Funerals

I've been to six funerals in the past 4 months. I've tried to sit in the services and listen carefully to what's being said but often, as I believe with most people, I'm thinking about myself. That's not selfish. I'm just trying to think on how I can be a better Christian/person to those I know and love while I'm still alive. What can happen in my life that will turn someone towards Christ before they pass away?

As I've pondered these things for a long time I've come to a few conclusions that may help someone.

1. Be all God created you to be. Don't let fear hold you back in any way. Recognize fear for what it is and give it the boot! Live victoriously!

2. Be prepared. Most of the people I talk to who want to witness to someone are afraid to do so. I  believe that God gave us the Holy Spirit to interpret our meager speech into understandable thoughts and it comes out just like God wants it to be said. Be brave! Speak out! Stand up!

3. Create a legacy. I truly hope and pray people remember that I loved God, my husband, my kids and grandkids, inlaws, outlaws, with all the fervor possible. I loved them because God loves me. They are and have been precious to me.

4. Be Christ-like. I have only known a couple of people in my life that I can truly say exemplified Christ to the fullest. They were humble, giving, caring people that showed me what Christ-likeness really is. I want to be like that and am working toward it daily. I will only be perfect in heaven, but while I'm here I pray I can continue to display Christ-likeness as much as possible. I am, by far, not a perfect person and fail Him and myself often. God knows my faults and sees my needs and for that I am thankful.

I truly dislike funerals that mark the end of an earthly relationship. But...I love knowing that I will one day see that Christian person again in Heaven! The funerals where I am unsure of the person's salvation, are so sad. I can only pray they met Jesus before their final breath. HE is the only hope!

So, as the next funeral is even now being prepared, I plan on sitting through it and listening for God's voice in my ear telling me how I can be better, be stronger, be Light in a dark place, be Christ-like. Listen to His voice!

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion." Romans 12:9-16

This post is written in honor of my former editor at Keys for Kids Ministries, Kristen Gearhart, whose life was taken much too early. 

Everyone Wants You to Change

In all of history we have never been more bombarded with ways to change ourselves.
  All we need to do is:

1. Wash our hair with this certain brand of shampoo that will give it strength! (So it can pull tractors! I don't know...)
2. Buy this mattress that conforms to our body and feels like sleeping on air. (I've never slept on air so I have no idea what I must be missing!)
3. Buy this certain cologne that's going to draw every single, handsome, wealthy bachelor to our side! (no thank you)
4. Buy a faster car with more gadgets than any one person can use in a lifetime!
5. Get a certain color of fry pan that is such a miracle we should be surprised it's even available to us! ( and I've never melted a plastic cup to eat either!)
6. Of course the list includes a bazillion creams that promise youth, smooth, tight skin with no wrinkles and some sort of bleach that takes off age spots! (after 50 it's all downhill so don't try to put a girdle on it!)
7. Buy this NEW exercise machine that turns our jiggly fat into firm muscle in three days! (and makes you walk like a drunk man for a week because you're in so much pain!)
8. Pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to have someone send you pre-made, high sodium, ill-tasting food so you can lose weight! (Cooking healthy at home works, too!)
9. Waste the precious days we've been given by playing Tetris style games on a phone until our eyes cross and our thumbs need corrective surgery!
10. Buy the most current clothes, electronics, jewelry, shoes, etc. so we're keeping up with the style guru's on TV. (believe me, you'll never get there by buying things!)

People! If you want a changed life? GIVE IT TO JESUS! He's worth more than anything you could buy or acquire. He offers peace, joy, comfort and mercy! He can calm your storm, re-direct your pathway, and lead you to a life eternal! Give yourself to Jesus today...because He gave himself for you!   John 3:16 'For God so loved the world (this world, your world, the world we all live in that is so full of sin) that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ, the one who came to live a perfect, sinless life so He could put on your sin and have it be cleansed by His blood), that whoever (that's you my friend) believes in Him (believes He died for you and gave His ALL!) shall not perish, but have eternal life (a life beyond anything our finite minds could dream of. A heaven so filled with the love of our God that the light from His glorious self will be all the light we'll need! A place where God is, even now, preparing a place for us. A place where we'll see Him in all His GLORY.' Give yourself to Jesus, today.

Dan Wilson, Artist

Parting Words

Sitting in the hospital at my sister's bedside composing a eulogy for her funeral is not something you ever plan on doing. How do you compose words that span 68 years? How do you put the joy, laughter, secrets shared, lack of mother's care, or love shown into words? I feel something between sobbing uncontrollably, throwing-up, screaming and peace. Ever been here?
She's the last living member of my immediate family. The one I idolized in school because she was an all A student...I was not. We shared a lot of the same pain growing up and even in adulthood. God took all that burden from me but Paula continued to carry her load.
So, here I sit. Contemplating how much to say and not to say. Praying for peace in her passing, for my brother-in-law and for Paula's kids and grands. May God receive praise for all things.

THERE WAS NO BABY JESUS!

I've spent the last twenty days visiting my sister in a hospital out of town. Yesterday, when I walked into the foyer there were three huge decorated trees. Around the main tree was a big and beautiful manger scene. The three kings were dressed magnificently and carrying their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The shepherds stood gazing at the scene surrounded by their sheep and the other animals in the stable.  Mary was kneeling with her hand on her heart and  her head bowed low. Joseph was there too, with amazement and awe upon his face. But, the picture was not complete, as if the main character in the play was missing. There was no manger and no baby Jesus! What?

I stood in the middle of the foyer and looked again at all the figurines to make sure. Was this a public statement about religion or a purposeful exclusion of my King? Then, I was overwhelmed with the idea of...what if there had been no baby Jesus? I don't mean in the manger scene I was viewing, but in that manger over 2,000 years ago. What if redemption never came, or forgiveness was never given, or mercy and grace never extended?

I am so very excited to tell you that He did come, He does redeem, and He does give grace,  mercy and forgiveness. He has not disappeared from the scene of our story from Scripture. All the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and books throughout the New Testament tell of his birth, ministry, death and His resurrection. They tell of His power to save and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Don't let Jesus Christ become the missing piece of your CHRISTmas celebration!

A Visable Change

I was recently teaching Bible lessons in a camp in Romania. There was a mixture of church kids and kids that didn't have a clue what I was talking about. The unchurched kids listened with curiosity.

One such boy was David (name changed). By all outward appearances he was a rough and tumble street kid. His voice was raspy, deep, and threatening to any who opposed him. He was very aggressive even if he was small in stature. To be very blunt, he reminded me of a small pit bull!

For the first three days I didn't think he was listening at all as I taught about the wide and narrow roads from Matthew 7:13-14, the courage of Daniel in the lions den, and David against Goliath. Then, on Thursday something changed.

What I didn't know is David's background. He was just recently adopted from an orphanage. He had only been with his new family for a couple of weeks. His rough, street-kid attitude was from working his way up the peer ladder in the orphanage. I've seen this before and it is unbelievable how the peers hold power in these places. David had not experienced the love of a mother and father, or sibling love. So, he came to the camp on the defense, ready to fight his way up to the top again.

On Thursday I drew a large chalk drawing of the story of Abraham and Isaac. The one where God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son in obedience. Always obeying God up to this point, Abraham took his son to Mt. Moriah and built an alter there. He bound his son and was just about ready to slay him with a knife when an angel called to him and said," Do not slay your son, for I now know that you fear God and have not withheld your only son from me". Abraham sacrificed a ram that was close by instead.

I have a hidden picture behind the one I was drawing which was drawn in black light chalk, and when it became visible it was Christ hanging on the cross of Calvary. God's perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Something changed in David that night. He could see love portrayed in the picture of Christ hanging on the cross. He could understand all that God was willing to sacrifice for him. The concept of that kind of love was new to him.

Friday brought a contrite and changed boy to chapel. His head was bowed and he had the look of a child with a thousand questions. He came and stood next to me after chapel. Someone close by said he wanted to talk to me. As they interpreted, David told me he was sorry for being so loud and disruptive during Bible time and...that his counselor had helped him accept Christ as his Savior last night. I gave him a mighty big hug and told him I would pray for him to walk the narrow path.

I am crying as I write this because I fell in love with that kid at that moment. The next morning as the children left the campground he sought me out from the bus window, waved and smiled the biggest smile! I think I lost my heart to that little boy in that moment.

Praise God for His life-changing ability!

Get Out of the Way!

Every time I step inside the Word, I find answers to my many questions. One recent message was “Get out of the way!”

Our Lord desires to be seen in us and through us. His hands reach out to help others and His love shines on the darkness in people’s lives. We should be the transparent vehicle used to make all this happen.

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells a parable about the proud Pharisee who prayed not to be like other men, even the lowly tax collector bowing next to him in the temple. The tax collector was quietly submitting himself to Christ’s will for his life. Which one was being transparent and getting himself out of the way so Christ could be shown?

Sometimes we are the problem. We refuse to change our opinion or move our judgmental selves out of the way so God can work in and through us, which is exactly what the Pharisee did in this parable.

In Matthew 23, Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: ^“The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are experts in the Law of Moses. So obey everything they teach you, but don’t do as they do. After all, they say one thing and do something else.”

The Pharisees were hypocrites who saw nothing wrong with applying God’s laws to others but not to themselves. Maybe you don’t intend to say one thing and do another, but if you’re honest you must admit that it happens.

 So make up your mind today to get yourself out of the way so God can work in and through you. Don’t let a hypocritical attitude or stubborn spirit stop God’s mighty work from being done. As your spirit changes, so will your heart and love toward others.

Reconciliation

The story is clear in the book of Daniel. A king proclaiming everything that was good in his kingdom as having been generated by him, and he doesn’t give God the glory for his success. The king then has a dream and Daniel interprets it as unfavorable. The king will lose his kingdom, be driven into the wilderness, become as an animal and remain that way for seven years until he turns toward heaven to proclaim God the creator and giver of all things!

Seven years was a long time to wait for deliverance. Especially to be estranged from everyone. Yet many people choose estrangement instead of attachment. Why is that?

Families everywhere split over the smallest things. Someone dies and the relatives fight over the physical property they think they’re owed. Husbands and wives become estranged when they refuse to talk things out and understand each other with God’s help. Brothers and sisters don’t speak to each other for decades because of some small argument that doesn’t mean anything today. It’s so painful.

It’s that way when someone decides to split from God, too. First it’s easy to quit having the daily connection of prayer that you used to have with Him. Those conversations when you told Him everything about yourself, the hidden parts no one else knows. You begin to put aside reading His Word once or twice a week and then pretty regularly. Before you know it you haven’t had a conversation with Him in a month or two. It soon becomes a year or more.

Down the road a tragedy strikes and you lash out at God and question His presence or worth altogether. You’re mad at Him, and for what reason? Because you are really the one who walked away. He never moved, not one step or inch. He never turned his back or marched off in anger, no matter how many words of hate you flung at him.

The king in the story of Daniel had to go down a path of separation for seven years. God never left his side or walked away—He stood right next to him. God waited for the king to change his heart along with his mind, and it took what must have seemed like an eternity.

In seven years children grow up, people die, and relationships change. Is your separation worth all the hurt you’re going through right now? Doesn’t your soul crave the lost relationship of a loving Savior, a long lost friend, or family member? Aren’t you ready for the hurt to end?

Only God can help you reweave the threads of a broken relationship and mend the tear. Do what the king did in Daniel. Lift your eyes to heaven and allow the understanding to return to you and praise the Lord who lives forever (Daniel 4:34, 36-37). Then take that first step toward reconciliation.

Re-Evaluation

Yesterday I watched a great video about a couple with two children. This couple had scrimped and saved and planned for years for their dream home. They sketched and drew every nook and cranny so it was just perfect for them.

After they purchased a large piece of property, they began to build their home. They took great pride in the size and roominess of this new place and even their children were proud to have a bigger house than all their friends.

After living in the house for a few months, the couple began to feel uneasy. They didn’t have problems with the house itself; it was the size. They kept looking around at all they had planned for and started wondering, Why did we do this? It’s way more than what we need.

They also noticed their oldest daughter’s pride in telling her friends that her house was so much bigger than theirs! What had they instilled into their kids? That it’s all about the size of things you own? The couple decided to make some drastic changes quickly.

Less than a year after moving in they put their dream home up for sale. They spent a lot of time explaining to their kids about what they were doing and why they were doing it. And then they took a trip. Not just any trip, but a missions trip to Haiti. They family saw first-hand what it takes to live happily. Families of 8 to 10 lived in two rooms, loved each other, and were always laughing! Was it a perfect house? No. Was it the biggest house on the block? No, but the family was happy. How could this be?

The couple and their children came home completely changed in their attitude about what kind of house they needed. They purchased a smaller home and began using the extra money they received from the sale of their dream home to fund families in third-world countries. The lessons they learned from their experience cannot be bought in a store. They had to personally experience them!

I’m right in this spot today as I decide to downsize from the large condo I’ve lived in for the past 4 years, to a smaller house. I don’t need two huge floors and 2300 feet of living space as a widow. I just need the necessities and then spend the rest of my funds helping others. It became a regular habit to take care of others when my husband and I began making good money from our brokerage business. It was not about what we could obtain, but what we could do with what God gave us. Even though my husband passed away almost 9 years ago, I want to continue that tradition until God takes me home.

Take a minute today to check yourself for pride issues. Don’t get caught up in what the world needs to see you doing, but what God desires to have you do. Make the necessary adjustments to put your life into God’s perspective. You won’t regret it!

The Busted Gift (part 2)

Teenage boys, especially popular ones with bad reputations to uphold, think they can take liberties. I think they believe it’s a privilege that comes with the sports letter, I’m not sure. But this young man certainly thought he could cross the line.

It all started so simple: first a kiss, then the arm around the neck, then…oh brother! ALARM! ALARM! ALARM! Pictures of that pregnant girl flashed through my mind at an shocking rate! Long forgotten Bible verses about purity and coming to your marriage as a virgin were appearing in big, bold, red letters across my closed eyes. “STOP!” I screamed. “Get your hands off me!”

I thought he was going to fall back in horror and wonder what had happened. Instead, this pompous guy that I had upheld in such high regard just snickered and said, “I knew it. I knew you were one of those goody-two-shoes.”

Oh, thank you Jesus! Bless you LORD! AH!!! my brain screamed. Where’s my Dad! I need a good, honest man to give me a hug right now.

The hunk took me home and I never heard from him again. My so-called passion to date him went down the drain with that little scenario but the scene never left me.

Today when I speak to young friends or youth groups, I tell this story to remind them that it can happen in a moment of passion. It’s not love, it’s passion, hormones, young naiveté, whatever you want to call it—it’s not love. That’s when you need to put on the brakes, step back, and think about tomorrow. What will I feel like tomorrow?

God put some pretty definite boundaries on this issue for anyone who knows Him as their Savior.

Ephesians 5:1-33 English Standard Version (ESV)

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ³ But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not become partners with them; ⁸ for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light⁹ (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³ But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. 

With God there is no gray area where sexual impurity is concerned. Everything is really clear in Scripture about this issue. Can He forgive, yes, but in love God tells us it is sin.

God gives you a gift when you are born; it’s called purity. It’s a gift that’s given to boys and girls alike. That gift is exceptional, worth more than a million diamonds; if you chip away at it and give little pieces out to whoever asks you are ruining the best gift you ever got. Coming to the marriage bed with a busted gift is not God’s plan for any young person.

So why did I write this? To scare you, no. To warn you, definitely. To prepare you, yes.

Encourage your young loved ones to make the decision now to not get involved in sex before marriage. Talk to them openly about the ramifications beyond that moment of passion. Urge them to steer clear of any and all times and places where they are tempted. Does that mean saying “No” sometimes? Yes, it does. Does that mean missing out on some opportunities you believe you will simply die if you don’t get to go to? Yes, it does.

Think beyond today. Think of tomorrow. Your purity is a gift from God.

The Busted Gift

The Busted Gift—Part 1

Back in the 60s when I was in high school, most of the girls I spent time with were pretty conservative. I mean, we had a ton of fun without getting into trouble and most of us went to church.

My parents, neither my mom nor dad, ever sat me down and explained anything about purity. It was pretty much whatever you learned from the girls at school. Sometimes it was what you heard about certain girls who were talked about by the boys and you knew you never wanted to be one of them.

When I was in eleventh grade, a classmate got pregnant. I have a clear picture of her waiting by the door for her mom to pick her up one day after school. She was standing by herself with her long coat on and nobody was near her or even talked to her. I knew that she had just learned that she was expecting and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody look so alone in my life. She only went to school for a short time after that and then she left.

It scared me. Certainly I knew by then how she got pregnant, but the thing I didn’t understand was why did she let her defenses down and give in to the pressure of some high school guy? Wouldn’t it be easy to say, “NO!”

Then I started dating. Yes, hold on to your hats because the hormones of high school age kids is a wild thing! Something happens to common sense when you’re smooching with a guy in a car. Just saying it like it is!

I remember there was one really cute guy on the football team that every girl in the school wanted to date and I think he mostly had! I never in my wildest dreams thought he would ask me out but he did. That was a time in my life I will never forget. I learned some very important things that evening and heard some profound things in my head and heart.

It all started out pretty simple; party, pizza, music. Then the couples started going to different rooms and leaving two by two. So this young man said he would like to take me on a ride before he took me home. He had a nice car and my adrenalin was high from just being there, so I said ‘Yes’.

The car ride led to a pretty secluded place in our town where many people were known to go park, if you know what I mean. I was very naïve and young and didn’t know what he had planned. Was I ever in for a surprise! 
(continued)

Stand!

Life experiences have taught me that nothing is mine. My children, home, health, relationships, savings…nothing is mine. It can be taken in a moment. The power of John Piper’s message (link below) is how strong and how long will you stand when everything dissolves? When it’s just you and God on the battle line and you know you have to step out in faith with Him. That’s what makes this powerful.

Each battle is different, whether it’s saving babies, sex trafficking, racism or others. It’s how we stand as believers in Christ that counts. Read Eph. 6:11-14 and see how many times God tells us to ‘stand’ and ‘withstand’. It will not be easy once you take that first step, but with God…!

http://vimeo.com/117630029

Frank and Honest About Christmas

I love Christmas! I dislike Christmas. The warring worlds of going through the motions and the emotional trauma juxtaposed with the reason for the season overwhelm me.

Side #1: I remember Christmas as a child and how much I looked forward to it with anticipation and excitement. When I had small children of my own I made Christmas a huge deal with church dramas, costumes, decorations, manger scenes, music, and cookie making. It was glorious fun to celebrate with my family and I loved every minute of it!

Side #2: I have not liked the weeks and nights before Christmas for the past few years. After setting up the tree, it stands there all lit up and glorious and I’m seated on the couch…alone. Yes, I’m playing the widow’s pity song, but you have parents, too, don’t you? Do you ever think about what they’re going through if they are by themselves?

Oh, my young friends with little kids, you too will have days like this in your future. Way down the road when the children have grown up and moved out, your husband is retired or one of you has passed away into glory. What do you think you will do? The constant argument within yourself to buck-up and take it like an adult or break down in tears is always present. I fight it every single day of my current life. I make myself think of better times with my family and of Christmas’s where we’re all home and loving on each other. I have to constantly run to the Scriptures for encouragement and help. There are places in my Bible that are practically worn right off the page where I’ve read and cried and read again the encouraging words of my Savior!

I don’t know where I’d be without Christ.

The living, pulsing hands of God that lift me up out of self-pity parties care for my soul.

The warm, calming breath of God that blows over me in the midst of anxiety and second-guessing myself settles my spirit.

Satan’s demons scatter when I repeat the name Jesus…Jesus…Jesus!

God is familiar with the war and wins again!

His Plan, Not Theirs

This week I’ve read some horrific news posts concerning sterilization in third-world countries and how they are making it happen through flu-type vaccines. Deception through governments and worldly plans are certainly not God’s plans.

I have young friends who have eight children and some who have just one. Their choices have been theirs and God’s. Not designed and carried out by the government. I can’t imagine not having experienced the joys of raising children—or worse yet, having the ability to have children taken away from me without my knowledge.

My first son, Matt, came just 19 months after I was married to my husband Tom. Our bouncing baby boy was pretty big at 10 pounds, 4 ounces. Matt’s brother Jon came along 23 months later and he was 10 pounds, 11 ½ ounces. They were big kids but that seemed like a great way to have kids, every two years apart.

It was almost four years before my next son came along. I was beginning to think that the two sons were all we were going to have. My pregnancy with Phillip was difficult compared to my first two. He was a huge child, born at 11 pounds, 10 ounces, and 22 inches long. My sugar was up, my back was a mess, and I thought I was having an elephant! My doctor recommended we not have any more children because the kids were getting bigger and bigger each time. My body just couldn’t take much more.

That wasn’t God’s plan. My last child was a girl and she was quite a bit smaller but so different. Leah came along at 9 pounds, 4 ounces.

My husband and I had a plan…sort of. To have a few kids, build a house, own a business, and then just sit back and watch it all happen. And it did.

This week, as I’ve read articles about the intent to sterilize people while supposedly vaccinating them, my stomach churned. What about the couples’ plans? What about God’s plans? Do neither of them have a say in this?

Governments around the world are making life-changing decisions and not informing the public about them. Whether it is known or unknown, many of these decisions will change the way we know families today. My heart aches for those who have already suffered and are now unable to bear children of their own.

In a ministry that was created to reach children for Christ, our minds are reeling after learning about this deadly tragedy. Please pray for the governments of those countries that are participating in this horror. 

A True Widow

Eight years ago, my husband passed away. In searching the Scriptures for comfort I came across I Timothy 5. This was a portion of the Bible that took on a new meaning for me. It focused on being a true widow. What in the world was that? Either you were a widow or you weren’t…right?

Examining the Scripture more closely, you’ll see that there is a big difference. For instance, verses 3-4 explain that a woman who has lost her husband but still has her children is not a true widow. It says, “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.”

Verse 8 explains that ^“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

The Scripture then tells us what a true widow is. ^“The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.” This widow is entirely alone with no children or family and absolutely no one to care for her.

Do you have a widow in your congregation or neighborhood, or a friend who is all alone with no one to care for her? Have you made an attempt to do what God commands in this verse in I Timothy 5:16? “If anyone who is a believer has widows in their care, they should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.”

I find great comfort as a widow knowing my children are still alive and able to help me. I can only imagine what it must be like for someone entirely alone in this world, without any family. Take a look around you and keep your heart open to helping a true widow today.

Be Still…

The song starts out like this:

When I am down and, oh, my soul, so weary;

            When troubles come and my heart burdened be;

            Then I am still and wait here in the silence,

            Until you come and sit awhile with me.

I don’t think this song was written specifically for believers but I’m going to take it that way.

It’s in those times of being weary and emotionally down on the ground, God comes in the silence and is just with me. I don’t have to ask Him or plead that He be there. He just is. What a great comfort that is to me.

When God chose for me to be a widow eight years ago, the silence was pretty much what I disliked the most. There were no noises of my husband breathing next to me while he slept. There wasn’t the noise of him doing his paperwork at his desk or blowing his nose and sounding like a moose! There were just no noises at all. All that quiet really bothered me at first. I fully expected to hear the door slam and someone call my name or say, “Honey, where are you?”

But now, I have grown used to it. In fact, some days I long for it amidst my busy schedule and work. I don’t mind sitting at home alone by my fireplace in the quiet because it’s peaceful and it relaxes me.

Psalm 46:10 says: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Really knowing God and finding out about His excellence can only be found in the stillness of the study of His Word. No interruptions, no distractions. It’s then that God reveals himself to you in the most intimate ways. Hearing God’s voice in the stillness gives you courage and power to face what is to come. Those surprises are really a part of God’s plan for our pathway.

So find some time to be still and find out about your amazing God and Heavenly Father. You will never regret it!

The Stealers: Pride, Stubbornness, and Anger

I’ve known many young students from my years teaching at a local Christian college. Now those students are grown with families of their own. It’s amazing to see the traits, talents, and gifts of their parents in their young children. What’s that old saying? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

This observation made me think about how God watches us grow up. What are His reactions to our actions?

We all start as young Christians, no matter what age we get saved. We stride ahead, stumble then get up and walk again. We hold back and miss opportunities. We have growth spurts when we rely on God for everything and then stunt our growth by relying on ourselves. Is there never a time when life just goes on without those times?

I can say in my senior years an emphatic NO! Every single day and moment I make decisions that affect my walk and growth in Christ. Pride becomes something that stops the life-giving knowledge of Christ from springing up in me. Selfishness becomes like a weed killer to the good that God really wants for me. Then there is anger. I never want to admit when I am angry; I tend to think it’s the other person’s fault. These feelings don’t lead to forgiveness and cause pain.

The blinders of pride, selfishness, and anger are satan’s tools to separate us from our Savior. (Sorry, I do not give satan the honor of being capitalized!) Oh, how the prince of darkness laughs when he’s raised pride in believers’ minds. The saved one now believes they have all they need in life to be happy, but their pride really keeps them separated from the One that loves them most.

Then selfishness becomes a continued issue of me-ism. I’ve accomplished this and I’ve done that and I’ve made it this far. Or maybe it’s the selfishness of sharing your gifts, abilities, and talents for God’s glory. Don’t tell me you haven’t been there at least once!

Anger is hateful, hurtful, and explosive. Words said in anger can never be taken back. You don’t own them anymore, the recipient does. Those words are weapons shot into the heart of the one you want to hurt and they only cause pain.

So, what’s the answer to my question of what God thinks of our growing years? I think He is true to His Words, “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love” Jeremiah 31:3. He loves us anyway, no matter how we treat Him or how we act. He knows we are His, just like those parents know the little ones they are raising are theirs. They are responsible for them until they are old enough to make their own decisions, then they are accountable to God alone.

These are hard things to hear about ourselves and our kids but we need to remember that God loves us and them, anyway. I am positive about that!

A Grand Promise: The Grand Finale!

“Sunday, Monday, Happy Days! Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days!” Many of you will remember this song from the Happy Days TV show years ago. Somehow it has been chosen as our homecoming song from trips I’ve taken with my grandkids. We get to the end of their driveway, open all the windows and turn on that song with the volume up as high as we can get it! All 600 feet of their driveway, we sing at the top of our lungs and are glad to be home!

That’s how we ended our recent trip to the Grand Canyon, too. We were certainly all happy to be home and out of that 23-foot box called an RV. So what kind of trip did we have? What memories will those grands and their grandma cherish in the years to come?

I hope that they remember God’s amazing creation on display throughout our trip. Also, they will recall that five people CAN survive a two-week trip cramped in a camper! And then the biggest part is that they will always know their grandma loves them with all her heart.

Before we left, numerous people said to me, “Wow, you’re brave to do that!” or “I don’t think I could do that!” To all of them I reply, “Why not?” Isn’t it our privilege to be grandparents and to have good relationships with our kids and grands? Isn’t it amazing to think that God has allowed us to live long enough to enjoy watching them grow up and become amazing men and women?

Never knowing how much time we have here on this earth I take it as a gift from God to be physically able to take a trip like this one. I cherish the times each one took turns sitting next to me in the front seat and I was able to listen to them talk about their friends, their relationship with God, and their future. Those times are few and far between when their busy school schedules begin again in the fall.

I know God planned our memorable Wild West trip and I am so very grateful to Him! I am praying, even now, for more times with my other grands to create Grand memories!

The End!

A Grand Promise: Part 3

After working in children’s ministry for more than 38 years and directing a children’s nonprofit for 11 years, you’d think I’d be aware of contemporary children’s culture and what meets their needs. But during my trip out west with my grandchildren, I threw everything I thought about today’s kids out of my RV window.

Knowing we would pass through some amazing national parks, I envisioned the kids’ awe of God’s beautiful creation. But I didn’t expect how hard it would be to even get them look.

In an earlier post I wrote about my oldest grandson who spent most of his time at the dining room table. What I didn’t say was that he was connected to his iPod every day, all day long. In fact, each child had some electronic device they were attached to from morning to night. Whenever I wanted their attention for a roadside attraction I had to shout, “Hey you guys! Look at this!”

By the fourth day I was hoarse.

Never have I been so impacted by how an electronic device can capture a child’s attention. It didn’t matter if they are watching movies, playing video games, or like my oldest grandson, watching a TV series from long ago that had more than 80 hours of episodes! The amount of time they spent looking down (at their devise) instead of looking out the window astounded me.

We spent a lot of time on the road each day driving from one destination to the next. Some of the scenery was less than interesting. During these drives I tried to remember what I used to do on long road trips as a child. I remember that I couldn’t read books because I got car sick. I usually didn’t bring toys because there just wasn’t room with two sisters and my parents. I remember looking out the window a lot; this helped me learn my way around town, which came in handy when it was time to get my driver’s license. But this was different.

Capturing a child’s attention is not as simple as it was even just a few years ago. Their little hand-held devices draw them in like a magnet and it holds them there—captive. How do parents and teachers compete with this? How was I supposed to compete and draw them away?

Well, I didn’t have to wait long to find the answer to that question?

On the fourth day we headed into Estes National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. Seeing mountains for the first time became an ethereal experience for my grandkids. The magnificent scenery lured their eyes up to the heavens instead of down into their devices. We stopped at every turn in the road to take more pictures. They even complained that their phones didn’t have enough memory to hold all their photos! No, I didn’t have to worry about where their attention was, that day it was captured by God’s amazing creation. It was refreshing to hear their comments about this first-in-their-life experience. I took pictures of their expressions so I wouldn’t forget.

Eventually, the exquisite vistas lost their appeal and they would be drawn back to their electronic devices. Every day I would have to say, “It’s time to put away your electronics for an hour and look out the windows.” They all complied willingly. I was so thankful for God’s artistic hand and all the beauty he created for us to enjoy. Thank you to the master attention-getter!

A Grand Promise: Part 2

On the third day of our Wild West Adventure, I noticed a pattern. After we had left the campground, the crew took their places. Everyone knew that my granddaughter was the navigator and always rode in the front passenger seat. She was also prone to car sickness, so if she felt better sitting in the front, that worked for us!

The oldest grandson mostly rode at the table in the center of the RV. He had a purpose for that which I’ll talk about later.

The youngest boy always moved around to different seats, which was pretty normal for a 10-year-old. And the 17-year-old mostly chilled out on my bed in the back. This is how we started our journey every day.

Taking off down the road was a hilarious occasion. After we slowly careened the motor home through the campground, we entered the busy roads leading us to our next destination. During the first mile the refrigerator was usually the first thing to pop open because nobody ever remembered to make sure it double clicked when they closed it. The milk, fruit, yogurt, water bottles and lunch meat for sandwiches all flew out the door and landed on the floor.

Next, the cupboard doors that had not been completely shut flapped open, scattering t-shirts, headphones, and underwear all over the place. This happened every single day! I’d long forgotten how kids do not remember to shut anything.

The worst was the bathroom door. If someone was in there when we took off, well…let’s just say everyone had a funny story about that experience!

To say we looked like a traveling clown show for the first few miles down the road would be an understatement!

(Stay tuned for more stories from the Wild West!)

Grand Promises: Part 1

After my husband died in 2006 I made a decision to begin creating lasting memories with my grandkids. I decided to ask them where they wanted to go in the US and when they turned 16, take them there one at a time. It seemed like a simple idea when I first thought of it. But as with any good plan hind-sight is 20/20.

First, I took my oldest granddaughter to Washington, DC. We toured the great monuments, ate in fine restaurants, and laughed a lot. We had a good time, but I’m sure she would have rather brought along someone her own age. I learned that sharing stories about your past is not what teenagers are into hearing. Live and learn!

The second granddaughter couldn’t make up her mind where she wanted to go so we’re still in the holding pattern with her.

Then I got the bright idea to take four grands at a time. (Insert extremely long pause here so you can imagine what I was about to get myself into.) I could actually stop writing right here and let you take your imagination to whatever level suits you. I’m sure you could come up with vivid stories of your own to amuse and humor yourself, but let me give a little reality check to the situation. 

Imagine…

• taking four grandkids ages 10, 15, 17, and 18 in a 23-foot motorhome for 13 days. 
• going from Michigan to the Grand Canyon and 11 states in between, amounting to 5300 miles.
• that they are brothers and sister!

Yep, now you’re getting the picture.

I don’t think I have laughed so much, bit my tongue so hard, lost my cool grandma status so often, or been so tired in my entire life during those 13 days. It’s taken me two weeks to even write anything about it!

Caption #1 – SO MANY PICTURES!!!

I have more than 1200 pictures taken by my right-hand navigator granddaughter, consisting of every turn in the road where the mountains created a new vista or the rock color changed, or the river ran alongside the road in a different direction. I have pictures of every cloud formation you could think of, and hundreds of landscapes plus 30 or so selfies—mostly of her! These kids had never been west of Chicago, so this vacation was truly a journey for them. (Stay tuned for more about our Wild West Adventures!)