Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life. What is God like? His image is reflected in you and me. “Mirrors don't lie. Lucky for you, they can't laugh either.” –Anonymous When I look into a mirror, I often see my father’s face—high forehead, thin lips, long eyelashes. I resemble my father’s side of the family. Just as I bear the image of my earthly father, you and I bear the image of our heavenly Father. “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27 NIV) You and I were created in the image of God. So, what does that mean? Maybe it's not that we have inherited the color of our Father God’s eyes, but rather, his attributes are clearly evident in our psyche. God is love. [1] He is both the author and the source. Love is the most beautiful, powerful, and significant force within us. The presence of love is one of the strongest proofs of the presence of God. He cr...

Welcome to Real Life . From the dawn of creation to this morning’s sunrise, our God calls to you and me. “Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.” –André Malraux A friend of mine is estranged from her adult daughter Sarah [1] . Although Sarah was raised in the church, as an adult she walked away from God. Recently, because of their opposing views on faith, Sarah broke contact with her mother and the family. My friend’s heart aches as she cries, “Where are you, Daughter?” This mother’s cry echoes the heart of our Father God. Before time began ticking, when the universe was a dark, empty void, God called the world into existence. After creating stars and moons, oceans and continents, fish and animals, he designed the first man and woman in his own image. God placed his children, Adam and Eve, in a garden called Eden [2] . In the cool of the day, God himself would walk with them and enjoy their company. Adam and Eve lived utterly free. They knew nothing of shame, fear, or re...

Welcome to Real Life . Sometimes we forget. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. [1] “Being lost is worth the being found.” –Neil Diamond Why is this woman in my house?  She just showed up. Unwanted. Uninvited. But there she stood—directly behind Jesus.  My name is Simon. I am a Pharisee. I pride myself in keeping my hands clean. I invited Jesus to a dinner party in my home. I also extended an invitation to some of my colleagues, other Pharisees and religious leaders. The type of men I am proud to associate with. We were all curious about this Jesus of Nazareth. I recognized the woman, of course. Everyone in town knows who she is and the kind of sinful life she leads. A woman of her reputation had never crossed my threshold. But before I could rise to throw her out, she began to weep. As she wept, she knelt and allowed her tears to wash the road dust from Jesus’ feet. Then, she let down her hair and used it to dry them. Afterwards, to my horror, she began kissing Jesus’ feet...

Welcome to Real Life.  Got pain? “The fact that my entire body cracks like a glow stick whenever I move, yet refuses to actually glow, is very disappointing!” –Anonymous In the last few months, I have battled some minor health issues. First, I had a difficult tooth extraction. The ache lingered longer and stronger than I expected. Then, I developed an infection. Before that healed, I came down with a horrendous cold. “We have this treasure in jars of clay.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV) I happened to read this Scripture while struggling, and I felt the truth of that last phrase. I am a jar of clay. I easily chip, crack, and break. I tire quickly and small setbacks (like a toothache) discourage me. This clay jar is aging. Our bodies face an expiration date. Honestly, in itself, this ordinary clay jar is not worth much. But, wait! Because this Scripture also unveils a powerful word of encouragement. For those who place their faith in Christ, these ordinary clay jars hold an eternal treasur...

Welcome to Real Life . Join me in celebrating. Recently, this blog recently reached a HUGE milestone— one million views ! Can you believe it? All praise and glory to God for taking this little blog far beyond my expectations. And I am also grateful to you, my wonderful readers! Whether you’ve stopped by once, or read every post faithfully, I thank you for trusting me with a few minutes of your time. In honor of reaching the one million mark, I am reposting my very first Real Life blog, published on September 10, 2011. _____ “Do You Really Love Me, God?” The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV) At one time, I couldn't own this verse. Intellectually, I knew it was true. God loves me. He loves everyone, right? I could easily believe God loves you. But I struggled to experience his love myself. Although the Christian life is not based on fe...

Welcome to Real Life . What do you long for? “What does not satisfy when we find it, was not the thing we were desiring.” –C.S. Lewis What makes a life complete? Earn a degree. Get a promotion. Raise a family. Grow a healthy financial portfolio. Travel the world. All these things are good and beneficial. But we can reach these goals, and soon feel empty afterwards. Because accomplishments pale in comparison to the one thing that completes us—love. To love and be loved fills our hearts and lives like nothing else can. Although we know this is true, sometimes even in the church, we get it wrong. We tend to downplay the importance of love. We elevate action: powerful preachers, bold and impressive apologists, charismatic teachers, and impactful missionaries. Certainly, those who pour out their lives in service deserve our respect and honor. For this reason, God’s perspective in 1 Corinthians 13 may shock us. If I lead worship with the voice of an angel or fill stadiums with my captivatin...

Welcome to Real Life . You do you, and I'll do me. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson I love to sing. Years ago, I auditioned to be a soloist for a church program. Everything was fine until I attempted to reach some high notes. My voice cracked. (Embarrassing!) As much as I love to sing and desire to glorify God through song, plain and simple, my voice is not good enough to sing solos. God has not given me that gift. I learned something that day. God chooses our place in the body of Christ. Some of us are heads that lead, hands that serve, feet that go, and lips that sing. “But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” (1 Corinthians 12:18 NIV) “ God, why did you make me like this? ”  Perhaps, like me, you’ve asked him this question. We look at others smiling and singing solos and wonder,  “ Why can’t I be like her? ”  Bu...

Welcome to Real Life . God hates these things. Do I? “Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.” –Max Lucado God is not a hater. In fact, quite the opposite. The Scriptures declare: God is love . He is the author, the very source of love. Because love is his priority, God despises behaviors that oppose and destroy love. Seven are specifically named in the book of Proverbs. He identifies them to make us aware, because we are human and fallible and quick to justify our ugly behavior (especially in response to someone else’s ugly behavior). So, our heavenly Father spells it out clearly in Proverbs 6:16-19. These things, he says, I hate: Haughty Eyes “All men are created equal,” [1] states the US Declaration of Independence. The basis of this foundational truth is the Bible ( Genesis 1:27 , Colossians 3:11 , Romans 2:11 ). The standards we use to measure worth—education, beauty, influence, financial status—are irrelevant to God. For what do you and I possess that we have not recei...

Welcome to Real Life.  It's not always fair. "Resentment is an early warning signal for needed change." –Dr. Henry Cloud “I totally agree with the older brother,” Jill told our group. Six of us were gathered around my kitchen table discussing the Parable of the Prodigal Son. “If we serve God our entire lives,” she said, “And then a mean and selfish person prays for forgiveness on his death bed, and God welcomes him into heaven—just like he welcomes you and me—it’s just not fair!” The parable focuses on the younger brother. He demands his inheritance early, and then leaves home and burns through his windfall on wild living. Hungry, humble, and repentant, he returns to seek his father’s forgiveness. The father is waiting, not with a lecture, but with a loving embrace. The son whom he feared was dead has returned alive. He wraps his robe around his son’s shoulders, places a ring on his son’s finger, and throws a grand party. The entire household celebrates, minus one. The ol...

Welcome to Real Life ! Are you hungry? “Dinner with friends is cheaper than therapy!” –Anonymous It wasn’t just good people who came to hear Jesus teach. Liars, cheaters, and prostitutes also drew near to hear his words of truth, hope, and forgiveness. The religious leaders muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them .” [1] Did you catch that? Not only did Jesus welcome sinners into his presence as he taught and proclaimed the kingdom of God, he ate with them. That means he sat down, shared a meal, and spent time talking with people who were unchurched, unholy, and unredeemed. Why did he do that? “You cannot know God if you do not experience being known by him.” [2] Not only did Jesus want people to know who he is and why he came, he wanted them to experience being known by God.  I see you.  I know who you are. I care about you. One of my favorite things is to meet a friend for dinner. We don’t rush. We relax and take our time eating and enjoying each other’s com...

Welcome to Real Life. The only stupid question is the one we fail to ask. Who am I? Why am I here? What is life for? What is beyond this life? I was sixteen and sitting in a social studies class when I first heard these questions. A fellow student posed them to our teacher. After a long pause, she replied, “I don’t know. These are the big questions of life. Everyone is searching for the answers. You must find them on your own.” I still remember how her answer (or lack thereof) left me feeling empty and dissatisfied. What is the meaning of life? If my older and wiser teacher had no answers, how could I find them? How would you answer these questions? It’s interesting. Many of us will live our entire lives—distracted by the busyness of daily routines and responsibilities—and never stop to ponder the reason for our existence. Believe it or not, within a year of sitting in that social studies class, I found the answers. I was invited to a church. For the first time, I heard the Good News t...

Welcome to Real Life . Can you hear me now? Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable. – David Augsburger [1] “Please look at me when I’m talking to you!” I would often say this to my sons while they were growing up. Because if they were playing and distracted, they might hear my words, but until I looked into their eyes, I couldn’t be sure they actually grasped what I was saying. We adults are not much different. We’re busy and distracted. We hear words all day long. But are we actively listening? Jesus Christ was incredibly busy in his earthly ministry. Yet he took the time to listen. At the pool of Bethesda, he asked the paralytic, “Do you want to get well?” [2] When his friend Lazarus died, Jesus listened to Mary’s and Martha’s words of disappointment and grief; and he wept with them. [3]    When the blind beggar Bartimaeus called out to him, Jesus stopped and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” [4] Jesu...

Welcome to Real Life . Got friends? “Friendship is born of that moment when one person says to another, ‘What? You, too? I thought I was the only one.’” –C.S. Lewis We are meant to live in community. God created us to need one another. You and I are not meant to travel this journey of life alone. Relationships are integral to a healthy existence. In his earthly ministry, Jesus surrounded himself with twelve disciples. They walked, lived, and served together for three full years. Of the twelve, Peter, James, and John became his closest friends. Jesus both needed and modeled healthy relationships. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends , for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15 NIV emphasis mine) In recent decades, our culture has shifted in some pretty dramatic ways. It has become more difficult to build and maintain healthy relationships. “Our ability to connect e...