Time to Plow

Just outside our neighborhood, there is a huge field.   Being new to the area, it took some fact finding research to discover what the crop even was.  Turns out it is a crop of sugar beets. I will tell you a little secret, because I am a curious soul, one time when we were out walking I plucked a plant to see if I could tell what it was --  I couldn't,  I just got roots.  (My apologies little plant!)   Last week, when we were out walking the dogs, we were surprised to find that finally, the farmer was plowing the field and gathering up his crop of sugar beets.  All spring and all summer we watched the sugar beet plants grow from tiny little shoots to huge bush type plants.  The field was a blanket of solid deep dark rich green.  When the summer was winding down in August, we couldn't understand why the field had not yet been harvested.  When September hit, we thought for sure the farmer would begin harvesting.  Nope!  October came and with it, chillier weather, surely now the farmer will harvest.  Nope!  It wasn't until the 3rd week in October that the farmer finally revved up his tractor and called in the big trucks to harvest his crop.  Day and night for 3 solid days he and his crew worked.   The machines they used looked ferocious - shiny wheels of sharp steel churning and turning - loosening the soil and pulling up the sugar beets.  The smooth flow of their system was like a well choreographed dance.  The giant tractor digger (I didn't know what it was really called, I just made that up.) moved slowly along the field digging up and spitting out the sugar beets into the tummy of its partner the sleek white dump truck that was waltzing along by the tractors side.  Once its tummy was full the dump truck sped off to unload and a new fresh dump truck took its place with precision and exact timing. Absolutely fascinating.  We watched for over 45 minutes so entranced were we in the Farmers Beet Harvest Dance.

Upon further research we learned that the timing for harvesting sugar beets must be perfect.   The farmer has to pay attention to the weather and to the temperature and the conditions in order to know when exactly it is time to harvest his beets.   He has to be prepared to go at it at the first sign of readiness.   Harvesting sugar beets begins with the first frost.  The day of the first frost that farmer must be prepared to harvest or all is lost.  And once harvested the sugar beets must be protected to prevent them from deteriorating before they can be delivered to the factory.  Such an amazing process and it is all centered on timing.   (By the way - I also learned that the "giant tractor digger" is actually called a beet harvester.)

I tell you this story of the Sugar Beets because it made me think of how precise and exact God's timing is as well as  how precise our timing must be in order that we do not miss a blessing.

In Hosea 10:12 God's Word declares, "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you."

It is time to sow the things of God in our lives and the lives of others.
It is time to reap the fruit of His unfailing love.
It is time to plow through the things that prevent us from being and doing all God has planned for us.
It is time to seek the Lord with all our heart.
It is time to be prepared...
Until - in His time - He comes and showers righteousness on us.
Until - in His time - we receive His blessing.
Until - in His time - He comes again!

   

Gather, Scatter, Matter

Gather, Scatter, Matter.  3 little words that define life.

I first heard these words put together at a church meeting.  Leadership was sharing and encouraging the folks that come to the church to commit to partnering with the church by gathering regularly, scattering by engaging in the community inside and outside of the church and making a difference (mattering) by using our God-given time, treasure and talents through service, generosity and finances - again inside and outside of the church. This is a scriptural concept and not something that is new.  I had just never heard it summed up in this way and wrapped up in a nice neat package. Thank You, church!
              Gather: Hebrews 10:23-25     Scatter: Acts 2:42-47     Matter: Ephesians 4:1-16

As I thought about the concept of Gather, Scatter, Matter I saw so much more than just how this can apply to church life.  This concept applies to our daily lives as well.  Think about it...family life is all about Gather, Scatter, Matter.  As parents we gather our kids around the dinner table or we pile them all in the car to go on vacation.  Then when they are grown they scatter - going off to college, getting married, getting jobs and hopefully if we have done our job as a parent right, we have made a positive impact on their life and what we have done as a parent mattered.  And we see each child in turn gather, scatter and matter in their personal life, at their workplace and in the scope of their own little family as well as wherever they attend church.

In our home, when our children were growing up, we sat at the dinner table every evening.  This was a time of regrouping and reconnecting, touching base with each child.  This was our gathering time. It wasn't always pretty...there was spilt milk, and lap chops (that is our term for when a child cuts his or her meat and it lands in his or her lap - I use no names to protect the not so innocent!) and there were disagreements - "Mo-om he's looking at me!!!"  "Mo-om she is sitting too close!!!"  Sigh!!!  But I wouldn't exchange a moment of it for all the coffee at Dutch Bros. because there was also laughter and sweet times.  We would hear about how one brother stuck up for another brother.  Or how our boys were watching out for their little sister. We would hear about field trips and what they learned. We would hear about who likes who and all that the boy/girl drama.  We would hear about what happened when our children sang at the old folks home or served meals to the needy with the boy scouts.  We saw them scattering and making a difference (mattering) in the lives of each other and the lives of people outside our family.

In Matthew 13: 4-9, Jesus told a parable of a farmer who scattered seeds. The farmer first has to gather his seeds, then he can scatter them.  But once scattered, only some of the seeds landed on good soil - only some of the seeds mattered.  In verses 18 - 23 of that same chapter, Jesus explains the parable. What I see is that if the farmer never gathered or scattered, none of the seeds would have mattered.

Gather, Scatter, Matter are intertwined.  But it starts with Gathering.  Whether you gather at the dinner table, gather via Face time, gather with a group of friends or gather in the church, that's where it starts.

For once you Gather, seeds of life and love will be Scattered and it will Matter.


"The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's Word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!" Matthew 13: 23

The Weight of the World

Did you ever have one of those days where you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders?  Nothing seems right in your home, in your family, in the world and there is simply nothing you can do about it.  Those kind of days it is hard to power through when all you really want to do is climb back in bed and sleep... thinking maybe when you wake up things will be different.

I had one of those days recently.  I learned that a dear friend lost her husband to a massive heart attack.  I knew her husband, and I know that my friend is hurting and I am not there to love, comfort and support her.  But God is.  If I am honest, even though God is with her, I am still sad.

A little later on the same day, I spoke with my son who has been job hunting for a really long time. He finally had a good job locked in, he had a start date, things were good to go and then there was a hiccup in his paperwork, and with his cell phone - he missed an important call and the company terminated the hiring process and hired someone else.  Heartbreaking news.  When he and I spoke on the phone we decided God is in this and there is a reason.   Acknowledging that God is in control of this situation doesn't make it any less painful.  I am still sad for my son and his family because this didn't work out for them.

Does this mean that I don't trust God?  Does it mean that I have no faith?  No.  It means I have a heart.  A heart that hurts for the people I care about.  A heart that feels what they are feeling.  I like that!

So I did what I always do with my sad heart, I took it to the Savior.  I told Him what I was feeling and you know what He said?  He said, "I know.  I understand.  Be still, child, and know that I am God.  I am in control and I have a plan."  In other words - rest in me - I am with you (and your friend and your son) - I have you (and your friend and your son) securely in the palm of my hand - climb on my lap and feel my embrace."  And so, I did.  I climbed up onto his lap, and taking a deep breath and releasing it with a sigh, I laid the weight of my world at His feet.

Today is a new day.  I woke up with the same left over sadness but today I was granted a new perspective.  I laid in bed looking out the window to see the leaves on the colorful trees blowing gently in the wind.  I saw the glorious sun and felt such gratitude it was overwhelming.  I wondered, can sadness and gratitude fill a heart at the same time?  I suppose it depends on the capacity of the heart.  I believe God has given me much heart capacity because I feel so many different things - sometimes all at the same time - so deeply and so passionately - though probably people would never know that.  I know many people with this same huge heart capacity - and I love that I am surrounded by them. They are a gift as I hope I am a gift to them.

The weight of the world is not mine to bear.  Yes, I will be affected by it - I will feel sadness, I will get disgusted, I will feel pain and sorrow but I have a Savior that knows, that understands, that cares.

The weight of the world is not yours to bear either.  Do you know my Savior?
Let me introduce you...His name is Jesus.  He knows.  He understands.  He cares.  Rest in Him. Climb into His lap and feel His embrace.  Pour yourself out to Him.  Lay the weight of your world at His feet.
He invites you to do just that!

"Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." 
Matthew 11:28   

    

A Little Faith, A Little Trust and it will all work out!

Remember our story of Jesus yesterday and the 5000+ people gathered to see and hear Him?  He was tired. He was hungry.  But He had compassion on them even after a long, long day, and He started teaching them, just like you would expect Jesus to do.  He ranks on the top of the list for self-sacrifice, wouldn't you agree?  Well to continue that story from the book of Mark -- it got to be late in the afternoon...now if you recall, even Jesus' disciples had not had a moments rest and they had not had a chance to eat.  All those hungry men...I can just imagine they were starting to get a bit ornery - hunger does that to folks.  So the disciples approach Jesus and suggest that He send all the people away so they (the people) can go to the town to buy something to eat.   But Jesus, has other plans..."Oh noooo," He says, "You feed them!"    Whaaaaat!?!?!?!  Right away the disciples start in with all the reasons they can't do that...we don't have enough money, where would we find enough food for all these people? "C'mon, Jesus, get real,"  they must have been thinking.  Jesus, the problem solver said something like this, "You are right this is a lot of people to feed, but how much bread do we have here among the people?  Go find out."  First of all, He hears what they are saying and then He tells them - don't assume you can't do this, go check...do your research.  So they do.  They come back and report that all they can find among the people are five loaves of bread and two fish.  In their minds, I imagine they are thinking - like this is going to be any help in feeding 5000+ people.  I am sure they were skeptical to say the least.  (Paraphrased by me from Mark 6:35-38)

I know there have been many times I was skeptical that God was going to do a work.  Take our move to Idaho for example.  We had prayed and felt certain we had God's blessing to move to Idaho.  We had our kids blessing to move.  Everything was perfect.  We worked night and day to get our home in California ready to sell.  We had help from friends and family.  Everything was blipping along exactly as we thought it was going to because we had confirmation from God that we were doing the right thing - doing what He wanted us to.  The real estate folks thought our home was gorgeous and would sell above market value and so we went with it.  Finally the day came and the sign went up - For Sale!  And then the house sat - For Sale!  No prospects for the first two weeks.  The 3rd week we had people come and see it - many thought it was perfect for them but we had no offers.  So we reduced the price.  Still it sat - For Sale!  1 month, 2 months...This is when the skepticism came in.  I prayed, "Lord isn't this what you wanted?  I don't understand."  He answered with the verses, "Be still and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10 and "Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3  "Ok, Lord," I said, "I will keep trusting, I will keep waiting for the great and mighty things that I don't know about." But it was hard when everything was taking so long.  In looking back in my journal from that period of time, I prayed over and over that He would be glorified through whatever happened with our home.  In my journal I wrote, "Father do your thing - so that it is undeniably Your hand at work, Your will, Your desire for us, Your miracle."   And finally, at the 11th hour, He did.  We had made the decision that we were leaving town on March 30th whether the house was sold or not. This we felt was also ordained and directed by God.  So we went with it. Who are we to argue with God? Right?  On March 7th, we got an offer on the house - all cash - uh oh, I am getting goose bumps again...this is so amazing...all cash, nothing to fix, no added expenses, an 'as is' purchase to close on March 30th!!!  God's timing is always PERFECT!!!  And when everything was said and done, we walked away with more than we had even hoped for.  More than we could ever ask or imagine as the verse says.  "Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we could ask or imagine." Ephesians 3:20  In my Bible next to that verse I have written, 'Go to Him with positive expectations.'  Truly, He has never failed to keep His promises to me or my family.

Now, back to our Bible story: Just like in my families story, in this Bible story, Jesus does an amazing work...a miracle.  I am thinking He had this planned all along, just like with our house.  First He tells the disciples to have everyone sit down in groups of 50 or 100.  (He is so organized!!) Then Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish, and looks up to heaven and blesses them.  He then starts breaking the bread and handing it to the disciples so they could pass it to the people.  He does the same with the fish.  Everyone - all 5000+ people - shared the five loaves and two fish.  They all ate and ate and ate until they were full - kind of like a person feels after Thanksgiving dinner.  And afterward the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.  TWELVE! They ended up with way more than they even needed.  (Paraphrased by me from Mark 6: 39 - 44) Way more than they could have asked for or imagined. (Ephesians 3:20 again)

When God is involved, and we know that He is guiding and directing, that He is in charge, why do we doubt, even for a moment?  Why did the disciples doubt that Jesus could feed all those people with what little food they had available?  They knew Jesus. They had first hand knowledge of His power.  Why did I doubt for a second that our house was going to be sold?  I think sometimes, when we doubt it is because we can't see the possibilities.   We are blinded by our human limitations.  I think this was true in the case of the disciples.  They were too busy thinking about why the people couldn't be fed.  Other times we doubt because we get impatient.  We don't see things happening as fast as we hoped or even see anything at all happening.  This was true in the case of me and our house.  Whatever the reasoning for your doubt, the important thing is to get past it. God understands. Talk to Him about it. Own up to it and let it go - release "it" to Him - what ever "it" is.  He has it covered - He is handling "it".

With a little faith and a little trust it will all work out!  I know from experience.


"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Have faith in God.  I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen.  But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart."  Mark 11:22-23  

    

Just Like Jesus

Imagine a day that has been so tiring, so jam packed with activity that all you want to do at the end of the day is collapse in exhaustion on the couch or in your bed.  Here is an example of one of those days...You cart the kids to school in the morning, go to church to volunteer for a couple hours, stop at the post office, the grocery store and to get gas, pick the kids up from school, stop at home long enough for a quick snack for the kids and for them to change their clothes for their activities. You turn right around and head out the door for your daughters soft ball practice which is immediately followed by the boys baseball practices all done with a toddler in tow.   By the time you get home it is dinner time,  which you prepare.  By this time hubby is home and he helps clean up after dinner.  Way to go, hubby!!! But it is now bath time. As you go to gather up your little one for his bath, you find him sitting very content in his room drawing on the new dresser - and himself - with Sharpies. (Sigh!!!)  Good thing it is bath time.  Little one is now bathed and what we call in our house "Jammified" which means he has his pajamas on.  Now it is time to start encouraging the three older ones that it is time to shower.  "I don't need a shower!"  "Yes, you do, you are sweaty, " you say.  "No, I'm not...not any more."  Calmly (or maybe not so calmly) you reply, "Please, just go take a shower and I suggest you not say another word.  I am the mom and I say go take a shower so go - take -  a -  shower."  (Does this interchange sound in any way familiar?) They understand this tone of voice means we better go take a shower and so they go take their showers.  After teeth are brushed and everyone is all set, you head up the stars for good nights and call out, "Time for bed!" "I'm not tired!" is the reply. Needless to say, at this point "It" whatever "It" is, could easily hit the fan!!!   But instead, you climb the stairs and give your children an extra 10 minutes to stay up while you check on little one who is already sound asleep looking like a sweet angel.  You clean up the bathroom and gather a load of laundry before going to kiss your beautiful children good night.
I know you have had days like this.  Everyone has.  Whether it is at home or at the office we all have them.
And so did Jesus.

The apostles had been out doing ministry and they came to find Jesus to tell Him about all the things they had done and what they had taught the people. Jesus listened.  Jesus sensed that the apostles were tired and He knew what His day had been like and that none of them had time to rest or even eat. There had been so many people coming and going, so many people to talk to, so many people asking questions, so many people to heal.  So Jesus suggested they find a quiet spot off by themselves in order to rest a bit and perhaps grab a bite to eat.  This sounded like a great idea to all of them so Jesus and His followers climbed in a boat and left for a quiet place where they could be alone.   But wait.......the people - people from many towns - saw them leaving and they came running along the shore of the lake to meet them on the other side.  I could hear all those people saying to each other - "Let's head them off at the pass!" This was a huge crowd of people - like 5000 people!  

Jesus had already had a full day.  He had not eaten. He had not rested.  Nor had his apostles.  But, what does Jesus do?  He looks out at all 5000 of those people as He is stepping out of the boat and He has compassion on them.  He was hungry, He was tired.  But, He is thinking to himself, these people are like lost sheep, they have no shepherd.  And so, He begins teaching them many things.             (Paraphrased by me from Mark 6: 30-34)

So often, in our day to day lives we experience days like I described above.  It just seems like it is one thing after another and there is no time to rest and no time to eat and then our children push us to the limit.  And yet...from somewhere deep within us, we find strength to keep going; we find patience not to lose our temper; we find compassion to give an extra 10 minutes, just like Jesus.

And when we are just like Jesus, I like to think God our Father smiles and says "That's my girl!" or "That's my boy!"  "She/he is just like Jesus!"  And isn't that the goal?


Philippians 2: 4,5 "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."

Mark 6: 30-34 "The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things."   

Grace Abounds

Grace and peace to you my friends!

Grace allows me to be who I really am, warts and all!  God's grace accepts me exactly as I am.  I don't have to pretend.  I don't have to fake it!  And this knowledge is freeing.  It's hard work to pretend I am something I am not.  It goes against a person's natural inclinations.  I can relax.  "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect..."   1 Corinthians 15:10
Grace - amazing grace! What is it?

Webster's New World Dictionary College Edition provides a theological definition of grace: "The unmerited love and favor of God toward man; divine influence acting in man to make him pure and morally strong; the condition of a person thus influenced."  There is nothing I can do or ever have done to earn God's grace.  It is a gift that God freely gives.  Grace prompted God to give - to send His Son.  This is God's love in action and it is transforming.

Louis Berkhof in his Systematic Theology refers to grace as a covenant between God and man.  He says it like this:  "The covenant of grace may be defined as that gracious agreement between the offended God and the offending but elect sinner, in which God promises salvation through faith in Christ, and the sinner accepts this believingly, promising a life of faith and obedience."  (Section 111 Nature of the Covenant of Grace, B. Par. 4)  Grace is God's love expressed to those who deserve it the least.  It is an offer of eternal life with Him through Jesus.  And those elect that have accepted the gift make a promise to be faithful and obedient.   Thus a covenant is made between God and man.

Keeping in mind that God is a Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - the manifestation of grace would involve interaction with all three persons of the Trinity.  Grace is the gift of God - Ephesians 2:8, offered through the action of God's Son, Jesus - Ephesians 2:7 and worked in us through the Holy Spirit - 1 Peter 1:2.   In his article What Is Grace, John MacArthur states "Grace is not a dormant or abstract quality, but a dynamic, active, working principle: "The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation...and instructing us" (Titus 2: 11-12).  It is not some ethereal blessing that lies idle until we appropriate it. Grace is God's sovereign initiative to sinners. (Ephesians 1:5-6)".

In the covenant of grace, God takes the first step by offering it as a gift.  Once we accept that gift, it is our duty to wholeheartedly jump in as faithful, loyal, all-in followers of Christ.  I think of Billy Graham who had been preaching for 73 years and Chuck Swindoll who has been preaching for 53 years.  These are men like you and I that are sinners saved by grace and they are all-in followers of Christ.  Will you or I be a Billy Graham or Chuck Swindoll, probably not, but can we be all-in followers that serve regularly in our local churches and communities? Absolutely! Because you and I have the same grace bestowed on us that Billy and Chuck have.  Think about that.

We have looked at what grace is. For a moment let's look at what grace is not. Grace is not, a "Free Pass" to do as we choose.  Often as Christians, we fail to see that God's grace calls us to be better people - "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Romans 12: 2a    About grace, the Bible says "It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."  Titus 2: 12  One foot in the world and one foot on God's playing field just doesn't cut it with God.  Revelations 3:15 & 16 are words to heed, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth."  One foot in and one foot out is being lukewarm.  God knows that in our humanness - in our weakness - we often have trouble making commitments.  It is hard for us to make a commitment to the people we see every day.  This covenant is a commitment to be faithful and obedient to God whom we can not see.  But God, in His grace, promises to help us with this.  He tells us, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12: 9 God's promise is that He will make us strong and able to say "No" to the world and "Yes" to being all-in.

There is a very old song that I taught my Sunday School kids years ago.  I haven't heard it sung in a church setting in quite a while - unless of course it was my own Sunday School class - I love the old Bible songs... It is not sung in the more contemporary church settings because the tune isn't upbeat or catchy.  But the words speak volumes about being all-in for God. 

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back, no turning Back

The cross before me - the world behind me, The cross before me - the world behind me, The cross before me the world behind me
No turning back, no turning back

Though none go with me I still will follow, Though none go with me I still will follow, Though none go with me I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back

God's grace abounds.  It is plentiful and unconditional - given freely to all who accept it.  Those who accept, are then filled with grace and able to give grace to others through works and words and love. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9: 8

Yes, grace...amazing grace!  How sweet it is! Grace abounds!

Signed,
A sinner saved by grace



References:
Webster's New World Dictionary College Edition 1966
Berkhof, Louis, (1938). Systematic Theology. https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/berkhof/systematic_theology.html. Section 111, Nature of the Covenant of Grace, B, Par. 4. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
What is Grace. MacArthur, John. http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/grace-to-you/read/articles/what-is-grace-10339.html.  Par. 13. Retrieved 5 September 2016.              

  

How He Loves Us

God looks for us - He searches us out and calls us by name.  He leaves the 99 to find the lost 1. He waits eagerly for us to come to Him.

He loves us in spite of our faults, in spite of our sin, in our brokenness.

God delights in us in spite of all of these things.

He understands.  He cares.  He grants mercy.  He forgives. He loves fully and completely.

He knows us inside and out because He created us - He thought us up and then spoke us into being.

Because He knows us so well He can love us perfectly.

He loves unconditionally as only He can.

He loves personally.

The only thing He wants in return – is fellowship - that we love Him back.  That we talk with Him and get to know Him. That we believe.

What do you do with a love like God’s?

You accept it. You bask in it. It's a gift.
You truly realize just how great His affection is for you - how He loves you so!

And then you share it. 

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19 

That's it...simple.

Click below to listen:

Oh How He Loves

In the Desert But Not Alone

Are there ever times when you wonder if God is listening to you?  Are there times when you wonder if God really cares about you or if He has perhaps forgotten about you? 

Matthew 3:16, 17; 4:1

Picture this…Jesus has just been baptized.  A holy dove descends on Him to proclaim Him as the Son of God.  Folks are in awe of what just happened.  They are stunned, amazed.  The Messiah they have been waiting for has been announced.  Jesus is ready to begin his ministry.

But wait – what does God do?  God just said, “This is my Son whom I love.  With Him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17  And then…He sends Jesus into the wilderness to undergo, loneliness, hunger, hardship and to top it off, temptation.  Don’t you find it interesting that the way the Father chose to show love to His Son at the beginning of His ministry was to put him in the desert?  Why did He do that? I think it was so that at the critical beginning of this most important time in history, Jesus would learn to depend on the Father; the Father alone.  And I don't believe for a moment that God was not there with His Son the whole time.

Perhaps one of the reasons God places each of us into a desert of some kind now and then is so that we will learn to depend on Him in new ways.  So that we will learn to depend on Him and Him only. So that we will turn to Him for answers, guidance, comfort or strength because we have no place else to turn.

Deserts come in different forms - sadness, loneliness, depression, financial...an on and on.   

When you are in the desert, and we all are there sometimes, be assured, God is there too.  He is listening.  He has not forgotten you.  He does care about you, for He says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”  Isaiah 49:16  Jesus nail pierced hands are symbolized here.  Jesus and what He did at the cross is proof of God's love and care.  I heard somewhere that God says “I will be with you” 365 times in the Bible.  I don't know this for a fact, but if it's true, isn’t it so like God that He would speak those words one time for each day of the year.

Here’s one - no two -  for this day found in Isaiah 43: 1-5a.

"But now, this is what the Lord says - He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel; "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for your life.  Do not be afraid, for I am with you;..."

Here's an idea to help you remember that even when you are in the desert you are engraved in the palm of His holy hands and you are not alone.  This idea may sound silly, (you can do it when no one is around) but oftentimes a visual reminder goes a long way toward making something unforgettable.  Here's all you need - just 3 easy things:

1. A piece of paper - any kind 

2. A writing implement - any kind 

3. Scissors 

Here's what you are going to do: Trace your hand on the piece of paper, cut out your hand shape, then write your name in the palm of the hand cut out.  Keep that hand in a spot where you see it often. 

You can write the references on it too, if you want - Isaiah 49:16 and Isaiah 43: 1 - 5a.

When you look at the hand you can know that this is a promise of God's to us His chosen people -His loved ones - 

   "in the desert - I will be with you."   

When I had a preschool class, every year we did a Kissing Hand project based on the book titled The Kissing Hand written by Audrey Penn.  I would have the parents trace and cut out their hand and send it in to me with a handwritten note to their child and a family photo.  I laminated all the sheets and made a Kissing Hand book.  When a child was having a particularly hard day missing mom or dad, I would pull out the book, read the parents note to the child while they placed their hand on top of mom or dad's paper hand.  Some days students kept their hand there for a very long time, but it never failed to help them through the day. 

Children have deserts too - scary dreams, monsters in the closet, fears of all kinds.  This idea can help a struggling child as well.  After talking through the idea behind the hand cut out and actually making the project with your child, tuck that hand under his or her pillow at night.  They can tuck their own hand under the pillow as well and perhaps they will feel better resting their hand in God's hand.

Everyone - big people and little people - spend some time in the desert now and then.  It's good to know we are not there alone.  

Tom - "The Father-in-Law"

Families are made up of so many different personalities.  God made us all different - which is a good thing - and sometimes we favor one relative over another because they are funnier or because they understand us the most.  For whatever reason, we are partial to them and find a closeness - a bond - if you will, that makes that person dear to our heart.

My father-in-law was that person for me.  He passed away several years ago, but his memory lingers on in my heart.  I treasure the paintings he left behind because they are a piece of him.  He saw beauty though he rarely spoke of it.  He felt deep feelings though he didn't show it.  I don't know if anyone else in the family saw it, but I did.

When I think of my father-in-law a couple stories come to mind immediately.

My  husband and I got married when we were very young…very young…naïve, unworldly and… young.  Our first apartment was in the heart of the south side of Chicago as was our second apartment.  I like to think that Tom and Helen really didn’t want their new baby grandson raised in that kind of environment so they helped us buy our first home in Oak Forest, Illinois.  The house had character to say the least.   It was originally a barn and someone turned it into a residence. We made it a home.  I made simple yellow curtains for the kitchen windows, we had second hand furnishings and a barber chair.   Tom and his young son, my husband, spent a day or more reworking the pipes in the little mini basement.  When we bought the house the pipes looked like a game of mousetrap with all the twists and turns and elbow pipes all mushed into one little area near the water heater.  Little did we know that “mousetrap” was soon to be a key word in this little house of ours.  One sunny morning I walked into the kitchen to find a couple mice crawling along the counter, I stopped dead in my tracks, just then a few more appeared on the floor then more on the counter, now I am trying to shoo them away and they start crawling up the yellow curtains, I am shaking the curtains to try and get them off – and shouting “Go away!!”  What do I do – there are mice everywhere…of course I do what any young, naïve, girl would do - I crawl up on the kitchen table and call my father-in-law.  I can just imagine him rolling his eyes at the call – “Help me we are being over run with mice!!” “I’ve got a baby!!”  I cry into the phone.  Calmly he says – “I’ll be right there.”  I’ll just bet he laughed all the way out to Oak Forest.  By the time he arrived most of the mice were gone – probably running for cover from the crazy lady.  He set out mousetraps, which I heard going off all day and each time I heard the 'snap' I felt bad that I called in the “big guns” – the “Father-In-Law”. 

Not only was the “father-in-law” the mouse-hero, but he was also on at least one occasion the bearer of news that needed to be delivered with a tender calm understanding touch.  Same house – same young girl – another sunny morning. The phone rings.  I answer in a cheery voice – “Hello”.  It’s Tom. “Rox, Steve’s been in a car accident.”  “He was turning onto 159^th street and was hit.”  In shock and with a million scenarios running through my mind, I ask, “How bad is the car?”   Not “is Steve okay?”  In my twisted way of thinking if the car wasn’t too bad, then Steve was fine.  Tom obviously understands “my twisted way of thinking” and he replies “Steve is a little banged up but okay. “  My father-in-law says everything is OK, so I'm good.  

I always had the impression that Tom was not raised in a family that did a lot of hugging - he just didn't seem like the huggy type.  My family hugs.  For years I wavered - to hug or not to hug - that is the question!  It took quite a while for me to feel comfortable enough to give hugs to my father-in-law.  Finally, one time after a holiday gathering, I just dove in and did it!  I hugged my father-in-law.  To my delight he accepted the hug and even reciprocated.  After many such hugging experiences, I began whispering in his ear “I love you” as we hugged.  Each time, he would smile his big toothy smile, I would see a very special twinkle in his eye and he’d say, “Aw, Rox.”   I can hear that “Aw, Rox” in my head each time I think of it.  It is a fond remembrance of something special shared between father-in-law and daughter-in-law.  That “Aw, Rox” said so much more than just those two little words.  It said, “I love you, too!”  And I knew he did.

Family is a funny thing!  We don't get to pick our family, but I think God does a really great job of matching people up in families. He places family members in our lives to help us and encourage us, to challenge us and support us.  Our family, is our family.  We git who we git and there's no point in throwing a fit!  as my preschoolers were taught.  I have been blessed with an amazing family - immediate and extended.  They have all influenced my life in many ways but Tom - my Father-In-Law, was special.  We had a different kind of relationship - subtle, sweet and endearing.

"Aw, Tom"  I loved you then. I love you still!


To my family:  "I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers."  Philemon :4

   



  

Perfect Peace

A conversation with Jesus:

"Good Morning, Jesus," I say to Him, "You, Jesus, are peace.  I can imagine You walking through the streets talking to people.  Not rushed and truly interested.  You are the same today.  I can imagine You sitting across from me on the couch, right now, attentive to my concerns.  Your soft loving eyes looking into my very soul with complete understanding.  And I feel at peace.  At peace knowing You are on my side, You care, You are for me. I am safe with You."  And then He calls me child --

"Child," He says, "Do not be afraid. Trust Me fully. I will never let you down.  You are mine and I will never leave you."

And I believe Him.

The sense of peace that overtakes me cannot be described adequately.  Perfect Peace that can only come from focusing on the Savior.  Trusting that all my cares are in the most capable of hands - His. Knowing that my life is built on the Rock of Jehovah - solid and strong.

"Yes, child," He says to me, "I am for you. I am your solid Rock, your Safe Harbor.  I am your Perfect Peace."

Ever so quietly, almost in a whisper, I reply, "Yes, Jesus, You are my Perfect Peace. Help me stay focused on You instead of the storms, instead of the troubles, instead of the pain.  Focusing on You brings Perfect Peace."

"My Jesus, I love You." I tell Him.

"And I love you, child."  He says.


"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal."  Isaiah 26: 3 & 4 

Checking Account

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Eccl 3:1

There is a time for everything - but, is there time for everything?  No one ever seems to have enough time to accomplish all they want to do in a day, a week, a month, yet we have all the time there is in each day, week and month.  The amount of time we have is what it is.  We can't extend it.  We can't carry it over.  We can't multiply it.  This looks like math...and that is sort of what time is.

Each day, we are gifted 24 hours - no more - no less.  It is as if those 24 hours were deposited into our checking account.  As we use the time allotted us each day it is as if we are writing a check against that 24 hours.  The one difference is that at the end of the day, whatever has not been used is lost. Our days are a use it or lose it proposition.  Which brings me to the next thought...doesn't that make HOW we use our time all that much more important?

The other night, I went upstairs to turn off my computer.  I sat down and feeling not really tired enough to go to bed decided to check email, my social media and the latest recommended pins for me for "just a quick minute".  I know you know where this is going.  I also know that you have probably done this same thing.  Before I knew it, I looked at the clock and it was 2:00 a.m.  Seriously!!  What a waste of time.  Now don't get me wrong, I love keeping up with what is going on in my friends lives. But I shouldn't be doing it at 2:00 in the morning.  That's just not good for my body and if truth be told, if I am going to be up till 2:00 in the morning, I would much rather it have been doing something creative, like sewing or writing or even reading a good book.

Since retiring, with only a few weekly commitments, I have my days free for the most part.  The Holy Spirit has really convicted me that I should be using this time much more wisely.  God deposits 24 hours into my time checking account every day as a gift.  Each check I write against it needs to be intentional and purposeful.  Wasting that gift is being ungrateful.  The Bible speaks to us about this in Ephesians 5: 15 & 16 when Paul writes: "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."  I think perhaps we could use the word moment in place of the word opportunity to fully grasp what God is admonishing us to do here.  If we fail to make the most of every moment our days will be wasted, i.e. evil. Yikes!! That's pretty serious.

Is there time for everything?  I think the answer to that depends on how we write checks against our Time Checking Account. I am going to be a much better financial steward of my time.
How about you?


Benjamin Franklin said, "Doust thou love life?  Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of.  Lost time is never found again."

Willy Wonka on time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvOO1Whi_Gc

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Woman to Woman

Beauty is only skin deep.  What does that mean anyway?  I know there are several ways to look at this phrase but the way I read it is definitely not a compliment.  What makes a woman beautiful? Yes, make up covers skin imperfections but do cosmetics make a woman beautiful?  Do fancy clothes or expensive jewelry make a woman beautiful? I think not.

Let's imagine for a moment a woman named Daisy.  One look at her and you feel inadequate.  She obviously has it all.  Daisy has perfect skin.  Her body is shaped perfectly with a flat tummy and no saddle bags.  She has long, thick blonde - no, golden - hair with just a slight wave in it.  She has long thick lashes and perfectly shaped nails that are always polished to perfection.  Her clothing is always ironed, neat and tidy with matching shoes to go with each outfit.  She looks beautiful.  And then she speaks.  With all that outer beauty the assumption is that her words will be as flowing and sweet as milk and honey, as kind as Mary Poppins and as inspirational as Mother Teresa.  But that is not the case.  Her words are full of anger and bitterness as is her heart.

You see, beauty is not about the outward appearance of a person.  Beauty is about what's inside.  Kahlil Gibran said, "Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."  How soft a woman's heart is toward others.  How warm and tenderly she looks at her children, her friends, her family, strangers.  Beauty is seen in how she willingly helps and serves others.  A woman's true beauty is found in how she makes others feel.  Real beauty is in authenticity and genuineness.  These are the inner qualities that make a woman beautiful.

Beauty is inside, true, but does that mean we don't have to take care of our outer selves?  Absolutely not.  I heard Chuck Swindoll speak one time about women taking care of themselves. He was encouraging them to make the most of how God created them and to respect their body by taking care of it and always being presentable.  My husband tells this story of his mom often.  When she was getting ready to go out, anywhere, she would always take time to "put on her face."  She could not/would not go out until she was presentable.  It was a matter of self-respect.  How you present your outer self says something about how you feel about yourself as a whole.

In Chuck Swindoll's speech, there was one little line that spoke volumes.  He said, "Teeth, have them!".  I still crack up every time I think of that line.  But there is some truth in it.  We do need to make the most of what God has given us by making sure we do what we can - by using make up sparingly to enhance our features.  By wearing cloths that flatter our shape.  By eating healthy, exercising and getting plenty of rest.  The Bible proves to us that God cares about our bodies in Philippians 3:21 and so should we. We must keep it in shape, tend to it's needs; it is the only body we will have here on earth. In addition, we read in the Bible about the sacredness of our bodies.  Think about that!   "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price.  Therefore honor God with your body."  1 Corinthians 6:19 & 20   When I think of my body as housing the Holy Spirit, it makes me want to take care of it.

I don't know who said this, it is listed as an unknown author but this about sums it all up:

 "Beauty is being the best possible version of yourself on the inside and out."

I think that is what God wants from us when He instructs us to honor Him with our bodies --

 Be the best possible version of yourself, on the inside and out!

   

      

Who Do You Belong To?

Mine, Mine, Mine...we hear these words from toddlers over and over.  There is a book written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen called 'The Mine-O-Saur'.  In this book the Mine-o-saur keeps all the blocks to himself, grabs snacks from the other little dinosaurs and in a very loud voice shouts, "Mine, mine, mine!"  In the end he learns that the toys in the school actually belong to the school and that sharing is best.

When reading Psalm 43 this morning, a few words and verses jumped out at me and screamed - hold the phone - mine, mine, mine!  Vs. 1 - "But now , O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.  O Israel, the one, who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name, you are mine."  I belong to God.  I am His.  I know this because I have been forgiven, ransomed by the shed blood of Jesus.
Who do you belong to?

When something belongs to us, that makes us responsible for it and typically we take very good care of it.  We make sure our pets are fed and have water, we tune up our cars and we make sure our children are safe and loved.  Because I belong to God, He takes very good care of me.  He feeds me through His Word.   He tunes me up by chastising when I have erred.  He protects and guides.
Why does He do this?  Vs. 4  "Others were given in exchange for you.  I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me.  You are honored, and I love you."  I belong to God.  I am His. I am precious to Him.  I am special because He loves me.
Who do you belong to?

Knowing that I belong to God gives me security.  He has proven over and over again His faithfulness in my life and the lives of my family.  He has met needs.  He cares about what I care about.  I am safe and secure in the knowledge that I am His and always will be. Vs. 13 "From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done."  I will always belong to God but, He is willing to share.  He shares me with my family, He shares me with friends, He shares me with the church, but I still belong to Him.  I am so glad He shouts mine, mine, mine!
Who do you belong to?  

Belonging to God is a choice each person must make for themselves.  (John 3:16 & John 14: 6) There is nothing you have done that God can not or will not forgive.  God's desire is to call you His child - His son or His daughter. ( John 4:23)  But it takes a response on our part for that to happen.  Ask, Believe and Confess - shout it from the roof tops if you must but proclaim it.  I belong to God. (1John 1:9 & 1John 4:15)   Once that response is made, God takes you into the fold and never lets you go! (John 10: 27-30)

Who do you belong to?

Click below:
I Belong to A Mighty God

Leap of Faith

Who Are You?

I have found that most women have some type of insecurity.  Perhaps how their body looks, perhaps the house they live in, the job they have, the fact that their children are always in trouble. Or it could be a much deeper personal insecurity such as a feeling of inadequacy, fear, the feeling of being unlovable, or not good enough or not good at anything.  All of these insecurities, no matter what they are, cause us to falter and be less than God intended us to be. I am obviously not a psychologist, but if you look very closely at insecurities, they all seem to stem from fear.  I speak this to myself as well as you, my friends.

I am going to say something I have never said on my blog...hear me well -
those insecurities are from the evil one.  His goal is to make you feel less than the amazing person God made you to be.  Those insecurities, those fears, are hindrances to all God has planned for you.

"For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind." 
 2 Timothy 1:7 

So, how do we get over our insecurities? First, we identify them in ourselves.  Next we give them to God.  "I am done with feeling inadequate, Lord, I give it to you and claim the spirit of power and adequacy You promised in Your Word." Last and most importantly, remember whose child you are. When you absolutely without a doubt know that you are a child of God, (John 1:12) that automatically makes you a daughter of The King.  You, my friend, are a child of the Most High God, a daughter of The King of Kings. Think about that for a moment.  Let it sink in. You - are - a - daughter - of - The King.  That makes you a Princess with a capital P.  You are royalty of the most holy kind.  You are God's prized possession. (James 1:18)   A child of God. A Princess. - That is huge!  And there are no insecurities in Princessdom!!!

Of course with Princessdom, it goes without saying, (but I have to say it) comes responsibility.  You also represent The King in how you dress, how you walk, how you talk, what you do or don't do. (Romans 8:12-17) Just sayin'

Here's what I want you to do...go into a room with a mirror.  Look at your self and say "I am a daughter of The King! Say it slowly and stare right into your own eyes.  "I am a daughter of The King!"  And every time you begin to doubt yourself or those little insecurities try to sneak their way into your life, say it..."I am a daughter of The King!  A child of the Most High God!"  They say if you say something enough times you begin to believe it.  Say it enough times that you believe it.  It will change everything!  It will change how and what you think of yourself.  It will change how you see you and how others see you.  You will walk taller.  You will be more confident. - I am a daughter of The King!   You might think I am kidding about the mirror suggestion, but I am not.  I want for each of you to realize all God has in store for you.  That will happen when you accept and embrace who you are in Christ.

I think the next time someone asks me who I am, my response will be, "I am Roxanne, a child of The King!"

What about you?  Who are you?

 

What Is Success?

Success means different things to different people.  Ask 4 or 5 people what success is and you will get 4 or 5 different answers on what success is in each of their worlds.

I think I have found the very best definition of success in a little book called 'Think on These Things' by John C. Maxwell.  He says, "Success is choosing to enter the arena of action, determined to give yourself to the cause that will better humanity and last for eternity."  That is a mouthful but it is also a mindful...so please take a moment to read it again, slowly.  If you still have not grasped it fully, read it again.  I had to read it several times myself.  It is a doozy!!   Ok, ready to move on?   Maxwell goes on to explain each of the seven components that make up his definition of success. But at the end of the chapter he summarizes as follows:

"Success is
Knowing the truth and accepting it;
Finding a need and filling it;
Facing a challenge and meeting it;
Losing a life and finding it;
Having a plan and following it;
Developing a talent and sharing it;
Going to heaven and knowing it."

Your world is your family, your home, your workplace, your church, organizations you belong to, teams you are on, etc.  You have a great opportunity to change your world.

Much like the infant church in the book of Acts, every major decision in your world should be made under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Just think about the widespread influence of that handful of people...Peter, John, Paul, Philip, Stephen, Barnabas, Timothy, Silas, Lydia, Apollos.  Who was behind the success of those early church planters?  The Holy Spirit.

So, I would encourage you - daily, invite the Holy Spirit into your world, not as a guest, but as a resident.  Speaking from experience, on the days I remember to intentionally do this, I can tell the difference in myself, in my home and in the interactions I have with people around me.  I am different.  My world is different.  It is successful.

Friends, God wants to use each of us to make our worlds successful. This is how we can do it.

Maxwell closes this chapter with, "I wish you all the success in the world!"

And I say to you, "As do I".

Prayer Unspoken

The dictionary defines prayer as "an expression, especially of devout petition, addressed to God or a diety",  "an earnest entreaty".  (Webster's II New Riverside Desk Dictionary)

As Christians we address our words of prayer to God.  We believe He hears and answers our prayers. Always.  Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no, sometimes wait, but He always answers.

Prayers can be of the simplest kind or very complex.   Small children can speak words of prayer that will reach God's ears and tug at His heart as can the greatest orators and preachers found.  Words of prayer can be focused on one particular thought, need or idea or they can be broad enough to encompass thoughts, needs and ideas for the entire world.   Our prayers can be those of complete and utter anguish or they can be full to overflowing with joyful worship of the Creator.   There are also times when we are at an absolute loss for words to speak in prayer.  It is in those times of weakness, those times of desperation that we have an intercessor that speaks on our behalf.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words can not express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."  Romans 8:26&27

The Holy Spirit groans on our behalf.  Close your eyes and imagine the nearly unbearable groans of a woman in labor...if you have ever heard this kind of groaning, you will know without a doubt of the pain the woman is in.  This is how earnestly the Holy Spirit entreats God on our behalf.  He groans as a woman in labor bringing our requests and needs, our hurts and most humble gratefulness to the Father. We may ask the Holy Spirit to speak on our behalf, but it is not required. God has sent the Holy Spirit to be our comforter to be our intercessor for those times when we feel something so deeply we are simply unable to voice it.  We have no words.

Sometimes when we are in this state, we fail to give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to speak on our behalf.  We are so frozen we fail to come to God in prayer.  We do not know what to say, so we do not go to Him.  Have confidence that the Holy Spirit will speak for you.  Have faith that the Words of promise found in Romans 8:26&27 are just that - a promise.  Have faith that God keeps His promises. Have faith that your unspoken prayer will be heard and answered by the Almighty through the groaning of the Holy Spirit.

    

Lost & Found Diamonds

Not once, but twice, did I lose the big diamond in one of my rings.  The first time I was at work in an insurance office.  At that time, each client had a paper client file.  We had over 1000 clients so we had a lot of file folders.  At the end of one of our busier days, I was putting files back in the file cabinet so they weren't on the floor and in the way of the cleaning crew.  As I pushed and shoved one especially large file back into a not quite large enough opening, the top of my hand scraped across the bottom of the file cabinet shelf and I heard a scraping sound and then saw my beautiful pear shaped diamond sail through the air to nowhere.  Seriously, it was as if it vanished in mid air for as quickly as it dislodged itself from my ring it also disappeared - all in the blink of an eye.  The front office was fairly small, so I thought to myself, it really couldn't have flown very far.  So the receptionist and I searched every square inch of the floor.  No diamond.  Next idea was that perhaps if fell among the files so we proceeded to pull out each and every file folder from that cabinet and shake the file.  Then we dejectedly returned all the files to their rightful places.  No diamond.  We looked all around the two desks, all around the chairs, on top of the file cabinets.  We spent hours looking for the diamond. Finally after much thought, I concluded the diamond was just plain gone.  The receptionist, too, had sadly assumed it was a lost cause.  As she sat down in her chair we were joking about the fact that someday we would probably find the diamond stuck in a file.  I was standing next to where she was just about to sit down.  As she slowly sat down on her chair my eyes followed her and I saw a small flash of something fall to the floor.  You guessed it, my diamond.  It had obviously lodged itself in the chair cushion and then dislodged as she sat down.  You can imagine the giggling and hooting and hollering - what was lost was now found.

2 years later - the same ring, the same diamond.  Only this time, I had absolutely no idea where I had lost it.  One sunny summer day as I was driving home, as I re-positioned my hands on the steering wheel, I noticed that my beautiful pear shaped diamond was missing.  It could have been lost anywhere.  It could have been lost for days and I just happened to notice it that day.  I felt sure this time I would never in a million years find that diamond.  After calling my husband to tell him the diamond was gone - again, my next thought was to pray.  I walked into the house and went to the bedroom to remove my now naked ring and put it in the jewelry drawer.  The sun was shining brightly into the room through the patio door and I stopped to admire the sunshine when I got to the foot of the bed.  For some reason, to this day I do not know what made me do it, I glanced down at the floor at the foot of the bed and there shining brightly in the sun was my diamond - what was lost was now found.

In so very many ways these two stories remind me of how God pursues each person - His treasures - His diamonds in hopes that one day they will be found.  That's why Jesus came. ("For the Son of Man (Jesus) came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10).  I once was lost, but now I am found and every single day, I thank God for finding me!

"Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'  In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."  Luke 15:8-10

Perhaps you are feeling lost.  You, too, can pray!  Today might be a good day to be found!

There is nothing you have done, that God can not and will not forgive.  He is seeking you today as a lost diamond - let yourself be found!


"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  Romans 10: 9-13 and Acts 2: 21

Perfect Peace

It is 8:00 a.m. and the dog is barking like a crazy animal because a truck pulled up in front of our house.  The wind is blowing wildly, the snow is coming down fast and furious and suddenly I hear a loud crack.  One of the branches from our neighbors tree has broken off and fallen into our yard.  We go to the backyard to check it out and all we can say is "Yep! there's a branch in our yard" and we traipse back into the house only to find one of us has stepped in dog poop.  Sigh!

Now imagine another scenario - It is 8:00 a.m., the sun is shining and everything is still and quiet.  The dogs greet me with wagging tails and happy hearts.  I let them out to take care of business and they quietly and happily come back in for their breakfast.  The smell of fresh coffee and hot blueberry muffins permeates the house as I sit down at the table to read and enjoy my coffee and muffin while the sun pours in and the world wakes up.  At about 8:30 a.m. we see our friendly neighborhood squirrel and his friend the robin happily playing tag along our fence - their daily play date.  And the sun shines on.

Which of these scenarios does your life look like?  Or is it a combination of both?   For some very odd reason, I honestly thought scenario #2 is what our retired life would look like all the time. Oh, we do have days once in a while that are quiet and uneventful.  But most days are not.  There is always something that needs to be done, or something that happens, or a dog barking wildly and yes, sometimes we step in dog poop.  In my vision of retirement, there was no stepping in dog poop!

I have learned though, that peace does not necessarily equate with retirement.  The peace comes in knowing that God is in charge of all those wild crazy days as well as the uneventful days.  He has us exactly where He wants us and as long as we keep our eyes fixed on Him, we are in perfect peace. He is the constant among all the chaos and all the calm.  I read somewhere that "Your level of peace is directly related to your level of trust in God.  The more you trust God, the more peace you will experience."  So true!!

Just as He is in control of my days, He is in control of your days - wild and crazy or calm and uneventful.  He has you exactly where He wants you. And as long as you keep your mind on Him, He promises His perfect peace.  His peace is found inside your heart, not in your circumstances.

The verse I am about to quote here is actually the very first scripture verse I ever memorized.  Hiding this verse in my heart has helped me tremendously through all kinds of turmoil.  I will be quoting it from the King James version of the Bible because that is how I memorized it.  No matter which version you read, it gives the same message - stay focused on Jesus and you will have perfect peace and strength to deal with the chaos.  And that's a promise!

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee.  Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."  Isaiah 26: 3&4 

You Are Complete

It seems we all want more of something...
more money, more time, more friends, more courage, more wisdom, more patience, and on and on.

The word 'want' is the operative word there...wanting something and needing something are two entirely different things.

The Bible speaks to our wants and our desires, but it also speaks of our needs.   And you and I both know our needs are what God deems best for us and He is faithful to meet them at every turn.

So, this message is for myself included.  Stop all the wanting...

Jesus loves me the Bible tells me so, but, the Bible also tells me that I have everything I need -

I am COMPLETE in CHRIST!!

LACKING nothing!

And so are you.

You are COMPLETE in CHRIST!!

LACKING nothing!


Here's how I know -
Colossians 2:10
"Because you belong to Christ, you have everything you need.  He is the ruler over every power and authority."   (NIRV)

Let this sign post serve as a reminder.
                             You have everything you need!!  You are complete and so am I!!

 

Take Time

During my quiet times with Jesus, sometimes I am so focused on what I want to tell Him, as soon as it is all out, as soon as my heart has been shared, I just walk away.  I am done.  The conversation is over.  I have said what I wanted to say and I am on to the next thing.

As I think about this scenario, I can imagine Jesus saying to me,  "I understand.  You are busy.  I know how your mind works and I gave you that little touch of ADHD.  But child, take time to speak with me, not just to me.  I want to have a dialogue with you."

I might say to Jesus, "You want this with everyone, don't you? - A dialogue, a relationship."

"Yes", He would say, "I do.  I want a real relationship with everyone.  A real relationship means we dialogue.  There can only be a real relationship if people take time to get to know Me - not just as their Savior, but also as their friend.  Friends dialogue."

"Lord," I would say, "Please, forgive me for walking away from You."

He would answer, "Of course.  You are mine.  I have searched you and I know your heart."

I say with tears in my eyes, "You have searched me, Lord Jesus, and You do know me.  You understand my motivation.  You are in each and every situation with me and this knowledge is overwhelming to me.  You love the real me, all the time, no matter what, even when I sometimes walk away and do not take time to speak with you."           (paraphrased from Psalm 139: 1-6)

Words - Part 2

In Words - Part 1 found on Saturday, June 4, 2016 the discussion led us to agree that words are a means of communicating - just one way to share thoughts, ideas and feelings.  We also agreed that words are very powerful.  They have the power to uplift, encourage and change a life or they have the power to crush a spirit or hurt a heart.  If you have not read Part 1, I'd like to suggest you take a look at it for some insight into the less positive side of our use of words and what God's Word has to say about it.
  

Today we are going to look at Words from another angle - the more positive use of words and some helpful hints on how God would have us check ourselves when using our words.

Colossians 4:5-6 "Make the most of every opportunity. Let the words you speak be full of grace."   This verse give us a clue as to God's expectation.  Grace filled speech means forgiving, kind, loving, truthful, compassionate, understanding, uplifting, encouraging, positive, gentle - you see where He was going with this?  It's not always easy but this is what God's Word teaches us.  I think it is what He expects.  God wants us to be cautious with our words - as if there was a huge Yield sign 

The book of Proverbs very clearly spells out what the expectations are: 

Proverbs 12:22  "The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in those who tell the truth."

Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare."

Proverbs 16:21 "The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive."

And one of my favorites: Proverbs 16:24 "Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."  Does anyone remember or use the saying that goes - 'You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.'  There is such great wisdom in that saying.  Think of how smooth and flowing honey is - that is what kind words are like.  When you speak kind words to someone or they speak them to you  - the Bible teaches that it is sweet to the soul and actually healthy for the body.  The opposite would also be true - critical, sharp, condescending words are going to cause stress and make the person feel rotten about them self - that is not healthy.  Your words have the power to make or break someone.

As a child I grew up hearing words that empowered me.  "You can do or be anything you want."  "You are smart - figure it out."  These words caused me to believe I could do anything I want to do and pretty much, I have.  Here's an example:  It costs a fortune to have 2 big dogs groomed. I went and watched the groomers at Pet Smart and thought to myself, I can do that and so I taught myself to groom our dogs.  If I had not heard those equipping words all my life, I honestly don't think I would have had the courage to do many of things I have done over the years.  Words made the difference in my life.  Words delivered in a positive way that uplift and encourage will make a difference in your child, your friend or your spouses life, too!

God wants us to be cautious with our words - as if there was a huge flashing Yield sign in our brain.
James 1:19 "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger."  If you are listening, you are not talking...(silence is golden) it is the talking that gets folks all riled up so be slow to speak (heed the flashing Yield sign) and slow to anger. Taking things slow allows time to think before acting or reacting.

So, a couple things God (and mom) would have us do before speaking:
1. Stop and think about the words you are going to say.  Remember what mom told you - If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.  Good advice.
2. Ask yourself - How would I feel if someone said this to me? or spoke to me in this manner? Remember the Golden Rule - Treat others as you would like to be treated.  (Matthew 7:12)
3. Ask yourself - Is what I am about to say - the truth? uplifting? encouraging? positive? respectful?
4. Am I speaking to the right person about this? Is my delivery gentle and heartfelt? (Proverbs 27:9)

I came across a quote by Tony Dorsett a former NFL football player that I really liked and want to share with you.   He said:
"To succeed...you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you."

That 'something' that he speaks of, might be someones words.  May you (and I) be the one delivering them.

Speaking words of blessing to you this day, my friends!  You can do anything you set your mind to. You have the power behind you to facilitate change. (Phil. 4:13) You, out of all of God's creation, became His prized possession.  (James 1:18b)  Your name is written on the palms of Jesus hands - He loves you that much!!  (Isaiah 49:16)  Think of yourself as God's favorite!  Embrace it!  I do.

I am thinking there might be a Part 3 to the message on Words....Hmmmm?? We shall see.


"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O God my Rock and my Redeemer."  Psalm 19:14