#MerryChristmas

•  Merry Christmas to all and a Most Happy New Year.

One week from today we celebrate Messiah's birthday.  Preparations have started days ago with deciding special gifts for everyone and special meals to have on the table.  Packages have been wrapped and cards signed and groceries bought all with excitement and love.

The birth of Jesus, the Messiah, was planned for from before the foundation of the world.  Bethlehem was foretold to be the place God would come into the world as a baby and the Roman governing authorities had decreed a census which forced Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem.  God's plan was working perfectly.  God's plan is still working perfectly today.

With so much thought given to this birth, we might consider how important it is for us to prepare for more than physical things.  Is our heart prepared to submit to the Lord's instructions?  Before Jesus died for our disobedience, He said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."  When asked about which commandment was most important, Jesus answered, "Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself."  This is quite simple - Love God and Love others as you love yourself.

"The Preparation of the Gospel of Peace" are what the shoes we wear every day are called.  We are to be prepared to share this Good News about redemption.  People are put into our lives by God Almighty and He wants us to really love them by kindness in word or deed.  We may be preparing their hearts to receive some message that will come to them later in some form or another.  We may motivate them or shed some light that will help them see Truth.

Yes, we need to celebrate this wondrous event and enjoy each moment we are given.  Father God gives us all things to enjoy and we honor Him by celebrating His coming into our world.

Let us Praise Him!

#FrogsAndSnails

 Sugar and spice and everything nice; that's what little girls are made of.  Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails; that's what little boys are made of.  So, the sayings go.  Our daughter was our first born and she was the most beautiful thing to us. She was pure sugar and spice.  We found such joy watching her grow up and did a little bit of catering to her.

When our second one was born, I remember crying as my obstetrician shared this news to me as she placed a beautiful healthy baby boy in my arms.  She was shocked.   "Why are you crying?" she asked.  "I never expected a boy." I replied, "I'm from a family of all girls."  She laughed.  That son was only the first of three more.  I need not have worried about having only girls, but when I brought number four home from the hospital, our daughter got mad at me.  "Why did you give me another brother?  I wanted a sister."  She had had enough of frogs and snails.

Yes, sisters are wonderful and I did feel sorry for our daughter, that she did not have that lovely experience that I had growing up.  The memories I have of my sister and I sleeping in a double bed and struggling over space and pulling covers from one another are special.  She was the 'sugar' and I was the 'spice' in our family.  She still is and I love her dearly.

"Children are a heritage of the Lord."  Psalm 127:3  "Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."  Psalm 127:7

Whether it be frogs and snails or sugar and spice, we are gifted with precious children and the Bible urges us to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." 

JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN, ALL THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD.  RED AND YELLOW, BLACK AND WHITE. THEY ARE PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT. JESUS LOVES THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD.

#Debts

 It was our first Christmas as husband and wife.  We were living sparsely in an efficiency apartment and had no money to spare.  I am sorry to say that I do not remember what I gave my husband, but I do remember what he gave me.  It was beyond my imagination and way out of our budget.  He gave me a crisp new 50 dollar bill!  There were no stipulations going with it.  It was mine.

I had never owned a credit card, nor borrowed any money and debt was foreign to me, until.  Until, we decided to purchase a television set and chose to (because we had to) buy this set on time.  We had not had any monthly payments, except for rent, and I really felt uncomfortable owing this debt.  I did not tell my husband what I thought about doing with my $50.00 gift and just did it.  Yes, I went to the store and paid off our television set.  I felt so proud of myself.  We were debt free, again.

I proudly shared with my husband what I had done with my gift and, of all things, he got mad at me.  He had wanted me to spend it on myself and I had misunderstood.  I thought I was doing something good, but he was confident that he could take care of the payments on our television and I interfered.

Several lessons I learned from this experience.  Sometimes, when we think we are doing good, we are only fowling up.  There is more at stake than our feelings.  The giver's feelings need to be considered because they are worthy.  The idea of being indebted has taken on new meaning,  I have learned to live with being indebted.  There are so, so very many people that I am indebted to and then there is God.  Each day is a gift that we can never repay the giver for.  Each breath we take is a gift and there is no way we can repay for that.  Salvation is a free gift to all and this gift is so costly that we can only take it with a grateful heart, grateful every day.  Health and family and home and job and sunshine and rain and country may be ours and the considered worth of these things makes us indebted.

God is so good.  He is the giver of good.  He deserves our praise and thanksgiving every waking moment.  We all live with debts much bigger than our ability to repay.  Our life, our being is the only acceptable thing that would give the giver satisfaction.  Telling Jesus "My life is in your hands." is the perfect response.

#BlessingsAbound

 The list is very long.  Starting out this morning, I woke up from a very nice sleep.  That is the first thing I am grateful for and second on my list is that I woke up.  Number three is that I could walk.  I might have been walking crookedly, but I was walking.  My list keeps growing with having a home and a bed and covers and heat.  Of course, there is gratitude for the kitchen with food in the pantry and refrigerator and the toaster and stove to cook the food.  There is so much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my family.  God gave me a loving husband and absolutely wonderful children and grandchildren and even great grandchildren.  There are really no words to convey my gratitude for this family.  I have a job and a car and good health to be able to work.  God brought into my life a church family and pastor that is so dear to me.  Then there is my country, the land of the free, and this is such a blessing when other parts of the world is hurting so badly.  These are filling me with great thankfulness.

We have Bibles readily available and books to read and stores to shop in.  There is such an abundance of so much that we have the 'problem' of making choices.  We have policemen to protect us and firemen to help just in case, and stop signs and green lights to control traffic or we would have a big problem.

I am ever grateful that the most Holy Creator God saw fit to place me in a God fearing family which took me to church every Sunday where I would hear about sin and it's consequences and about the Savior who paid for all sin.  I am thankful that the Holy Spirit convicted me of sin and judgement and interceded for me to the point of tenderizing my heart to be able to place my faith in Jesus as my Savior.

There is a home being prepared for me in heaven and I am so thankful that my final destination is there.  I am thankful that God loves us so much and is always working for out good.  And, I am so grateful that this loving God hears and answers our prayers.  These are just a few of the things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving Season.

#Togetherness

 It was a bold idea, that, perhaps Nimrod had, yet, it took hold and everyone supported it.  It would take hard work to accomplish this project. The result would make them famous and create a name for them, so togetherness became the by-word for these people.  They were determined to build a city and a tower that would prove they were to be admired and respected.

They made bricks and used tar as mortar and began this major project.  This happened on the Plain of Shinar which is where Babylon is located, today.  Genesis 11:1-9 tells the story.  The people all spoke one language which made it so easy to communicate and all were of one culture which led to few misunderstandings.

There was one big problem - God had told them to go and fill the earth.  They had decided that was not a good idea.  They liked togetherness more than they liked to obey God.  So, this enormous tower was under construction and moving along quite well.  That is when God got involved.  God knew that upon completion of this tower more confidence would develop in them and they would continue on the road of disobedience.  The one very simple solution developed that led to mass confusion and an utter inability to continue.  They began speaking in different languages and could not understand one another!  The work stopped and they scattered away from each other.

It states in Proverbs 18:10 that "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: The righteous runs into it and is safe."  If they had only trusted in the name of the Lord instead of wanting to create a name for themselves, they might have continued to enjoy togetherness.

This appears to be the first instance of globalism when the people decided to stick together instead of separating and developing their own nations and filling the earth.  How God handled this 'togetherness', this globalism, shows us what He thinks of the idea.  A one world government is not what God has in mind for us humans.  One leader who has made a name for himself instead of honoring the name of the Lord is not a leader to gather around and follow.  We are to trust in the name of the Lord which is our Strong Tower.

#Believers

 We are called 'BELIEVERS' because we believe.  "Everyone believes." you say. Yes, everyone believes something.  It is what you believe that makes the difference.

Would you believe the media?  It is interesting that when a witness is called to court to recount what she saw or heard she is required to swear to 'tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth'.  She cannot leave out any information concerning the event in question or tell a falsehood because leaving out information is the same as telling a lie.

"Let God be true, but every man is a liar." Romans 3:4 tells us.  The Holy Spirit spoke through Paul to make us aware of this fact - every man is a liar.  When the 'rubber meets the road' everyone of us will lie.  We lie for many reasons, but we do lie.  We can't take the word of the media or advertisers or politicians as absolute truth.  We must be discerning and in order to be discerning we must know some facts about the subject.  Otherwise, we will be snookered in.

The Lord Jesus Christ spoke of Himself as 'TRUTH'.  Believers choose to believe God's Word, the written Word and the Word become flesh.  Jesus said, " Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one if born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3 and again in verse 18, "He who believes in Him is not judged: he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  These are facts and Jesus told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  We can believe these words and place our trust in them, absolutely.

Believing Jesus' words makes all the difference in this world and in the world to come.

#BaconAndEggs

Peanut butter and jelly or bacon and eggs - some things just go together. Then, there are some unusual connections that may cause us to stop in our tracks.  When someone is speaking gracious words, words that lift our hearts and minds, words of praise and worship and then begin words of warnings, it is disconcerting.  

Suppose you are a Jew and live in the land of Israel.  There is peace and prosperity in your country and a pleasant future to look forward to.  Your parents have told you the history of your ancestors being slaves in Egypt for 400 years and how God had raised up Moses to deliver them through the miraculous parting of the Red Sea and led them through the wilderness for 40 years.  The story of how these freed people had been so arrogant to test the Lord God at Meribah was part of their history.  You remember hearing how they had grumbled because there was no water for them to drink.  They had even begun to believe that God was not with them because of their need.  Just a few days before they had witnessed the waters part and they walked on dry land to freedom.  This done by the hand of God.  Yet, they began to doubt.  What an insult to God their doubts were displaying.

Psalm 95 is nine verses long.  The first seven verses are a reminder of the greatness of God.  It is asking people to sing for joy and thanksgiving for the Lord is a great God.  It reminds people that the whole earth, from the peaks of the mountains to the depths and the sea are in His hands, for He has made it all.  It is asking people to worship this King and give Him the praise He deserves.  Verse seven changes the tone.  Today, today, it says, if you would hear His voice, harden not your hearts as at Meribah.

Then comes the warning.  Blessings and warnings are here together like salt and pepper.  As that people had experienced God's blessings and yet tested Him by doubting Him and showed that they had not taken an interest in learning of Him and His ways, this Psalm ends with the result.  They would not enter into God's rest.  And so it went, all but two men died in the wilderness and did not enter the land promised to them.

We should take note of this sugar and spice psalm.  The thing that made God angry was that His people doubted Him.  God is faithful. God is trustworthy. We honor God by believing His Word. Let us not harden our hearts because we have needs.  There is a reason for everything God does or does not do.  Let us praise Him.  Let us worship Him.  Let us believe Him.

#BeneficialRewards

 Customers keep coming back because of Rewards Programs.  You make a purchase and get points for it and you can later use the points to purchase something else.  You are hooked.  You keep coming back because you get rewarded.  It is a good idea because it benefits the customer and the business.

The principle of rewards is an old one.  In fact, there is a statement in the Bible regarding rewards that perhaps some CEOs found.  God is telling people in the Book of Hebrews that He will reward anyone who seeks Him.  The eleventh chapter gives a long list of people who were rewarded for believing God.

There is one man who was rewarded in a most unusual way.  There are only five verses about Enoc in Genesis.  One verse tells of his birth.  One verse tells how long he lived before fathering a son named Methuselah.  Another verse tells a bit about his life after the birth of Methuselah, that he walked with God.  That is interesting, because we can assume that the birth of this son brought about a change in Enoc's attitude toward God.  The last verse about Enoc tells us that he walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Hebrews 11:5 gives more light about the 'taking'.  It states that Enoc did not see death because he was pleasing to God.  Enoc obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.  Being 'taken up' had not happened before, at least to our knowledge.  When Enoc obtained the witness that he pleased God, and we do not know what that witness was, he must have gotten an idea in his head.  Maybe Enoc thought that it would be a nice thing if God would just zap him to heaven.  Maybe he talked with God about this and from that conversation developed the faith that it would happen.  It did.

There are some impossible things and God is the God of the impossible.  I believe that God wants us to think of impossible things and believe Him for it.  Mundane stuff is not God's area of expertise.  Impossible stuff God relishes in doing.  Do we limit God by leaning to our own understanding and not acknowledging Him?  Do we settle for the mundane, seemingly safe way, the world's way and not give God a chance to glorify Himself?

The list in Hebrews is long of average people who believed God for the impossible.  There were so many obstacles and giants and real problems that these people faced and, yet, they found favor with God and had impossible situations turn out for good because they believed God would do it.

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."  Hebrews 11:6

#RealityCheck

 It was about 8:15 in the morning and the pharmacist came through the door with her phone in one hand and headed toward the pharmacy alarm.  She has to unset the alarm or the police will come when she opens that door.  Heading to the alarm is done every single day.  She punched in her code, while still talking and turned and started walking to get her day started.  A few seconds later is saw her turn around and head back.  When she got a few feet from me, she asked, "Did I?"  I nodded yes.  She signed and turned around again.  I understood.

Have you ever been there?  We do things over and over and over again and later we wonder, did I do that today or am I remembering yesterday?  There were a few times that I drove off to work and got a few blocks away and wondered if I had closed the garage door.  I had to turn around and drive back to make sure.  When we are distracted we can do stuff and not recall.

Charles Stanley is noted for saying "Listen" in the middle of a sentence while preaching.  He knew human nature and I am sure it had happened to him.  We can sit in the pew and look so attentive and be a thousand miles away.  We can sing and hear prayers and our minds can be like a double screen TV with two or more programs going on at the same time.  I don't think that pleases God.  He wants your full attention and He deserves it.  Jeremiah was talking to the Lord about the condition of his country in the twelfth chapter of the book by his name.  He said."You" (You being God) "You are near to their lips but far from their mind."  Doesn't that say it all?  The people of Israel were going to services and saying things by rote.  Their minds were far away.  It was all an act.  God was not impressed by their act.

If someone asks you on Thursday what the sermon your pastor preached on Sunday was about, could you tell them?  Was just an empty shell dressed like you sitting in your seat?  It has been noted that getting involved greatly increases your chances to remember something.  If you take your Bible with you to church and read along with the pastor, you have a better chance of remembering.  If you take notes while the pastor is preaching, you have an even better chance of remembering.  There are three parts involved in this action - the ear is hearing, the eye is reading and the hand is recording notes.  You have a three times better chance of remembering.  The pastor has taken hours to prepare and God is using him to speak truth to you.  Church is not a social gathering.  It is a place for believers to gather together to worship the King and hear a word from God that will challenge or encourage or comfort them.  Church is a place to be blessed if you are 'really' there.

#FaithToFight

 Is there such a thing as 'wandering arthritis'?  For several years I had pain in my right hip joint. It would last for several days and go away and then pain would occur in my neck, for several days and go away.  There would be pain developing in one or the other shoulder and then go away, but last September things changed.  There was pain in all those places and it did not go away.  My bed became a torcher chamber where I could not sleep.  In addition to the pain, I lost strength in my hands.  I carefully held my coffee cup with both hands.  All this time I had been praying asking God to heal me, but no answer.  Then, I began asking Him to guide me through to the solution.  There had to be a solution.

Aspirin came to my mind and I began taking the largest dosage prescribed every night before bed.  It did relieve a bit and some sleep happened.  Not having my own physician, I Googled arthritis and found there is more than one type.  I tried to determine which, if any, type I might have. Glucosamine and Turmeric was recommended.  It was now November and I began a regime of those two supplements.  There was some relief and I quit taking aspirin.

Then along came 2020 and the Corona Virus was doing some damage here in the U.S. with shutdowns and social distancing and such.  A few days after Easter, I had severe diarrhea.  Perhaps it was something I ate or stomach flu or, hopefully not the Covid 19 flu.  I took an anti-diarrheal medication, but the next day it happened again.  Never had I experienced such a thing and it went on for days.  I was afraid that I would not be able to go to work.  Of course, I was praying. Was God trying to tell me something?  Was He trying to teach me something?  What did God want me to do?

In June, I seriously considered seeing a doctor, but hospitals were shut down and doctor's offices were shut down and I came to the conclusion that God had timed this for this time and He wanted to be my doctor.  If Jesus could heal a woman who had been ill for years and had seen doctors, but with her touch of faith on his robe she was healed, Jesus could heal me.

I quit drinking coffee and started taking probiotics and cut out spicy foods, to no avail.  I kept praying, asking for directions.  Then, I actually read my vitamin bottles and found that my calcium tablets were to be taken three times a day.  I had been taking only one a day, but immediately started taking three.  Within a month the diarrhea disappeared and the 'arthritis' pain became a memory.  By September, one year from when health issues developed, I was pretty normal, maybe even better, stronger and a couple of pounds lighter.

This gory story is told for two reasons. One, that God get the glory.  He is faithful.  He answers prayers.  He is seeing what could be with your eyes of faith and will help you get there. Two, that perhaps someone out there needs to hear that God is faithful and that Calcium is really a necessary ingredient to the body's good health along with Vitamin D3.

#FavoritismDeployed

 The call goes out. There is a constant call going out.

Abram and his wife left Ur of the Chaldeans and traveled to Canaan and settled there Genesis 11:31 tells us.  That is when the Lord spoke to him and told him to go forth to the land He would show him and made him a promise.  Could it possibly be that a universal call had gone out and only one man responded?  That one man, Abram, by responding to the call, put himself and all his descendants into a favored position with the Lord.

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God: and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech. Psalm 19:1 and 2.  The call is constantly going out.  Does the work of God's hands make you curious?  Do the stars in heaven impress you and lead you to think that there must be a 'big' thinker out there?   Do you respond by searching for the truth?

There is no partiality with the God of the Bible (Acts 10:34). He is no respecter of persons. "He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matthew 5:45.  As I understand the character of God from what He has told us in His Word, God does not have favorites, but there is a favorite position one can enjoy.

This first favored position was by heritage and demanded faithful hearts. The covenant keeping God remained faithful to the descendants of Abram even though they did not remain faithful to Him and there were consequences for their bad behavior.  Even while in exile, God told them that "you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with your whole heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord and I will restore your fortunes." Jeremiah 29:13 and 14.

Today, it is no longer by heritage, but by choice.  There is a new covenant and it is found in the New Testament.  The call is still going out to the whole world and we have a choice. God is no respecter of persons and has stated in the New Testament in the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes on Him shall have eternal life."  It is in your hands whether you are in the favored position of being one of God's children or not.

#GarbageGuru

 We were ankle deep, literally, in leaves every autumn.  Raking and gathering bags and blisters in the process, I would take these bags and branches to the local land fill.  There always were left over ones and fallen apples from the apple trees and so, I began a compost pile. I became a garbage guru.  Compost is wonderful.  It is dirt turned into soil.  Using garbage such as potato peals and apple peals and orange peals and leaves and dirt, everything but meat and fats, time and heat and worms and regular turning will produce rich soil.

This process of using the laws God put into place working garbage into something useful just demonstrates how God can turn our personal garbage into something good.  God has plainly stated that we all are sinners.  We sin because we have a nature that is prone to sin.  This nature is not garbage.  It is worse.  This nature is worse than radio active.  It is deadly and will end us up in damnation.

But, Scripture tells us that Emanuel, God in the flesh, took care of all that radio activity on the cross where all our sins were completely paid for.  Sin is no longer our problem, but the sin nature has to be dealt with personally by each one of us.  God told us the solution in His Word.  "To as many as received Jesus" this means that we believe that Jesus as the God-man took upon himself all sin and paid for it by shedding His own innocent blood and "to them that believe, God gives the authority to become His children."           John 1:12.

As a born again child of God, we still have garbage in our lives.  We can choose to live with that stinky stuff or we can choose to deal with it.  We can place fear and gossip and worry and procrastination and pride and resentment and bitterness and selfishness and sensuality and jealousy and I could go on, into God's compost pile.  God is a garbage genius.  With the heat of God's light in His word and some aerating using prayer, God can make good out of stinky stuff.

He can and does produce good fruit using good soil that has been produced from garbage.  The fruit will replace the garbage and you will see love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control.  You can really live with these and others will enjoy living with you, too.

#BringItOn

 A dollar bill was given to each of us with the intention of placing it in an envelope to be put in the offering plate at Sunday School every Sunday.  My father was making sure that we three girls got into the habit of giving.  It really wasn't teaching us how to budget our own resources, but it instilled in me the fact that God expects us to give.

When I found my church home in my new location, I began tithing from my earnings.  Something prompted me to begin rounding up about a year ago.  It was an act of faith, because I didn't have any more resources, but was concerned about the state of our world.

That is when things started happening.  Sometime in April the government sent me, along with many others, a $1200.00 check. Then, I was offered six weeks off work because of the 'plague' and with pay.  I did take advantage of that.  We had a contest at work in May and I won two $25.00 gift cards, winning two contests in a row. Within those two weeks, a friend just handed me a $50.00 gift card to a nail salon. I was being amazed at all this when I remembered God's promise - "Give, and it shall be given to you in good measure, pressed down and running over" - Luke 6:38.

Later in August while I was in Iowa for my grandson's wedding, my son and daughter-in-law presented me with a wonderful and expensive, by my standards, shopping spree.  It just doesn't stop!! You can't out give God.  He will be a debtor to no man, or woman.  He really means it when He says in Malachi 3:10 "Test Me" "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house and TEST Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for a blessing until it overflows."

This is not the kind of testing that is crossing the line of going against God's will, but it is extending faith and showing God that you trust Him and know He will provide, somehow.  It is giving Him the opportunity to bring glory to His Word.  I am having fun at this 'rounding up' and am saying, "Father God, bring it on!"

#PressureCooking101

Even a novice cook can create a great meal using The Pressure Cooker.  Just by following the instructions that come with the cooker, one can make a delicious, nutritious meal.  The principal of pressure cooking allows the heat and steam created inside the pot to force seasonings inside the meat and tenderize it at the same time, ready to serve.  Timing is important.  If you are not watching and the heat increases, the lid can blow off and that can make a mess.

Back in the history of Israel when the people were put in slavery by Egypt, it can be considered that God had put them in a pressure cooker.  He was watching over the 400 years that the pot was on the fire.  Finally, the hearts of the people had been tenderized and they reached out to their God for relief.  That was when Pharaoh was placed in the pressure cooker.  God sent nine plagues to tenderize Pharaoh's heart, but it did not work.  This man hardened his heart with each plague and became more determined to do harm to God's chosen people.  When the tenth plague of the death of the first born was sent that was when the lid blew off and those six million people left the slavery of Egypt and headed for the promised land.

You and I are often put in the pressure cooker.  Each situation is perfectly designed for each believer in order to tenderize us.  While we are busily comparing ourselves to each other and coming out looking pretty good, God knows our hearts and sees that changes need to be made. You can't, by the best intentions and the strongest will power, change your stripes. Even if you could, your standards are not as good as God's.  He has good in mind, yet, we are in the pain of the pressure cooker and cannot see what God sees.  We just want the heat to be lowered and to be taken out of the pot.

We have a choice to make.  We can resist and harden out hearts or we can relent and let God have His way. The God who sees is constantly watching and knows exactly how much heat and how long to keep the pressure on to make you ready to serve. The very act of trusting God in the hard, hot places is what faith is all about. As Job said, "Tho He slay me, yet, will I trust Him."

Are you ready to serve?

#SlightlyRisky

The Blackhawk  was heavy. Not only did it carry a full crew and their equipment, but there was also eight firemen, their equipment, plus shovels and pick axes. They were flying to a mountain in Yellowstone National Park. Three states were engulfed in raging fires and the firemen were to dig trenches to try to halt the blaze. My son was the pilot and this was his first mission as a Pilot-In-Command. He would need all his schooling and training to accomplish this dangerous mission.  The lives on board and the $10,000,000.00 bird that had been entrusted to him was always his primary concern - getting back home safely.

He picked a spot on the top of a mountain and attempted to land.  He was too heavy and there was not enough power to control the rotors.  It was at 12,000 feet where the air is very thin and gusts of wind were coming from different directions.  He had learned to made sure there was an escape route before landing.  He quickly flew down the side of the mountain and gained power and flew around for another approach.  One more attempt and the same problem developed.  The engines were screaming.  Down the side of the mountain he went a second time and all the while he was burning fuel and becoming lighter.  The third attempt was successful and with a big "whew" he told the fire fighters to get out quickly.  When he finished telling me this story he said, "It was risky business, but, boy, did I learn so much on that mission."

Walking by faith is 'risky business' also.  Peter came to my mind later and the episode he had that became risky business.  Jesus had told the disciples to get into a boat and go to the other side of Lake Galilee and He would come to them later.  They had gone a good distance when the wend became strong and 'contrary'.  Then Jesus came to them walking on the water.  They became terrified, but Peter asked Jesus to ask him to "come to You on the water." Jesus said, "Come."  Peter believed his Lord and got out of the boat and started walking on the water.  The wind and big waves distracted him and he became frightened.  It was risky business, this walking on water and fear dispelled faith and he began to sink.  Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and saved him.  Jesus was Peter's escape route.

A believer's walk of faith can be risky business.  We sense God leading us to do something and we ask for guidance and we get out of our comfort zone and begin moving forward.  Most usually there are obstacles ahead.  Hardly ever is it smooth sailing.  The obstacles can put doubts in our minds, if we are not steadily looking to Jesus and fear can develop, or we can just know that Jesus has our backs and overcome.  He is faithful, no matter the circumstances and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your faith and will provide the way of escape.  If you don't get out of your safe boat you will never know His faithfulness or learn how to overcome.

#Lifestyles

The free enterprise system of our government has enabled many people to attain riches.  The life styles of the rich and famous has led TV to produce shows featuring these people, showing off their palatial homes and toys and fashionable clothing.  We find out what they eat and how they keep fit, what they drive and where they go on vacations.  Then we learn of divorces and addictions because some of these blessed people weren't ready for the riches that came their way.

We hardly ever hear about the average person that goes to work five days a week and lives in a modest home and is faithful to their spouse and loves their kids and goes to church and just keeps on keeping on.  Most of our population is made up of these people and they are the bedrock of our country.  There is something special about this average person, but no TV show today will feature them.  Their story isn't exciting.

What is really valuable in life?  You may be surprised to hear what God says, "Contentment with Godliness is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6  These six words are pretty complete.  Contentment is being satisfied no matter what state you may find yourself in.  When riches come enjoy them. When things get financially tight, know that your will learn something as you adjust and change your priorities and be thankful for it always could be worse.

Godliness is the inner you loving God more each day and making time to listen to Him through His Word and talking to Him over all things.  It is trusting Him implicitly and bringing all your concerns to Him and just worshiping Him and loving Him.

Great gain is just that.  You get the benefits from contentment and Godliness.  You come out richer in the things that matter the most.

#Investments

It pays to be careful when you are considering investing your hard earned money.  Anyone who does find the right thing  to invest in, does so in order to reap a return.  The stock market is a gamble and even buying land can prove to your undoing.  A farmer not only has bought the land and all the machinery it takes to prepare and reap the harvest, but he has invested in seed and fertilizer and bug killers plus all the time it takes to get the crop growing.  The weather can be his worst enemy - no rain, storms with wind and hail and cold coming too soon.  All that has been invested might be lost.

God has invested an immeasurable amount in this planet for the sake of the human race and He has the right to expect a good return.  Explorers have discovered iron and gold and diamonds and more and scientists have put God's laws to work and developed electricity and X-ray and microwaves and more and all this has benefited mankind.  God is constantly working bless us, but does He get a return?

God planted His Son in a grave two thousand years ago.  His perfect Son had done no wrong, yet paid the full price for all, yes, all the wrongs done by the human race till the end of time by His death on a cross.  God accepted Jesus' payment and proved that He did by resurrecting Him on the third day.  God expects a return for this investment. 

What does He want?  His word tells us that He is not willing that any should perish.  That means that He does not want any person to spend eternity in Hell.  He wants Jesus' payment to be utilized by every one of us.  He wants everyone to understand their condition as condemned until, and if they see Jesus as the answer and claim their right to eternal life by trusting in His death and resurrection.

Do you understand that heaven is a perfect place and only perfection is allowed there?  Are you perfect?   There is a solution.  When you admit your condition and just believe that Jesus died for you, you then receive His perfection and Father God sees you as perfect.  You have become a good return for the payment Jesus made.

#HomeImprovements

Kneeling at the front pew of my church, I prayed and asked Jesus to be my Savior.  I was ten years old.

Forward twenty plus years and I was a mother of five and attending a small church in Wisconsin.  One day two ladies from the church came to visit me.  There were some concerns between the two of them that involved the pastor's wife.  She was a substitute teacher in the public schools and both of these ladies complained to me about the gossiping they had heard coming from the pastor's wife in school.  We prayed and hoped it would stop.  It didn't.  The pastor's wife was then invited to come and with these two ladies to have a talk.  It still didn't stop.  We, then, took it to church and they asked me to present the problem at a business meeting.  I did not prepare as I should have and just blurted out the request for the pastor's wife to 'shut up'.  The pastor resigned after much back and forth talking.  It was not what I intended or expected.

Some months later, two different ladies came to my front door.  I knew neither of them, but they came to ask me to accept the chairmanship of the new Christian Women's Club that was forming in our town.  I had never heard of that organization.  I don't know how they knew me or why I was considered.  What I do know is that God knew what I needed.  One might think that I had done much damage to our church and needed to be chastised or punished, but God is so kind and loving and keeps giving chances to failures and stumblers and the slow of learning that He redeems instead of rebuking.

All those years between 10 and 20 plus, the home my Savior lived in had pretty much remained a ten year old's habitat, spiritually.   A father can have a wonderful relationship with his ten year old child, but he does not want that child to remain mentally, physically or spiritually ten years old.  My Father God wanted a more intimate and mature relationship with me and the wonderful Bible studies that CWC offered was used to make me aware of the man Jesus in such a way that I fell in love with Him.  Then began many improvements in the Lord's home in my life. 

As I look back over all the years of my life, I can see real changes, real improvements.  It is definitely not finished, yet, but I know my Father God enjoys the relationship we have today.  I know I do.

#LiberalisnVsConservatism

It is very confusing.  The terms liberalism and conservatism, when applied to politics, do not convey the attitudes of liberals or conservatives.  The meaning of liberal, according to my dictionary, is generous, relating to a freeman, tolerant, marked by generosity, open minded.  The meaning of conservative is careful to preserve or maintain established traditions or institutions such as the Constitution or the Bible, one who preserves or guards or saves.

The liberals I know are not tolerant or open minded.  The conservatives I know are very open and want all men to be free to live their own lives.  This is the attitude prevalent today.  Democrats say they are progressive, yet what they advocate is very regressive.  Republicans claim to be conservative, yet they are more tolerant of others ideas even if very different from their own.

Liberals want us to see the Constitution as a living document that can and does change with the changes in our society or changes in the understanding of different words.  Conservatives view the Constitution as meaning what it says, period.  The same with the Bible.  It is not a living document. It means what it says, period.

Where the term is true is when it says conservatives want to preserve and guard the traditions and institutions.  Conservatives should always be on guard and protect the Constitution and the Bible.  Liberal is a misleading term because there is nothing generous or tolerant about a political agenda that does not allow the opposing views to be expressed and tolerates riots and harming others.

This world is upside down where good is considered bad and evil is considered good.  Murdering the unborn is considered a 'right' and having open borders is considered 'good' and tax money  is given to aliens and taxpayers are deprived, where policemen and women are disdained and those who dishonor the American flag are applauded.

It is very confusing!!! 

Does history repeat itself?  What happened to Rome or Greece or Babylon?  Is America's time coming for judgement?

#Education

School days, school days, dear old golden rule days; reading and writing and 'rithmatic... There are years and dollars spent on getting an education.  Learning to listen and reason and memorize and put it all together is a good part of all the time spent going to school.  There are quizzes and tests and exams.  These are to be expected in order for you and the teacher to find out how much you have learned.

All this is not just to make groves in your brain, but that knowledge is to be put to use.  A doctor needs to know math besides anatomy and physiology.   An engineer needs to know chemistry as well as physics.  Acquiring knowledge is a life-long exercise to be put to use, not stored in a briefcase.

There may be times when you think, "Boy, I have got it." Those algebra formulas were a mystery, then you finally saw the light and knew you were going to get an 'A' on the upcoming exam, but the problem was worded just a bit differently and you missed it.  Time to go back to the book!

There have been so, so many times that I have thought I had it when it came to understanding myself or God's way, but when it came to 'where the rubber meets the road', I failed.  In the spiritual realm there is more required that putting book learning in your head. You can memorize the whole Bible and it do you not one whit of good.  You can read the Bible every day and still come out a looser.  It is to be used not just known.  The basic requirement for using it is a willingness to obey it.  Jesus said, in John 17:7 "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God..."  If Jesus' teaching is of God, it needs to be obeyed. Jesus was chiding Jewish leaders for not having obeyed Moses' law.  They had this law for more than a thousand years and supposedly revered it, but they had not taken it personally and obeyed it.  They had not gotten it.  They just thought they had.  They failed the test.  They did not recognize Jesus as the one God had promised  to send in those books they had read and studied for years.

It is time to take God seriously. He reveals Himself in the Bible and discloses His way to us.  It is up to us to take it in and take it personally and put it to work.

#Immunity

The human body is an amazing thing.  From the time a baby is separated from it's mother, it is on it's own. Nourishment comes through it's mouth and not the umbilical cord.  It breathes through it's nose.  It's immune system has received  a good start from it's mother, but now has to build on to that foundation.

It is so natural for babies to crawl before they walk and the floor is the place where that happens and floors are not always clean.  Babies put everything they can into their mouths, dirty or not, and sometimes unwashed  thumbs.  Try as they can, mothers cannot keep everything clean all the time, but perhaps that is a good thing.  A body gradually builds resistance to germs as it becomes exposed to them over time.  If all things were sanitized there would be no opportunity to build a strong immune system.  So, playing in the dirt and making mud pies and eating finger food is really doing a beneficial thing for the body.

It has been said that 'nail-bitters' may have a healthier immunity because of all the germs occupying space under the nails.  Exposing the skin to moderate amounts of sun creates Vitamin D on the skin and taking Vitamin D3 and C strengthens the immune system. The body has resources built in itself to fight invaders.  Physically speaking we are in good shape in this world, but then, there is the spiritual world and we need resources to survive in good health.

Jesus told his followers that they were to 'be in the world, but not of it' which means that while we live on this planet we are not to absorb the world's system into our lives. We are not to play in the mud.  We do have a spiritual immune system; "Christ in you, the hope of Glory" and resources to strengthen it.  The Word of God is better than Vitamin D3 to the soul.  A daily dose of God's Word will do wonders to give you the ability to fight invaders and shore up your faith and keep you healthy.

#INDEPENDENCE

Some mama birds have to push their little fledglings out of the nest when they are ready to fly on their on, but something is holding them back.  I was not one of those.  I was so ready to be on my own and be independent.  After graduating from high school and working just three months in a hospital as a lab technician, I decided to leave home and go to college.  There was no fear or worry, just great anticipation for life.  I don't remember seeking counsel from my parents or receiving any. I just bombarded ahead.

That was my style, full speed ahead.  It was my style with God, too.  I had become a child of God's at the age of 10 and knew He was my Heavenly Father, yet I kind of ignored Him. Growing up going to church twice one Sunday and once or more in the middle of the week had given me lots of sermons and memorizing of scripture and '"knowledge".  I was an independent believer.  But, God didn't want that kind of relationship.  He want a close, intimate, father-child relationship and after 15 years of waiting, He began a serious campaign to get me to want a closer relationship with Him.  It worked and I agreed with Him about what He was convicting me about and took steps to solve the problem, but the bad habits of independence are hard to break.

Some ten years later, I realized that I did not have that intimacy other Christians had with God and took a big leap and sought counsel from another Christian.  She recognized the problem immediately and told me that what I had done with God earlier wasn't to be just a one time thing, but was something that needed to be done daily,  This father-child relationship required frequent talking with one another and getting to know each other.  Of course, God already knows everything about me, but He is infinite and there are not enough hours on earth to get to know Him fully, so every little minute I spend reading His word and telling Him how I feel and asking Him to elaborate only helps me to understand this marvelous Father-God a little bit more.  The independent spirit has developed into a dependent spirit that acknowledges a great need know Him better and better and to love Him more and more and to obey and honor my Father-God.

"I need Thee, O, I need Thee.  Every hour I need Thee."  This is my theme now.

#ProperAttire

He didn't even say "I beseech you."  He just said, "be strong.....and put on..." Paul was writing a letter to the people that belonged to the church in the city of Ephesus.  He was concerned about their welfare and he knew what a wicked city they lived in.  He knew that they were struggling and that it wasn't an easy, just enjoy your days kind of life they faced.  They had to develop a different mind set.

He went on the tell them what exactly they needed to 'put on' and why.  He described it in a picture they were used to seeing - a soldier's armor.  Rome occupied most all the regions in Europe and the mid-east and soldiers were everywhere. The Ephesians saw fully armed Roman soldiers on every street corner.  It was a perfect idea to help these Christ followers see how they were to be properly dressed.

The first piece he mentioned to put on was the belt of truth. The belt a soldier wore around his waist held everything together. Jesus called Himself as 'The Truth'. Jesus will hold a soldier together. Next, was the breastplate of righteousness. This breastplate covered the main parts of a soldier's body and protected it. Jesus is righteousness personified. The next item was shoes. A Roman soldier's shoes had cleats on the soles to provide them with secure standing and walking. Paul called these shoes 'the preparation of the Gospel of Peace'.  Jesus gives the believer 'peace that passes understanding'.  Then, Paul tells them to take up the shield of faith.  Believers have faith in Jesus.  Then, Paul says to put on their heads the helmet of Salvation.  The helmet covered their mind and their spirit and protected the soul from harm.  Jesus is the savior.  He is salvation.  Lastly, they were to take up the sword of the Word of God.  Jesus is the Word become flesh.

Jesus is every piece of the armor we are urged to put on each and every day.  We are to be wearing this armor in order to pray at all times in the Spirit and to be on the alert because we are in a struggle with spiritual powers.  We can be strong and confident wearing this armor provided for us by God Almighty.  We can pray and prevent God's arch enemy from gaining ground.  We are in a battle with eternal consequences and today we can't just enjoy our days.  It is a fight to the finish.

#Lovingkindness

One of the gifts that was given to humanity is free will. Perhaps you don't think of having a free will as something to be cherished, but without it you would be just a robot.  There are times when I had the thought that it would be easier to be a robot when it came to making the choice of which hand bag I should choose when standing before rows and rows of absolutely lovely hand bags. Or, when I was at the grocery store and trying to decide menus for the week ahead and the shelves held soooo many delicious and nutritious vegetables.

There are times when I have felt very much like a robot when I was doing chores over and over again and I didn't even have to think about what I was doing because I had done it soooo many times.  It may take more time to think things through by not being a robot and we will be held accountable for the choices we follow through on, but I definitely do not want to be a robot.

We were given a free will by God who does not want a robotic response from people in regards to loving Him and trusting Him and obeying Him. The free will given to us is precious evidence of His loving kindness. Our will is ours alone. We do not have to ask for it or pay for it. It is a gift.

If we were robots we would not be held accountable to our doings. We could say that we were programmed and could not help acting the way we did. So, this wonderful gift carries with it a burden. We will reap the consequences of our deeds and words. We may try to explain away our doings by saying that the way we were raised influenced us or our environment caused us to act the way we did. That doesn't hold water with the Judge because we were given a brain as well as free will and we can think before we act or speak. We were not programmed.  Our life is in our hands to do with as we choose.

"I have set before you today life and death,the blessing and the curse. So, choose life in order that you may live and your descendants by loving the Lord your God, and by obeying His voice..." Deuteronomy 30:20

As long as you have a breath left, you are free to choose to come to God. You are free to believe His Word and choose life. Jesus, the Christ said that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life and that by believing in Him we would have Life. There will be eternal consequences as to your choice - Life or Death.

#Combat

Some may consider it pure arrogance or pure foolishness, the idea of wrestling with God.  There could be, possibly, another explanation.  The story of Jacob wrestling with the Angel of God is told in Genesis 32.  The background of this incident is a long story of deception and robbery and running for his life. Jacob had deceived his father, Isaac, to steal his twin brother's birthright. Then he ran to a far country where his uncle lived and worked for him as a sheep herder and married two of the daughters of his uncle and became very prosperous.  The time came when he felt he should return to his home, but he was afraid of his brother, Esau.  He made all the preparations he could to secure his family and all the stock he was taking.  He prayed to his God for protection and safety and started out.

Along the way the Angel of God confronted Jacob and so began the combat. Jacob hung on all night because he so needed the blessing he knew God had promised him. He ended up with his right hip out of joint and he walked with a limp the rest of his days, but he did receive the blessing.

Could it be that this man really knew his God?  Could it be that Jacob so trusted his God that he dared to call Him on the promise that had been made?  Could it be that the relationship Jacob had with his God was strong enough to demand that he more that just say a prayer, but that he get seriously involved?

Each born again child of God has a distinct relationship with their Father God and depending on how well you know Him determines the extent you will get serious.  For me, I see Creator God as my, I say, my Father.  I remind Him that I am His daughter bought with the precious blood of His Son, Jesus. I question Him.  I bring Him reasons why I am asking for the things I present to Him. Even though He is God Almighty, I know He is my Father and some may think I go too far and bring Him down from His throne by being so familiar with Him, but He is my Heavenly Father God and I am His daughter and I do act like a daughter with Him.

I haven't wrestled with Him, yet, but it has come mighty close at times.

"Call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me."  Ps.50:15

#Hearing-aids

There were quite a few times in David's life when he was in pretty desperate circumstances.  He was a shepherd as a youth and had to face bears and lions who wanted an easy meal.  Some years later after he had been told by the prophet Samuel that he was to be king, King Saul went after him with all the forces a king could muster.  It is no wonder that David, who spent much of his time alone turned to God and talked with him about his fears.

The Bible tells us that God hears everything and nothing is hidden from Him. In Psalm 34 which is a prayer David wrote when he was being confronted by Abimelech who would have killed him, there are two verses that specifically say that he cried out to the Lord and He heard David's cry and saved him from his fears and troubles.  Verse 15 states that "the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry."  If God's ears can be 'open' they can also be 'closed'.

There is a fast-track to be heard and there is a fast-track not being heard. We get to know a little bit about the God of the Bible as we read it.  In 1 Samuel 8 the people of Israel had no earthly ruler over them. Other nations had kings which led armies, but Israel only had judges whom God would raise up and empower them to lead. At this time in their history the people became disgruntled with their prophets and judges and began comparing their country to others and decided God was too distant and judges were undependable and cried out for a king.  God told the prophet Samuel that the people had not rejected him, they had rejected God and for Samuel to listen to the people and appoint a king.  In verse 18 after Samuel had warned them of what a king would require of them, he states that under the rule of a king they may cry out to the Lord, but the Lord will not answer you.

What does it take for God to hear us?  God does not need a hearing-aid. He wants a contrite heart.  The definition of 'contrite' is the feeling of regret or remorse or sorrow over wrong actions or thoughts or words that go against God's standard.  That is the first step to knowing that God, not just hears us, but listens and upon listening always gives the very best answer.

#Transfers

It's been years since I have ridden a bus.  When I got my first job as a teenager I had get to work on a bus. It was a forty-five minute ride and I was given a paper transfer because my bus did not go where I needed to go.  This enabled me to catch another bus which would take me to work and use the paper transfer instead of paying any more money.  Transfers are a good thing.

The Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament is filled with instructions given to Moses regarding worship in the new Tabernacle. The priests had special clothing all made to order according to Jehovah-God. The furniture had been designed by God Himself and had been carefully crafted by talented workmen. The stone tablets on which God's finger had carved out the commandments by which the Israelite people were to live lay in the Ark of the Covenant. All of this was most impressive and it was meant to be. A new way of life was given to God's chosen people.

Centuries went by and it all became even more impressive when the temple was built under King Solomon's rule. All of this beauty and expensive ornamentation, all of this "sparkle" had blinded them. They were God's chosen and even obeying the commandments and offering animal sacrifices added to their pride. It was natural to look down on others and believe all their good works satisfied God.

They had stepped into the 'bus' headed for heaven labeled "You can do it". They were trusting in their own ability to be good enough to satisfy a righteous God. Some of those on this bus believed their baptism or church membership or helping the poor would do it. Some believed that by not committing adultery or murder or stealing made them good enough. This bus was filled with people from every nation and ethnicity, men and women, rich and poor, Jews and Gentiles, this bus of good works.

There had been another bus at the bus stop and it was labeled "Jesus did it all". It had not been appealing to all those who had entered "You can do it" because the idea that they had no part in proving how good they were undercut their self esteem. Fortunately, there were transfers on that bus which would enable them to get off and catch the right bus to heaven. Some came to their senses as the prodigal son did when he realized how foolish he had been and turned around to go to his father and they requested a transfer. They knew deep down that there had been hatred in their hearts and lust and envy and the surface good they could do couldn't erase the wrong in them. The transfer was a good thing.


Please note: my renewal for this site is coming up soon and I am wondering if I should continue "spouting".  I would appreciate your input. Please leave a comment in the comment box. Above all, make sure you are on the "Jesus did it all" bus to heaven.

#Singing

The clouds have been grey for days and the rain has stationed itself over Virginia. It hasn't been a hard rain, just small droplets steadily dripping down on us. It feels like spring, but it isn't. Rain is a wonderful thing as Gene Kelly sang and danced in the movie "Singing in the Rain". He is happy again.

That song came to mind today as I looked out on the wet streets. I used to love to sing, but now with a hearing impairment, I cannot hear the right sound. I do sing and I know it is out of tune, but God hears it correctly. One of these days, in Heaven, I'll be able to sing perfectly. Till then, it is just a "clanging symbol".

I sing in my mind and the words "Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art" hangs in my head. This leads me to declare "My Jesus, I love Thee. I know Thou are mine." I could go on because there are so many choruses and hymns learned when I was younger that are stuck in my head and come to my mind so often.

This morning, early, I was singing "Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus. Speak that my soul may hear. Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus. Calm every doubt and fear." I sat waiting to hear what my Savior might say to me. My eyes caught a glimpse of today's verse, so instead of hearing, I read Proverbs 21:21. "He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor." That works for me!

A grey, wet day can be full of songs and words from the Lord.