Part 1: The Start of Something New

You know how the movie opens. Sparkling notes of the Wildcats, Gabriella with a book, Troy playing basketball, all is as it should be. In this unknown location, the “teen party” for New Year’s Eve has begun. (Side note, have you ever been anywhere that called itself a “teen party”? That may be what it is, but does anyone actually call it that, ever?) Soon, Troy and Gabriella are singing their first duet … “This could be the start of something new, it feels so right to be here with you” … and we are all instantly captivated.

Well, today is not New Year’s Eve. And although it is almost September, unless you are starting a new school, you probably don’t even want to think about school right now. And if you are out of school (like me), well then, work continues just like it did all summer. While I like New Year’s Eve, I’ve never found anything remotely special about them. Yeah it will only be 12:01am on January 1, 2012 once, it will also only be 3:29pm on August 25, 2012 once as well. And once I got to college and staying up past midnight was not for fun anymore, the whole New Year’s experience was all but ruined for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the parties and noise, but I would be just as happy with it at 6pm the following day. I say all this to say that the iconic nature of Troy & Gabriella singing that song on New Year’s Eve makes no difference to me. But the song is just so catchy…. (it’s okay. It’s playing in my head too.)

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NCV)

"Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past. Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don't you see it?”

This is one of my all-time favorite chapters in the Bible. (If you don’t mind, I’d suggest you go read it now. Then we can walk through it together.) I can remember spending hours laying on my bed reading and re-reading and re-reading this chapter as a teenager. There is something so comforting and loving about this chapter that made me feel like a princess every time I read it. “I have called you by name, you are mine” (verse 1), “Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you” (verse 4), “Fear not, for I am with you” (verse 5) “You are my witness and my servant whom I have chosen” (verse 10), “I am the Lord, your King” (verse 15). Although this was not originally written TO me, I often feel like it was. If you read carefully, you can see how the Lord is talking to the people of Israel, bringing back memories of the Exodus from Egypt and the many miracles He performed on their behalf, but it speaks so much to my own life. When life gets overwhelming, this is the chapter I turn to so I know I’m not alone in the madness.

But then, right around verse 18, the mood of the chapter changes a bit. See the beginning was all a reminder of everything that God was and is to His people, all the things He did for them and how He has proved to be a faithful friend and provider and God. But then verse 18 starts this emphasis not on God’s part, but on the people’s role in this relationship. It seems that the Israelites often got so consumed with what God had done in the past, that they neglected to maintain an ongoing relationship with their God once they were no longer in that mindset. Verse 22 goes on to speak of how the people had forgotten about God and their responsibilities in worship. They got so lazy that they wanted God to do everything for them. But this was not okay. And in our lives, this is not okay.

For church kids, the summer often bring about emotional & spiritual highs. Youth camp, missions trips, even times of intense personal devotion bring us closer to God in ways that we never thought possible. People, young and old, are often liberated from sins and distractions in times like these; their Exodus experience if you will. Times in your life and mine when God shows up in big ways and makes Himself known. And these times are amazing and life changing and awesome. But that’s not the end of the spiritual journey. As society heads back into more routine for the fall, it’s not okay to live off of those spiritual highs throughout the year.

Isaiah 43:18 "Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past.”

I hate to break it to you, but what happened at youth camp is not all that important if the work that God started in you then is not continuing now. And it is God’s work to continue, but the verses that follow this one remind us of our responsibility in this work. You have an obligation to continue in your worship, even if the worship band is not playing. You have an obligation to keep praying, even if the altar is not open. You have an obligation to keep serving, even if it’s not half way around the world. You have an obligation to keep repenting, even if no person is prompting you.

As we begin this new minute of life, let’s continue to strive for God as He continues to work in us. See, this could be the start of something new…

Isaiah 43:19 "Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don't you see it?”   

We're All In This Together: Introduction

Confession #1

This was a shower idea. You know what I’m talking about. The kind that just hits you while you’re washing and you can’t stop thinking about it. The kind that makes you jump out of the shower and run around the house looking for a piece of paper and a pen so you don’t forget it, completely disregarding how much water you are dripping on the floor while you write your thoughts down. (I’m pretty sure this very predicament is why Aqua Notes were invented, but I just can’t bring myself to spend $7 for 40 tiny sheets of paper.)

Confession #2
Jesus has a sense of humor. A good one. See although I am all female, there is something about girls that just annoy me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not you as an individual I have a problem with, it’s just the species as a whole. I’ve found that most girls can’t stand the drama and cattiness that comes with a group of females, yet this trend remains. And although most girls feel this way, I feel it quite strongly. I never had many girl friends and, frankly, I like it that way. Yet in spite of all this, Jesus thought it best to give me a strangely strong connection to younger girls. Even beyond this, a burden for the spiritual education and teaching for girls. Geh. Yeah, He’s funning. Also “ironic” is the strange way that I relate to younger girls as well, which brings me to my next confession.

Confession #3
I love teeny-bopper media. Like a lot. Music, movies, tv shows, even the occasional stupid magazines. I could lie to you and tell you that I watch these shows or listen to this music to stay current with culture, and that’s how it started, but now I participate because I love it. Glee, Justin Beiber, The Jonas Brothers, even Wizards of Waverly Place. But none, I mean NONE, tops my book more than High School Musical. I simply can’t get enough of Troy and Gabriella. I know, I’m lame. But you know you love it too, so we’ll be lame together. (And let me say, if you don’t love it, you may want to consider finishing the introduction and then cease reading. I won’t be offended. Promise.)

Ok, so what am I getting at? I’m about to write a blog-devotional thing. Not based on High School Musical, but using the movie as a sort of spring board to talk about stuff. So that’s the plan. I’m pretty excited. That is my grand shower idea. What do you think? Worth while? Well, I’m going to start and see what happens. Let me know what you think, since, well, ya know, we’re all in this together :)

Book Review: "Humble Pie"

“Humble Pie” an autobiography by Gordon Ramsey

As part of my absolute love for the work and person of Gordon Ramsey, I found this book at a used book store and was enthralled to read, and now review, it.

This book provided a very easy-to-read overview of the beginnings of the life of Gordon Ramsey, the world renowned chef. It glossed over his family life as a child, growing up in a large family with an abusive father as well as many of his starting places as a chef. Gordon's story continued to the writing of the book in 2008, but gave less details the closer the story got to present time.

I had so much for with this book. Although I was terribly disappointment by its shortness and general lack of detail, it provided good insight on "Gordon, the early years". The humility with which Sir Ramsay approaches both his life and his cooking still shocks me. It made me giggle the brashness that he writes with as well as his word choices; he writes just like he talks. Ultimately, this short read was a great read to see how Gordon Ramsay's life began.

The Valle Family Christmas Letter 2011

The Valle Family, servants of Christ Jesus, called to follow Christ, set apart by the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, our victorious King, by whom death, sin and Satan have received their vanquishing blows, who also was descended from David, according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God equal in power and glory but different in his role, according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, our great I AM, through whom we have received grace by his bearing our sins and receiving his glory, to bring about the obedience of faith for his name’s sake among all the nations, including you who are called to be belong to Jesus Christ, to all those who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ his Son, and the Holy Spirit sanctifier, he who regenerates and he who baptizes!

In the spirit of our favorite show, “Everybody Loves Raymond”, we have decided to write a Christmas Letter. (See Season 6, Episode 12. We own the whole series and partake of it almost daily.) There is so much that our great God has done in our lives in 2011, we wanted to take this opportunity to both update you on our doings and give praise for His goodness & grace.

For Marie, graduating from Valley Forge Christian College (in 2010) was followed by a mirage of jobs, including babysitting, individual therapy for children with behavioral disabilities, the YMCA as a before/after school program director, and Administrative Assistant to the VP of Finance at Valley Forge Christian College. However, in May of this year, her dreams came true and God opened a position for her in Children’s Ministry at her home church, Family Worship Center. Here, she works with her mentor and friend, Debbie Stevens, and enjoys all the insanity that comes with working in Children’s Ministry. This often means artsy projects, writing, and administration for things like our Panda-themed Vacation Bible School, Kid’s Camp, Fall Fest activities, Christmas Presentations and so much more. Angelo is figuring out all this Kids Ministry stuff as he experiences it. Over the summer, we spent a week at Kid’s Camp, Angelo with a group of 5^th & 6^th Grade boys. Also over the summer, we were given the opportunity to be speakers for the children at a Spanish Family Camp (Thanks again Uncle Tony). This was an interesting experience that surely cut Angelo’s teeth a bit more as to the heart of ministry to children (especially as he tried to translate his seminary knowledge to a group of eight-year-olds).

Angelo continues to work toward further education at Westminster Theological Seminary. In this last year, he has taken the following class: Introduction to the Old Testament, Greek Language 3, Doctrine of God, Gospel Communication, Hermeneutics, German Language 1, Old Testament History & Theology 1, Epistles & Revelation, and Ancient Church. Clearly, he is studying and learning much. Praise be to God, opportunities have been granted to Angelo to share this great knowledge as he was a guest lecturer in a theology class at our alma mater, Valley Forge Christian College, a key teacher in our church’s Young Adult Ministry, a mentor to a few young men and even the devotional speaker at the annual Rolón Men & Boys Retreat. While in school and over the summer, Angelo works with individual clients as a therapist for children with behavioral needs, which has even provided opportunity for ministry to the families and co-workers.

This has seemed to be the year of weddings for us, and Angelo was in almost all of them. Congratulations to Pat & Christy, Adam & Rachel, Ben & Hannah, and Chris & Michelle. We were especially honored to be a part of the marriage of Chris & Michelle as we spent the last year meeting with them to do their pre-marital counseling and then Angelo officiated the ceremony. Also part of our lives, our college buddy and “adopted son”, Ryan lived with us for about two months after he graduated from The Forge as he pursued further career choices. We miss him tremendously as he now lives in Boston, and we long for his return.

Speaking of all things random, here are some unusual updates we thought you might enjoy as well:

• We almost got a puppy. We were going to name him Nightwing. Our apartment complex would not allow a dog, even though the lease did not explicitly state that. We were very disappointed and he was very cute.
• To grace Marie, Angelo attended a Steven Curtis Chapman concert with her. Although Marie has loved his music for years, Angelo discovered the awesomeness and is now a fan as well.
• We now own the complete series of Boy Meets World, a childhood favorite for both Angelo & Marie. Random trivia: Season 3 was instrumental in our relationship while we were in college.
• Batman has become even more inspirational around our home. Marie completed the Lego Batman video game and Angelo completed the Arkham Asylum video game, both at 100%. (We’re lame. It’s okay.)
• We bought Marie a bass guitar, which she named Charlie. Angelo is teaching her to play, although the progress seems slow. Angelo says she has promise, but the time required to both learn and teach has been sparse lately. Angelo continues to rock out on electric guitar as much as possible.
• Our love for cooking shows continues as we watch anything with Gordon Ramsey and other Food Network shows. This is so much so that we spent Thanksgiving morning doing our own “Chopped” or “Iron Chef” face-off. We took bizarre foods and left-overs and attempted to create greatness. Neither of our dishes tasted very good but we had so much fun.
• We are practically forensic anthropologist AND FBI agents. Over the summer, Marie (and Ryan) introduced Angelo to the hit Fox show, “Bones”, and Angelo determined to catch up on all six seasons before it began again in November. We borrowed the seasons from the local library and soon became known as “The Bones Kids” with the librarians, but we did it. We have seen all 133 episodes currently available and will continue to watch Bones & Booth solve all kinds of mysteries as we pretend to be them.

For those of you that don’t know, our lives changed forever in late August as we brought two little boys into our home. The church daycare was approached by a mom who needed some additional help caring for her 3 year-old and 5 year-old sons. Marie’s heart was instantly captivated with love for these boys, without having ever met them. Angelo felt compassion immediately upon hearing their story and did not hesitate to open our home to them. About three weeks later, we had transformed our study/library into the perfect bedroom for these two little ones. Angel (5 years) and Joey (3 years) moved in with us full time in late August. Jumping into parenthood with both feet has been intense and exhausting, but the work of God in their little lives is so evident; it makes it all worth it. The difficulties the boys have experienced have certainly made our jobs difficult at times, but there is nothing like hearing Joey say, “I like you, Aunt Marie” or Angel saying “You’re my favorite, Uncle Angelo”. We secretly enjoy as they prepare their heads for bedtime, and after-prayer questions like, “Uncle Angelo, why do you always pray that Jesus will regenerate our hearts?” Needless to say, they have been a difficult yet enjoyable gift. Although we don’t know how long they will be in our care, we look forward to Gods’ best for them, whatever that entails.

In the coming year, we look forward to whatever God is going to do. We often pause in amazement at what God has done that we never would have guessed. As we prepare our hearts and lives for the excitement of the Christmas season, we wanted to share with you God’s grace in our lives and the blessing that you have been to us. Merry Christmas.

With love & peace,

The Valle Family

Book Review: "No Place Like Holmes"

“No Place Like Holmes” by Jason Lethcoe

As part of my relationship with Booksneeze.com, they provided me a free electronic copy of the book to read and review.

This children’s fictional story is an easy reader detective story with “Sherlock Holmes” overtones. It follows the story of a young pastor’s son as he travels to his grouchy detective uncle’s town for the summer. As a case unearths for his uncle, the boys gets to follow him as he uncovers the truth about the missing townsmen.

Although this was an interesting plot and an easy read for young readers, I found the content to be slow and unappealing. It seemed to take more than a dozen chapters to get to the content of the case of the books’ heart. This would normally not bother me if the characters were properly developed, but the initial chapters provided only a background to the story without fully engaging my attention or making me care about the characters. Although there were elements of story that pertained to God, I do not feel that it added anything to the plot. God was almost an afterthought to story, which just bothered me. To summarize, the story was mediocre and I would not read it again. I would only recommend it to a lower-grade school child.

....tattoos....

Tattoos. Christian tattoos. Is that the same oxymoron that it used to be? Is there such a thing as Christian tattoos? Can Christians get tattoos without it being a “sin”? Is what was once a sin now a scruple? Are some tattoos always sin and some have the potential to be used for godly purposes? Is the meaning of the tattoo the determining factor of its innate goodness or evil? Does personal significance or outward perception now decide if a tattoo is a valid choice for a Christian?

My husband and I had conversation yesterday with two friends, one with multiple tattoos and the other planning his first tattoo. Both Christians. Both that we met at a Christian College because all four of us are studying and preparing to be in full time ministry. This prompted my shower-time thoughts to center around this topic that has almost being a fopa as of late.

This brought me down a long path and I hope to bring you along with my thoughts.

Somewhere along the thoughts of a Christian tattoo, the idea of a Christian tee shirt entered my mind. It seems that this phenomenon was started sometime in my life time, and the trend has continued with many, but I oft wonder the impact that these tee shirts have on a Christian’s witness, whether positive or negative. Just over a year ago, we took our small youth group to a large annual convention that is often known for being so lame that it’s funny. We told our group to use their phones to take pictures of the cheesiest, stupidest and most heretical “Christian” tee shirts they could find. They found the task to be so easy that the fun was quickly replaced with an appalling nausea at the so-called “outward Christian expression” that were on these tee shirts for sale. Shirts that had sayings like “God doesn’t believe in atheist” brought both our leaders and our teenagers to a halt. I can recall one of the girls saying with such wisdom “how will this advance the kingdom? My friends in school would be offended and pushed further away from the Gospel with a message like that.” Has the concept of the Christian tee shirt become a source for non-believers to mock all Christians, simply because some of them do not promote the true Gospel in their attire? On the other hand, are there Christian tee shirts that are positive conversation starters? Is it possible for a Christian tee shirt to be used without being cheesy or turn people away from the Gospel we hope to proclaim? Or should these be abandoned altogether?

Although some items seem to be a timeless expression of Christianity, such a pendants and rings, I wouldn’t dare to put tee shirts in that category. It would seem to me that although these tee shirts began in my time, they were not geared toward my generation. Rather, they were appealing more to the generation before me. And now, I wonder, have tattoos become my generation’s outward expression of their Christianity? Although not as removable as a piece of jewelry or clothing, have the Christians who are now a part of the post-modern generations (if I can throw such a term around so loosely) found a need for something as lasting as their relationship with Christ and have thus chosen one or many tattoos to convey such truth?

This process led me to the Old Testament prophets and their direction from God for an outward expression of the spiritual climate of them as individuals or a collective body. In some noteworthy instances, God told prophets like Jeremiah (4:8), Daniel (9:3), Joel (1:8), Jonah (3:5), and even Esther (4:1-4) to put on sackcloth to demonstrate to the rest of the world their dependence on God in their time of need. This may have been for repentance, protection, or something else, but in each instance (that I could find, anyway) it was to serve three main purposes: 1. to demonstrate to God their seriousness, 2. to remind themselves of the severity of their need for God, and 3. to display to the people around them what God was doing in their lives. I think a comparison can be made to the purpose for which many Christians get tattoos that reflect their Christianity. I am purposeful to not make this sackcloth analogy stretch too far, as I don’t mean to imply that all Christians should get a tattoo, but rather to serve as an explanation as to why many Christians, especially in my generation, tattoo themselves without thought of it’s “sinfulness”.

Of course, this brings up additional questions that must be considered before one can begin to answer this sin-scruple issue. Is, perhaps, not the only the art itself a matter of question, but also the motivation behind such tattooing? If simply to be defiant or rebellious, but be justified in the content of the tattoo, is it any different than the Pharisees using legalism to get their own will accomplished? In contrast, if well intentioned, but a despondent or offensive image permanently adhered to the skin to serve as a “conversation starter”, is it any different than the heretical tee shirts stating that “God doesn’t believe in atheists” that is offensive but not primarily to serve as a theological truth? Like most things about the Christian life, does this then becomes an issue of balance of positive and godly motivation, but also well-done and Christ-pointing actions? Could we say that those who get a tattoo that reflects their Christianity both in purpose and in execution are not only not sinning, but also pursuing God in a way that has continued on since the Old Testament prophets? Perhaps it is simply the mode that has changed over time, beginning with sackcloth, continuing with jewelry and tee shirts, and has now progressed toward tattoos, but the original purpose has remained.

Leviticus 19:28 “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.” is the typical reference used to indicate that tattoos are always a sin for Christians, but this Old Testament Law is much deeper than one might assume at first glance. Many of the things in this section of the list of “Various Laws”, as my Bible titles it, have long been disregarded as a poor practice for that time but are now acceptable as a result of the new implications of these laws. However, some of the laws still hold true as the day they were written by Moses. It has been said by some that the tattoos are to be included as an outdated law because they are no longer associated with sorcery or worship of the dead, but it would seem that even that might be a question, not of culture, but of personal intent. The beginning, even of this chapter of laws in Leviticus, is all about the intent of the heart and how that comes to fruition in action. Scattered throughout the history, prophets, the Law, the Gospel, the instruction, the love of God displayed in His Word is the small, yet powerful phrase “Be holy, because, I the Lord your God, am holy”. Paul says in his many epistles that holiness may look different to different people based on the intention of the heart and its perception to those within your grasp of ministry.

Generation to generation, place to place, culture to culture, what is constituted as “holy” will change. Just as everything must be scrutinized, let us allow tattoos (and yes, even Christian tattoos) to be judged not simply on outward display, but also by inward motivation and personal holiness. Let us all strive to be holy as only He is holy.

For the Brokenhearted and Bound

Freedom requires an intense and unadulterated trust in the One who frees. Without such trust, there will be no lasting freedom. Both heart and mind will return to bondage, simply because there is nothing else reliable to hold to. The truest test of trust is in the strength the bondage holds over you.

So to those who need such release from whatever or whoever is holding you back: trust, and be free.