photo by Amelia Vu on Unsplash

I pondered how to avoid fear as I read the book The Night The Angels Came about missionary Chrissie Chapman, who chose to spend her life in war-torn Burundi instead of peaceful Britain.

One day, she had a really bad week.

It was a bad week in a way that our first-world minds can’t really wrap our heads around. For example, her child was kidnapped. Yup. Seriously. That same week, a grenade was accidentally thrown into their yard as civil war was fought outside their house, and a gunshot bent the frame of her bedroom window.

Then, she was held up at gunpoint for a bag of rice due (in part) to food scarcity.

I look downstairs at my freezer, which is full of food, and I can’t remember what’s in it. So, I have a hard time relating to food scarcity. What a privileged culture we live in, in so many ways.

And yet, I know precisely how author Chrissie Chapman feels because I’ve had bad weeks, too!

I’ve had a bad week where fear was like a blanket, wrapping itself around my neck and choking me, too.

For example, one day this summer there was a clear blue sky, and the birds were singing. I live in peaceful rural North America, where the deer that eat my tulips are the most irritating intruders. (Why? Why do they have to do that?)

And yet, as I looked around, my heart was a cancer full of fear, consuming me.

What about those things in the news that might happen? What about that stuff I read on social media that might occur? And the worst question is, What if I’m worried about the wrong things?

So, as illustrated in the paragraph above, I can exactly relate to Burundian author Chrissy Chapman and her fears!

I’m just like her because my (peaceful) world makes me feel afraid, too!

And so how do we throw off the blanket of suffocating fear?

Let’s talk about that next Tuesday in Part 2 of this post.

For now, let’s constantly ponder . . . (that thing we never think about, that we all pretend will never happen).

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Shhh. . . but:

(You learn more at a funeral than at a feast)

The Message

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Finding God Is Easy! It’s Just Like Finding Our Abs!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
woman in gray top
Photo by Tachina Lee on Unsplash

I choked on my coffee and almost fell over when I overheard my daughter’s online science class this morning. Here’s what was said, verbatim, because this is from the online recording.* (I’m not even exaggerating this time!)

Student: “They were so old they should have been hospitalized!” (Lori’s comment: I didn’t know there was an “age” at which hospitalization occurs!)

Teacher: “About how old?”

Student: “I dunno- Maybe 40 or 50 years old!”

My reaction reflected the fact that I personally MIGHT be INCHING toward (or way past) one of those ages this youth deemed as “should be hospitalized.”

That discussion inspired the post today – I know that none of us like to say this out loud or admit that this is a reality, but one day, I started growing older!

At around the same time, I noticed I had lost my abs.

I had always had abs as a youth. I even tree-planted (which means I’m tough), and that’s how I got some of those muscles.

man standing in front of LED bulbs
Photo by Xenia Bogarova on Unsplash

But somehow, one morning, when I woke up, my abs weren’t there anymore! I looked around, trying to find them. Then I learned that when you’re older, a higher percentage of your body turns into fat.

For example, here’s a chart of ideal body fat percentages aligned to age.

“Dang!” I thought that morning. “My abs turned into fat!”

“Oh well,” was my next thought. I had already dejectedly accepted my fate. A took another sip of my coffee and stared at the morning news.

I already said this in another post, but you weren’t listening, so I will repeat it.

(I mean, who has time to listen anymore? Especially when we all have so much to say! We only have 2 hours and 24 minutes to vent our passionate, frustrating irks on social media daily! And no, I’m not talking about me listening to you. I’m talking about you listening to me! Why don’t YOU listen to ME?)

So, I wanted to say I lost weight.

When that happened, I realized that my abs hadn’t turned to fat. They were covered in fat! And when the extra stuff was gone, there they were!

My abs came out from hiding.

Some of you are wondering where God is, as well. Maybe you knew Him for a while or had an experience of Him, just like I had abs when I was younger, but now where is He? Well, here’s the good news:

He’s right there, under your fat!

Under your spiritual fat, that is. He’s been with you this whole time! All you need to do is get rid of some of the junk.

It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 

The Message

As the song below plays, ask God, “What garbage do you want me to bring to the curb? And what one next step do I need to take to stretch out my hand to receive the beautiful gift of Your love that You long to pour out on me affectionately?” (I pray you make the exchange, friend.)

And may you find your abs, too! I mean God.

Footnotes

*Yes! They record classes online now! Those poor teachers! Do YOU want your every frustration toward insolent youth recorded? Thank God they haven’t yet figured out how to record every word we homeschooling parents utter! If you find yourself accidentally emitting a mischievous word, here’s a tip to cover up the incident.

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

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Simple Mistakes That Make You Celebrate Halloween Like A Loser!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
group of men in black and yellow crew neck t-shirts sitting on green grass field
Photo by Joppe Spaa on Unsplash

I was in Dollarama minding my business when a stranger opened her heart to me.

I was as surprised then as you are now, reading this. We were standing near the Halloween decorations, and as she vented, more of her heart came out. “I’m just not sure I agree with these gross decorations and letting my kids dress up as such violent characters.”

Perhaps it was because my homeschooled kids had commented as they walked by the Halloween decor along the lines that the costuming was icky.

I’m unsure if that made this stranger feel I could be her confidante. It seemed she was processing her thoughts aloud as she let them out. But this wasn’t the first time this had happened.

Maybe it’s the fact that more people are accidentally getting themselves in trouble stepping into actual demonic realms, or maybe it’s because skull and demon fashion decor trends are dipping, but we clearly have modern Halloween bystanders who seem uncertain about the whole thing, especially the more disgusting the decor becomes.

But we’re not talking about that today.

We’re talking about how not to look like a loser on Halloween!

To me, Halloween feels like the desire to hang out with the cool kids, but thinking that the cool kids are a bit gross. There’s this cultural desire, or maybe the pull of candy and the fun of dressing up, because I want to play, too! But really? Why are there cut-off body parts right there?

Anyway, let’s talk about how to avoid celebrating Halloween like a loser.

To do that we will need to learn some history.

The eve of All Saints Day, or All Hollows Day (shortened to Halloween) was a day initially designed to celebrate God’s victory and even to mock the devil’s defeat.

“Let’s get free of God!” . . . Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he’s amused at their presumption. . .

The Message

We’re saying to the devil that, “Hey! You’re on the losing team because Jesus has defeated you on the cross!” But when we honor and try to lift the satanic, like those 10-foot demon statues sometimes put on lawns, were saying “I’m voting for the losing team!”

And that’s how we celebrate Halloween like a loser.

So how do we celebrate Halloween like a winner?

Again, let’s turn to history.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther set the world on fire by birthing a reformation within the Catholic church (He did this by nailing his “Theses” to a church door -The modern precursor to email).

On October 31, nearly 400 years later, the Welsh Revival was birthed, and 80,000 people decided to follow Christ in less than four months (That was more than simply a good marketing campaign!) This move of God then spread around the world.

October 31 is a day of great victory for God!

So let’s dress up, enjoy hot chocolate and friendship, and celebrate like a winner. Jesus won the ultimate victory, although that victory hasn’t seen its full fruition yet and won’t until He comes back again. But we know where the final victory lies!

So we can celebrate October 31 like winners.

And so, stick with me if you want to be cool at Halloween!

O.K., you might not be cool, but at least you won’t celebrate with the losing team!

And that’s one step toward fitting in with our culture, being cool so people will like us, and making sure we’re doing the same things as everyone else regardless of whether or not our gut instincts wonder if we’re celebrating with the right team! (See first paragraph).

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Important! You Need To Stay AWAY From This Scary Person!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
A small dog dressed in a halloween costume
Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

(No – Not your Kindergarten teacher! Someone EVEN scarier!)

So last time we talked about what parts of demonic culture we SHOULD TRY to incorporate into our lives.

So, this time, we’ll talk about  – EW! GET that Satanic stuff OUT of your life, for heaven’s sake! Why the back and forth of recommendations? Well, you never know what’s true anymore on the internet so it’s essential to use our critical thinking skills at ALL times!

Constant vigilance!

(This is a Harry Potter-ism that we WANT to bring into our lives. But we’re not talking about that today. Pay attention!) Wait – you weren’t listening AGAIN? It’s okay – You didn’t miss anything (said in a whisper).

So let’s get started.

“What demonic stuff do you think we should keep OUT of our lives, Lori?” you ask with rapt attention. I’m glad you asked, friend! Let me advise you so I can feel important (Or help you – WHATEVER!).

Nope- those of you who are asleep still haven’t missed anything (whisper).

Let’s begin.

So there ARE people who stay at home concocting ways to hurt people, abuse power or manipulate with fear. And no, I’m NOT talking about your mother or Wall Street, although, come to think of it, a similar culture sometimes dominates there, too. No! I’m talking about REAL live scary people – DIFFERENT ones from the ones you already know!

Are you scared yet?

Oh, never mind setting the mood. I’ll tell you what I already know. But I can hear you asking me, “Wait – Why do YOU, Lori, the perfect caricature of Ned Flanders, have any knowledge of ALL of the REAL scary stuff that happens in the world?”

Good question.

Well, I read this book once.

It’s called Out Of the Devil’s Cauldron by John Ramirez.

The book has over 3,500 reviews and maintains its 5-star rating. That alone smacks you in the face and says, “Pay Attention!”

As well, the guy speaks in SECULAR (that means they don’t talk about religion!) schools people! Another slap up side the head. Someone who DOESN’T BELIEVE all this spiritual stuff thinks that this guy is someone kids need to learn from.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s what I learned from John’s book:

  1. I guess “Warlock” is a valid career choice! Huh! Who knew? That’s the career opportunity the author of this book, John, chose, anyway!
  2. John loved the power associated with his position. For example, little kids with their moms would purposely cross to the OTHER side of the street if they saw him coming. I can’t say that is MY top aspiration in life, but we each have different life goals!
  3. A notorious New York City street gang leader, Nicky Cruz, after Jesus exchanged his rock-hard heart for a new, living one, gives a sheet of paper with some facts about Jesus to this guy, John. John comes to faith! (Actually, John sees a spiritual ring of fire around Nicky Cruz as he preaches on the streets of New York, but you have to be a lot deeper into the faith rabbit hole to believe THAT stuff! Let’s get back to discussing real-life Warlocks -Look, JOHN said it – not me!)
  4. After John’s conversion from Satanism to Christianity, a story resembling a Marvel Movie in its scope and range of characters representing those pulling him in both directions, John, the scary demon guy, changes into his Clark Kent attire and peacefully attends church every Sunday for the rest of his life. (Actually his spiritual journey began that day, but that’s another story and this post is getting too long.)

The end.

The point?

STAY AWAY FROM DABBLING IN SATANIC STUFF, people. Seriously! Get your head out of your rear end! (If you are from another culture, that statement is an English expression. No, I don’t know what it means, either! But it seems to fit here.) Or read this book, at least, before you assume you KNOW that there’s nothing behind this gross stuff.

John opens up about stuff that most people don’t usually talk about when they get involved in Satanism because if they did, they wouldn’t get invited to quite as many cocktail parties with their co-workers.

So his book is an opportunity to see the world through some different glasses – through Ned Flander’s glasses, to be precise.

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

And Happy Halloween!

Wait: Halloween isn’t happy. It’s creepy. It’s gross.

Expert advice – read: How To Steal Hallowe’en, So It’s Uplifting, Not Gros! (Shh…!)

Then listen to this song.

As you listen, ask God if there are any scary things God wants you to put in the trash.

Then do it.

Follow joy and freedom instead, friend.

low-angle photography of brown bird
Photo by Jacques LE HENAFF on Unsplash

Read Harry Potter – The Book About Halloween Type Dark Arts – To Better Grasp One Aspect Of The Christian Faith

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
a statue of a soldier holding a yellow object
Photo by Cody Otto on Unsplash

Last time, I wrote here and here about why we should try to give a wide berth to the dark arts and the demonic or satanic.

This week, to confuse you, I will tell you that you SHOULD read the Harry Potter series. I didn’t say I would be consistent! Give me a break! Who has time for authenticity nowadays? We’re too busy scrolling social media to have time to figure out who we are! It’s easier to follow the crowd, anyway!

And since there are gross Halloween decorations in every major department store right now, let’s talk about why you might as well read Harry Potter, too, while you’re at it.

Ahem . . .

So, several years ago, I was huddled in a corner, trying to shut out the world with its scary stuff. Children held out their Halloween candy to me once and yelled, “Boo!” and I screamed, terrified. “We have to keep ourselves CLEAR of all of that stuff!” I yelled after them as they ran away, laughing.

Actually, that memory has exactly the same point as my recent posts, come to think of it! Stay CLEAR of demonic stuff!

So today, let’s run as far as we can in the opposite direction. What satanic stuff SHOULD we be holding onto and perhaps even incorporating INTO our lives?

Ha!

I bet you don’t hear that question every day! You’re welcome! Good luck!

Now let’s get started as we dig a bit deeper to unearth some insights so that we can travel on our spiritual paths free of BOTH:

  1. Weird satanic stuff that could overwhelm us (See the last post), AND
  2. Weird spiritual “rules” (I.e., what to read or not read) designed to make us appear more spiritual than others* but that also choke the proclamation of Christ’s love

We’re talking about Point #2 today, so that’s why we’re discussing which demonic stuff we want to incorporate into our lives.

Let’s start with Harry Potter. The books crawl with spider webs and warlocks, abuse of power, and fear-filled followers of evil (I.e., scary Death Eaters).

Surely, this stuff is a NO-GO! We must confidently assert.

Not so fast.

The Harry Potter series helped me to more deeply emotionally resonate with the choice Jesus Christ made to hang on a cross so we could be free.

What now? You’re wondering.

Yup. Here. Hold my popcorn because I need my hands to explain (I’m Italian).

Harry Potter discovered a prophecy that said he needed to die so that his world could be free of evil (I.e., the guy Voldemort). Harry’s struggle with what this sacrifice would cost him personally and what it would mean for everyone else’s freedom in his world was a palpable decision he struggled with that made my hands sweat, quite literally. The point is, the fact of Jesus CHOOSING to undergo such intense pain SO THAT I could be set free came home in a new way to me as I stayed up into the wee hours of the night with a flashlight trying to figure out how the story ends.

The Harry Potter series ends with freedom for everyone in his world because he CHOOSES to sacrifice his one life for them.

Exactly like in our world.

One look at him and people turned away.

We looked down on him, thought he was scum.

But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—

our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.

. . . God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,

on him, on him.

The Message

Can I have my popcorn back? I want to see how this movie ends.

Our movie here on earth, that is, with OUR actors, us.

Great literature must treat evil, sometimes in a base and repulsive form . . . as do the Christian Scriptures.

Three Faces of Evil: Christian Writers and the Portrayal of Moral Evil by Susan Wise Bauer in The Christian Imagination

Drawing by MY HOMESCHOOLED KID! (Because homeschooled kids are our hope)

Footnotes

*Wait – Isn’t that the goal of our spiritual lives? Dang! Now I’m confused again!