Rogers Family News, Christmas, 2011

December, 2011

Christmas greetings to our dear family and friends!

We do hope and pray that this newsletter finds you and yours doing well and we do also sincerely hope that, as this year draws to a close, you will be able to look back and see that in one way or another, through whatever circumstances you have found yourself in, God is at work in you, refining you and working out His plan as He changes you for the better.

This has been a wonderful year for us. We have had much to rejoice in and in many
ways. We have each other and we have our health. We still rejoice that God has
placed us in such a beautiful environment! It’s amazing still to see the beautiful mountains out of my back window, and the elements surrounding them at practically any given time speak to my heart the many lessons God is teaching me.

As winter fast approaches, it is definitely Christmas time here. My mountains are wearing their snow caps today. It’s been cold; the kind of cold that hits bone. As I type this, I have just had my hands around a steaming hot cup of tea and it felt so
good! But, with the cold comes a special beauty and peace, and thus, I welcome it. And, despite the season, I still have my few little pumpkins in the front planter. I
keep waiting for a day of good weather when the kids are here so we can roll them down the hill into the hayfield. However…like all good intentions I mean to remember but don’t write down; it’s here one moment and gone the next!

So, let’s see; where to begin…

We’ve enjoyed family this year quite a bit. I’ll tell you, being a Grandma is one of my greatest earthly joys! And, we have so enjoyed the Grandkiddlins! We have had a few fun trips together. The first one of the year was to Washington DC where Michael and Jon went to a dental conference, and Kara, kids and I walked around DC. Asher, who still loves all things space, was so thrilled to go to the Air and Space Museum, and I think Sadie loved just about everywhere we went. We went to the National Aquarium, the Chinatown area and had lots of fun.

This summer, we went back to Hilton Head and had another really fun time. It was just our two families this year; Scott and Tim weren’t able to come and Kara’s parents had gone the week before. We stayed in a lovely home with a pool and private walk down to the beach. It was fun and rewarding to see Asher overcome his fear of the ocean and venture out more independently (always with us, of course) and Sadie turned into the starfish rescue princess. Every starfish she saw still somewhat alive was carefully picked up and gently placed back into the water. And, of course, there were walks on the beach, wonderful meals and just some nice time of
relaxing.

We didn’t go to the annual Dental convention in Atlanta all together this year because Asher started first grade, and we now have to be a bit more serious about school. And, our travel plans kept us stateside, although Michael and I hope to go overseas again next year.

We had the joy of watching many of the kids’ activities. Asher played soccer again this year and we saw a lot of improvement. Every year he gets a bit more focused and his skills grow. Sadie played, too, and also began ballet lessons, and it’s fun to watch her do both. She just loves dressing up like a ballerina and looks just so cute! She’s naturally athletic. As a matter of fact, she’s like Jon in many
ways. Kara calls her a ‘little Jon’ and she’s right.


Another fun trip we took was just a couple of weeks ago when Asher was selected along with 5 other kids from his class to go to Nashville to make a presentation on how to use technology in the classroom at the Tennessee State Teacher’s technology conference. That was a blast and we were so proud of him. All the kids did a great job.

Of course, we can’t leave out one of our most important pieces of Grandchild news: our family was thrilled to welcome new Granddaughter, Elsie Rose, on October 19. What a darling she is and we are all rejoicing that she is happy and healthy. The pregnancy got off to bit of a rocky start, but, thankfully, God took care of all of that and Kara did really well.

Jon and Kara are happily moving along in life. Jon stays busy being a Dad and working, and is still leading worship at church and working with the youth praise band. He’s doing a great job and the church is so grateful and my heart is so blessed to see him serving the Lord. He still does a lot of hiking and loves to explore the mountains around us. Kara is busy with the kids and still finds some time to sew. Now that Elsie is here her time is pretty filled.

Tim is still in a band and is planning to start school again next year. We are very happy to hear that. He still talks about possibly opening up a restaurant some day, so, time will tell what he decides to do. He has a very nice girlfriend, Rachel, and lives in a house he really likes not too far from us.

Michael still works hard, but, tries to take time off to hike and play his guitar, and work outside. He longs to go back to Mexico and do missions work and I do hope he will do that again in the next few years. He has been involved on a committee reviewing the possibility of opening up a dental school at the University just north of us and that has been interesting for him.


My year has been full. Once Elsie arrived, Kara, like all Mom's of new babies, was more limited in what she could do, so I have had the blessing of helping out with more of the kids’ activities. I’ve gone on field trips with Asher, to ballet lessons with Sadie and soccer with both of them. I’ve been to lunches, Thanksgiving feasts and Christmas programs and taken them to visit a friend’s farm, and have loved every minute of it. I’ve also enjoyed their overnight stays. We do lots of fun things. A new experience for me as a Grandma has been to help out in Asher’s classroom a couple of hours a week working with the kids on technology and that has sure been fun.

This year I have also had the privilege of teaching a Precept Ministries Sunday School class at church; their first. Our first study was on Spiritual Gifts and with the diverse backgrounds in our class we had some interesting discussions! We are now working our way through Philippians and it is so rewarding to see the students catch on to the inductive method of Bible Study which opens so many doors to them in their understanding of God’s Word. Another church ministry I have become involved in is the jail ministry and that has been an incredible experience.

On the home front, I did a little gardening this year, but, we had awfully dry conditions, so, the garden didn’t do as well as in past years. We did get a good first crop of asparagus and are looking forward to more. I also found some time to sew, but, not as much as I would have liked. I am still involved in the office, and am blessed to help Michael, but, must admit, am looking forward to retiring some
day to get to all those sewing and quilting projects I’d like to do!

I had a funny conversation with Sadie the other day. We were talking about the end of the year almost here, and, at 4 years old, she said “Grandma, I just don’t know where the year has gone!”, and then we laughed together. It was hard for me to imagine how that looks to a 4-year-old. But, I do know how it looks to me and she’s right! It has gone by quickly, once again, but, I can truthfully say that I have grown. Lately, I’ve been on a ‘journey to health’ and through that process, God has been teaching me many things about sacrifice and surrender. Those lessons are
not always easy. But, as I’ve been reading and re-reading Philippians, I am reminded of the constancy of Paul’s faith. I have asked myself if I, like
Paul, can reach the place where I can count all those earthly, worldly things I’ve
been or done or held onto as rubbish for the surpassing value of knowing Jesus
Christ (Philippians 3:7), and, like Paul, learn to be content despite my
circumstances. (Philippians 4:10) And, where did Paul get his example? From Jesus, Himself, who, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8).

Oh, what humility there was in that sacrificial act! What obedience! I never, never can think just of the birth of Jesus. My heart; my will; my soul; every part of my being can never stop to see the shadow of the cross over the manger, because there it looms! Would you; would I; could we go willingly to die for the sake of the
world? The answer is no. And, God knew that and made provision for us not to die for the world’s sake, but, for our own as we become crucified to our flesh and sin; buried with Him and rise into His resurrection; into newness of life. Do we stop to consider the awesomeness of that? Or, has it become routine? WE MUST NOT LET IT BE
SO!!! The world needs for us not to let it be so. We cannot settle into the easy
chair of complacency, taking such a great grace-gift for granted. That is my goal for the New Year; it is my goal now as well.

We can never be Jesus. We can never be perfect. God didn’t intend for us to be either. However, we can strive, again like Paul, to recognize that we are not perfect, but that we are pressing on for the upward call of the prize in Christ Jesus. That is why we are celebrating what we are celebrating, and that is what we must do. May 2012 find us doing both with all our hearts, minds and soul!

And you, dears, are in our hearts as well; ever near, ever dear.

Wishing you and
yours a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year,
Michael & Jan

Recently, there was an interesting Facebook exchange on one of my 'friends' pages. I made a brief suggestion that the book "A Time of Departing" by Ray Yungen might be a helpful resource that addressed some of the comments. One of my 'friends' friends posted the following. I do not know this individual, but, rather than post my comments in that forum, I decided to post them here. It just didn't seem like Facebook was the appropriate place to enter into such a discussion. Below, I am posting his comment and my response:

Dale T. : Thanks for the suggestion, Jan. I clicked the link for the sample chapter (chapter 2) and read through it. (Rolling out the soapbox...) I should say first that I consider the Bible to be one of the great spiritual books of the world, containing some profound truths. I'm not a fundamentalist though, so in my view, a Bible-centered argument carries not so much weight. One Bible teaching I do try to live by is "JUDGE NOT", which to me means that our knowledge and wisdom is severly limited (compared to God's) and it's not our place to condemn the spiritual/religious practices of others, as long as they're not causing harm to another person. It's another statement of the Golden Rule. Many Christians (such as the author of this book), however well-intentioned, seem to have lost sight of this. The author seeks to draw lines and declare that "these practices over here are the True Christian Way, and all those other practices (even if the fruits of the practice are comparable!) are heretical and guided by Satan. This purist attitude has led to religious war for thousands of years and is, I think, one of the major stumbling blocks hindering our advancement as a species. I DO believe that God is present in us and in the world around us. If all was created by God, how could it be otherwise? Finally, I'd like to say that I offer these words as an honest exchange of ideas, and it's not my intent to attack anyone's beliefs. Thanks for your consideration.

My response:

Hello, Dale…I read this original post with interest. I don’t know you, of course, so that must be taken into account as I post this. It’s been awhile, and I sat down to do so a couple of times but, time just didn’t permit. To begin with, I will say that we have quite divergent views of the Bible. It has been my experience that most people I’ve met who share that particular view of the Bible as “one of the great spiritual books of the world” (which is a postmodern view) #1…have never read the entire book from Genesis to Revelation and /or #2, hold a similar view of God, Jesus and salvation. The truth is…God Himself does not share that particular viewpoint. He reveals Himself to be unchangeable, immutable, omniscient, omnipotent, entirely true and incapable of lying, Sovereign over all things; the ONLY way to heaven; the beginning and the end, creator of time and epochs (and everything else we know and don’t even know for that matter) and that’s just the beginning of the list. I must also take issue with some of your comments about judging. I agree that we, in the fallibility of our humanity can never see others through the same eyes of God. There are some things, like the heart, that only He can judge. At the same time; we are called in Scripture to hold one another accountable and to inspect the fruit of others in order to determine the impact their individual ‘walk’ will have on us and to avoid like-minded fellowship with those who are ungodly, distorting God’s Word intentionally, or knowingly, willingly, habitually allowing sin to rule their lives. In John 17, the passage known as Jesus’ High Priestly prayer, it is clear that He did not leave us to be separated physically from the world, but to be separate from the world in terms of spirituality, faith and world view. We are left in the world so that we can be the salt and reflection of God’s love, mercy and grace. Sometimes, that means calling a spade a spade, just as Jesus did when He was here.

God also calls people to be prophets and heralds for the protection of His people. So, when I read a book such as “A Time of Departing”, I read it from that perspective. And, as far as the golden rule goes…well, if I’m saying something that isn’t true, or if my theology is skewed especially if it is skewed to the point where it could lead other people astray, I sure hope someone would say something to me! As a teacher of the Bible, I am particularly cautious about that fact, and always tell my classes to be Bereans, just as Paul encouraged Christians to be in Scripture. And, as a Christian who does take Scripture literally, just the way God intended for us to as made clear in His Word, I am thankful for authors and teachers who will go out on a limb for God and expose the very kinds of things God warns us about and I appreciate Ray Yungen for taking that kind of a stand. Do I check them out against Scripture? Absolutely. It just so happens that I am aware through other sources of many of the things he writes about truly happening in Christendom today.

It also turns out that God Himself, Dale, has the very ‘purist’ attitude you mention. This ‘attitude’ is seen throughout Scripture. One of the names of God is Jehovah Quanna, which translated, means Jealous God. There are a number of reasons He is jealous. Among them is the fact that in His jealousy, He protects His people from those “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who would attempt to distort, steal and destroy their faith.

Another commonly held post-modern view of God is that He is a tolerant God. Well, that is also a misunderstanding of who God is. Today’s cultural view of tolerance includes being tolerant of sin; homosexuality, for example. The Bible makes it very clear that God cannot and will not tolerate sin, and that all sin will be judged, either at the Bema (Judgment) seat of Christ for believers and at the Great White Throne of Judgment for non-believers. That is what hell will be created for and we all, Christian or not, will someday be judged by God.

God knew, Dale, that man’s post-modern view of God (which in my opinion is the open door to a Godless view of the world) would happen. It’s predicted in the Bible. If you have read the Bible in its entirety; from Genesis to Revelation, you must know that the Bible really is a book of prophecy, centered on the revelation of Jesus Christ and God’s plan for His creation which is seen first in Genesis 3 and lastly in the book of Revelation. We are warned throughout Scripture; beginning in Genesis, and continuing on through the major Old Testament prophets (Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, etc) and into the New Testament in the gospels, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Jude, 2 Peter, 1John, Hebrews and Revelation, that many people will arise who distort the truth of God’s Word, attempting and sadly, often succeeding, in leading God’s ‘elect’ away from the protective truth of Scripture. Jesus Himself told us this was going to happen, so it really should come as no surprise to anyone who is a student of Scripture. It simply is a continued sign that the return of the Lord, and the Day of the Lord, are imminent. And, what I have learned, and am continuing to learn, is that it is far less important to debate people over that fact than it is to share God’s love and truth in a dark and hurting world so that when the Lord does return, more will be ready to join Him.

So, Dale, I stand by my recommendation. I think his book is a good and relevant assessment of what is happening in modern Christianity and is a good warning for Christians individually and for the church as a whole.

The Bird and the Burden

The Bird and the Burden
May 23, 2011

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.30
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Matt 11:28-30 (NASB)

It’s been a wonderful “Lord’s Day” today. However…the last few weeks have been rough around here. We live in the area of NE Tennessee where an F3 category tornado roared through a couple of weeks ago leaving a swath of destroyed houses, property, and loss of life. It was devastating for many people. For whatever His reasons, God protected our home and property and I am grateful. As we’ve driven around and heard story after story, it made me think I should never complain again…about anything. Images of people sifting through the rubble of broken hearts and lives will be forever etched in my memory. But, this morning was different. And, that difference came in the form of a little bird.

It’s funny, isn’t it; the things God chooses and uses to speak to our hearts sometimes? But, if He can create dust and then take it, breathe life into and form it to make man; well…He can do anything He wants. And He did that for me this morning.

I was driving along on my way to church; praying and humming a praise song. It was one of our NE Tennessee beautiful Spring mornings. If you live here, you know exactly what I mean. It’s one of those Spring mornings where Spring is about to spring right into summer without taking a breath. As I went through ‘The Crossroads’, suddenly a little black bird flew right in front of my car. It was carrying a rather large stick. In fact, this stick was as long as it was and, I couldn’t exactly tell if it was being carried by its beak or claws, but whichever it was, it was held pointing backwards at a rather awkward angle, and the little bird was really struggling to rise higher. However, it flapped its wings wildly and ever-so-slowly, it began to rise. There were no other cars in the intersection and I slowed down to a crawl just transfixed with this scene. And, as I watched the little bird’s struggle, I wondered, “why doesn’t it just drop the stick?” But, it didn’t. It held tightly to its burden and persevered, and finally, began to soar upwards.

What struck me in that whole picture was how much that applies to my own life. We have a heartbreaking family situation that has been a burden to our hearts for many years. There have been times I have cried out to the Lord in utter desperation and despair. Other times, I have wondered if my prayers and tears are making a difference; if it’s even worth it to keep bringing this burden before the Lord.

What the Lord also reminded me this morning is that He cares for every sparrow. Surely, if He cares so deeply for a little bird; He cares so much more for me. He knows what I am going through. He understands my burden because He is walking right next to me, helping me to bear it when it threatens to overwhelm me. And, just as that little bird, I can soar towards the heavens where Ephesians tells me I am seated at the right hand of the throne of God in Jesus Christ. But, I can only soar; rise above the trials life throws at me IF I appropriate what God’s Word tells me He has made available to me.

We must remember that Jesus was and is our faithful and merciful High Priest and that He has known every trial and temptation of man. I’m still waiting for someone to tell me they’ve experienced all that Jesus did and survived. We just can’t do it. God didn’t intend for us to. But, His intention for His own beloved Son was different than His intention for us. His plan for Jesus is hard for us to fathom. I also have yet to meet someone who sacrificed a child to save the life of a whole creation's worth of people! God meant for His Son to die. He willingly sacrificed Him; shed the drops of blood He Himself created so that my blood-requiring debt would be paid. He did all that for me, but, Jesus Himself NEVER promised that He was isolating us from the world. In contrast, He told us that He was leaving us in the world so that we could be a light that shines from within, illuminating the darkness of the forces of evil so that we could help to grow His kingdom. And, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on whether you are a ‘glass half-full or glass half-empty’ kind of person, that means that we live in and suffer the effects of living in a fallen world. And, one of those effects is realized in the trials of life that result in the burdens we carry.

So, what burden are you bearing today, dear one? In Matthew, Jesus says very simply, “Come to Me”. Have you done that? “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me”. Are you spending time in His Word and in prayer, seeking His face; His help in the burden you bear?

Jesus can say that His burden is easy and His yoke is light, but, that’s only when we bring it to Him and find the rest therein that only He can offer. Jesus alone can be our ‘burden-bearer’. With Him helping to shoulder the load, the burden becomes light enough that we can carry it.

Paul well understood the responsibility and hardship of burdens. Who among us can say we’ve been beaten; once with rods; whipped, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead as well as having the burden of responsibility for many churches? Not only that, his had physical infirmities, and knew opposition, rejection and abandonment even by those he loved. Even so, he was able to write these encouraging words:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb 12:1-4 (NASB)
No matter how heavy your burden is, He can help you carry it. But, you must let Him. He will not take it from you. You must give it. And, no matter what it is, remember the example of the Lord, and the saints who have gone before you, many of whom lost their lives in terrible ways to bring to us the very words that tell us we can “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”( Heb 4:16)

Happy New Year! I've been led in my morning devotions to Psalm 38-40. I don't know if it's the sparkle of the frosty mornings, the beauty of the snow or just the beautiful view out my mountains, but the awesomeness and power of His creation have been leading me to times of praise. In our choir devotion this evening, we will try to define just what 'praise' is by reading through Psalm 148 and some word studies on the use of that word in Scripture. In the meantime, I was also reminded of a devotion I wrote many years ago as I am often inspired to praise by the beauty of the creation I am surrounded by. May it bless you!


Psalm 66:4 "All the earth will worship Thee"

2/21/00

The February night was clear and cold; and, as we drove along under a starry sky illuminated by the light of the full moon, a song came to my heart with the words "all creation worships Thee". Out of the car window were trees; leafless and barren all along the road. There were no street lights on this dark country road in northeast Tennessee, but the trees stood highlighted against the moonlit brightness of the sky. The words to the song filled my heart with awe as I looked at His creation; those wonderful old trees and realized that every one was a model of worship. Each tree in its never-ending pose stood as erect as the Lord had fashioned it; and each one held its branches and limbs high to the sky as though praising the One through whom all things were created, and for whom are all things. I could not contain my glee as I saw this familiar sight through new eyes. Oh Lord, how excellent Your name is! And, oh Lord, how I want to worship and praise you without ceasing, night and day, just like these beautiful old trees that stand in stark contrast to the world around them. And, just as that thought was piercing my heart with the contrast in my own life to that desire, God, in His infinite love and mercy reminded me that those old warriors reached out towards Him because of their need and total dependency upon Him. On their own, without the light and water only He can provide, they would wither and die. How our relationship with God is like that. His light is a reflection of Him in our lives and from us into the darkness of this world. Without that light and the living water that continually washes us in His word, we will wither and die from the sin that enslaves those apart from Him. How true this has been in my own life time and time again.

Where does this find you today? Is your life surrounded by darkness separating you from the One who died for your sins; darkness that iscausing you to wither and die? Or, are you standing erect; holding fast; arms outstretched; in praise, adoration and worship of the One who holds your future in the palm of His hand? Are you rooted in the firm
foundation of His word or in the sinking sand of the world? Oh, how He wants our worship and our praise. Let us sing to Him glory and hallelujiah!