The Preacher's Wife

A choice to make

2012-01-23T06:17:00.000-06:00

I started a new Bible study series. This one is from http://youversion.com I picked up the app for my iPhone and it works back and forth between the online version and the mobile version, so if I need to do some searching "on the go" I have all of my bookmarks and notes from my computer available on my mobile device too. It's working out nicely. The plan I am following is touring the gospels. Today I read...

Matthew 27:25 Then answered all the people and said, His blood be on us, and our children.

This is from the account where Pilate realizes he cannot find fault in Jesus, but the people keep pressing to have Jesus crucified. He tries to get them to let Jesus go, but instead the hateful crowd asks Pilate to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus who was innocent. These are tough scriptures to get through, looking at the persecution and crucifixion of our Savior, but this particular verse just broke my heart...these people actually cursed their own children. It is hard to believe that hatred can lead us to such an end.

I can't go through my day with this weighing heavily on my heart, I had to counter it with some who have done well and brought blessing upon their children. This is what happens when Paul and Silas were singing in prison at midnight and the earthquake came and their bonds came loose...

Acts 16: 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord

2012-01-18T06:53:00.001-06:00

It appears that I am on a "path" this week. All of the verses that are speaking clearly to me have to do with a path. Today it is

Mark 1: 2&3 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

This is a good reminder for us to consider our own testimony. If we profess Christ, there should be some evidence in our lives. Whether we speak openly about our faith or not, people should know that there is something different about us. We have a responsibility to make sure that as John did, we prepare the way of the Lord and make sure that we have created a straight path to a relationship with Jesus Christ for those who would follow us.

This makes me think of Bro. Herbert in El Salvador. He ministers in an area that is covered by dense vegetation. It is common for men and women to carry a machete with them. They use it to cut down the vines and huge leaves that would obstruct their way...They have to clear their own path. Bro. Herbert is working to clear a spiritual path for them to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's pray for Herbert and Rosalia today.

Acknowledge Him

2012-01-17T05:39:00.000-06:00

In the blog yesterday, I looked at Proverbs 3:5&6 - Verse 6 says, "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Today, I want to be sure to do my part...acknowledge him. The wordle above shows some of the synonyms for the word "acknowledge". This is what I must do in order for God to direct my paths.

Trust in the Lord

2012-01-16T08:42:00.000-06:00

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5&6

There have been a couple of times lately that I have wondered about the timing of things. I wonder why we didn't do something sooner, or why we decided to wait to make certain decisions, why something suddenly seems critical when it wasn't even on our mind before. Each time, I realized that timing was everything. God definitely had a plan that He was putting in place, though I was oblivious to it.

It makes me stop to consider how many times God is intervening in my life in little ways that I don't even recognize.

"get gas"

2012-01-11T07:06:00.001-06:00

Jeremiah had a little gas pump like this when he was a toddler. He called it his "get gas". He loved going to the gas station. I'm the wrong mom to have a child who loves going to the gas station. There can't be anyone who is worse at paying attention to the gas gauge than I am. I think about stopping for gas when the car chugs a bit and just about dies in the middle of the road. The kids get lots of practice praying that God will just let us make it to the gas pump. He usually does.
Unfortunately, I spend a lot of my life that way too. There are times when I am deeply involved in studying my Bible and spending a great amount of time in prayer...and then it slowly winds down until my life starts chugging a bit and just about stalls out until I realize I need to recharge again.
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.

Here we go...

2012-01-06T07:00:00.002-06:00

Today I go back to work. I don't know that I've ever had a Christmas break as relaxing as this one. I've been blessed.

I have always given myself a bit of a break - permission to let myself off the hook, if you will. My life is somewhat compartmentalized by responsibility. There are my responsibilities 1. at home, 2. at church, 3. at work. My relationship with Christ is above all of them, so after that, they all go in order of priority. It's not that the priority ever really shifts, it's just that sometimes one of them is going better than the others. When times are good, two are going really well, and the third is just maintaining. At no time are all three ever thriving at the same time. I've learned to be ok with this. As long as the goal remains for all aspects of my life to thrive, if one slips back to sufficient, I'm ok - it just serves as a warning for me to focus my attention to that area again for a while.

This semester I am taking two classes at UNL. Yes, that's right...two! Yikes! I think this adds a fourth compartment. Oh my! I'm not successful with three, Lord, are you sure I'm supposed to take on the fourth? He said, "yes". And he told me it has been done before...Proverbs 31

I'm going to focus on verse 15 this semester.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

By God's grace, I want to complete these two classes without this extra responsibility being a burden on my family, my church or my job. I write this first and foremost to hold myself accountable for this commitment I am making, but also to ask if you will pray for me whenever you think of it.

Just As I Am

2012-01-05T07:00:00.002-06:00

This is a powerful song. It was written by Charlotte Elliott in 1835. It is best known as the official altar call song of the Billy Graham crusades. It is the very song that was used in an altar call given by evangelist Mordecai Ham in which Billy Graham was saved in 1934. Billy Graham even used it as the title of his autobiography written in 1997.

I guess it has just become tradition to default to "Just As I Am" as the go-to altar call song. I usually accompany the altar call on the piano at our church. As the message is drawing to a close, my mind starts searching through the lyrics to hymns that could be used to draw people to the altar. When nothing else jumps out at me, I usually default to "Just As I Am". It says it all. How many people have been saved with the sweet tune playing softly in the background? It's a large number to be sure!

I'll confess that playing for the altar call is something I both love and hate. I love that I have an opportunity to play a song that the Holy Spirit might use to impress on someone's heart their need for salvation or to get some other things right in their life. I hate it when the Pastor says "one more verse..." I think I noticeably cringe when these words are said. I regret that the end of this song means that the invitation is drawing to a close and that there might be just one more soul out there in the congregation who hasn't taken that first step yet. I slow down as much as I possibly can without being too obvious.

A plea from the piano player...step out right away, don't wait! Get to the altar and get things right!

It's all about the blood!

2012-01-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

Sometimes we get so selfish. We get in trouble when our focus turns inward and we can't see beyond ourselves. So many people are depressed and they dwell in such dark places in their minds. I don't want to make light of their situation. I have seen how debilitating this can be. For me, when I start down that path, I try to think of someone else. I can always find someone who is in worse shape than I am. It helps me to invest my time and effort into helping someone else. We can't dwell on our past or the bad things that we've done. This song has been an encouragement to me...

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen

Root of Bitterness

2012-01-03T10:40:00.000-06:00

Hebrews 12:14-15
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.

A couple of days ago, we were out at a church member's house loading up a trailer to help someone move. Dear Brother Doyle (who doesn't like the cold very much) was all bundled up in a camouflaged snow suit helping the guys back the trailer out of the shed. Meanwhile, I sat in the warm car with the seat heater on high. I was searching for something on my new iPhone, paying little attention to their progress. There was a tap on my window. It was Brother Doyle, he said, "here, this is for you" and he opened up his hand to give me a tiny little dandelion he had found. I said, "doesn't it know that it's January in Nebraska?"

Sometimes I wonder why dandelions get such a bad reputation. A field of dandelions in bloom is a pretty sight. But, when I consider how hardy this thing is, that it can bloom in January in Nebraska, I have to think that it does have some troublesome qualities (if you're not out to produce high quality dandelions).

This morning as I read this passage in Hebrews, the "root of bitterness" made me think of that dandelion. I know what that verse is talking about. I have felt the root of bitterness in my heart. And yes, it is troublesome! My root of bitterness usually comes when I feel like someone has betrayed me. It isn't even something I show on the outside, in fact, you could probably say I look as cheerful as that dandelion. But beneath it all, there is an intricate system of roots that are working hard to defile me.

The real danger is that the defilement doesn't just impact my life alone. It says "thereby many be defiled". Our lives are like dominoes - if one falls, others that are close to it are likely to come by the same fate. Haven't you seen this time and time again? One person gets a root of bitterness, drops out of church, and pretty soon a string of others follows along behind them. Verse 14 gives us the answer, the root can be killed by holiness.

My prayer for today out of 2 Corinthians Chapter 7, Verse 1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

A Lasting Impression

2012-01-02T10:10:00.000-06:00

If you think about it, recipes are a way to create a legacy. In the days leading up to Christmas, I was drawn to some old favorites. My grandmas were great cooks and I was privileged to have spent time cooking with them. Their recipes aren't the kind that can just be passed on paper. In fact, they didn't even use recipes - they were the kind of cooks that had made their favorite recipes so many times that it just "looked good". Thankfully, we were able to follow along behind them a couple of times to properly measure ingredients as they added them.

In the month of December, my family enjoyed Pigs in a Blanket (Cabbage rolls), grebble, "pasty gravy" (grease gravy - my grandma would have approved, the left-overs could have been used to secure wallpaper to the wall), fudge and sugar cookies. Fudge and sugar cookies are particularly touchy recipes. You can't just follow the recipe and expect it to turn out well. Fudge has to get to a "rolling boil" until it turns to just the right color. If you haven't seen the "right color" (a light caramel), then your fudge is doomed to fail. Sugar cookies are similar. The weather and other factors determine exactly how much flour you need. Sometimes you need more, sometimes you need less. So, you just keep adding flour a little bit at a time until it FEELS right. Again, you had to be there...

I'm thrilled that I successfully recreated both of these recipes this year. But again, making the recipe and getting it "just right" is not the end of it. This is where the real memories begin. My grandma always poured out her fudge on a special plate (I have it). It has a scalloped pattern that encircles the plate about an inch from the edge. No matter how many times we cut the fudge and pulled up a piece to expose the impression left from the plate, you just couldn't help but be overcome by something so amazing and so simple. This was a trend with my grandma... Simplicity. She was a master at creating wonder out of simple things. It happened with sugar cookies too. We had a small set of thumbprint crystal glasses that had a star pattern etched in the bottom. Grandma's cookies would be rolled into perfectly shaped balls, set on a cookie sheet and then slightly impressed by the bottom of the cup dipped in colored sugar.

These memories left a lasting impression. As this new year begins, my prayer is that my life will also leave a lasting positive impression.

Hebrews 12:1 & 2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Mind, Heart and Will...

2011-12-20T07:10:00.000-06:00

“There isn’t a school on earth that can educate anybody. All a school can do is provide an atmosphere which will stimulate the mind to work and the heart to believe and the will to act.” –Noel Smith

I can't tell you how many of my college papers this quote has found its way into. I guess by now it has been adopted as the summary of my teaching philosophy.

The interesting background story that I know, but most of my professors and colleagues do not know is that I know who Noel Smith is. Lots of people use quotes as tag lines on their email, but I often wonder how many people actually know something about the person they have quoted.

Noel Smith was the founding editor of the Baptist Bible Tribune in 1950. The paper is still published today.

You see, I apply this philosophy in a public school setting. In fact, it is a low performing public school where truly the only hope we have is to "...provide an atmosphere which will stimulate the mind to work and the heart to believe and the will to act." We cannot MAKE our students learn. I happen to know first-hand that millions of dollars of taxpayer money thrown at a failing school has no power to force students to improve. They have to be inspired to improve.

This is not my teaching blog though, this is my preacher's wife blog. It amazes me how universal this quote is. When it was penned by Noel Smith, it was tied to a Bible college. He was saying that even in Bible college, you cannot force people to learn, you can't prevail upon them to become Godly christian leaders. You CAN give them "...an atmosphere which will stimulate the mind to work and the heart to believe and the will to act.”

My prayer today for our church is that it does all of these things and that christians take it to heart and carry out the "will to act." with their friends, neighbors and co-workers.

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

2011-12-08T20:31:00.000-06:00

Matthew 2:10-14 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

I always wondered about these gifts that were given by the wise men. Frankincense and Myrrh are resins that were used for their fragrance.

We just finished a missions conference. In one of the services, our missionary, Bro. Don Kiser, made this point: Be ready for when God tells you what He wants you to do. He has prepared you long before He called you.

I finally understand the gifts. After studying a little bit about Frankincense and Myrrh, I found out that they were extremely valuable at the time of Jesus' birth...Especially in EGYPT! The Egyptians had all sorts of uses for frankincense and myrrh. They burned it as incense and Egyptians would use the ashes as a cosmetic. Containers of these resins were found in the tombs of prominent Egyptians. They couldn't get enough of it. And it was expensive.

Another mystery solved - how on earth did Mary and Joseph make ends meet in Egypt? They must have sold their gold, frankincense and myrrh! What a plan. And God has a plan that is just as intricate for your life and mine. How exciting!

Too Easy

2011-11-21T06:29:00.000-06:00

Not long ago someone was telling me about something they wanted to do. They were frustrated because every step of the way there was a new challenge. Here's what they said, "I'm starting to wonder if it isn't God's will because it sure hasn't been easy." I encouraged this person to continue to persevere through the process and to ask for wisdom on the matter. I walked away scratching my head and thinking....God never said that easy things were His will. Or that hard things were not.

Recently, this lesson came out of the Bible:
Genesis 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to , let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded . 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do : and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

The fact of the matter is, we need to struggle sometimes. It's in the struggles that we seek Him. When things are going smoothly and everything you do is easy, you don't need to stop and consider God's will.

I think another lesson here is that God WILL take drastic measures to get our attention. My prayer today and always is that God keeps me close to Him so that He does not have to divert my path.

Looking For The Glow

2011-11-16T18:46:00.000-06:00

I know this seems like a strange image to have on my blog, so let me explain...

Matthew 5:38-42
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

This passage is so real to me because of the way my parents brought me up. The compassion and unselfish giving my parents have done over the years cannot be measured. I am thankful for their example in my life.

I remember going to Goodrich Dairy store on South Street to get milk. Those were the days when you kept your jug and returned it when you went to pick up a new gallon. One of the stranger parts of this memory is that I always went there in my pajamas with Bunny in tow (I remember this because I left him there once - that was a long night). I always went with my dad. And now that I think about it, for a small family, we sure went through a lot of milk! And we always had to go when it was really cold outside. We sure didn't drink as much milk when it was warm out.

And while we were out late on a bitterly cold night, because we just had to buy milk for the third night in a row...we would start driving home down 10th Street, but we missed the turn on Washington Street to go to our house. Instead, we drove down F Street where my grandpa just happened to be leaving Park School where he worked nights. I remember pressing my nose to the cold window of dad's blazer, peering through the darkness looking for the glow of the light at the end of grandpa's cigarette as he walked home.

It's a good thing we needed milk because it was kind of cold out there and grandpa was happy to take the ride - since we just happened to be in the neighborhood.

Contrary to Logic

2011-11-03T05:12:00.000-05:00

The teens are still studying Baptist History. We've just started into the Dark Ages and have discussed the martyrs and the horrible things that were done to them. It made us all wonder if we would have the courage to do what they did.

We were intrigued by the fact that in times of great persecution, the number of Christians grew. This seemed to be contrary to logic. In fact, the number of Christians grew so much during the Dark Ages, that the persecutors sought even more treacherous ways to execute those they found guilty of being followers of Christ. They thought that if they made it a public, excruciating death, that it would deter the Christians and diminish their courage.

Jesus talked about this phenomenon John Chapter 12, verses 23-25:
And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Just a few verses before this, we see where the chief priests were looking to kill Lazarus - again - after he just was raised from the dead - verse 11 "Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus."

One God

2011-11-02T05:27:00.000-05:00

In our Sunday School class, the teens are reading the Trail of Blood in their study of Baptist History. One of the interesting things that came up early on in the lessons was the division of religions, we studied the timeline that is included in the book and noted when different religions began and under whose authority. The teens noticed that not all religions were included in the timeline, so we investigated this issue to find out why. They came to the realization that the separation came through the acknowledgment of who God is.

They recounted stories of those they have met who have said things like "We all just serve one god." It was great to see them come to the understanding that we don't all just serve one god. Any religion that does not recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God who came to earth to save us from our sins and rose again is not the same God that we serve.

I was reading in Mark at the end of Chapter 11 and through Chapter 12. This is an interesting account of some of the final encounters Jesus had with those who would crucify Him. In Chapter 11, verse 27, Jesus and the disciples met up with the chief priests and the scribes and the elders as they are walking in the temple. They questioned Jesus about His authority. He left them puzzled. They knew they couldn't win. In Chapter 12, verse 13, they send in the Pharisees and the Herodians to try to "catch him in his words." They couldn't do it. Verse 18 "Then come unto him the Sadducees"...the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, so they figured these guys would catch him for sure. Jesus left them stumped too. In verse 28, it looks like one of the scribes listened in on the whole thing very intently:

Mark 12:28
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.

By asking Jesus to clarify the greatest commandment of all in light of all he had heard that day, he started to understand that Jesus' claim was not contrary to the commandment. It's as if this man was starting to recognize the bridge between law and grace and he was slowly coming to realize that the bridge was standing right in front of him in the form of God the Son, Jesus Christ. Yes, there really is only One God

The kind of letter you want to get from your child's teacher...

2011-11-01T11:17:00.000-05:00

Last week, we lost our beloved little fur ball, Skippy. Skippy was special because he was grandpa's little sidekick, but he first came to our family...he wandered right into our house. I remember one day we were carrying some things in from the car and on one of the trips, I heard Gary say "Lynn, there's a dog in our house." At first I thought maybe his sensitive nose detected a foul odor or something and thought this was his way of pointing it out..No...he really meant there was a dog in our house. We tried to find Skippy's owner, but it seemed that Skip was left behind somehow and had not had the best life leading up to the time we found him. He had suffered some abuse - he had a compound ear infection that the vet said they usually only see in stud dogs that live in puppy mills. So, Skip was thrilled to have a happy new indulged life with my mom and dad.

Marin and I found out Thursday morning that Skippy had passed away. I wish I could have waited until after school to tell Marin, but she was with me when my dad called. She knew that Skippy had spent the night at the vet's and by my reaction, she could tell that it wasn't good news.

We told her teacher that it was going to be a rough day for Marin, and knowing her teacher well and that she has Jesus in her heart too, I was content that Marin was in the hands of someone who would show caring and compassion throughout this day that might be difficult for her.

Later, I received this in an email from Marin's teacher:

On Thursday, Marin had made a card for your dad. At the end of the day, she was in tears and many in the class were concerned about her. I asked her why she was crying and she told me that the card she had made was all colored. So she threw it away! I asked her to get it out of the trash and we had a quick class meeting about respecting people's things. Nobody confessed and we had people rally around Marin and offer to help her make a new card. On Friday morning, during our math minute Marin was handed a post it note from a student. It said, "Sorry Marin I drew on your paper. I made a mistake." The next thing I saw is what makes me know that Marin is a girl who LOVES Jesus so much. You see, this student was having trouble with her math minute and Marin went right over and coached her through the problem. My heart swelled. After she was done explaining the problem, I went and whispered in her ear, that I was so proud of her and that she not only showed the girl how to do the math but she showed her Jesus, by being so forgiving and being her friend. I know that you and Gary know how great she is but I just wanted to share this with you. Thanks for sharing her with all of us.

We're sad to have lost Skippy but thankful for an opportunity to catch a glimpse of Jesus through Marin's actions.

I John 2:9-10
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands

2011-10-31T07:04:00.000-05:00

2 Kings 6:4-7
And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

I shared this story with the teens recently, and before I got to the part about how Elisha helped the man get it back, I stopped and asked them what they should do. One idea was to jump in and get it. Many times we want to take matters into our own hands...just jump in and get it. This method gives no guarantee that we're going to get the result that we're looking for. It doesn't guarantee our success or safety.

The interesting thing about this saying, "Taking matters into your own hands" is that it is an idiom that means...to deal with a problem yourself because the people who should have dealt with it have failed to do so. Why do we continue to act as though God has failed to take care of our needs? He cares about the things we care about.

The hard part is, we have to humble our hearts and ask for help. He will help us - it may not come in the miraculous form of making iron float, but it will come through an equally wonderful means that He chooses.

We need to put our matters in God's capable hands.

Speak the Truth

2011-10-29T12:48:00.001-05:00

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus never told us it would be easy, in fact, I think He warned us it was going to be hard. We need to ask God to give us opportunities to share the truth of His Son who died for us. He will provide the opportunities, we just have to be faithful to recognize when opportunity knocks and to share the truth, no matter what your voice sounds like.

In fact, now that I think about it, many of the times that God has given me an opportunity to share Jesus with others, my voice shook, my cheeks blushed, I became weak in the knees, my heart pounded and I had butterflies in my stomach. These symptoms startle us and make us back away, but we need to embrace it. We're supposed to feel that way!

A lesson in idioms...

2011-09-08T07:08:00.000-05:00

Rub off: Become transferred to another, influence through close contact, as in We hoped some of their good manners would rub off on our children. This idiom alludes to transferring something like paint to another substance by rubbing against it. [Mid-1900s]

We are looking carefully at spiritual gifts in my teen Sunday school class. For the most part, they weren't surprised by the areas they were most gifted in. There was evidence in their lives. However, one score threw us all off - including the person who got it. I can talk about it here because it happened to be my son! We went around the circle one at a time sharing what our strongest gift was. Jeremiah looked at me with a confused look and sheepishly said "hospitality".... I thought back to the questions that led to that score..."When missionaries are in town, you invite them to eat at your house..." "When someone is sick, you often take food to them..." "You routinely have people at your supper table who are not part of your family..."

What we realized was that hospitality is a strength of both my husband and I. Our gift was transferred to our son. If you happen to know Jeremiah, I don't think there was a gift on the page that could have had a more opposite application to him! He's delightful, but reserved and somewhat shy - especially around people he doesn't know well.

It reminds me of this verse:

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary says this about it, "We are cautioned to take heed whom we converse with. And directed to have in view, in conversation, to make one another wiser and better."

Who are we rubbing off on? Is that a positive change for them?
Who are we allowing to rub off on us? Is it a positive change for us?

Strong Tower

2011-08-30T07:12:00.000-05:00

I love the first part of Psalm 61:
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

It's interesting watching the news and seeing the devastation from tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes. I often find it alarming that the homes we consider to be our primary place of shelter can be decreased to a pile of rubble in a matter of seconds. It is comforting to know that God is our Strong Tower and that when we are overwhelmed, we can take shelter there. The important thing to remember is to stay close to the shelter so that you can find comfort there when you need it... Don't stray so far away that you can't make it back!
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Are you a "good for evil" or an "evil for good" person?

2011-07-23T15:46:00.001-05:00

Psalm 35:12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick , my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. 14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily , as one that mourneth for his mother.

I usually don't let a lot of things get to me. But when they do, it's big, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that it consumes me.

I don't think there will be a person reading this who doesn't know exactly what I'm talking about. When you're blindsided by someone who returns evil for good, it knocks the wind out of your sails for a while. But yikes for them! I won't even comment on the rest of Psalm chapter 35 - you can read it for yourself!

Let's focus on our own needs today....

2011-07-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

image by ihtatho@flikr

Romans 12:2 was the verse for yesterday's blog. Today, I looked at this verse in context. Verse 1 talks about presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. Things would go so much more smoothly if I could just die to my flesh daily and take up the power of the Holy Spirit in my life!

This is Sunday, and Romans 12:3 is the verse demanding my attention today...

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Sunday is the day that many a righteous christian (myself included) executes a flawless defense. We know we are going to be bombarded with Truth, so we sit and think about how much worse off the people around us are, effectively shielding ourselves from the Truth that is intended for us, deflecting it onto others.

Today, I hope you'll be among the crowd of people gathering together and that you won't give in to the temptation to forsake the assembly. And when we get there, may we focus our worship on God and His Son, Jesus Christ. May we focus our attention on our own needs today.

Renew our minds...

2011-07-09T12:23:00.000-05:00

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We are going to teen camp next week. It is the first time I am going along to this particular camp. Gary is going to be the "camp director". This means that he is busy putting together all of the activities for camp, the competitions, etc. For me, it means a lot of work! I am anticipating that every moment of every day will be spent surrounded by the camp counselors, our teens, other teens, other pastors and their wives. So, every night, we will return to our room to tally points, review the activities of the day, make adjustments to the plans for the next day, sleep for a little while and get up and do it again.

Ahh....organization. I LOVE organization, and I'm afraid that my husband and many others will probably be sorry that they wanted to have me along. If you know me well, you've probably already started to chuckle. You see, we have wrist bands for the campers - they are in 4 different colors, and the teens will work within that color team to earn points. I think the team with the most points by Thursday night gets to stay up after curfew and have a swimming party after-dark. Here's where all of my friends start chuckling - I LOVE organization and organization WITH color, why that's just my thing! The colors are orange, blue, green and yellow. We have colored sticker dots, sticky notes, markers, highlighters, glow sticks, sun visors, punch balls, balloons, sand buckets and even bandaids in those colors! I suppose I taught kindergarten for too long. I can march a perfectly straight row of 5 year-olds down a hallway with their hands behind their backs, eyes facing forward, not making a sound. They look like a line of little ducklings all following their mother down to the pond. And in my mind - that is what camp looks like (insert screaching sound of car tires coming to a rapid halt) but these are teenagers!

This verse (Rom. 12:2) has consumed my thought. I don't want to get so wrapped up in the function of camp that I forget the purpose of camp. I think this is an inspired camp theme. It is perfect for our young people - what am I saying? It is perfect for all of us! I wish I was taking the whole church!

I know this post is getting long, but I need to continue to drive this point home for myself...I can scream "be not conformed to this world" at the top of my lungs (ask around, you'll find someone who has heard me do it), but the truth is I cannot make someone do it, I can't even make myself stop conforming to this world. My answer came this morning...What I should be paying attention to is the part that tells us HOW..."but be ye transformed BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND!" I went on a search this morning for the renewing of your mind, and I can't even come close to stating it as eloquently as Matthew Henry has in his concise commentary - it's beautiful! Please listen and learn with me...

Conversion and sanctification are the renewing of the mind; a change, not of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul. The progress of sanctification, dying to sin more and more, and living to righteousness more and more, is the carrying on this renewing work, till it is perfected in glory. The great enemy to this renewal is, conformity to this world. Take heed of forming plans for happiness, as though it lay in things of this world, which soon pass away. Do not fall in with the customs of those who walk in the lusts of the flesh, and mind earthly things. The work of the Holy Ghost first begins in the understanding, and is carried on to the will, affections, and conversation, till there is a change of the whole man into the likeness of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. Thus, to be godly is to give up ourselves to God.

Pray for me, pray for our campers, that we can all receive the renewing of our minds next week.

How can spending money be a testimony?

2011-07-05T08:51:00.000-05:00

It seems like I am on day three of an object lesson God is trying to teach me about how we should spend the money He blesses us with...

Testimony #1 - This came from the Sunday morning sermon where we heard about a family in our church that is making a sacrifice in order to have more money to support missionaries. Now it's a neat thing when someone first decides to support missions and prayerfully considers this very thing. But if I were to guess about this family, I would guess they already give nearly half of their income to missions. This is sacrifice upon sacrifice. I'm so excited to see how the Lord will bless them!

Testimony #2 - We gave the kids a very modest budget for purchasing fireworks and allowed them to add a very small amount of their own money. I know my mom and dad pitched in quite a bit, but I'm sure the total amount was nowhere near what some of the people around us spent. It seemed like God did another "loaves and fishes" miracle for us. We definitely got tired of watching long before the kids were done lighting! And we even have some left over! This lesson was mostly for the kids...we don't have to spend excessively to have a good time. And furthermore, as we learned last night after we got home, we can sometimes just sit back and appreciate what others contribute.

This reminds me of the best parenting tip I have: when tempted by the candy at the checkout counter in the store, just say "what could the missionaries do with that money?" We went so far as to take the money out of my wallet so that we could put it in an offering envelope when we got home. We have had very few checkout meltdowns (all of them by only one of my children - if you know them, you guess which one!).

Testimony #3 - I'm struggling with this one...It seems that our household was randomly selected to participate in a census study on spending. This is officially day 3. We have to write all of the purchases we make in a log book. When the guy was here explaining it, I asked him what category our tithe would be logged in. He said that he believed this should be exempt from the study because what you give to the church should be between you and God - and I agree. But, I also know that this particular study is going to be broken down into all different kinds of demographics. I can only hope that there are other families like us participating, and that they too will write in an amount for what they gave to their church. And I hope it is so much that the study will have to treat that expenditure separately so that they cannot in good conscience count it as "other".

I really am being very thoughtful about my purchases. I want this log book to be a testimony of how a conservative christian Midwest family spends the money God chooses to bless them with.

Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

How is a Godly woman to dress? Describe modest biblically...

2011-07-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

One of my newest friends, Michelle, posted this question on Facebook. I find myself returning to FB out of curiosity to see what she is posting each day. I had almost given up on the whole system, figuring that all hope was lost and that it could only be a tool for evil and the perfect platform for gossip. Michelle has proven otherwise - She uses it for good! So here's my answer...

1. The way you dress tells others who you belong to.

Proverbs 31:21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

I LOVE this! You could spot her family from a mile away! Whatever we wear should tell others WHO (Jesus) we belong to!

2. The way you dress should tell others you are your Father's favorite!

Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.

Much like Joseph, we are our Father's favorite. When we are "upright" in our way, we are His delight! (Prov. 11:20)

3. The way you dress should be appropriate for the occasion you have been invited to. I think it's mostly a girl thing, but when I get an invitation, one of the first things I consider is "what will I wear?" Each and every time the church doors are open, we are drawn there because God Himself invited us to gather there with other believers to worship Him.

Of course, interpretation of these thoughts is completely up to the individual believer, but I believe this is a context that should encourage us to make righteous decisions.

God's Geometry

2011-06-30T08:40:00.000-05:00

Not long ago, I saw an interview with a basketball player. When asked how his team was making a comeback, he mistakenly said that they did a 360*...Now, according to the rules of geometry, that means that they did a complete turn around and ended up right back where they started. Well, what he meant was that they did a 180* - half a circle, meaning they turned their game around.

Sometimes we find ourselves heading in a direction we know we shouldn't be going. But in our christian walk, we also shouldn't go back to the way we were. We are to be changed.

I believe God loves right angles. Christians should make 90* turns - always upward! I'm reminded of the chorus:
Get the new look from the Old Book
Get the new look from the Bible
Get the new look from the Old Book
Get the new look from God's Word
The inward look
The outward look
The upward look
From the old, old Book
Get the new look from the Old Book
Get the new look from God's Word

The UPWARD LOOK! I believe God prefers RIGHT angles - look at how many right angles are formed by the cross!

II Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

A Few Weeks Post-Rapture...OR NOT!

2011-06-09T10:15:00.000-05:00

Most of the people I know rolled their eyes and groaned as May 21, 2011 approached and the media frenzy surrounding Harold Camping's prediction exploded. I love my son's reaction when he first heard of the prediction...he said, "well, we know that's not it!" My 13 year old was referring to the ultimate authority on the subject:

Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

I was just rolling with the punches from those who don't believe that the rapture will ever take place....until...I read a FaceBook post after the supposed day of the rapture. Someone joked that all of us who claim that we would have been taken had it been a true rapture would actually have been left behind because of the sin of pride that we committed in believing that we could know that we would go! I can't just shake my head and roll my eyes at that one! Again, quoting the ultimate authority on the subject:

1 John 5:11
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us

The Blessing and Cursing of Social Media

2011-06-08T12:06:00.000-05:00

It's hard to keep a secret anymore...haven't we seen evidence of that in the news lately? It seems that anything and everything in our lives is "status-worthy".

Tools like FaceBook and Twitter, like anything else in our lives, can be a blessing or a curse. For instance...

One of the curses of social media is that people will say (or show) things they wouldn't normally share in public. You've seen it...people ask questions they shouldn't ask. They make inappropriate comments, somehow emboldened by the fact that they're not in a face-to-face conversation. The Bible talks about this:

2 Timothy 2:23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes

But...
One of the blessings of social media is that people will say (or show) things they wouldn't normally share in public. I think about the quiet student sitting in the back of the class, who may be too shy to say what they think, but they too are emboldened by the fact that they are not in a face-to-face conversation, and they express something profound that shows you who they really are.
Also, think back to early missionaries and how it would take months for them to correspond with supporters. Now, they can send up-to-the-minute updates with prayer requests. I wonder if God keeps statistics about the increase in the number of people praying for a request that is made this way? At least I would hope there would be a noticeable increase.

The bottom line is that like all things, social media can be used for evil or for good. Now would be a good time to read James Chapter 3!

B.F.B.

2011-06-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

This week, I'm reflecting on my life "Before FaceBook" (B.F.B.) I don't even know how many friends I have right now. I'm pretty cautious about my FB use...constantly asking myself things like "to friend a co-worker or not-to-friend a co-worker?" or "does this person just want to be my friend so that they can glean the latest gossip about me?" or "do I think this person will ever post something inappropriate for my friends to see?" I even set my own policy - don't friend former students until they're in high school, nearing graduation (High school seniors seem to like having their former kindergarten or first grade teacher as a friend on FB:)

I don't spend a lot of time on FaceBook...Here's another policy...FB is one of the many things I will not do until after I have read my Bible each day.

The whole concept is just so intriguing to me. In the age we live in, it is virtually impossible to lose contact with someone. What will the impact be on High School reunions? Ten years down the road, today's seniors won't rush to the reunion to find out who gained weight, who lost weight, who married whom, and which perfect couple has already divorced. They will have had a daily update and play-by-play account of the day to day lives of all of their friends.

Here's another thing that intrigues me about FaceBook... Nowhere else in my life do all of the diverse groups of people I interact with intersect. My church friends used to be an isolated huddle of people I talked to on Sunday and Wednesday. My school friends were people I only interacted with during business hours Mon.-Fri, and not much during the summer. My old high school friends or childhood friends would pop up randomly, but only one at a time, never in a large group. Now, my diverse group of friends all convene in one convenient place.

With that said, I have to carefully guard my testimony online (refer to policies above). Here's what the Bible says about it:
Colossians 4:2
2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

I like how Matthew Henry's Commentary explains it...
"No duties can be done aright, unless we persevere in fervent prayer, and watch therein with thanksgiving. The people are to pray particularly for their ministers. Believers are exhorted to right conduct towards unbelievers. Be careful in all converse with them, to do them good, and recommend religion by all fit means. Diligence in redeeming time, commends religion to the good opinion of others. Even what is only carelessness may cause a lasting prejudice against the truth. Let all discourse be discreet and seasonable, as becomes Christians. Though it be not always of grace, it must always be with grace. Though our discourse be of that which is common, yet it must be in a Christian manner. Grace is the salt which seasons our discourse, and keeps it from corrupting. It is not enough to answer what is asked, unless we answer aright also."

Known for Tears

2011-05-30T08:49:00.000-05:00

Luke 7:37-38
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Mark 14:9
9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

This is a great picture of what Memorial Day should mean to us.

I remember when I was VERY young, my mom taught my preschool Sunday School class. She used a curriculum that told the story of "Winky bear". Out of curiosity, I decided to google Winky Bear and found that the stories are still being used more than 30 years later! You can find an example here.

One of the stories that really stuck with me was a story about tears. I can't remember exactly why Winky was crying so much, but in a Mrs. PiggleWiggle-style remedy, Winky was supposed to collect all of his tears in a jar, and when he filled it, his mom was going to buy him a fish. Well, as you can imagine, once Winky got that jar out to collect the tears, whatever he was crying about just didn't seem so bad.

Thirty years later, I'll admit that I tried it out. I just could not even come close to producing enough tears to fill a jar. So, the fact that Mary cried so much that her tears were enough to wash Jesus' feet intrigues me. Mary got it...the tears, the ointment... She must have been paying attention, and as far as I can tell, she may have been the only one who realized that her time with her Savior was drawing to a close.

What a great thing to be remembered for. Commitment so deep that she sought Him in a place where she would not be welcomed. Worship so overwhelming that she could not stop her tears. Sacrifice so dear that others would question the necessity at such an occasion.

Strong Tower

2011-03-09T16:53:00.000-06:00

I have done a terrible job keeping up with the memory verses I have committed to learn. I guess I should say - I've done a terrible job communicating about the verses I'm working on. I continue to work on memorization this year. I carry a little notebook in my purse and every time I find myself waiting for some reason, I pull it out and work on it. (It makes you feel differently about being stopped by a train:-)

I have decided that for the next little while, I'm going to commit to memory the first five verses of Psalm chapter 61. I love all of the choruses we sing that reference God as a "Strong Tower". These verses in chapter 61 and the one on this tower picture that is too small to see (Psalm 18:10) are sure to pick me up when I am feeling kind of low.

Let God be your strength today!

Two Sides to Every Story...

2011-02-03T06:16:00.000-06:00

I'm reposting this one because, well...if you look outside, it's timely and it was like deja vu a couple of days ago when Marin's little voice broke the silence to point out how beautiful the frost was on the trees.
The drive to school this week hasn't been our typical commute. We buckled up in the car and started out on the same path we drive every Monday-Friday. This morning was different. It was very foggy and a heavy frost had covered the streets overnight. I quoted my typical speech, it always contains these elements..the roads are slippery, please pray, don't fight, be quiet, make sure your seatbelts are securely fastened and return your seats to their upright position...
It was a treacherous drive. Very slow going. The car was in 4-wheel high, my hands on 10 and 2. Marin dared to break the silence long enough to say "it's too bad that the streets are so slippery, but it sure made the trees look pretty!" My eyes had been glued to the blacktop. I hadn't noticed how truly remarkable the scenery was.
The story I had to tell about that morning would have centered on the dangerous road conditions and the stress it caused me as I tried to drive safely. Marin's remarks changed the story to include the miracle that God kept us safe and that He did this while providing a beautiful sight for us to take in.

Isaiah 55
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down , and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud , that it may give seed to the sower , and bread to the eater :
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please , and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Speaking of homophones....

2011-01-27T06:39:00.000-06:00

I spend a lot of time reading email. I have noticed that homophones really cause a problem in writing - it's tough when you have so many choices:

there or their?
two, to or too?

There are common homophones that cause problems for christians in communication too. In writing, many pastors will use the word "alter" when they really intended to use "altar". "We had a great response at the alter this morning..." This is an interesting one though, and ironically enough, maybe is more of a "freudian slip".

Let's look at some definitions, courtesy of Merriam-Webster:

Altar - a usually raised structure or place on which sacrifices are offered or incense is burned in worship.
Altar call - an appeal by an evangelist to worshipers to come forward to signify their decision to commit their lives to Christ.
Alter - to make different without changing into something else

I wonder how this definition works:

Alter call - an appeal to worshipers to be made different without changing into something else at a raised structure or place on which sacrifices are made.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

So, the question is...do you and I need an "alter call"?

Do you know what a homophone is?

2011-01-21T19:08:00.000-06:00

I'm going to make a confession...I seem to be getting a lot of gray hairs right above my ears. I hate it. I was 32 years old the first time I colored my hair - and those were just highlights. Now, I'm coloring every 6-8 weeks. I hate it, but it's necessary! This is my brand and my color - medium brown/truffle. (btw, I'm a big fan - only 10 minutes)

I get a little messy with this stuff though - especially when I rinse it off in the shower - you're supposed to shampoo it in - but it just splatters everywhere. My shower ends up looking like we were doing spin-art in there.

Back to homophones...

Homophones are two words that sound the same, but have different meaning.

We had a homophone-related incident in our family - it's funny now, but it wasn't at the time. My husband noticed the mess I left behind in the shower, and decided to follow-up by asking if I dyed my hair. Here...you have to follow the dialogue:
Gary: Did you dye your hair?
Lynn: Yes, why? (thinking he would say that it matched so perfectly he could hardly tell the difference;-)
Gary: It looks like something died in the bathroom. (Remember the spin-art thing? Reddish-brown splatters in the shower...Lynn hears "it looks like something dyed in the bathroom" - which would not have been a compliment).
I'll leave the rest of the dialogue out for my own protection!

In my job, when we meet in groups for discussion, some common group norms are applied. One of these is to "presume positive intentions". It is my nature to be somewhat cynical, so presuming positive intentions is not something that is easy for me. I have found that if I am doing well spiritually, (reading and meditating on scripture, maintaining an attitude of prayer) I can overcome my natural tendency and can more easily detect the positive intentions of others. I must not be the only one who suffers from this, it's even referenced pretty directly in scripture.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Seeing how I was not presuming positive intentions the day we had the hair dye conversation, my spiritual condition that day is most definitely in question. Thankfully, there's scripture for that a few verses later.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Now, the next time you see me, please don't stare at the patches of hair just above my ears;-)

Be Still

2011-01-14T06:57:00.000-06:00

Psalm 4
1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. 2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. 3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. 4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. 6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. 8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

I took this picture myself...now don't be too impressed...
I'm not a bird whisperer. I'm not graceful enough to stealthily sneak up on it. I'm not much of a photographer, and I didn't have a camera with a huge telephoto lens!

The truth is, this poor guy flew into our front window first and roosted here in our crab apple tree to recover from his mishap. He was dazed and confused for quite some time - obviously long enough for ME to get a good picture.

Like the bird, sometimes I just can't help but feel a little dazed and confused! Life happens so fast. From time to time, I too feel like I have literally run into a wall (or a window) and bounced back off finding myself in a vulnerable position where I have to be still and wait...and TRUST!

Need A New Strategy!

2011-01-11T16:03:00.000-06:00

Mark 6:1 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. 2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. 4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. 5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief.

This is the beginning of a series of events recorded where the reaction people have to Jesus (even people who are close to him) is surprising. It goes against all logic. I found myself reading and pausing to say...Seriously???

In my job, I am charged with the task of convincing others (teachers) to make a change in the way they teach - to include more technology for efficiency and for student engagement. It just made sense to start with the people I knew, or people I had a lot in common with, I taught the same grade, the same population of students, etc.

This is a common approach...anyone who has ever tried to sell anything knows that you usually start with your family and friends. This strategy did not work for Jesus...He couldn't have come up against a more resistant crowd!

Not long ago, I heard someone say that at the point you have said something so many times that you feel like you can't say it one more time, only 3% of your intended audience will have really heard you.

So, if you're frustrated or feeling like you're not being heard - remember, you're not alone, and it has been a problem for a long, long time. Even Jesus faced this!

Just remember to put more effort into it when the consequences are eternal. Never give up, but don't keep it to yourself - share it with friends. If you have a prayer request for someone who really needs to listen to you about Salvation through faith in Christ, post a comment here so that we can pray with you!

It's all in bags and boxes...

2011-01-06T20:16:00.000-06:00

Just before Christmas, I implored Marin to clean up the perpetual mess she leaves in the basement. She enjoys life and it's just too inconvenient for her to take time out of her schedule to clean up one mess before she moves on to making another.

I had a little bit of bargaining power since Christmas was coming and she knew there would be new things to add to her collection. I said that if it wasn't cleaned up before Christmas, we would have to make her wait to play with new toys until the old ones were cleaned up.

It was quiet in the basement for a little while and then she called me - "Mom, come see the basement". I doubted that she could have cleaned up her mess in such a small amount of time, but I went anyway...and much to my surprise, the floor was clean, the piles were gone. I asked her what happened to all of the stuff? To which she responded, "Oh, it's all in bags and boxes!" It looked good in the basement, but the mess really just got bigger.

1 Samuel 16:7 KJV

But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

In this passage, we see that God warned Samuel not to be deceived by outward appearances, but to examine the "bags and boxes" to make the final determination.

I guess it's time to get a jump-start on spring cleaning!

Christmas 2010

2010-11-28T07:52:00.001-06:00

Joy Love Story Holiday

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View the entire collection of cards.

Do you have a green thumb??

2010-04-10T10:42:00.003-05:00

I have had a great time working in my yard this year. I'm an ambitious wanna-be gardener. I have 6 major garden beds in my yard. At this moment, three are cleaned out and ready to go. The other three...well, they're going to take some work. I even started some seeds indoors this year. I'm not sure they're getting enough light, but I am hopeful that it will all turn out well (especially for my rare tigger melons!)

I did feel a little strange the other day stopping by the hardware store down the street and asking them to put a bag of manure in my car...that just doesn't seem right. But, I realize the benefit it will have for my garden, even though it does seem a bit disgusting when you stop to think about it! I needed it to fertilize my strawberries...I have beautiful plants that have been growing in a corner of my garden for about three years but have never produced any berries...I'm just determined this will be the year.

It reminds me of this scripture:

Luke 13:6-9 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

It makes me wonder how much time I spend developing my green thumb with people. I have put a lot of energy into cultivating my strawberry bed, and I'm very protective of the rare tigger melon plants. Do I put that much energy into my relationships with people, or am I quick to just pull them up and throw them out?

People make mistakes. I don't want to be quick to judge, banning them from fellowship. I want to be the one that says, "wait, let me spend some time with them. I'll give them some extra attention, I'll help them get things in their life that will help them grow." If I'll do it for some strawberries, I should certainly put some time into people who mean so much to God that he gave up His Son to die for them.

Christmas Memories

2009-12-24T08:55:00.003-06:00

Christmas really crept up on me this year. It seems like Thanksgiving was just last week!

This put me in a panic. With Thanksgiving in the past, I quickly realized that I had very little time and lots of people to shop for. I almost just stopped at the display at the grocery store checkout and picked up an assortment of gift cards that would please everyone on my list. But, somehow, it just didn't seem right. So, I dug my heels in and decided that I would not solely buy a gift card for anyone. They all have to get something that I picked out for them! I don't know if they'll be happy, but I am!

I started thinking about how Christmas traditions seem to be fading into the past. So, I decided that I would do my small part to stop this trend. The picture you see is of Buttermilk German Grebbles I remember the very old, tiny woman affectionately known to me as Grandma Rowe who lived next door to my Grandma and Grandpa Cozad. She was one of the many Germans from Russia who lived in and around the neighborhood where both sets of my grandparents lived. I will remember her for her neatly swept front porch, amazing quilts and tasty warm grebble! It is one of the greatest accomplishments of my adult life that I am able to come close to replicating the smell and taste of this wonderful pastry! This is what my neighbors got for Christmas this year.

As for the quilt...well, I decided that should be part of my reconstruction of Christmases past too. More about this in a few days...

Another memory...My grandma Kage made the BEST fudge! After two successful attempts at making fudge, I thought I had perfected the art. Until last week..a batch of fudge did not set up, but it did make a lovely frosting for a batch of brownies. I felt I must right this wrong before Christmas, so last night I attempted another batch of fudge. I am happy to say that I salvaged my reputation!

There's only one thing missing...I will remember my Grandma Kage for the way that she found pleasure in the little things. Cereal boxes were treasure to her - an empty cereal box inspired chains of monkeys that could stretch across an entire kitchen and fill a doll house with furniture! She made great sugar cookies too (I didn't attempt these this year) she rolled the dough into little balls and scoured through the cupboards to find glasses with an etched pattern on the bottom (my mom's crystal glasses with a star imprint on the bottom were her favorite) she would use these to press the cookie ball down so that the cookie would bear the design from the glass. Back to the fudge...She never made fudge in just a regular old pan. She had a favorite plate that had a scalloped edge imprinted in it. She loved to see the design in the fudge when she pulled each piece off of the plate. An assortment of plates with raised ridges and designs will be the thing I shop for at garage sales and flea markets this year.

This Christmas, I am thankful for the memories. I'm thankful for the reminder to cherish times with family and friends.

The Stories That Corrugated Metal Could Tell..

2009-12-19T09:49:00.003-06:00

This may seem like a strange thing to say, but corrugated metal fascinates me. It is one of those great reminders that God puts in front of my eyes to remind me of the blessings that overflow in my life.

One of the indicators of a good barbecue restaurant is the use of corrugated metal in their decor. The amount of this stuff that is found in the restaurant is directly correlated to the quality of their food...the more metal, the better the food!

I guess this is a trend that is catching on for interior decorating as well. I recently looked at a website that deals in artwork and saw that you could purchase a huge framed photo of well-rusted corrugated metal for your very own home!

I live in Nebraska. Corrugated metal is something we see a lot of...as you're driving down the road past a farm, you'll see plenty of it. It's a building material. Outbuildings and silos are often covered with this sturdy material.

So, I've been close to corrugated metal while enjoying a warm meal and great fellowship with family and friends. I've been close to corrugated metal on picturesque farms that remind me of the place I call home. Some of my greatest childhood memories were times I visited farms, again the memories are vivid because of these times that were spent with people who will always be close to my heart.

There's one other story that corrugated metal tells. This too is a story of beauty and function. It also keeps loved ones close. But, in this case, it can make the difference between life and death. I've seen little shacks in foreign countries pieced together by guess what...corrugated metal. This material can block the cold wind coming off the pacific ocean in the Baja of Mexico in winter. One small shield from temperatures hovering right at the point of freezing, that might keep the small children sleeping inside from freezing in the middle of the night.

I am amazed at the versatility of something we might not ever give any thought to. I am blessed. Lord, help me to see your blessings.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Bible Study Tools

2009-12-08T10:49:00.002-06:00

I like to use my computer for Bible Study...However, I think it does have some disadvantages. I've gotten used to having a lot of tools at my fingertips that will help me find answers, but that has made it so that I'm not very good on the spot...Sometimes that's a bad thing, but I guess it could be good too - instead of just giving answers off the top of MY head, it might make me more likely to say "I'll get back to you on that..." Giving me time to search the word for the RIGHT answers. Hmmm...thanks for helping me think this one through!

Back to the original subject of this blog...I know a lot of people who use e-sword and they speak very highly of it. In my situation, I need to have a "portable" bible study solution - making online bible study tools appealing to me. (e-sword is a program that you "download" - something that is "housed" on the internet works a little better for me) The tool I was using has gone through some changes and isn't quite as user-friendly as it used to be. Their KJV resources aren't as well developed as they once were. You would think that Bible search tools would be stronger in KJV resources than in other versions. I know a lot of people who take advantage of some of the great materials out there that use other versions in their text, but they very wisely use their Bible study programs to refer back to the KJV and original languages.

This morning, I used http://www.biblestudytools.com/. I found it to be very user-friendly. I tend to do sort of a "keyword" search to find verses that include the subject I'm studying...Then, if I click on the verse, it puts it in context with the rest of the chapter, and gives me the option to look at Strongs Numbers and footnotes to find other verses on the same subject.

If you've found something that works well for you, I would love to hear about it.

Don't let it get you down...

2009-11-07T16:52:00.002-06:00

Let me tell you what happened...
A couple of months ago, I decided that I really needed to get back into the habit of blogging. It is a blessing to me to document my spiritual "epiphanies", if you will, and sometimes it is a blessing to other people to read about it. Well, the last time I blogged, it was on a subject that really had gripped my heart. I even included a video that went along with it. It touched someone else too, and they left a positive, encouraging comment. I was so excited to get the comment (people don't usually leave comments - sometimes they say something to me in person). So, a couple days later, in my email inbox, there was a message that I had a new comment on that blog post. I anxiously opened it up, hoping for a blessing. Let's just say it wasn't a blessing. It so discouraged me that I deleted it and wouldn't even allow it to be seen in my blog. (I love having that control, by the way).
There are a few things that could have happened. Maybe the anonymous "friend" who commented only read part of the blog and did not get the whole story. Maybe their computer wouldn't let them see the video, so they again, didn't get the whole story. I'm sad to think that maybe they're holding to some destructive legalistic views that hinder them from embracing the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. (I hope that isn't the case, but if it is, maybe they should not read my blog).
The point though, is that I let it get me down. Every time I have even considered blogging over the past couple of months, I quickly found an excuse or something else to occupy my time - until I read this cartoon. I found it quite humorous in light of my recent blog-o-phobia. I've decided that I need to brush myself off and get back on the blog. I'm a bit rusty, but I'm going to give it a shot.
Positive comments always help!

A little off the mark...

2009-09-07T07:40:00.003-05:00

There is a song on christian radio. It is popular right now, has a catchy tune...but the words...and the title for that matter..."Free to be Me" (Here's one of the tag lines and the chorus)

But You look at my heart and you tell me
That I've got all You seek
And it's easy to believe, even though...
I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
And on my own I'm so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I'm free to be me

Ok...I get it. The point is, God loves you the way you are. God is the creator of diversity. But this scripture comes to mind - literally, from memory here:

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Now, I wouldn't want to mess up their catchy tune, but to be accurate with scripture here, it should say...I'm free to be who Christ wants me to be because he loved me enough to die for me!

Now, look at this in contrast. I think this is a little closer to the mark.

Neat story....

2009-08-28T06:56:00.002-05:00

This is a very inspiring story. I am touched by it. Follow this link to read it - STORY

Lynn Fuller ran out of excuses...

2009-08-10T07:02:00.002-05:00

This was my status update on Facebook yesterday...

I just accepted a job working for Lincoln Public Schools as an Instructional Technology Coach for Title I buildings. I have been preparing for a job like this since I graduated from the University of Florida with a Master's Degree in...Teaching and Facilitating Educational Change With Technology...in 2006!

Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord.

This is my "expected end"...this job, at least for now.
Yet, the decision to leave the past behind was SO HARD! I struggled. I made excuses. I tried to find a way out. But, ultimately..."Lynn Fuller ran out of excuses..."
When the past is bad...it just makes sense to leave it behind, but sometimes the past is good and we still need to leave it behind because it's taking away our momentum. Wouldn't you know...there's something in the Bible about that too...

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended : but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Keep pressing forward!

You'd think I would learn my lesson...

2009-08-07T07:50:00.004-05:00

God allows us to fail in our attempts to accomplish His dream in our own power.

Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord.

I have been forced to live this the past few days. Sometimes things are just so out of your control that there's nothing that can be done except to hand it all over to God. For some reason, I'm amazed at how easy things are...everything is coming into place, the picture all seems clear. I don't know why I'm so amazed. I've been here before and it always works this way when I let God accomplish His dreams in my life.

The question is...why do I continue to make things hard?

My life is often like the children's book...If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. One thing leads to another, which leads to another, until eventually, I end up right back where I started.

So, today, I am going to let God accomplish His dream in His power (at least this morning, that's my goal) and then tomorrow, I'll forget and go on trying to control things until I remember I've been here before.

The Nose-bleed Section of Heaven

2009-07-31T08:13:00.004-05:00

Mark 10:35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? 37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
The "nose-bleed" section of heaven was an "inside joke" between the girls and I at camp, but the more I think about it, the theology behind it isn't bad...Abraham was called a "Friend of God" in James 2:23. Scripture leaves no doubt that John was truly "the beloved". Looking through my Bible and taking note of all of the Saints in both the Old and New Testaments, I have a feeling the front row seats are already filled, but I sure want to have a seat as close as I can get to Jesus in that heavenly amphitheater!

At camp, the girls and I talked about how we would love to know some of the popular stars of the day so well that we would be invited to sit on the front row at their concert and given back-stage passes if they came to our town. Jesus knocks at our door - he wants to be invited in. He has seats reserved for us (complete with back-stage passes). But, do we work at that relationship as much as we should? He has given so much to us, and He asks for so little in return. He just wants our time. He tells us to call on Him - no matter what time, and it's free, wireless long-distance with a guarantee that there will be no dropped calls! The more you call, the closer you get!

The Consequences of Prayer

2009-06-30T08:36:00.003-05:00

I had a very short conversation a couple of weeks ago - not really a conversation even, more of an exchange of thoughts. However, that short exchange has had my mind working on the thoughts that came from it since...One of my new-found friends, a postal worker by trade:), commented about the humidity and jokingly asked me if I could make it stop. Well, here's the deal...if indeed God was answering my prayers the way I had been asking Him to, I just might be able to do that. You see, I had been stuck inside at the University taking some classes from 8-5 every day for two whole weeks (oh, and 2-3 hours of homework each night)...So, I didn't have time to water my garden...I just kept praying for rain, and The Lord delivered. But, the consequence of all of the rain was...you guessed it - more humidity!

Now, I know that this is a trivial example, but it made me think about what happens when our prayers aren't so trivial, when they're more serious..when you pray for healing, or finances, or any kind of deliverance. hmmmm...
God hears our prayers and answers them according to His will first, and also what we have asked of Him.

I think about all of the times I have heard - "a loving God wouldn't allow..." or, "I prayed, but God didn't answer..." What if that "unanswered" prayer was the one thing that got through to someone who needed to accept Christ?

It reminds me of another conversation I had a while back. Someone told me that they lost faith when they lost a newborn baby and since have become skeptical about religion, heaven, hell, God...Even about Christians in general - the skepticism has given them a heightened awareness of hypocrisy! Yikes! Yet, this person has become a very good friend and has said that my faith seems real and genuine...Again, Yikes! I have to wonder, was it a part of God's plan for that baby to die so that I would one day be reminded to take my faith more seriously and to guard my testimony more carefully?
Once again, God is in control...the question is, can I let Him be in charge?

You just never know...

2009-06-27T07:59:00.003-05:00

A couple of years ago, I had a student in my classroom...a sweet little boy with an amazing mom. His father had been deported. In every single encounter I had with the little boy's mom, she was in tears. She was so concerned for her son, wondering how he was doing considering their new situation - living in a strange place (basement of some friends they hardly knew), she was working a lot, constantly dealing with legal issues - trying to get the father back.
One day, I met up with her at Sam's club. Again, she cried as she gave me an update on the situation. She literally cried on my shoulder that day in the cereal aisle, and since I wasn't at school - I told her I would pray for her...which only made her cry more!
But, I did..I prayed for them as often as I remembered to.
Here's where the story gets good...Just about a month ago, I was down at the local hardware store looking for a new garden hose. They didn't have what I needed, but on my way out, a sweet little tan-complected boy caught my eye. He was so excited to see me there - "Mrs. Fuller!!", he exclaimed, as he led me around the corner to where his mom was. She was excited to see me and I was puzzled to see her pushing a baby stroller. She noticed my puzzled look and pointed out the man who was in line waiting for the cashier! She didn't have to say a word about it. Her smile said it all! They were so happy, and the baby was adorable! She said that her older son was having a hard time adjusting since he had been the focus of all of her attention for so long. The encounter brought me to tears as I left them and started out the door. At this time, the tears were just welling up in my eyes, causing me not to see very clearly - except for the next thing that caught my attention...
I stopped and stared for just a moment and then rushed to my car as I burst into tears and sobbed uncontrollably!
What did I see, you ask? Well...jump the story back a couple of years again...It was late fall and Jeremiah had won a contest at school and he was able to get a brand new bike. His old bike was way too small for him, but he had never yet learned to ride it - he actually never really even tried. It had all of the bells and whistles, and not a scratch on it. Since it was in such good shape, I took it to school and gave it to a friend who worked with a group of parents every Thursday morning. Since Christmas was coming, I told her to give the bike to the mommy who needed it most with a child whose eyes would light up on Christmas morning because of that bike. She said she knew just who to give it to, but I didn't want to know - I wanted it to be anonymous. And it stayed that way until...jump back to present-day...I saw that little bike leaning against a pillar at the hardware store!
I sat in my car and watched the family leave the store, the little boy hopped on the bike and rode away with his happy family!
This is the only way I can share this story - if I try to tell it, I cry so uncontrollably that I cannot even be understood.
So...pray, allow yourself to be touched by others, trust in the Lord...You just never know...

Planning Ahead...

2009-06-26T11:05:00.001-05:00

This is the bald cypress tree that is in my backyard. I LOVE this tree. It is one of my favorite things about our yard.
There's a funny story about it though...
We are the third owners to have the house we live in. The first owner, who had it built, also invested a lot of money in landscaping, for which I am very grateful! Not long after we moved in, the lady that had the landscaping done stopped by - she was in the neighborhood visiting a friend. She asked for a tour of the yard, curious about all of the plants she had chosen. She walked around the corner into the back yard and immediately commented about the bald cypress - she said, "Oh, it survived!" She continued to tell me the story about how her mother in law had given them the tree and she hated it, so she planted it in the very back of the yard, and gave it little care, hoping it would die!
After she left, I just looked at that tree and thought - several years ago, before I even knew about this house, with no thought that I would ever live here, God was planning ahead...He took an unwanted tree and established it's roots, and set it up to grow just for me!
I love that thought - God created something special for me long before I ever knew about it. It's an awesome reminder of how much God loves and cares for me, even when I don't notice!

Getting Back on Track

2009-02-16T06:53:00.004-06:00

I didn't even hear the message in church yesterday - I was with the kids - but I heard what it was about (that happens when you live with the preacher). Just hearing about it, I knew it was for me...I need to "get back on track". It is embarrassing to admit that I haven't put anything on this blog for OVER a year now! Ugh! And, even more embarrassing...what went into this blog was from my personal Bible study - that will tell you how well my personal study has been going for some time now:-{

So, this morning, I cracked open my study of the life of John. This is the third book in Beth Moore's series of "90 days with..." books. First was David, then Jesus, now John. (They can be found at amazon.com) I have read the first three days countless times as I have endeavored to start it up again. But honestly, I was never really into it - then a conversation I had a couple of days ago made me recall the story that unfolds in those first few days as James and his brother John leave their father Zebedee and his fishing business in Mark 1:20. The conversation I was having was about how hard it is for some people to leave a religion that they grew up in. It seems that many people choose their church because "that's the way we've always done it."

We do this with so many things...It reminds me of the great Chevy/Ford debate. My dad has always bought Chevy, now GM cars. And, I have followed suit being somewhat of a Chevy loyalist. I didn't think that anything would ever change that - except that now Ford did not accept government bail-out money - I'm not sure they're all that bad!

I'm reminded of how hard it is to break habits...to walk away from what is comfortable...what you've always known. This is just what James and John did. They worked in their father's business. They probably had a good life. Their futures were set. They owned a fleet of fishing boats. And they just walked away to follow Jesus. To do whatever he wanted them to do. Wow! To have that kind of faith!

"Rebuke the Devourer"

2008-01-14T06:29:00.001-06:00

Malachi 3:10-11 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes...

This is one of the greatest promises God has given us, at least for the time we're living here on earth.

This time of year, with taxes coming due and statements coming in the mail, I always think about tithing and consider the blessings that God has given us over the past year.

A couple of years after we got married, we decided that we needed to sit down and write out our family's budget. We were working on taxes anyway, so all of the information we would need was sitting right there in front of us. We crunched all kinds of numbers, and just could not deny the fact that we just didn't have enough money coming in to cover all of our needs. We decided that would be our first and last attempt at a family budget, because miraculously, our bills got paid, our needs were met, but on paper, it just didn't work out!

We decided we wouldn't go there anymore, we would just trust God to keep a ledger for us and balance our books. And, He has kept his promise to us from Malachi. The windows of heaven have truly poured out a blessing on our household!

We still chuckle when we think about it!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T09:39:00.000-06:00

This time last year, I decided that this was as good a time as any to decide to "stick with-it." I decided that I would get up a little earlier each morning and I would start my day with scripture and prayer. I was getting to my Bible study before that, but that was just it. I "got around to it". I decided last year that I was going to put it first.

It was rough going for a while. I tried to do it on my own - just starting somewhere in scripture and moving along. I found out that it is much easier for me to have a guide. So, in May, when we went to the Beth Moore conference, I bought her Devotional on David's Life. I loved it. It was a very exciting study for me. I learned a lot about David and his heart for God that I never knew before. If you're looking for a good study as we start another new year, I would highly recommend this one!

These studies written by Beth Moore are designed to last 90 days. Just as I was finishing up my David study, a 90 day devotional about Jesus was released. I bought it right away. It was a real blessing to study about Jesus' life in the fall as Christmas was fast approaching. I learned so many things about Jesus' birth that I never noticed before. The next few months would be a great time to complete this study as well, as we approach Easter!

Today, the first day of 2008, I started reading a Devotional called "Praying God's Word." I am really interested in this concept of praying scripture as a way to have dialog with God. It's sort of like saying "God, you said in your word that...I would like to claim that promise in my life today..."

These are my recommendations for 2008. Let me know if you need help finding one, or send a comment if there is something that you have used and would recommend.

Merry Christmas to Me!!!!

2007-12-29T17:21:00.000-06:00

I was so touched by the generous gift card that the church got me for Christmas. I was excited that the Pastor was honored in such a special way, and that was all I expected! I was so surprised to get a gift EQUAL to his!!!! Wow! Thank you so much!

I thought I would send a message to let you know what I have done with it so far.
I have been looking at the Shark Steam Mop for a while and was hoping to purchase one after Christmas. My dad found one on sale, so I bought it with the gift card from the church. It is awesome!!! We had a really yellowed spot on our linoleum that was really bothering me. In just a short time, it was gone! It puts out a lot of steam and the "micro-fiber pad" really picks up a lot of stuff --and then you just put it in the washer! I'm pretty impressed with it and quite thankful to have it!

I also bought a 12"X 32" white picture frame on sale at Hobby Lobby - Gary's going to build a box frame to fit the back of it so that I will finally have something to display my wedding bouquet in. Eleven years later, I'm finally getting around to that. They still look great, but it's time! I'll send a picture when it's finished.

I don't have a plan for the rest yet. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Thanks again!!!!

A Personal Application

2007-12-28T10:42:00.000-06:00

This post is a follow-up to yesterday's post...Faith vs. Obedience.
Every year, starting in October, I begin the battle...The battle against the cold & flu season! I pull out the humidifiers, one for each of the kids' rooms, put in fresh filters and water purifying cartridges in the tanks.

I buy new bottles of tea tree oil (a natural antiseptic). I "recharge" the little pads for the Sudacare plug-ins in the kids' rooms with tea tree oil each night. And there is a bottle on my dresser with about 5 bamboo skewers with the points cut off sticking out of it - sort of my own homemade diffuser!

Then, at the first sign of any congestion, stuffy noses or coughs, we break out the mucinex - just to keep things flowing. The ones for kids aren't too bad. The "mini-melts" are like a little pixy stick!

Of course we try to get plenty of Vitamin C as well. There is a basket on the counter filled with oranges, we eat kiwi and will be having more smoothies soon, using the new blender my parents got me for Christmas!

So, there are my favorite tips for fighting the cold and flu season! However, I hesitate to share them, because without God's Grace given to my family, no amount of prevention could keep us from getting a cold! I believe that God gives a certain amount of wisdom in things like this. He gives us Doctors and medicine to make us well. But, the best thing that we can do is to thank Him and praise Him for His protection upon us and our families and to ask Him for wisdom in these things and to have faith that He cares for our families even more than we do!

Don't forget to turn back and give Him the Glory!

Faith vs. Obedience

2007-12-28T10:06:00.000-06:00

Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

These guys were a mixed lot. If it weren't for their leprosy, they would probably not have been together. Some Jews, some Samaritans. Jesus passed by them that day and changed their lives.

Jesus gave them a command. They immediately obeyed. They all turned and started running.

Then, one of them stopped. He realized what had happened. Jesus made him whole again. He turned back to give thanks, still yelling out his phrases, the way he had become accustomed to communicating.

Now, can you imagine being this man? He had not touched another person in years, and here he was at Jesus' feet. Then, Jesus makes a very important distinction between this "stranger" and the others. All were healed, but the others didn't come back. They responded to Jesus out of obedience, it seems that in their minds, they had to get to the priest in order to "earn" their healing. Whereas, this one man turned back because he realized that Jesus was all that was needed to heal him. Jesus called it "faith", "thy faith hath made thee whole."

How many times do we get caught in this trap? Of course, we must obey God's commands. But, what we have to realize is that we have no part in it. It is ALL God! Obeying is our job! In fact, Jesus talks about this in the verses that come just before this passage. It's the faith that makes the difference. It is special when God gives us something that we have asked Him for, but He chooses, regardless of whether we have asked or not. Our part is to return and give Glory to God!

Mike Huckabee Ad:

2007-12-18T19:39:00.001-06:00

We have been watching Mike Huckabee since May, and have really liked what we've heard from him. I love this commercial though - just in case you haven't seen it!

The Voice of God (Part III)

2007-12-18T19:17:00.000-06:00

A while back when we were discussing the voice of God, many people commented that they often are awakened in the middle of the night by a dream or a voice they hear in their sleep. They attributed this to God speaking to them. Well, I didn't realize it at the time, but it struck me the other day that we are in really good company with that manner of hearing from the Lord.

Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, received messages from God, and in each case, acted wisely upon the instruction he was given. Each time, Joseph was spoken to in a dream.

Matthew 1:20...behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

AND

Matthew 2:13 ...behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."

Now, aren't you glad that Joseph didn't just brush those dreams off and vow not to eat pizza before going to bed?

Excited About Paying Taxes?!?!?!?!?

2007-12-17T06:27:00.000-06:00

My mind just cannot begin to grasp the amazement that must have come over Mary and Joseph about their circumstances. Just because of the fact that they were chosen to be the parents of Jesus tells us that they were good Jews. Well studied, followed the rules, clean hearts, pure lives. They knew as much as we do about prophecy - probably even more! They knew that a virgin would conceive the Messiah. They knew what His name would be. And, they knew where He would be born.

Shortly after the initial shock, that they were involved in the fulfillment of prophecy, they must have started planning. It is common these days for women who are expecting to pack a bag in advance so that when the time comes, they will have all of the things they need gathered, ready to go to the hospital at a moment's notice. Well, Mary likely did the same thing. She packed her bags with all of the things they would need to deliver a baby in the town of Bethlehem, many miles away from their home.

Mary and Joseph were not the least bit surprised about the decree from Caesar Augustus that they were to be taxed. The were excited about going to pay their taxes. This was the opportunity they had been waiting for. This answered the question about why they would need to travel to Bethlehem.

It just goes to show us that God can use anything - an evil ruler and even what was likely wrongful taxation, to bring about His Will, His Perfect Plan!

You Can't Have One Without The Other...

2007-12-06T18:10:00.001-06:00

In the words of Frank Sinatra...
Love and marriage,
Love and marriage
Go together
Like a horse and carriage
This I tell you brother
You can't have one without the other...

Mary and Joseph...or is it Joseph & Mary? There has never been a more perfect couple! Mary always gets top billing, and most people would probably say that Joseph was chosen to be the earthly father to Jesus because of his relationship with Mary. But, the more I study, the more I realize that Joseph deserves a lot more credit. In fact, it might have been a little more that Mary was chosen because of her relationship with Joseph. Either way, it's not important. There's no denying that they were perfect for each other.

Isaiah prophesied that a virgin would conceive and bear a son...That's obviously Mary's part. But, there's more to it. The baby had to be born in Bethlehem...

Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Now, both Mary and Joseph were in the lineage of David, but it was Joseph's particular blood line that took them to Bethlehem for that fateful night...

Luke 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

Joseph provided the proper ancestry and the proper birth place. Sure, it doesn't look like the perfect birth place in the Christmas cards, but the Bible says that it was!

Breaking A Holy Sweat!

2007-10-28T16:12:00.000-05:00

When Jesus walked on earth, one thing he was known for was healing. In Luke 6, we read about a time when He even healed a man on the Sabbath! He did this as the Pharisees watched - they almost dared Him to go ahead and heal someone on this Holy day, for it was unlawful to "work" on the Sabbath day. Jesus' response was (vs. 9)"is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil?"

Obviously, the Pharisees disagreed with His decision. The bible says this filled them with madness and they communed one with another to decide what they might do to Him. What they failed to understand is that healing was not WORK for Jesus. It was ministry. Jesus didn't have to roll up his sleeves and break a sweat to perform this miracle - He simply willed it to be so!

I think we often make the same mistake when we seek God for the miracle of healing. We pray "if it's Your will, Lord..." but with an attitude that this would be an incredibly hard task for God to fulfill.

Let's look back in Luke 5, when Jesus healed another leper. (Vs. 12)"...behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Now, notice the wording here...the man did not say..."Lord, if thou wilt, CAN YOU make me clean?" He was saying - I know you can, WILL YOU? This time, Jesus said "I will."

The hard part is that sometimes it is in God's eternal plan not to do what we have asked. He knows that there is a greater purpose in denying our request. We must always approach His throne accepting His will and acknowledging His power! He CAN do anything...WILL He?

King of the Masquerade

2007-10-25T19:51:00.002-05:00

Satan is the king of the masquerade! Luke chapter 4 tells of the time Christ spent in the wilderness "being forty days tempted of the devil"(vs. 2). At the end of this time of temptation, we catch a glimpse of Satan's relentless pursuit to find a flaw in the Almighty Son of God.

No doubt Satan pulled out all the stops. He wanted to find the one thing that would make Christ give in. He tempted Him with the flesh - hunger. He tempted Him with power - to rule all of the kingdoms of the world. And when that didn't work, he resorted to deception...He tried to trick God! He put on his angel of light suit at that very moment. He quoted scripture! In every other instance, Christ was the one quoting scripture, so this time, Satan tried using scripture to his own advantage!

How very like him! And, how sobering for us! We need to keep ourselves daily in the Word of God so that we will be able to have a defense against Satan's trickery. He knows the Bible. He knows it better than we do. If he was willing to try to use his knowledge of scripture to trick Christ, how much more will he try to use what he knows to trick us? Keep your sword close at hand...when Satan removes his mask, he's nothing but a "roaring lion...seeking whom he may devour"!

It Is Written...

2007-10-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

Today, I read in Luke 4 when Christ was tempted by Satan. The first thing I learned is that we aren't always tempted for a bad reason. One of the things Satan tempted Jesus with was Power (vs. 5-8). Now, did Jesus really need power from Satan? No! He knew how the story would end even then. So, why would that be a temptation? Well, it wasn't about Him - it was about us! Jesus knew that if He took over from Satan at that point, that it would spare us from the trials we face. He loved us and He didn't want us to face pain, but He had to, it was part of the plan. But, we need to realize how much He loved us...that He was tempted to worship Satan in order to spare us!

So, how did Jesus combat temptation? He stood by His Father's Word! Three temptations (that we know of) and three times His defense was "it is written." Remember, Christ was tempted - like we are, yet without sin!

When we're faced with temptation, we should do what Jesus did...It is written!

Faith as a bag of potato chips...

2007-09-23T20:13:00.000-05:00

So, you've heard of "faith as a grain of mustard seed"

If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Mt. 17:20

How about "faith as a bag of potato chips"???

When we went on vacation this summer, the men in our family happened upon Uncle Ray's Dill Pickle flavored potato chips. They quickly became a family favorite and are a must-have for long car rides. So, I was pleased to find them in a local grocery store not long ago. Just today, I was getting something out of the cupboard and was moving a half-eaten bag of chips, only to notice scripture on the back of the bag. All of the bags have part of Uncle Ray's story, but I hadn't seen the ones with scripture before. They quoted Matthew 28:20, Psalm 23:4, John 3:16&17.

So, there you have it...Faith as a bag of potato chips!

Save the Best for Last...

2007-09-15T07:59:00.000-05:00

An invitation for the Christian to enjoy dessert!
This seems to be a theme of the New Testament...the last shall be first is used in the gospels (Matt. 19:30, Matt. 20:16, Mark 9:35, Mark 10:31, Luke 13:30).

Then in Luke 14:7-11 we see what my Bible calls the Parable of the ambitious guest. This is where Jesus instructs those who have been invited to a banquet to take a seat in a "lower" room and wait for an invitation to a "higher" room, rather than starting in a "higher" room and being embarrassed to have to move back down. Verse 11 says:

For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Then, in Matthew 20, we see the Parable of the labourers in the vineyard. Many men were hired throughout the day to work in the vineyard, all agreed to work for a penny. When the day was done, the Lord of the vineyard paid each one a penny, starting with the ones who had only worked about an hour - this upset those who had worked all day. In Verse 16:

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

John chapter 2 tells the story of the marriage at Cana. Jesus performed a miracle there. They ran out of wine at the reception, so when Jesus got there, he took care of it. But, of course, as you can imagine, the fruit of Jesus' hands was much sweeter than the fruit of the vine that was served first. This seemed strange to the governor of the feast who said (verse 10):

Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when the men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

And finally, last but not least! What all Christians are waiting for, our final "dessert" in this life,

I Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Got Testimony?

2007-09-13T20:56:00.000-05:00

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

You just never know who's watching, and for how long they have been watching!

My cousin got saved the other day - she's a little older than I am, and I'm 35, that's a lot of living without Christ in your life. My mom has had very little contact with her for more than 20 years now. We have seen her on just a handful of occasions during that time.

The thing that strikes me is that 20 years later, when my cousin knew that she needed to get things right, she knew exactly where to go. My mom's getting a crown for this one!

Mom will be embarrassed that I'm saying this, but I think it's a point that needs to be made. Our lives mean something, and the way we live them means something...eternally! Even the most aggressive soul-winning campaigns, multiple hours logged going door-to-door cannot stand up to the power of living your life to reflect Christ.

Please pray for my cousin, she has made the most important decision of her life. Pray that she will continue to draw closer to God and that she will have a heavenly hedge of protection to encompass her life to keep the enemy far away.

A Mirage...

2007-09-11T21:57:00.000-05:00

Psalm 63:1
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Things are a little tense at work. We are in a really tough spot, we need help, but nobody is offering any solutions. Well, humanly speaking, that is!

I woke up one night last week and these words were in my thoughts...In a dry and thirsty land where no water is! That is how I felt. I was in trouble! People were offering to help out, but the help was just a mirage - there wasn't any water there! It wasn't the answer to my problems.

God was speaking to me, asking me, almost begging me to hand it all over to Him. Thankfully, I didn't chase after too many mirages before I finally turned to the one that offers living water!

Great Expectations...

2007-08-31T06:07:00.000-05:00

"And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. John 2:1-5"

This is actually kind of a humorous passage...Jesus and his disciples have been invited to a wedding. They show up thirsty and ask for something to drink. His mother just kind of looks at him and simply says "They have no wine." It doesn't say that Mary had been rummaging through the cupboards looking for some extra wine that was stashed, she didn't send servants to the local market, she just waited for Jesus to arrive. Then, you will notice that she didn't complain to Him, she didn't explain the situation, she didn't beg Him to do a miracle...She just had great expecations!

Great expectations for His presence. She knew that when He got there, everything would be alright. She let her problems go in His very presence.

Great expectations for His understanding of her need. She didn't need to give Him all of the details. She just told Him the need. He knew what she meant because He knew her look, He knew her voice, He knew her heart.

Great expectations for His blessings. Without confirmation that He was going to fix her problem, she started preparing for a miracle. She told the servants to do whatever He said to do.

Now, I can understand Jesus doing this for His mother...But, the amazing thing is that He will do it for us too! When we have a problem, we just need to be in His presence, simply tell Him our need, and expect a blessing!

The Voice of God (Part 2)

2007-08-29T06:08:00.000-05:00

First of all, thank you for your comments on "The Voice of God". Blogs are more fun when they're interactive.

I missed some things though...

We got the most tragic news yesterday. One of the young guys that had come to the church for a while was in a motorcycle accident and was killed. I can't imagine our pain even compares to that of the family, but it has been so hard on the Pastor and I. We remember when Jason got saved. We remember watching him race his bike. We remember praying for him in those tough teenage years. And most recently, we remember meeting his sweet Fiancee. She would come to church on Sunday nights. Sometimes they would come on the motorcycle, helmets in tow as they walked into the building (this is what Jeremiah remembered). She worked at the video store down the road. And she was going to be a teacher! We remember their wedding and how sad it made us when she got a job in Omaha and they moved away.

My heart is just so broken for her. The grief is very heavy! I grieve for his parents who have been our friends.

Here's where the voice of God comes in...

In my despair and wondering, this morning I heard the voice of God. This time through a song.

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

These are just some of the verses...the ones that spoke to me this morning. It's like my blog a couple of months ago, "The Chicken or the Egg". Prayer combined with scripture and song provide us with a means to converse with God.

God also brings things to our memory - like all of the memories I have already mentioned. Then, he brought one more memory...It was the very last time I spoke with Jason. I said, as we greeted the happy couple before leaving their wedding, "You don't know how much time we have spent praying for you, that everything would turn out alright. Katie is the answer to those prayers. You take care of her, we love you guys." I cried when I said it, and I'm crying now.

God, Bless Katie, Mark, Kathy, April and all of the other family and friends. Comfort their hearts, ease the pain of their suffering as they seek You.

Barometric Pressure...

2007-08-27T06:36:00.001-05:00

A barometer measures atmospheric pressure...

There is a verse that I have read just about every day since the middle of May. It really has me stumped...not because I don't understand what it is saying (it is very clear). I just can't bring myself to do it.

Psalm 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

There is a praise song on Travis Cottrell's website - http://traviscottrell.com > music tab > In the Sanctuary

We lift our hands in the sanctuary
We lift our hands to give you the glory
We lift our hands to give you the praise
And we will praise you for the rest of our days.

Hmmmmm! When I was at BBC for my whopping ONE semester, I was very comfortable lifting my hands during chapel services. Why?...There was no pressure in the atmosphere to prevent it.

I don't know why it is so hard for me now...I must admit, there have been many times that the Holy Spirit just about won out, but I think that atmospheric pressure took over.

I know it's an extremely difficult concept for some of us to consider, but it is in the Bible, so whether it is comfortable for us or not, we must be cautious about the atmosphere we are creating. It must be an atmosphere where this form of praise is acceptable.

Another part of that praise song says:

Jesus...we lift up Your name
Emmanuel, we give you the praise
Heavenly Father, coming Messiah
And we will praise you for the rest of our days!

If that's not a reason to shout and lift your hands, I don't know what is!

Well, I've warned all of you, so the next time that the Holy Spirit tells me to do it, I'm going to obey!

The Voice Of God...

2007-08-19T16:56:00.001-05:00

Last week when my mom was having surgery, I completely expected it to be done in the 4 and a half hour window that the doctor estimated it would take. I thought perhaps it was like going to a busy restaurant where they tell you it will take longer to get a table than it will actually take, hoping that you won't grow too impatient waiting!

So, at about the 5 hour mark, the volunteer at the desk in the waiting room asked if we needed anything before she went off duty. She decided to call the operating room and get a report for us since we had been waiting so long. She informed us that it would be another two hours! (It actually took even longer than that!)

We waited, rather impatiently, for some word about her progress. But, we remained uninformed. In the flesh, my mind started to wander...what if something bad happened? But immediately, faith prevailed against flesh, and I just knew that everything was fine. But at that moment, God told me to not spend so much prayer time focusing on my mom, but instead to focus on her doctor - that long of a surgery had to be taking it's toll on him! So, I did, and later found out how much he really needed the prayers! It was as though God was telling me that He put the right man on the job and that mom was in good hands, His and the surgeons, but that the surgeon needed to be lifted up in prayer!

I know I'm not the only one who has said "the Lord told me..." I'm wondering what the voice of God sounds like to you. For me, it often seems to be a thought that enters my mind that is going in a totally different direction than what my other thoughts were heading in. It is a thought, burden, impression, maybe even curiosity for something that I would normally not have considered.

If you have a moment, please respond to this post and describe what God's voice sounds like to you.

Pay Backs...

2007-08-12T21:36:00.000-05:00

My mom's in the hospital, so I'm thinking a lot about what I can do to help her as she recovers...She's done so much for me throughout my life, what can I do to repay her for all of the benefits?

*Clean her house
*Send card/flowers
*Make her meals when she gets home
*Drive her to places she needs to go
*Sit and keep her company

Any suggestions?...sometimes I feel like I'm missing something.

Anyway, due to my circumstances, I think I took these verses a little differently than I might have at another time...

Psalm 116:12-14 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? vs 13. I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. vs. 14. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

So, David is asking the same question I was asking - what can I do for someone who has done so much for me?

I would be happy to clean mansions in heaven, tend the gardens, be the chef, or chauffeur, butler, you name it just for the opportunity to be in heaven. But, that's not how it works. The one thing God wants most for us to do is to accept salvation though His Son, Jesus! He wants us to sit and keep him company, and He wants us to tell others about how wonderful His benefits are!

That's it...and I'm not a servant in heaven, I'm part owner.

"Called" in the middle of the night...

2007-08-09T02:28:00.000-05:00

I suppose this all started after the kids were born. I wake up so easily in the middle of the night and just can't get back to sleep.

Sometimes I find it so frustrating, but I have been trying to look at it a little differently...Maybe I need to wake up at that certain time to pray for somebody. So, I usually just sit down on the couch, and start praying. First I ask the Lord to lay on my heart someone who needs prayer. Sometimes I'm surprised at the person who comes to mind.

Every time this happens (which is pretty much every night) I pray for James in Iraq. During the time that I am praying, he is likely in the active part of his day, when he needs prayer the most.

Tonight, I'm praying for my mom who is having surgery in the morning. My initial response was to handle this one on my own - I made her promise that if she was awake and if she got weepy and it was more than she could handle, that she would call me. Well, about an hour and a half ago when I got up, the cell phone I had been sleeping with took a leap into the toilet! It spent an hour under the hairdryer, got sprayed down with Lysol and is now charging up again.

Instead of worrying that she might be trying to call, I'm spending the time in prayer for her, and others too.

It's amazing...how quickly one can decide to plunge their hand into a toilet when their cell phone falls into it!

A Holy Filter...

2007-08-04T10:27:00.001-05:00

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

I really need a holy filter. I have one - that's the job of the Holy Spirit, but I don't always use it like I should.

Every day, so much information enters my mind, I have so many thoughts that are just as sinful as if I physically committed the sin. The problem is that those thoughts clog up my Holy Spirit filter, and I don't pray daily for the filling of the Holy Spirit like I should, in essence...replacing my filter.

So then those thoughts slip out of my mind through my mouth or my actions and instead of being latent sin, it becomes active sin. Here's the problem - latent sin hurts me, active sin hurts others.

I need to stock up on filters.

Oh! What a tangled web...

2007-07-31T09:45:00.000-05:00

We all know the story of David and Bathsheba, and how David plotted to kill Bathsheba's husband Uriah to cover up the sin that they had committed.

Until I read the story again today, I didn't realize the extent to which David had to stoop, along with Joab, the captain of his army.

Follow this: vs. 16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. Verses 20 and 24 tell us what happened - Uriah and the other valiant men were victims of a very poor strategy - they were sent into battle right beneath the wall of the city where they were easy targets for the enemy who shot them from atop the wall. And David's response...vs. 25 "for the sword devoureth one as well as another".

Now, that's no surprise - the whole story is about Uriah being set up for this. But, at a time when there are so many wars on so many fronts, why sacrifice the other "valiant men" along with Uriah. I know it was so that it would look like an accident, but what a price to pay to cover up sin!

Isn't it interesting, what we will sacrifice to cover up our sin?

Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive!
Sir Walter Scott, Marmion, Canto vi. Stanza 17.
Scottish author & novelist (1771 - 1832)

Multiple Choice...

2007-07-30T09:09:00.000-05:00

Here's your question:

If you personally see another church member engaging in an activity that is contrary to what the Bible teaches or church standards, should you:

A. Call the Pastor immediately so that he can handle it.

B. Do what the Bible says and confront the person yourself.

C. Assume that this activity is condoned by the church and take it up yourself.

D. Go and tell what you saw to everyone you know.

(Answer: B)

Today's topic is one that I have experienced at least 6 times this week alone! People naturally try to avoid confrontation, but it is not the way the Bible says to handle this situation.

Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

I've gotten better at going to people when I see something that is damaging to their christian testimony, but I have another problem - that part about "in the spirit of meekness". Anyone who will be reading this knows that I can sometimes get just downright indignant! And, when I want to justify this behavior as something spiritual, I'll just call it "righteously indignant"! I have got to get that spirit of meekness thing down!

I can't wait to hear my mother's comments on this one!

I Yam What I Yam...

2007-07-26T11:19:00.000-05:00

I Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

So many christians I know struggle with their past. They have so many regrets, things they don't feel they can be forgiven of. They doubt the ability of God to use them in His service.

Well, if anyone ever understood this feeling, it was the apostle Paul. In the verse prior to this, he says (v.9) "For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." Now that's something you might think it would be hard to be forgiven of!

Here's the thing...if you are saved, you ARE forgiven! The Grace of God is bestowed upon you. The word "given" or "granted" could have been used here showing a figurative forgiveness, but instead, the word "bestowed" is used, and it depicts a literal...physical transfer of forgiveness to you - Jesus' death on the cross was a gift to you in flesh! It is your responsibility to make sure that God's grace was not given to you in vain! Serve Him like a person who is truly grateful for unmerited grace!

KJV Controversy

2007-07-26T10:24:00.000-05:00

I grew up defending the King James Version (1611) of the Bible, not really knowing why, just that it was what my pastor taught us. I had many christian friends in high school, and they all read different versions. They even made fun of me for reading such an "archaic" text.

When I married a pastor, I learned bits and pieces of the history of the KJV, and our reasons for using it exclusively. However, I must admit, I had a hard time piecing it all together until February 2005! I was in Florida with a group of ladies visiting the Holy Land Experience, where they house a "scriptorium" - a museum containing artifacts documenting the process of printing and preserving our modern Bible. I was taking it all in - names like John Wyclif, Johann Gutenberg, William Tyndale. Along with the mention of these protectors of the scripture, came a small glass case, housing a single page of an ancient manuscript - a page of the Bible stained with the blood of the martyr who gave his life for its preservation and propagation! Right then and there, I lost it! My eyes welled up with tears. At that moment, it all became real to me - my Bible came with a great sacrifice!

I have no problem with people using other versions of the Bible. Sometimes, I'll look at other texts to help me understand what I am reading. But I will not tolerate the ridicule of an "archaic" text any longer! As far as I can tell, texts that were translated more recently were not done under such extreme persecution - typically those caught with the Bible were burned at the stake!

Please take up this cause with me - no matter what version of the Bible you use - just make sure that the King James Version is spoken of with respect, not ridicule!

It's My Birthday!

2007-07-26T08:53:00.000-05:00

So, today, I'm posting my favorite things on the web...

#1 - my newest favorite - http://traviscottrell.com
"Enter" the site, and immediately, it starts streaming music. When I am working on my computer, I like to just get this started and leave it to play while I'm working. Very inspirational! If you are looking for a specific song, click on the "music" tab (bottom left) and you can click and play the specific song you want. My favorites are "2000 years," "Your word is life to me," "In Christ Alone with Solid Rock," and well, yes, I'll admit it, but it appeals to my wilder side "He Reigns with awesome God". When we went to the Beth Moore conference, the book stores were selling Travis' CD for only $10. If I would have known then what I was getting, I would have bought a bunch of them for gifts. The songs on this CD really speak to me!

#2 - http://walmart.com
All the way over on the right, there is a pull down menu that says "in stores now". The first option in the list is "Free Samples". They really are "free". Just click on the ones you want, put in your address and they'll send it to your house! I haven't had to buy deodorant for a while, and the travel sizes of toothpaste are super handy - recently our cat Emily even received some treats! Check often, they run out of some things quickly.

#3 - http://mightyleaf.com
Crank up the volume - it's a little out there, but it's fun! Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about tea - white, black, green, red, caffeine, no caffeine, where it is grown, nutritional value, etc. These tea bags are like no other - little stitched mesh bags full of leaves you can actually see. It is amazing - the taste is unbelievable!

#4 - http://amazon.com
I don't like to shop, unless I'm in good company - my parents and my sister love to shop, so if I'm spending time with them, I can bear it, but it is certainly not something I would choose to do in my spare time all by myself! At Amazon, you can find just about anything - even groceries! And, if you spend over $25, which is easy, you get free shipping! Often, the things I am looking for are much cheaper there than in the store! This is how I will do all of my Christmas shopping this year!

#5 - http://recipegoldmine.com
I love this site - in fact, most of my cookbooks have been moved to a shelf in the basement - you can find EVERYTHING here! And, it is organized so nicely! You can find new recipes in categories - crockpot, dessert, salads, whatever! Very nice resource!

#6 - http://crosswalk.com
I have mentioned this site on my blog before, but I must mention it again. I visit this one at least once a day - I love their search tool because if I can just remember a portion of a verse I am looking for, I can usually find it.

#7 - http://www.luciano-photography.com
Wow! One of these days, I will purchase one of his prints. I love to travel, and have a moderate interest in photography. These photographs are amazing! You browse by country. I am especially fond of Italy and Morocco!

Well, it must be my age - but I can't come up with three more sites to make this a "top 10" list! So, I guess we'll close it out at #7, which is fitting because it is one of the multiples in my new age!

Thank yous...

2007-07-22T08:04:00.000-05:00

I have been studying about the Life of David since the beginning of June and finally, this morning, David is going to become King. His very first act as King was to thank the men of Jabesh-Gilead who went out and found the bodies of Saul and his sons where they had been killed and they burned their bodies and buried them. David was thankful for their concern for their King and wanted to thank them for their loyalty (even though Saul didn't deserve it!)

So, this morning, I'm thinking about Thank yous! I love to get thank you notes. I used to be good about giving thank you notes. Somehow things slip my mind much more easily the older I get. I remember at our wedding, it was a very windy day and we ended up with a pile of presents and a pile of cards - and none of them matched up! So, I spent a couple of months investigating, trying to determine where each gift came from. So, eventually, I just wrote a letter explaining what had happened and sent it out to the entire guest list. It was neat to get the responses from people about the gift they had chosen for us, and why they picked it. There was even one couple I knew didn't have much money, they were really struggling at the time, and I assumed they didn't bring a gift. Later, I found out that they had sacrificially given us one of the nicest gifts we received that day!

My conviction today is to do a much better job about sending thank you notes. One just came to my mind that I have to send. But, I'm more concerned about the other side of it. There are people - christian people - who have literally been destroyed because they did not RECEIVE a thank you card from someone. There are a lot of reasons for this...Some people just were not brought up that way, a verbal thank you is sufficient for them...Sometimes letters don't make it to their destination (not long ago, I found a thank you note from Marin's birthday over a year ago - it was tucked inside her Bible, waiting for the person who gave her the gift to come to church, which they didn't do for a long time!)...Sometimes people just forget - especially when they are grieving. I know it's proper to send thank yous at times like this, but I sure would be understanding if someone overlooked it!

Here's what the Bible says about it...

Luke 6:34&35 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

I know this is talking about loaning things to people, but I think it also applies here. I need to be more careful about sending thank yous to people - I don't want to be perceived as "unthankful". But I'm also going to stop keeping my mental ledger of the gifts or services I have given out and the response that came back. God knows what I do for people and my motivation for doing it, and doing well in His sight is much more valuable eternally than receiving a note that will just end up in the garbage here on earth.

Sticks and Stones...

2007-07-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!

Whatever! Words are often much more hurtful than physical pain could ever be. Physical healing can come much easier than emotional healing. This was true in Old Testament days as well...Here's one example of a time in the old testament when words caused a lot of trouble!

I Samuel 18:7 ...Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

These women were teasing Saul. He loved David before this, then these words played over and over in his mind, making him go insane! Saul lost his own life because of his reaction to these words.

How much different would the story have turned out if Saul would have been happy for David, if he would have just taken credit for finding David, letting David fight the battles for him so that he could do things - like be a king! He had David's loyalty. There really was no threat. He could have built an incredible empire if he would have spent his time ruling well and let David take care of the battles.

I know christians who have done the very same thing that Saul has done. They let someone's words destroy them. How many people might they have won to Christ if they would have reacted differently. Who is the one at fault? The person that said it, or the person that let it stop them? I think we know the answer.

In Moderation...

2007-07-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

I haven't gone off on a personal tirade yet in these posts, but today is the day.

I am bothered by the number of christians I know who think that things that Jesus wouldn't have had anything to do with are ok "in moderation". Particularly things like alcohol consumption, gambling, probably even pornography use (though people don't usually make this public).

I know that some people CAN still control their actions with alcohol in their system. Some people CAN control their spending at the casino. Some people CAN control their own desires. But, the fact of the matter is that there are a whole bunch of people who CAN'T.

What about the little girl who is molested by her mother's most recent boyfriend because he has consumed so much alcohol that he is no longer making good decisions? Or the family whose lives are forever changed because of a drunk driver? Or the small children who spend the night in the car or in an apartment by themselves so that their parent won't miss out on the big jackpot at the keno bar?

The industries that produce these products for our "pleasure". Produce the same products that cause destruction.

Matthew 7:13&14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

It is just my opinion that if I partake in these things, I am also guilty of the crimes committed against victims of its influence - guilty by association.

Jesus would not have been associated with these things, and neither should I.

Well, since I've already lost a few friends over this, might I also suggest that since "moderation" is the mantra of the justifiers, "moderation" is likely practiced as well in the time they spend in prayer and reading scripture.

WiseGuys Starts Tonight!

2007-07-18T09:04:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited about starting our WiseGuys club tonight!

Proverbs 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

WiseGuys is a focused scripture memory program for children. Each six week term, a new character quality is taught through the means of character building stories, musical choruses, and handouts which include the character quality definition and visualized verses. Wisdom is the first character quality to be taught. "Wisdom is hearing and obeying God's Word."

Maybe we need a WiseGuys club for adults!

Just the facts, ma'am...

2007-07-17T08:31:00.000-05:00

Matthew 5:37 But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. James 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

This is an interesting lesson from the Bible. It talks about "truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God".

I'll apologize to you now, because after reading this, you too will notice how often we confuse the truth, and how easy it is to do. My kids offer the best example of this..."did you hit your brother?" "Yes, BUT..."

The truth should not be followed by an "if" or a "but". The Bible says that anything more than the simple truth is "evil" and "condemnation". Ouch!

I'm going to have to work on this one. I may have to give up speaking all together. My husband would probably like that!

Wisdom From A Cave...

2007-07-11T09:39:00.001-05:00

Psalm 142:5-7 I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

David is writing about memories of some time he spent in a cave. He was hiding out from Saul's men who were sent to kill him. He must have been totally confused. Saul loved him one minute and hated him the next. If Saul were living today, he would most definitely be diagnosed with a multiple personality disorder!

David found a cave, hid out there, and wisely used his time to talk with God. Now, I've never had to hide in a cave because someone was trying to kill me, but if I may be a drama queen for a moment...there have been times in my life where it seemed like it! You see, I don't handle persecution well. And one thing that I am even more emotional about is when my husband is persecuted (which seems to come along quite frequently with his postion!). When I find out that something has been said about him falsely, I go into "fight or flight" mode. I either want to rip them apart or get out of town! It has been so bad at times that I have just stayed in bed. It literally will shut me down.

I still struggle with this, but scriptures like this one have drastically reduced the amount of time that I am out of commission! I think that the last time this happened, I only lost about a half a day, wrote a letter that I never sent, and it was over.

"Bring my soul out of prison; that I may praise thy name!" I love that! God delivered David many times and he promises to deliver me too. I just have to overcome my despair with a greater desire to praise His name!

The Chicken or the Egg?

2007-07-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

For a long time, I have had sort of a -which came first, the chicken or the egg- debate in my mind about prayer and scripture. Which is most important? Obviously, prayer ranks highly because there have been times throughout history and still in some places today where there are no Bibles available to read. But, scripture...well, "bread of life", "living word", "lamp unto my feet"...

The battle in my mind is finally over - and the winner is...(drum roll please!)...BOTH! That's right - they're on the same team!

Here's how I've come to see it...Prayer, without scripture is a one-sided conversation with God - I'm doing all of the talking. Scripture, without prayer is a one-sided conversation with God - God's doing all of the talking (that does give scripture a bit of an an edge). But, when you put them both together, you have dialogue! God wants to have dialogue with us. He wants to be our friend!

John 15:13-16 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

God sent Jesus to be our friend! How awesome is that?

Ok, so, practically speaking, here's how it works...You can claim a promise in scripture in your prayer..."Lord, you said in your word that...I would like to claim that in my life today." Or, "Lord, you know my situation, I pray that you will show me something in your word that will give me the answer I need today."

On a personal note, this practice has totally changed my life. I am confident that in every situation I face, God is going to give me the answer. I'm getting used to finding answers, but there are three specific instances recently where I either made a claim or a request through prayer, using scripture, and my answer was so crystal clear - there was no other way to explain it, except that it was the Power of God shown right before my eyes. Each time, tears welled up in my eyes, it stopped me in my tracks and I shook my head in amazement at the power of God and the power that was given to me because I am his friend.

Let's make a deal...you comment and tell me experiences you have had like this, and I will tell you mine!

Great Christian Movies...

2007-07-09T08:24:00.000-05:00

Last night, we watched Flywheel for the second time. I enjoyed it much more than I did the first time I watched it.
The same was true of Facing the Giants (made by the same people). For some reason, the humor and the emotion comes out stronger the second time you watch them. They also seem to be more fun to watch with friends. These two movies are on my "must see" list.

Not long ago, we watched David. I've been studying in I Samuel and I can't avoid getting a picture of Leonard Nimoy in my head every time I read something about Samuel (He played Samuel in the movie). It wasn't entirely accurate, but had redeeming qualities and really helped me to visualize what is happening as I read about it in scripture.

A movie that had a similar effect was One Night with the King. This is a movie about Esther. Again, not entirely accurate, but does give a lot of insight into customs of that day, and helps with understanding scripture.

Of course, a talk of great Christian movies wouldn't be complete without mentioning Time Changer. I get something out of this movie every time that I watch it.

Freedom...

2007-07-07T07:58:00.000-05:00

I've seen this verse a lot this week - it's the kids' memory verse...

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

There have been times that I have wished I had more freedom to share my faith in Christ with others. Sometimes the timing just doesn't feel right, or the person I'm talking to just doesn't seem interested, I just can't get an open door.

Yesterday, my husband took me with him to visit a man who had a terrible accident several years ago. His body is completely paralyzed from his neck down. He is completely dependent on others for his every need. He was upset about a friend of his who was 31 years old and died suddenly of a heart attack. Here's what he said...I wish I could get around more to do some witnessing so that I can tell people that they need to be ready - you just never know.

So, here's someone who physically lacks the freedom to go out and witness to others, and there's someone like me who just thinks they lack the freedom to go out and witness to others.

Suddenly, I feel quite free.

The Sacrifice of Praise...

2007-07-06T09:27:00.000-05:00

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

The "sacrifice of praise". I have read this verse over and over again for months now. Praise is something we definitely must do, but it doesn't come easily for us, in fact, the scripture calls it a "sacrifice".

I know a black preacher's wife who will say before going to church that she has to "get her praise on." As though it's a piece of clothing! I feel a little guilty about this - how many times have I entered the sanctuary having left my praise at home? I have to admit that sometimes going to church is work. There are so many things to be done there, so many responsibilities, that I forget my number one reason for being there - to PRAISE God!

I almost wonder if I should pick up a special scarf or a bracelet or something like that to literally "get my praise on." This may seem silly, but I really do need a reminder. I'm going to be thinking about this - if you have any ideas, let me know. I did have a bracelet-making hobby a few years ago. Don't be surprised if you see a new one!

Little Did Hannah Know...

2007-07-03T08:19:00.000-05:00

Little did Hannah know what her promise to God would amount to. She knew she desired to have a son, and she vowed to give him back to the Lord. It is amazing then to read the book of I Samuel and to realize how much of the life of Samuel was exactly that...Given to the Lord. All was well when Samuel was ruling the Israelites, but just because Samuel was a great leader and a man of God didn't mean that his sons would be. The Israelites did not want Samuel's sons ruling them, so they called for a king. Samuel warned them about this, but they wanted one anyway.

I am amazed at how little Samuel's life and the books written about him are actually - about him! Samuel's life really was given to God, and it shows. The purpose of his life was to set up the kingdom of Israel, God's chosen people.

It makes me wonder what my life is about, if a book was written about me, would it be about me, or would it be about establishing a kingdom - the kingdom of heaven? Sadly, I know the answer. A book about me sure isn't going to be a top seller, but a book about how my life impacted the kingdom of heaven - that would be remembered through eternity.

Lamp Unto My Feet

2007-07-02T08:07:00.000-05:00

Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

We have been playing a new game in Sunday School to help us learn more about the Bible. We have a beach ball that we toss around and the colored sections of the beach ball give a direction like "say the verse", "where is it found?", "Old Testament or New?" "Who is it written to?", "What does it mean?"

Psalm 119:105 - "what does it mean?" I would say that it means the word of God is the light that we need to show us the right path or direction for our lives. But it seemed like something was missing. I looked this verse up in some commentaries and quickly realized that the most important part of the verse, the part that I was excluding was "lamp unto my feet". It is necessary to realize that without the word of God, without His direction in our lives, WE are in darkness, so much so that we cannot even see our own feet!

"Take my yoke upon you..."

2007-06-28T07:26:00.000-05:00

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The practice of "yoking" oxen is not something we're very familiar with these days. But, the Bible makes reference to this as an illustration for how we're to live our lives.

I started thinking about this, trying to get a picture in my mind. If we take on Christ's yoke, it seems like we're an unequal match for Him. Indeed we are unequal. So, what would happen if you have one who is strong yoked with one who is weak? Typically, that team is going to just go around in circles instead of plowing down straight rows. Well, if you're a farmer, that's a problem, but in this illustration, if you think about it, it's quite comforting. This puts us in the middle. We're just sort of spinning around in a circle, but that circle is made by Christ Himself! He is surrounding us, protecting us, guiding us in the little circle we're making. In that case, I'm going only where he wants me to go.

That sounds much nicer than pulling that plow all by myself, or getting into a team with the wrong person, the wrong crowd, the wrong habit. "My yokes is easy, and my burden is light."

In the beginning...

2007-06-27T07:08:00.000-05:00

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

I'm taking a class this week. It's all about teaching strategies and providing an atmosphere and activities that will help kids to learn. It was going well, but yesterday, we were taught a little activity - the "evolution game". You went through this progression of being an egg, then a chicken and a pterodactyl and then a human. Each one had actions, and the humans action was to touch a finger to their thumb and say "ooomm" like the yoga pose! Oh boy! I went to the bathroom! I knew that was a legitimate response to something that is uncomfortable for you or that you don't agree with - It's what my son would have done!

It continues to bother me how evolution just keeps subtly popping it's head into education. I know good christian teachers who will naively pick up a text and breeze right through the opening statement "Ten million years ago..." Hello! If we believe the Bible, our earth is just over 6,000 years old. Now, it does intrigue me that God created the earth with age. On the 3rd day of creation, there were full grown trees. They didn't all just start out that day from seedlings, they were fully developed! There was also soil, which was made up of decomposed trees, plants, animals. God really knew what he was doing! So, YES, some things have the appearance of an age that is much older than 6,000 years. This much is true, but to say that something happened or began "millions of years ago" is a lie, if we believe the Bible.

Start paying attention to this. You will be shocked at how many references to time frames and evolutionary theories make their way into children's material - movies, books, etc. Hopefully now, you will also be shocked at the way our society has become conditioned to just accept this as truth - after all, it's written in a book!

"W" questions...

2007-06-26T07:27:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when I'm studying the Bible and I get to a scripture that I need to know more about, I will go through all of the "W" questions to try to break it apart. I recently looked at this with Hebrews 4:15.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Who? He is Jesus!
What? He is omnitient, yet like as we are.
Where? He came here on earth - to establish that "like as we are" thing!
When? He was and is and always will be!
Why? He wanted to understand our infirmities. He wanted us to be able to relate to Him and to see His compassion for us! He loves us!
How? Well, because He is Jesus AND He is GOD!

He prayed for his friends...

2007-06-25T07:03:00.000-05:00

42 chapters in the book of Job. His affliction started in verse 13 of chapter 1. That's 42 chapters of torment! Throughout the ordeal, Job received a lot of counsel from his wife (curse God and die!), his friends and his neighbors. But, apparently none of them spoke of God or spoke TO God about the plight of Job!

Job 42:7b "The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

So, as it ends up, Job wasn't really being tested as much as those around him were.

Job 42:10 And the Lord turned the captivity of job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Job was the one hurting, but apparently he was the only one praying.

Ouch! How many times do we look at others and see their affliction as testing from God? When in reality, maybe God is testing ME - to see what kind of a friend I'm going to be. I'm going to ask the Lord to show me these things and to be the kind of friend that will give Godly counsel and to seek the Lord daily for my friends - all of them, but especially those who are afflicted!

One Thing...

2007-06-23T10:22:00.000-05:00

I was listening to a sermon not long ago, and this simple phrase "one thing..." started my mind racing. Memories of the movie "City Slickers" with Jack Palance holding up one finger, trying to show the city slickers the importance of finding that "one thing". Also, it reminded me of one of my kindergartners. He was a challenging little one, and he loved to have my attention. If I was talking to him and he could see that the conversation was drawing to an end, or if he just had a really great point to argue, he would start by saying "one thing..."

All of this prompted me to type that little phrase into crosswalk.com's search tool to find out what the Bible says about that "one thing." Here are some of the results, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Psalm 27:4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Mark 10:21 (The Rich Young Ruler) Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. vs. 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

Luke 10:42 (When Martha got upset that Mary sat at Jesus' feet while Martha was serving her guests.) But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

John 9:25 (When Jesus healed the man who had been blind since birth) He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

Crosswalk

2007-06-22T09:19:00.000-05:00

I love to use the website - Crosswalk to study scripture. They also have good articles and daily devotionals. To use it for Bible study - just scroll down and on the left side, there is a little box where you can either type in search terms or scripture refrence, and you can choose the version of the Bible that you prefer. Once you get there, a lot of other options are available. Click the "study tools" box and it will give you references to a number of different commentaries and study helps. I have enjoyed looking up words in their original language.

If you look closely, there is a little speaker icon at the top. You can click that and download an audio file that will read it to you. This is great if you are short on time - who isn't? These files could be put on an iPod and you can just take it with you!

Lucky Charms?

2007-06-21T07:33:00.000-05:00

Today, I studied I Samuel 4:1-11 - Here's what happened...

Israel went to battle against the Philistines. The Israelites were not accustomed to losing like this. Though they had done nothing to deserve it for decades, they were used to God protecting them and delivering them. Not this time. They lost about 4,000 men in this battle.

Surprisingly, they didn't realize that their rejection of God for so long would jeopardize their protection. So, they called for their lucky charm - the Ark of the Covenant. But, guess who delivered it to the camp? The two unGodly sons of Eli, who had been so disrespectful to the things of God. The Israelites, as well as the two sons of Eli pulled out the Ark in an attempt to tap in to to the power of God that was upon their ancestors.

Wow! A lot of lessons here. First of all, we have to realize the power of our personal relationship with Christ. We can't rely on the relationship established by those who've gone before us, we should be concerned about the perception of those who come behind us. What kind of legacy are we leaving?

Also, what spiritual lucky charms do we have in our lives? A family Bible, a special pew, even the routine of going to church? All of those things matter little if we don't have our lives prepared to use them.

Oh, by the way, the Israelites were defeated in battle once again, only this time, 30,000 men were killed, the ark was taken, and the two sons of Eli who were keepers of the ark were slain.