Month: July 2017

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain , but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17).

Endurance and Enjoyment

I made two lists this week.  One listed things I enjoyed doing and the other listed things I endured.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the enjoyment list was longer.  When I’m disposing of a trapped mouse and cleaning up the its messes  left in closets or weeding my flower garden, it seems like I’m enduring things needing to be done more than enjoying them.  This life on earth is a journey made up of both endurance and enjoyment and as I get older I see that my perspective and worldview have much to do with what is on which list.

You see, with the endurance comes enjoyment.  My flower garden looks much better. I can enjoy the blooms without looking at the weeds (for a while).  My closets are clean, neat, and organized.  When I recognize God as the Creator and giver of all, I gratefully enjoy little things like, fresh veggies from my garden, cool mornings, and watching Molly’s silliness.

God created us for His pleasure. He desires fellowship with us.  When we hurt, He hurts. He knows our need before we ask. He is ready to help us, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to endure whatever comes our way-whether it’s an annoying inconvenience or major life changing event.  Most of the things on my “endurance list” this week were quite trivial compared to many of the trials which come our way.  Some folks are enduring the heartache of a prodigal child, a walk-away spouse, failing health, job loss, or loneliness. I don’t know how one can face these without God. Only God can offer hope and assurance through His love and His promise to never leave us.

Encouragement

Second Corinthians 1:3 tells us that God is the “Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”  There it is-one reason for our suffering and trouble. We can become a comforter and encourager to others. As we emerge on the other side of our endurance to a place of enjoyment we are ready to encourage another traveler.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4-5).

“Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life”  (Proverbs   16:31).

Birthday Thoughts

My birthday was last week-the 72^nd one.  I’ve discovered as I get older I think about birthdays of the past more than looking forward to future birthdays.  I remember as a child I couldn’t wait to get a year older-old enough to go to school, old enough to drive, old enough to make my own decisions!  Now, I’m grateful for birthdays but not necessarily getting excited about the next one.  I’m more inclined to just enjoy or endure each day as it comes.  I suppose every day has a bit of enjoyment and endurance.  That will wait for a future blog.

Memories

My mother always made a birthday cake for me and my sister and brothers as we grew up.  We never had birthday parties but she made the day special with a cake after dinner and usually a gift.   I especially remember my sixth birthday.  My mother bought candle holders for the birthday candles!  We’d never had those before.  I think she’d just stick the candles in the cake. The candle holders were pink and shaped like little cakes. I think some of those may still be at the home place.  We later had other holders as well but never enough for bigger birthdays.

I also remember my 20^th birthday. It was the first time I spent my birthday away from home.   I was taking a summer course at Shepherd College and staying in the dorm. Some of the girls in the dorm surprised me that night with a cake.

My 60^th birthday was special because Wayne surprised me with a party. Many church friends and teaching colleagues attended. Our girls and their families were home that week. Those are always special times when the whole family is home together. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen very much anymore.

Wayne nearly always took me out to eat on my birthday. It was also our tradition when our girls got older for them to chose their favorite restaurant for dinner out on their birthdays.  I miss those days.

Getting Older

“The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10).

Once we pass 70 we’ve lived the length of days mentioned in Psalm 90 and we realized how short life really is.  Time seems to move faster and faster.  When my children were young I remember feeling very tired but I also remember having time to do things together. Once they started school the pace picked up and when they reached high school those four years flew away in no time.  I was teaching during many of those years, so that made for less time together. I always enjoyed the summers with them and never wished for them to be back in school any sooner than September.  They went to college. They got married and the grandkids came!  Now the first three grandkids are going to college with the oldest one finishing her master’s degree.  I thank God for my family and all the memories but I wish for more time together.

“Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children” (Proverbs 17:6).

 Life’s Purpose

King Solomon denied himself nothing but when he looked at all he had achieved, he said it was “meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”  He came to the conclusion that all of us should attain. “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

I guess birthdays are a good time to take a look at where one has been and where one hopes to go. No matter what goals I set I must fear God and keep his commandments. Without God at the center of everything, life truly is meaningless. God gives me purpose. He wants fellowship with me. He wants to show His glory through me. He desires my complete trust in Him and my praise and adoration for Who He is-my Creator and my Savior! My life is nothing without God.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

 

 

 

 

 

Molly woke me at 4:00 AM the other day barking at the cabinet under the kitchen sink.  I had seen evidence of a sneaky little mouse elsewhere and had already cleaned that area and put in the recommended peppermint saturated cotton balls. Now it was obvious he/she decided to try a different area.  Of course neither Molly nor I saw the  creature so we went back to bed.  Later, I cleaned under the sink and put all doggy treats in a tin can with a tight fitting lid. Surely, the mouse wouldn’t be interested in sponges or dish detergents.

Fast forward a couple days.  I loaded my washer with laundry, opened the dispenser and poured in detergent.  I heard a click, click sound as it fell against the glass in the door of the washer.  Flowing detergent does not make a clicking sound! Looking in the washer I found several pieces of dog food, fished them out of my dirty tee shirts and shorts and proceeded to add a bit more detergent along with some water to be sure to wash out the detergent opening. Then I turned on the machine.  More clicking!  More dog food! Turning off the machine  I removed the whole dispenser from the machine and looked behind it and yes, you guessed it, more dog food! I spend the next few minutes spooning out dog food and fishing more out of my laundry. What I thought Molly was eating had been stored by a mouse in my washer! I was not happy!!  I finally got the load of laundry done and found only two little pieces of dog food I’d missed.   Now, if Molly has any left-over food in her bowl at the end of the day it is put away, out of reach of the nasty hoarder.

After a trip to town the Tomcat Mouse Killer is placed in strategic places and I hope soon for the demise of the mouse/mice.   When mice are mentioned in the Bible, yes, I looked it up in Strong’s Concordance, it is in a negative context. So, I think, God is okay with my battle plan.

So, what lesson am I learning?  Plug up holes with steel wool and keep Tomcat Mouse Killer on hand.  And, of course, put away the food!

The Apostle Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  I’m definitely not thankful for the mice, but I am thankful to have clean cupboards. I may not have had the motivation to get it done otherwise.  And I did not let that sneaky little creature steal my joy, at least not for very long.  There are much bigger and more important battles to be fought.

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23).

 

 

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water”       (Hebrews 10:22).

 I woke up the other morning with my dog, Molly, snuggled up against me. In the summertime I’d rather she stay on her blanket and not against me.  Any lady over 50 knows we don’t need anything with body heat against us! But Molly often seeks the spot next to me whenever I sit down to read or rest.  She just wants to be close.

I thought about my closeness with God.  Do I desire to cuddle up with God? Do I crave the spiritual food received from His Word? Do I desire to spend time talking with Him in prayer?  I have to admit that sometimes the newspaper, email, or some other task becomes more important. My priorities get out of whack and my desires become distorted. My desires are directed toward selfish interests instead of toward the One who created me and gives me strength to keep going.  What I need is what Jesus can supply.

I read of people in the Bible who wanted to be close to Jesus. There was the woman with a bleeding disorder who wanted to touch his cloak and believed she could be healed (Matthew 9:20-22).  Mothers brought their children to Jesus so He could touch them and pray for them (Matthew 19:13-15).  John records in chapter 12 the dinner event when Mary poured expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. Now, that’s getting close! These people wanted to be close to Jesus because of what He had done for them or what they needed Him to do.

Isaiah, the prophet, upon seeing the Lord Almighty, recognized the holiness of the Lord and his own sinfulness. Coming near to God does that for us. We see our guilt in the presence of His holiness.  Oh! But look at what God does for Isaiah.  He takes away his guilt and atones for his sin.  Then Isaiah is ready to be useful for God’s service (Isaiah 6:1-8).  God cleanses us with the blood of Jesus so we can be useful for His Kingdom.  James says in chapter 4 and verse 8, “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Staying near to God helps me focus on what is important and what He wants me to do.  So no matter what task I’m doing I do it with God beside me. If I can’t ask God to bless what I’m doing and walk beside me, should I be doing it?  When I sit with God at the beginning of my day, reading the Bible, praying, and seeking His guidance I know He will be near me for the rest of the day.  It’s a goal I don’t always meet, but praise God, I’m improving.

God gives us His Spirit to remind us of Jesus’ teachings, to guide us and to comfort us.  When we submit to the leading of the Spirit we stay close to God.

“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds” (Psalm 73:28).

 

Happy Independence Day!  I am thankful for the United States of America, for the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of this great country.  I am sad when I see a lack of patriotism and hear complaints from some who think their rights are being denied.  Our Nation isn’t perfect and our history proves that, but there isn’t another country I would rather call home.  Many have fought and died to maintain the freedom we enjoy in the United States of America and I am grateful for each one.

As thankful as I am for our national freedoms I am more grateful for our freedom in Christ.  In Romans 6 the Apostle Paul speaks of our freedom from sin.  He states in verse 16 that we are slaves to the one we obey. He contrasts the life of slavery to sin which leads to death and the life of obedience to God which leads to righteousness.

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6: 22-23).

As Christians we are free in Christ, but Paul warns us about the use of our freedom. “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14).   Indulging the sinful nature is actually a life of selfishness-doing what I want rather than thinking about what would honor God.

Paul continues in verse 16, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”  Paul lists acts of the sinful nature and says those who live like that will not inherit the kingdom of God.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other” (Galatians 5:22-26).

If all Christians truly allowed the Spirit to produce His fruit in us, what would our homes and communities look like?  What would our Nation look like?  The strength of a nation begins with the strength of the home.  Our Nation needs more strong Spirit-led families who stand for the truth of God’s Word. The survival of our freedoms depends upon it.  Our Nation was founded upon a trust in God and dependence on Him for guidance. Can Christian families help restore that trust?