Costa Rica Bound!

December 27, 2010 is upon us and we are in post Christmas mode. I have to say this has been the most stress-free, relaxing holiday ever for us. Now, we look forward to the new year, which we are kicking off on a mission trip to Costa Rica. Something about starting the year doing God's work appeals to us! Anyway, please keep us in prayer.

We are heading out this week, so this will be my last post until we return. I've tossed the idea of taking the laptop with us back & forth, and I think we will leave it home. If we take it, I'll be tempted to work on the book and blogs. I think we need to spend this time focused on what God has planned for us there. The beauty of the location is distracting enough without taking electronic distractions! 


Papa John and I have been to this location before with a mission team we led and just loved the friendly people. It will be great to see familiar faces among the new. We are thrilled to see the work the various team have completed since we were there. A simple church has been planted and built in the countryside. We will be a part of a team made up of several small teams from all over. There will be the three of us with our ministry Truth in Love - Papa John, our friend Nancy Yantis, and me. We will join people coming from Canada, Houston, Austin and somewhere in west Texas I can't remember right this minute. The construction of a second building at the church to house a bathroom, two classrooms and a kitchenette is in progress on the concrete block walls. We will be involved in VBS twice a day for the local kids, street evangelism and attending services at night in little Christian churches in the neighboring towns to encourage the brethren.

You have no idea how excited I am for the food, too! The fruit is huge and glorious and you just cannot beat Costa Rican black beans and rice! God created a masterpiece when He sculpted that part of the world, the vistas are beautiful. It is an honor to serve God anywhere and quite a perk to do it in such a beautiful place!

I'll see you back here when we return. Meanwhile, may all your days be Jesus-filled!!

JESUS - The Reason for the Season

My life may be somewhat sheltered these days, but it seems to me, doing away with holiday craziness makes my life much more enjoyable and certainly one of more quality. I hesitate to call it Christmas craziness because it has little to do with Christmas at all.

I doubt you'd find many standing in a check-out line that are glowing from the joy of giving gifts as a representation of Christ. You'll hear frustration, anger, fatigue and all kinds of words I wouldn't use on a Christian blog but not too many will be sharing the anticipation the three Wise Men had when they sought out the Messiah to present gifts.

Maybe it's easy for me to take this stand because I don't have children at home anymore. Maybe it took this many years for me to wise up, who knows.

I have a ceramic Nativity Scene made by my children's paternal Great-Grandmother. When my kids were younger, I would set it out and tell them the Christmas story. Then, our Grandchildren came along and we'd do the same thing. They like moving in the pieces in place, the Sheppard boy and his sheep, the camels, wise men. Now, we have grandchildren that were not even born the last time I sat in the floor and told the Christmas Story with the Nativity Scene!! Families moved too far away to be together and other life events got in the way. I got to thinking, the last Christmas I sat in the floor with the kids like that was in 1999!! Oh, my gosh!

So this year, I am pulling out the Nativity Scene and taking it with us when we finally get to see some of the grandkids Christmas afternoon. I'll dust it off and have it ready to go. Some of the pieces are damaged from the years of kids holding, loving and moving them into place. A few have lost hands, the angel has a broken wing and we won't even talk about the wise man that lost his head! It might take several adults to sit in the floor this year with two year old Jacob in the mix! I shudder to think what he could do to a camel. 

Imagine how much it would mean to their Great-Great-grandmother Mary Hammer, to know all these years and generations later that the work of her hands shared the Reason for the Season with those babies! We should all have such a legacy to pass on! We can when we focus on Jesus and teach our families what Christmas really is all about. 

Love and miss you, Grandma. Thank you for helping me share Jesus with the babies! See you in heaven!

10 Tips for Surviving Holidays with Family

Today I am sharing a post I read on another blog about tips for dealing with difficult family members for the holidays. Not that any of you could possible have difficult family members...LOL Take some time and read this, it might save you a headache or two! Remember, your most difficult relative may be the one in the mirror.
You’re sitting around the Christmas tree, or the Menorah, or the fruitcake and bottle of scotch, with your family. Everyone’s in a great mood, grateful for this time together. The glimmer of holiday lights reflects off the blanket of white, fluffy snow. Alternating scents of pine and apple pie waft thorough the house. Your family is telling funny stories from the past and lamenting the fact that you don’t get to spend time together like this more often. Or, maybe not. If this isn’t your typical holiday experience, read on—this one’s for you.
If love and laughter by the fire are sometimes replaced with tension and resentment, or the feeling that you can’t really be yourself, you’re not alone. If passive-aggressive comments—or worse, aggressive-aggressive comments—are shared more than funny childhood stories, the holidays probably don’t feel like the happiest time of the year.
Here are 10 tips to help you survive the holiday season, or any season, with difficult family members. Disclaimer: This is a very Enlightened way to deal with difficult family members. Most likely, you aren’t going to be able to all of these things all of the time without a ton of practice. I certainly can’t do them all, all the time. Not even close. Please don’t strive for perfection. There is a huge range of possible outcomes between expressing love by the fire and throwing insults and turkey at each other for two days. Strive to land closer to the former than the latter, and you’ll be doing great. Use these tips to feel better than you do now, not to feel completely content and fulfilled by your family

10 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Family Members

1. Work on accepting them exactly as they are. Number 1 for a reason. It’s at the root of everything, and it’s also probably the most difficult thing on the list. A gigantic proportion of your frustration comes from wanting others to be different than they are. You know you can’t change them—wishing for them to act the way you would act only drives you crazy. When you accept them exactly as they are, your resistance and inner battle dies down. Acceptance doesn’t = approving of or condoning what they do. It just means you stop expecting them to be different than they are.
2. Don’t take things so personally; it’s really not about you. It’s not—their stuff is about them, not you. If they disapprove of the date you brought, start pressuring you to find a job, don’t thank you for the gift you spent hours picking out…that’s about them. They get to choose their behaviors, and what they choose is always more a function of their experiences and their worldview than it is about you. So they’re the kind of person who asks rude questions or doesn’t appreciate gifts. Fine. It has nothing to do with you.
3. Choose your battles when it comes to addressing things that bother you. Of course there are exceptions and there may be times you desperately need to speak up for yourself or leave the situation. But by and large, family time during the holidays is relatively short and infrequent. Remind yourself that you’re leaving town tomorrow and take the high road by letting things go.
4. Guard your energy. It’s easy to let your energy be influenced by others, especially when you’re feeling vulnerable. When tension is high, you can literally feel the energy in a room shift. Don’t let your energy be hijacked by anyone else. Decide how you want to feel and consciously, purposely set about to feel that way. Your own calm energy is your best asset, hands down.
5. Visualize. How can you guard your energy? My favorite visualization is what I call BOT (Big, Old Tree). Imagine yourself as a huge, tall, old tree with roots spreading deep into the ground and lots of branches and leaves extending out around you. Your roots and your thick, strong trunk are your true self, the part of you that can’t be affected by others. The only impact others might have is on your branches and leaves. They may come through like a storm and ruffle your leaves, but the ‘damage’ is superficial, temporary, and minimal. Your basic roots and trunk—who you really are—are not affected. When there is tension in the room, I like to visualize it fluttering around in the space around me (where my imaginary leaves would be), but never actually reaching me.
6. Take responsibility. Look at yourself and your actions. It’s natural to dive into defensiveness when you’re challenged or attacked, but try examining yourself from their point of view. If you’ve done something that isn’t the highest expression of who you want to be, acknowledge and apologize for it. No blame, no justification or explanation necessary. Simply and sincerely apologize for any role you may have played in the disagreement so that you can put it behind you and move on. That’s Enlightened.
7. Ask: How is this situation perfect? You’ve heard it before—difficult people are your greatest teachers. They challenge you, they bring up your stuff, and they test your limits. But they also shape who you are, especially when those difficult people are family members. I believe that everyone in your life is here on purpose; they’re all part of a rotating cast of characters perfectly chosen to help you become more of Who You Really Are. With that perspective, how is your current family situation perfect? What is it teaching you that you desperately want to learn? How will you grow from the conflict? How can you use this situation to improve your other relationships or help someone in a similar situation?
8. Don’t compare your family to others. No family is perfect. The ones that look perfect only appear so from your outside perspective. Everyone’s dealing with something in life; if it’s not family drama, it’s something else. Comparing your family to others’ is the opposite of accepting them exactly as they are. That’s why it hurts to do it. The more you compare, the worse you feel, period.
9. Choose being happy over being right. You know how you’re 100% confident that you’re right and they’re wrong? Well, I have news for you. They’re just as sure that they’re right and you’re wrong. Since you aren’t going to change their mind, why not decide that it’s enough that you know you’re right and leave it at that. Choose peace and happiness over righteousness.
10. Practice compassion. Although it’s hard to give difficult people love, they’re the ones who need it most. No one wants to be snarky or envious or fearful. Any action that’s not based in love is based in fear. Everyone has a story. If you knew their story, you’d have compassion for them. Try to remember that, especially when it’s so easy to judge them for being difficult. Practice compassion for your family. If they knew better, they’d do better. Plus, by offering compassion to them, you’re generating it in yourself. Win-win.

Twelve Days of Christmas

My Honey shared an email he received on the Twelve Days of Christmas. I cannot say if it is accurate historical information but it sure is nice. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens,
swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with   Christmas ?

This week, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829,   Roman Catholics   in   England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

- Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

- Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching,   Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and   Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'

Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas, Everyone!

Competition

Competition can be a double-edged sword. On one side, you have healthy, good-natured competition. Then there is the other side that can be divisive and used for evil.

In our family - my husband and me, our grown kids, and now older grandchildren - we have a friendly baking competition each Christmas. This year, the category is homemade bread. Everyone is encouraged to enter. There is the usual smack-talk full of reminders of victories past, bragging rights, pumped up claims of expertise, and down right chest thumping (this from our men folk). It's good-natured and fun. Do not be deceived; this is full out competition! We take our bake-offs seriously! 

The first year we enlisted a neighboring couple as judges. That year, coconut crème pie was up. We do it right, the judges ate a piece of saltine cracker and drank water between each entry. While they took their responsibility seriously, we have not asked them back as judges. Seems the man did not know the difference between fresh whipped cream and deflated meringue. As the entry with the fresh whipped cream, I was a bit put off when he thought my meringue fell!! Taste buds of a cave man! To this day, I harangue him about that!

Last year, Haylie, our oldest granddaughter won with her brownies. This year, we have a new first-time contestant, son Kristopher. I think he picked an ambitious year to enter; baking bread is not for the faint of heart. He was seriously shopping for the perfect bread-baking pan a couple of days after Thanksgiving where we made the announcement we would compete with bread. I did not tell him my first several attempts at making bread and/or rolls ended with lumps of a clay-like substance suitable for building patios. They were inedible, unattractive and tossed out – one tearful batch after another. Thankfully, those years are behind me.

That is a good example of healthy competition. There are plenty of the unhealthy types floating around out to snare you, too.

Believe it or not, there are some seemingly benign factors competing to steal your time and attention away from your faith walk. It may not seem such a bad way to pass a Sunday morning by sleeping-in and snuggling under the covers but if it becomes a powerful habit, it can keep you from fellowship with the brethren. Who among hasn't been tempted to take the family to the lake or beach instead of church? Catching 15 minutes of extra sleep might not seem evil, but if that same 15 minutes used to be spent reading scripture before work, it elevates it's power from simple extra sleep to roadblocks in your daily diet of God's Word. Fear, depression, anxiety compete with peace, joy and contentment. Flesh-natured thoughts compete with spiritual mindsets. Unhealthy competition opportunities are all around us.  

So, Friends, let's continue to encourage one another to fight the good fight against those dastardly elements competing with all that godly in our lives. Let us endeavor to make all our competitions good, pure, clean, and holy.

I'll let you know who wins the bread competition this year.

Rebuking Rejection

At one time or another, everyone deals with rejection. No one is immune. Rejection can leave you feeling a mixed bag of unhealthy emotions ranging from unworthiness to a self-destructive identity crisis. Here's something to remember when fireballs of rejection head your way:

God saw and approved of you while you were still in your mother's womb. (Ps. 139:13-16). He gave you survival tools that would bring you to the place you are today. He is our Father that waits for us to come home to the truth – the truth that will set you free (John 8:32).

I'm listing some reference verses to look up and read to remind you when thoughts and feeling of rejection haunt you that you are a beloved child of God. His Word is your shield against all fiery darts of the enemy (Eph 6:16,17).

Ephesians

(1:3)I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ

(1:4) I am chosen by You, my Father

(1:5) I am Your child according to the good pleasure of Your will

(1:6) I am accepted in the Beloved

(1:11) I am an heir

(2:10) I am Your workmanship

(2:15) I am a new creation

(2:19) I am of Your household

(3:16) I am strengthened with might by Your Spirit

(3:17) I allow Christ to dwell in my heart by faith. I am rooted and grounded in love

(4:23) I am renewed in the spirit of my mind

Romans 8:37 I am more than a conqueror

Revelations 12:11 I am an overcomer

1 Peter 2:24 I am healed

John 8:36 I am free

1 John 5:4 I am victorious

Friends, when we experience rejection, we tend to cling on to those hurts and injuries. I bet right now you can recall more than one rejection from your past. It's time to stop giving them power over how we feel. Keep a copy of the verses above in your purse, wallet, briefcase, whatever. These are our weapons against the enemy of rejection when people or situations try to fan a fire against us. With them we can confidently declare, "The Lord is my Light and my Salvation – whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps. 27:1)

 

What I Learned the Hard Way

There have been many times in my life when I didn't know how I could make it through the day without losing my mind. Sometimes I felt my mind went on a mini-vacation and left me behind in the wake of chaos and devastation. Breathing was something I had to remind myself to do! I'm not joking, I literally would find myself holding my breath without realizing it. Other times, I hyper-ventilated in anxiety. I could see no way out of the situation of that time.

The last thing I needed was well-meaning albeit untimely advice and platitudes from friends that had not walked in my shoes. Out of love and concern for me and mine, they hopped on the emotional roller coaster with me. "All for one and one for all" sort of thing. It felt good to know there were those that were ready to take up arms with me...the blind leading the blind.

I made many rash decisions that led to many rash actions that created more chaos and devastation. Perpetual heartache...

The words below would have been consoling and beneficial, had I known them. May your heart be open to hearing them with spiritual ears and may the peace that passes all understanding be your cloak against the hard times.


What has a grip on your heart? Think about the things that trouble you. Perhaps you’re dealing with financial need, relational stress, difficult circumstances, or lingering illness. What are we supposed to do with all the challenging situations we face? Jesus’ words can seem like a pat answer to our very real dilemma because saying, “Do not let your heart be troubled” doesn’t change our feelings.
However, a more accurate interpretation is, “Be troubled no longer.” Jesus isn’t saying that we are to deny our feelings and put on a happy face, but rather that we’re not to let anxiety conquer us. Yes, we will experience trials, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can endure struggles with the peace of Christ.
But how do we move from overwhelming distress to undisturbed tranquility? Begin by focusing immediately on the Lord, not on the circumstance, trusting Him to help you through it. Read the Scriptures so you can understand His perspective on the problem and search out His promises. Then believe God and do whatever He says, because you can never have His peace without obedience. And lastly, present your troubles to the Lord in prayer, not just with requests for their removal, but with thanks for His strength to endure them.
The next time you feel a rush of fear or anxiety, remember Jesus’ remedy: “Believe Me!” (vv. 1, 11). If you trust that He loves you and has a good purpose for allowing that difficulty in your life, you can thank Him no matter what you feel or what the outcome may be. Faith always ushers in His peace.

Unashamed

I Declare….

 I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His and I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
     

My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I'm done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.
     

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power.
     

My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear.
     

I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed.
     

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
     

I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.
     

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!

************************************************************************
I did not write this, but I stand by every word and ask you, Lord Jesus, to help me live it every day of my life. Amen

The man that did write it was put to death for refusing to deny Jesus.

Micah 7

Micah 7:7-9  But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy, though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will bear indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out into the light, and I will see His righteousness.

Micah, the southern prophet, was a contemporary of Isaiah in Judah and Hosea in Israel, prophesying in the last third of the eighth century B.C. He spoke up against national sin, foretold of the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem, and credited with the most succinct description in the O.T. for God's requirement of man. Chapter 6 verse 8: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

The words from 7:7 above touched me this morning. I, too, wait expectantly for the Lord. I will never cease to wait for the God of my salvation to move in my life because I know He does this all the time! My enemies, whatever they may be at any point in time, will not derive any satisfaction or rejoice in the times I fall, because my Lord will pick me up and set me on my feet before they have time to realize I've fallen. The comfort and peace of that knowledge is more valuable than any thing this earth or man can bring.

I remember a time when I did not walk in that peace, when a fall could be devastating. I do not want to forget because it serves to tender my heart for those not walking with the knowledge and peace of God. I remember the fear and uncertainty of each day, not knowing "how or why or where" I would receive the next blow, always waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop…usually on my head! The world is full of angry, sad people waiting for that shoe, too. These people are God's people just as much as you or me. They may not know it yet but they are His. These people need others, like Micah of his day, and us in this day, to share the love of God with them. Indeed, I hope I never forget the loneliness of life without God so I will always be mindful of sharing with others the joy and expectation of watching the Lord work in my life.

Micah 7:7-9  But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy, though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will bear indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out into the light, and I will see His righteousness.

Eyes and Ears Wide Open

God never ceases to make me smile. Yesterday, I ended the blog thanking God for giving me another chance to bear better fruit by pruning away my bad branches. Then, so totally God…I received this scripture in my 'Daily Bible Verse' e-mail…

John 15:5,8  I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

He tickles me! Just a gentle reminder and confirmation. Thank you, Lord!

I often talk about getting the 'holy tap on the shoulder' from the Lord and waiting for Him to give me the lesson He wants me to write. I don’t know if you believe that or not but it's true. God is not limited by our finite thinking, He is not bound that which we find plausible and/or possible. For this, I am thankful. I'd hate to think God could only perform in areas I could imagine or create.

My cousin, Beverly, says God wakes her up to 'talk' at 2am on a regular basis. I believe it. She said she's told Him 6am would be ok, too, but it's His timing and choices that count. Perhaps God knows the world would start getting in the way if they 'talked' at 6 rather than 2. He uses dreams, sermons, books, and other people…all kinds of ways to get messages to us. For me, the most frequent is the holy tap on the shoulder.

Years ago, God spoke to me in a dream. I was watching the dream as if it were a video though I was in the video dream, too. I distinctly remember it, not like a dream that fades away from your memory as the morning sun fades the darkness. As the spectator of the dream and the actor (for lack of better word) in the dream, I knew God was talking to me...well, both of us, actually - me the watcher and me the actor. I participated in the conversation. Even as the dream progressed, I 'heard' God tell me to wake up and go into the living room. I assured God I had gotten His point but He said again to wake up and go into the living room. I'm sure it really was audible because I 'heard' it loud and clear, it woke me. I got up and went into the living room. Making Him tell me a third time didn't seem like wisdom. I sat on the couch in the dark room and we had a talk. Well, I listened; He asked two short questions. Only two questions, but He waited each time for my answer. My spiritual ears were involved in this conversation but I do believe it was an audible command to wake up. I answered aloud.

When God talks to me, it is typically in short sentences. It might be a word or two…remember "clarified butter" or "consider the coffee"? Sometimes it's all spiritually imparted. Sometimes words leap off a page at me with such power I know it can be nothing else but Him. The point is I expect God to talk to me. I listen for God to talk to me. I look with accepting eyes for different ways He uses to speak to me. I desire God to talk to me. I never again in my lifetime on earth want there to be silence between God and me. I need God to talk to me. I need it like I need oxygen to breathe.

Breakfast with God

My Honey and I are at the mid-point of a 21-day Daniel fast. I share that not to say, "look at us" but to lay the foundation of this posting. Our intent in the fast is to draw nearer to God and His plan for us. In a Daniel fast, you are not giving up all food, but fasting meat, sweets, breads, processed foods. This means a diet of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains.

My breakfast menu this morning was a meal of veggies cut into bite size pieces and sautéed in a little olive oil:

1 small potato

1 porcini mushroom

1 jalapeno pepper

5 stalks of asparagus

Small piece of onion

I took the time to prepare the meal and did not rush through. I used the time to visit with God, asking Him to show me the areas I needed to focus on as I continue to prepare for the upcoming mission trip. I felt peaceful and purposeful. God being God showed me all I asked and more.

Typically, I have to interrupt my writing to prepare and eat breakfast. I'm diabetic, not eating is not an option, and I need something in my tummy on which to bounce all the coffee. Since I am well into my work routine by the time I know I have no choice but to stop and eat, I find I sometimes resent the interruption and rush through. I usually eat at my desk as I work. This morning I made a point of using that time to visit with God and I could actually 'feel' the difference it made in my body, my mindset, and my spirit.

God led me to Isaiah 58 where the people cried out to God asking why He did not acknowledge their fasting. His reply through Isaiah was to say they were outward rituals to get want they wanted, not to honor Him. Check your motives! Often, we need to fast the way we live our lives, foregoing anything that is not spiritually healthy or God ordained. The 'junk food' of ungodly living can kill you.

If you do not really want to hear from God, don't ask questions. If you are not open to hearing spiritual truths about yourself, don't ask questions. If you tend to justify instead of rectify, don't ask questions. God is not bashful or hesitant to answer.

I felt God outlined the areas of me - my personality, my tendencies, and my perceptions that were not honoring Him, revealed one by one, as I thoughtfully chopped veggies. No condemnation, just factual outlining…I DID ask, after all. Scenes and situations of my life with these shortfalls - live and kicking - played before my spiritual eyes. You can't deny what God shows you in living color. Spiritually naked we come before Him, nowhere to hide any unpleasing behavior. All your fleshly ugliness flaps in the breeze. Still, no condemnation.

I saw enough. I was humbled by the love I felt from Him even as I came face-to-face with my 'issues'. What I do at this point is up to me. I can take what He showed me and learn from it or not. I thanked Him for showing me my ugly side, for loving me in spite of myself, for the unconditional love, for forgiveness and the chance to cultivate better fruit by pruning away the bad branches. Breakfast with God is completely satisfying!

The Good News

Amid the chaos and noise of world events, fear mongers or, as they like to be called "news media," fan the flames of manic thinking. Once upon a time, not so very long ago, I made appoint to watch the world and local news everyday. I wanted to be an informed responsible adult capable of voting on important issue concerning our country. I care about world events and people groups. Knowledge is power and I had the power to pray over issues in much need of prayer when and only when I had knowledge of them. This was my thinking. I wised up.

You see, for every slanted news story, there is pertinent information we are not being given. We are told our economic health in American is terminally ill. World politics is in such mucky water the powers/countries that be suffer from chronic dysentery. Do not even get me started on information we receive daily on which celebrity idiot is doing what now. Do I care what someone wore to a specific event? Does it play a part in my big picture? No, yet we are blasted with information about whose shoes are under whose bed and what their political point of view is at that moment.

Our financial outlook could change if athletes, mega-millionaires, and movie stars weren't given sinful amounts of money to do what they love to do in the first place. You can feed a lot of hungry kids on 15 million dollars, yet actors and the other $$ prostitutes are demanding and getting that kind of money all the time. Maybe all those hungry people of the world should demand more airtime. Does our country look more powerful when a stage full of politicians stand together for a photo shoot in a different land with the tax payers footing the bill for the trip? Just curious?

The news we are not hearing is that all the fear, all the tragedy the terrorist create, all the idiot drunken, blitzed entertainer stunts that manage to captivate prime time news, all the natural disasters…all of it, real and imagined, will not change one vital FACT. God is still in control. We're not hearing that in the news at all.     

Jesus said to proclaim the Good News. Yes, we need awareness of the world around us but it is not dominate our thinking, control our decisions, or determine how we go about living our lives. THAT, Friends, comes under the Good News. We are to live in and with the knowledge that God is still in control no matter which news station blares insanity into your living room every evening. I am saddened when I see people suffer and I pray for them but I rest in the knowledge that God is in control. My grocery bill gets higher every time I walk in the door for the same few items but God is in control. My country has lost its collective mind but God is in control. Pig flu or bird flu matters not, God is in control.

I refuse to bow down to the fear mongers on network or cable, in print or online because I KNOW God is in control. That's Good News, indeed!

Taking a Stand for Proverb Living

A segment of Day of Discovery this past Sunday morning touched me deeply. We've watched it for years and always come away feeling like we've learned something. This Sunday the program highlighted the work Nadine Hennesey was doing in war-torn Kosovo. Her husband of eleven months lost his life in the line of duty while she was pregnant with their first child. Nadine struggled with her faith, uncertain why God would have allowed the situation. Meanwhile, God was laying the groundwork for Nadine and her daughter as He tendered her heart toward the children of Kosovo trying to survive when one or both of their parents lost their lives during the war, schools bombed out and infrastructure for a brighter future seemingly gone.

Nadine moved to Mitrovica, Kosova, and collaborated with God to establish a school called the School of Laughter for children who lost parents in the war. These children lost their childhood when they lost their parents. Her goal was a jumpstart on quality education and an opportunity to know the innocent laughter of childhood.

Interviews with Nadine and a few of her former students made it clear; God was the Superintendent of the School of Laughter. Many students commented on how they wanted to be 'better' and live as Nadine modeled in her daily walk and godly spirit. Character Building class, part of their curriculum, taught basic principles for living a good life from the Book of Proverbs! How awesome is that?!

This school is still functioning and blessing children today. Nadine learned to rebuild trust in God and allowed Him to guide her path. This path enriched the lives of families living with the devastation of loss, just as Nadine had. Don't think you're not enough to make an impact for God.

You do not have to look very far to see children in great need of some character building classes! They are all around us, following the footsteps of the Pied Piper named 'Entitlement'. Why are we as parents, grandparents, and teachers tolerating rudeness? Disrespect runs households, and kids are growing up to think the world owes them whatever they want. Aren't they in for a big surprise?

I have long believed that people rise to the level of expectation you set for them. If the bar is so low they can step over it, never challenged beyond the mindset of infancy where they are the center of the universe, there is little reason for personal, mental, spiritual, and emotional growth. It may not be very trendy for me to believe you set expectations and standards for children but I do. I believe in respecting your elders – so did Solomon when he wrote Proverbs. I believe that if an adult comes into the room and there is no place to sit, the child should relinquish his seat. I believe children should learn not to interrupt adults in a conversation. These are but a few examples that I see missing in the general populous of children today. Not all, but far too many.

Proverbs starts out with these words of instructions: Proverbs 1:-7 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity; to give prudence to the naïve, to the youth knowledge and discretion, a wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Many of the chapters begin with words similar to "Hear, my son, your father's instructions, and do not forsake your mother's teaching…" My guess is that the multitude of rude, obnoxious, arrogant, unkind…(the list is long)…adult people out there started out as children with no one holding them accountable for their behavior, no one teaching basic good character traits and no one raising the bar above mediocrity. It may take a village to raise a child but it all starts in the hut in which they lay their head. One woman took her four-year old daughter and moved to an unknown land to offer hope, love, and godly character building to brokenhearted children in Kosovo. Imagine what we could do here if we all worked together to re-vamp the mentalities rearing American children today.        

High Voltage!

The other day, after getting the blog out and deep into the editing on Book 1, we had a power outage. Smack in the middle of my day's work …poof…the computer just popped off along with every other electrical thing in the house. This is has happened before. I decided a break from work wasn't all-bad. The normal power outage rarely takes long to be resolved somewhere on the electrical highway, so I was not concerned. Once upon a time, I would have freaked out to think I could lose my current work on the computer but I've come to learn that it saves it somewhere and brings it back up as a recovered document. I called my buddy, Helen, for some girl talk while I waited. (See me making lemonade out of this? Hehehe)

Time went on, the power was off longer than usual, so I called the local electric co-op for information. A recording answered saying they were aware I was without power…how did they know, I wondered. Was power out everywhere? Once I got a live person on the phone, I asked. He said they knew what area I was in because of my phone number, which I had not given them by the way. Their computers were obviously working. Which brings up a good question, do the power companies ever lose power?

There were approximately 70 households/entities without power. They did not know why but were in the process of trying to correct the situation. I told the nice young man I was in the middle of writing the next great American novel and needed my computer, wished them speedy results in fixing the problem and went back to my waiting. Power was restored a little later and all went back to normal.

After two hours of waiting this morning for the holy tap on my shoulder from God with His message, I had nothin'! I began to wonder if I was having a spiritual short circuit. I had finished my Bible reading, prayer time, and even reading of other Christian stuff. Still nothing! Hmmm…it has to be me because God IS power. So I leave you this morning with these reassuring words from Hebrews…..

For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power – making it active, operative, energizing and effective; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [that is, of the deepest parts of our nature] exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purpose of the heart.   Hebrews 4:12 AMP

Never a power outage there!

You Said What?

"What did you say to my child?"

"I said she was stupid for not remembering where she put the book."

"Excuse me! What gives you the right to call my child stupid?"

"Well, look at her. She's running around in circles, accomplishing nothing."

"She's MY child and you don't have the right to call her anything."

"But she's running her fat little legs off and still can't finish the job."

"Did you just call MY child fat? Where do you get off saying negative things like that?"

"Can't you see, she eats too much, not much exercise, and sits around all the time?"

"She's creative, talented and has a loving heart. She's MINE and I love her just as she is so keep your negative comments to yourself!"

That crazy little conversation actually happened one day…between God and me. The child He referenced was me. I was the one calling His child stupid, fat, lazy, ineffective - among other things. Not all at one time, mind you, but certainly on the list of uncomplimentary adjectives I've used to talk about the child in question. Then one day I received the holy tap on my shoulder and God opened the dialog with, "What did you say to my child?"

Self-talk is important and powerful. It can lift up or tear down. We can be no better than a street bully to our own self-esteem or we can be a cheerleader that encourages…either way, we're talking to and about a Child of God.

Some days I have trouble putting three words together to make a complete sentence. Trying to put out a daily blog that actually makes sense is a task of Herculean proportions. God gives me the subject matter and smacks my hands if I get too far off track (His part) and I have use the brain He gave me to put it in print (my part). Staring at the keyboard does not a blog make!

Working on the book I've been writing for what seems 150 years is no different. Writing, Friends, is not easy. Again, staring at the keyboard does not get a book written. You can say all kinds of ugly things to yourself when feel like the most untalented, misguided and (yes) even most worthless excuse of a writer that ever lived. God took exception to me saying those things to His child.

So, I had to ask for forgiveness for being ugly to God's kid. I catch myself on occasion starting to get down on the kid and negative thoughts start percolating in my head again. THIS is where self-talk gets down to the nitty-gritty. 

If I am to be a professional writer for God's purposes then I must think, talk and act like a professional writer of God's purposes. Slouched in my jammies, I do not feel either professional or accomplished. I tell myself …aloud…"A professional writer looks like a professional." And I get dressed in real clothes. "A professional writer does not look like she just rolled out of bed." Then I do my hair and make-up. "A professional writer does not slouch." I sit up straighter. Once I've done that, I sit down at the computer and dedicate the work of my hands to His glory. I acknowledge it is His creativity, His inspiration, His glory I seek, not my own. I can write only because He first gave me an aptitude and love of writing, and the desire to serve Him by writing for His purposes. I am to tell other people of His love, grace, and mercy. MY PART

"Lord, you are my strength when my body feels weak. You are my mind and intellect for you live in me, we are one. Lord, I can do nothing apart from you. Help me today to accomplish all You would have me do." HIS PART.

The Bible says God called David was a man after His own heart. David talked to himself about God for strength and encouragement when the world was crashing around him. Self-talk, People, was practiced by the man after God's own heart!

"What did you say to my child?"

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Ah, December 1^st….we are entering a month full of activity, celebrations and emotional remembrances. Off the top of my head, I think of our three granddaughters - Elizabeth, Rylie, and Madielynn, our son - Joshua, and two friends all celebrating birthdays this month. It's also the birthday month of my daddy and paternal grandfather, both long gone. Our son and daughter-in-love – Kevin & Teddi - celebrate an anniversary. We journey off on a mission trip. The calendar is filling with activities. The highlight for Christian believers is the birthday celebration of Jesus!

Along the way…life happens. Babies are born, loved ones die, bills still need to be paid, employers expect you to show up, dinners cooked, laundry washed, vehicles filled with fuel and the long list of everyday life activities marches on. The highlight for Christian believers is the birthday celebration of Jesus!

There is an air of magical excitement when you drive down residential streets looking at houses covered in lights. Sitting in a dark room lit only by a decorated Christmas tree is special, too. Many a memory have I mulled around in my head doing just that. Stores play Christmas music, decorations fill aisle after aisle, and people act a little bit nicer to one another. The highlight for Christian believers is the birthday celebration of Jesus!

Among the pretty packages and expectations of children are the people walking around without the glint of excitement the season brings. They think of the next meal, a warm place to sleep, money to keep the electricity on in the house they hope to hang on to a little longer, a job, the loss of the American Dream and many other issues that cloud their thoughts and hopes. Sometimes they forget the highlight for Christian believers is the birthday celebration of Jesus.

On a dark night over two thousand years ago, a young woman birthed Christmas in a cold stall. She bore the gift of Hope, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and the ultimate gift to humankind by a loving Father. There were no bright colored lights, no carols filling the air, no peppermint sticks, or jolly men in red suits. Yet, the most beautiful gift ever given was wrapped in pieces of cloth and lay in a trough animals ate their dinner from earlier than evening. An ordinary night when an extraordinary event provided the reason for the season upon us. The highlight for Christian believers is the birthday celebration of Jesus.

Hope was born that night. Hope still burns bright. God gave us a reason for hope, we need to share that reason with those that do not know it exists or feel it in their hearts. It's not just the homeless or the struggling that need this gift. Those with expensive fancy packages tied in pretty ribbons might be as seriously in need. You can't drown out a hopeless heart by singing carols louder. The best gift we can give this year is to share our gift of hope with everyone we see. You never know who needs it. When you share your gift of hope it doesn't diminish, it multiplies! The highlight for Christian believers is the birthday celebration of Jesus!