Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life . “How could he be so stupid?” Dana's question referred to Samson, super-hero and mighty judge of Israel. No warrior or kingdom could conquer him. He was captured because of an area of weakness—a sexual dalliance with Delilah. [1] Even Superman has his kryptonite. King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. The whole world sought an audience with him to hear the wisdom God placed in his heart. [2]    The Queen of Sheba tested him with difficult questions; he answered them all. Solomon authored three biblical books of wisdom and poetry: Proverbs , Ecclesiastes , and Song of Solomon . " The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon"  However, even wise men make mistakes. Like Samson, Solomon had a weakness for foreign women. He espoused 700 wives and 300 concubines. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 1 ...

Welcome to Real Life . Our culture prizes outward beauty. God prizes inward beauty. An ugly soul can hide from most, but never from God. “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b He began humbly enough. But, it wasn’t long before Israel’s first king grew proud and arrogant and directly disobeyed God. When Saul rejected God’s authority, God rejected him as king. Therefore, the Lord sent his prophet to anoint a new king from among the sons of Jesse in Bethlehem. Jesse paraded seven sons before the prophet Samuel. But, God chose none of them. “Are these all the sons you have?” Samuel asked. “There is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep,” Jesse replied. Then, he summoned his youngest son. David came in directly from the fields, no time to wash or change clothes. “Rise and anoint him; he is the one,” the Lord told Samuel. As youngest, not even David’s father...

Welcome to Real Life . Real Life can be painful, especially when it involves a childhood scarred by sexual molestation. Today’s guest post is by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. When I was a young girl I was molested by two of my brothers, my sister was also molested by one of them. It was a horrible experience. Every night I went to bed in fear, wondering if my oldest brother, who was an adult, would sneak in and fondle us. My sister and I told our mom about these visits, but she assured us he was just checking to be sure we were okay. She was naïve, and probably never imagined what was going on, nor could we clearly articulate what he was doing. Eventually, a lock was placed on our door and the visits stopped, but the fear of him has never gone away. That occurred when I was 12-15, the experience with my other brother started when I was younger. I was 9 or 10 at the time and he was probably 15 or 16, old enough for him to know better. Unfortunately, I didn’t know bette...

Welcome to Real Life . Hope often arrives in the smallest of packages—like a newborn babe.      _____ When I returned to Bethlehem, my old friends asked, “Could this be Naomi?” “ Don’t call me Naomi, call me Mara (bitter)… I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty…the Almighty has brought misfortune on me.” My troubles began in the years of famine. As food grew scarce in Israel, my husband Elimelech heard of a bountiful harvest in Moab. So, he moved our family there. Initially, we prospered. However, within a decade, both my husband and our two sons had died.  Oh, Elimelech, why did we think God would bless us in a pagan land?  I decided it was time to go home. My sons left no children, but they did leave two Moabite widows, Orpah and Ruth. When I kissed my daughters-in-law goodbye, Ruth clung to me. She had been the curious one. Why is that blood on your doorposts? Why can’t you eat pork? Why is Israel the Promised Land? Shortly a...

Welcome to Real Life . Meet Barry Brophy! When Peggi invited me write a guest post, I prayed and spent time listening to the Holy Spirit. He reminded me of the earlier calling He had placed on my life, “Write what you know.” These verses from 1 Corinthians illustrate God’s work in my life: But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised thing— and the things that are not— to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God— that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-31) While delving into the vast contextual riches of this passage would take many weeks, I wish to transcribe the meaning into a simple focal point:   God cho...

Welcome to Real Life . Real faith will struggle with doubt. "Doubt is but another element of faith." —St. Augustine of Hippo He should have believed. He was a disciple who followed Christ for three years—learning, talking, watching. Yet, when the other disciples told him that Jesus was alive, Thomas wouldn't buy it. In fact, he went so far as to say, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” What drove Thomas's skepticism? He knew these men well. They were men of integrity who told the truth. Why would they lie? In addition, Thomas witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. So, why was it so hard for him to believe that his Lord had risen from the dead? Perhaps, Thomas was afraid to hope. He watched the man whom he had followed and respected being arrested, beaten, and humiliated. Then, he watched Jesus die. Maybe the words of the mockers echoed in his mind: ...

Welcome to Real Life . Sometimes the hardest one to forgive is ourselves. “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5, emphasis mine) . Wait. That’s all he told us to do, simple instructions. And, I’m about to mess that up too. I used to be a leader among the apostles. I promised Jesus I’d follow him anywhere, even die for him. [1] But, when he needed me most—when everyone else deserted him—I denied I even knew him. Will he trust me to lead again after that? Well, I’m not the kind of guy to sit around and wait to find out. I need to do something. I once made a decent living as a fisherman. I can do that again. “I’m going fishing,” I told the other disciples. “We’ll go, too.” Six of them joined me. I was a bit surprised, but glad for their company on the road home to Galilee. We set out in my boat, fished all ...