This is part of an ongoing series that establishes the foundation of my faith. It may seem a little academic to some, too light for others. I have endeavored to strike a balance in order to provide clear reasons and support for each belief. The bottom line of my faith is that I believe the Bible has a message from God, the Creator of all life. That message is one of truth and love, justice and forgiveness and above all, an invitation to abundant life.

The Bible is the infallible, powerful word of God

The internal, external and bibliographic tests (referred to in a previous post) verify that the Bible is a substantially accurate rendering of the original documents. As the internal and external tests demonstrate, it is reasonable to believe the historical accounts the Bible details are true. It takes no leap of faith to do that. The Bible has more historical proofs than any of the other ancient writings we accept as fact.

That authenticity does not verify it is God’s Word, though. The internal assertions and prophecies, when evaluated, make an almost irrefutable argument for the existence of God, or at least someone with an extensive knowledge of the entire span of time, past and future and the ability to interact with people on any point of that time-span. It does not, however, present an irrefutable argument that God inspired this book, that God communicates through it with whoever will read it. That takes faith. A choice to believe what is written in it is true.

I have so chosen. I choose to believe the Bible is a letter, if you will, written by God to His creation. My reasons for so choosing include its many assertions that it is the Word of God, its track-record of fulfilled prophecies, the miraculous way it has been preserved over the centuries (as though He is protecting and safeguarding that letter, ensuring it will be available to future generations), the wealth of practical wisdom I find in it and the seemingly supernatural help it gives through the joys and tragedies of my own life. I read what is written in the Bible, the stories, the warnings, the teachings and I find Him. I discover His truths, most particularly the truth that He wants me, and everyone else, to believe Him. I discover when I do believe Him, He gives me even more understanding, which compels me to read more, learn more, experience more. Ultimately, though, I believe the Bible is the Word of God because I choose to believe the Bible is the Word of God. .

I’m not going to try to convince you, though. I am not capable of convincing anyone to believe. That is an issue between you and God. I do know that if you look for Him, if you truly seek to know and understand Him and His Word, He will reveal Himself. Then it is your choice to believe. Or not.

Throughout this statement of faith, I give Scripture to back up what I say because that is the highest “proof” I have. I believe what I say is true because God said it. If God said it, it is true. That is my faith. Of course it is always possible I’m not understanding what He’s saying at times. That almost goes without saying. After all, I’m not God. I’m certainly prone to misunderstanding and deceiving myself. But, again, Scripture is full of encouragement and explanation. If I am misunderstanding what He is saying, and if I continue reading and studying His Word, I will come to a clearer, more accurate understanding in time.

So, for me at least, the foundation of all truth rests on the Bible. The Bible, in my mind, is the foundation of truth, the well-spring from which all understanding, discovery and exploration must grow. It is the standard to which to compare my thoughts, desires and plans. It is the infrastructure of my entire life. That belief, that assumption will permeate everything I write. It is inevitable.

……………………..Supporting Scripture……………………….

• but the word of the Lord stands forever.” (1 Peter 1:25a)
• Every word of God is flawless. (Proverbs 30:5a)
• For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
• As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. (2 Samuel 22:31a)
• For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. (Psalms 33:4)

This is part of an ongoing series that establishes the foundation of my faith. It may seem a little academic to some, too light for others. I have endeavored to strike a balance in order to provide clear reasons and support for each belief. The bottom line of my faith is that I believe the Bible has a message from God, the Creator of all life. That message is one of truth and love, justice and forgiveness and above all, an invitation to abundant life.

I believe the Bible

          The first, most basic foundation of my belief system is that I accept the Bible as true. I have chosen to believe the Bible is the Word of God. I could use the traditional hot-button words like inerrant, infallible, Word of God and more. That isn’t my style, though. While I like and use precise “dictionary” words, I really prefer talking in a way that others easily understand. The bottom line is that I believe God inspired every word, every truth written in the Bible and then protected that Word throughout the centuries so that what we have now is substantially the same as what He originally inspired. Any differences are minor and inconsequential to the main message contained in the Bible.

          Granted, on one level that belief is faith, something that each person must choose in their own heart and mind. It is not a faith without a basis, though. The fact that the book we have today called the Bible is substantially the same as what was available thousands of years ago is well-documented historically. In fact, the Bible is the most thoroughly documented historical document in existence today.

          Historians use several criterion to evaluate the authenticity of historical documents. Those documents are subjected to internal, external and bibliographic tests by archeologists, historians and other scholars. The Bible has undergone those tests. There are no conclusive internal contradictions; the external data available corroborates, or at the very least, does not contradict the Bible, and the Bible passes the bibliographic test (the amount of ancient copies that can be compared and the length of years before the first copy was made) better than any other historical work of its time.

          Instead of duplicating work already done in numerous places on the Web, I’ll send you to a few websites which do an excellent job presenting informative explanations and examples of these tests. I’m sure you can find even more by googling “Bible authenticity,” or “bibligraphic tests Bible,” or some such phrase.

Know Truth

Grace Bible Church

Christian Research Institute

Apologia

          Since I have, on several occasions, remarked that everything I do and write about comes from a spiritual foundation, it occurs to me that it might be useful to make that spiritual foundation clear. Many months ago, I posted my statement of faith, What Do I Believe?, with Scripture references and lengthy (for me) explanations. It is unfinished in places and, even with that, a bit long. It might be easier to understand in smaller “bites.” (Not to mention that this way the unfinished bits are more likely to get finished. )

          This series also serves as another introduction, a “getting on the same page” so to speak. While anyone is welcome to visit and comment on this site, my specific target audience are those of similar culture and faith. This blog, and any other venues that grow from it, are meant to be an encouragement and inspiration to those who consider Jesus their Savior and Lord and seek to follow the teachings of the Bible within the culture of contemporary United States of America. (Ancillary to that, of course, is the desire that my ramblings and musings will make the gospel’s message of hope clearer to all.)

          Even within that precise a mission, there is room for many, many variations and differences of opinion. As a guide, and as a help for readers trying to determine if they even want to read what I have to say, I think it will be useful and prudent to lay out for scrutiny the minimal foundations of my worldview, that set of beliefs from which all my opinions and life experiences grow. Hence this series of posts, one each Sunday. Once posted, this series will be compiled into one page for easy access to all who visit this blog.

          If you are following my plan for reading through the Bible in a year, you have just started reading Leviticus. I wonder if your reaction is the same as mine the first time I came to Leviticus? Probably not.

          I grew up in an occasionally religious, but mostly not, household. Sometime in my mid-teens, I started attending a nearby church and accepted the truth of the Gospel. Even so, it was not until many years later that I established a consistent lifestyle that reflected that Truth. One of the decisions I made as I was developing that consistency was to read through the Bible in a year.

          When I came to Leviticus, I was amazed. This was a boring book? Not to me! It was fascinating. Full of instruction straight from God to the Israelites. Specific directions on what sacrifices to bring to Him; the exact requirements and how they could be varied, or not; complete instructions on when to bring them, which ones were mandatory, which voluntary. Just as Exodus had given instructions about living life, Leviticus revealed even more of what God expected.

          I guess what fascinated me most was that it was all there, written down, unchanging. God said, “This is what pleases me. Do this and you please me.” That stability, that assurance, that knowledge was so welcome to me. It’s not that I had a terrible childhood. I had a mom and dad who loved me, cared for me, did the best they could for me. They gave me a good, safe, happy childhood. But sometimes there had been a disconnect between what they said they wanted from me and how the responded to me and my actions. A disconnect that often left me confused, unsure, doubting myself or resenting them. Not so with God! He had laid it all out, exactly what He wanted. It was all there in Leviticus!

          I’m glad I came to Leviticus after I knew about Jesus, after I knew how He satisfied the Old Covenant, revealed in Exodus and Leviticus; after I knew his life and death had ushered in a New Covenant. Otherwise I might have fallen into legalism, based on unnecessary adherence to Old Testament covenant laws. I was that fascinated.

          But I’d already learned, at least partially, that those laws and sacrifices were meant to foreshadow the Fulfillment, not be the Fulfillment. Years before I’d read and memorized Romans 6-8, Scripture that teaches the Law came to show where we displeased God, but that was all it could do. Jesus lived the Law, every aspect of it, even becoming the sacrifice required in Leviticus. He did that so he could then bring me to the Father, atone for my failure, my sin with His perfect life, death and resurection.

          Reading Leviticus, that first time and every time since, provides a greater depth of understanding and appreciation for the work He’s done in my life by writing His law in my heart and mind, just as He said He would do. (Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 31:3; Ezekiel 11:19)

          What about you? Are you living the truth revealed in Leviticus? Or do you even understand it?

          It’s been about a month since my last post. It is about time for me to say, “Ok. NOW I’m going to start posting regularly. This is For Real this time.” And, maybe, just maybe, it isn’t time for you to roll your eyes and say, “Yeah, right.”

          Then again, maybe there is no one left to respond at all. I’m certainly not giving you anything interesting to read. I want to. I want to write things that are interesting and helpful, that make you want to visit my site often. Really. That is my plan. I’m just having trouble implementing it. (Duh. Pretty obvious, isn’t it?)

          Typical of me. I have an idea, a dream and I step out to accomplish it. Suddenly it is too big for me. Too much for me to accomplish. I’m not sure if it because I don’t consider all the variables or if I take on too much at once or expect greater perfection than I can deliver or . . .

          Whatever the reason, I’m here again, saying I think I’ve a plan.

          I have many interests in my life, many areas where I think I have something to share, many articles or snippets of articles I’ve written on so many subjects.
         

• I am knowledgeable in the Bible and in living a Scriptural life.
• I have 17 years of homeschooling experience, with some very definite opinions and insights.
• I have interest and expertise of various levels in scrapbooking, needlework, cooking, writing and more.

          All I need to do is wander through my multiple computer files of articles, devotions, letters and more. There is a wealth of opinions and thoughts to be mined. If I’ll just edit them a bit, they will make a multitude of short, interesting, helpful blog posts.

          As I said before, I’ll be experimenting with schedules, so at first my posts will probably seem a bit hodgepodge. Eventually, I’m sure I’ll fall into a routine (rut?) and a schedule will present itself. For now, enjoy the eclectic mix of my interests.

          Really. Believe me. This time will be For Real.

          My daughter is in college on the other side of the country. She’s coming home for Thanksgiving. I’m not sure who is more excited, me or her. We are a silly pair, squealing over im messages about the number of days left til she comes, planning what we will do together when she gets here, generally giving those around us cause to roll their eyes. I’m loving all the anticipation. It makes me realize just how blessed I am.

          I love every one of my children and I would love them no matter what they did or how they turned out. But I am especially glad that I like them, too. They are turning into such interesting adults. What is even better is that they like me!

          She says she wants to do the things we’ve done together for years. Like watching romantic comedies late at night cos the guys in the house aren’t interested. (Or at least some of the guys; my youngest son likes them almost as much as we do. He’s going to make some lucky woman a great husband. LOL) Or going shopping at the mall. Or just hanging out together. Yes, she has plans to hang with friends. I don’t for a minute think I’m going to get all her time while she’s here. I will get some, though. She’s made it clear that she’s as excited about the time she’ll spend with me as with any of her other friends.

          When I look around me and hear things like, “I’ll be glad when she’s out of the house,” or “I can’t be in the same room with my mother for more than an hour,” I am reminded just how blessed I am. All three of my children go out of their way to spend time with me. Of course, they are building their own lives, lives I only experience incidentally. That is as it should be. It is time for them to leave mother and father, experience life as an adult. But I am so grateful they value me and my company enough to pull me into their worlds occasionally. Or come back to visit mine.

          So I today I am thankful my children want me as their friend!

          My oldest son has to make some choices that may cost him some freedom, options or money. These issues are things he has been thinking and praying about for many weeks. As he nears his final decisions, the practical consequences of the choice he feels he must make are looming dark and threatening. At the very least, some of his options for the future will be limited. He most assuredly will be dismissed, perhaps suffer a damaged reputation and fines. Yet he is resolved to do what he has discerned is right.

          The mom in me hates to see him suffer. I want his trek through this life to be easy and smooth and devoid of problems. Deep down, though, on a level that really matters I am thrilled. He is studying the Word, he is growing in knowledge and wisdom, and he is seeking the Lord with all his heart. The discussions we’ve had, the soul-searching he has done and these final decisions reveal that his relationship with the Lord is a vital part of who he is. That has always been my heart’s prayer. And so I rejoice.

          All the years of his childhood he accepted our values. Of course, we had some typical teenage struggles, but no wild or immoral behavior, no wholesale rejection of our values. I’ve never had any indication that he would reject them. I just know that it is normal for young adults to jettison some of the teachings and opinions of their parents. This is normal. It is right that they find their own way, that they determine what they really believe, that they lay their own foundation and live their own life. But it can be a scary time for a parent. It is a comfort to see evidence that his faith is his own, not merely a reflection of mine or his dad’s.

          So I today I am especially thankful for adult children who share my faith.

          This past July some of my extended family moved in with us. Well sort of. We actually have a house with separate living areas so it’s more like living next door in an apartment complex rather than in the same house. This is a new experience for me after years of living in various places far from family.

          My cousin and I grew up together. She lived with us a few times and I lived with her family once. Our moms (both deceased) were close. In fact, when my aunt moved four states away, my mom convinced my dad he really did want to live there, too. Our families we spent lots of holidays, vacations and regular days together. One winter when a blizzard was expected, we went to visit them just in time to be stranded there for several days. So while technically we’re cousins, we think of ourselves as sisters.

          Having her so close now, after years of living as much as a half a world away, is great. We have our own spaces and sometimes a couple of days can actually go by and we not even see each other, but most days we at least have a brief visit on the porch. (I’ve never sat out on my front porch as much as I have this year.) And when one of us needs a cup of milk or an onion or anything else, we have a neighbor to ask.

          So I today I am thankful for family living nearby.

          The stumbler is back on her feet. This blog is about to become active. Yes, I know I keep saying I’m going to post regularly and then I disappear for weeks at a time. This time I have a plan. . . . I do! Really.

          Several months ago I was in the throes of lethargy. I had too much time on my hands and no clear direction of how to spend it. During several of my prayer times, I reminisced about how life had been years earlier. Full to overflowing with the daily activity of raising and homeschooling three active children. Instead of relishing the lack of demands on my time and doing some of those things I had put aside during those busy years, I was floundering in uncertainty and apathy. I wondered to God if maybe my personality demanded a certain level of busy-ness in order to stay on track.

          Then I did it. I prayed one of those prayers you know as you speak them are going to be answered in ways that will try and test you. And yet I prayed it several times. (Will I never learn?) “Lord, bring some structure and busy-ness into my life that will hone my focus onto what really matters.”

          Hoo-boy! Did He ever add some busy into my life! Family moved here, we helped them start a new business, planted a huge garden. Canning and jelly-making (all new activities for me) took over my summer days. About the only thing He didn’t do was give me another pregnancy. (At almost 50, that is NOT something I’m asking for. On second thought . . . No!) And, just as it was meant to do, I’m re-learning where my time needs to be spent. (I’m also really enjoying those precious minutes of rest when they arrive.)

          One of those things that the Lord keeps reminding me needs to have my attention is this blog. Once again, I’ve resolved to post regularly. This time I have a plan. A plan that echoes the season.

          I have a series of December posts planned that will chronicle the Christmas story. More on that in a couple of weeks.

          In honor of Thanksgiving and in obedience to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, the rest of November’s posts will be short testimonies of thanksgiving. Feel free to share your own.

          Today I am thankful for busy days.

1Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

          If you have been regularly visiting this blog (and I have a hard time believing anyone is), you have experienced a prominent trait of my personality, the stumble-get up-try again-stumble cycle exacerbated (look it up LOL) by procrastination. There have been other things going on in my life, which I may discuss over the coming weeks, but the bottom line is I kept putting off working on this site. Now I’m focused. I’m dusting myself off and starting again. Maybe this time I’ll get it right.

          You can tell by the tone of my last few posts that I have been unsure of what to post (or even if I should keep posting). This is partly because I’ve never had a clear idea of what I wanted to do with this blog. I knew I wanted to review books, mainly fantasy, from a Christian perspective, but that was all. I thought I might enjoy sharing some of my thoughts, but I wasn’t sure which ones. Or even why I should. I couldn’t (still can’t) imagine readers being interested in my ramblings unless I was absolutely riveting or I offered something they wanted. The reviews are that, but I can only read and review so many books at a time. And, while I hope I’m interesting, I don’t delude myself that my words are riveting.

          Over the past few weeks and months, I’ve refined my plans for this blog. Along with the reviews, I want to share my faith-walk in the hopes that it will encourage, inspire and challenge whoever reads it. I don’t want a Bible-teaching blog, although there will probably be posts that discuss what I learn in my personal study time. I don’t want a syrupy, give-all-the-pat answers blog, although sometimes I may reveal an elusive truth by examining some of those pat answers. And I certainly don’t want an in-your-face, confrontational type blog, although there may be times that what I write ignites controversy. As the subtitle to this blog states, I want to present my perspective on life and fiction.

          That means my personality, my way of viewing things will be evident and, as my friends know, I’m by no means a controversial Bible-thumper or a syrupy milquetoast Christian. I am, however, a committed, Bible-studying, Bible-believing and Bible-living Christian. If you share that faith, you’ll most likely find encouragement and inspiration here. Maybe even some thought-provoking challenges. If you don’t share that faith, your enjoyment may be limited, but I’m sure you will still find much to peruse and consider.

          Why life and fiction? Because writing, reading and watching fiction is a big part of my life. I love stories. I love to read them, watch them and especially create them. That means, in addition to the reviews, I’ll also be sharing my thoughts and observations about the stories going on around me and the ones I’m creating. While this is not an author website (if/when I’m published, I’ll design a separate site promoting that), writing is a big part of my life. On this blog, I’ll share musings about my writing, as well as my spiritual growth and my life in general.

          I’d originally thought I’d make a schedule and post accordingly, but I’ve decided that is not wise. While I do need routine and even a schedule, I also need flexibility. Instead of creating a rigid schedule, the plan is to post musings about my life, my writing or my spiritual journey at least twice each week. Some weeks I’ll post a review. Again, I’m not going to lock myself into a schedule for producing reviews but I will work hard to post at least one or two a month. Maybe in a few months, I’ll be able to increase that. For now, that will have to be enough.

          I’ll probably stumble again before I get a regular routine established and suddenly realize I have abandoned my blog for days, maybe even weeks. Have faith, I will return. Remember . . . there’s a get-up-and-try-again phase to my cycle.