Two Choices

  Do you know where you’ll spend eternity?  As a Believer this should be our greatest concern about, our family, neighbors, people in our workplace or in folks we meet along the way in life, with whom we have conversations.  Our hearts should yearn for opportunities to share the Gospel with those who don’t know the Risen Christ as Savior.  

Yet, often, I find myself shying away from verbal conversation with others regarding this topic, even though I absolutely know where I’ll spend eternity, and the message Jesus wants us to share.  I feel like somehow I’ll skew the information, or be unable to give accurate scripture references, or seem pushy and righteous.  Perhaps you can relate.

However, I had the opportunity to have a conversation with a young woman one day and somehow began talking about choices in life.  Along the way I asked her if she knew where she’d spend eternity if Christ came back today.  

“What?” she asked, clearly startled.  

I repeated the question, and another woman in the room whom the young girl knew well, looked at the girl directly and said, “Oh don’t worry about that.  I’ll explain it to you later.”

I knew the other adult well and knew she grew up in a Christian home.  She however, does not follow the Christian values her parents displayed. My heart fell because I knew I was “done.”  Even though I tried to bring the subject back around to  eternity, I was abruptly and almost harshly stopped.  

As I reflect on the conversation, I know it isn’t I who leads another to Christ, it is the Holy Spirit and I must leave the results in His hands while praying a seed was planted even if Satan tries to squelch my efforts.  I know I don’t have to be a theologian to share about the Gospel.  Sometimes I just need to share my story; what Christ has done in my life; my joy!

We celebrate Christmas and most recently, Easter and  Jesus’ resurrection.  These two holidays are so closely tied together, it’s almost hard to see them separately.   Following that, we can be sure Jesus will return one day, and I believe, in the not too distant future.  So it’s really about choices----and “not choosing” is choosing—and it’s at a great cost!

Jesus was willing to leave His throne in heaven and come to Earth to be the perfect sacrifice so sin and death could be defeated.  When we reject that belief, we reject Him.  Isn’t this reason for each of us to be in deep prayer for the souls of our loved ones, neighbors and others around us?  

When Jesus comes back, there is no more time to make things right.  It comes down to a single moment, a breath, if you will, and it’s finished.  Every person will have a destination and there are only two choices.  Those who have accepted Christ for who he is, and will live eternity in a place of everything good; or those who choose this world and Satan and will live eternity in a place of eternal torment. 

Do You Have A Dream?

  I’ve been writing for many years; yet I find myself still struggling with the word ‘success’.   I have written books, Christian curriculum, children’s books— and currently, more specifically, children’s (and middle school) disability books which are both in a series and I even write two weekly blogs.  Still I look at those who have very successful writing careers and wonder what I’m doing wrong. 

My dream isn’t about doing something that makes me rich and famous, but rather to do something that is fundamentally good and to make a difference.

I read an article recently about another writer who had a similar dream.  Hers involved being part of a ministry that wasn’t immediately received that way, yet she prayed about being part of it and believed God put her in this place.  She said her journey was not clearly defined when she started, and the ‘how-to’ was also a bit vague.  Still following her heart, she dove in.

In addition to being part of this ‘not well defined goal’ she had life struggles which made her wonder what in the world she was doing.  I absolutely, —and perhaps you do too—, can identify with this picture.  While we don’t have the answers we continue to do our best to move forward regardless of the nay-sayers and our lack of self confidence.

A song came out some years ago which on the very first listen, made me cry, “But God.”  Even now (literally) after all these years, the very whisper of those words bring tears to my eyes.  I think about how I started and where I am now.  It’s been a journey I hadn’t planned on. 

Disabilities were not in my mindset, perhaps not even in my vocabulary.  Certainly I knew what they were and that people had to deal with them.  I, however had limited access.  Yet, quite by coincidence (or as I like to think about it ‘God-incidence’) I landed right in the middle of Special Needs.  

The journey has been bumpy, surprising, exhilarating, challenging, rewarding and very educational!  I still don’t feel very enlightened about all the problems, anxieties, loneliness, struggles and courage it takes to get through the day for someone who has a disability.

But one thing I have learned for certain, is God is in control!  He chooses the most unlikely persons to do the most unlikely things!  He used Abraham and Sarah to have a child who would give birth to a nation; Rahab, a prostitute to help His people; the disciples --who were all ordinary men, including being fishermen; and Peter who would deny him three times yet would begin the early church.  He used Paul who, as Saul was a vicious hater and prosecutor of all Believers, and the list could go on for days!

I had a dream.  I wanted to write, and while I hadn’t a clue where it would take me, I jumped in.  I didn’t really have a plan, I just wrote.  I tried various genres, but found my home in the most unlikely place.

I still struggle with all that I don’t know and some days feel totally inept!  Whether my blogs or other works are only read by 25 people or 25,000 is really irrelevant if I am following God’s plan.  God does not care about ‘our numbers’.  He cares that we are obedient.  His success plan can be totally different from ours.

Isn’t that what we all want?  As a Believer we want to believe we are following God’s call and being obedient even when we don’t understand, have much to learn, and run into stone walls.  Just yesterday during the Pastor's sermon, he said, comparing yourself to others is wrong.  God has a specific plan for each of us.

Where is your dream leading you?  Is there something, even if you aren’t sure you are qualified to do, that continues to tug at your heartstrings, begging you to give a try?  It may mean starting small, taking those baby steps which may seem impossible to define, or conversely taking a huge step which can scare you breathless! 

In whatever way you feel God calling you to move forward, seek His face and begin the journey that will ‘grow your relationship’ with him and where you will ultimately find your ‘happy place.’   

Photo credit: https://depositphotos.com/photos/dreams.html 

Taking Our Giants Down

        The story of David and Goliath has always been one of my favorites.  It’s inspiring to witness the courage and belief David had in God.  I want faith like that!  It seems every day there is something that tries to intimidate me like Goliath did to all the Hebrews across the countryside.    

While we don’t see the huge giant taunting us as Goliath did, we still have Goliaths in a variety forms in our world today—and they do seem to taunt us!.  As Max Lucado in his article “Take Goliath Down” said, there is “Debt. Disaster. Dialysis. Danger. Deceit. Disease. Depression.”  These giants loom heavy on our lives and in our hearts and seek to destroy us.  How are we to manage?

The most obvious response to that question is to react as David did.  He talked with God and had a strong belief that his small stone could bring down that giant.  Not because he would be the one throwing the stone; he’d done that with other wild animals, as he protected the flock in his care. He knew God had helped him there and believed God was in 'the working' to control the stone he would throw, to hit its mark.  Again, I want faith like that!

Along with believing God will help us through prayer and our belief in what he can do and what he has already done, we also must have a heart filled with eagerness to please God.  This is sometimes called passion.  David was convinced of the victory over Goliath.  He didn’t run away from the battlefield, but went forward.  

David was one most people would have called foolish.  He was the least likely person there to be able to do something about the skulking coward before them.  He was a simple, young shepherd boy.  Not only did Goliath doubt his ability, but also Goliath’s fellow Philistines, and even his very own brothers! Yet instead of shrinking in fear, he boldly said, ‘let me take him’!  And what made this even more spectacular was his weapon of choice was a sling and some stones!

One stone was all he needed to give the final blow to Goliath, but David could not have know if other Goliath’s in the neighborhood would come charging after him.  The extra stones might have been reassurance he had the necessary tools to bring down more than one enemy!

Our lives are often filled with more than one ‘crisis’ at a time.  Sometimes we feel overwhelmed when not only illness knocks us over, but also debt or another disaster, all flying in at once.  If we perceive our calamities as ‘Goliath’s’ and prepare our souls with stones and a sling, like David did, we can also have victory!

We need to be careful to put on the whole armor of God like David projected, ---through prayer, his passion for following and believing in God, and his faith in a God who never left him to his own defenses.  We need to believe God will give us everything we need when faced with some kind of ‘demon'.  We can move forward in whatever battle or giant we face while using our God given ‘sling and stones’ of prayer, faith in what God knows, has already done, and is doing, to bring our giants down.

        Are you ready to defeat the enemy?

Photo Credit:  https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=david%20and%20goliath 

The Fifth String

  A friend tells the story of sharing the ‘children’s message’ at the beginning of the service.  His object lesson included a five string banjo.  He explained that the fifth string on this musical instrument was vital to the best melodies he would play, even though it was significantly shorter than the rest of the strings. This string at the higher pitch, he continued, usually gets a lot less attention than the other strings, but is still very important.  Demonstrating, he played the same tune twice; once without the fifth string and once with it.  It sounded vastly different.

His point was that even though the youngsters didn’t seem important or usually noted, they are still very important. I love this idea.  Children offer a fresh look at their faith and honest praise.  It’s an important gift for the adults, and often an example of how we should worship!

We have attended churches where children are hardly noticeable. They seem to have no part in the morning worship or in any other way, except during the Christmas program when all the classes participate. The youngest are excused to ‘children’s church’ early and the teens seem to be lost in the crowd, if they are there at all.

We also attend a church, when traveling, where youth and younger people are a vital part of the service.  It isn’t uncommon for my tears to flow with joy as I see a young person singing their hearts out in the morning choir on ‘Youth Sunday’ celebrated once a month.  These young people don’t just include teenagers, but younger ones if they desire.  Even on those Sundays that are not designated for youth, they still seem to be a vital part of the service through the singing or in other ways. 

Following the opening, often a teen will offer special music, as well.  They offer their praise because it’s what they believe and haven’t caved to the stigma of shyness and inadequacies which often plague our young people at that age in front of their peers.

My heart soars when the adult choir sings and encourages young ones to join them, as well.  The younger ones will sit near a familiar adult and will sing with gusto with the words they know, or read the words from the hymnal or sheet being used.  It’s such a joy to include them this way.  Even when the Pastor invites people to come to the altar and pray near the end of the service, it isn’t uncommon for a young person or teen to come visibly bowing before the Lord.

These young people, often over looked in some churches, will one day be the leaders of the church, their communities, perhaps even our nation. I heard it said once, “A church will soon die without the children.”  I think perhaps they are right.  They are such an important part of the church body; the gateway to the future of the church, their families and those who come after.

    We need to cherish these moments and encourage our young people to become an active part of the service.  Worship is not a spectator sport.  We are called to participate with other Believers in true praise.  Including children in this way--even if they don't 'get it' perfect,-- in their early years, prepares them and encourages them to continue to give everything they have to the Lord they know, and in so doing, helps their faith grow.

Photo Credit:  https://www.freeimages.com/search/fiddle

My Best Friend

  Another Believer and I have been involved in a Bible Study.  A couple days ago we were asked to name a mentor, a woman who is energized for the Lord, one who we look up to and enjoy spending time with, and is quick to ask if we’ve looked into the scriptures whenever we are faced with some kind of issue that has us rattled.  I did come up with a woman such as this, but I also came up with a young man I know well who also fits this description.  Many times I’ve said, “I’d love to have his strength; his faith.”

Is there someone in your life who you can count on in any situation?  This person is often called a friend, even a best friend.  I remember for years wanting a “best friend” and for whatever reason, I never seemed to have one.  Oh I had friends, all right.  I had lots of them.  But to say I had a best friend, just didn’t seem to be available to me.

There’s a story about two sisters who had a discussion about friends, that was especially difficult as they became adults.  They were as different as day and night;  had different perspective on lives, different views on faith, attitudes, and things; and people in general.  There was a discussion one night where one sister asked if they could be best friends.  The other sister said, she would always love her as a sister, but best friend relationships aren’t chosen that way.  They are developed over time, nurtured on both sides and it grows into the relationship it becomes.  This relationship can stand the test of time and is the groundwork for sharing secrets, pain and happiness.  

    We are about to celebrate Easter.  It’s the celebration of Jesus who gave his life’s blood for the whole world.  The concept that God could love us so much as to offer his Son as the ultimate sacrifice is mind boggling.  Yet this is truth.  

Do you know of anyone who would be willing to die such a cruel death on a cross where feet and hands have nails pierced through and then left to hang there until dead?  My mind rejects this picture yet, again, this is truth!

Jesus, our Messiah, who gave His life willingly, wants the kind of relationship that says ‘You are my best friend!’  He loved, He served, cared for the poor, had compassion, understood pain and grief, knew the power of temptation, had the authority to forgive sins and was willing to go to the cross to offer a path of salvation.  His love is even greater than that of a mother, who from a human perspective has the kind of love barely describable.  God’s love —Jesus’ love— is a perfect love, without any faults or human frailties.  

So I challenge you to look at your relationships.  Do you have a “best friend” who you can always count on?  Are you that kind of friend?  Do you know Jesus as your ultimate “best friend?”  I hope you do.  If not, I encourage you make Him your personal Savior and Best Friend right this moment.

Photo Credit:  https://www.pexels.com/search/friendship/

Aligned With Christ

  My friend shares the story of how his father taught him about the importance of having the proper tools for his trade, bricklaying.  The plumb, a type of pendulum which assures the builder his project is both vertical and perpendicular ‘to the true horizontal level’; a level which has a reservoir containing liquid which must be completely centered; a square which assures perfect right angles; and a string which ensures a ‘straight line and uniform level.’

With the combination of these tools, the mason can lay blocks without discrepancies in corners, height, and horizontal and vertical lines which are vital to a properly built structure.

As he told the story I couldn’t help but remember when my husband and I had our house built back in the 80’s.  Construction is foreign to me, but I was fascinated as I watched our mason lay blocks for our basement.  It was very hot, yet this man lifted those twelve inch blocks and set each one carefully on the wet cement he’d mixed, below it.  He would stop and regularly check to make sure everything was level.  The work was hard and exhausting. Our basement was strong, solid and totally aligned.

This concept of of being vertically and horizontally aligned can also apply to our spiritual life.  I’ve heard it said  more than once, that if our lives are not aligned in Godly fashion horizontally we will not be aligned with Christ vertically.

That can be a challenging concept to process; but the idea of having lives which follow God’s precepts and commands is a must.  We are human and certainly will have failings.  We can’t possibly do everything right.  We have thoughts, moods, emotions, desires, careers, circumstances, people in our lives, and a hundred other diversions which tantalize our habits, lifestyles, relationships and more —-all of which affects our choices.

And to make all this even harder is satan and all his minions who are actively trying to make our lives filled with worldly attractions and distractions to confuse us and create doubts about who we are, who we belong to, and how we are to live.

As a Believer we have the tools like the plumb, square, level and string to guide us in keeping our lives aligned with Christ on the horizontal level, along with keeping our Spiritual life aligned with Christ vertically.  

When we live our lives deliberately for Christ based on his Word which is a huge tool for success horizontally, our relationship with God from a vertical direction can be where it needs to be.   Our relationship using his Word, other Believers, prayer, corporate and/or individual study enables us to grow stronger every day and stand firm, because our foundation is concreted in what is right and good.

The world will try to chink at our edges, or in those spots which may appear weak.  Our support groups and inner guidance from God, along with using the right tools, can keep the cracks filled with good material to ward off the evil attacks on our world that is ever changing.  

Photo Credit:https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/bricklayer.html 

Spiritual Growth Takes Effort

  During the sermon last week the Pastor said something to the effect of ‘Getting saved is vital to getting into heaven; but it doesn’t stop there!  We are each supposed to grow in the Spirit and have a relationship with Christ.’

We all have to start somewhere and our salvation is where we begin our Christian journey.  God promises to never leave us and will answer our prayers when we call on him. We have a brand new life in Him.  We are reborn—‘born in the Spirit’!

When we are born physically, as infants we rely completely on our parents/caretakers to provide for all our needs.  This includes housing, clothes, food, emotional health, medical care and everything in between.  We, as tiny babes, can only ingest milk that requires very little work for our little bodies to do, except accept the nourishment which helps us grow.

As we get older we are introduced to chunkier baby food, perhaps a different milk, juices and other foods which only require gentle chewing.  After all, we are still getting our teeth!

By the time we are five years old we are enrolled in an educational plan, which carries us through elementary, middle school and finally high school.  We graduate and then make choices which determine which road we will take, sometimes for the rest of our lives. It may be college, join the workforce or military, get married or become an entrepreneur.  There are lots of options and decisions! We have grown into an adult and are ready to face the world head on, believing we can handle whatever the world -or life- throws at us.

Being a Christian isn’t much different.  While our parents nurture and guide us from infant- hood into our education and finally into adulthood; the Spirit nurtures and guides us into mature Believers who are able to follow the plan God has for us, if we are willing. 

We ‘grow’ much as the small child on milk and soft foods first; doing our best to feed our mind, soul and emotions with God’s Words.  We develop into middle school students, and even high schoolers, as we continue to grow with our peers in youth groups or study groups as a young adult.  Our leaders, along with the Spirit, helps us understand and build on our prayer life, how to dig deep into the Bible, our road map for life; and how to ‘grow’ our relationship with Christ.

Finally we’ve reached adulthood and are able to put the teaching we’ve been given to teach others, and share our faith with the knowledge we’ve learned.  But still we aren’t finished.

Just as adulthood doesn’t stop when we reach 21- or whatever your ‘adulthood mark’ may be— our spiritual life as an adult never stops either.  There is always something to learn, something to share, God’s voice to hear, and choices to make.  All these things fold together to make us mature Christians who are able to accomplish whatever task and plan God has planned for us.

Ultimately it takes a lot of effort to ‘grow’.  But just as education and life experiences molds us into the human adult we have become, so God’s Word and our relationship with Him transforms us into the Believer and servant for Christ, we were meant to be.  It’s here we are better ready to answer the call from God for whatever plans he has for our lives.

Photo Credit:  https://stock.adobe.com/search/images?k=spiritual%20growth 

The Cricket's Song

   

  It’s only the end of February but I saw daffodils blooming in my yard this past week.  I was elated.  That tiny miracle puts a song of joy in my heart!  I expect it to turn cold again, but it reminds me Spring is not that far off!  That said, I couldn’t help but think of other Spring events which I completely enjoy!

I totally enjoy the sound of crickets — as long as they are outdoors, or used as a ring tone on my phone!  One Spring day in the wee hours of the morning I was being awakened by the sound of a cricket in my bedroom — and no, it wasn’t my phone; it was live!

In the dark, I went quickly to retrieve my bug spray.  As quietly as possible I creeped to where I thought it was, and sprayed lightly, hoping the effects would put an end to the piercing  sound.  I crawled back into bed to hear, only moments later, the weak song growing stronger and stronger. It hadn’t worked, and I was becoming frustrated.  I just wanted to sleep!

Again, I sprayed, a little hardier this time.  The sound stopped and again, I crawled into bed hoping for sleep.  But again, the weakest sound began turning into a hearty song.

I thought how very much like that cricket God wants us to be with Him in prayer. Even when things don’t seem to be going our way, and obstacles beset us, He wants us to keep praying heartily to him about our concerns, difficulties and desires.

Just as that cricket hid itself from the poison spray that would have cost him his life; we are to hide in God with constant prayer so we can be free from the poisons of life all around us.  Distractions are in abundance!  

My goal has been to have devotions in the morning before I do anything else.  So I get ‘done’ (make up, hair, etc),  and get my coffee with the intent to get to my Bible and have prayer.  But oddly enough, while I’m waiting on my coffee to brew for a moment or so, (I hate walking away and having something weird happen with the coffee maker--and yes, that has happened), I pick up my phone and check the weather, or even facebook!   These are distractions and that’s NOT putting God first!

Even Jesus in Luke 6:12 found it necessary to pray.  He even went into the hills to be apart from distractions and spent the night in prayer!

If we lift our prayers heartily to our Lord and Savior, believing he hears us, cares about our needs, desires and concerns, surely he will answer.  The obstacles, ‘poisons’, doubts, distractions and fears of life will still try to claim us, but we can rest in the knowledge that God is beside us, every step of the way.

  We must be patient in faithful prayer, so we don’t become victims of affliction or even apathy.  We must sing our song of praise heartily and joyfully, just as the cricket raised his song to let the world know he was there.  Like this small insect, we can wait in joyful hope for answers to our prayers and guidance for our lives, because we serve a God who promises to always be with us! 

Photo Credit:  https://www.pexels.com/search/cricket%20insect/ 

A Life of Distractions

     I am reading a book about ‘eliminating hurry’.  It’s all about how we as a society, worldwide are so busy we find we don’t have enough hours in any given day to complete all the items on our list.

Obligations rule!  We have our 9-5 jobs (sometimes longer hours—and sometimes holding two jobs); and then we have our social life if we can drag ourselves out after we’ve reached home; and let’s not forget our kids who are each in one or more activities at school, and youth group activities in our local church.  On top of all this is trying to keep up with domestic duties and staying connected to our spouse and extended family.  It’s exhausting!

What makes this worse, is in the midst of all these ‘doings’ someone will ask us to help with a project that has nothing to do with the already long list we are currently trying to juggle.  If you are anything like me, saying no just isn’t an option.  I’m not good at it; in fact I loathe saying no.  I feel weak and incapable when I say no.  Still 'how on earth', I have asked myself 'am I going to get this done'?

On top of everything I mentioned earlier, distractions are everywhere! We are obsessed with staying on top of the news worldwide!  Our phones are part of everyones accessories to enable us to check what’s going on all over the world, as well as, every state in the Union.  We want to know what’s happening in the political world, on Wall Street, and the one I’m most guilty of, checking the weather.  

We want to know what’s happening in our social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter or other social media platform!  We need to see if someone has commented on our post or posted something we need to be aware of, or we find ourselves scrolling to ‘catch up’. Then we need check our emails or play a game.  It keeps us entertained and busy, if nothing else!

When our lives are so full of all this activity, we are told to downsize and do what is only really important, in order to maintain balance.  In theory, this is spot on.  But picking and choosing can be hard.  Many of us end up expending our physical, emotional, and other energies trying to keep up.  

One area which often gets neglected is our Spiritual energies. We put God—our prayer life, reading His Word, devotions and even church itself on a shelf because there just isn’t enough time to get it done.  We may not do it intentionally, any more than we’d neglect our families, but we feel like we have no choice.

Lack of nurturing our spouse and children however, is just what satan wants, because as that breakdown continues, so does relationships until divorce seems the only option.  The marriage is destroyed, as are the relationships with our children who are often caught in the middle.

Our lack of Spiritual nurturing sets satan giddy with glee.  As we neglect our personal time with God, we are breaking down that important relationship, too.  The longer we continue, the easier it is to do next time, regardless of any considered intentions.  The Bible remains on the dresser until we have to dust it off before we even pick up, We have no clue the last time we actually prayed, or even read a devotion. 

Does this sound familiar?  Where is your Spiritual life compared to all the other ‘lives’ you live every day?  Is it time to re-evaluate? Where is Jesus in your life?

Photo Credit:     https://www.freepik.com/search?format=search&page=3&query=lack+of+concentration 

Living In our Flaws

      My friend tells the story of how as a young person, she struggled with acne, not an uncommon scenario for many teens.  Still every morning she was careful to cover the imperfections and flaws because she worried their view would repulse whomever she spoke with.  She prayed for years that God would remove the blemishes, what she considered ‘defects’ because she wanted people to like her and could only see herself through the lenses of other’s scrutiny.

Unfortunately, my friend is not alone in her ‘almost obsession’ of dealing with acne.  Our culture is so riveted on looking just like the ‘made up, icon beauties’ on TV, they can’t accept that not everyone is not perfect.  And that’s part of the point.  Those ‘beauties’ on TV have make up artists that remove the tiniest ‘blip’ that shows up on their skin before they set foot in front of a TV camera.  This sets the ‘beauty’ access line in our young girls minds, at a very high standard, and it’s false!

These feelings of inadequacies create anxiety in our children.  They must feel like the lepers in the Bible must have felt.  They had spots on their skin and were excommunicated; they were unclean and could not be with their family and friends on any local level.  These young girls in today’s world can be traumatized and become unable to communicate with kids their own age in a face to face world.  So they hide out in their rooms and only socialize over the internet, which can create it’s own cruel and dangerous world!

As my friend mentioned above, she grew in her faith, and her prayers changed, even though the condition did not seem to get any better.  Instead of asking for a ‘glowing complexion', she began asking God to help her believe that He loved her just the way he created her.  God’s standards of perfection and beauty are considerably different than any culture around the globe!

He is not about being popular in our little cliques with those people we would like to hang out with.  God is about what we have in our heart.  Our exterior appearance has nothing to do with our heart, if we are a Believer.  Our challenge is to focus on Him rather than on what the world around us chooses to see as important.  

The old adage, ‘beauty is only skin deep,’ is true.  Over time we all change.  We get older every day and we eat foods that aren’t good for us, which also can change how we look.  Many take drugs or smoke cigarettes, both of which affects our outward beauty, as well as other health habits and even our DNA and genetics!  

For those young ladies (and young men) who don’t know Jesus, their struggle is staggering.  They want so badly to become ‘liked’ because of (or in spite of) how they look,  they resort to using all kinds of creams and medicine, sometimes surgeries to create what they believe will outwardly make them acceptable and perhaps even beautiful to those around them.

God doesn’t look for the most beautiful person on the outside, like our world does. Rather he looks for the person with the right heart for his purpose and calling; and this is where blessings from the Sovereign God start! He loves us just as he created us.  Therefore we no longer need to 'live in our flaws' and be defined by the skewed beauty definition, so prevalent in our world!  

Photo Credit:  free inadequacy pictures 

Going The Extra Mile

  I love it when my grandchildren visit and give hugs!  That’s just what they do!  Often it’s in the coming and the going and I’m all about the hugs.  It seems regardless of any kind of ‘anything’ that could have gone wrong during my day, those hugs just melt my heart!  It’s also heartwarming to find a nice note in my mailbox from a random friend and just because!  It’s nice to know I was thought of!

Valentine’s Day is next week and people across the globe are searching for the perfect gift for their loved ones.  It varies from person to person, family to family given traditions, cultures and even funds.

But being kind is always a good gift!  It doesn’t need to be pricey, or elegant, grand or large.  Giving of yourself is often the best gift of all.   The formula for being kind is really simple.  Ask yourself what might make them smile?  What might they need this very moment or day?  Try to accommodate. 

Giving the gift of homemade food is always a good option; as is being mindful of their likes and dislikes, opening a door for them, sharing yourself in friendly conversation, remembering their birthday or other special days, sharing a conversation over coffee or tea, or having a shoulder to 'cry' on,  and lots of other options.  You need only be creative!

Going the extra mile, however, might include sending a ‘thinking of you’ card which you’ve personalized with a note or other decoration and certainly writing their name in it or even making them one by hand.  When you’re out to lunch with someone, buy them dessert; if you find a book they might like, purchase it and write a note in the front; when you offer to pray for someone absolutely do it—and offer to pray with them right then.   Buy (or make) a small gift they might like and wrap it in pretty paper before giving it to them.  The options can go on depending on your creativity!

Jesus was always doing kind things for people.  He taught them, he listened to their questions and answered them, and sometimes he went the extra mile.  He healed the lame, gave eyesight to the blind man, raised the dead, fed 5,000 and ultimately gave his life for whole world, offering us the free gift of salvation.  

What an amazing example Jesus is.  Even now, He goes the extra mile.  When we ask for something he still listens and responds.  Often times we get caught up in our expectations (or lack of) and miss the gifts God has for us.  Our finite minds can’t possibly comprehend the possibilities of God plans and surprises for us, his children.  Sometimes he answers in ways that is so much greater than our perceived options; and so spectacular we couldn’t even have  imagined it.

` I encourage you over the next couple weeks, to get creative and be kind; and beyond that, go the extra mile and see if you as ‘giver’ and whomever as the 'recipient', aren’t both blessed.  Let others see Jesus in you!

Photo Credit:  free pics of loving 

God's Resources

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  It’s not uncommon for me to say several times a week, that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done! Of course, that totally depends on the day and the list created in front of me.  Still, it seems every day, there is something on my list (even if it’s ‘an I’d like to do') that doesn’t get accomplished.  

That’s pretty much okay, given I’m currently reading a book on how to ‘un-hurry’!  Part of that process it realizing I can’t get everything done in one day, nor can I be everything to everyone, and some days I just have to say ‘no’.  That’s hard for me.

Recently I was reading about being a steward of our time.  I thought this was interesting, in that it applies to a truck driver, carpenter, dish washer, momma, and everything—note everything — in between!  There are 24 hours in our day, 168 hours in the week, and 535,600 minutes in a year.  (I didn’t do the math, but I suspect it’s accurate!)  But the point is, ALL those numbers applies to every living being.  It’s what we do with those minutes that matter!

Some people are very good at time management, and seem to accomplish so much.  Very often, these same people have found what they are good at and use the gifts God gave them to move forward and be productive.  Other people use those same minutes to focus on relationships, or make plans or dream of what they might like to do —some day.  While other people choose to use their moments watching TV or using precious moments playing video games, or scrolling on their electronic device.

Understand, watching TV, scrolling or playing games in themselves is not wrong.  But when time is wasted on these activities instead of choosing to use the gifts and talents God has given us, aren’t we cheating God of HIS time?  Everything is his after all.  He’s given it to us to see how we use it; yes even our time.  

Remember the Parable of the Talents?  Each was given s specific amount of talents, but one chose to do nothing with his and bury it.  He didn’t have the energy or interest to make any good use of it.  The Master promised to come back and he did.  And the Master was not pleased with the one who did nothing.

Are we ‘doing nothing’ with our time when we bury our talents?  Are we being faithful with the blessings we’ve been given?  We’re all accountable for what we do, as well as, for what we don’t, when it comes to using God’s gifts.  He has a designed plan and a purpose--- and has seen to it that each of us has something to offer; something that will move the Kingdom forward.  Are we doing that or are we not taking the Lord serious?   

We are given amazing possibilities every day.  It’s up to us to look for them and then respond as God directs us.  It’s a brand new week!  Let’s do our best to be alert to the Holy Spirit’s nudging and use our God given resources ---including our time--responsibly!  

Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com/search/clock/ 

Preparing To Serve

 

You may think me crazy but one of my favorite things to do is study!  I went to college when my youngest son started and I was diligent about doing homework and studying for tests.  The idea of being a ‘perpetual student’ absolutely applies to me.  I’m in my happy place when I can open a book about something which interests me, but of which I know only limited information.   There were times when my adult kids literally removed my book from my lap and said, “Mom, it’s the weekend!  Take. A. Break!

When I read about Daniel, I’m intrigued.  When our children leave home for college, they usually attend a college of their choice and often have a course of study in mind.  

When Daniel left home, it wasn’t to attend college in the sense we know it, but there are similarities.  He didn’t get to choose the college of his choice, he was taken by the Babylonians from his home.  He and others were taken to new surroundings, in a new land, away from everything they’d grown up and known.

He and the other ‘new’ students, were expected to learn a new language, culture, the literature of the area, different curriculum than he would have chosen and thus a new educational major and/or minor over the next three years!  He and others were even given new names!  These ‘students’ were expected to completely transform from what they were accustomed to and accept their new station in life.

Daniel, who was considered a quick learner, did well.  He didn’t, however, forget where he came from or about the God he believed in!  Regardless of the struggles facing him, he was dedicated to a positive attitude and considered this event to be an opportunity to gain insight in ways he could use the new found information, to serve  his Lord.  He believed God had a plan; a good plan!

His belief and faith in God drove him to set personal goals and resist those temptations Satan would hurl at him in this new environment.  He gently made a case for eating the correct food rather than being coerced into eating foods he believed would defile him before God.  He made commitments and decisions that were hard and went against the grain, yet kept the ‘powers that be’ at bay. 

There were those, however, who set out to ‘bring Daniel down’!  They convinced the king to make a decree that everyone would only bow before him (the king) and to no other God.  Daniel, prayed about this, and decided he wouldn’t change a thing regarding his devotion to the one and only Living God.  

Ultimately he was thrown into the lion’s den, but the lions mouths were shut and did not harm him.  Daniel knew the consequences of disobedience to the king.  He had studied the culture and understood that hearts were not turned to his God, but knew God would take care of the matter.

In the years before this, what I would have considered a 'harrowing event’, Daniel prepared to serve his God regardless of the circumstances.  His preparation and confidence in God, got him through because God had a plan.  He used this event to show us ‘nothing is impossible with God’.  Realistically Daniel should have immediately been viciously devoured by the lions, but wasn’t.

Do we study God’s Word so intently that we know it and have faith like Daniel had; that God is all powerful?  It’s so much easier to cower under the pressure.  Our world is upside down and inside out with evil lurking in every corner!  I want faith like Daniel had! 

To have this kind of faith, however, I need to be dedicated to study—- to the study of God’s word!  I heard a pastor say once we aren’t only accountable for what we know in the Bible——but also for what we don’t know!  I want to be prepared for whatever comes my way.  Will you join me in study, as we prepare to serve?

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