Fun new friends

Firework time

Genuinely my fav

Loving it

Garden Cupcakes

Friends’ delightful pear tree

Coloring is always fun

Cousin joy

Trampoline time

Pops

700 kinds of soda

On Route 66

Wingnuts Dollar Night

What a punk

Big Sky Glory

Your 7 Days?

And I said to them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes.”

Nehemiah 7:3 ESV

Last time we saw how Nehemiah proceeded once the wall was finished: entrusting temple workers to guard the city wall and laying a charge upon two men of integrity to govern Jerusalem. Today we see the gatekeepers’ specific instructions.

Do not open (pathach – let go free, open wide) the gates until the sun (shemesh) is hot. Nehemiah and the rebuilders had a dangerous situation on their hands. While completely closing their doors to trade and other business was unreasonable, our governor had good reason to not open the city up to unnecessary safety concerns. Making sure the sun is up and the light of day would pierce any darkness lurking before opening wide the gates was a good strategy.

How about us? How wide open and free are our gates when darkness is seeking to destroy? The gates to our mind and heart, eyes and ears?

Carefully guard your thoughts
    because they are the source
    of true life. Proverbs 4:23 CEV

While closing the gates to the world is unreasonable and not our calling, making sure we are set apart is.

“I’m not asking that you take them out of the world
But that you guard them from the Evil One.
They are no more defined by the world
Than I am defined by the world.
Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth;
Your word is consecrating truth.
In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world,
I give them a mission in the world.
I’m consecrating myself for their sakes
So they’ll be truth-consecrated in their mission.” John 17:15-19 MSG

Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life. TLB

“While the gatekeepers are still on guard (amad – take ones stand, abide, appoint, stood firm) let them shut (guph) the doors (deleth) and bar them (achaz – to grasp, seize, lay hold of).”

Not only were the gatekeepers instructed to wait until full daylight to open the gates, they were also to shut and lock them before their daytime duty was over. Any traveling vendors had better be hastening out of the gates quickly during this time in Jerusalem! Nehemiah meant business.

The part I appreciate about this section is its proactive angle. Not only are we as Believers to stand firm and abide in Him as we guard our hearts, but there are things we lay hold of. Active ways to work in our day for His kingdom, particularly in battle.

“…and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:17-18)

Take the helmet of salvation, and remind yourself over and over the work He accomplished for us. Put it on like a football helmet, protecting you from deceitful blows against your standing as beloved by the Father. Pray, be alert, keep on praying. Perseverance is needed and is promised to be rewarded. No need to stand back passively, or even defensively. We take, pray, keep on; ask, seek and knock. The battle is not without effort.

“Appoint (amad again) guards (mishmereth – guard, allegiance) from those abiding in Jerusalem (yashab – to sit, remain, dwell, live, abide), every man (ish) at his post (mishmar – watch) and every man (ish) in front of (neged ) his house (bayith).”

So not only do we have gatekeepers opening when the sun is fully up and closing when they’re still on duty, we have every man guarding something. Either his assigned post (perhaps from his time during the rebuilding duties?) or in front of his own home. All hands on deck, no one asleep on the job.

Shall we chat about that word for guard, mishmereth? One of its synonyms is “allegiance.”  And the word for abiding in Jerusalem? It’s yashab – to remain, dwell, live. Those living in Jerusalem, remaining and abiding in it, were to give their whole allegiance to it. Their days and nights were concerned with this allegiance, their every move reflecting to all their guardianship.

Believers, where is our ultimate allegiance? If we pledge allegiance to a flag before we’ve bowed our entire lives down daily to a King and His Kingdom, I fear our allegiance may be misplaced. No one is arguing against being good citizens, but when push comes to shove, where does your ultimate loyalty lie? Whom will you serve?

Who will receive your highest allegiance? Will it be your citizenship to your country or your personal kingdom? Or your citizenship to heaven?

As His Kingdom becomes greater than our personal kingdoms, there will be certain things we can no longer abide. Things that mar the image of our Creator on earth: creation, fellow human beings, relationships. As we live in His Kingdom we become guards of its ways: servanthood, peace, joy, sacrifice, love.

And as He makes us more like the King of this Kingdom, the best news is how He is our Ultimate Guardian.

The One Who has never run away from being our Shepherd, the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls:

But the Lord is faithful;

he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

(2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT)

Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25 ASV)

Yes, we stand guard. But we rest in His ultimate control. The One Who reopened Eden’s gates through His own initiative and sacrifice will surely guard us as we walk through our Not-Yet toward Home.

I hope your 4th was great. Of course, firework fun is not over yet. Join in tonight for the final Bradley Fair concert featuring jazz saxophonist Joseph Vincelli, along with a fabulous firework display over the lake!

And this is something new for your Saturday mornings: Bradley Fair Fit. Join in either 45 minutes of a boot-camp style workout with Go Time Training or 45 minutes of yoga with Yoga Central. Or both! Aside from working out beside the lake, many other incentives are offered: Athleta swag bag with coupons from Bradley Fair retailers, a reusable water bottle from Healing Waters, and drinks from Cocoa Dolce. Plus a drawing for giveaways. What more could you want to start your weekend? (Register here for a smoother process the day of.)

The next $1 Wingnuts game is this Monday, July 9th, beginning at 7:05. Admission is only $1 if you pick up your voucher at Quik Trip. Plus, enjoy $1 hot dogs, soda and more. (Thanks Wichita on the Cheap!)

Twilight Tuesdays at Sedgwick County Zoo are back during July. Get a voucher at any Cox location and receive $3 admission to the Zoo on Tuesdays from 6-8:30.

The KEYN Summer Concert Series at Wichita Waterwalk begins tomorrow night, July 6th. The evening’s band, King Midas, will take the stage beginning at 8:00 pm. However, food trucks will be available as soon as 6:30. Concert is free, so bring your lawn chairs, your people, and your appetite.

Mark Arts will be offering STEAM Summer Camps for ages 3-11 beginning next week. Buy your tickets here for weekly sessions exploring “mixed media, drawing, painting, culinary and clay projects according to the week’s theme.”

See all upcoming library events here, including Open Game Time for kids ages 5-11 every Friday in July from 1-4 pm at the Advanced Learning Library. Play board games, cards, video games, and meet new friends.

Wichita Parks & Rec is offering a scuba class for kiddos ages 8-12 at Linwood and Harvest city pools. Call 316-268-4361 to register. And check out Barry the Bison’s Recreation Station at OJ Watson Park next Thursday, July 12th, from 6-8. Enjoy free games and activities for all ages.

And don’t forget to keep up on Summer Reading + Rewards from the Library.

Have a fabulous weekend!

“After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do.”

Nehemiah 7:1-2

Last time we saw a postscript from Nehemiah about Tobiah’s influence in the rebuilding and some workers’ divided loyalties. Today we see how Nehemiah moved forward in his leadership.

“After…I had set the doors (deleth – gate, opening) in place, the gatekeepers, musicians, and Levites were appointed (paqad – entrusted, summoned).

We have talked about the musicians and Levites before when studying Ezra. The gatekeepers are piquing my interest today. According to one commentary, “the gatekeepers normally guarded the temple gates (1 Chronicles 9 & 26), but because of the danger in the city, they were appointed to stand guard at the city gates along with the singers and the Levites.”

So men whose job it ordinarily was to take care of, worship in, and guard the temple were, in Nehemiah’s day, entrusted with helping guard the city.

What do you think about this? How do you feel when responsibilities normally reserved for church spill over into civic action? No, we are not to pretend to be the nation state of Israel. And in many individual lives and communities faith and corresponding acts are inseparable. But I think more often it’s easier to live as if these are two distinct categories.

But this is all our Father’s world. And right is always right. No, we cannot care about everything, but please, let’s care about something outside of ourselves. Even outside of our particular thought group or denomination or preferences. We need each other.

“I put in charge (tsavah – to lay charge upon, ordain) of Jerusalem my brother Hanani…”

The NLT phrases it, “the responsibility of governing Jerusalem.”

And what a responsibility. Do you regularly pray for those with a charge put upon them to govern the people? Mind you, the question is not whether we agree with those who govern us, but whether we pray for them? If we think prayer makes no difference, we will quickly turn solely to the tangible. Oh, believers, we must pray.

The good news for Jerusalem’s government was Hanani was trustworthy. His name comes from chanan which means “gracious.”

And that’s what is needed, yes? Grace. Grace for us all. Those who govern and those who follow. Those who toe one party line and those who drift toward another. Everyone at a desk and anyone behind the wheel. May we be gracious to one another. We all need it.

“…along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel (birah – fortress)…”

The first governor listed was Nehemiah’s brother. The next was already in a position of leadership. Hananiah (whose name means “Yah has favored”) was the officer in charge of the temple fortress located on the Northwest corner of Jerusalem (source). He was an “official of great importance, being probably in command of troops for the purpose of keeping order in the city.” (source)

Fortress, troops, order. Those can be unnerving words. Until we read the next part:

“Because he was a man (ish) of faithfulness (emeth – truth, firmness, trust, stability, right).”

Hananiah was a man of integrity. Now we exhale.

How important stability and truthfulness are when dealing with matters of order in the city and command of troops. This is not a game. And people’s lives are at stake. The higher up, the more responsibility given, the more far-reaching the consequences. To whom much is given much will be required.

But perhaps the best reason to rest in Hananiah’s leadership is the final qualification listed:

“…and [he] feared God (yare Elohim) fully and more than most (rab – abundance, elder, exceedingly, multiply).”

What a spectacular thing to be said of someone. If we yare – have healthy fear and reverence for – Creator God, it leads to all sorts of positive consequences for those under our influence. And if our yare for God exceeds our yare for the approval of others, people can trust our hearts toward them all the more. Because we aren’t controlled by them, but by Him. And His ways are always good, just, loving and wise.

Of course, as common clay pots, even if we fear “more than most,” we will never fully be people of integrity or fear God perfectly. Fortunately there is One Who already fulfilled that description. So we can put down our comparison charts, and along with them, our anxiety. And simply love the people He’s put in front of us and join Him where He is at work.

Because no greater Man of integrity exists than the One Who finished it all.

Where will you be tomorrow morning? Perhaps Lakepoint’s Shortest Parade in Wichita?

Source

Enjoy free hot dogs, live music, and plenty of community participation. It’s a blast!

Are you looking for fun, free (or cheap) July 4th activities? Wichita Moms Blog has you covered with a list of local and surrounding area events.

Source

How about the Final Friday Art Crawl tomorrow night, June 29th?

Source

Plenty of venues will be showcasing quality, local art, including Fairmount Coffee Co. featuring artwork from Ivy Neal Art, The Wayward Kind, The Plaid Bear Woodshop, and Prairie Fusion Art. And the Grand Opening of Mud Haus LLC  where you can view concrete work from 2DOGS Concrete Designs, LLC and sculptures from Craig Campbell.

Source

The Great Plains Nature Center has given us a handy document of all the free and low-cost summer educational events they are offering. Don’t miss the weekly Creature Features, Nature Adventures, and Story Times.

Have you enjoyed Elderslie Farm yet? They offer a berry picking breakfast and a farm-to-table formal dining experience.

Have you checked out ICT Popup Park lately for your lunch or afternoon coffee?

Source

The next Bradley Fair Jazz Concert is tonight, June 28th, from 7:30 – 9:30 and features The JT Project‘s saxophone/keyboard combo. Wine, cocktails and soft drinks will be available for purchase.

And for the kiddos, check out Saturday Storytime with Melissa at Watermark from 10:30-11:00 this Saturday, June 30th.

I hope you have a wonderful and safe weekend and July 4th celebration!

Beautiful and interesting read

Always a joy

Why is fresh produce so delightful?

Broken pot

Another winner

Friends sharing Laser Tag guns

Glory

Your 7 Days?

“Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.”

Nehemiah 6:17-19 ESV

Last time we got to see the result of all the rebuilders’ work: the wall was completed in 52 days and everyone surrounding Jerusalem knew God was the reason why. Today we see an almost aside in our story line of Tobiah’s influence during those 52 days.

“Many of the nobles…” The Hebrew for nobles is chor (properly, full) from the word charar (pure or white, from shining power of fire). We’ve seen this word noble before when looking at how the men of Tekoa jumped in to help with rebuilding the wall but their nobles would not.

While the Tekoite nobles refused to work, the leaders in Jerusalem did help rebuild – but were also sending letters to a man who had repeatedly tried to harm Nehemiah and sabotage the work.

So it seems as though, in multiple towns, those who were most required to act with dignity and lead the folk were doing just the opposite. Perhaps they had not experienced the definition of the root word for noble: charar – to burn.

It’s only when we’ve walked through the fire with the Goldsmith, allowing Him to begin the process of burning up what is not of His Spirit, that we will take up a mantle of leadership with integrity. Until then it is about us and our own interests. Servant leadership often is preceded by some scorching.

But no matter our personal experiences with the Goldsmith, if we have been put in a position of leadership – particularly civic leadership in which we help shape laws and regulations that affect others – may we have a healthy fear of God in how we lead. What we do to those under our influence we do to Him. How we affect image bearers matters to the Creator. Let’s be sober in how we flesh out our responsibilities.

Next in our verses we see the reason the nobles were communicating with Nehemiah’s enemy through letters: they were bound (baal – owner, married, master) by oath (shebuah – perjury, oath) to him. Two prominent leaders in the city of Jerusalem were related to Tobiah by marriage. First, Tobiah married Shecaniah’s daughter. We have seen Shecaniah before, back in the book of Ezra, as our reforming priest’s solitary grief at the state of the nation’s affairs becomes communal. Shecaniah was the one who spoke up and admitted the sin of the Jews.

And this Shecaniah (whose name means “Yah has taken up His abode”) was Tobiah’s father-in-law. Talk about divided loyalties. I think we don’t always understand the significance of family and oaths and blessings the way the ancient Jews did. To be bound by an oath in marriage was to unite two families in a way that does not make sense to those of us with an individualistic, Western mindset.

But let’s keep going. To top off Tobiah’s relational connection to Jerusalem, his son, Jehonahan, married the daughter of Meshullam, another influential leader in Jerusalem. Meshullam has shown up before in other verses as well, helping to rebuild the wall.

So, even though we may not be able to fully understand ancient eastern marriage and family ties, we do understand divided loyalties. To be bound by blood or oath to someone matters, if not traditionally then relationally. It is difficult to go against what someone you are related to is passionate about if, for example, it will make Thanksgiving dinner that much more tense. Or to publicly stand opposed to all that a relative holds dear will likely yield a resulting challenge.

But, friends, let me gently remind us our ultimate allegiance, the oath that matters most, is to One Who paid it all. We do not have to tie ourselves to lies or oppression or deceit even if we have relational ties to a person or family. When our main oath matters most He will give us discernment in navigating tricky relational waters. And making our allegiance to the Perfectly Faithful One primary helps make our secondary oaths to other humans that much more healthy.

The final part of our verse today spells out how the Jerusalem nobles were communicating with Tobiah: “they spoke of his good deeds (towb – beautiful) to me (paneh – before my face) and reported (yatsa – go out, come forth) my words to him.”

Or: they made sure Nehemiah knew all Tobiah’s beautiful deeds while at the same time reported everything Nehemiah said back to Tobiah.

“Tobiah’s friends and relatives acted as a Fifth Column. They attempted both to propagandize on behalf of Tobiah and to act as an intelligence system for him.” (source)

And meanwhile? “Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.” It seems as though those letters would come across as eerily accurate to Nehemiah. Almost as if someone was reporting all Nehemiah’s thoughts and plans back to Tobiah. Which makes me want us to put ourselves in Nehemiah’s shoes for a minute.

Imagine you had been given the task of rebuilding a wall and a slew of people joined you in the work. However, you knew many of them had ties to people who were directly opposed to the work. And you had a sneaking suspicion they were using those ties to undermine the work. How would you feel? Grateful for their help rebuilding? Or betrayed at their ties? Or both?

Yeah, probably both. It’s interesting to me that this section is mentioned. I guess when all is said and done, it helps us look back on this historical and spiritually significant event with some human compassion.

Who of us hasn’t dealt with competing loyalties? When multiple people come together with as many opinions and experiences, there are bound to be disagreements. And when there is a project to be completed everyone will want a say in the “how.”

So it’s likely best to go back to the basics in those times. Which seems to be what Nehemiah chose to do. To focus on the mission, maintain personal integrity, and aim to unite the people.

How about us? We who know Jesus don’t build walls (hopefully), but there are plenty of bridges to build and tables to set. Can we focus on the main mission of loving Him and loving people, keeping our personal integrity in tact, and seeking our common humanity with others?

If so we may just have stumbled upon a project worth our entire lives.

Don’t forget your free tea today!

This is not tea

We finally got to the Advanced Learning Library this week and…whoa.

Loved everything about it.

Seriously

View

Did you know Reverie will be setting up shop there soon? Books, technology, community, studying, coffee. It’s all there.

Perhaps my favorite part

Be sure to check out all the upcoming Story Times, Book Clubs, and Kid to Teen events at the Library here.

Looks like the first Food Trucks at the Fountains at Wichita WaterWalk will be this Sunday, June 24th. Outdoor Yoga begins at 10 am and food trucks will be open from 11-2. Bring your people and enjoy the water.

Looks like the Bel Aire City-Wide Garage Sales are on this weekend, beginning today June 21st through Saturday the 23rd. Thanks, Wichita on the Cheap!

The Wichita Art Museum is hosting an outdoor Family ArtVenture this Saturday from 11-3. Build a sculpture, join in an art scavenger hunt, and bring money for Kona Ice.

A friend alerted me to this event tomorrow night, June 22nd. Live 90’s music, free hot dogs, a splash pad? Sounds perfect.

If you or someone you know is moving into Medicare, the Sedgwick County Extension Office is offering a Medicare Options Event next Wednesday, June 27th from 5:30-7:00. There is a small fee for printed materials.

It’s rough out there right now. Take care of yourselves, friends.

Okay, so it’s like 14 days. Or more.

Pool time

Art at Angelou Library Branch

Scope Camp with Dad – Coding Class

Friends’ new chicks

Our church’s Super Hero-themed Kids’ Kamp

5 new babies right outside our door

Pay $30 for a school fundraiser, get a lovely bouquet every month for a year. From Tillie’s Flowers.

Celebrating my sweet cousin’s life

Grateful for friends’ hospitality

Glory

Your 7-ish days?

“So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”

Nehemiah 6:15-16 ESV

Last time we looked in on Nehemiah’s prayer as he dealt with his anger at injustice first in the presence of Elohim. Today we see the results of all the time, work, attacks, distractions, and building: the wall was finished.

The gorgeous Hebrew word for finished is shalam – to make amends, restitution, full, give again. What a picture of completeness. It is the word from which shalom comes, meaning welfare, peace, well-being.

One of my favorite books, The Freedom of Simplicity, describes the concept of shalom exquisitely:

“…a harmonious, caring community with God at its center as the prime sustainer and most glorious inhabitant…Central to the dream of shalom is the wonderful vision of all nations streaming to the mountain of the temple of God to be taught his ways and to walk in his paths; to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks…

We are in harmony with God – faithfulness and loyalty prevail.

We are in harmony with our neighbor – justice and mercy abound.

We are in harmony with nature – peace and unity reign.”

Nehemiah’s situation did not fully exemplify this shalom. Ours does not yet either, and we know it. But we get glimpses, don’t we? Delicious moments in which we see the Future Shalom in our decidedly- difficult here and now. The Spirit breathes and we experience moments of completeness today of which we will inhale for all eternity soon.

Since our main word is shalam, I think it important we stay with a crucial aspect of its definition: reparations. This rebuilding of the wall and remaking of the temple was not simply about the Jewish exiles experiencing completeness and peace. This was a do-over for Yahweh’s covenant people to live in light of His promises as His chosen ones before the eyes of the nations.

The image is that of everything coming full circle for God’s people. And we are invited into an even more perfectly completed one. One in which we could offer no reparations and could make no restitution. For He Himself is our peace.

But from that place of being reconciled to God through Jesus’ physical body, we have the opportunity to extend such a giving posture. To restore what is broken and make amends where needed.

And the result in Nehemiah’s situation will be similar in ours: all (kol) heard (shama – announce, listen with intent to obey), saw (raah – to see, behold, display) and the surrounding nations (sabib goy) fell (naphal – lie, abandon, dash down, topple) greatly (meod – much, abundance) in their own eyes (ayin – eye, confidence, sight).

Or: When all heard and beheld this display, their self-confidence was dashed greatly.

At first this may seem like a harsh result, but it’s important to remember falling in our own eyes is the invitation to become captivated by Another. One worthy of high esteem and all our confidence. To watch a group of exiles finish the wall in less than two months was nothing short of a miracle, and the watching world knew it. Realizing God is in charge must be preceded by the insight that we aren’t.

“…for they perceived (yada – know, discern, discover, know assuredly) this work (melakah – cattle, craftsmanship, business) was accomplished (asah – advance, appoint, bear, do, bring to pass) by (eth – against, along, beside, help, presence) Elohim.”

Or: they knew without a doubt this melakah was advanced in the help and presence of Elohim.

What a gift to fall in esteem in our own eyes even as we come to know without a doubt the Creator God is on the move and we get to be swept up in it. He will accomplish beautiful works in our day as well, friends.

That all may see and know the Most High is also our Good, Good Father.