Sometime, notice in your Bible the many little things that were of great significance: the little gift of the widow, the water pots in Jesus first miracle, a little lunch of 5 fish and 2 loaves, spit and mud, touching just the hem of Jesus cloak, the red cord of Rahab, the jars that Gideon's army smashed and on and on. There is no doubt in my mind that little things are important. Every little detail is important. And in doing little things, I think we become more Christ-like-- offering a smile, giving a hug, even just a look or a brief touch on the cheek of a child - all little things, but so important. For often, the little becomes the big - think about each of those little things from the Bible that I mentioned - a big lesson, a big ministry, a big crowd gets fed, the blind man could see, a woman healed, a family saved, a small army victorious. Huge outcomes from simple acts. Jesus was simple. He told simple stories. He spoke of a flower, a bird, a gardener, a single lost coin, a single lost sheep, a boy who ran away from home and He was concerned for the little children. Everything and everyone was important to Jesus. He used little things to make a big impact. I see that God uses those small things we do in big ways, too.
A few Sundays ago our church held a River Baptism in the mighty Boise River. Over 100 people made a decision to be baptized to show the world that they have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, love Him and are one of His devoted followers. In each case, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the road to that big decision began with a little thing - a smile, a hello, or an invitation - Come!
Think about it this way - the little things we do or say can make the difference in how a person spends his or her eternity. That's actually huge! We get to be part of God's big story for each and every person we meet. Little things, make a big impact on people. It's up to us to just do what we can and then God does the rest...more than we could ever ask or imagine.
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3: 20-21
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Monday, August 7, 2017
You're Strange, I'm Unique - Marriage
Today marks 47 years of marriage. Yes, to the same guy!!! They all said it wouldn't last but we proved them wrong - perhaps out of pure stubbornness or maybe it is our competitive natures. We both hate to lose. But I say -- it must be love. Whatever the reason, here we are.
Married at a young age, we sort of grew up together. This can be advantageous. There really were no surprises. But, there was a huge learning curve. The phrase "young and stupid" comes to mind. When we went to get our first apartment, we were literally pulling change from our pockets and the bottom of my purse to make the deposit of $110 for the rent. We made our first meal in our new apartment in a popcorn popper. Campbell's Vegetable Beef soup heats up quite nicely in a popcorn popper from the 70's. Who knew!!!
He swears marriage is more difficult for men than women. Women are so hard to understand he says. For my first birthday after we had been married for a mere 7 weeks, he gave me a vacuum cleaner. He was so proud. We needed a vacuum cleaner (we hadn't vacuumed in 7 weeks - ewww!) and he was being a good provider. I cried! 35 years later, I asked for a shed for Christmas. He got me two sheds and I was happy as a clam!! So what's not to understand? Women make perfect sense. If I had asked for a vacuum cleaner and got one, a vacuum cleaner would have been fine -- but seriously, who would ask for a vacuum cleaner? Certainly not I.
For the first several years of our marriage, he gave me a sympathy card for our anniversary. I was never really sure if the sympathy was for me or if it was transfer sympathy and he was feeling sorry for himself. The jury is still out on that one.
At 6 years I got a t-shirt. This was not just any old t-shirt - no, this one was special. It had words of love on it. It read - "6 years, I must be nuts!" Lovely. That could go both ways, so I wore that t-shirt to rags!! I have been known to hang on to clothes for quite a while so he actually asked me today if I still had that t-shirt. I don't, but I do still have the other t-shirt gem from about 20 years ago that reads - "Tyrannosaurus Rox." Speaks volumes doesn't it? Now I affectionately wear one with a picture of Grumpy on it that reads "I Love Grumpy Guys". Just sayin'.
Over the years - 47 to be exact - life has thrown us curves, there have been ups and downs, but always we had each other and God. When people ask how we have stayed married so long I often wonder if they are asking because they know us and can't believe we are still married to each other - or if it is because they just wonder how we've made it this far.
Marriage is not about the stuff. It's about commitment. It's about taking the good with the bad. It's about forgiving and forgetting. It's about respect and honor. It's about laughter and tears. It's about doing life together. "Two-gether" - Two as one! Your strangeness and my uniqueness combined in one life under the umbrella of God's great love.
Through it all, with God at the center, it's all about love and the rest of our lives "two-gether".
Happy Anniversary to the love of my life!
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2: 24
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13: 4- 8a
Married at a young age, we sort of grew up together. This can be advantageous. There really were no surprises. But, there was a huge learning curve. The phrase "young and stupid" comes to mind. When we went to get our first apartment, we were literally pulling change from our pockets and the bottom of my purse to make the deposit of $110 for the rent. We made our first meal in our new apartment in a popcorn popper. Campbell's Vegetable Beef soup heats up quite nicely in a popcorn popper from the 70's. Who knew!!!
He swears marriage is more difficult for men than women. Women are so hard to understand he says. For my first birthday after we had been married for a mere 7 weeks, he gave me a vacuum cleaner. He was so proud. We needed a vacuum cleaner (we hadn't vacuumed in 7 weeks - ewww!) and he was being a good provider. I cried! 35 years later, I asked for a shed for Christmas. He got me two sheds and I was happy as a clam!! So what's not to understand? Women make perfect sense. If I had asked for a vacuum cleaner and got one, a vacuum cleaner would have been fine -- but seriously, who would ask for a vacuum cleaner? Certainly not I.
For the first several years of our marriage, he gave me a sympathy card for our anniversary. I was never really sure if the sympathy was for me or if it was transfer sympathy and he was feeling sorry for himself. The jury is still out on that one.
At 6 years I got a t-shirt. This was not just any old t-shirt - no, this one was special. It had words of love on it. It read - "6 years, I must be nuts!" Lovely. That could go both ways, so I wore that t-shirt to rags!! I have been known to hang on to clothes for quite a while so he actually asked me today if I still had that t-shirt. I don't, but I do still have the other t-shirt gem from about 20 years ago that reads - "Tyrannosaurus Rox." Speaks volumes doesn't it? Now I affectionately wear one with a picture of Grumpy on it that reads "I Love Grumpy Guys". Just sayin'.
Over the years - 47 to be exact - life has thrown us curves, there have been ups and downs, but always we had each other and God. When people ask how we have stayed married so long I often wonder if they are asking because they know us and can't believe we are still married to each other - or if it is because they just wonder how we've made it this far.
Marriage is not about the stuff. It's about commitment. It's about taking the good with the bad. It's about forgiving and forgetting. It's about respect and honor. It's about laughter and tears. It's about doing life together. "Two-gether" - Two as one! Your strangeness and my uniqueness combined in one life under the umbrella of God's great love.
Through it all, with God at the center, it's all about love and the rest of our lives "two-gether".
Happy Anniversary to the love of my life!
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2: 24
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13: 4- 8a
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Looking in the Right Place
I watched a robin this morning as she searched the tall wet grass for a morning meal. The sprinklers had been on and had very probably coaxed the little robin's breakfast near the surface. She hopped here and there then suddenly stopped, cocked her head and with a swift jabbing motion, dove her beak into the ground and with two hard fast tugs pulled out a fat worm that looked to be about 5 or 6 inches long. If birds could talk, I am fairly certain she would have shouted what I did as an observer...SCORE!!! (I really did shout SCORE I was so excited for her!) She finished her first course and hopped to another section of the lush green lawn and promptly found the second course to her meal. I watched her for quite some time repeat her search and find mission and then she happily flew off content and satisfied that she had relieved our yard of all the fattest and juiciest worms. But was she done? Had she met her fill? Nope! She flew to the neighbors yard and began her search all over again. I found this whole scenario quite fascinating.
As always, when I see something that amazes me, I try to find a way to see God in it. This morning it was easy. Oh, I could quote the likely scripture here found in Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" The lesson being: God takes care of the birds, He'll take care of you. But, I'd like to go much deeper today. Let's think about our soul. The heart of each one of us.
My little friend the robin, kept searching, kept filling herself with bugs and worms. (Ewwww!!) She needs to keeping filling herself. It is a matter of survival and perhaps being able to feed her young. I have to ask, what do we keep filling ourselves with? What feeds the very heart of you -- your soul? What do you think you need to make you whole - to survive? We often search for people we think will fill us up. Maybe for you it is traveling, or a nice house, a boat, a motorcycle, a better job, more money - the list can go on forever. We could go on searching tirelessly and we don't find what we need. My little robin was not always successful in her foraging. Sometimes she'd drive her beak into the ground and come up empty-beaked. She hadn't looked in the right place. We are the same. We can look and buy and go and do but we won't find what we need until we look in the right place - UP!
God made us so we could and would have a relationship with Him. He made us in such a way that our souls long for Him. He is what we need for survival. He is the one who makes us whole. "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1 "My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." Psalm 84:2
I have Psalm 62: 1-2 labeled in my Bible as "My Song". "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken." God made each one of us so that He could be with us; so we could be filled up with Him. He even sent His Son, Jesus - Emmanuel - which means 'God with us" so we could be with Him eternally. When my soul is filled up with God, - none of the other things matter, because it is all about God. I have inner peace. I am content. I am satisfied. I am whole. I have looked in the right place and found what my soul needs - God with me!
Here's an idea - what if the first thing we (you and I) do when we wake up - even before we fall out of bed - is ask God to walk with us through the new day. Invite Him to just be with us. Perhaps even ask if we can be with Him.
If we were to do that each and every morning and mean it, I imagine that each morning God would smile real big and say, "I'd like nothing more, my child."
SCORE!!
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him." Psalm 62:5
Link to "As the Deer" written by Martin J. Nystrom
As always, when I see something that amazes me, I try to find a way to see God in it. This morning it was easy. Oh, I could quote the likely scripture here found in Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" The lesson being: God takes care of the birds, He'll take care of you. But, I'd like to go much deeper today. Let's think about our soul. The heart of each one of us.
My little friend the robin, kept searching, kept filling herself with bugs and worms. (Ewwww!!) She needs to keeping filling herself. It is a matter of survival and perhaps being able to feed her young. I have to ask, what do we keep filling ourselves with? What feeds the very heart of you -- your soul? What do you think you need to make you whole - to survive? We often search for people we think will fill us up. Maybe for you it is traveling, or a nice house, a boat, a motorcycle, a better job, more money - the list can go on forever. We could go on searching tirelessly and we don't find what we need. My little robin was not always successful in her foraging. Sometimes she'd drive her beak into the ground and come up empty-beaked. She hadn't looked in the right place. We are the same. We can look and buy and go and do but we won't find what we need until we look in the right place - UP!
God made us so we could and would have a relationship with Him. He made us in such a way that our souls long for Him. He is what we need for survival. He is the one who makes us whole. "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1 "My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." Psalm 84:2
I have Psalm 62: 1-2 labeled in my Bible as "My Song". "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken." God made each one of us so that He could be with us; so we could be filled up with Him. He even sent His Son, Jesus - Emmanuel - which means 'God with us" so we could be with Him eternally. When my soul is filled up with God, - none of the other things matter, because it is all about God. I have inner peace. I am content. I am satisfied. I am whole. I have looked in the right place and found what my soul needs - God with me!
Here's an idea - what if the first thing we (you and I) do when we wake up - even before we fall out of bed - is ask God to walk with us through the new day. Invite Him to just be with us. Perhaps even ask if we can be with Him.
If we were to do that each and every morning and mean it, I imagine that each morning God would smile real big and say, "I'd like nothing more, my child."
SCORE!!
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him." Psalm 62:5
Link to "As the Deer" written by Martin J. Nystrom
Sunday, April 2, 2017
A Living Sacrifice
In Romans 12: 1 Paul encourages us to "offer our bodies as living sacrifices." The entire verse says: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." (NIV) Quite honestly I just could not wrap my head around exactly what this meant. I always thought of the Old Testament rules and regs when the word sacrifice came to mind. This passage of scripture is in the New Testament - the part of the Bible that is more specifically directed to the here and now. And the words were a bit troubling. What was God expecting of me in this regard? So, because I am an educator, I decided to educate myself. Whenever I don't quite understand a portion of scripture, the first thing I do is ask the Holy Spirit to open and clear my mind so I can understand what I am reading with no preconceived ideas. This is so important.
Next, I reread the scripture, sometimes several times. I also might read the same passage in other versions of the Bible. And of course looking in commentaries or online can prove to be very helpful.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines sacrifice as "to forfeit something for something else considered of greater value" "to sell or give away at a loss". This word was easy to understand. As moms, we know sacrifice! Am I right? If there is only one donut hole left in the box, who get's it? Not the mom, for sure! So the word sacrifice I got. I have given away a last donut hole or two in my life. Where I was having trouble was pairing the words living and sacrifice with offering my body. The kids at church are going to be hearing the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These men who loved and served God had refused to bow down to a gold statue of the King and remained true to the one true God. Because of this they were put in a fiery furnace. (Daniel 3) Now that is what I call giving your body as a living sacrifice. How exactly could I do that? How does God want me to do this?
The New Living Translation offered some help by wording the verse just a little differently. "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He had done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him." These words speak of commitment. They speak of surrender. These words screamed to me - present yourself to God wholly, completely, to use as He sees fit - EVERY DAY you are alive! Why??? because of all He has done for me. I am a living being with a live body, I need to give myself to God daily - a living sacrifice. Giving God the last donut hole daily as it were. Living my life in such a way that everything I do, everything I say, everything I think is an act of worship. None of it is for me, it is all for Him out of love for Him. This pleases Him. John W. Ritenbaugh said "Worship is our response to God, and real worship is the offering of our everyday life to Him. Loyal devotion given to please God in every labor of life is the most satisfying and acceptable response we can give God."
Sacrifice is an action. Setting aside my own agenda, wants and needs and living for His agenda, what He wants, what He needs from me. It's deciding to stay true to God, no matter what everyone else does. It's letting God use me everyday. It's more than that even...it's asking to be used everyday. It's being committed to God as His servant to do His will on earth while I am alive. It's a daily choice. It's a daily ask.
Will it be easy? Not likely. Will I fail at times? Most definitely! The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had a happy ending though - God was with them and saved them from the fiery furnace. Can I count on God to help me as I try to offer my self as a living sacrifice daily? You bet!!! And that is very reassuring.
Next, I reread the scripture, sometimes several times. I also might read the same passage in other versions of the Bible. And of course looking in commentaries or online can prove to be very helpful.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines sacrifice as "to forfeit something for something else considered of greater value" "to sell or give away at a loss". This word was easy to understand. As moms, we know sacrifice! Am I right? If there is only one donut hole left in the box, who get's it? Not the mom, for sure! So the word sacrifice I got. I have given away a last donut hole or two in my life. Where I was having trouble was pairing the words living and sacrifice with offering my body. The kids at church are going to be hearing the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These men who loved and served God had refused to bow down to a gold statue of the King and remained true to the one true God. Because of this they were put in a fiery furnace. (Daniel 3) Now that is what I call giving your body as a living sacrifice. How exactly could I do that? How does God want me to do this?
The New Living Translation offered some help by wording the verse just a little differently. "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He had done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him." These words speak of commitment. They speak of surrender. These words screamed to me - present yourself to God wholly, completely, to use as He sees fit - EVERY DAY you are alive! Why??? because of all He has done for me. I am a living being with a live body, I need to give myself to God daily - a living sacrifice. Giving God the last donut hole daily as it were. Living my life in such a way that everything I do, everything I say, everything I think is an act of worship. None of it is for me, it is all for Him out of love for Him. This pleases Him. John W. Ritenbaugh said "Worship is our response to God, and real worship is the offering of our everyday life to Him. Loyal devotion given to please God in every labor of life is the most satisfying and acceptable response we can give God."
Sacrifice is an action. Setting aside my own agenda, wants and needs and living for His agenda, what He wants, what He needs from me. It's deciding to stay true to God, no matter what everyone else does. It's letting God use me everyday. It's more than that even...it's asking to be used everyday. It's being committed to God as His servant to do His will on earth while I am alive. It's a daily choice. It's a daily ask.
Will it be easy? Not likely. Will I fail at times? Most definitely! The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had a happy ending though - God was with them and saved them from the fiery furnace. Can I count on God to help me as I try to offer my self as a living sacrifice daily? You bet!!! And that is very reassuring.
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