There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
I spent a lot of time this week reflecting on this passage of scripture. I lost three people whom were important influences on my life this past week. the first was my father, the second was my Hazmat Chief, and the third was a fellow firefighter who supported my decision to teach. I have know all three of them as long as I can remember. Two of the three knew they were dying and chose to go on hospice to die at home with their families. The third fell, broke his hip and never returned from the hospital. I will miss all three. The hardest was my dad. Not for the reasons that one would expect, but rather because I never really had a good relationship with him until the last year of his life.
It was only as my relationship with God grew, that I was able to build a better relationship with my dad. He didn't believe in God. He never read a bible. He and I argued and fought over anything and everything. We never saw eye to eye about anything. But as my relationship with God grew, so did my relationship with my dad. My dad kept saying that I had changed. That he didn't know what it was but that it was a good thing. A year ago I was afraid of the man. A week ago I was afraid for him. God healed the wounds that both of us felt. In his last few months my dad spent most of his time in his bedroom. But often he would venture out into the living room to visit if I came by the house. He would bring articles clipped from newspapers about things going on in the community and the world. He would say "I saw this article and thought you might be interested in it...". As he grew weaker and could no longer make the trip to the living room, I would go to his bedroom, plop down in a chair and we would discuss the days politics or just watch television together.
On the last day of my dad's life he told me he wanted to talk to me alone. We never got that chance. I can't wait to see what he has to tell me when I join him at God's feet. What? You say how? Well that is where God's timing comes in...
Jeremiah 1, Isaiah 53, Psalm 139 and many other scriptures tell us that God knew each of us even before He formed us in our mother's womb. Jeremiah 29 tells us that God knows the plans he has for us.... that in itself tells us that God has a plan for each of our lives. Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time set aside for everything that happens in our lives. If God has a plan, and has a time set aside for everything to happen in our lives then that is a pretty structured plan. Free will can sometimes get in the way, but God has a funny way of guiding things to where He wants them to be.
My dad was dying after eighty-five years of denying God. I had tried to share the good news with him on many occasions and been shut down. My Pastor always said don't push it, if he shuts you down let it go. Forcing it will only make him angry and he will not hear the word. God knows the time. God will create the right opportunity and will work it out so that he will want to hear it. The night before my dad died, he had a long talk with my cousin who shared the word with him. My dad didn't shut him down. They discussed it for almost an hour. My dad said that he didn't agree with everything my cousin said, but he listened and didn't get angry. The next day, just hours before he died, my dad's attorney asked if she could pray with him. He said ok. She got bold and said that she would like to pray for him in Jesus' name. He said ok. That was BIG for my dad. That would have never happened a year ago.... God's timing. I never heard my dad say he accepted Jesus, but I can't imagine him allowing his attorney to pray for him in Jesus' name unless he had. Maybe that's what he will tell me when I see him again.
And when we look at how God works... I see that within my own life God has been working and it sure seems like it is part of a plan. A year ago I would not have been able to have handled even my father's death, without the other two coming at the same time. But God has been working. A year ago I would have turned to my friends to be my rock. I would have wanted them to make it bearable. But this year, I have God as my rock, my strength, my go to guy. Sure I called on my friends. I needed them to be there for me...(and they were- I have the world's best friends), but I was hanging onto God's coat-tails with all I had. He got me through this. My friends were there to pray with me, cry with me, and support me just as Aaron helped to support Moses' arms on the mountain top.
God DOES have a plan for our lives. Within that plan there is a time for all things. and as Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me..." It's not always gonna be easy. But with God as our guide, we will surely get through it. It's got to make you wonder...
Dear Lord, I am thankful that You are the rock that I can turn to in any storm. I am thankful that you have surrounded me with some of the best friends a girl can ask for. May I some day do for others what they have done for me as I have weathered this storm with You. Thank You for Your perfect timing, even if I sometimes don't see it until it's over. And thank You for not giving up on any of us...
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
A Visit To The Grand Canyon
"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place..." Psalm 8:1-4
Have you ever visited the Grand Canyon? I stopped there once, when traveling east from San Diego to Pittsburgh. After having actually been there and seen it I would have to say that the Grand Canyon must be the most beautiful place on Earth. I took many photographs which were beautiful. Really excellent photographs. But the funny thing is that they really didn't do the Grand Canyon any justice. It was just so difficult to capture the true beauty of the place in a photograph. Videos that I have seen of the Grand Canyon are nice, especially the 3-D stuff you see at the museums, but once again they still don't do the real thing any justice.
I think that God is kind of like the Grand Canyon in that way. God is so awesome, so all powerful that it is impossible to really describe how great He truly is. I would ask you to imagine the most beautiful place that you have ever visited. God actually made that place... He is just so much better than that place is... now think about the person whom you love more than anyone in the world. Oh come on, you know there is someone like that in your life.... now imagine God.... God loves you so very much more than you love that person whom you were just thinking about. Wow. Just wow. Rocks your world a bit, doesn't it?
I just thought it would be good to start the new year thinking about the greatness of God. It's just so cool that as great as He is; He chose each and every one of us to be a part of His family. Dude, we're on the winning team... How cool is that? It's got to make you wonder...
Dear Lord, thanks for picking us. Please help us to recognize Your greatness and help us to turn to you in our times of need as your shoulders are much stronger than ours are. And help us to realize that You really are way more able to handle our "situations" than we are... And let us be reminded of Your true awesomeness as we look out into the world. Let us see and recognize the signs of Your greatness all around us... Thanks for always being there...
Have you ever visited the Grand Canyon? I stopped there once, when traveling east from San Diego to Pittsburgh. After having actually been there and seen it I would have to say that the Grand Canyon must be the most beautiful place on Earth. I took many photographs which were beautiful. Really excellent photographs. But the funny thing is that they really didn't do the Grand Canyon any justice. It was just so difficult to capture the true beauty of the place in a photograph. Videos that I have seen of the Grand Canyon are nice, especially the 3-D stuff you see at the museums, but once again they still don't do the real thing any justice.
I think that God is kind of like the Grand Canyon in that way. God is so awesome, so all powerful that it is impossible to really describe how great He truly is. I would ask you to imagine the most beautiful place that you have ever visited. God actually made that place... He is just so much better than that place is... now think about the person whom you love more than anyone in the world. Oh come on, you know there is someone like that in your life.... now imagine God.... God loves you so very much more than you love that person whom you were just thinking about. Wow. Just wow. Rocks your world a bit, doesn't it?
I just thought it would be good to start the new year thinking about the greatness of God. It's just so cool that as great as He is; He chose each and every one of us to be a part of His family. Dude, we're on the winning team... How cool is that? It's got to make you wonder...
Dear Lord, thanks for picking us. Please help us to recognize Your greatness and help us to turn to you in our times of need as your shoulders are much stronger than ours are. And help us to realize that You really are way more able to handle our "situations" than we are... And let us be reminded of Your true awesomeness as we look out into the world. Let us see and recognize the signs of Your greatness all around us... Thanks for always being there...
Friday, January 15, 2010
Pride and Prejudice
"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live." Acts 17:26
I was thinking about the upcoming National Holiday - Martin Luther King Day. Dr. King was a man of God. He believed that what the bible said was true. The bible teaches us that God created Adam, the first man, and all men are the offspring of Adam. We all come from the same place. President Abraham Lincoln probably said it best when in his infamous Gettysburg Address he said "... all men are created equal..."
I think that if we all look closely at our lives; each and every one of us has been discriminated against at some point in our lives. Whether it was because of our color, our sex, our age, our weight, our eye color or anything at all... each of us has been stereotyped and judged for something that we have absolutely no control over(in most cases). Many of us try to overcome that unfair bias by coloring our hair or hiding our age, some people even try to change their sex... so why is it that we look the other way when we see people discriminating against others. Why do we even need to march for rights.... why can't things be as the bible said they should be....
Jesus showed us some excellent examples of how to deal with people who are different from ourselves. The parable of the Good Samaratin was an excellent example. Samaratins were looked down on at the time of Jesus. And yet it is this person who is treated as much less than a person who took the time to care for the travelor in the story. He cared for the travelor as if he were a member of his own family. So out of character for that area in those times. And what about the Lepers... It was actually illegal to talk to the Lepers, let alone to touch them or be in contact with them. Yet Jesus walked among them and healed them.
What does the bible show us about slavery. Slavery is discussed in many places in the blble. God helped Moses to free the captive Jews from slavery. Does this not show that God does not wish for one man to own another? If all men are the descendents of Abraham, then we are all of the same blood line.... different yet the same. Didn't Jesus come to show us the way. Wasn't the greatest commandment the one that says to "love God"? And wasn't it closely followed by lthe commandment to "love your neighbor"? Remember, we are all of one bloodline, and if we go back far enough we are ALL descendents of slaves.
So Martin Luther King was a man of God, telling people to do what the bible says they should do.... reminding us of what God Himself wanted us to do according to the bible. He walked through the streets urging men to love one another and asking for the violence against some of God's children to be silenced. Do'nt we have an obligation to do the same? Aren't we called to "love our neighbor as ourself" and to help our neighbor when he needs it, not making him wait until tommorrow to do what we can do for him today?
It is sad that someone felt the need to gun a man down for reminding us of what God clearly tells us is our duty in the bible. It is even sadder that we must create a National Holiday to remind us of that and yet our voices are quelched by "freedom of speech" folks who dont want us to remind them that Dr. King died because he believed in God's word so strongly that he was willing to speak out. He was just doing what God wants for us to do. But the world; they just want another day off work with pay....it's got to make you wonder....
Dear Lord, let us remember why Dr. King died. Not just for the blacks in the south, but for all men and women who feel the pain of prejudice and hate whether it be for their age, nationality, sex, education level, eye color, hair color, or skin color. And let it remind us to keep our hearts open so that we may try our best to love our neighbors as we would want to be loved. And please help us to remember that he was just a man doing what you have told all of us to do. Help us to not elevate him to something more than a man doing your will. Please put blinders on us so that we no longer see the differences in people so that we may treat each other as we ourselves want to be treated. And may all men come to know Your word and come to know You and want to do Your will. And please help us to treat each other with respect and love as we deal with each other day to day.
I was thinking about the upcoming National Holiday - Martin Luther King Day. Dr. King was a man of God. He believed that what the bible said was true. The bible teaches us that God created Adam, the first man, and all men are the offspring of Adam. We all come from the same place. President Abraham Lincoln probably said it best when in his infamous Gettysburg Address he said "... all men are created equal..."
I think that if we all look closely at our lives; each and every one of us has been discriminated against at some point in our lives. Whether it was because of our color, our sex, our age, our weight, our eye color or anything at all... each of us has been stereotyped and judged for something that we have absolutely no control over(in most cases). Many of us try to overcome that unfair bias by coloring our hair or hiding our age, some people even try to change their sex... so why is it that we look the other way when we see people discriminating against others. Why do we even need to march for rights.... why can't things be as the bible said they should be....
Jesus showed us some excellent examples of how to deal with people who are different from ourselves. The parable of the Good Samaratin was an excellent example. Samaratins were looked down on at the time of Jesus. And yet it is this person who is treated as much less than a person who took the time to care for the travelor in the story. He cared for the travelor as if he were a member of his own family. So out of character for that area in those times. And what about the Lepers... It was actually illegal to talk to the Lepers, let alone to touch them or be in contact with them. Yet Jesus walked among them and healed them.
What does the bible show us about slavery. Slavery is discussed in many places in the blble. God helped Moses to free the captive Jews from slavery. Does this not show that God does not wish for one man to own another? If all men are the descendents of Abraham, then we are all of the same blood line.... different yet the same. Didn't Jesus come to show us the way. Wasn't the greatest commandment the one that says to "love God"? And wasn't it closely followed by lthe commandment to "love your neighbor"? Remember, we are all of one bloodline, and if we go back far enough we are ALL descendents of slaves.
So Martin Luther King was a man of God, telling people to do what the bible says they should do.... reminding us of what God Himself wanted us to do according to the bible. He walked through the streets urging men to love one another and asking for the violence against some of God's children to be silenced. Do'nt we have an obligation to do the same? Aren't we called to "love our neighbor as ourself" and to help our neighbor when he needs it, not making him wait until tommorrow to do what we can do for him today?
It is sad that someone felt the need to gun a man down for reminding us of what God clearly tells us is our duty in the bible. It is even sadder that we must create a National Holiday to remind us of that and yet our voices are quelched by "freedom of speech" folks who dont want us to remind them that Dr. King died because he believed in God's word so strongly that he was willing to speak out. He was just doing what God wants for us to do. But the world; they just want another day off work with pay....it's got to make you wonder....
Dear Lord, let us remember why Dr. King died. Not just for the blacks in the south, but for all men and women who feel the pain of prejudice and hate whether it be for their age, nationality, sex, education level, eye color, hair color, or skin color. And let it remind us to keep our hearts open so that we may try our best to love our neighbors as we would want to be loved. And please help us to remember that he was just a man doing what you have told all of us to do. Help us to not elevate him to something more than a man doing your will. Please put blinders on us so that we no longer see the differences in people so that we may treat each other as we ourselves want to be treated. And may all men come to know Your word and come to know You and want to do Your will. And please help us to treat each other with respect and love as we deal with each other day to day.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Winning The Cruel Game
"Jesus turned around and, seeing her, He said, Take courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well. And at once the woman was restored to health." Matthew 9: 22
Have you ever felt like your world was just falling apart? I guarantee you that I have felt like that, and I have a strong suspicion that you have too. It's easy to get dragged down into the lowest lows when we feel like that. If you're like me, you tend to take your eyes off of God and put them right back on yourself. I don't know what we find so interesting about ourselves that we can't take our eyes off of ourselves, but that is what happens, isn't it? We quit listening to God, and the quiet inner voice of the Holy Spirit, and instead we start to listen to Satan's lies. He's good. Really good. He takes something that we know to be true, he starts out telling us the truth, but then very very subtly he changes it a little and if we don't catch it quickly enough he changes it a little more until suddenly we are listening to outright lies. We may realize it, but by that time we are so sucked in that we can't stop listening and we find ourselves tricked into thinking it "must be true". His hope is that we will just accept that and then it will become our reality.
If we look at our lives when we are not at "rock bottom" we can usually see at least one way (and often more) that God has worked in our lives. It is usually something that you know just HAD to be a God thing because there is just no way that was happening without Gods' help. God puts these examples of how He works in our lives out there so that we can turn to them to remind us that He IS working in our lives. And that He IS "all powerful". When we are going through the rough times, hopefully before we have been taken in by Satan's lies, we need to reach out and grab onto the vivid reminders of how God has already worked the impossible in our lives.
God isn't gonna keep Satan from coming after you. Satan came after Jesus. What did Jesus do? He turned to the Word of God. He quoted it back to Satan and ordered him to be gone. We have been given the power and authority to do the very same thing. We have been given the Word of God. We need to study it now and know it. One so that we can use it to defeat Satan, but also because if we REALLY KNOW IT we can not be fooled when Satan tries to twist it into something that it is not. And we need to be able to recognize how God works in our lives. Remember the things He has done. Remember how awesome it was to see how He worked in your life. And realize that He has not left you behind.
Now when it seems like the world is falling apart around me I try to really think on God's Word, and on the miracles that He has worked in my life. I know that He would not have invested that much in me just to let me go... I then start to evaluate my life to see if there are any strongholds that I have not given up to Him. I am quite sure that there are always some strongholds at any one time... as I am only human. But I ask God to show me if there is anything that He want's me to work on. And I pray. I don't pray that God fixes it, but I guess it wouldn't hurt... I do however pray that God be my center. That I can keep my eyes and my thoughts on Him as I go this trial rather than on myself... not an easy task. And I am not always very good at it. You probably know exactly what I'm saying, huh?
Dear Lord, please don't let my friends and I be fooled by Satan's cruel games. Please help us to keep our eyes and our minds focused on you as we go through our trials. Please bring to mind scriptures that will help us to fight the urge to give in... and please help us to give our problems to You and to really give them to You and to be able to rest in Your peace as we allow You to take the driver's seat in our lives and steer us back to where we need to be.
Have you ever felt like your world was just falling apart? I guarantee you that I have felt like that, and I have a strong suspicion that you have too. It's easy to get dragged down into the lowest lows when we feel like that. If you're like me, you tend to take your eyes off of God and put them right back on yourself. I don't know what we find so interesting about ourselves that we can't take our eyes off of ourselves, but that is what happens, isn't it? We quit listening to God, and the quiet inner voice of the Holy Spirit, and instead we start to listen to Satan's lies. He's good. Really good. He takes something that we know to be true, he starts out telling us the truth, but then very very subtly he changes it a little and if we don't catch it quickly enough he changes it a little more until suddenly we are listening to outright lies. We may realize it, but by that time we are so sucked in that we can't stop listening and we find ourselves tricked into thinking it "must be true". His hope is that we will just accept that and then it will become our reality.
If we look at our lives when we are not at "rock bottom" we can usually see at least one way (and often more) that God has worked in our lives. It is usually something that you know just HAD to be a God thing because there is just no way that was happening without Gods' help. God puts these examples of how He works in our lives out there so that we can turn to them to remind us that He IS working in our lives. And that He IS "all powerful". When we are going through the rough times, hopefully before we have been taken in by Satan's lies, we need to reach out and grab onto the vivid reminders of how God has already worked the impossible in our lives.
God isn't gonna keep Satan from coming after you. Satan came after Jesus. What did Jesus do? He turned to the Word of God. He quoted it back to Satan and ordered him to be gone. We have been given the power and authority to do the very same thing. We have been given the Word of God. We need to study it now and know it. One so that we can use it to defeat Satan, but also because if we REALLY KNOW IT we can not be fooled when Satan tries to twist it into something that it is not. And we need to be able to recognize how God works in our lives. Remember the things He has done. Remember how awesome it was to see how He worked in your life. And realize that He has not left you behind.
Now when it seems like the world is falling apart around me I try to really think on God's Word, and on the miracles that He has worked in my life. I know that He would not have invested that much in me just to let me go... I then start to evaluate my life to see if there are any strongholds that I have not given up to Him. I am quite sure that there are always some strongholds at any one time... as I am only human. But I ask God to show me if there is anything that He want's me to work on. And I pray. I don't pray that God fixes it, but I guess it wouldn't hurt... I do however pray that God be my center. That I can keep my eyes and my thoughts on Him as I go this trial rather than on myself... not an easy task. And I am not always very good at it. You probably know exactly what I'm saying, huh?
Dear Lord, please don't let my friends and I be fooled by Satan's cruel games. Please help us to keep our eyes and our minds focused on you as we go through our trials. Please bring to mind scriptures that will help us to fight the urge to give in... and please help us to give our problems to You and to really give them to You and to be able to rest in Your peace as we allow You to take the driver's seat in our lives and steer us back to where we need to be.
Friday, January 1, 2010
What, no books in the schools?
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
I was reading online recently about a boarding school in New England that has gotten rid of most of the books in their library and replaced them with electronic devices called "Kindles" that are like computerized books. Amazon.com sells the Kindles and the books which can be downloaded to the devices and then read. Amazon has about 366,000 titles at the moment and their library is growing.
This made me think about the Bible. I have 2 electronic versions of the bible loaded onto my Ipod and I used them at church and at bible study. It's much easier to carry the Ipod around than lugging a big book. When doing actual study time I use an online site called biblegateway.com to do research because I can check the verse in every version without much trouble.
I find the electronic devices easier to read than a book because as I have gotten older the eyesight has deteriorated quite a bit. I like the backlit screens that are easier to see and being able to increase the font size helps immensely. Much easier than squinting at a page. But yet... when I am sitting at home and I just want to experience the comfort of read the bible, I am still much more likely to pull out the old bible I started with in College (the one with the highlighted pages, with notes written all around the borders...) You know the one, you probably have one just like it at home. There is just something about actually holding and looking at the real bible when you just want to soak in God's word.
I am a true computer geek, but yet I worry about taking the books out of the schools and the libraries. I can't imagine what it would be like if children never picked up a real book to read. No flipping the pages. No feeling the weight of a good story. Not even the sound of the book hitting the desk to get someone's attention. (Though I imagine if you drop a "Kindle" you will get someone's attention.)
If we allow our schools to do away with real books they will be gone forever, even the classics. If this happens we will be dependent on purchasing them from an online company. We will be limited to the "profitable" titles rather than an entire library full of titles. And how will we ever be able to keep up with technology. Technology changes every few years. The books that you download now probably won't work in 5 or 10 years, but that hardback book on your shelf will still be readable. I have heard of family's that have passed Bibles down for generations, even with histories and family trees inside. (Mine was not one of them.) I want to see the books stay on the shelves. I want to see the children reading them. It's got to make you wonder...
Dear Lord, please help my friends and I to teach the young people in our lives the value of reading. Help us to share with them the joy of picking up an old book and just holding it in our hands and reading it page by page. Please help my friends to share the joy of looking through highlighted notes and words of wisdom jotted in the borders of their bibles. That would be totally lost if we had to rely solely on electronic books. Thank you Lord, for providing the word and please help us to protect it and pass it on to the young people in our lives.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
