Month: June 2016

The Tune for today: Money, Money, Money!

I like having money. Having it allows me to go and do, or stay and do; having it helps to have a more comfortable life. Not having it gives me a headache from worry about how I am going to make it financially.

Jesus said “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:19‭-‬20 NIV (http://bible.com/111/mat.6.19-20.NIV)

I know He’s got it covered. How do I know this? Because He has shown me, time after time after time. The next verses are ones I think we all love to hate at times.

     “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 
      Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 
     Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 
     Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  – Matthew 6:24‭-‬27 NIV (http://bible.com/111/mat.6.24-27.NIV)

Jesus goes on to give us more reasons not to worry…. but we humans seem to require something to worry – and complain – about! If I think on it enough, there is always something that isn’t perfect for me. Clothes, food, house, yard, car, kids, spouse or the lack of one, animals, work, no work, coworkers, fellow students, family members…..did I leave anything out? How about the fear/worry of not being good enough; of not believing I’m worthy of His care.

He’s got that one covered, too. “For GOD so Loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life.” – John 3:16 NIV (http://bible.com/111/jhn.3.16.NIV)

Got the “Whoever” part? Jesus clearly says He will take care of us if we will let Him. I’m still not rich by earthy standards, and our income doesn’t allow for all the travel and goodies I would like to have. We have a comfortable home, and enough food to eat (too much, at times!). I am loved and I love my family. I don’t want for anything that I need, but I certainly don’t have everything I want (but don’t need!). Money is not evil, and there isn’t anything wrong with having nice things. It’s when we put the pursuit of money and things above God that we have a problem. I like to put it this way: do I give Jesus the same amount of time as we do for our pursuit of the “good” life? Am I spending more time and money chasing a dream than I can spare for God? Check your attitude for gratitude. I may not be wealthy but the world’s standards, but I am rich beyond words.

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Patriotism is NOT Enough.

Patriotism. It’s a word that is being spoken a lot in view of of the elections coming up, and especially looking at the tremendous amounts of terrorism, both domestic and abroad. According to Your Dictionary.com, “Patriotism is love and support of your country. An example of patriotism is waving the flag proudly on your home.”

As a patriot, I want to subdue our enemies. Okay, I really want to kick their behinds. Am I speaking as an American patriot, or as a patriot to Jesus Christ and His kingdom? Absolutely both. Is that even possible? I believe the answer is yes, if you take the time to discover what it really means. Patriotism should be applied to Christianity. I love and support my Savior, and although I don’t have a flag to wave, I can show it in my words, both spoken and written, and in my actions.

We were watching a PBS program last night called “The Crimson Fields,” set in 1915 as a British field hospital in France. One of the nurses was arrested for treason when it was discovered that her fiance was a German soldier, and she was accused of being a spy. Of course, seeing it from the outside, we knew she wasn’t a spy; she was simply trying to find out if her man was alive or dead. He gave himself up as a POW in order to save her from being executed as a traitor, and they were both sent of to prison for the duration of the war.

In the course of the show, they referred to a Nurse Cavell and her execution by the Germans. I looked up her information on Wikipedia, and her words are compelling and intense. “Edith Louisa Cavell (4 December 1865 – 12 October 1915) was a British nurse, humanitarian and spy. She is celebrated for helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium during World War I, for which she was arrested. She was court-martialled, found guilty of treason and executed.” Before her death, she said this: “But this I would say, standing as I do in view of God and eternity, I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” Our own President Lincoln is quoted as saying “Do we not destroy our enemies when we make them our friends?”

I’m not saying that we should negotiate with terrorists, because that is already a lost cause. They are determined to die for what they believe in; we should be just as determined to defend our belief and our country whenever and wherever it is necessary. Shouldn’t we be ready, as patriots of our country and our God? Remember what Jesus says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you….” – Matthew 5:43‭-‬44 NIV
(http://bible.com/111/mat.5.43-44.NIV)

I will continue to pray for those who are my enemies, foreign and domestic, and I will stay prepared to defend my right to do so. We either stand as a true patriot with Jesus, or we stand against Him. This is my choice; you make yours.

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PRIDE, PATIENCE, THANKS

“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” –  Ecclesiastes 7:8 NIV

Pride. It has gotten me – and still gets me – into more trouble than anything else I can think of. Don’t tell me I can’t do something, because being told I can’t is like pouring gasoline on a fire. Maybe I shouldn’t, or maybe it’s not allowed; it might just be a bad idea. Just don’t tell me I can’t. My brain turns it into “I dare you….” and then, of course, I am compelled to do whatever it is in order to quench my competitive nature. Yep, lots of trouble.

That leads me to the being patient part. I typically have have about this much patience ( ) before it is gone. A wise pastor told me this years ago: If you pray for patience, God will give you plenty of opportunities to learn it. At the time, I had been praying for a lot of patience. My husband was having serious health issues and was unable to work, and consequently we lost his/our business. I had very recently undergone back surgery and lost my job; we lost our home, and we were having to move into a tiny apartment. That meant I lost my chickens and rabbits and had to find a home for my horse. Fun times. Can I just say here, don’t EVER pray for patience!

“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” – 7:8‭-‬9 Ecclesiastes NIV

Yep, there’s the anger. GRRRR. Why was all of this happening to us? Oh, yeah, this could be part of it.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 NIV

We were proud of our accomplishments. We had a thriving little gun shop, I was a manager at the local builder’s supply store, we had just bought a piece of land, moved in our custom modular home, and built my little dream stable. We were active in our church. Why did it all happen? That’s a question I’d like to ask Jesus when I see Him. I think it’s related to us taking credit for what we had done, instead of giving our God the glory for it.

That was a lifetime ago. There have have many ups and downs since then; some really hard downs. I blamed God and for a long time I was only interested in me and what I could – and what I could do was to be very destructive to me and to others. Ugly. Now all I can do is thank God for where He has put me, and be continuously grateful for His Mercy and His Grace.

Thank You, Lord
Words and Music by Mr and Mrs Seth Sykes
© 1940, renewal 1968 by Seth Sykes
Assigned to Singspiration/ASCAP
All rights reserved
1 Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is Good;
for His Mercy endureth for ever.”

Chorus
Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul,
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free.
   
(All scriptures are from the Bible app, at http://bible.com)

In The Beginning…

Sitting out in my backyard in the shade, cool breeze blowing, watching the sprinkler give the garden a big drink, little dog in my lap and another at my side. Seeing and knowing how much the LORD of the universe loves me and calls me His own daughter… Blessed in ways I never believed or imagined. Life is good.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1 NIV
(http://bible.com/111/gen.1.1.NIV)

Theory or belief?

So many people profess to believe in the Theory of evolution, the idea that the stars and the plants, people and animal, even the universe, manufactured itself out of nothing. Some say it came out of space dust, or mud. Okay, where did the mud – or space dust – come from? Something cannot come from nothing. There has to be something in order to make something. Since everything is based on atoms, don’t we need a source for the atom?

My choice, even in the years I spent running from God, has been the belief, the knowledge, that God created the heavens and the earth. I can encourage nature to bring forth beautiful and edible things. I can take what others see as trash and make functional things. I’m not capable of creating anything without something to use as a base. In the garden, we use the dirt God made and seeds He provides to “create.” In the workshop, we can take raw materials and “create.” Something from nothing? Not a chance. Something from something? Absolutely.

We did come from the earth, but not from a primordial mud soup. God created us. “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” – Genesis 2:7 NIV
(http://bible.com/111/gen.2.7.NIV)

Humans have been changing since the beginning of time, the beginning of our creation. We have changed physically, going through periods of time when humans were shorter or taller, and where our other physical characteristics have changed. We have humans in all shapes and sizes and colors, and we are all one race – the HUMAN race. All of mankind; all of the differences, all created from the dust of the earth by the God Who made it all. We are the ones who corrupted His perfect creation and caused the “evolution” of the perfection into chaos. We have evolved into selfish, self-righteous, bigots, and warmongers. We have made the evolution from perfection to ugliness and evil.

How can we change it? One person, one step at a time, and only by relying on our Creator. Despite our constant disrespect of Him, He waits for us to ask for His help, but He also doesn’t make us work for it. Just say the word, and He’s there to hold you and to carry you. One of my favorite parts of the Sistine Chapel ceiling is the part where God is reaching out to Adam. God is reaching, stretching, and Adam is just holding out his hand. God does the work for us. Pretty amazing, when you think about it.

(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hands_of_God_and_Adam.jpg to see it.)

Have you asked Him yet?

Do We Really Need Any More Laws?

Don’t shoot the messanger, but seriously,  do we really need any more laws?

Think about it. We already have hundreds of thousands of laws on the books. Laws – both man’s laws and God’s laws – cover every facet of our lives. There are consequences and corrections listed for breaking them.

In a letter to Timothy, Paul says “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Timothy 1:8‭-‬17
(http://bible.com/111/1ti.1.8-17.NIV)

We have what we need to lead fulfilled lives, if we will just stop for a minute and change our focus from ourselves and turn it back to God. When asked “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:36‭-‬‬40 (http://bible.com/111/mat.22.36-40.NIV)

Seems pretty clear to me.

Love, Love, Love

“Love, love, love… All you need is love, love; love is all you need.” The Beatles nailed it with this song, and thousands of songwriters write of love. All we need is love, because we are created to love. We need love to truly live, but not just any love. All we need is God’s Love, demonstrated by His gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. We all know we need it; it’s where, and how, we search for it that creates problems for us. Country singer Johnnie Lee sang:

“(Lookin’ for love) in all the wrong places
(Lookin’ for love) in too many faces
Searchin’ their eyes, lookin’ for traces
Of what I’m dreamin’ of
Now that I’ve found a friend and a lover
God bless the day I discovered you
Oh you, lookin’ for love.”

For years, that was me. I wanted love; I searched for love; I needed love. I was raised to know that true love is found only in Jesus Christ, but I was damaged and knew that He couldn’t love me. How can the pure and Holy God of the universe love someone like me who is dirty and sinful? I was beyond redemption…. that’s what that stinkin’ thinkin’ voice in my head kept telling me, over and over and over. Here’s what the Apostle Paul wrote about that:

     “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. {That means me, and it means you.}
     Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
     But God demonstrates His own Love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:6‭-‬8 NIV
(http://bible.com/111/rom.5.6-8.NIV)

No one – I’ll repeat that – no one, not one single human who has ever walked the earth – is beyond the redemption offered by Jesus Christ. It took me years of searching in all the wrong places, to accept the mercy He was/is offering. He stands at your heart’s door, waiting patiently for you to answer and open your heart and soul for His forgiveness and mercy and grace. God’s promise:

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#love, #Jesus, #Beatles, #redemption, #forgiveness, #mercy, #grace

Backslider!

back·slide
ˈbakslīd/
verb
past participle: backslidden
  1. relapse into bad ways or error.
    “converted vegetarians backslide to T-bones”
    Synonyms: relapse, lapse, regress, weaken, lose one’s resolve, give in to temptation, go astray, leave the straight and narrow, fall off the wagon.

I grew up hearing the word in reference to church members, but the meaning didn’t really sink in until I was an adult. I realized that we, as humans, are constantly moving, and we are  either moving forward, or we are sliding back. Another phrase we’ve all heard is that life is an uphill battle. It’s true, and we are all backsliders.

We have our earliest ancestors, Adam and Eve, to thank for the initial difficulty of our life journey, but we have only ourselves to thank – or blame! – for whether we continue to move forward or slide back. Someone said that there is no standing still in life; that life is a slippery slope. You and I are constantly moving, and if we aren’t moving forward, then we are moving (sliding) back.

It’s so easy to slide. Moving forward is hard work, and sometimes it’s just too much. We need a break. Life is hard. It’s hard! Why do we have to struggle? Can’t we just take it easy for a change? I challenge you to take a hard look around you. Are you blessed, or are you hurting? Having so much fun that you can ignore the pain?

I did that. Alcohol, drugs, men, and the ggeographical”cure.” Only none of these are a cure. You can run, but you can’t hide. Maybe from people, but never from God. I know, because I tried for years to convince myself that I was able to handle my life just fine without Jesus being involved in it. I was a backslider. There wasn’t much going forward in all those years, and I can say from first hand experience that it doesn’t work very well. I can promise you a lot of pain until you figure it out.

I did have good times during those years, but I couldn’t hold on to them. My stinkin’ thinkin’ kept dragging me down. I wasn’t about to surrender to Christ and lose my good times! Sometimes I wonder how different my life would have been if I had listened to Him instead of the enemy. It was though my choices that I gave the enemy (i.e. Satan) control of my life, and that’s where we start that slide down. Occasionally I was able to pull my head out of the mud and get a glimpse of the Light, and I could pull myself up enough to start dragging myself forward. It didn’t last, couldn’t last, because I still wanted control.

I slid waaaaay back! I had lapses and relapses, regression, and became weaker and weaker spiritually because of it. Because of the prayers of my parents and family, there was a bottom to the slope. When I hit the bottom of that slippery slope, Jesus was there with His hands reaching out to help me up. It wasn’t easy for me to take His hands because I was still trying to stand on my own two feet. The mud of Satan’s lies and deceitfulness was – and is – too deep and slippery for that. I needed divine intervention. Only because of the help of Jesus Christ am I am able to stand up straight for a change. He carries my burdens and gives me a hand up, and
sometimes He picks me up and carries me. (Read the poem “Footprints in the Sand”) 

Jesus is standing with you on your slope of life, too, ready to lend a hand anytime you ask. Stubbornness, when it comes to Christ, is counterproductive to a peaceful and contented life. You may be  financially successful. You might have a beautiful family. You can have everything the earth has to offer but without Jesus Christ, your soul is empty.

Something to think about.