Blog Archives - Atypical Pastors Wife

Thankful November #27-Driving Skills

11/27/2022

Something happened on the way to church tonight that made me very thankful. It was raining hard. We were on the interstate near where it ends and joins another interstate. Right at that junction is a place to turn left onto a country road, where our church is located. For the next month, I will be going to choir practice before the evening service. We haven’t been attending all the Sunday evening services because that is the time our family gathers for a meal each week, so we are in somewhat of a quandary. I had planned on going for practice and then leaving to come home. For some reason, my husband decided mid-afternoon that he wanted to go to church tonight so we canceled the family meal and left for church.

The traffic was still very congested from yesterday’s football game at the local university. I have no idea why people were still in town that late but traffic was backed up right where the two interstates meet. It really isn’t a great place to have to make a left turn and the rain made it all that much more difficult. We were almost to the spot where we could get into the left turn lane when the car in front of us jammed on his brakes. My husband had to swerve to miss it but we didn’t have an accident and all was well.

My hubby drives a school bus so he has really good situational awareness. Me, not so much. I realized that if he had stayed home as he planned and I had driven myself to practice, I would have run right up that guy’s tailpipe and we would have gotten to meet and make friends. Plus, my beautiful, nearly new truck would have gotten all smashed up.

I don’t know if the Lord put it on my husband’s heart to go to church to protect me or if God protected us because we put Him first and went to church but I am so thankful that I wasn’t driving tonight.

Today, I am thankful for my husband and his driving skills, for the Lord’s protection no matter how He chooses to provide it, and for Christmas choirs because I am really loving singing in a choir again.

Thankful November #26

11/27/2022

Today we went on an unscripted adventure. After breakfast, we took the road less traveled back to town because that’s how we roll. We had roads to discover. One was a dead end. The other was a beautiful stretch of mountain road that led to a quaint village we were unfamiliar with.

Very often, our present-day experience correlates to something God is doing in our spiritual life. I don’t think I ever stopped to notice before because I was too busy "doing" Christianity. Now, since life threw a few wrenches in my "normal", I’m content just to just "devote" with God every day, no matter what adventure He has planned.

I’ve never believed that “devotions” are a book, a block of time, or a program. For me, daily devotion is a lifestyle where at the end of the day I can honestly say that I’ve been with God and He’s been with me, whether through the Word, worship, prayer, intercession, or supplication.

When we live this way, God can show us the roads in our lives that are leading to dead ends. And it’s also there that God will guide us into “uncharted” territory taking us to new places that we've never been in Him before.

God's been showing me that there is so much more to being His child than what I know or have experienced. He is beckoning me to travel those unknown roads with Him and discover the beauty I will find there. As Voddie Bachum once said, "We don't know what we don't know."

Philippians 3:12-14 says "Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Today, I am thankful for uncharted territory and surprising destinations.

Thankful November # 25-God is Writing My Story

11/25/2022

Thankful November #25

Is your life turning out as you planned?

That question makes me giggle. It probably makes most people giggle. Before coming to Christ I aspired to be a doctor until MSATS chemistry. Enough said.

Then my husband and I got saved and he got called from tending the herd (dairy) to tending the flock (ministry). Definitely not in my plans because that made me a "Pastor's Wife!" I'm not sure I ever really adjusted to that role to anyone's satisfaction. I'm just glad I survived.

Very little in my life has turned out the way I prayed it would or thought it should. What I have learned is I'm not in control. God is. There have been several times when not even that thought was very comforting or encouraging to me because I didn't like the chapters He was writing at the time.

I never read much of Max Lucado's writing until the last couple of years. The thing that fascinates me about his writing is how he starts out with the main thought and takes you so far away from it in a few paragraphs that you can't remember what the thought was. Even if you do remember, you can't imagine how he'll ever bring you back around and make all the detours somehow support his main point. But he always does it in blaring clarity. When it comes to a chapter, he is a master craftsman.

That pretty much describes where I've been for the last 39 years. Unfortunately, it's only been in the last couple of years that I've quit trying to grab the pen from God's Hand and show Him quite plainly that He isn't writing my story in the correct way. God let the chapters get so far from my main expectations that all I could do was cling to Him until He brought me to that point of clarity where it all made sense.

This involved learning to not just say, "I trust God" because that's what us Christians do you know, but to truly learn to trust Him, even in the midst of devastation, chaos, change, and seeming defeat.

Some of my chapters are really ugly and I don't understand why they had to be written, but I trust the author and I know the end of the story. It ends with "They all lived happily ever after."

Today, I'm thankful that God is writing my story.

Thankful November #23

11/23/2022

Thankful November #23-Are you Ready?

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?

More importantly, are you ready should the Lord come tonight? Please consider this as you prepare for your dinner.

There is a dinner much more glorious in your future. Is your table setting reserved?

Today, I am thankful that I am ready!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful November #22-God Had A Tree

11/23/2022

This is a repost from last year but enjoy while I'm busy in the kitchen!

Max Lucado wrote, "God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He'll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He's picking you up. God is for you. God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there's a tree in heaven, he's carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. 'I have written your name on my hand,' he declares (Is. 49:16)." "

Although I appreciated the sentiment, a thought immediately struck me. God did have a tree! He hung Jesus there. And God carved my name on His Son.

In my mind, I pictured my name carved in the skin of Jesus. As the blood flowed from that wound, my name got bolder and bolder. Eventually, there was so much blood that it flowed down to the ground, covering my name as it went. My name was gone. My sin died with Him and was washed away by His sacrifice. Thanks be to God!

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

Today, I am thankful that God had a tree.

Thankful November #21-This Good Friend

11/22/2022

Thankful November #21-This Good Friend

I love this photo of me and one of my best friends. Here she was expounding on the complexities of life in her own quirky way as we took a walk in nature on a chilly day. Don't you just love the hands going?

I really love this woman. She has stuck by me through the hardest times of my life. She never judges. She doesn't pull away if things get awkward. She never criticizes anyone even when it would be easy to. She always makes me laugh or just feel really, really loved especially when I don't feel very lovely or lovable. I mean seriously, all I have to do is sneeze and she is at my front door with chicken soup.

She has a reputation for being "that woman" that has everything in her purse that anyone would ever need at any time. On this particular day, she had a snack display in the back of her car that rivaled Walmart. I was glad about that after our hike to the top of the mountain.

She's always reading a good book that she's more than willing to share. She knows how to endure hardship. I've seen her weather storms that I pray I will never have to face with strength, grace, and faith, all the while keeping her sense of humor and a positive outlook. She has a ZEST for life! Quite honestly, I don't know what I would do without her.

She knows who she is and today, I am thankful for this good friend.

Thankful November #20-Rest

11/22/2022

It's Sunday, the day of rest. So I rested. Just as you see in this photo, I plunked down and propped up my feet and rested.

I hope you did too!

Today, I'm thankful for rest!

Thankful November #20-The Comforter

11/20/2022

Life has a way of hitting us right in the heart from time to time. Situations, circumstances, consequences-they can all leave our hearts needing the spiritual cardiac care unit.
There is nothing worse than living with a heavy heart. That crushing feeling makes it hard to think, to have joy, and to breathe, or to function.

Psalm 34:18 tells us that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those that are crushed in spirit.” I love that when I feel that I’ve been deserted and that I’m all alone in something, the Lord is close. I may not feel Him, but faith tells me that He is near and that I am never alone. What better companion could we have through all of life’s heartbreaks than the Lord? “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Ps. 147:3 And if we let Him, He will fill us with the sense of His presence right in the middle of our sorrow. He is, after all, The Comforter and no one does it better than He does.

Today I am thankful for the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Thankful November #19-Blessed Hope

11/19/2022

Our first snowstorm of the winter season descended on us last week. Three to four inches of sticky, wet snow made everything look so magical. But the sleet that came with it stuck to everything, closing mountain roads, leaving many stranded on the side of the road or in ditches, and putting my husband in danger as he drove out into the county to take school children home from school.

Here in PA, winters can be brutal. In 1995-1996, we never saw our lawn from the week before Halloween until mid-April. It seemed as if winter was never going to end. But the week after Easter, the snow receded and we saw the tips of the grass poking through the snow bringing hope and anticipation that a new season was on its way.

Just as there are winter storms, there are life storms that come to us all. Some seem as brutal as our winters. Some seem as if they will never end and life will never look normal again. If we didn't have the Lord; if we didn't know that our lives are in His Hands; if we didn't understand that He is all-powerful, merciful, and perfectly good in all of His ways, how would we make it?

Knowing Him changes everything. Even in the harshest of storms, we can experience peace and solid footing.

When Peter walked on the water he stayed on the solid ground of the Word of Jesus when He said "Come". All around the storm was raging, he was WALKING ON WATER, for heaven's sake, but Peter had peace as long as his eyes were fixed on the Lord.

Is. 26:3 assures us that we can walk in perfect peace if our eyes are fixed on the Lord, no matter the storm, no matter the danger, no matter the intensity, and even if it appears that life as we know it is over. He is the author and finisher of our faith story and nestled between every page is hope. I love that our hope in God is not a pipe dream or even an “I hope so!” When He tells us to hope in Him, we can know that He will do exactly what He said.

Today, I am thankful for the hope we have in God.

Thankful November #18-Beautiful Provision

11/19/2022

Autumn is passed and the trees are bare. As I walk in nature, the landscape looks a lot different now. Some might say it's not as pretty. Some may lament that the wind seems to blow a little harder and harsher since the leaves are not there to buffer it. Others escape inside or to the gym instead of braving the elements for exercise. Not me!

As I walked today, I saw more bluebirds and cedar waxwings than I saw all summer. I'm guessing that they are some of our northern friends on their way south for the winter. As I walk along the paths I notice that many of the bushes are filled with berries that provide much-needed energy for their flight, even though the foodstuffs in our area are becoming more limited. Not only the berries plentiful, they are also beautiful as they adorn the landscape with bright reds, blues, and purples.

I love Mt. 6:25-34. In a season when my life was changing, in ways I neither planned nor wanted, God spoke verse 6:25a to me. "Do not be worried about your life..." That's all He said. "DO NOT WORRY about your life..." I read through the rest of the passage. "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

As I walk in the woods and see all the provision that God has left there for the animals and even the sojourners, it is a constant reminder to me that I too am a sojourner on this earth. Currently, like the birds, I'm in transit from one season to the next.

In a broader scope, this world is not my home. Like Abraham, I am looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. Both journeys I am on are temporary. While one is uncertain, the other is assured. God Himself has placed every provision in the paths He has chosen for me to walk. As I look and see the birds in the bushes eating what the Lord has provided for them, their song seems to say, "Do not worry, do not worry", and I smile and say "Thank you Lord!"

Today I am thankful that my heavenly Father has placed my provision within all of His beauty.

Thankful November #17-Power In Possession

11/18/2022

I've just started reading the book of Acts. It's hard to put down.

The first recorded miracle post-resurrection is of Peter and John going to the temple to pray and coming upon a 40-year-old man who was lame from birth and who regularly begged at the gate of the temple for alms.

Peter and John had no money, or not enough money to truly help the man financially, but instead, they gave him what they did possess, healing in the power of Jesus's name.

This same principle is true in our lives today. We cannot give to someone else what we do not possess ourselves. In my writing group, I always encourage others to put knowing God first in their lives because out of what they possess of Him, they can write powerful words that will change lives. It is His name and His power that the world needs to know. Our writing ability, our successes, our education or training, may impress people, but it cannot change them. Only Jesus can change a heart. If we are full of Him, then He can spill out of our lives and into the lives of others bringing the clarity of His truth and salvation to their souls.

Our writings will not be preserved in Heaven's library. The only writings will be His Word and the names written in the scrolls. How we walk with what we possess can make a difference in the balance of those books.

How about you? Do you know what you possess? Do you walk in what you possess?

Today, I am thankful that I am in possession of the power of Jesus Christ through faith in His Name! May God grant me the grace to give what I possess to others!

Thankful November #16-Guardrails

11/17/2022

In my latest Fall Follies blog, you saw that we ended up on an "Unmaintained Road" in the mountains of Pennsylvania.

Although I made light of it, it was anything but trivial. The rocks jutted out of the road so high that only careful maneuvering kept us from getting stuck or damaging my truck. The several-mile-long road was one lane. One side was the rock wall of the mountain and the other was a sheer drop-off to the valley if you managed to miss the trees on the descent. There were no guardrails. Neither the map nor the sign adequately indicated how treacherous the road ahead was, but once we were on it, there was no turning back or backing up. We had to press forward to a better road.

In 1999, while traveling with my kids, we slid at a curve covered with black ice on an “unmaintained” country road in southern PA. We hit a telephone pole that lipped the van on its side and caused us to slide down an embankment. There were no guardrails. Three of our four children ended up in a trauma unit, two of them hanging between life and death. The prognosis, should they survive, was not good. Had there been guardrails, our story would have been a non-event as I was traveling at a very slow rate of speed.

Just as maintained roads with guardrails are important for our physical well-being, so is a well-maintained spiritual life necessary to live Godly and avoid disaster. Acts 2:28 says:
“Thou hast made known to me the ways of life: Thou wilt make me full of gladness with Thy presence.” That could also be translated as “Thou has shown me the characteristics of a blessed life/the life that satisfies.”

His laws are our roadmap. Everything we need to live life successfully is found in the pages of His Word. It is our guardrail.

While most like guardrails on highways, many hate the guardrails of scripture not realizing that they keep us from harm, ensure that we will arrive at our desired destination, and will fill our lives with gladness along the way. Many complain about God's laws because they misinterpret them as being restrictive. when in truth, they are a blessing.

Today I am thankful for God's guardrails.

Thankful November #15-The Perfect Love

11/16/2022

Thankful November #15

Do you ever feel unloved? Do you ever feel unlovable? Have you been rejected, betrayed, or used? I know I’ve felt that way and it’s a terrible feeling.

It’s tragic how we allow the responses of others to color the perception that we have of our own worth. The day that I gave my life completely over to the Lord, I was sitting in a church service, having a discussion in my head with God. I felt that I had at pretty much everything and I was lamenting to Him about my sorrow, but I honestly didn’t think that I could ever please Him enough that He would find me lovable or lovely. I had failed to meet the expectation of others in my life and it had totally destroyed my self-esteem, self-worth, and self-confidence. I felt worthless and I was sure that God saw me that way too.

You know what God said to me? He told me that He loved me and wanted to have a loving relationship with me, not in some perverted way, but in the way that only He could love me-in total perfection. Just think of it. We run all over looking for love, we listen to the world’s script of what true love looks like, as the song says;

“Lookin’ for love in all the wrong places
Lookin’ for love in too many faces Searchin’their eyes Looking for traces Of what I’m dreaming of”

In actuality, God had been waiting for me to get to the end of myself because truly, I have absolutely nothing of value to offer Him. God was waiting on me to die to myself so that He could fill me with His perfect love.
PERFECT LOVE! Not love based on getting His needs met. Not love filled with unrealistic expectations or demands. Just perfect love. The kind of love that casts out fear and fills me with joy. The kind of love that stays, no matter how good or bad I think I’m doing. Love that will last for eternity and will never change.

People will always fail us, because people are people-ly but if our love and trust are in God, we can know that He will never fail to do the right thing, He will never cease to do everything in a way that is best for us, His love will never change. I’m not loved because I joined His club. I’m saved because I’m loved.

Today, I’m thankful for the perfect love of God.

Thankful November #14-God Hear, Cares, Responds & Acts

11/15/2022

Thankful November #14

I have a report I get on my phone telling me about my usage. To be honest, some weeks the report shocks me.

I could justify my phone use by saying that I’m exercising my brain with games, building up my spirit with worship music videos, using Bible study tools, and working, and in some ways that would be true. However, social media is a time waster, pure and simple.

For me, it’s all about communication or lack of it. For most of my life, I haven’t felt as if anyone is listening to me. I’ve never felt “heard”. I’ve always felt invisible to everyone but myself, therefore I grew to feel worthless. It’s not even that I think I have so much to say or share that’s noteworthy, because I don’t. You might be thinking that sounds crazy considering that I am a writer but to be honest, writing first appealed to me because it felt like someone was listening. Now before everyone starts responding and saying flowery things to encourage me, just stop. That is not my purpose for this post. I don’t need or want anyone’s validation. I’m not an insecure adolescent/young adult anymore.

I first came to the Lord because I was explaining to Him what a nothing I was and to my surprise, He spoke to me. I realized that He was listening. He showed me that He will take ”a nothing “and make it into “a something”, in fact, God requires nothingness because something-ness needs somewhere to reside.

I came to know that not only does He listen and respond, but that He cares. He is available to me 24/7, in fact, He is yearning for me to come and talk with Him.

Then I found out that not only does He care, but He acts. He fulfills every promise, breaks every binding chain, knocks down every barrier, supplies every need, and makes a path over every mountain and through every valley.

But the best part is that He is with me and in me! What a thought!

Today I am thankful that God hears, He responds, He cares, and He acts!

Thankful November #13-Living Bread

11/14/2022

Thankful November #13

Today was week two of an expository look at 1 John. He’s not using 1 John to enhance another subject or to prove an outside point. First John IS the subject! For some reason, that kind of preaching just fills me to overflowing. I can munch on it all week. I re-read the scripture, re-write my notes, listen a 2nd time, and pray through all the material. What I heard in one 40-minute sermon can last all week.

I remember the days when my kids were small. I don’t think I did anything in the bathroom totally alone for 5 years. Prior to that, I spent hours studying, if I chose to, but once those 3 little ones came along in rapid succession, I struggled to find an uninterrupted hour. Satan heaped piles of guilt on me and made me feel barely saved because I wasn’t reading or praying enough. Believe me, I was praying a lot. You won’t survive 3 kids in diapers if you don’t pray without ceasing! You mothers know what I mean! Still, I felt that somehow I had failed God.

One day all the kids were miraculously asleep at the same time. I desperately needed a shower and the thought of standing under the hot water until it ran out was more than I could resist. Of course, as soon as I stepped into that warm, steamy shower, the devil tried to make me feel guilty for not using that time for God. It was then that God brought this scripture to my mind:

"He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” Deuteronomy 8:3

It was then I realized that God knew where I was in life. Just as I fed my children, He would feed me. Just one word from Him could feed me for an entire day, if necessary. Oh, what freedom that brought. Instead of worrying about the amount of time I was spending, I relished every minute that I got to spend with God because I knew whether it was fast food or a buffet, God would feed me everything I needed that day. Oh, how wonderful it is to live in His care.

Today, I am thankful for the Bread of Life.

Thankful Day #12-Present Blessing, Future Hope

11/13/2022

Thankful November #12

I love my new-to-me-dog, Kai. Kai came to us not having many “basic life skills.” He couldn’t do steps or catch treats. Water running from a spigot totally baffled him. He didn’t understand why when he gave me a 150 lb. nudge, I fell down. He didn’t know the difference between chew toys and shoes, books, recliner handles, porch swings...., you get the picture. He wasn’t housebroken, but to his credit, he hasn't made any messes in the house. He stares at his reflection in the back door for hours, thinking that there is a dog on the back porch. When we open the door, he runs outside to meet our visitor and is confused when he can’t find him.

Kai wasn’t well when we got him, so for a few weeks, I didn’t walk him. Now that he’s better, we walk a 15-minute loop around our park. Halfway through the walk is a small park. Kai figured out that from the park, he can see our street and our house. I can see the cogs turning and if I’m not close to him, he takes off trotting across the park, up the street, and to the front door. So now, I clip on his leash and start him around the bottom part of our loop. He stops and gazes up the street. I can just imagine that he’s thinking about home, i.e. dinner, water, and a soft bed.

I guess I’m a bit like Kai. I try to keep an eternal perspective. Some days I sit and think of Heaven. When I am in pain from what Covid-19 did to my body, I think about what a glorified body will feel like. When my heart is in pieces, I long for the place where I’m promised there will be no more tears or sadness.

There are some days when I wish the Lord would return right now and others where I am thankful that my unsaved loved ones have one more day to repent and turn to Him.

I’m so grateful that I don’t have to worry about tomorrow, next week, or 100 years from now. “…for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

Today, I am thankful for the many blessings in my life and for those that lie ahead in glory!

Thankful November #11-Disaster Grace

11/13/2022

Thankful November #11

There was an old show on TV called the A-Team. The leader of the team coined the phrase, “I love it when a plan comes together.” After facing all kinds of obstacles, their plan always achieved their main objective and the day was won!
Today was one of those A-Team days at our house. At 10:30 AM, I heard a big boom that was followed by the power going out. I immediately called it in and they assured me that it would be fixed no later than 2:40 PM.

Thankfully that was in time for me to clean and prepare for the 13 people and 1 very excited almost 9-yr-old that were descending on my house for a birthday party. The day was dreary, rainy, and cold so even finding a window with light enough to read was a challenge but I relished the extra reading time and the nap! I’m not the panicky type but when it was T-2 hours until party time and the house was still dark, I began to realize that things weren’t looking good. The house was dark and powerless. The birthday gift had not arrived. The operating status of the grill, although back in a standing position after being upended by a 150 lb. dog looking for a piece of wood to chew, was iffy. With no grill and no stove, the party would have to be moved to a different date.

I don’t know how it is with your family, but I have 3 children with families of their own, so scheduling can be a bit of a bugaboo. Tomorrow was out. Sunday was out. Monday was out. Tuesday was out. Wednesday was out. Thursday would have rendered the steaks and cupcakes inedible. That would never do!

Around 4:20, my husband texted me and jokingly said to sing “We’ve Got The Power In The Name of Jesus” to try to throw some humor into the situation. (That’s one thing I LOVE about him. He makes me laugh every day, regardless of what is going on.) My daughter had never heard that song, so I began to sing it to her, and SHAZAAM!, the power came back on! Within minutes, the FedEx man came, and although it took some doing and some singed bangs, the grill started up! And we all partied happily ever after!
Today, I’m thankful for plans that come together and for grace when they don't!

Thankful November #10-My Roadmap To Peace

11/11/2022

Thankful November #10

Do you ever feel like you're lost in a time warp? That's how I feel during the holidays.

Before Halloween is even here, Christmas decorations start to appear in retail stores. As far as two weeks before, Halloween decorations can be found in the clearance aisle because the seasonal aisle is already full of Christmas items.

Thanksgiving, barely acknowledged, is relegated to a small display of baking supplies and frozen turkeys. Yet, to get to Christmas from Halloween, we must first pass through Thanksgiving!

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be ANXIOUS about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Pay attention to the progression of the highlighted words. Just as Halloween, with all its evil, gives way to Christmas, the season of hope, peace, and goodwill, so scripture shows us that to get from the problem to the answer, we must pass through thanksgiving!

~Thanksgiving changes our perspective and gets our eyes off the problem and onto the problem solver.

~Thanksgiving helps us live in the present and see bright hope for the future.

~Thanksgiving lifts us to a higher plain where we see with spiritual eyes instead of natural eyes that the battle is the Lord's and that it's no contest.

~Thanksgiving exercises faith and faith moves the hand and heart of God.

~Thanksgiving breeds gratitude, ushering in contentment and peace.

~Thanksgiving defies the lies of our enemy and throws the enemy's chaos back into his court.

~Thanksgiving keeps us from envy because we count our blessings instead of what we lack.

We may not always have something to be anxious about, but we always have something to be thankful for and we can never express a sufficient amount of thankfulness to equal what we possess in Christ.

So today, I'm thankful that I can always be thankful and that thankfulness is my roadmap to peace!

Thankful November #9-The Redeeming Power of Christ

11/10/2022

I heard such an encouraging message on the radio today. It was about the contrast between Peter and Judas. Both had followed Christ. Both betrayed Christ. Both felt remorse. Judas went out and hung himself. Peter wept bitterly and was restored.

Up until the very last minute, Jesus gave Judas an out but Judas went ahead with his awful deed.

Peter's fall had been prophesied by Jesus, but contained in it was also the seed of hope because Jesus said, "when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Ah, there it is! Redemption.

And the rest of the story is that Peter went on to be the head of the church, a mighty miracle worker, and a trailblazer to welcome Gentiles into the faith. He never denied Christ again and tradition has it that he was crucified, upside down at his request because he did not feel worthy to even die as the Lord had.

From this I gleaned that:
~Satan goes after the righteous. He went after righteous Job. He went after Peter because it was Peter who walked on water, Peter who was tuned into the Spirit and recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. It was Peter who witnessed and comprehended the magnitude of the transfiguration. Satan exposed Peter's weakness, but God used it to strip Peter of his self-righteousness and taught him to rely instead on the righteousness of Christ.

~Satan attacks our faith. Jesus prayed for Peter's faith, not that he would avoid falling. Faith can survive a test, and yes, even a fall from grace. Jesus knows our weaknesses. He knows we will fail, yet "in our weakness, He is strong." (2 Cor. 12:10) This is the power of the Cross! This is the message that Peter exited his trial with. This is the message that would strengthen not only the other disciples but those who just a few decades later, would experience severe persecution.

~Redemption is FULL redemption. After the resurrection, Jesus instructed the women at the tomb to go and tell the disciples AND PETER. I often wondered why He said it this way. Was Peter not with the disciples? Was he still mourning his failure? Was he no longer considered a brother by the other disciples even though he was sorry for his sin? Was he no longer considered a brother by the other disciples even though he was sorry for his sin? I don't know, but once again, Peter stands out as a prominent figure in the life of Christ. By mentioning Peter by name, all would know and understand the power of the redemption that Christ had just bought. It was full and complete. Peter was completely restored and went on to be a mighty minister of God!

~Trials and failures are normal and necessary in the lives of believers. Pride is a subtle, awful thing in the life of a Christian. It often lies hidden and undetected until...it isn't. It's devastating. Yet, Peter admonishes the brethren in 1 Peter 1 that those testings, whether you pass or fail, can result in the praise, glory, honor, and revelation of Jesus Christ when you have turned back onto the path of holiness through Christ alone, void of any works, plans, or efforts of your own. Failures are used by God to bring us to the end of ourselves so that we can embrace the new beginning He has wrought for us in Christ. This is full and complete redemption.

So today, I am thankful for Redemption

Thankful November #8-Hidden Treasure

11/9/2022

Thankful November #8

In my travels, I have come across Geocaching boxes in parks and even on mountain trails. Even though I wasn't using specific coordinates to find that particular box, I always open it up to see what "treasures" lay inside.

God's Word is like geocaching, of sorts. I open to a set of coordinates and follow them to a hidden treasure that I may or may not have known before. I'm never disappointed.

I love the treasures that are hidden in God's Word for me every day. Just like the geocaching boxes, they aren't obvious to the casual or distracted traveler. They require attention, diligence, and some faith to find, but oh, when you find them, they were well worth the journey!

I never tire of reading and gleaning the truths of scripture. I see them work in my life and the lives of others that are seeking truth, if they will give attention, diligence, and faith to extracting them. They are there for the taking!

Today, I am thankful for the Hidden Treasures of the Bible.

Thankful November #7-Joyful Completeness

11/7/2022

I don’t pre-plan my posts in November. I write from my heart and from my day. So, I don’t believe it’s an accident that I’m writing on this topic on November 7th. Seven, in scripture, signifies completion. On the seventh day, God finished His creation by resting. From that day forward, until the fall, God enjoyed daily, sweet fellowship with Adam and Even in the cool of the garden evenings.

Then sin destroyed it all.

BUT….there was a second Adam, Jesus Christ who hung on Calvary and declared once again, “It is finished!” What was finished? The restoration of what Adam had lost-fellowship with God. (Truly folks, God weren’t concerned that He had lost His gardener. No, He had lost the love of His life.)

God takes me from a theological existence to an experiential one as He is brings me into joyful fellowship with Him. Perhaps I didn’t experience it before due to a long-term membership to “People Pleasers Anonymous.” Perhaps I thought a little too highly of myself (as if something I could do would impress God in some way. ) Perhaps the revelation of the truth that God is only pleased with Christ and I am in Christ, therefore He is only pleased with me escaped me, even though I heard it preached and taught all my life.

I’ve found such freedom in knowing that He’s not concerned about how many posts I write, how many articles I publish, how clean my house is, how stylish my clothes are, how many hours a day I pray and read, or even how many souls I personally lead to the Him. All that matters is that I know HIM! Didn’t Jesus refuse entrance to a group of “do-gooders” in Matthew 7? His reason was because He didn’t KNOW them and they truly didn’t know Him!
My salvation, wrought for me by Christ, gives me a renewed fellowship with my Heavenly Father. It’s not something I create. Only Christ could do that for me. It is only my responsibility to maintain what Christ bought for me.

If someone gave you a free car, you would rejoice, wouldn’t you? Yet, even though the car was free, it costs something to maintain it. There are repairs, adjustments, body work, and inspections. Just as God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, I too, must make myself available to walk and talk with God every day to maintain the free gift Christ bought for me. But who wouldn’t want that? Who wouldn’t want to have God Almighty Himself as our personal confidante and friend? It’s my joy! I mean, that’s even better than Siri or “Hey, Google!”

I discovered what the Apostle John spoke of so often, the fullness of joy that comes from knowing God. (Jn. 15:9-11) My life is consumed with thoughts of God. My relationship with God is no longer mere theory or theology. It is experiential. I know Him through what I see Him doing, in my life and the lives of others. Fullness defined is absolute satisfaction in abundance. IN HIM is FULLNESS! The summation of my existence should be that I KNOW HIM and the reward and fruit of it is fullness of joy!

Today, I am so, so, so, so thankful for Joyful Completeness.

Thankful November #6-God's Mercy is Not Generic

11/6/2022

This quote from a friend's Facebook page spoke to me. His grace truly is personal, situational, and concrete.

For the last couple of years I've been asking God, what are you trying to teach me? Please tell me so that I can learn it and move on to something easier! (Don't judge, we've all said it.)

This statement is it! He's been trying to tell me that everything I need, and I mean EVERYTHING, is found in Him and comes through Him. Every Christian says that they believe this but I found, in my own life, that God was not the person that I ran to first.

I would judge the situation based on past experience, the advice of a friend or someone that I knew had been where I was, the suggestions of a family member or a Pastor, or even "the experts" online. Then I would run it by the Lord giving Him a multiple-choice answer to pick from. It's no wonder that it took me so long to learn what God was trying to do. First, I had to learn to hear His voice.

To expedite this lesson, God put situations in my life that could only be solved by Him to force me to run to HIM, sit with HIM, listen to HIM, and TRUST HIM!

Some of the advice was unconventional, uncomfortable, and put me in a terribly vulnerable position that was downright terrifying, but He always came through in miraculous ways when I obeyed what He said.

God has a way of caring for us personally, in this time, in this specific situation, and in this place. His care is impeccable and His provision is perfect. We can trust Him, even if no one else agrees with what He said.

Today, I'm thankful that God's mercy is not generic!

We Interrupt The Regularly Scheduled Days of Thanks...

11/5/2022

Fall Foliage Follies continue. Now that the leaves of autumn are almost faded and fallen, we switched gears, just a bit, to check out some old Railroad Tunnels in the area. Tunnels are as close to spelunking as I get. I don't enjoy feeling trapped in a small space.

After exploring the tunnels, we took some time and walked the old rail trail. We were surprised that we never knew about all the trails, tunnels, and vistas that all around us. Finding them these last couple of years have been a source of wonder and awe for us both. Although the leaves of fall have just a few holdouts, there is still enough color to make a more subtle kind of beauty. Either way, it still takes my breath away!

Our intent was to travel from one tunnel to the next, which required, or course that we cross the mountain. Somehow, we ended up on a road that ran the ridge and promised us some vistas to see, and believe me, it did not disappoint!

And of course, we always see some oddities that we just don't understand. LOL! These houses were all within a few hundred yards of each other in a small town tucked away between two mountains. The only oddity I missed was a mailbox strategically placed along an un-maintained road, where only the brave, and those with trucks dare to go!

Of course, I would be remiss to not include a photo of my co-hort in adventure. He's the best! I'm especially happy that he didn't leave my oil pan up on the mountain as we took that road less traveled that the sign said was "Unmaintained." On one side was the rock wall of the mountain and on the other side was a sheer drop-off that went clear to the creek below. It got a little dicey when we encountered another vehicle and I was extremely thankful that he has been a bus driver for nearly 30 years and could drive a bus through a pin hole. He's also prayed up which added to my sense of security. The way he manuevered around jutting rocks was nothing less than impressive. And he has already found us a very competent chiropractor who we will probably be calling next week.

We stopped for dinner at an iconic restaurant just over the mountain from our house because honestly, they have the very best french fries you have ever eaten and the history of it fit right in with the railroad theme of the day. It used to be railroad station and still has the original ticket booth, flooring, and the scale in the floor used to weigh products from the train. Plus, the people there are just nice.

Our final stop was the car wash because after a day running the stone-mud-horse dung covered roads, in the rain, my truck was no longer it's beautiful color and we have to drive it to church tomorrow! All in all, it was, as usual, a lovely, lovely day!

Thankful November #5-From Where I'm Standing

11/5/2022

Thankful November #5

From where I'm standing, I can see forever! At least that's how it seemed as I stood on this vista to see the last of the season's leaves. Their season of beauty is finished. The evergreens seemed to wake from their summer slumber to stretch their limbs above the bare trees as if to say, Now, it's our season to shine!

From where I'm standing, I can see eternity! And eternity also will go on and on without end. And as lovely as this life on earth can be, one day I will fully awake in a glorified body, raise my arms up to God, and shine with the glory of Christ-Forever!

I look forward to these Fall days in the mountains with my hubby, but I look forward to my days on the new earth with Christ so, so, so, much more!

Today, I'm thankful for the beauty of this earth and the promise of the one to come.

Thankful November #4-My Buddy, Kai

11/4/2022

Today I’m thankful for my buddy, Kai.

We recently did something crazy! We adopted an 8 year old, 150 lb. dog. (Talk about adventures!) So now, we have 340 lbs. of dog in our 1160 sq. ft. house. We tried to talk each other out of doing it for SO many reasons, but this guy is special and somehow I always knew that we belonged together.

I am Kai’s person. If I’m home, he’s within inches of where I am. That is usually a good thing, but I must be honest, the guy sheds and farts a little too much. We’re working with it. (Can you say Yankee candles and Furminator?) On the up side, he is quite the conversation piece once people quit exclaiming that he’s the biggest dog they’ve ever seen, with the biggest feet they’ve ever seen, and the biggest head they’ve ever seen! Honestly, he does look like he’s half Shetland pony. What they don’t see is that he also has the biggest heart they’ve ever seen.

He’s never met a dog or person he didn’t like even little nippy dogs that are just eggin’ for a fight. Kai takes it all in stride and walks away as if they never existed. Seriously, if he ever got the notion, he could fit them in his mouth and you would never know they were in there. But he is happy to reserve all his chompin’ for Milk Bone Biscuits, Joint Chews, and the little leftovers we save for him from the dinner table. Kai is a low stress, slow movin’, gentle-giant, lovin’ machine.

He does cramp my style a little. He’s still learning the difference between books and chew toys, shoes and chew toys, deck rails and chew toys, well…you get the picture. I don’t leave him for too long for fear of what he might decide to chew but he’s learning that I will always come home to him and he’s getting better by the week.

In a lot of ways, he is a good example of 1 Corinthians 13 (except maybe the “not seeking its own” part if food is involved. Then it’s just every dog for itself. We’re all growing.) He is kind, humble, doesn’t act unbecomingly (except for the farts, but I don’t think he can help it), doesn’t take into account a wrong, bears all things, trusts, always perseveres (except on walks), and loves with all his big heart can muster.

The world needs more Kai’s in it.