All posts by Brittany Lyons

A follower of Christ, occasional blogger, teacher and world traveler who makes sense of the world through many many words.
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Forget the Easter Bunny, Just Give Me The Lamb

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Saturday, April 8, 2023

Message: The Passover Lamb

All scriptures taken from Bible Gateway and are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise indicated.

Today we will explore the connection between the Passover Lamb in the book of Exodus and Jesus Christ. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 400 years, but God promised to set them free. He gave them very specific instructions to prepare for His rescue. 

God told them to choose a spotless one year old male goat or sheep. At the same moment, together, everyone in the community was to slaughter their goat or sheep. They were to immediately paint a strip of blood from the animal’s body over the doorposts of their homes. And then they were to roast the animal and share the meal with their families in their own homes. When they were finished, they were instructed to burn everything that was remaining. No leftovers were allowed. Once God gave the instructions, Moses ordered the men to do this. He said everyone must stay inside their homes until morning while God strikes down the Egyptians who were enslaving them. Remember the wickedness that Pharaoh was doing to the Israelites. When Moses was a baby, Pharaoh ordered all the males to be murdered at birth – but God rescued Moses. Moses was saved for a purpose, and this was his first task: to lead them out of Egypt after the first Passover.

Exodus 12:23: “For the Lord will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.”

The angel of the Lord caused the firstborn sons of Egypt to die–in every household who did not have the blood of the lamb painted over their door frames. But every family who obeyed God’s instructions for this feast and covered their door frames with the blood of a spotless lamb or goat, was safe from death. 

Because of this, Pharaoh’s own son died, and he finally told the Israelites to go. After 400 years of slavery, they were free. It took a miracle of God and faithfulness to God for this rescue mission to succeed. 

In Hebrews 10:1, a book that was written after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to Heaven, it says this: “The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. / The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.”

Colossians 2:17 echoes this: “For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.”

There were many sacrifices in the Old Testament, many steps that the Israelites had to take in order to worship God. However, the New Testament tells us that these things were shadows or previews of the real thing.

When you stand in a partially sunny space, your shadow can be seen on the ground. Is that shadow real? Yes. Is it you?  No. You are flesh and bone, not a shadow.

The sacrifices in the Old Testament were shadows of the true sacrifice that was going to come. They were symbols.

What (or who) was the symbolism of the passover lamb and its blood on the doorposts? 

Jesus.

The prophecies of the Old Testament told of a coming Messiah, one who would be King of Israel and rescue her people. One who would make a way for ALL people on earth to come to God. Jesus is that coming King. Yet, as prophesied, he would have to suffer and die as part of His rescue mission. Isaiah 53 speaks in detail of this. Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (NIV)”

Isaiah 53:7 says, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, he did not open his mouth. (NIV)”

In John 1:29, John calls Jesus “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus is the real sacrifice. He lived a perfect spotless life, like the spotless lamb.

Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. His blood was shed, and those who come to God through Jesus are saved from eternal destruction–just like the lamb’s blood that was put over the doorposts of the Israelites. When the angel of death went through the city, those covered by the lamb’s blood were saved. 

The Word of God is rich and filled with treasures available for all who sincerely seek to know the truth. (Hebrews 11:6, John 8:31-32, Matthew 7:8)

In John 10:9, Jesus says, “Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

Jesus is the gate to God. And accepting His sacrifice is the way through the gate. Just like the sacrifice of the lamb and the blood on the doorway was the only way to be saved from the angel of death.

On the night before Jesus was arrested to be sacrificed on the cross, He celebrated Passover with his disciples. This is where the symbolism of the first Passover becomes very clear to us.

Matthew 26:26 says, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Note the rich connection between the first Passover and what we now call, communion, the moment we come together corporately to remember what Jesus has done for us.

Soon after, Jesus was arrested, tortured, nailed to a cross, died, and was placed in a tomb. 

I believe that every rescue mission in the Bible points directly to Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through Him (John 14:6). 

This is Easter weekend. This is a time when Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is also Passover week. This is a time when Jews and some Christians celebrate the rescue of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. For it was after the first passover that Pharaoh sent the Egyptians away, where God parted the seas to lead them out of slavery.

But we must remember the most important part of all of this: we worship a LIVING GOD. We do not worship a dead God! (Matthew 16:16, Jeremiah 10:10) 

Three days after Jesus’ death and burial, in Matthew 28 it says: “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.  4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

Jesus was raised from the dead. Because He is God, He could not be imprisoned by death and is worthy of our worship just like the women worshiped him after his resurrection. It is because of His resurrection that we can know that He is the one true and living God. 

Today, we celebrate that Jesus is the true Passover lamb, and we can all be passed over from eternal death if we put our faith in Him–and He has proven that He is worthy of our trust. 

He lived a perfect, spotless life. He is the lamb.

He died a sacrificial death to save us. He is the lamb.

And He rose again. He is greater than a lamb. It was a shadow.

Those of us who put our trust in Him, will rise again as well on the last day when He comes to take us home (John 6:40).

I pray that you will meditate on the richness of Jesus’s identity today, his identity as the lamb, and that His love will dwell in your hearts and enable you to love others deeply.

If you haven’t called upon the name of Jesus as your Savior. Let it be today.

Amen.

Bible, Christianity, Daily Faith, Faith, Jesus

Ephesians 2:1-10

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Sermon: March 11, 2023

EPHESIANS PART 4

Sermon for Trinity Christian Fellowship – March 11
All Scripture is taken from BibleGateway.com, NLT

Over the past three weeks we explored Ephesians 1 and its message: that we have been united with all believers in Jesus Christ through the power of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. He took pleasure in sacrificing for us and it was His plan from the beginning to unite us as His family. Because of Jesus, we have power from the Holy Spirit to overcome evil. That is the power of the gospel. 

Today, we will explore more of what this means as we study Ephesians 2. 

Ephesians 2:1-10 is about how we were made alive through Christ. 

Verse 2-3 tells us who we were before Christ. I think as Christians we sometimes forget where we came from. Or if we don’t have a dramatic change then we may not fully understand how bad it was and how in danger we were of turning down a dark path.

Ephesians 1:2: Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

So who were we?

First, we were dead. We had no spiritual life, no eternal life. We were made of simple flesh that was going to pass away one day. 

Why were we dead? Paul says it was because of our disobedience and many sins. He explains that the devil is the one who influences and commands the unseen world – that is likely the evil spirits. He also says that this devil is the spirit that works in the hearts of the ungodly. Those who refuse to obey God.

If it seems like there is an evil authority over some people, it is because there is. The enemy, the devil, is working in this world according to the Bible. 

In verse 2, he reminds the church that they used to live that way – which was following the sinful desires of the flesh. That means that our sinful desires are desires that are influenced by satan. That should put us on high alert.

Do you ever feel pulled to do evil? Do you ever feel like you want to sin? To do things that you know are wrong and that God would not approve of? 

Paul says that they, and by extension, you and I before we knew Christ, used to live that way. We USED TO obey our flesh. It was natural for us to do this.

This is the key word: WE USED TO. 

Let’s look at verses 4-6: But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 

Something amazing happened when Jesus was raised from the dead. When God raised Christ from the dead, He also raised us from the dead! Of course we will die one day, but because we have been united with Christ Jesus by following Him, He will raise us like He raised Christ! 

That is a huge gift and it is because he loved us so much even when we were sinning. He wanted to rescue us. He had compassion on us. We did nothing to deserve his salvation, but it is by His grace that we will be saved and resurrected on the last day!

Why? Ephesians 2:7 says, So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

Remember that Paul is speaking to the church of Ephesus. He is telling them that God will be able to point to them in future ages as examples. WE – Trinity Christian Fellowship (or any other listener or reader!)– are part of that future age! The people of the church of Ephesus, who Paul is writing to, were not Jews! They were gentiles. They were people who were strangers to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the knowledge of the coming messiah, but were saved anyway! Just like us! God called them and used them as an immediate audience for scripture that continues to teach us to this day. And you and I are just like them. We were strangers to the good news for so long, but we are included in the resurrection! Praise God!

And just in case we don’t fully understand what Paul has said so far about this being a gift from God, not something we deserve, he repeats his ideas in Ephesians 2:8: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 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.

Whenever something is repeated in scripture, we need to pay special attention. This letter repeats the message: Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. We cannot go around and say, “God chose me because I was just a good person and he wanted to save me.” NO. That is not true.

If we seem like good people, it is because of God’s supernatural power working in our hearts to enable us to overcome our flesh and to overcome the influence of the devil. The devil influences the hearts of those who don’t follow Jesus, but we who follow Jesus, have access to the Holy Spirit to overcome that temptation. 

We are NOT GOOD. HE is good, and He is in us. Hallelujah that He is in us!

Verse 10 reminds us that we do good because He planned those things for us to do. We were not saved because of our good works; we do good works because are saved!

Let’s tell the world that He is good and He can do good in all who humbly say yes to Him. Go and tell the world why you are as you are and why you are not as you once were – give the credit to Jesus and let’s make disciples of Phnom Penh and the world! 

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Searching for Peace

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11.19.22

Jesus says in John 16:33  I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Do you ever feel like life is just one big storm, beating you down over and over again. You overcome one obstacle and have some peace only to be confronted with another obstacle a few days, weeks, or months later. Does life leave you exasperated, breathless, exhausted?

The past few years of my life have felt overwhelming. Unexpected sicknesses with family, dealing with difficult legal matters and the court system, conflict between people I love.

It isn’t just the big things like injustice and persecution though. I struggle to keep up with the regular routine chores that we all have to do: working, cleaning, caring for pets, being a good friend, planning for the future, being a good son or daughter. 

I also look around and see my friends struggling. Injustice is plentiful. The innocent are constantly being persecuted and hurt. The guilty continue to rise to the top of the success hierarchy. So much seems unjust and unfair. And sometimes it leaves me breathless.

Does life ever feel like an endless cycle of responsibilities and struggle? Do you ever feel like you are just constantly searching for peace, waiting for everything to calm down? 

And if life does settle down, it all starts back over again after a while. 

I was pondering my struggle with this when I read this social media prayer from a Christian organization:

The beginning of the message said, “A prayer for the girl feeling empty and exhausted at the end of her days.” I thought, yes, I need to read that prayer!

Here is the prayer:

“God, I’m so exhausted from all of the responsibilities, tasks, and obligations I have to keep up with everyday. It’s a constant juggling act and I’m so very tired from trying to keep up with it all on my own. I confess that in the midst of my busy schedule, I often forget to invite you in. I try to do it all on my own and fail to ask you for help. Before I take on a new day tomorrow, would you give me peace and rest in your presence tonight? Fill me up and give me the strength and wisdom to know when to stop and ask for your help. I need you tonight, tomorrow, and every day after that. Lord, Amen.”

God used this prayer to remind me that I am not alone in my daily struggle to deal with the pressures of life.

The first two verses of Psalm 91 speak to this:

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 

2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Throughout scripture, storms, both literal and figurative rage around the people of God. In the beginning of the Bible, Adam and Eve are tempted by the serpent. I am sure that in the middle of the consequences of their sin, they thought, “If only temptation had never come! If only we could still be sitting in the presence of God we could have perfect peace.” I am sure they yearned for the peace they previously had–for the rest of their lives.

Noah, one man who trusted God out of the whole world, was probably not excited to spend his years building an ark for a storm that no one else believed would ever come and that he had no real evidence could come. He was criticized and he toiled with his hands for years – and even when the storm came and he and his family were saved from the worldwide flood, he had to start over, just like Adam, rebuilding society. He got very little rest from life’s challenges in his lifetime.

The Israelits spent hundreds of years in slavery and were expected to pursue relationship with God through it all. Even when they were finally rescued from Egypt by God through Moses, they weren’t immediately given rest. They walked through the desert for decades and faced lessons and consequences for repeated sins. Their life was hard. They got very little rest from daily difficulty in their lifetime.

Esther, the Jewish girl God used to rescue the Jewish people from complete destruction was kidnapped from her home, imprisoned by a wicked king, made one of many women to be used for his selfish pleasure as a concubine. She must have been terrified. God allowed her to be there for a specific purpose – the king’s heart was influenced to accept her as his wife, so she became queen. As queen she had influence over the King’s mind and choices, and the entire Jewish people were saved from being murdered. However, while we love to read about Queen Esther, she had to lose her ordinary life, her innocence, and her dignity. She did not live a life of peace and rest, but she maintained her faith. Her life had purpose–but she did not have rest from conflict and stress.

Paul–once he accepted Jesus and began living his life to glorify God was beaten, put in prison, beaten again, put in prison again, shipwrecked on an island, beaten again, put in prison again – and yet, He continued to pursue Jesus and had joy in his heart. Through his consistent reliance on the Holy Spirit to meet his needs (physical and spiritual) he wrote the words in the Bible that feed our souls and lead us to the truth that gives us eternal life to this very day.

Jesus, who was at rest with God the Father, left His place of perfect peace, where conflict does not rule and money is not needed to buy food and shelter to come to this difficult earth. He toiled. He built things. He was a carpenter. He lived an ordinary life for a long time, and through it he sought His peace from God the Father. Jesus, an innocent man, our perfect God who came into the world in the flesh– came to rescue us from eternal destruction. He showed us how to live and how to find true peace – by placing our trust in the one true God through Jesus. And in it all, He was beaten. Abandoned. Imprisoned. Beaten. Spat on. Betrayed. And killed on a cross. Jesus, who did not deserve any punishment, was punished and through it all, He remained steady and focused on His eternal purpose – which was to die, be raised from the grave three days later, and then ascend to Heaven to show us what would happen to us if we follow Him– we will be raised from the grave and ascend to heaven one day if we put our trust in Jesus.

So what does all of this show us? The men and women of the Bible did not live lives that were easy. They had to work daily to eat, have shelter, and help their neighbors – just like us. They faced difficulty and hardship. They had people fighting all around them, sometimes physically fighting and attacking them. 

I yearn for peace. I yearn for rest. But so did they. God does not promise us a life of ease. He never said that we will have long stretches of time where there is no conflict. What He does is promise to be our peace through the difficulty.

Jesus left his disciples with these words in John 16:31. Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Jesus says we will have troubles and sorrows in this world. This should be expected. But He already overcame the world and when we live in Him, we will overcome it as well in the end. What He promises us is peace knowing that we are eternally secure in Jesus.

When the troubles come, let’s fix our minds on Jesus.

In Philippians 4:8-9 Paul urges us: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Let’s close with the words of Jesus from John 14:27: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

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Everyone is Okay

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11.5.22

Genre: Creative Nonfiction/Short Story based on actual events

By Brittany Lyons

The walls are an orangy pink. But I can’t see them, not very well because the room is dark. They brought me back here and told me to wait. My daughter will be out of surgery soon, and I need to just wait. I don’t understand why the doctor hasn’t returned to update me. No one else is here. Is she alright? I’ll grab that doctor by his carotid and squeeze the life out of him when I see him.

If they just let me out of this damn room. 

I call my grandaughter. The one who takes care of me. No answer. Why doesn’t anyone answer their damn phone anymore? 

I call my other granddaughter. It’s her mother anyway. She should be here. She can tell me where I am. 

Why won’t she answer. I push dial again. Again. Again. 

I open my eyes. It’s so dark. Why am I in this room? The pasty white walls are barely visible. My palms are sweaty. My fingertips are so cold, they ache.

The phone rings. “Oh my dear sweet granddaughter.”

“Grandma, are you okay? It’s 3:00 in the morning there and I have missed calls from you.”

“They brought me to this hospital room and told me to wait.”

“Hospital? Why? Who are you with?”

“Your mom is having surgery and they brought me back to this room and told me to wait. Where am I? Why is it so dark?”

Her voice is sweet. Tender. 

“Let me call you back…” The phone goes silent. Why won’t the doctor come? Where is my daughter? I want an update!

The phone rings.

“Hi grandma, this is a video call. Can you hold the phone up so I can see you? …No, I’m looking at your ear. It’s a video call. Hold the phone out in front of your face.”

What a strange kind of call. Hold the phone out? I obey.

“Where am I?”

“Turn the phone around so I can see the room.”

“Grandma, you are okay. Look around, you are in your apartment.”

“What!” How can she tell me I am in my apartment? Everybody is always telling me where I am and what I’m doing. This is shit. Heat pushes itself through my cheeks; my stomach feels like coals are sitting in it. 

“It’s okay grandma. Tell me what you see. Look closely.” Her voice is so sweet. My sweet granddaughter.

I look around, blink a few times. It feels familiar. Vaguely familiar. That looks just like my TV. And my fire place. How did they get my fire place here? Photos of familiar but strange faces are hanging on the wall across from me. My family, I reassure myself. I look down. They even replicated my green chair.

“Oh this does look like my apartment. How did they make a room look exactly like my apartment? But your mother!”

“My mom is fine. She’s just fine. I just talked to her on the phone. She’s doing great. Just wait there. Everything will be okay.”

Everything will be okay. She’s okay. That’s wonderful. That’s all I want is to know that she will be okay. That everyone will be okay. 

“Are you sure she is okay?”

“She is okay. You are okay. I am okay. Everyone is okay.”

Bible, Christianity, Daily Faith, Faith, Jesus

Listen Twice, Speak Once: Part 1

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This is a written adaptation of a sermon given virtually to Trinity Christian Fellowship in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on October 08, 2022. Khmer Translation provided on site.

Listen to this message here.

This week, we had a fire drill at work. It was a practice fire drill with only the teachers so that when we have one with the students the teachers will know how to help them. Our boss gave us each a map of where to stand, and based on my understanding of the map, I started helping to arrange teachers. Then, my boss came along and moved people. I began to playfully, but seriously argue with him about where we should stand based on what the map says. Then he showed me part of the map that I had not noticed, proving that I was wrong. Of course I was wrong. He made the map!

It was a friendly conversation, and he suggested that maybe I should listen more. And he’s right.

I am often quick to voice my understanding of an issue and later find out that I only have some of the information. I need to listen better. And I think that most of us need to listen better.

In fact, scripture speaks of listening much more than we speak over and over again. Scripture even gives warnings, suggesting that we talk too much when we have not listened enough–and when we don’t listen enough we make judgements that are often wrong. And when we make judgements that are often wrong, we become angry very quickly. And when we are quick to anger, we are often quick to sin. So listening at least twice as much as we speak helps prevent us from falling into sin. As many have said, “We have two ears and one mouth for a reason!”

Let’s examine what the scriptures say about this:

James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

 So why is it so important to be quick to listen? Not listening is the beginning of a path that leads to sin, and that is dangerous. Not listening is the opposite of humility–it’s related to pride.

Matthew 7:21 says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

It is God’s will that we do the will of the Father. That is how his true disciples will be identified from false disciples. And we have to listen to Him to find out what His will is.

So what is the will of God? James 1:27 says, Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Caring for orphans and widows, not letting the world corrupt us. Those are clear directions and it sounds a lot like the greatest commandment Jesus gave us in Matthew. 

Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

How is this all connected? 

We are called to do the will of the Lord. We are called to pursue justice and be merciful. That is love. That is the will of God. We are called to do as He does. And we learn that by listening first with our two ears.

Do you know what else God does that we are supposed to also do? He Listens. 

Even God listens. God spends so much time listening to us, people who are so far beneath Him, who know so much less than Him, who are so much less intelligent and loving and capable than Him. But God is humble and gentle enough to listen to you and I day after day. 

Psalm 116:1-2 I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

 Psalm 34:15 ESV The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Here, Jesus is telling us to speak to Him–so He can listen. He wants to listen. We should want to listen too!

God is not asking us to do anything He does not practice Himself with listening. He is our greatest model. He listens to His people. And He listens, not just so He can tell us how we are wrong. He listens with compassion.

If God, creator of the universe listens to our cries and responds, how much more must we listen to others and respond. And how much more must we listen to God? How much more grace and mercy do we owe one another?

We do not have all the answers. We do not know what other people are feeling or how they are experiencing or feeling about events even if we were part of the event. We must remember that we have two ears and one mouth for a reason.

There is a proverb, a rule for carpenters when building a house: Measure twice, cut once. If you measure once, or worse, if you don’t measure at all and then cut a piece of wood, it will be the wrong size. You will waste materials and time and money. But if you measure it multiple times and make sure you really understand, then you will be accurate as you cut the wood.

It is the same as listening. When we speak before we understand a situation fully, we will make mistakes. Our decisions will be based on incomplete information. We must listen, ask questions, all to try to truly understand before speaking. 

James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 

And may we all grow in Godly communication, and through that love one another better.

Next week, I hope to explore the rest of the list: speaking and anger.

Christianity, Daily Faith, eternity, Faith, Jesus

Whosoever: A Call to Wake Up

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This is a written adaptation of a sermon given virtually to Trinity Christian Fellowship in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on August 20, 2022. Khmer Translation provided on site.

Scripture Passage (Ephesians 5:5-20)

Lord, what are you showing me today. 

Last night, I could not sleep. I tossed and I turned. When I finally fell asleep, I had nightmares. It felt like I was having them all night. 

My dream was filled with a combination of people from different parts of my life and possibly TV characters. In my dream, I went to bed, and when I woke up “the next morning,” it was a year later. I didn’t know what had happened. I was terrified. I had been in some kind of unconscious state for one year. It happened over and over again, like a nightmare. And each time I woke up in my dream, another year had passed, and all the people in my life from my past felt more and more distant from and resigned to me.

My life was being wasted because I kept going unconscious. I couldn’t control it. There were moments in my dream where I was in danger. I had no control over who was in charge of taking care of me while I was asleep for a year, and it seemed like different people from my life took turns. The first time I woke up, my teaching colleague from ten years ago was my caretaker. Another time, some friends from college. And usually, it wasn’t even the people in my life I was closest to.

It was a very unsettling dream.

It makes me think though: how much of my life am I letting slip away because of intentional or unintentional laziness, lack of effort, or just not realizing how important each moment is. How far from my life’s purpose am I at any given moment?

How much of your life do you let slip away? 

Are we walking through life like I was in my dream, as a dreamer, unaware of the situations around us – unaware of how we could be doing good and serving the Lord? Or are we awake and alert to what God is doing and what God is asking each of do? 

There are so many moments in the Bible where we are told to wake up. And not just to be awake, but to be alert. To be ready.

Ephesians 5:5-20 explores this more fully, but here is a snapshot:

Ephesians 5:10-14 (NLT) Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,

rise up from the dead,

 and Christ will give you light.”

We are instructed to be awake. To rise from the dead as Christ will give us light. Well we know we are not physically dead. Paul, who wrote this passage, is talking to believers who are very much alive. A few chapters earlier, he says this to the same audience:

Ephesians 2:2-7 (NLT)

2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

This is the death we are reminded over and over again in the Bible to awake from. The death of sin. If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and follow Him, sin should be dead to us. We should be obedient to Christ instead of obedient to Satan. We have the power to say no to those desires that come up in us that are evil. 

The passage also says,

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

Because of Jesus, we are free to wake up from the darkness and walk with Christ, in holiness. And He wants us to. He calls His people to wake up and look to Him over and over again.

Thousands of years before the book of Ephesians was written, Isaiah 52:1 says:

Awake, awake,
put on your strength, O Zion;
Put put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for the uncircumcised and the unclean will not come into you anymore.

And Isaiah 60:1-3 says:

1 “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
    For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.
2 Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,
    but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.
3 All nations will come to your light;
    mighty kings will come to see your radiance.

Malachi 4:1-2 says:

1 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all. 2“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.[b] And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. 3

Romans 13:11 tells us to wake up”

11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

The Lord wants His people to be awake. To be alert. To live life on purpose. To make intentional choices and not just follow the crowd. We have a calling. The rest of the Ephesians 5 passage tells us why we are to do these things:

Paul says, 

7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

This is our job as Christians right now. Each and every one of us. To live as examples for all future generations – and of course for our current generation. 

Remember the love you have found in Christ: His provision, His defense, His protection. Being sons and daughters of the creator of the universe –- these things are gifts from God for you–-but they are not just for you. God wants this for all people. 

John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world. (Not just certain people in the world, but the whole world)
That he gave His only begotten son.
That whosoever believes in Him
Shall not perish but have everlasting life.

WHOSOEVER. 

God does not discriminate. He accepts WHOSOEVER believes in Him.

He wants the young and innocent children.
He wants the greedy businessmen and politicians.
He wants the violent criminals.

Yes, our God is God of grace and mercy. He wants every person to leave behind their life of sin and follow Him. He is ready to accept WHOSOEVER believes in Him.

That includes you. Your best friend. Your worst enemy.

We need to awaken and live in the light so that all of our current generation of people can see what God is doing in our lives, so that they can understand that God can do the same thing in their lives. That is how we change the world. That is how we build the Kingdom of Heaven. That is how we live out the Kingdom of Heaven while still on earth.

Call on the name of Jesus. Cling to Him. Wake up.

New Living Translation Bible. (2022). Bible Gateway Online. https://biblegateway.com

King James Version Bible. (2022). Bible Gateway Online. https://biblegateway.com

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The Lies, But God

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For an audio recording of this poem, click here.

The lies
But God

YOU opened up my eyes
To dig deep within
YOU showed me the truth embedded in
My experiences
My programming

The lies
The enemy lied to me when I was but a young little girl–
My hopes and dreams were dashed because the enemy stole the truth and replaced it with a lie
And the web of lies continued and multiplied 
And took so many years–

BUT GOD
YOU are the healer and my story
Is yours
I’m yours.
The liar tried to steal my peace. My innocence. My light. My love. My joy. My hope.
Through lies.
But YOU my God, my healer
Are destroying the disguise
The demise of the tempter
Is coming soon
Forever

But I don’t have to wait for hope
For now YOU break the curse
The lies

YOU--Holy Spirit
Dwelling deep inside
Are revealing every secret and
Exposing every lie
And teaching me the truth that 
I could never quite understand
That I’m free

I’m not trapped.

I have a voice
To rejoice
Not to be be silent
Not to be private
Not to repeat the tempter’s lies.
I am protected
I am accepted
I am loved
And nothing done on this earth
Can destroy the works of God.
The work You started 
You will complete
This – You guarantee.

So all with ears to hear please hear
Open up your eyes
The tempter once deceived you
And set your life of pain in motion
But the answers to your questions
Can only now be found in Christ.

You are chosen 
You are adopted
You are accepted
You have new life
You are redeemed
You are esteemed
You are forgiven
Will you choose Christ?

--------------------------
By BD Lyons, May 29, 2022
Bible, Christianity, Daily Faith, eternity, Faith, Inspiration, Inspirational, Jesus, Travel

Chasing the Sun

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1 Corinthians 1:12 

For now we see in a mirror dimly,
but then face to face
Now I know in part,     
but then I will know fully,    
 even as I have been fully known.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve had a vision of this peaceful, green, sparkling forest. The grass is soft and a deep emerald (green) color. The air is cool and the sun is warm. Birds chirp and sing all around. There are no mosquitoes or snakes lurking underneath the bushes. Crystal water shimmers in the distance. 

I feel light. There is no stress or fear or any physical problem. I breathe easily. 

There are deer around, and when I look at them, they look happily back at me. My heart is warm. I’m happy beyond my imagination.

This is my dream place.

I am always and have always wanted PERFECTION, to live in paradise. I think this is what most people in America want when they retire or vacation. 

Maybe your idea of the perfect place is different from mine. Maybe it involves white sand and clear blue beaches or snowy mountains. 

However, the thing that remains the same between all of our paradise dreams is that we CAN NEVER QUITE CAPTURE IT.

Even if we make it to a tropical paradise, we have to return to our normal lives. Even the person who gets to live in a beautiful place will not appreciate it, and will start looking for a NEW KIND OF PARADISE. 

As humans, we are never fully satisfied. Even if we have the perfect moment, surrounded by our loved ones, it will soon come to an end. Tears will come. So will death. The perfect simply cannot last in our human lives.

One day several years ago, I was driving across the United States. I saw the most beautiful sunset in front of me. It was huge and bright orange. The beauty of that sunset captured my attention. I had been driving in my car for several days, only stopping at night to sleep. (Driving across the United States takes a LONG time… it’s a HUGE country!) I was hundreds of kilometers from my friend’s house, where I was going, but all I cared about was that sunset! 

After a few moments, the sun disappeared. It was hiding behind TALL buildings and clouds. The road was turning, so sometimes the sun was behind me. I kept turning onto different roads, just trying to see the sun again, but no matter how many turns I made, I just could NOT see it again. It was gone. I was not following my map anymore! I was turning onto different streets based on where the sun seemed to be hiding.

I will never forget how beautiful the sunset was that evening. Do you know what else I will never forget? I will never forget that after one short glance at the sunset, I never actually saw it again. 

I call that the day that I was literally CHASING THE SUN. 

While driving on that road, looking for the sun, God whispered a message to my heart”

“See, I’ve just given you a glimpse of my glory. You got to see it for a moment, but you will not be able to look at it for very long while you are still in THIS earthly life. My full glory is reserved for eternity. You will see it when I come and take you home. Until then, treasure the glimpses of my beauty that I show you. Pay attention. I show them to you more than you realize. And always remember that THIS WORLD IS NOT YOUR HOME.”

God used a moment of natural beauty to show me how beautiful He is. 

I realized that all those moments where I had stared into the beauty of God’s creation and hoped for my own peaceful, green, sparkling forest, and those moments where I experienced deep love from other people and felt the warmth in my heart of God’s love… all of those wonderful moments were just small glimpses of God’s glory. They were an appetizer before a meal. They were meant to help me see Him and desire Him! They were all gifts. 

I knew then that I would never capture perfect paradise in this life. I realized that the American Dream and “Happily Ever After” like in a fairy tale was not my calling. Not anyone’s calling. I realized that a life without PAIN and STRESS would not be possible. I realized that perfection was not possible until Heaven.

I didn’t understand before that day where I was chasing the sunset that I was experiencing God’s glory through moments of beauty and that it was a gift.

1 Corinthians 1:12 

For now we see in a mirror dimly,     
but then face to face. Now I know in part,    
 but then I will know fully,     
even as I have been fully known.

The glimpse of God’s glory was partial, but the closer I draw to Him the longer and deeper He will allow me to experience His presence. I desire for the day when I will see Jesus face to face and fully know HIM.

The Bible promises that one day, we will BE FULLY KNOWN by God and that WE WILL FULLY know God. To be known and understood deep in our souls is our greatest desire. It will fulfill all of the longings on our heart. 

Remember that everybody has GOD-SIZE HOLE in their hearts. We are all trying to fill it with something. But when we draw close to Jesus, He will draw close to us. He will KNOW us and He will not reject us. 

But we will still have trouble. We will not be able to be perfect or find perfection. But when we are “face to face,” we will be in complete relationship with God. We will be known by Him and know Him fully. That is what will fill the God-sized hole in our hearts.

Let us pursue Jesus. Let us trust Jesus to satisfy our souls and understand that nothing will fully satisfy us until we get to Heaven and get to know Him FULLY.

Chasing the sun that evening changed my life. What beauty is God showing you?

International Travel, Singleness, Travel

TODAY, I PUT ON PANTS.

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It may not seem newsworthy, but do you remember the excitement of field trip day? The disappointment when you find out where you’re going. BUT the anticipation the night before REGARDLESS of where you’re going. It doesn’t really matter in the end because you still get out of class. You can’t sleep. You can’t eat. Or you can’t stop eating. You know your crush will be there. You get up early even though you’re sleep deprived. You shower. Put on makeup. Or gel your hair. Whatever your version of vanity is. Your cutest, but casual-est outfit. “This old thing!” Your lipstick. 

You know your destination itself won’t be much. A play like you’ve gone to every year since 6th grade. A museum. Another museum. The zoo. You are way too excited for the monotony of this field trip. And yet, you don’t care. You are just giddy to get out. To get out to DIFFERENT. Something new. Anything new is stimulating when compared to the wrong shade of blue lockers you face every day as you walk from the bus lot to first period.You take a selfie. You take five. 

You walk too fast or too slow, all for a purpose. I walked slow. I saw my friend Egypt in the hallway. She left five minutes before me. She turned left in the hallway to find a stairwell leading outside. I was told to be there five minutes after her, so I waved goodbye and good luck and took a picture of HER happy dance as she trotted down the hallway. She was excited for field trip day too.

Egypt tasting freedom for the first time in nearly two weeks! Me, realizing it was too early to actually leave my apartment.

I paced back and forth in my apartment, waiting until it was my time to leave. My friend, Jen, who was scheduled to leave at the same time as me texted me a few minutes early. “You leaving yet?” I checked my eye liner in the mirror. Smiled. Pulled my government issued mask over my nose and texted back, “Now.”

Masks: The new lipstick!

As I entered the hallway, I had a choice to make. Left or right. When I arrived here 12 days ago, it was nearly midnight and I took the elevator. This time, we weren’t allowed to take the elevator. We were told to walk to a stairwell and only use the stairwell. I didn’t know for sure where the stairwells were exactly or which stairwell was closest, and I definitely wanted the one that the furthest away. 

You see, this IS the field trip. Getting dressed up. Looking out the window. Seeing your quarantine partners doing their happy dance, 12 feet apart, as they each take their turn. 

View out my sun closet window. The anticipation is almost too much!

Now it was my turn. I exited my room and watched as my door shut for the first time. Ever. I heard the electronic click. Can I get back in? I should try. I entered the code as shown, and it unlocked. I smiled and let it close again.

I turned right. 

It appeared to be the furthest away from our destination. I walked slowly but quickly. Quickly enough to feel the freedom. Slowly enough to make it last.

I met Jen at the door. We stayed six feet apart but chatted as we approached the field just outside our building. A Korean man with a mask waved at us. His eyes smiled. He asked our names and then directed us to sit, very far apart, not facing one another, under the covered seats. “How is your quarantine going!?” he asked. Jen responded that she liked quarantine. She “thrived” in it. It’s her third quarantine. Then, I spoke.

“I’m grateful I get to do this in my own apartment!” A pause. Silence. A thumbs up from the Korean man in a mask.

I continued. “And I’m excited to be out here! I’m wearing pants for the first time in two weeks.”

There was laughter. (I do wear pants, just mostly pajama shorts but it’s all about the story, right!?)

Then Egypt approached with a giant smile on her face. Her field trip was more than halfway over. She did another happy dance. Slowly. But with glee. With freedom in her eyes. She’s on day 13. “How was it?” “Great,” she probably said.

Aren’t her smiling eyes the best!?

Jen was supposed to go next, but I was closer and they did not want our paths to cross due to possible infection, so they let me go first.

This time there was a chair. Probably wise.

As they shoved the stick down my throat, I gagged. I think the staff in full PPE laughed and jumped backwards. Then they put a stick up my nostrils. I made noises to help. It wasn’t painful. It was… pleasant. Pleasant like the end of women’s exam. The experience itself is miserable, but when it’s over, you’re so glad it’s over, and you know it means that you don’t have to do this again for a long time. That is the kind of pleasantness I felt during this COVID TEST field trip. 

Jen getting her Covid test!

Freedom is coming soon.

My happy dance! Look, I’m wearing pants! (And a cute shirt my aunt Victoria gave me!)

I hope it’s negative!

Curious how I spent quarantine? Stay tuned. It’s coming.

I hope.

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Quarantined in korea: days 1-3, Flies and Friends

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Click for the audio version of this post: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1231427

In the last episode of my adventures, you briefly met Jennifer, Rhonda, and Christian and you were briefly introduced to my new tiny home. It’s now been three days since I first stepped foot into this apartment. Three days since I was outside of this apartment. I haven’t been far enough out of the apartment to let go of the door, and then only to drag the bags and boxes of delivered goods through the door (and good thing too because I don’t remember how to get back in past the automatic lock). Many of you have asked what my apartment is like and how I have filled my days. Here it goes:

Well the apartment is small and it’s actually called a room, not an apartment, but I digress. It’s somehow bigger than it was three days ago. My world is smaller and my apartment is bigger. And my world is bigger. Funny how that happens. When I arrived, the groceries I had requested before departing the US were neatly sitting out. Olive oil, Balsamic Vinegar, salt, and pepper were on the counter. In the freezer were the packs of chicken, and the fridge was filled with veggies and almond milk. There were some “Oat-Rageous Chocolate Chip Cookies” sitting on my dining room table with a welcome note tucked underneath of them from a family in the building. “We are excited you are here. If there is anything we can help you with, ring our intercom at room 104. -The Osborns”  How sweet! And wait, we have an intercom system!?  

I looked around for something resembling an intercom system. There were six possibilities along the wall. Two regular light switches. One motion detection light switch. One working thermostat. One temperature controller — powered off. One unknown. But definitely probably not an intercom. Oh well. I ate a cookie.

The next thing I did was adjust the AC to bring the temperature down a few degrees. Then I ate another cookie. Then I began to unpack, mostly to see what I had actually brought after the unloading of random items to drop my luggage weight down to the 50 pound weight limit. It was less than I remembered packing. It was more than I remembered packing. I called family. Chatted. I was hungry but couldn’t figure out how to work the stove or the microwave, as they were all in Korean and the knobs didn’t seem to make the gas stove flame up, so I ate the remaining cookies. And a fistful of gummy bears. Then showered. And around 4:00 AM, went to sleep. Day Zero.

I woke up at 10 AM. This time when I tried the stove, it worked. I cooked some chicken and pasta at some point. I chatted with Rhonda and Jennifer on Kakou (the Korean WeChat/Facebook). I don’t remember the rest of the day. I fell asleep at 5 PM. I woke up at 9 PM. I slept again around 3 AM. Probably. Day One.

I woke up at 6:50 AM. Made coffee. Cooked fried eggs and potatoes. Spent hours writing my first blog entry on my journey. Then I looked around the living room and almost jumped out the window.

Okay, maybe I didn’t almost jump out the window, but I did run to the window, open it as far as it could go, which is only half way, stuck my head out like a dog hanging its head out of the car door while riding down the highway, and took several deep breaths. Why don’t these buildings have balconies!? The reality that I could not leave this room for 13 more days hit me in the chest in a wave of panic. I felt my heart speed up and could almost imagine the walls closing in. The hospital bench sofa didn’t help. I can’t do this. I need to get out. 

I needed to see out, so I broke the rules (yes, there are rules… to be shared in a separate blog entry on a day when I can’t tell a story different from the day before… don’t worry, it won’t be long) and opened my front door. No one was there. I stuck my head out. Good. It’s not locked from the outside. Not that I thought it was. I can leave if I need to. (But not really, only if the building is on fire because to leave is to be harshly censured and/or carted off by the Korean government, and being carted off by any government is never really a good thing) but I could leave if I wanted, and that was enough to calm me down. 

I needed to do something, anything, so I scrubbed my bathroom then took a shower. Then mopped the house. Then rearranged the furniture. I set up a comfortable TV area in the living room (not that I have a TV, just a laptop, but that’s enough) and decided to sit on the hospital bench with my comforter wrapped around me to watch some Korean Drama. It was a good one. I made it through one and a half episodes around 6:00 PM when I went from an upright seated position to a slumped over, paralyzed pile of sleep suddenly comforted by the soft horizontal nature of that old hospital bench. My hospital bench. My cozy hospital bench. I could hear the plot of the K-drama unfolding. The two characters who started out as strangers, one stabbed in the hand by the other, were now lovers entangled in madness and intrigue. Probably. That’s what the music suggested over the next two hours as I drifted in and out of jet lag sleep. It’s the best sleep. But it doesn’t last.

By 9 PM, I was wide awake and stayed that way until at least 2 AM. Day 2.

I woke up around 7 or 8 or 9 and decided to do something. This day must include something.

I rearranged the living room.

Inspired by the warmth of being wrapped in my comforter the night before, I used it as a couch cover for Hospital Bench. That’s it! By day the comforter will cover my couch. By night, my bed. Problem solved. I moved the dining room table into the living room in front of Hospital Bench as  a work station.

While sipping my coffee and reading my Bible (1 Peter) I wrote out my thoughts and His revelations. I hadn’t been able to focus on anything, even a TV show, since I started my travels, but this morning, I was ready. The time resulted in some really sweet time with Jesus. He showed me many truths and renewed my spirit and my mind. He has a plan, and I wrote, “Please change me over the next two weeks.” I started feeling a bit more like me.

It was kind of like sitting on a balcony. Without the balcony.

But, much like me, it wasn’t all so spiritual. I also had some hanging plants delivered today. At least I think it was today. It could have been yesterday… but then this story wouldn’t make sense, so it had to be today. Going with that. When they were delivered, I had to figure out where to hang them since there were no hooks anywhere, but there was a space in the window I could hook them on — as long as the windows were open. I really wished there were screens on the windows. I opened three windows to hang the plants on and went about my day. Unfortunately, a fly got in, and I spent a great deal of energy trying to end his life. Or free him. Either one. Eventually, I became committed to saving his life. But he still must go. I trapped Fly in the sun closet with an open window. Any fly in his right mind would escape now. Do flies have minds? Hours later I went back into the sun closet to check on Fly.  I sure hoped he had escaped. He appeared to be gone. Good! 

Something landed on my knee. 

I quickly shut the door to the sun closet, trapping us both in there together. Me and Fly. I kept shoeing him towards the window, but he just kept landing on me like I was his mother. I realized it is very likely that when I smacked at him hours earlier, I really did hit him, and now, he was short a few IQ points. Do flies have IQs? Should I kill him? A mercy kill. Should I free him? I was torn. And I was the fly whisperer. Fly wanted to sit on my shoulder like a bird on its pirate. I couldn’t kill him. Fly was a good guy (Go ahead. Insert 90s The Offspring lyrics here.) and just needed to jump out the window. I finally got Fly to land on a shoe and after several failed attempts, he successfully flew out the window. Or dropped to his death. 

It was a love-hate relationship between me and Fly. I decided to pull down the blinds for the first time. As I pulled down the string, a screen appeared. Apparently all the windows have screens. 

To keep out the flies.

Around noon, I remembered that I had a zoom call with my principal and the other new teachers at the high school at 1:00, so I showered, got mostly dressed, and put on some make up. Time to SOCIALIZE!

We socialized for three hours.

We were all in quarantine, even my principal, and literally had nowhere to be, and those of us quarantining alone (aka: singles) were quite desperate for human interaction. At one point I asked them what their room numbers were and discovered that one of the other single teachers was my next door neighbor. The moment we discovered this, we squealed like pigs and ran to the wall and started knocking on it to say hello. I ran back to the computer to tell everyone else at the meeting, “Sorry, we’re done with y’all! Egypt (that’s her name), go to the window!!!!!” I ran to the window and stuck my head out as far as it would go. She did the same. She was looking to her left and I had to yell, “Over here! Over here!” several times before she looked my way. I really wish these widows opened all the way. It was the best day ever: we took selfies.

Egypt from Texas.

Then we went back to the zoom meeting. 

THEN Man Yee told me her room number. Repeat the pig squealing joy. Photos.

Man Yee from Hong Kong, one floor down, two rooms over

I managed to stay awake until 8:00 PM without a nap. Day 3.

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