Finding Hope

I give up.  I've got to say something, though usually I try to avoid politics on the blog.  There really is no point.  If we don't see eye to eye to begin with, it's very doubtful than any amount of ranting or raving on here will change either of our minds.  At least I can assure you that the post that is about to be written is only loosely political.

It was last week that I read a comment about a blogger's feelings since the Nov. 8 election.  She wrote that Trump's victory had "crushed her soul."  Crushed it. Smashed it.  Pulverized it.  Left it for dead on the side of the road.

Wow.  Those three words have haunted me ever since.

I understand the disappointment.  I was very actively involved in the 2012 election, working out of the local GOP office on behalf of Mitt Romney.  To say I was rabidly ANTI-Obama would be an understatement.  I was not a big fan of Romney, but I did not want four more years of Obama and Romney was, at least, far less objectionable to me.  My fellow workers and I took great comfort in the positive responses we got to phone calls.  All our work showed greater support for Romney than Obama.  And yet, when it came time to vote Obama's supporters turned out in greater numbers.  Many who disliked him felt discouraged and didn't even bother to vote.  By staying home, they handed the election to Obama.

That said, when it became clear that Obama was the victor I was shocked.  I was disappointed, certainly, and saddened.  I never once, though, felt the need to protest (or riot) and destroy public and private property.  I never threatened to kill anyone who voted for Obama.  I never felt the need to retreat to a safe space and take out my frustrations on a mound of Play-doh.  I definitely never felt like my soul was crushed.

Those words make me so sad.  I get it, though.  If all I had to hold onto was the people and things of this world my soul would probably be crushed, too.  The difference is that I have my faith in God to sustain me.  Jesus is my hope for the future.  I have God's promises to stand on.  This world?  It is temporary and even though we've mucked it up pretty well, God is still in control of it.  ALL of it.  That includes politics.  When all is said and done, no matter what candidate gets elected, it can be said that God either placed His man or allowed the enemy's man to be put in position, either way it all works toward His plan.

So, is Trump America's great savior?  No, we already have one.  His name is Jesus.  An awful lot of us have turned our backs on Him lately.  I don't know if it's too late, but I do know that God has allowed Donald Trump to be elected president for a reason.  God is in control.  He's got this.

What we believers need to be doing is sharing our hope with as many others as we can.  We need to let them know that their souls can be restored...washed clean and made holy and whole.

One Word 2017

I no longer participate in the official One Word project, but I still choose a word each year to help me focus and keep on track.  This year, as usual, I've tried out several words.  Some were just completely wrong.  Some seemed to fit in most ways, but just didn't "click" with me.

The One word for my year came to me driving to work yesterday.  It is PRESENT.  Present is a word with many meanings.  Among other things, present refers to: a gift (a birthday present), the act of giving or introducing something or someone to another (He was presented to the queen.), and being in the present time or now.  There are plenty of other meanings or variations, but those are the three I'm going to be concentrating on.

For 2017 I plan to be purposely present in the moment.  I tend to be a dreamer so this is a hard one for me.  I have gotten very bad at living in the moment and enjoying life as it happens.

For 2017 I plan to focus on the fact that God is present in my life and in fact, in all things.  I want to be always aware of His presence in my present.

For 2017 I plan to appreciate all the presents God blesses me with...and ask Him for ALL the presents He has for me.

For 2017 I plan to look for opportunities to share the greatest present I have been given...the truth of the gospel.  I want to present the present to as many as I can!

For 2017 I plan to present myself differently.  I tend to be introverted.  There's nothing wrong with that, but born out of an incident back in November I've come to realize the feelings of being invisible that I sometimes deal with are born out of how I act.  There are things that need to change.

I am sure there are many more ways that present can influence my life that I haven't thought of yet.  I'm looking forward to the present year and each present it brings.

The Devoted, A Moment of Reading with God

Suzanne Woods Fisher's latest installment in The Bishop's Family series is The Devoted and it is like a good long visit with old friends in the Amish parish of Stoney Ridge.  While the central story reintroduces the characters of Ruthie Stoltzfus and Luke Schrock, now grown, and lets the reader get to know them while all the familiar residents make appearances in the daily life of the community where so much is happening just beneath the surface.

Ruthie is dissatisfied with Amish life.  She wants to be someone important and do important things...like Dok, her English aunt, the community's new doctor. However, she doesn't know what it is God wants her to do or whom He wants in her life, the handsome bad boy, Luke, or the quiet, newcomer, Patrick Kelly, who has an unshakable peace about him.

Throughout the book, Fisher takes the reader inside some very big problems facing the modern Amish.  Problems the bishop must find a way to handle before they change Stoney Ridge and not for the better.

This was a good story with well developed characters and continuity from the previous books in the series (and it did a nice job of letting the reader know who the next book will feature).  The writer did something that is too often lacking in "Christian" fiction.  She actually did more than pay lip service to God.  There was real meat to the story.  Fisher included scriptures to show how the characters were thinking and followed their thought processes and meditations. Many things made this reader stop and consider.

Amish fiction isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy it or similar types of books you will find The Devoted to be exceptional.

This is part of the Write 31 Days challenge.

All posts are linked here.

Echo Like a Thessalonian

In my quiet time with God this morning I looked at the last three verses of 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10, ESV.

8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

There are so many nuggets of truth and wisdom in this tiny passage. Things we can learn from and still apply to life today.

Let's look at the Thessalonians, themselves, to start.  They were a very religious people all along.  In this case, be aware that religious does not mean they followed Christ.  They had many gods.  Zeus was the most powerful. Aphrodite, who was the goddess to the prostitutes, was the top female god.  In fact, many artifacts dedicated to her have been found in the area.  The Thessalonians were serious about religion, but they didn't know the one true God...until Paul and company came along.

The other notable thing about the Thessalonians was that they lived pretty much central to everything.  Their city was a busy port and it was also situated along the major inland trade routes.  Basically, things came into Thessalonica and spread far and wide from there.  So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that once the Thessalonians embraced the gospel of Christ it spread out into the surrounding countries and beyond.

Now you know who the Thessalonians were so, let's get back to the things in this passage that leapt out at me.

First of all, did you notice that it says they turned to God from idols?  They made a conscious choice to turn to God, but they also made a choice to turn away from their idols.  You and I have to do that to.  We choose to accept Christ's gift and follow the Lord, but we must also choose to walk away from our past sinful lives.  We cannot honestly follow Christ if we still cling to sinful things.  It's worth noting that this is a daily choice we believers have to make. We still struggle with sin and temptation and each time we are faced with it, we have to choose.

The second thing that spoke to me was Paul's of the Thessalonians' faith as having "sounded forth" from them.  The word used for "sounded forth" in the original Greek has it's root in another word that can be translated to mean echo or reverberate.  We all know that an echo is when a sound is sent out and bounces back off of something and keeps bouncing.  That is reverberation...when a sound fills up a space.  So, Paul was saying that the Thessalonians' faith went out and kept echoing among the peoples and countries it came in contact with until they were full!

How did they do it and why was it so easy when it often seems so very hard for us to share our faith?  I'm sure the Thessalonians talked about their new faith, but from Paul's words, I think what did it was their daily lives.  The people around them saw the absolute change in them and how they were now serving only one god, the true, living God.  Those in the other countries were so convinced by what they saw in the Thessalonians that there was nothing Paul could say to add to it!

Wow!  I want to be like the Thessalonians.  I want to not only follow God but turn away from sin.  I want to have a faith that reverberates through my circle of influence (and beyond!) to completely fill the space, and I want to live a life that is so grounded in God that it points others to Him just by being lived.

I am participating in the Write 31 Days challenge.

Find all my posts under the label "Write 31 Days"

or HERE.

God Is Good

Today's moment with God is short, simple and sweet.  We had my daughter's baby shower this afternoon.  It went off without a hitch and she (and also me) was blessed abundantly by all the love and generosity of family and friends.  For that I am extremely thankful.  Thank you, Lord!

Also, I am in a good bit of pain now...arthritis in my ankles, plantar fasciitis, and from the feel of things, my sciatic nerve is joining the party...but it stayed at a bearable level until the shower was over.  I thank you and praise you for that, Lord!

My God is an awesome God!

The awesome, amazing cupcake tree!

Decorated and awaiting the guests.

My daughter's best friend and her mama.

My bestie (on the right) and all the girls
from my Bible study group.

Another of Megan's friends and her daughters.

My granddaughter and daughter-in-law on the left,
cousins from my dad's side at the far end of the table.

My mom (right and set back) and two neighbors
I've known all my life.

My great-nephew took a major shine to his
cousin (my granddaughter) and stuck like glue.

Opening presents.

Serenity Now!

There are not enough hours in the day....or maybe there is too much day in my hours right now.  I am feeling rushed and stressed as I wrap up the work week and also prepare for my daughter's baby shower tomorrow.

Typically, I don't do so well in these high pressure situations. (Please, don't ever come to visit the day before Christmas or the day of a big family gathering.)  I do, mind you, crank out some of my best work.  The problem is that I tend to do it with a short temper and a notable lack of grace.  Not exactly a good example for the ones watching to see how you, the Christian, are living out what you say you believe.

So, knowing my weakness, I have asked the Lord to help me keep it (my stress levels and my mouth) under control...or rather to put it all in His hands.  I asked Him to help me hang on to that bowled over feeling of amazement from yesterday, to know with assurance that He is bigger than anything, and He is in control even when I'm not.  Especially, when I am not.

Then God reminded me that I missed Thankful Thursday yesterday with Rebecca Jo and the rest of the gang and that counting blessings always brings peace. With that in mind, here, a day late (again!) is a list of a few of the things I am thankful for this week.

* The financial help from my mom and my future grandson's other grandmother in paying for the baby shower.  My daughter gets the shower she hoped for and none of us gets poor...or at least not any poorer than we already were.

* A couple of new friends I've made through putting the shower together.  One is the cupcake lady.  I can't wait to see the cupcake tree she is putting together. I promise to share pictures.  She is so creative!

* My mom, who has been supportive, helpful, and encouraging through all the preparations.  It's such a welcome surprise.  She is usually quite critical of everything.  Oh, how I hope and pray, she is changing for good.

* The extra bus run at work and what it means in my paycheck.  That extra bit has come in very handy in planning this shower.  I can't believe how much baby stuff costs!

* I'm really not missing Facebook.  I still check my notices to see if I need to respond to anything, but I'm not cruising my newsfeed to see what y'all are doing every day. Nope, all I do is play games for a little bit before I go to bed or during lunch and honestly, I'm likely to fall asleep doing it.

* These absolutely breath-taking fall days and nights.  Perfect weather!

* Little Colton is growing just as he should and should be here right on time somewhere around Christmas.

* The hated truck is still running just fine!

* Arby's has pumpkin cheesecake shakes.

* All of you!

And now, it's time for me to rush back to work.  No stress...all is calm...it's in the best of hands.

Write 31 Days

Awesome Wonder

My quest for a deeper connection with God, a regaining of lost ground, began when I stepped out on the deck with the dogs at 3:49 this morning, just a few minutes after the alarm clocked beeped me awake.  It was cold and clear and my eyes were drawn upward as if by a magnet.  And what was up there?

Stars!

So often in this area the sky is filled with clouds and we miss out on the sun during the day and the stars at night.  When the clouds do part, the ambient lighting of the town keeps all but the brightest of stars invisible.  Not so this morning.  I was treated to a sky filled with stars twinkling from across the universe.  Not nearly so many as must have met Abraham's eyes when God promised him descendants in numbers to match the stars, but definitely many, many more than I am used to seeing.

As I stood there in the darkness, head tilted back, dogs snuffling around my feet...I.Was.Awed.  The majesty and creativity of what God has made hit me full force.  With the heavens spread over my head I thought about what a tiny, insignificant, speck in all of creation I am and yet, the God who created it all down to the very last detail...He knows my name.  He knows everything about me...and He cares.

That amazement has stayed with me today.  On my drive to work, a time when I normally pray, I did so again today, but rather than a bit of thanks and an outpouring of requests, I praised Him who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Creator, the lover of my soul, the great I Am, God Almighty!

31 Moments with God

I've been hearing about the Write 31 Days challenge for a couple of weeks and the temptation has been great. The challenge is to write daily for 31 days on one topic.  For a while now it has felt like that creative place inside me, that well from which ideas spring, that force that has always driven me to write, has dried up and died.

It makes me sad.

It frustrates me.

But the last thing I need in my life right now is one more thing to do.  This is a hectic season in my life.  I'm so busy and so tired that my relationship with God has suffered.  It's been quiet between us.  My efforts have been half-hearted...most times I sit down to read the Bible and study I end up falling asleep.  Prayers feel like they are hitting the ceiling.  Answers don't feel like they are coming down.

Except for today.  God very clearly suggested that I sign up in the Inspiration & Faith category.  I asked what I'm supposed to write about since He and I, we've been having communication problems.

The answer is that I'm going to carve time out of my day somewhere and spend time getting quiet with God.  I'm going to spend time in His presence and be still.  I'm going to wait for Him to speak to me.

So, I have no idea where the next 31 days are going to go, but you're welcome to check back and see what happens in these 31 moments with God.  This is a late start, so if I stick to the entire 31 days and not just the month of October, this will last into November.

I'll have a link over at the Write 31 Days page in the Inspiration & Faith category or you can bookmark the permalink for this post as all future posts will be linked here.

Day 1:  31 Moments with God
Day 2:  Awesome Wonder
Day 3:  Serenity Now!
Day 4:  God Is Good
Day 5:  Echo Like a Thessalonian
Day 6:  The Devoted, A Moment of Reading with God

Praying for Orlando (And All of Us)

Good morning!  It is good to look out my window (it's a bit chilly this morning for the deck) and see the sunshine and every living thing...to remember that there is life abundant and it is good, that every storm will pass.

Yesterday brought heartache to our country again when a single man walked into a nightclub in Orlando and started shooting. Once again the debate over the root of the problem (heart/mental vs. gun) is flaring hot and the comments from all trains of thought are more often than not; angry, argumentative, judgmental, lacking basis in fact, and causing further division and harm.  I think, we as a society, need a bit of what we give to our kids when they misbehave....a timeout!  We need time to process our shock and grief, to think through all the information being thrown at us, to CALM DOWN.  Then, maybe, we can share our thoughts and opinions without flinging poison, toxic words at each other.

We, who profess our faith in God, we need to remember Ephesians 6:12:

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

When we are tempted to rail against our fellow man, we must remember to pull back the curtain and see what and who is behind it.  It is not our fellow man that is our enemy, but the ruler of this world, the one who came to steal, kill and destroy, the one who whispers lies.  He is our enemy. 

Love one another.  Pray for one another.  Pray against the real enemy.  And keep your focus on the truth.  

God is in control!

The Ultimate Organizer

In making the switch over to the new blog, I'm trying to save some old posts...some going back more than one blog.  On my last move, the one to my own domain, I had help and we just moved everything in mass.  Well, my friend did.  I have no clue how that is done.  So if you will be patient with me, I've copied and saved most of them that I deem worthy of rereading and from time to time I will repost them to this blog.

Today is a repost day.

The Ultimate Organizer

Do you ever look around your house and see….

mountains of laundry…

stacks of dirty dishes…

a layer of dust on everything…

the crumbs of the snack you had 3 days ago on the carpet…

everything everyone has carried into the house piled on the kitchen table or counter…

the kids’ toys strung out from one end of the house to the other…

glasses abandoned with an inch or so of (now unidentifiable) liquid?

It just makes you want to put your head down and cry sometimes, doesn’t it? Or maybe you try to ignore it by leaving the house or turning on the television or computer?  Whatever your method of coping, I can be fairly sure you’re also stressed. That’s just a fact of life for us women.  We get a lot of pressure from the world and let’s be honest, even if we’re Christians, we get pressure from other Christian women to be the “perfect” Proverbs 31 or Titus 2 Woman.  

I know that isn’t the intent of those lovely women of God who write books and blogs on the subject.  They are trying to help us get it right, but it can make those of us out here in the trenches feel like we don’t measure up, which brings even more stress than the wet towels covering the bathroom floor.

We feel like we always need to be doing.  If we could just get organized and keep on top of everything, we’d feel better about ourselves and our homes and we’d be able to relax.  We just know it!

Has that ever worked out for you?  It hasn’t for me.  I usually end up feeling more stressed if I can’t get ahead and do what I think I should be doing and then in my stressed out state I get grouchy and act in ways I later regret.

So, what’s a busy, overwhelmed woman to do?

Sit down.

Seriously.

Look at Luke 10:39-42 (NIV)

39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42but few things are needed—or indeed only one.f Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Martha was stressing over all the work that needed to be done to care for her guests.  Mary, on the other hand, put off her work to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to him.  When Martha complained bitterly about the unfairness of it, Jesus told her that it was Mary who was in the right and implied that Martha should stop and spend time at his feet as well.

And that is what we need to do FIRST.  The laundry will still need washing, dinner will still need to be prepared, the floors will still need to be mopped, but not until after we spend time with the Lord.

It has taken me a lot of years to learn that and put it into practice, but I can’t deny that my days go much smoother when I take the time to read the Word and pray first and do you know what I pray for?  I ask the Lord to order the hours of my days that those things He wants me to accomplish will fit in my day and that the Holy Spirit would help me do those things keeping in mind that whatever I do I do for Him and His glory.

When I do this, the day is more relaxed and everything just seems to fall into place without stress.  It is when I forget that I find myself getting frazzled, but it’s never too late to stop at the point you are at and ask the Lord to help you get your priorities straight.  He is the ultimate organizer of our lives.