Rebekah Colburn
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Everything I Do

2/25/2015

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My daughter is going through that teenage girl phase where she finds Romeo-and-Juliet-style stories romantic. Of course they’re sad, but the appeal is the proof offered of the depth of love: to be willing to die in the name of love. When I was a teenager (yes, I’m dating myself), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was a favorite of mine, partially because of the theme of a man possessing a love so deep as to be willing to die for the woman he loved, as Robin professed to Maid Marion. There was even a Bryan Adams’ song to go with it: (Everything I Do) I Do It For You.

Now that I’m older and wiser, I know it’s more difficult and meaningful to live the proof of love over a life-time. For love to survive over decades there must be both commitment and sacrifice. In long-term relationships, those sacrifices can be either unknown or overlooked. But in a dramatic story like Romeo and Juliet, the sacrifice is obvious and glorified.

Lately I’ve been thinking about the proof and depth of love, but not from a romantic perspective. I’ve been thinking about it from the perspective of someone who claims to be part of the “nation of the cross.” The truth is that American Christians have had it easy. And we like it that way. But to quote C.S. Lewis, “Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief.” Words are just wasted breath if they’re unsupported by action.

I want to live the simple daily commitment and sacrifice of a Christian, the unknown choices that honor God and no one notices or knows about. And I want to believe that if ever given the choice to make that final glorious sacrifice, I’d have the courage and faith to do it.

In America, it’s been easy to fill in the slot for our religion with the word “Christian.” It doesn’t cost us anything. But what if it did? If claiming the name of Christ, being associated with the “nation of the cross,” meant finding the same destiny as the apostles, would we still answer the question the same way?

For years the lies of the Wealth & Prosperity Gospel have been pushed on us. But there’s nothing Biblical about it. II Timothy 3:12 says plainly: “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” And in I Peter 4:12-13, we’re told, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.”

Sometimes our commitment to Christ is tested by bitter, atheist college professors, as in the movie God is Not Dead. (By the way, if you haven’t seen this movie yet, I highly recommend it.) We may have to face ridicule or risk failing a class, or worse, losing valuable relationships. But sometimes persecution crosses the line into martyrdom. What then? How far are we willing to go to prove the depth of our love for Jesus?

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With ISIS on a rampage persecuting and killing Christians, the idea of martyrdom has become increasingly on my mind. Just recently you may have heard about the twenty-one Coptic Christians in Egypt who were beheaded for carrying “the illusion of the cross.” This action was in keeping with the group’s promise to send a “message signed with blood to the nation of the cross.”

I got the message. Did you? Claiming the name of Christ may one day cost our lives. Are we willing to love Him to the end? Are we willing to serve Him to the end?

A few years ago I read a book series called The Mark of the Lion by Francine Rivers. She said she wrote the first book, A Voice in the Wind because after becoming a Christian, “I didn’t want to offend anyone and risking ‘losing’ old friends and family members who didn’t share my belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior. I found myself hesitating and keeping silent. Ashamed of my cowardice and frustrated by it, I went on a quest, seeking the faith of a martyr. A Voice in the Wind was the result.

“While writing Hadassah’s story, I learned that courage is not something we can manufacture by our own efforts. But when we surrender wholeheartedly to God, He gives us the courage to face whatever comes. He gives us the words to speak when we are called to stand and voice our faith.”
My prayer is that for each and every one of us who claim to be Christians, a part of the “nation of the cross,” we would surrender fully to God and live the day-to-day with love and commitment in preparation for the day when we may be asked to prove our belief with the greatest of all sacrifices. Whatever we do, whether we live or die, let’s do it to honor God.

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A Valentine's Day Reflection

2/12/2015

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As most of you are aware, I have a thirteen year old daughter named Grace. She brings so much joy, laughter, and delight into my world. Just yesterday, I came back from the bathroom to find that she had used my phone to take silly selfies and save the silliest as my lock screen. (I won't share that one here, to save her the embarrassment.)

Like every almost-teen-aged girl, she thinks a lot about boys and romance. As her mom, I listen to lots of conversations about the current crush and I hope and pray I can coach her to make wise decisions when the time comes that she's allowed to date. Which won't be for another three years. At least.

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I know she's going to have to make all her own decisions and learn from all of her own mistakes. Really, there are only three things I can do: 1.) Pray for her daily, 2.) Teach her the Bible, and 3.) Always remind her of her value.

No one is ever going to love her as much as I do, and that's a fact! I think she is the most beautiful, creative, silly, sweet girl in the world! But even if she wasn't beautiful, smart, or even sweet, her value wouldn't be any less. Because her value is derived from being made in the image of God. "So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Gen. 1:27).

When she's finally allowed to date, I hope she chooses a guy who sees her value and treats her as the treasure she is. My goal is to educate her so that she understands what a healthy relationship looks like: "Each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband" (Ephesians 5:33). I want her to encourage him to pursue his dreams and to be the very best version of himself--and I want him to do the same for her. I want them to be a blessing to one another, to be best friends, to support, encourage, and enjoy one another.

My job, while she's young, is to teach her what LOVE is. True love is sacrificial and selfless. It puts the other person's interests before your own. It never wants to inflict harm, but to bring joy. "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance"
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I Cor. 13:4-7).

Whatever we know about Love, we've learned from the one example of what love is: "Love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (I John 4:7-8).

My wish is for my daughter to find a man who will cherish her for the treasure she is. Just as fervently, I wish that each of us could know God's love and share it with the people in our lives: whether we're married, single, or dreaming of dating.


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Top Ten Things I've Learned from Researching the Civil War

2/4/2015

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Over the last few months, I've been working my way through a mountain of research, and I've come to several conclusions which I would like to share with you. Here are the Top Ten Things my research has taught me.

1. My eyes are getting too old for books with small print. Am I really supposed to be able to read this without getting an eye-strain headache?
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2. Before TV, ITunes, Game Apps, and Texting, people had much longer attention spans and didn't feel the same pressure to be concise as modern day writers. They weren't afraid to use a lot of words.

3. In those days of limited technology, people also had much more expansive vocabularies. Writers didn't have to question whether the general public would know what "exigencies" mean. (What does it mean?)

4. In general, there was little thought to "political correctness." People were more direct and forthright in their speech, and weren't afraid to take a stand for what they believed. Today, even with our emphasis on politically correct speech, we're just as divided as they were.

5. The Civil War was avoidable. There was at least a full decade of dissent leading up to it, during which time peaceable compromise could have been achieved and war averted. The Civil War was the result of inflexible pride on both sides. Let's learn from history and strive for unity within our great nation.

6. The Civil War was also the beginning of "Big Government," with the Federal Government gaining more control over individual states and citizens. This issue was, in fact, the original reason why states began to secede.

7. Politics have always been messy. It's nothing new.

8. While the Civil War is an example of mankind's inclination to violence in order to resolve disagreement, it is also a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit to rise above and rebuild in the aftermath of atrocity and destruction.

9. Pit Bulls are more interested in the details of history than the average modern person. Jenna is very content to read Jefferson Davis' "The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government" with me for hours at a time.  

10. "The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history."  -- Friedrich Hegel
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    Rebekah Colburn

                   Novelist
    Historical Fiction/ Romance 

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