New Beginnings Pt. 6 Naomi: Old School Game

Yesterday we learned that Ruth took the initiative to find work and decided on harvesting grain since that work was plenteous given it was harvesting season.  She “happened” to select the property of an older well established man named Boaz which means strength, a man of strength and wealth.  What was it about her that caught his attention as she worked?  Was it her rhythm, the perception that she was working with them but not really because of the distance she maintained, her beauty or all three things? Whatever the case he asked his foreman who she was.  Boaz awkwardly approached her, advised that she not go to any other properties and told her she could drink freely at their water dispensaries.  Ruth was overwhelmed with this stranger’s kindness and she demonstrated great humility when she worshipped at his feet admitting that she was unworthy.  This had to be humbling for Boaz.  It’s clear that Boaz was observant, structured and hospitable.  

Can you imagine how Ruth must have been feeling by now?  Her emotions must have been like a roller coaster: rising as she decided on a work plan and received Naomi’s blessing; DOWN when she tried to figure out where she would look for work; UP when she woke up and got dressed; DOWN when she realized her clothes were different from the township; UP when she found the right spot; RISING when she approached the foreman; RISING when he granted permission to work there for the day; DOWN when Boaz summoned her; UP when he gave her permission to work throughout the entire season; HIGHER when he invited her to have lunch with them; OFF THE GRID when she showed Naomi how much she collected that day AND brought food home from her lunch.  What really sent her over the edge was Naomi’s reaction after she told her about Mr. Boaz.  You would have thought that Naomi just found out they hit the Hebrew lotto the way she reacted.  Her weathered brown skin turned pale and then red as she said:  Praise our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!!!  Jehovah Jireh hasn’t forgotten about us!!!  He still loves us in bad and good times!!!  God I bless you!!!  I thank you!!!!  You are faithful!!!  It kind of spooked Ruth for a minute because she’d never seen Naomi react like this before, but something inside wouldn’t allow her to be afraid even though this was out of Naomi’s character. 

We’ll pick up at Ruth Chapter 3.  Ruth has been working at Boaz’ property the entire harvest season which is coming to an end.  However, Naomi has been thinking about a husband for Ruth since they left Moab.   After Ruth gets home, eats dinner and gets settled Naomi says: “Dear Heart you’re still a beautiful young woman have you thought about marriage?”  Ruth says: “Mother, I’m content helping you but if you think it’s time, I’m willing”.  Naomi replied: “Let me share the Hebrew Law of family redeemers.   If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow may not be married to anyone from outside the family. Instead, her husband’s brother should marry her and have intercourse with her to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law.  The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.  Dueteronomy 25:5-6 (NLT).”  Naomi continues: “Boaz is our family redeemer and the time is right so I need you to do exactly as I say:  “Take a bath. Put on some perfume. Get all dressed up and go to the threshing floor. But don’t let him know you’re there until the party is well under way and he’s had plenty of food and drink. When you see him slipping off to sleep, watch where he lies down and then go there. Lie at his feet to let him know that you are available to him for marriage. Then wait and see what he says. He’ll tell you what to do.  Ruth 3:3-4 (The Message).  This is definitely some “old school game” that Naomi is throwing down but Ruth didn’t give it a second thought because she trusted Naomi without question and did exactly as she was instructed. 

Tania not Tanya nugget:  The custom in this time period dictated that marriage was more of a business transaction for futuristic needs, family lineage, strategic purposes, keeping the peace, etc.  It was rare for two people to meet, fall in love and then marry.  I realize this may sound contradictory to what we discussed yesterday, but this is not that as it involves the Mosaic Law for family redeemers.  Secondly the Hebrews/Jews were bound by the Law because they lived in that dispensation (or time period).  We are not Jews/Hebrews bound by Jewish culture and we are not bound by the Mosaic Law because Jesus is our Redeemer and we live under the dispensation (or time period) of Grace. 

Back to the story:  I know some people may have assumed that Naomi was instructing Ruth to “give up the goods” so Boaz would be whupped and make him her “shugga Daddy”, but that wasn’t it at all.  Even though Boaz was an older established man, Ruth was really acting quite strictly in accord with the law of Israel.  She had a role to play in her rescue and after a long day at work, she didn’t hesitate to get herself together and then head to Boaz’ place.  She watched and waited just as Naomi instructed and just when Boaz started to snore lightly she snuck over to him and lies down at his feet. At some point he woke up, felt someone’s presence and said:  “Who’s there?” Instinctively and using the perfect tone and pitch she humbly identifies herself and then he says:  The Lord bless you, my daughter!” (Boaz exclaimed.) “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. Ruth 3:10 (NLT).  What was the significance of this act by Ruth?  This was her way of staking claim to his right to redeem her according to the Mosaic Law.  

I realize this may seem like a stretch for many people so let’s address it.  Why didn’t she just tell dude she wanted to get at him?  That would have been too forward.  Oh, so getting dressed up and laying at his feet wasn’t?  No, not in that era.  She wasn’t in his bedroom she was at the threshing floor and while you can have sex anywhere, that wasn’t on their minds.  Yeah right?  Contrary to what you may or may not believe, there are still honorable men and women who love God enough that they will not disrespect him by engaging in any type of sexual activity unless they are married, regardless of the circumstances.  The opportunity was ripe for both of them to run out but they made a choice not to and that’s what it boils down to I don’t care who it is or how you slice it up.  If you wanna hump, you’re gonna hump.  If you respect yourself and your future spouse, YOU WON’T period end of story put an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence and start a new paragraph.  So this is what he says in his sexy Barry White voice:  “Don’t worry about a thing, Lil’ Momma, Big Daddy’s gonna take care of everything.  I am your family redeemer but there’s another cat that’s closer than me but Imma handle my business.    Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, it’s all good, if not then I swear to God I will redeem you for myself! Now lie down here until morning.

Ruth had the best night’s sleep ever but just before dawn they both woke up.  Boaz didn’t want her reputation to be ruined and he didn’t want her to leave empty handed so poured a bunch of grain into her shawl and sent her on her way in the event that someone spotted her they would assume she had been working.

Naomi barely slept a wink, she spotted Ruth coming down the road and could barely wait until she got in the house.  They quietly went into their room and Naomi asked for all of the details which Ruth eagerly shared and then showed her all of the grain that Boaz gave her.  Naomi smiled at Ruth, touched her beautiful face and said:  “It’s a wrap now sweetie, all we have to do is sit and wait.”  They giggled and whispered for the rest of the morning.

I’ve gotta go, but we’ll pick it up tomorrow.

In His New Excellence,

Tania Not Tanya 

New Beginnings Pt. 5: I Married You, Not Yo' Momma

We ended the last blog with Naomi insisting that her daughter-in-laws return to their families; Orpah protested slightly but ultimately returned to her family but Ruth refused to leave Naomi and literally begged her to stay through passionate tears of sincerity.  Naomi conceited; the duet team continued their journey to Bethlehem; they arrived safely; friends celebrate Naomi’s return but she stops them advising there is nothing to celebrate as she has lost everything.  Though Naomi’s name means my delight (as we learned in New Beginnings Pt. 3 -- http://dailyflicker.blogspot.com/2014/08/new-beginnings-pt-3-naomi-whats-in-name.html) she of her own free will changes her name to Mara which means bitter.

We also learned that the relationship between Naomi, Orpah and Ruth dispels the notion that ALL mother-in-laws are released from the pit of hell to make life a living hell for daughter-in-laws.  For that statement to be true you would have to interview every married couple in the world to arrive at that conclusion.  Since you haven’t (don’t even play because you have not) that’s an unfair biased statement against mother-in-laws.  I can testify of at least two great mother-in-laws:  Naomi from Bethlehem-Moab and Lillian Davis (my mother-in-law) from West Oakland by the way of the State of Georgia.  When we recall the emotional interaction that took place when Naomi came to the realization that “she” had nothing to offer her “Daughters” I realized their bond wasn’t superficial but when we see the reaction of the young women, Orpah and Ruth, its abundantly clear that they had a healthy vibrant mother-daughter relationship, closer than some actual biological mother and daughter relationships.  Clearly this is an example of a bond which God created, they cultivated and maintained.  It almost makes me think that the sons were around long enough for Naomi to have “daughters” she could pour into (and possibly vice versa).  I can imagine her talking about the God of the Hebrews; teaching them the Hebrew tongue first with words, phrases and over their 10 year stay in Moab I imagine that they became fluent in the Hebrew language; teaching them about their customs; holidays; Hebrew meal preparation, etc.  It goes without saying that when you spend enough time with someone (voluntarily or involuntarily) you will eventually take on some of their characteristics and belief system – good or bad.  What type of “in-law” are you?  Are you a pleasant daughter-in-law, can your in-laws get along with you? Would someone fight to stay with you?  Would they advocate on your behalf?  If not, there’s time to change who you are.  Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.  Galatians 6:7-8 (The Message).

Let’s pick the story up from Ruth the second chapter.  Though neither Ruth nor Naomi want to be viewed as charity cases they accept the invitation of friends to reside with them until they get settled.  Ruth has been strategizing in her mind about the most effective way to generate cash flow in the least amount of time.  She is a resourceful young woman, a fast learner, she can cook Hebrew food, spin wool, sew, make pottery, plant/harvest crop, etc. but her advantage is that she learned from a Hebrew woman, Naomi.  She considers the skills she has and though she may like to do what she is most passionate about, the timing isn’t right, however, it is right for harvesting and that’s what she decides to do.  She discusses it with Naomi and with her blessing, sets off for work. 

Tania Not Tanya Moment:  Ruth is cut from a different cloth, she doesn’t use the death of her husband, relocating to a different country, fully embracing a new culture and language as an excuse for laziness.  She was exposed to the language and culture over the past ten years or so by living with Naomi and her family, but there was still an adjustment period nonetheless.  Bethlehem could have been the perfect place to “use her femininity” as a way to manipulate men out of money but that’s not in her make up.  She wanted to do something that was decent and honorable because she didn’t want to bring shame on herself, but above all she didn’t want to embarrass Naomi.   Her wise decision to focus on harvesting was the most logical because that work was plentiful due to the harvesting season.  It doesn’t mean she threw her dreams away and decided she would work in agriculture for the rest of her life she decided to use it as a means to a beginning, the beginning of her New Life.  Everybody has to start somewhere.

Ruth dressed for work and set out early in the morning.  The wise business woman that she is she finds a field that seems perfect for her needs, she asks the foreman’s permission to glean after the harvesters (hired help) by picking up the grain that they left behind.  No harm in that because either birds would eat it or it would dry up in the hot sun and turn to waste.  The foreman agrees and she ensures that she stays a safe distance from the harvesters so as not to be seen as taking advantage of the foreman’s kindness by gathering the best of the grain.  The owner of the field arrives around mid-day, notices Ruth and asks the foreman who she is.  The foreman is surprised that his boss doesn’t know that she is the Moabite that recently arrived with Naomi.  He went on to say that Ruth arrived early in the morning and hasn’t even taken a break from the time she started.  The town was already a buzz about this foreigner that arrived with Naomi, but he had the privilege of seeing her in the flesh.  Not only was she a pretty young thing, she had an incredible work ethic, which really impressed the owner. 

The owner then decided to introduce himself to Ruth as Boaz and they began to engage in very respectful small talk after which he instructed her as follows:  don’t worry about a thing; glean only at this field; stay close to the other young women, follow them and harvest where they harvest; when you get thirsty feel free to drink from the servant’s buckets.  In other words, make yourself right at home.  She was so humbled by his kindness that she fell to her knees and worshipped him and asked why he was extending such favor to her?  Boaz replied: “I heard that you were the foreigner that left your family and homeland to accompany Naomi to Bethlehem, a country you know nothing about.  Your selflessness impressed me and though I can’t really explain it I felt it only appropriate to show kindness to one that has shown as much kindness as you have to Naomi.”  Ruth was so overwhelmed that her first instinct was to do what many of us do she started talking about how unworthy she was.  They ended their conversation and Ruth returned to work though her stomach was growling and her throat was parched from the lack of water.

Tania Not Tanya nugget:  If you're like me, born and raised in the city, you have no idea what harvesting and gleaning is but thank God for technology.  Check out the 1.5 minute clip.

When the alarm sounded Boaz invited her to lunch.  She sat among the other harvesters and ate until she was full and still had food on her plate.  When they all finished their meals the harvesters returned to the fields and Boaz  took the opportunity to instruct his servants to give Ruth special treatment, to treat her with kindness and respect and to leave extra grain for her to glean so she would have more than enough.  Ruth worked well over into the evening and by the time she finished she had nearly a full sack of barley.  She gathered everything up, returned to the temporary home where she was staying and was greeted by Naomi.  She was shocked at Ruth’s progress and the extra food she had left from lunch which naturally prompted Naomi to ask Ruth where she worked that day.  Ruth responded that she worked in the field owned by a man named Boaz.  Naomi could hardly believe her eyes, nor ears for that matter but she was thankful.  Ruth went on to say that Boaz insisted that she return and glean in his field only for her protection.  Naomi was floored and gave praise to God saying: God hasn’t quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good!  Ruth 2:20 (The Message)

Naomi then explained that Boaz was a distant relative of her late husband Elimelech, almost as though it was an afterthought.  She advised Ruth to continue to work on Boaz’ property for as long as the invitation was open and that’s exactly what she did for both the barley and wheat harvesting season.

Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. Titus 2:3-5 (NLT)

In other words, the older, seasoned women need to be in a position to give these younger women some solid "game" "advice", whatever you wanna call it, but that's some real talk right there.  For clarity, you want to seek, look for wise women who know how to hold your business to themselves.  Run away from the fools, cause it ain't nothing worse than an "old fool".  IJS :)  

I’ve gotta go, but we’ll pick it up tomorrow.

In His New Excellence,

Tania Not Tanya 

New Beginnings Pt. 4 Naomi: What’s in a Name?

In yesterday’s blog and using Ruth chapter 1 as our foundation we learned about Naomi and her family, the meaning of their names and the devastation she experienced by losing her husband and then her sons 10 years later both at the same time.  Listen to this: Naomi decided her life was over but she wasn’t going to suffer any further in front of these Moabites.  I guess she figured she had tried to live up to a certain image long enough.  She was broke, bitter, beside herself with grief and decided her best shot at survival, not living, was to return to her homeland of Bethlehem.  Orpah and Ruth packed up what little they had, went to their families to give them the news that they were leaving for Bethlehem and set out for their journey on nothing more than the word of their dear mother-in-law, Naomi. 

Very early in their journey Naomi had second thoughts about the responsibility of these two young women accompanying her to her homeland.  They weren’t slaves, they could have decided to stay in Moab without Naomi’s permission.  Their marital obligations ended when their husbands died and there were no sons available for these young women to marry to keep the family lineage alive, but there must have been something special about Naomi that caused them to want to stay with her even though she clearly had nothing.  She was pretty much destitute, yet they were willing to stay with her. With mixed emotions and through tears of bitterness she acted unselfishly and told them they were free to return to their families and the young women said no, they were going to stay with her, which is where we left off.

Naomi said it again but firmer this time.  “No, I’m serious dear hearts, go back to your families!! I have nothing to offer you! I’m too old to get married and have more sons and even if I did by some miracle have more sons would you wait for them to grow up and marry them?  My life is over, God is punishing me, for what I don’t know.  This is a bitter time for us all but more for me than you.  So go before you are cursed like me.”

All three of them stood in the road and cried but Naomi’s cries of anguish were more severe than her daughter-in-laws: “God! Why?!!!  What have I done to deserve this?  How could you forsake me?  How could you leave me without a husband and children? My life is over!  There is nothing worth living for!!!  Why don’t you just kill me right here and now!!!  God, what do you want from me?!!!   God, do you hear me?  How long will you ignore me?”  She cried and yelled until her voice was gone and she could only talk above a whisper. 

Tania Not Tanya moment:  Hold up.  Naomi is the mother-in-law to Ruth and Orpah, there are no blood ties yet all three of them seem to have some type of bond that goes beyond the “normal” in-law relationship.  It’s no small fete to make a decision to leave your family, cultural and everything familiar and travel to a foreign land.  Remember there is no Instagram, FaceBook, Google Maps or anything other than what people say to get an idea of their new home.  The flip side is that Naomi seems to love these young women just as much as they love her.  She included them in her plans to re-locate until she realized she really didn’t have the capacity to care for them once they got to Bethlehem.  I realize that as a whole mother-in-laws get a bad rap, but not every mother-in-law is a witch sent from hell.  I can testify with certainty that I have an amazing mother-in-law. She has always been supportive, offers great advice when asked and stays in her place as a loving caring woman who loves God with all her heart and can pray you through what-so-never you’re facing.  Let’s get back to Naomi’s story.

I imagine that Orpah was trying to be brave but quiet is kept she really didn’t want to go in the first place.  When Naomi pulled her power move, Orpah was like:  “You ain’t gotta tell me twice; Love yawl, but I’m out.  Holla at a sistah once yawl get there.” She kissed and hugged them both and Orpah bounced.  She didn’t even wait to see if Ruth would accompany her.  Probably because deep down inside she knew Ruth wanted to be Naomi’s lifetime companion no matter where she went or what it cost her (Ruth). 

Ruth couldn’t believe that Naomi was flip floppin’ on them.  She had already settled in her mind that she would not allow Naomi to live out her years alone, she didn’t care about re-marrying or having children, she knew in her heart that she was assigned to Naomi.  She fell into Naomi’s arms and said:  Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us!” Ruth 1:16-17 (The Message). 

When Naomi saw that Ruth was being just as stubborn as her, she gave in and they headed for Bethlehem.  When they finally reached their destination, the entire town was buzzing about her arrival.  As they celebrated her return, complimented her, etc. she did what many of us do when someone compliments us, she made excuses about what wasn’t, except in this case, Naomi’s bitter was on such large display she corrected her friends and said:  Don’t call me Naomi; call me Bitter (Mara). The Strong One has dealt me a bitter blow. I left here full of life, and God has brought me back with nothing but the clothes on my back. Why would you call me Naomi? God certainly doesn’t. The Strong One ruined me.” Ruth 1:20-21 (The Message).  Talk about killing the moment. 

In all honesty I don’t think Naomi was rude by any means. She I am sure was grateful that God blessed them to reach Bethlehem safely, but it was bitter sweet.  All of the memories of her life before Moab came flooding back when she returned, having left one way – full – and returning empty, or so she thought.  I’m sure everyone who heard her story could identify and there were probably a few who added their own hot sauce to it assuming that she committed some terrible sin that God was punishing her for. Shoot, Naomi even believed she was being punished. 

I am out of time but I want to close on this and pick it up again tomorrow.  We must stop assuming that because we go through trials and tribulations that we are being punished.  I know it sounds like a cliché, but we cannot have a testimony without a test.  I’m gonna say it again, there is no way that God would go through all of the trouble that he did to get you to this place and then leave you hanging.  That would be absolutely asinine, regarded, stupid and God is not any of those things.  Do you realize how much he has invested in you, in us?  Can you even begin to count the cost?  Of course you can’t.  You have no idea what he has done to get you to this place of preparation.  The fact that you should be stuck, locked up, in a mental health facility, homeless, paralyzed, earning minimum wage, on medication, and/or dead but you’re not, is a PURPOSE.  Don’t take it lightly.

I’ve gotta go, but we’ll pick it up next week.

In His New Excellence,

Tania Not Tanya 

New Beginnings Pt. 3 - Naomi: What’s in a Name?

My blog for today is: What’s In A Name?  The character that I want to focus on is a significant woman in biblical history by the name of Naomi.  Before we read her mail, I want to give you a little bit of history.  Naomi’s name means my delight.  She was married to a man by the name of Elimelech which means my God is king.  Elimelech and Naomi had two sons, Mahlon (“mah-lohn”) which means sick and Chillion (“chil-leon”) which means pining, sickly.  Throughout biblical history names were significant, as they are today but the significance is varied.  Most modern day parents select names before the child is born and the name is generally selected because it is “cute” and/or has a good “sound” to it.  The name for the most part is not given based upon what the parents are experiencing and/or what they immediately see in a child after the birth as they did in biblical times.  While this does not indicate one way is better than the other, it is worth mentioning because of the differences in past and present history.

Elimelech made the decision to relocate to Moab because of the famine in Bethlehem where he and his family lived.  This leads me to believe they were a family of means (perhaps not rich but) resourceful enough to move from one country to another.  Perhaps he had a hook up with a friend that had a camel caravan or he bartered for his family’s travel accommodations with a promise to do certain work that he was skilled at, etc. 

 

Moab, which means of his father, was born to Lot’s eldest daughter.  Lot is the nephew of Abram (aka Abraham, Patriarch of the Jews -- remember during our journey of Joseph’s life they mentioned the God of Abraham and Isaac his ancestors?)  Lot ultimately separated from Abram on good terms but he moved to Sodom & Gomorrah.  The two cities and the nearby surrounding suburbs that were destroyed by fire and brimstone that rained down from heaven because of their ungodly and wicked activity.  Lot and his family were the only ones to escape God’s wrath because of Abram interceded on his behalf (i.e. Abram prayed for Lot and his family and asked God to spare them).  Moab is the son of Lot’s eldest daughter who is so insignificant that we don’t even know her name.  Moab’s birth occurred because his mother (Lot’s eldest daughter) realized there was no way to keep their family lineage unless she and her younger sister had children.  The problem was that the only prospect was their father.  They were both virgins and they knew their father wouldn’t voluntarily have sex with them so they got him drunk and on two separate nights had sex with him and both got pregnant. The eldest gave birth to Moab, progenitor of the Moabites and the younger daughter (we don’t know her name either) gave birth to Benammi (“ben-ah-me”) the progenitor of the Ammonites.  During this period in history incest was allowed in order to populate the earth, however, it is not observed in western cultures today. 

            Progenitor -- a biologically related ancestor: Genesis 19:31-38 (MSG)

We are not sure when but after being in Moab Elimelech died.  Though Naomi is saddened by her husband’s death the family is not destitute or in debt.  If that were the case the sons would have been sold into slavery based on the culture of that time.  A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.  2 Kings 4:1 (NKJV).  This fact supports my theory that they were a family of means.  Jewish tradition dictated that the sons would take care of their mother but since the sons were both single, it was now Naomi’s job as the matriarch to ensure her sons were married so they could keep the family lineage alive.  Though she had the opportunity to return to Bethlehem she made a conscious decision to settle in Moab and to find Moabite wives for her sons, clearly mixing two different cultures (e.g. no different than an African-American marrying an Asian, a Pacific Islander marrying a Latino, etc.).  The Jews were instructed not to mix cultures primarily because of the pagan Gods they worshipped and potential for spiritual contamination.   While I don’t want to add my own words to the mix I feel comfortable using my imagination as you have grown accustomed to over these past few months.

I believe Naomi was in survival mode.  She was in a foreign country and although we don’t know of any major challenges outside of the men dying prematurely, she is now a widowed woman with two sons that she needs to get married so she can secure the family’s future.  For all we know the sons were too sickly to make a trip back to Bethlehem, whatever the case she decided to go on a mission, find wives and get them settled.  She is successful and finds two amazing young women, Orpah and Ruth.  In my sanctified imagination I see Naomi finally exhaling as a happy and content mother in law, soon to be grandmother.  She may have started to knit booties and blankets in preparation for all the grandchildren she assumed her two sons were going to produce.  She settled into the life of a widow and mother-in-law, content with her new family.  It bothered her I am sure after 10 years that neither of her “sickly” sons had produced children.  It was probably a little embarrassing too because young men were expected to start families almost immediately after marriage.  It is not clear if Mahlon and Chillion had bouts with illness or if they both started to decline simultaneously but I would imagine their sickly state affected their ability to work and given that there was no SSI or other federally funded programs that offered assistance to the disabled, their combined sickly state probably presented a challenge financially. The booties, blankets and dreams Naomi made slowly began to fade but at least she had her boys and even though they weren’t as robust and active as her girlfriend’s sons, they were alive.  And suddenly it happened, both sons died.  We are not clear if they died on the same day, within the same week, month or year, but the deaths clearly happen relatively quickly.

I have two sons whom I absolutely love to the core of my very being.  I won’t pretend to know how Naomi felt, but I have a strong idea because seven years ago I almost lost my youngest son to a stage four cancer (Hodgkins Lymphoma) when he was 24 years old.  However, but I fought like a lion, believed God for my son’s healing and was spared the experience of burying a child prematurely. 

Losing her husband was devastating I am sure but losing her two sons at or near the same time had to send Naomi over the edge.  I don’t think you understand the gravity of their deaths.  Whatever future she thought she had was gone in an instant or at least that is what it looked like.  After burying them and working through the grief of the men in her life she and her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth probably pitched in as much as they could to keep the family estate but it wasn’t enough.  They eventually lost everything and Naomi decided it was best that they go to Bethlehem, her native land where she had relatives who would possibly help them.  While it was a longshot because there was no immediate family there, it was definitely a more viable option that remaining in Moab.  Here’s what I imagined happened: 

The three women were walking on the road just outside of the city limits, yes dear heart I said

walking.  Remember, there is no car or transit system.  She may have been able to scrape together enough to get connected with a camel caravan but the likelihood is slim to none.  It was probably at that moment that she had an “aha” moment and possibly thinking to herself: “I have no way of knowing what I will face when I get home.  Why would I bring these young women with me?  They have family here that can take care of them, what am I thinking?”  Outside of Naomi’s earshot I imagine Orpah secretly whispering to Ruth that she was going to miss her folks and Ruth probably tried to help Orpah see the bright side of the move, the opportunity to meet new people, experience new things but most of all, to help Naomi.  As they were walking and talking between each other they practically knocked Naomi over who had stopped all of a sudden in front of them and stood in the dusty road waiting for them to catch up to her as the tears of bitterness slipped from her eyes down her dusty cheeks, stinging her face like little needle pricks and gathered under her neck dripping to her chest.  The young women were startled but not surprised by Naomi’s tears as they had all been emotional the past few days.  After what seemed like an eternity Naomi finally said: “Go back. Go home and live with your mothers. And may God treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me. May God give each of you a new home and a new husband!” She kissed them and they cried openly.  They said, “No, we’re going on with you to your people.”

I’m out of time, we’ll have to meet the girls on the side of the road in the morning

I am totally out of time but I promise we’ll pick it up tomorrow.

In His New Excellence,

Tania Not Tanya 

I Have A Dream Too

For some reason I was really excited to get to "Purpose" yesterday, like I mean I could hardly wait for 9:30 am to arrive so I could leave my home and head to "Purpose".  It also happened to be Make It Happen Monday. I thought about what I would do to make Monday happen for someone but wasn't quite sure when or how, especially since I knew it would be pretty quiet at "Purpose" until the end of the month.  I didn't want to do the standard Starbucks or bridge toll, I wanted to do something I had never done before.  As I began to meditate, I started to imagine the ways I want to bless others especially since this is the month of New Beginnings.

The more I thought about it the more excited I became.  I started to day dream about the possibilities.  I have in my lifetime with the leading of the Holy Spirit given away: clothes, shoes, furniture, and vehicles (three to be exact) so this isn't something new to me, but I want to make an even larger impact.  I have had this dream of giving brand new vehicles away; purchasing groceries and/or items of the people in the same checkout lane as me; or picking up the tab for the entire restaurant and/or leaving a $200 tip for my server.  Obviously I would bless the body of Christ, but I also want to bless those that do not have a relationship with Christ.  Am I worried about being taken advantage of?  Absolutely not.  I have one of the most incredible security teams on the planet, the Angles of the Lord.  I'm not playing. Psalms 34:7 (NLT) says: For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.  The word "fear" in this text means to reverence or respect (the Lord) and I do both.

How is this possible?  Certainly not because of my own desires, but because God gave me that dream.  I believe in my heart that I am a Lender not a Borrower ok, let me be transparent, I believe I am going to have millions of dollars at my disposal, not to squander on me and my family.  Of course I will be a blessing to them, that would be selfish not to take care of my family, but I believe I will also have resources to advance the Kingdom of God.  Let's be straight about something, the bible is full of scriptures about money.  At least two people come to mind that were flat out wealthy:  Job and Abraham (read about them):

• Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner's wealth passes to the godly, Proverbs 13:22 (NLT);
• Beloved, I would that you would prosper in ALL things AND be in good health even as thy soul prospers.  3 John 2 (NKJV)
• .... But money answers all things.  Ecclesiastes 10:19 (NKJV),

The more I thought about it the more excited I became about the possibilities of anonymously passing the keys of a brand new car to the recipient God designates; or blessing several children from an urban community with the items they need for the upcoming school year; etc.

One of my tasks for "Purpose" yesterday was to do some research at Ikea.  Obviously I could look on line, which I did, and I could look at the free catalog I received in the mail, which I did, but I needed to see, touch, sit on and feel the items I was thinking of purchasing for "Purpose" as a prudent stewart over the funds entrusted in me.  I quickly developed a plan and decided I would leave by 1:00 pm to allow enough time for my research and everything went according to plan.  However, I still had not found a Make It Happen prospect.  Wait, do you know what Make It Happen Monday is?  You don't?  Are you sure?  You've gotta get out more,  Make it Happen Monday is on fire right now.  Practically all the people I hang out with in the morning know about it.  Hold on, I'll tell you in just a sec.

So, I find a couple of items at Ikea that I need for my home, make my way through the maze and head for check out.  I look for the shortest fastest moving line and spot one.  I place my items on the moving counter and notice a gentlemen in my peripheral vision and then I hear him speaking to a little girl.  Then I looked at the items he put on the counter.  I quickly calculated what the cost might be and I turned and struck up a conversation about the craft items.  He was all smiles which meant he had an open heart.  I then focused on the pretty little girl with him.  I asked her a question about the items which I learned were for her and she very cautiously answered me.  That didn't bother me at all, I know how to warm up to people and when I need to back off.  I heard the Lord say this is it, so I turn to the man and say:

• Me:  Did you know today is Make It Happen Monday?  
• Man:  "No, what's that?
• Me:  "Are you kidding me, you haven't heard about it?"
• Man: He chuckles and says: "no", with lot's of curiosity.
• Me:  MIHM as a new movement that's changing the way people think and operate, we find someone we want to be a blessing to and smile, speak or purchase something for the person we are assigned to.  May I purchase your items?
• Man:  Are you serious?
• Me: Yes, may I?
• Man:  "Sure, wow" and then he says to his daughter:  "What do you say?"
• Daughter:  She looks at me kind of confused (like why are you buying my stuff?) and then says: "Thank you."  
• Man:  He then says to his daughter:  "Now we have to find someone to be nice to" and then he says: How can I find out more?
• Me:  "I have a card I can give you" and I give him an invite card to the Victory Call.
• Me:  I look at the little girl in her big curious brown eyes and say: "What's your name?
• Girl:  "Ariel".
• Me:  "It's so nice to meet you.  I hope your project comes out just the way you want it.  Have a blessed day.  

Tania Not Tanya Nugget:  "Purpose" is my assignment with the ministry that God has linked me with for this season.  I am assigned to this ministry to do what I do best, HELP.  It's not a job because I am my own boss.  I do not work for anyone other than God, I am a consultant and I am assigned to HELP the body of Christ with some of my talents, which are administration, structure and organization.  Initially I took this "talent" for granted because it is so natural that I literally do it without thinking and I enjoy it so much that I lose track of time.  So when I refer to "Purpose" I am talking about one of the God-inspired gifts or talents I was blessed with by God.

As I conclude for the night, I have a couple of questions for you.  Are you working on your dream(s) or are you gonna wake up one day when life is almost over and say:  I wish I cudda, wudda, shudda?

It's not too late.

In His New Excellence


Tania Not Tanya

New Beginnings Pt. 2: The History of Eight

We left off with the last blog New Beginnings Pt. 1 with historical biblical information about the meaning or significance of the number eight (8) which signifies: new beginning, new order and new creation.  We discovered that the crucifixion of  Jesus Christ was perfect, not just because he was the Son of God as I had believed all these years, but his sacrifice was perfect because of the precise timing and implementation of all of the events that led up to the crucifixion.  For example:

·       Theologians state that Jesus was selected to be the sacrificial lamb (in the earth realm) on Nisan 10 (April 1, 30 A.D. - John 12: 27-29).  In John 12 we see

o   Jesus asking the father the rhetorical question of whether or not there was another way for the price of redemption to be paid;

o   Jesus answering that rhetorical question and reminding himself that he came to earth to die for our sins and so the Father could be glorified; and

o   The Father audibly answering and selecting him openly before the world for the assignment

·       He was crucified, buried and resurrected as he foretold all within an eight (8) day period making his sacrifice perfect and ushering in New Beginnings.  How?  The redemptive work of Christ on the cross closed the chapter on the dispensation (time period) of the Mosaic Law (e.g. the 10 Commandments with extended emphasis added in the book of Leviticus) and ushering the dispensation (time period) of Grace.  Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT): God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  

o   We cannot put salvation on lay-away, get a hook-up, buy, steal, charge or work for it.  Going door to door, standing at supermarkets giving magazines away will not earn you a spot.  Salvation is FREE.  Jesus paid it all.  We are to work out our soul’s salvation, building the kingdom, etc. but we cannot buy/earn it.  Working for and working out salvation are two different acts altogether.

Under the Mosaic Law every male child was required to be circumcised on the eighth (8^th) day of life as an outward sign of the covenant between God and his chosen people.  Acts 7:8 (NLT) God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.  However, Colossians 2:11-13 speaks of the circumcised heart.  Once we accept Christ he cuts away the old sinful nature (if we allow him to do so).   The outward sign of the covenant between God and us (his chosen people of the dispensation of Grace) is the evidence in the change of lifestyle.  Not because we have to, cause you don’t have to do nothing but stay black (brown, white, red or other), die and pay taxes.  No ma’am, no sir, but because we want to. 

We ended the blog mid-stream after hearing about the things we should no longer do as heart circumcised believers, not based upon rules from a church or religious organization, but based upon the Holy word of God.  Now why is God imposing such strict restrictions on us?  Let’s examine that question: 

·       God is not imposing anything unrealistic on anyone.  We have a free will of choice.  We can either abide by the word of God and be blessed for everything we give up to follow him or we can decline.  The choice is ours to make, however, everything costs something.

·       God paid a very high price for our salvation, his only son was offered as a ransom for us.  What do I mean?  Sin kidnapped us and had no intention of releasing us until God said I love (what’s your name) enough that I’m willing to pay the price for our freedom.  1 Corinthians 6:20 (NLT):  For God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

·       God has the very best of everything you can imagine laid aside just for you, but it’s conditional, you’ve got to be willing to give him your entire heart, broken, guarded, shattered, torn as it is.  All of it.  Even the little pieces of your heart that are tucked away neatly out of sight, that piece too.

Rather than ask why God would impose his will on you, a more appropriate question would be, how much are you willing to pay to continue to live your life on your terms?

But what does any of this have to do with New Beginnings?  Everything.  This is actually where we left off yesterday.   To live as a new creation according to 2 Corinthians 5:17 we must be willing to allow Christ to circumcise our heart and we must be willing to do our part.  What is our part?

·        Ephesians 4:25-32:  ²⁵ So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. ²⁶ And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ for anger gives a foothold to the devil.  ²⁸ If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. ²⁹ Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. ³⁰ And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.  ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Notice the text doesn’t blame any of the above activities on the devil, nor does it say that God is going to “take” lies, anger, rage, bitterness, harsh words, slander, all types of evil behavior, etc. from us.  Instead we have to accept responsibilities for our actions and stop the negative learned behaviors some of which are survival tactics.  When we STOP, when we voluntarily give those things up, God will bless us for our obedience.

I realize it’s a lot easier to blame our defeated lives and drama on the devil, but as of today we can no longer do so because you have been enlightened.  We have a role to play in our delivery but we are not responsible for delivering ourselves.  What is the role?  Ephesian 4:25-31 above.  Once we stop that gives God permission to go, meaning that, he can now completely deliver us from our “stuff and put us in the vehicle bound for our journey to New Beginnings.  Make a decision to tell the truth, decide not to get angry, shut your mouth, we don’t have to go so hard in the paint that they need paint thinner to dilute it (the paint), cuss the world out and demonstrate you’re big bad Sally with an even bigger attitude.  What do we look like fighting, cussing people out, telling people off with a complete neck roll with a bible in one hand, I love Jesus scarf, bumper sticker, tee-shirt, earrings and tote bag.  Really?  Do you realize how ridiculous we look and sound goin’ ham on somebody because they got your McDonald’s order wrong, stole your parking spot, cut you off in a passing lane, or whatever else could happen?   At the end of the day as bad as you think you are, there is somebody bigger, badder and crazier that can whip your tail.  But what is most devastating is the fact that when we act up, we grieve the Holy Spirt, we put Christ to an open shame.

I’m still talking about New Beginnings, I’m not lost at all, but I am out of time.  We’ll pick it up tomorrow, but let me close on this.  God loves us right where we are, he just doesn’t want us to stay where we are, which is why you are (ON THIS CALL, READING THE BLOG).   Once you have been exposed to the truth, you no longer have the excuse of “I didn’t know”.  My job is to share the truth with you.  What you do with it is left up to you, but the one thing you will not be able to do after today is to use the excuse of “I didn’t know God.”  That excuse has been officially eliminated.  Now it’s time to do something about what you have learned.

In His New Excellence,

Tania Not Tanya

New Beginnings Pt. 1: The History of Eight (8)

4+4=8           1+7=8          3+5=8

   E I G H T 

any way you add it up

The number eight (8) biblically represents a new beginning, meaning a new order or creation, and man's true 'born again' event when he is resurrected from the dead into eternal life.

·         Dead meaning spiritually dead to sin, not in the physical realm.

Perfect Sacrifice

Like the Old Testament Passover lamb, Jesus was selected as the Lamb to take away man's sins on the Hebrew day of Nisan 10 (April 1, 30 A.D. - John 12: 27–29). “Right now I am storm-tossed. And what am I going to say? ‘Father, get me out of this’? No, this is why I came in the first place. I’ll say, ‘Father, put your glory on display.’” A voice came out of the sky: “I have glorified it, and I’ll glorify it again.” ²⁹ The listening crowd said, “Thunder!” Others said, “An angel spoke to him!” ^30-33 Jesus said, “The voice didn’t come for me but for you. At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me.” He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death.

·         This text covers the Passover season just prior to Jesus death when he was greatly troubled about the upcoming crucifixion but he settles himself with the resolve that the crucifixion is the very reason he is on earth; Jesus prays to God (in essence for help, confirmation if you will) and the Father answers with a thunderous voice which his followers heard.  He then tells them of his impending death but it goes right over their heads.

He was crucified on Nisan 14 (Wednesday, April 5 in 30 A.D.). His resurrection occurred, exactly as he stated, three days and three nights after he was buried, which was at the end of the weekly Sabbath day that fell on Nisan 17 (seventeen symbolizes victory). Nisan 17 was also the eighth day, counting inclusively, from the time Christ was selected as man's sacrificial Lamb. All this bears record of Jesus' perfect sacrifice and His complete victory over death.

Physical Circumcision

According to The Mosaic Law boys were to be circumcised on the eight (8^th) day of life. The number eight (8) in this context symbolizes circumcision of the heart through Christ and the receiving of the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:28-29, Colossians 2:11-13).

·         For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. ²⁹ No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.  Romans 2:28-29 (NLT)

·         When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature, ¹² For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.  ¹³ You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. Colossians 2:11-13 (NLT)

Those in Christ are a new creation, with godly character being created by the power of God's Spirit:

·         This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

·         For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

·         Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. ²⁴ Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:23-24 (NLT)

The Ephesians scriptures above almost sound contradictory, but if we look a little closer we see they are not:  

·         Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s masterpiece, he created us the way we are on purpose so we can attract the people assigned to our life’s journey.  Our lives God…; “how could God have ….”; “I thought God loved ….”.  Let me stop you before you get started.  We are going to stop whining about what we perceive is/is not fair (yes, me included).  Do you remember the story of Joseph?  Does your stuff compare to his in any shape, form or fashion.  Press pause, while you think about it, go ahead, I’ll wait while you have your Selah moment.  (10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1) Yeah, No, I didn’t think so.  Again, we’re not going to whine about the PROCESS (because that’s all it is, nothing more, nothing less).  Instead we’re gonna dig our heals in, learn the lesson and go through it (the PROCESS).  We’re not gonna pull over, park, get out of the vehicle and stake our claim.  We’re going through, we’re not moving to Drama Lane permanently.  The sooner we understand that point, the sooner we will get it (the PROCESS) and move on, refined in the newness that only our process will produce.  

·         Ephesians 4:23-24 advises that we allow the Spirit of Christ us.  If we don’t allow him to renew us he won’t force himself and therein lies part of the problem.  We don’t give him permission to “renew our thoughts and attitudes”.  We become “frozen” like Pastor Dave talked about.  The bible also calls it being Lukewarm.  The role we have to play in the newness is putting on the new nature of God.

Tania Not Tanya nugget:  I am not diminishing your stuff.  If you are anything like me my stuff was so heavy that if I wasn’t sure of who God was and my faith and confidence in him, I would have literally given up.  That’s real talk right there.  But I knew in my heart that God WAS NOT unjust, unfair, mean, manipulative or an insensitive lying God.  At one point on my process journey (not that long ago either) all I had was my faith in God.  Some of the people that I thought loved me as much as I loved them betrayed me and it cut deep, so deep that the only soothing balm was the word of God and his voice when he would console me at night as I soaked the pillows I was using  with the hurt that leaked from my heart, worked its way up to my tear ducts, slipped out of my closed eyes and down my brown cheeks landing on pillows that weren’t even mine while I stuffed the screams of anguish that I wanted so desperately to release but could not.  So I know some of our drama is very deep but it is also very necessary in order to get us in the vehicle or keep us in the vehicle that will be used on the road of our journey which leads to purpose.  That’s what I need you to get dear heart.

Look what Ephesians 4 says about the new nature:

·      So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.  And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.  If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.  Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.  And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

I am totally out of time but I promise we’ll pick it up tomorrow.

In His New Excellence,

Tania Not Tanya