Blog Posts - Atypical Pastors Wife

Thankful November Day 13-Our Brightest Moments

11/13/2021

"Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth." Ps. 71:9
"They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing." Ps. 92:14

My hubby and I were out and about today. We didn't have any particular adventure in mind unless you call a haircut an adventure. Considering that he goes to a place where you never know which employee will cut your hair, I guess it could be considered an adventure. LOL!

As we traveled around town, we noticed that the red and orange leaves are coming into their own now that the yellow leaves have fallen away. They reminded me of a blog I wrote years ago that I usually share this time of year. Each year that I live, it becomes a little more applicable to my life since I am getting older but the promise of God remains the same.

I remember these thoughts first came to me as I watched leaves falling from the trees and fluttering to the ground. I was enraptured with the beauty of them. Then all the sudden it hit me that these leaves were dying! At their brightest moment, they fell to the ground to die. But oh, how bright was that moment and I asked the Lord to let my life be as theirs had been, fully alive and thriving right up to the moment when I am released to die. (Of course, I would much rather prefer that He return because I think that going in the rapture would be so awesome!)

Here is the blog:

I have entered the last season of life. All too soon I, like the leaves, will cease to live. Just as the leaves come to the end of their appointed season, I will too. Lord, grant this one desire.

When people see me in the last stages of life, let the color of my life be as brilliant, as vibrant, and as loud as the fall leaves. Let it sing with as much beauty as your creation does as it basks in the autumn sun. Let the lifetime I spent growing in the grace of the Son of God crescendo with as much splendor and beauty as the leaves of autumn. Let the harvest of my old age be God's abundant life touching all those around me. And long after I'm gone, may the residue of my years be like an aromatic oil and a sweet fragrance to those I leave behind.

Today I am thankful that my brightest moments always lie ahead of me and not behind.

Thankful November Day 12-Don't be a Turkey, Give Thanks

11/12/2021

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Have you ever noticed that Thanksgiving day seems to have become less and less important in our culture? Where it used to be a day for family gatherings and fellowship, it’s been reduced to a freezer full of turkeys and some festive tableware at the local grocery store and wild shopping deals. In our homes, it's a gluttonous celebration with some football and pumpkin pie for dessert. Thanksgiving day is blurred by the darkness of Halloween and drowned in the frenzy of Christmas. When did you ever see a house decorated for Thanksgiving? It seems as if overnight the world transforms from ghosts and goblins to the angelic and magical with nary a mention of what lies in-between.

We see in the scripture above that in God's economy, thanksgiving is extremely important, if not essential in prayer. It's the catalyst that gets us from the darkness's of life to the glorious light of prayer answers. Just as Thanksgiving Day is a resting point between the evil of Halloween and the song of the Christmas angels declaring that God has come near, the practice of thanksgiving in prayer is what carries us from problem to provision, from anxiety to answers, from trepidation to truth, and from obstacle to overcoming.

Here we see it, sandwiched in between our pleas and the answer. In between our petitions and the provision. It is the conduit, through which our faith travels, that leads to the ear of God and what is needed to move His heart and His hand. The result of thanksgiving offered in faith is the presence of God in our lives and the reality of answers to prayer.

So today, in the in-between, in-between Halloween and Christmas, in-between my petitions and provision, I choose to give thanks. I focus not on food or family, fortune or fame. I focus not on future plans or present realities. Instead I will give thanks for the provision of God smashed between evil and good, between being lost and being found, between separation and reconciliation. I will give thanks for the coming of God’s Son to sacrifice His life for me. I will glory in all the provisions that His death now makes available to me.

And my reward? His presence. Presence in prosperity or problems. In joy and in sadness. In the turmoil, turbulence, troubles and transitions of life. Transcending presence born on the wings of faith-filled thanksgiving.

Thankful November Day 10&11-The Object of My Faith

11/11/2021

I've been thinking about the story of Cain and Abel for two days. I tried many times to write down my thoughts but it took me awhile to decide what to write.

As a young Christian I could never understand why God did not accept Cain's offering. I had the same attitude as I see many have in the church today. Cain gave the first and best of what he had toiled over and grown. I can just imagine the spread he must have laid before the Lord. To have it rejected would have been very disappointing and frustrating. After all, isn't that what God had given him to do? He tended the crops and Abel tended the sheep. Why wouldn't God be satisfied with the best that he had to offer? Why wasn't his sacrifice enough cover what he owed?

I soon came to understand that in Christianity, there has to be the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sin because "the wages of sin is death." Cain knew this. I'm sure Adam and Eve had told them the story many times of how they had sinned and tried to cover themselves with fig leaves but God came and shed innocent blood and covered them with the skin of the sacrifice. They obviously had been schooled in the bringing of sacrifices before the Lord in remembrance of what God had done to cover their sin and in anticipation of the promised perfect sacrifice that would come and "bruise the head" of the deceiver that had led them there.

In the last couple of years, God has been revealing to me the greatness of my salvation. Too many times we see the Cross as the starting point to God, which it is but then we have the tendency to relegate it to the starting point as we move deeper into spiritual understanding of the working of the Spirit. The most spiritually effective people I have known in my lifetime have managed to maintain their fascination, adoration, and appreciation of the Christ of the Cross. I realized that I did not have the understanding that they had, therefore I was not as spiritually effective. I figured out that I was missing something, so I began to pray about it asking the Holy Spirit to help me and teach me.

In the last year I have come to learn that the finished work of the Cross is as important and effective in my life for my sanctification as it was for my salvation. When Christians struggle with fleshly sins, addictions, and character flaws, when they are praying for healing and it doesn't come, it doesn't mean they don't love God. It doesn't mean that they don't have faith. It doesn't mean they are not saved. Salvation means that we have placed our faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross. It has nothing to do with what we experience here on earth. Faith in the cross is the only thing that saves us.

Where things go awry is in their attempts to correct their behavior through the desperate efforts of denying themselves, going to counselors, participating in 12 step programs, spending increased time in prayer, confession and other spiritual activities. They soon find that these things may provide temporary victory, but no lasting effect. They grow frustrated with themselves and suspicious of God and His Word and they wonder why it's not working for them. Eventually they form wrong ideas about God or they walk away from the faith altogether. I've seen it time and time again. I'm not saying that any of those afore mentioned things are wrong or bad. I've tried most of them myself and I know they are not effective.

In thinking about Cain and Abel, God made this so clear to me. The reason that Cain's offering was rejected was because he put his faith in what HE brought, in what HE had to offer. He thought God would accept what HE had toiled to produce by the sweat of his brow. The object of his faith was in something he had labored to produce.

On the other hand, Abel's faith was in the sacrifice. He knew that it was the blood that impressed God. It was the sacrifice of the spotless innocent lamb, the toil of the lamb in giving his life that made it acceptable to God. Nothing of humanity was part of the sacrifice. The object of Abel's faith was the work that the lamb did, not his own work. And God accepted it.

How often we do this. After being saved by nothing more than putting our faith in what someone else did for us, we then rush on to the doing and object of our faith quietly shifts. There is doing in faith but those things are the result of where we have put our faith. If what Christ did on the cross is not the object of our faith, our faith will fail. We must always go back to what Christ did, because it is through His work, His sacrifice, His offering Himself for us that we receive salvation and all the promises of victory and the fruit of the Spirit. Everything we receive after salvation comes through the same means that our salvation came-the finished work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus has to be the object of our faith, the center of our joy, the foundation of our hope in order to have victory in life. "He causes us always to triumph THROUGH Christ Jesus!"

It seems a subtle thing, but if our faith is in our prayers, our confession, our efforts, our obedience, it will surely fail because there is nothing in us or about us that could possibly equal what Christ accomplished for us on the Cross. HIS accomplishments are why we have anything. Everything we are promised is what He deserved, but in the divine great exchange, Christ opened the door for us to have His blessings. So everything we need in this life, in our sanctification, comes through Jesus Christ. When the Spirit sees our faith is in Christ, He then has opportunity to work in us to change us and to answer our prayers. You see, it is His job to reveal and glorify Christ always and only.

I wish it hadn't taken me this long to learn it, but I'm so thankful that I did. The peace, the joy, and the victory it has brought into my life has been revolutionary. I no longer manage things in my life that Jesus died to destroy. I look to what He already purchased for me when I'm tempted and find strength to overcome. I'm still growing in this knowledge but I'm not the same as I was. I don't want one drop of that precious blood to be wasted in my life. I want all He died to give me both in this life and the next.

"Thank you Jesus for the blood applied
Thank you Jesus, you have washed me white
Thank you Jesus, you have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light."
Crystal Gayle

Thankful November Day 9- Lost But Found

11/9/2021

I got lost on the mountain today. Well, sort of. You see, I know where the mountain is and how it relates to the other mountains, so even though I got off the trail somehow, I still knew generally where I was. I had never hiked this particular trail, but I had my phone tracking my progress so if need be, I could always turn around and follow my phone down the same way I had hiked up. I didn't want to do that because the way up had been STEEP and I had to stop and rest multiple times. I couldn't imagine trying to go down without slipping on the autumn leaves.

So I got out my trusty map and discovered that if I walked west on the trail I was on, I could juke over to the main trail and take it down the mountain. From the markings on the map, I saw that it would probably be an easier walk and since my legs felt like jelly, I decided that would be the safer choice. I came along to a little trail that went the right direction and down the mountain on the opposite side of where my car was parked so I took it figuring that I would hit the main trail very soon. Nope! You see, I figured out later that I had been on the south side of the little loop at the top of the mountain instead of the north side, so when I juked over, I hit the top part of the loop, not the part that jukes over to the main trail, so had I stayed on the path, I would have just continued to go in circles on the top of the mountain.

So I found a trail that went the right direction on the right side of the mountain and started down. It was just sort of treacherous. I think only deer could have traversed this trail safely but I didn't panic because I could still see the valley and landmarks below so if I could just get down the mountain on the right side, I could find the main road and walk back to my car (or call my trusted hiking buddy to come get me).

As I clung to trees along the trail to keep from sliding down to the rocks below, I prayed that God would get me down safely. About that time my husband texted wanting me to bring him a snack at work. I thought to myself, he may have seen me for the very last time and all he cares about is a snack! LOL! I stopped for a rest and got out my phone and just for fun opened Google and said, Google, where am I? A map pulled up on the screen and miracle of miracles, the main trail that I was looking for was on it so I followed the little blue dot on the Google map all the way to the main trail, sliding on my butt at times because it was too steep to try to walk it and picking up a few ticks along the way. Turns out I would have found it without Google but it felt a whole lot better knowing that at least Google knew where I was.

Do you ever feel like this in life? Lost, alone, in a wilderness, not knowing which direction to go? I know I have. And it's nice to know that at any time, I am a little blue dot on God's radar. He knows exactly where I am and where I need to get to. I'm not lost to Him. If I follow the directions He has mapped out for me in His Word, I will reach my destination. And I can call Him up anytime day or night and He's never out of range. We are so blessed to have a God that is so near.

Thankful November Day 10&11-Surprised by Abundance

11/8/2021

"And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Rev 22:1

I love streams. Listening to them is like listening to music. I've often wondered if music comes from the river of God that flows from His throne. Scripture does say that if we won't praise Him, the rocks will cry out. I just imagine that that heavenly river sings as it flows. I could be totally wrong of course but it's nice to sit and dream of heaven. (I secretly think that there will be popcorn balls at the marriage supper of the Lamb too. At least I'm hoping there are.)

This morning, I drove out to the mountain and took a trail I had never taken before. That's always a little daunting to me given that I have no sense of direction whatsoever. But I did have a map and an app on my phone that tracks my progress that I can follow back to my car if I get lost.

I usually plan my hikes to go near water. I love to listen to it trickle over the rocks. I love waterfalls too and I was thrilled to find this little one along the way. As I walked back to my car, I was thanking God that I didn't get lost or snagged up by a mountain man and drug into the wilderness. (Hey, it happened to a girl back in the 60s.) I also thanked him for the little waterfall that I had seen. I often think that God does things like that just for me because He knows how much it delights me. Just as I said that, I looked towards the sun and thought I saw a waterfall. Sometimes the sun shining off a metal cabin roof can look like a waterfall, just in case you're wondering. As I bushwhacked into the woods, I came across this:

That is so like my God. I sat down on the water's edge and just listened for a long while. I thought, isn't that just like God. Here I was thankful for a trickle, but He had so much more in mind. He is a God of abundance. He is abundant in mercy, in kindness, in compassion, in provision, in goodness, in redemption, in forgiveness, in wisdom, in knowledge, in all that He does and we are the object of that abundance!

Have you ever been surprised by the abundance of the Lord? I have many times. His abundance flows from His character and that fact that He is just a BIG God. He doesn't do things small. He may do small things, but He never does anything small. Think about that!

So today I am thankful that I was surprised by abundance and I am challenged to believe God for so much more than I can imagine because He wants to answer your prayers, "abundantly above all that you could ask or think!" What are you asking Him for today? Get a picture in your mind of what that would look like and then get ready and see what the Lord will do!

Thankful November Day 6-Farewells and Funerals

11/6/2021

You may think it strange that today I would be thankful for farewells and funerals. I found it a little surprising myself.

Today my aunt was laid to rest at 96 years of age. My husband and I rose early this morning to make the almost 3 hour drive. As we drove, I thought of all the memories I had of her. She was a beautiful woman with dark curls, dark eyes and an infectious laugh. My mom and I used to go visit her on days when we got haircuts because they lived close to the salon where we went. My neck was always red and my nose itchy from the hairs that fell as I got my pixie cut. My aunt would put talcum powder on my neck and somehow knew that the perfect solution to an itchy nose was a snack. Her house almost always smelled of fresh cut flowers that were prominently displayed in the living room. Today I learned that her neighbor worked for a florist and kept her in abundant supply. That spoke to me of what kind of person she had been. My favorite thing about visiting was when she would play the piano. She could really play a piano and my love of music made visiting her always a delight. Perhaps she partially inspired me to learn to play myself although I will never command a piano like she did.

My cousin, her son, is enough years older than me that I always thought he was a grown up so we weren't close growing up, but when I was around him, he was always warmly welcoming and kind and made me feel like the most important person in the room. I felt that again today when I walked into the funeral home and as I observed his interactions, I realized that he makes everyone feel that way. And when he hugged me, it just felt like an I'm-so-glad-we're-family kind of hug even though I hadn't seen him for over 2 years. And his wife, who I always thought was one of the most kind and beautiful women I ever knew was so gracious to us, taking time to "catch up" during the meal after the service, even after my uncle and cousin had left. That was a blessing.

We attend funerals to let those left behind know that we care, that the person they lost was important to us and had an impact on our lives. I've buried two of my immediate family in the last 3 years and it seemed to me that every person that came to say goodbye also helped to lighten the load of grief, if just for a few moments. That's one reason that I felt so compelled to go today. I pray that my presence there helped to lighten the load, if just for a brief second.

What I wasn't expecting was what I received by attending. When I saw my uncle, I saw my mother's eyes again and for a brief moment she felt very near even though she's been gone almost 20 years. My cousin looks strikingly like my brother, who passed way sooner than he should have, and when he hugged me, he held me tight just like my brother did the last time I saw him. All of these things seemed to fill in the empty years between today and when I lost them and brought them close again, if just for a little while.

The minister soberly reminded us of the importance of knowing God in this life and the reality of not knowing him in eternity. I appreciated that so much. More and more I see the fragility of life as people that I know are passing from this world to the next. We really don't know what tomorrow holds, but if we know who holds tomorrow, then we can live in peace and anticipate eternity with joy.

As I talked with my uncle we spoke of the scripture that reminds us that those of us who know the Lord do not mourn as the world mourns because we know that the death of a believer is more of a "see you later", than a goodbye. And for a moment I saw that familiar flicker in his eye as he assured me that his wife was in a better place and his trust was in the Lord.

So though today was sad and death causes us to mourn the way that life used to be, we know that there is a time to be born and there is a time to die. And today, a life well lived in-between was celebrated. Our loss is her victory. And that is reason to be thankful.

Thankful November Day 5

11/5/2021

I awoke early this morning, even before the 5:15 am alarm. Maybe the smell of coffee woke me, I'm not sure. (I'm so thankful for coffee makers that turn on automatically!), but that's not what I'm going to write about!

Let's suppose that the coffee maker caught on fire and I had to evacuate my house. What two things would I grab, other than family members. One, for sure, would be my Bible. My Bible is decades old. It is covered with packing tape to keep the leather in place. The ISBN# wore off ages ago. It's the one with the binding that has been cut and glued so many times, stock prices for silicon glue have drastically increased. People always say to me, "you need a new Bible." The problem is, I can't part with it. I don't think it's sacred or anything. The words in it are though.

This is the Bible whose margins are full of study notes, sermon notes, and specific dates when God has spoken directly to me about anything. It's promises are colored in so that when I need them, I can find them quickly.

This is the bible that I opened across my chest and clung to because in it was the promise God had given me that I was not going to miscarry my youngest daughter. I was in an ambulance on my way to a hospital, bleeding and passing huge clots. I knew what God had said He would do. I heard what the doctors were saying was happening. I clung to God and He kept His promise to me.

This is the Bible that holds the verse God spoke to me during a worship service when I was exceptionally upset about something promising me that He would comfort me. It's the one that holds promises spoken yet unfulfilled that I am eagerly anticipating. It holds my past, my present, and my future. In it are recorded the very best and worst times of my life.

This is the bible that flew around our van the day we had a terrible accident. It was the Bible that I opened every single morning before going to the hospital beds that held my broken, comatose children. For months, God never once failed to speak something personally to me for the day. No matter what hard decision I had to make that day, God had already told me what to do.

This is the Bible that reassured me that everything would be okay when my husband was gravely ill and the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. It was the one that gave me promises to speak to him every time we had to make a frantic trip to the emergency room.

This is the Bible that I slept with at night when my world fell completely apart, the one that held the promise of abundant, complete redemption and restoration. It's the one that I prayed on, cried in and laid beside my head on my pillow when I was all alone. It's the one that helped things that were happening make sense to me and the one that gave me courage to be strong and not give up.

This Bible has been my counselor, my teacher, my correction, and my hope. Its words taught me of my sin, it led me to the cross where my shame was removed and my whole life was turned around. Its words have been my constant companion and my very best friend. They've never failed me, not once.

You see, Jesus and His Word are one. This Bible contains Him, moving with me through life. It's my lighthouse, my safe refuge, my medicine when I'm sick, my hope and my joy, even when there seemed to be no reason to have any. It's my roadmap and my business plan. It defines me. It refines me. It's the most valuable possession that I own because it contains truth in a world full of lies and deception. It holds hope in a society that is quickly losing hope. When I read those words, they put a firm foundation under my feet, a shield all around me, protection for my mind and heart, and glorious promises of days to come when everything will be set aright for all eternity. I realize it's just a book from a natural perspective, but it holds powerful, life changing, life forming, life sustaining words. The world as we know it is fluid. Life is unpredictable and fragile. Nothing is permanent or fully trustworthy except for the Word of God. Are you wearing one out?

I don't know what the second thing I would grab would be. Possibly my purse or my jiffy pop because what is life without popcorn?

Thankful November-Day 3&4-I Shall Not Want

11/4/2021

Yesterday was a busy day for me and by the time I had an opportunity to write, it was bedtime. I don't trust myself to write when I'm tired so I decided it would be better to combine two days instead of taking the chance.

Today I am thankful that God knows the end from the beginning. When I am in frightening circumstances and I don't know how things are going to turn out, I quickly remind myself of this. It all goes back to believing that "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want" and all the goodness that follows that thought in Psalm 23. In recent years, as I've walked the creek during my prayer times, the Lord has taken me to that Psalm so many times. As I've walked, He has dissected and expanded my understanding of it, line by line. I didn't realize that it was possible to think deeply about one verse of scripture for 3.5 miles, but it is!

As I've looked back through my journals, I've noticed that the Lord has prepared me for every single disruption to my otherwise easy life. We were betrayed in ministry. The Lord prepared me 6 months in advance. I got cancer. The Lord prepared me in advance and when I heard that word, there was no fear. We had a devastating car accident that nearly killed two of our children and for months before that happened the Lord had been building and strengthening me so that I could still say, "the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want." I suffered a grave personal loss and the Lord said "...put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full (plenteous, abundant) redemption."

I can't tell you how many times, the Lord has spoken verses to me right before something terrible happens in my life and it's those verses that I cling to, meditate on, pray to Him, and choose to believe when what I see and feel with my natural senses is screaming the exact opposite. I've learned to recognize His voice and to take notice to what He's saying. You see, He knows what He is going to do. He's not afraid to say it. He's going to show Himself strong, He's going to flex those spiritual muscles and lay the devil flat to prove to me His love and power if I will just believe what He said. "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want." He's going to prove He is who He says He is to draw me nearer and cause me to stand in amazement at what He can do as I sing "The Lord is my shepherd. i shall not want! I put my hope in Him and He abundantly redeems!"

Above all things, the Lord just wants us to trust Him. We all say that we do, but for me, when the rubber hit the road and road was long and hard, I realized that I had some growing to do in that. When I grew weary in the journey and just felt that I couldn't take one more step, I was faced with two options-give up or trust. I was forced to face what I really believed about God, about His love, about His goodness, about His power and yes, about His very existence. I hated every single minute of that journey. It stole from me. It ate at me. It tried to destroy me and almost did but as I dug deep, I discovered that there is water, even in the deepest of valleys and the driest of deserts. "The Lord (truly) is my (good, good) shepherd! I shall not want! (Not ever). Blessed be the name of my Lord!

Thankful November-Day 2

11/2/2021

Grandkids! I'm featuring this guy because he had a birthday yesterday and I just love his hair in this photo. I love all my grandsons though. All 6 of them. You can't even begin to imagine what it sounds like at our house on Sunday evenings when they are there together. Spaced all the way from age 10 down to age 2, they provide us with all kinds of stimulation. Add to that two big dogs, a puppy, spouses and four siblings who seem to revert back to their younger years when they are together, there you have it-total family chaos.

We weren't in a hurry to be grandparents. In fact, I remember that my husband had a timeline that stated that he would not be a grandparent before a certain age. I don't remember if my oldest daughter complied or not. I think it was close.

The grandkids have been hard on us (our wallets) though. We can't go anywhere where we don't see something that we want to get for at least one, if not all, of the grandkids. "Wouldn't so-and-so love that? Can you imagine how much fun that would be for them? Do you think there'd be room in the yard for that? Where would we put that? We really need to move into a bigger house. That's kind of expensive, but hey, you only live once. I always wanted one of those when I was a kid. Well, if we get this, then we will have to get that to go with it. You know, we got this for one of them last year, so we should get it for the rest of them too. Let's torture their parents and buy this! Sweet Revenge!"

Now, I'm sure that only grandparents understand these kinds of statements. We don't worry about them sleeping or eating right. We just fill the freezer with ice cream, the pantry basket with candy (or bee-bops) as the youngest one says, fill them up and send them home. When we take them hiking or to the creek, we don't worry that they don't have extra clothes or shoes, we just line the seats of the truck with plastic bags, take them to McDonalds so that everyone can question what kind of parents do these poor children have and then drive them home. We are the main supporters of the concession stands during sporting events. We keep "Get Air" in business. We know the kid's menu for every restaurant in town. We cause servers to shutter when we walk in and say "a table for 13 and 5 kid's menus please. And oh, can we have extra crayons please?" We'll drive 3 hours to go to a good toy store, just to see what's available. I have a file on my phone just with photos of things the little guys have pointed out to us or that we've seen in a store somewhere. We make lists of places we've been that one or more of them might like when they reach a certain age. At Christmastime, we'll fill a cart full of toys and then go get another one when we run out of room. It's all consuming!

I've learned that family gatherings are not going to look like they do on Hallmark Christmas movies, but that's okay because when it's all said and done, all that really matters is that they remember that we loved them and that they had fun with us. In their latter years they will remember Pappy pile-ons, foosball tournaments in the basement, ice cream at the farm with the goldfish and real cows to pet, the train that whistles under the Christmas tree, jumping in the the trailer in the driveway, fireworks on 4th of July, and many other memories that are yet to be made. I know that I have memories like these of my grandparents and they are some of my fondest.

Grandchildren remind us that we don't live forever but we can be forever young when we're with them. Thank you Lord for grandkids.

Thankful November-Day 1

11/2/2021

To celebrate Thanksgiving, I'm going to write about one thing I'm thankful for everyday (hopefully) this month. I'm already a day late getting started and the reason for that is what I'm thankful for!

For the last 18 years, my husband and I have owned a small lawn business. This included mowing, fertilization, snow removal, bush trimming, weeding, mulching-the general stuff. I've always hated lawn work. Despite my love of the outdoors, I think I was traumatized as a child when my father gave me a pair of hand clippers (for the younger generation, hand clippers were kind of like a huge pair of nail clippers. There's no power source except for you squeezing, squeezing, squeezing). And then he pointed to the two rows of spirea that ran the entire length of our 3/4 acre lot-on both sides- and told me to clip around the bottoms of them, after mowing, every week, for all spring, summer and early fall-in other words not necessarily as needed but as he desired. If my brother were alive, he would tell me that he had to do it too and to stop whining. But what he doesn't realize is that the older siblings only have to do it until they move out or the next sibling is old enough to take over. Being the baby almost guarantees that you will do it more years than any of your siblings ever did. And then as soon as you move out, all the sudden a weed-eater appears! I think dishwashers were invented that very same year too. Thanks Dad.

Now that we know what I'm not thankful for, let's get to why I'm thankful for our lawn business. It's over! I don't mean just for this season. I mean it's over forever! I've been released from lawn business hell! Yesterday we mowed our last 5 lawns-forever! Today as we sat at the park at lunch, eating DQ Blizzards, my husband and I actually enjoyed looking at the grass knowing that we can vacuum our vehicles and they will stay relatively clean, there will be no gas smell on the steering wheels anymore and when it snows, we can sit on the couch with our matching slippers and coffee mugs and sing with gusto "Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow!" When school is over, we can actually go somewhere on vacation. When Christmas vacation comes, we will be able to go visit family without worrying about having to come home and shovel everyone out if it snows. We won't have to work until dark in the fall. We won't have to be in the sweltering heat in the summer, unless we want to be. Can you say Cape May?

It's been a long time coming but the days of "when we can get rid of the lawn business" have finally come!

I have to admit though that there were some things that were beneficial about the lawn business. I learned the hard way the importance of sun screen. I wrote many Lawnmower Devotions (my old blog) for your reading pleasure. I learned that I could choose not to complain. I listened to a TON of sermons and entertained the neighbors with my off key singing as I mowed. I met a whole bunch of nice people that I wouldn't have met otherwise. I helped to provide for our family.

Lawn Businesses are generally referred to as "seasonal businesses" and I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am that this season has passed!

Fort Ligonier Adventure

7/8/2021

We started early on our adventure! Right outside the fort, we encountered rain so but it didn't ruin our parade! First stop-Fort Ligonier. The fort had been reconstructed on the exact site and it was magnificent. Ligonier, PA is one of the quaintest towns I have ever been in. A little touristy, but unique, quirky, and beautiful but also heavy with history that has been well maintained.

Our first stop was the fort museum. I could fill a truck with photos of the museum, so I just picked a couple to share. Since most of my readers are female, I'll focus on fashion. LOL! As you can see, the British were very well dressed with coat, vest, and knickers. There was also a pair of what I call "hooker boots" and some of the first "gators" every made! Some of the exhibits made me laugh, like the quote from a British military man. And they wonder why we don't like them. LOL! And I would be amiss to not include the "Necessary House" or in plain English, the primitive porta-potty. My husband has a fascination with them and knows where every one in town is. I have suggested that he make a map to be sold at the visitor center in our town but he has yet to embrace my brilliant idea! Who knows? It might be a best seller, especially among families with little children.

The fort is actually a fort within a fort. There was the exterior wall, the moat, and then the inner fort. Three lines of defense! There was a hospital, a place to dry meat and bake bread, the blacksmith, barracks for officers, a storage house, and an ammo cellar beneath the ground to protect from rain, heat and incoming cannon balls. I don't know how anyone got any sleep because the men slept 2-4 to a bed that no bigger than a double bed.

As I mentioned before, the town was very quaint. Specialty shops abounded. The town square was the most impressive thing we saw all day. I hope you appreciate the photo. I risked my life to take it. It was like an island with a manicured lawn and flowers right in the middle of the town. Those chimes were the lowest chimes I have ever heard and when I saw them, I just had to run up on the porch and ring them. Fortunately I wasn't arrested for trespassing. LOL! And just in case you were wondering, we did not get tattoo's while we were there.

Lunch was a reuben sandwich, real french fries and hand squeezed lemonade. Darrell got soup, but we split the sandwich because I just can't eat a whole one, ever! All I have to say is move over, Waffle shop!

As you well know, our world revolves around ice cream and there happened to be an ice cream shop right on the square. We sat on a bench and watched the traffic while we gobbled down some really good ice cream.

The town was full of churches and of course, graveyards! I'm only including a few of the photos I took. We had a blast spying out steeples and then trying to find them. Many of those involved in the fort were buried there.

We reluctantly headed home in the late afternoon, tired and with sore feet, but we could easily be convinced to return for a visit. When I think about the kind of men and women who forged this history, I feel proud to be an American. I was challenged as well to examine the things that I feel are important and how they affect those with whom I interact and those who will come after me. What kind of legacy will I leave behind? What will be recorded of my life in the hearts of those I leave behind?

So if you are looking for a nice day trip in PA, this is one you will not want to miss!

The Big Chair Adventure

6/12/2021

On my calendar, Friday morning included a quick trip to Carlisle to purchase 2 plank bottom chairs from a post on Marketplace. They almost match perfectly two chairs I inherited from my grandfather's house. With our growing family, it's hard to fit everyone around the table and these chairs with their low backs and skinnier seats just fit the bill. I had planned to run down and back. Easy Peasy.

Friday morning, my alarm went off early because I told the woman I would meet her at 9am two hours from here. My husband, who had the day off decided to go along because we would only be 1 hour from his mother and he wanted to pop in for a visit. So after a stop at Dunkin Donuts (ALL road lead to Dunkin, after all), we headed south. Along the interstate, we passed some kind of military exhibit that looked interesting, so after securing our chairs, we went through Dunkin again and went to check it out. (Keep in mind that all I've had to eat so far is half a cinnamon roll and half a blueberry donut.) Turns out it was a major win! The rain kept us from the outdoor part, but the museum and exhibits inside kept us enthralled until lunch time.

We were greeted at the door by a WW2 style jeep. The displays throughout were informative and sobering as they depicted the history from many foreign wars. There were many interactive displays as well. One of our favorites was the scrapbook with actual letters that had been written from soldiers to their loved ones, some of them dating back to the 1800's. As you can see, my husband tried the parachute simulator, as did I. I hit my target! Yea! He's still hanging from a tree somewhere.

After grabbing some lunch, we scooted an hour south to Darrell's hometown. His mother was glad to see us. We grabbed his aunt and drove some more to their favorite eating spot, a buffet in the next town. We feasted on shrimp, fish, steak, chicken, Harvard beets, mashed potatoes, corn, mac and cheese....well, you get the idea! While waddling out the door, we passed a tall jar of cinnamon jelly beans calling our name and bought a pound to munch on. I don't know how we had room. I'm always looking for little goodies for the ladies and I will definitely add the cinnamon jelly beans to the list along with Suzy Q's, and snowballs. Their grocery stores are a little limited so we always take a "care package" with us when we go.

Saturday morning, we traveled north again to a produce stand owned by a local family to buy strawberries. Darrell's mom had shared the story of her roommate in the hospital when Darrell's brother was born. His mom had seen her once since then, some 50 years ago, but still remembered how much she liked her. The produce stand was owned by a family with the same last name. We grabbed up the most delicious berries and started out. As usual, Darrell took some obscure back road from his childhood to look at something that he remembered. Well, as we did our last trip, we ended up in a cemetery. I'm guessing that this activity is a senior pastime, but it brings them so much joy. It's like old home week as they laugh and remember funny details of other's lives like who wore winter clothes all year long and who swallowed a dime in church.

In one of the cemeteries, an older guy was mowing and stopped to see if we needed directions to a grave. We told him where we had been and what we had been doing. When he heard that we had been at the produce stand, we learned that it belonged to his family. My mother in law told him about this wonderful lady named Mary and he became even more interested. It turns out that Mary was his wife and the lady at the produce stand was the wife of the baby that had been born on the same day as Darrell's brother! You can't make this stuff up! The ladies just laughed and laughed at the coincidence! Seriously, what are the odds that a man in one of the 4 cemeteries that we visited was the husband of the woman my mother in law had mentioned the night before?

For weeks now, the two ladies, both in their 80's had been discussing the death of a local man who owned a feed elevator. His wife had died just one month prior. The paper had not said where they were buried and the those two had been traversing through cemeteries looking for fresh graves, with no luck. (Honestly, I don't know what the fascination is for them, but their fascination with all things graveyard fascinates me! Ha!) We drove through a cemetery that they were sure was not the one when Darrell saw a new grave. So he stopped and trotted up the hill to check it out. It wasn't the one. However, when he turned around, there were two fresh graves that had been hidden by another tombstone and it was the graves the ladies had been looking for! We decided to pitch a new reality TV show called Graveyard Detectives. It would keep those two 80 somethings from chasing ambulances, police cars and fire trucks! Yes.....they do!

The highlight of my day was seeing a red headed woodpecker for the very first time! He was too quick for me to get a photo, but boy, was he beautiful! I've always wanted to see one in the woods. He will forever remain a heart snapshot!

On the way out, we passed a historical school house where Darrell's grandmother had attended school. It was wonderfully preserved as you can see from the photos. In the back was a graveyard where many of the Cumberland Valley Militia was buried. The tombstones dated back to the Revolutionary war. Darrell was delightfully intrigued and I got a glimpse of what possibly might be my future. Yes, I know I will end up in one, should the Lord tarry, but until then the historical tombstones of others may become a pastime. I gotta buy some bug spray.

Next stop was lunch at a local diner and home. I don't know about the old ladies, but we were exhausted. They were all smiles and very chatty! After some chatting, we headed home with our chairs, some ice cream and a lot of great memories.

As we traveled, I smiled because I realized that God had included something special for each one of us in the day. My mother in law meeting the husband of an old friend, my aunt getting to visit a grave she hadn't been to in a very long time, Darrell seeing the old tombstones of soldiers, and me seeing my first red headed woodpecker. These may seem like small things to most, but some day, we will stand at the graves of those two dear ladies and smile as we remember days like today-should the Lord tarry.

Anniversary Trip Extended

5/29/2021

As I may have mentioned before, our original intent for our anniversary trip was to find a nice, quiet spot where we could just chill out with a good book on a porch somewhere. Now, we had a grand time on our trip but our hotel wasn't such to lend itself to relaxing a quiet, beautiful spot even though the room description did way it was a room with a view...and it was...of sorts. If we looked out our window, we could see the mountain and it was beautiful. Unfortunately between us and the mountain was a JLG crane distribution center which the description mysteriously left out. We laughed about it but we were a little disappointed.

When we thought about this weekend and what we wanted to do, we were still longing for a nice, quiet weekend in a beautiful spot, to just chill and read and take walks together. Being it is a holiday weekend, every cabin, lodge and resort is booked so it appeared we were destined to spend the weekend at home. (I think we are getting a little spoiled with our weekend adventures.)

Then it hit me! White Sulphur Springs! WSS is a retreat and conference center nestled outside of Bedford near a little town called Mann's Choice and very close to the quaint restaurant I highlighted in my last post. I have been there several times for Ladies' Retreats and I love it there. When I showed it to my husband he thought it was very nice as well. It is owned by the Officers Christian Fellowship and sits on over 1000 acres of historic wooded land. So I prayed and asked God for favor and called them to see if they had any rooms available. You see, when they are not hosting events, they rent out their rooms as BNBs to help supplement finances that they need to minister to the military personnel of the eastern US.

We were fortunate to get a room. The beds are super comfy and we have enjoyed the porches with their rocking chairs, even though we had to bundle up to sit out there. The baby grand piano in the main meeting hall sang joyfully under my fingers as I went there to worship first thing after breakfast. The fireplace inside the great room was also a nice place to sit and chat as the flames danced around in front of us. After dinner, we went to the basement and had a serious game of ping pong. It brought back fond memories. The first time my husband came to my house when we were dating, I obliterated him in a game of ping pong in our basement. Following that was his humiliation in a game of P-I-G on the basketball court. For someone as seriously competitive as he is, I'm surprised that he kept coming back for more, but I'm awful glad that he did. The tables have turned though. He won today, quite handily I might add, even without taking into account the extremely lucky shots he had to seal his victory. He is SO competitive and that is what got me. When we volleyed for the serve, he was all relaxed and normal looking, but as soon as the actual game started, his face changed and his body got all stiff and jerky. I laughed so hard, I nearly peed my pants. That threw me off my game, I guess, but I don't care. I like to win but it doesn't ruin my day if I don't.

The highlight though was exploring that old hotel on the property that once was a healing spa hotel that was quite popular in the 1800's. WSS still uses it for functions and housing larger groups but on the first floor is a museum of the history that was fascinating. The curved banisters, narrow hallways, nooks and crannies all lend themselves to the charm of this beautiful place. The massive fireplaces and furniture that still represents the time period make it seem as if you have stepped back into a slower, more detail oriented past. There was an 18th century bowling alley beside the barn that up until recently was in full operation. You had to stand outside the building and reach through trap doors to reset the pins. I guess that was a sunny day sport back then.

And as a bonus, we happened to be looking in a book on local history we found in the library which gave us even more information about his relatives here. Since his family is made up of mostly farmers, we were perplexed when we say that the Egolf who was responsible for establishing the park was a businessman. No one in the family knew what business he could have possibly owned...until today. It turns out that he owned the local newspaper. Who knew?

We saw the biggest bull frog we have ever seen in the spring. Must be the mineral water that everyone came here to drink, which is still potable for human use. We decided that we would wait until all the frog eggs were gone before trying it for ourselves. LOL! The trails and streams that run on both sides of the property are beautiful and of course, the sound, oh the sound of the water amidst the green of the forest is the next thing to heaven to me.

Darrell couldn't understand why I didn't want to leave and go into Bedford to see more sights, because that is usually how I roll, but it is so beautiful here, even in the rain, that I was perfectly happy to plop by a window with a good book and my Bible and read the day away.

39th Anniversary Trip

5/24/2021

This year marks 39 years of marriage for my husband and I. He is the only man I ever dated more than once ( I am extremely picky!) and the only man I ever loved (except for my family members). The last couple of years have not been such that we could get away and celebrate but this year my husband suggested that we go away for a long weekend, just the two of us. I am always ready for a new adventure so I immediately said yes! He suggested a resort about an hour away, but they were booked for the weekend. So we changed our plans from staying put on a balcony with a good book and room service to staying in a nice hotel and doing some sightseeing. In researching the area, I discovered that it was teaming with history, which my husband and I both love. And delightfully, the history there involves his family! So we headed off on our adventure.

Anytime you go anywhere with my husband, you need to be prepared to eat...a lot! He is a perpetual eating machine and will never pass up anything that looks appealing. Our eating adventures found a groove though. Breakfasts were eaten in a quaint little diner. The wait staff was country folk friendly! The diner was BUSY and bustling with smells and laughter and "Order up!" The coffee was really good and the food was worth getting up in the morning for! I love diner food and I particularly thought this diner's décor was perfect! Don't you agree?

Everyday involves ice cream in my husband's world. He was thrilled to find this place in a tiny little village nearby. We were in the area where his family still farms so I was not surprised that this place was there. It's probably totally supported by Egolfs! LOL!

Several of our meals were spent in this charming restaurant. The food was incredible and the atmosphere was perfect! Over a couple of days we feasted on sirloin sandwiches, salads, hand cut fries, lobster ravioli, NY strip steak, crab and corn chowder-oh my, carrot cake, and a to-die-for strawberry pie made with a shortcake crust instead of graham or regular pie crust. The upstairs was a bed and breakfast decorated with furniture dating back to that time period and there was a quaint little gift shop where we found a souvenir for our daughter who begrudgingly stayed at home while we went on our adventure!

We found our family's park and walked the grounds and nature trail. Our family history on my husband's side is a bit cloudy. Originally settling in that area, there was some sort of hiccup and my husband's closest relatives moved across the mountain range to an area near Mercersburg called "The Corner." So we were unfamiliar with the names we found in the park and other historical sites. Remember how I said that anything I do with my husband involves eating? It must be a family trait. The pavilion in the park named after our family had a long table without seats on the short end. It was, of course, a food table! What an ingenious idea! And the park was located on Egolf road, of course!

The first morning we made our way to a historical village that had been compiled of old log buildings from the area. They had been dismantled and transported to this property and set up to resemble what a village would have looked like during this time period. My husband was delighted to discover that an old farmhouse and barn that belonged to his family was there. The scoundrel with the brown and white fur stole our map of the village right out of my hand! He reached right through the fence and grabbed it and I could not get it away from him before it was down the hatch and gone! I don't think it was his first time doing this! The old goat has skills! LOL! He's really lucky that he grabbed the map instead of the bag of cookies that was fueling us through the day! He wouldn't have been laughing if he had stolen the snickerdoodles!

The church was beautiful inside and is still used for special occasions. The pulpit was raised on level with the balcony so that the minister could see everyone in the congregation and was quite elaborate. The lanterns, the pews, all handcrafted wood, were almost reverent looking.

The schoolhouse was our favorite as it's design was unique and quite functional. The main meeting area was a circle and then there were desks around the outside of the circle for individual study.

And of course, we had to have a little fun too at the jailhouse. I especially enjoyed the smell of the candle shop and the carpenters shop as it smelled of wood. It reminded me of my grandfather's workshop where I spent many hours plopped on a workbench watching him create furniture. My grandfather's work is all over the world. In his working days, he made the cabinets for Moller Organ who at that time were #1 in the world for pipe organs. Maybe some day, I'll be able to see some of his work on one of our adventures.

One morning it rained so we took a 2 hour car tour to 9 of the 14 historical covered bridges in the area. Many were still being used after hundreds of years! We discovered that they were mostly built by the same man, so when we got to #9, we weren't disappointed that we hadn't done the longer tour. Still, the bridges were quite an engineering feat in that day and we appreciated the work and ingenuity they must have taken to build.

Other highlights included a trip to 2 state parks in the area. Our state has an extensive state park network and are never lacking beauty and wildlife! We decided that we could very easily live near either one of these parks. As you can see, some people already do! I loved the bear carvings! Those bears would not bother my birdfeeders!

Our favorite activity of the weekend however was a place that my husband was leery of going. It was part of my adventure bucket list. (Yes, I have one. My husband laughs that I do but he always seems to enjoy our adventures when I steal him away for a day trip to do one of them.) It's not a tourist attraction per se because there's no admission fee, no gift shop, and not even a sign marking it's location. It's a small stretch of road in the middle of nowhere called Gravity Hill. Legend has it that if you stop on this hill and put your vehicle in neutral, it will roll uphill. My husband was skeptical at best. It is marked by some lines spray painted on the road.

So you can imagine his surprise and delight when it actually worked! He drove going both directions. From the starting point to the crest of the hill, we gained 9mph, going uphill, in neutral! He's still pondering the physics of it! LOL! We also saw water and a kid's basketball roll uphill.

Our last stop was White Sulphur springs, a retreat center that I have been to several times. It is such a beautiful place and they have an incredible ministry there. We met a delightful couple who were interested in our story and who prayed for us.

After all the fun we had, my husband commented that we needed a few more days, or weeks, for our vacation. I think he could get used to this! I know I could. Retirement is looking pretty appealing-and it's not that far away! However, the highlight of it all was just being together, away from the normal and the familiar, exploring new things, and making new memories together. I'm looking forward to many, many more.

The Question of the Ages

4/27/2021

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? Have you been born again? I'm not talking about going to church, learning the Bible, praying, worshipping in the woods, or any other religious activity. That will not save you. Salvation comes only by acknowledging that you have sinned against a Holy God and that what Jesus Christ did by dying on the cross for you is your only hope of escaping your just reward. It is laying down all rights to your own life and yielding to God's plan and purpose, i.e. "that every man come to the knowledge of the truth." I was a religious person all my life. I even prayed the prayer, but it is not even praying a prayer that saves you. It is absolute belief in the words that you pray that save you. Then, the Holy Spirit snatches you from the Kingdom of the Devil and brings you into God's Kingdom. You are born again. You are a child of God. The Holy Spirit starts His work in you, firstly by regenerating your spirit and then by sanctifying you as you walk in your new life.

God is not willing that any should perish. Jesus died for ALL! It doesn't matter where you are in life right now. He will meet you where you are. And I can attest that He will be EVERYTHING that you will ever need because that is what Jesus purchased for you on Calvary's Cross. If you have faith in the finished work of Calvary to deal with sin and all the effects of sin, you will live happy and in peace! Life will still be life, but you will have a different perspective, spiritual power and help, and hope for the future because God can change ANY situation and any circumstance. He desires for you to know His goodness in a practical way.

If you would like more information, message me on Facebook and I will respond. Cyndi Weaver Egolf

Spiritual Hacks for Busy Christians

3/4/2021

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The end--There are none! We get out of scripture and prayer what we put into it. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes prayer. That's it. It's up to you. You're the only thing holding you back from deeply knowing and experiencing Christ.

2 Chronicles 15:2
2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.

2Timothy 2:15
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Why Ravi?

2/16/2021

The Christian community has suffered another black eye, and a concussion to boot that has left many believers reeling in shock, disbelief, and disappointment. Many have even had their faith shaken. Hailed apologist, Ravi Zacharius, who passed away last spring, has been found to be a sexual pervert for many of the years he ministered. I would normally not touch this subject except that I feel that it needs to be addressed from a minister’s point of view. I’m not a minister but I was a minister’s wife for many years.

First of all, I want to extend my sincerest sympathy to the women that were victimized by his sin and although it sounds almost cruel to say, which infuriates me, I want them to know that there truly is healing and freedom from your trauma. It is found in Christ. You were victims of a broken man, not a wrong message. It is only the knowledge of the truth that can set free and truth can only be found in God’s Word. I understand what it is to be betrayed on this level and I know how much it hurts. I’m not minimizing your pain. However, there is a way out of this trauma and it is found in the healing and restoration that only Christ can offer.

Secondly, I am appalled, sickened, and disgusted, but not surprised. After all the years I spent in the ministry, I’ve about seen it all. In the eyes of the world, and many Christians, his entire ministry has now been discredited, which is not fair or at all true. His ministry was not some big conspiracy to fool believers. Let me explain.

Ravi had a gift from God. We have all been given gifts. A gift. Not an inborn talent. Not something he “learned.” A gift given from God that God uses in the man. So when he ministered truth, it was the truth contained within the gift that moved in the hearts of men and brought them to salvation. God uses imperfect vessels. If He didn’t, there would not be one minister on this earth. And we must also remember that when God uses any of us, He is using an imperfect vessel. As imperfect vessels, ministers are subject to all the same trials and temptations that come to every human who has ever made a decision for Christ. And for ministers, those temptations are often strong and intense because the devil knows that if he can bring down a shepherd, the sheep will follow and the name of Christ will be dragged through the mud in the eyes of the world, hindering it from coming to salvation.

A gift can take a person to many places, but only character will keep them holy in it. A gift is given. Christian character is built. A gift is free. Character is costly. Unfortunately, Ravi did not stay close to the Lord in his personal life and allowed himself to become impressed with the gift that God had given him more than he was impressed with the giver. “Pride comes before a fall” but it wreaks its havoc in our lives very slowly and cunningly. And with pride comes the deceitfulness of sin that allows one to compartmentalize and justify sin in their lives. I was not surprised by his responses to those who did try to confront him. His justification of his sin just shows you how deceptive sin can become in the life of someone who once knew the opposite to be true. It’s as if an alien has invaded their body and taken over their minds. They become a stranger to themselves but they’re too blinded to see it. Before you judge, you must remember how formidable our enemy really is. He deceived Adam and Eve while they were in a perfected state. Dealing with us in our imperfection is an easy task for him unless we stay close to the foot of the cross of Christ and the voice of the Holy Spirit. I'm not making excuses for Ravi's actions or his refusal to repent and come clean but I do have an understanding of how something like this could happen. I do have compassion for Ravi as a human being. Hurting people hurt other people. And when we can look at another human being from this perspective, it does allow enough compassion to help us in our own forgiveness journey.

Don’t allow the devil to steal the good things that you gleaned from his ministry. Truth is truth no matter who is speaking it. When the Apostle Paul was imprisoned, there were some preaching the gospel from impure motives. Instead of calling for them to stop, he was glad that the message was going out, even if from impure motives and through unrighteous messengers. Throwing the baby out with the bath water, so to speak, is not going to benefit us in any way.

My saddest thought about this whole sordid tale is the thought that after a lifetime of ministry, many years which probably were legitimate and functioned within the confines of a holy life, that it is quite possible that Ravi did not go to heaven. He did not understand the sin nature. He did not understand the power of the Cross of Christ to set one free from that nature and to bring victory into everyday life. What a waste and a very sobering thought. Of course, many Christians gossip and backbite all their lives too, and according to scripture, if they don’t confess and repent, will have the same end. Let’s not get all self-righteous. There are no “little” sins. There is no such thing as a little white lie. It is true that some sins have more far reaching, more destructive consequences, but sin of any kind will keep us from heaven. “Be not deceived, God is mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” No sin goes undetected, and as we plainly see, can even be disclosed after we are dead.

Instead of judging Ravi, I have taken this time to examine my own heart. It is God’s job to judge Ravi. I can only remember that there, but for the grace of God, go I. None of us is exempt from falling into the worst, most horrible sin. And it is those who say that it could never happen to them that are at greatest risk of it happening. We are only as strong in this world as we are strong in our intimate knowledge and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We must maintain a close, loving and listening relationship with Jesus. Sometimes this is much harder for those who seem to be on top of the world than for those who are walking through a deep, dark valley. Ravi had praise and accolades coming from all directions and in his humanness succumbed to it's appeals.

I pray for his victims. I pray for his family. I pray for those in his ministry who do truly and obediently serve the Lord. This is a travesty but more common than most would like to think. We must pray for each other, but we must especially pray for those with public gifts. I often thought that if people prayed for their Pastors as much as they talked about them and judged them, there would be way less of them falling from grace. Ministers are just men with a gift. They didn't receive that gift because they were extra special in some way. God is the giver of gifts and He gives them to whom He chooses. Never assume that your Pastor does not need prayer. I can assuredly tell you that he does! And please, don't pray about him, pray FOR him as if your life depends on it, because it may.

It is too late for Ravi to repent, if he didn’t, or to make amends. I commend his ministry for not only having these accusations investigated, but doing what they can to help the victims although anything they do will fall despairingly short. Only Christ can make this right for the victims and for His family. I pray they all find healing.

As Christians, we are called to follow Christ. We don’t follow Christ through a man or a gift or a denomination. Each of us has a Bible. Each of us has the privilege of prayer. Never put a man on a pedestal because it will surely someday come crashing down. No minister is without his own set of struggles, temptations, and problems. That does not lessen the gifting of God in him, unless God, because of sin, causes it to diminish. So when you hear a preacher and he ministers to you, thank God for the gift, not the man. Acknowledge God, not the man. Praise God, not the man. This will not only benefit you but the man of God as well.

After writing down my thoughts, I came across an article written by Dr. Michael Brown concerning this subject. I thought his insights were very perceptive and redemptive. Take some time to read it. It will help those of you who are struggling. I pray that for those of you really struggling and questioning your faith or the Lord because of this, that my words have at least opened a little door of understanding that will help you.

https://askdrbrown.org/library/how-should-we-respond-ravi-zacharias-scandal?fbclid=IwAR1c9g_8__hChEqQmJvUdntkTOAMqo3rJxFwIR7mPZuwyVw24tk6ZfcNcvk

My "Word" for 2021

2/9/2021

I know it's February. I know that choosing your word for the year is a New Year's tradition. Well, it's still new in the year and I'm anything but traditional.

After much deliberation, I’m stuck between two words. I know what God has spoken to me about the direction I’m heading but I’m finding it difficult to identify it in just one word because I desire to be both! My 2020 word was “words.” I spent the entire year paying attention to everything the Bible says about words-what they are for and all the different ways words can be used. As a writer, God has given me clear direction about how He wants to use my writing. I’m just waiting on Him to tell me which platform to use.

My 2021 words are "authentic" and "genuine."

Authenticity speaks of one's true nature and beliefs, or being true to oneself. It's an accurate description and expression of who you really are and being comfortable with that. It also involves not being concerned that others see me too. It doesn't mean that I'm satisfied with who I am but that I accept my weaknesses and idiosyncrasies without condemning myself and that I desire to grow and mature.

Genuineness is more about having a claimed attributed character, being free from pretense and having an open, honest and frank confirmation of who you claim to be.

First and foremost this means to know myself. Over the last couple of years, I've spent much time examining, questioning, analyzing, and praying as I fielded what seemed like an overabundance of curve balls thrown at me. It was an examination of who I have been, who I am currently, and who I want to be. It was an honest look at how much of what I sowed, I was reaping and how much was just the devil trying to knock me off my game, and an acknowledgement of what the Lord had done in me as a result.

So for 2021, my desire is to be an authentically genuine Christian. In terms of these two words together, I want my true nature and beliefs to genuinely be a representation of Christ, without pretense or wishful thinking or being a faith-without-sight statement. In other words, I want to ooze Jesus because that is who He has made me. It's the real me. It's to BE a Christian, genuinely, not just look like one on the outside. Not to just claim that I am one but to be able to naturally respond and react, without having to think about it, in a Christlike way. That is how you know change has taken place. Oh what freedom there is in living this way.

So, how do I get there? It's one thing to know what you want but a whole other thing to know how get there. So what is my plan of action?

It won't happen by reading a bunch of books by other experts who want the same thing.

It won't come through gaining knowledge by studying theological writings of the deep things of Christianity.

It won't come through much prayer and fasting.

You see, what I want comes only one way-through the Spirit's working this in me. There's really nothing I can DO, except yield. I can't change myself. Does this involve reading, fasting and prayer? Perhaps. Whatever I DO though, must be Spirit led and in the Spirit's timing.

My plan of action is very simple. I'm going to stay close to the cross. Everything I need and desire, every blessing, comes through the finished work of the crucifixion and the resurrection. By keeping my eyes on Jesus and my faith in Him alone, the Spirit will be able to reproduce Him in me and truly MAKE me like Him. That is the Spirit's job after all, to glorify and reveal Jesus to the world. And in allowing this work to be done in me, I will be true to myself because I will be true to Christ. I will also be a testimony to the lost.

I won't have to pretend I'm something that I'm really not.

I won't have to claim that I'm something that I'm not in real life.

I won't feel the need to impress anyone with my spirituality and wonderfulness.

I will just be able to be comfortable with who I am knowing that I'm not only accepted but adopted into the family of God. And although I am comfortable and secure, I will never be satisfied. There is so much more of the riches of Christ to know, to experience, and to emulate. It will take more than my lifetime.

Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain--
Free to all, a healing stream--
Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.

Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and Mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o’er me.

Near the cross I’ll watch and wait
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.

Written by Fanny Crosby in 1869

Our Election is Sure!

1/13/2021

I'm sorry! I couldn't resist baiting you with the word "election." Given all the havoc of the recent presidential election in the US, I gain great comfort from 2 Peter 1-11 when he speaks of the benefits we have as God's elect.

1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

No matter which side of the aisle you fall on politically, I think we could all agree that there is way too much fear driving and controlling many in our country today, including Christians! Whether you believe in predestination or not, to know that you are saved and secure in God is a safe haven for our souls amidst all the unrest in our country and in the world. The malady of humanity, sin, is alive and well and is the one thing that connects us all to one another.

As Christians, we have the assurance of knowing that our debt has been paid in full. Therefore, fear should have no place in our hearts. In New Testament times, if you went bankrupt, you were required to list your debts and who you were indebted to on an animal skin. It was then nailed to a post in public view for all to see. It was a humiliating experience. Not only did you suffer the ramifications of being broke, everyone knew it and knew all the details of it as well.

Occasionally, a benefactor would come along and take down the animal skin, fold it twice so that the debt information was hidden inside and would write his name on the outside of the skin and nail it back up. Then he would pay off the debt and allow the indebted person to go free.

This is what Jesus did for us! He took the debt that we owe as a sinful human being. We are lost in sin and carrying a death sentence without a way to pay it's penalty. Our sins are not nailed to a post in our town squares but they are written in a book that will be opened on judgement day and read in the presence of Almighty God. It is then payment will be required. But there is no amount of reasoning, good deeds, or good intentions that will cover what we owe. There is only one thing that God will accept as payment for our sin, faith in the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Christ folded up our animal skin when He stretched Himself on Calvary's cross. He put His name on it and gave his own perfect life as payment. Upon us receiving, by faith, what He did for us, we were made the "elect" of God and sealed with the Holy Spirit who marks us for blessing, both now and for all eternity. There is no longer any debt attached to us. It has been paid in full!

There was nothing we could do to repay what we owed. The cost was too high. Only God Himself could possibly release us from our debt to sin. Because He loved us, He took it upon Himself to redeem us and declare us debt free, forever removing our sins.

He not only died for us, but He lives for us as well. He didn't stay in the grave and because He rose from the dead, we know that we will live again. Until that day, He is "ever interceding to the Father" on our behalf. He is aware, He cares and He is there in the midst of every trial and tribulation, every blessing, every prayer. You are not alone. You are the elect of God, without term limits, and this election transcends anything that we might walk through on this earth. Take heart, be brave, and press on, Christians! We have already won though the one who died for us and there is nothing on earth that can take it away from us!

Sorrow On Sorrow-Thoughts on Passing

12/2/2020

We buried my father-in-law Harold this week. It was not expected and certainly not wanted. As he lay in the hospital on a ventilator we prayed that God would heal him. As Paul did for Epaphroditus, I begged the Lord for the life of my father-in-law, “my fellow worker and soldier...Indeed, he was near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” But it was not to be. After several weeks of his condition going up and down and all around, the decision was made to let him go. Until the very last minute, we hoped for a miracle but shortly after removing the ventilator, he quietly passed on to his eternal reward. And so we are left with “sorrow on sorrow” because of the massive sense of loss we all feel.

Of course, over the course of the days between his passing and his burial, there were many stories, memories and laughter shared as we remembered how he lived. What we teased him the most about was that he was slow. Not mentally or spiritually, quite the contrary, but physically. He never walked or drove anywhere fast. In fact, we used to giggle thinking about him being pulled over on the interstate for going too slow. He never said a quick word or made a hasty decision. His life was a path of faithful, steady plodding. He was always the same no matter where he was or what was happening.

However, there was one way in which he was quick. He was quick to hear, especially God’s Word. He loved God’s Word. And he was quick to do God’s Word. Of all the people I have ever known, Harold was one of them that you could describe as best representing Jesus in the flesh.

When I met and married their son, I know that I was not their choice for a wife for their eldest, yet I always felt accepted and I know that it was their fasting and prayers that were responsible for me coming to know the Lord. Already, I owed them a debt of gratitude. How can one repay so great a gift?

A few years ago, he told me the story of his workplace.. A co-worker, antagonistic to the gospel of Christ, made it his life’s mission to rattle my father-in-law. Try as he may, he had no success. So one day, he picked up a large wrench and threw it across the room, hitting my father-in-law’s ankle, breaking it. My father-in-law limped outside and leaned against the building in excruciating pain and asked the Lord to heal his ankle as a testimony to this man. God touched him right then and there and Harold walked back into the building, picked up the wrench and carried it over and handed it to the man without a word. The next day, the big bully of a man announced to the rest of the crew that if anyone ever did or said anything negative to Harold, they would have to deal with him. This opened a door for my father-in-law to befriend the man and minister to him.

Another story he told me was also about healing. He had been aggravated by an injury for several years. He asked the Lord to heal him but the answer was slow in coming. Never doubting that God would touch him, he sat down one day after struggling with the pain and asked the Lord, “how long will I need to wait for you to touch me?” The Lord touched him at that very moment and he was healed. I can still see the smile on his face as he bragged on God's power to heal and deliver.

So, even though he was sedated in the hospital, I prayed that he was aware enough to call on God for healing so that he could return to us. But as time went on and his condition was like a roller coaster, improving, then tanking, then improving, then tanking, I wondered if it wasn’t evidence of a battle going on in his heart between returning to us in a weakened physical body or letting go of his 80 year old body and going home to be with Jesus. As he laid there between two worlds, I wonder if he felt the cries of his loved ones calling him back and the tug of heaven pulling him forward. I wonder if he asked the Lord, “how long must I wait for you to take me?” It may be that he was just too weak to hold on, but I would rather believe that he was strong enough to put his earthly treasures- his wife, his family, and his ministry to others, in the hands of God, knowing that “the time of his departure had come” and that he had “fought the good fight, he had finished the course, kept the faith” and that it was time to receive the crown of righteousness reserved for him in heaven. So he just let go. I plan to ask him some day.

I could write volumes about how he touched so many lives with his kind, quiet, gentle, and humble demeanor but there is no doubt that Harold was a powerful individual and he lived life loud. Not only was he slow to anger, and quick to hear, he was slow to speak. That is what I loved about him most. He didn’t say much, but when he did say something it was nothing less than prayer-soaked wisdom and it was powerful. Christ was his life. Everyone knew it. No one doubted it. When you talked with him, you knew that he genuinely loved God and cared about you. Yet, he would risk losing a relationship for the sake of the truth because eternity was always on his mind.

A few years ago I was in a situation that was way bigger than I could handle. As I prayed asking the Lord who I should go to for help, Harold immediately came to my mind. He spent hours and hours on the phone with me, comforting me, encouraging me, crying with me, reassuring and supporting me in every hard decision. I never touched my father-in-law other than shaking his hand but oh, how he touched my heart. As he laid in the hospital I tried to make the case with God about how much we still needed him here. We need his wisdom. We need his joy. We need his concern and care and we need to see him laugh out loud and slap his knees in delight just one more time. Most of all, we need his prayers. But then God reminded me that all the prayers that Harold had prayed for us through the years were eternal requests that God would honor long after his earthly life was over. What a legacy he left us!

So as I stood there in the cold, damp, graveyard, I could only picture him now, in heaven, dancing on streets of gold, rejoicing, worshipping. Every question has been answered and he is complete in body, soul, and spirit. I could only smile as I laid my hand on his casket and said one last time, Thank you Harold. I love you. I will miss you terribly but I will see you again! Our loss is heaven’s gain, and oh how precious your death was to our Lord. You are home with Him at last!

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

11/28/2020

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving day, the day sandwiched in-between Halloween and Christmas like turkey sandwiched between two slices of bread. As I was driving on Thanksgiving Eve, I noticed an increased amount of Christmas lights along my route. I thought to myself, where is Thanksgiving?

It’s been reduced to a freezer full of turkeys at the local grocery store. Its arrival is blurred by the passing of Halloween and drowned in the frenzy of Christmas. It seems as if overnight the world transforms from ghosts and goblins to the angelic and magical with nary a mention of Thanksgiving, yet, scripture tells us in this one verse of the importance of Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving holiday transports us from the darkness of Halloween to the overcoming light of the Christmas star that announces to us that God has come near. It is a precursor to receiving from God the redemption promises that Christmas brings. Giving thanks ushers in the plan and blessings of God. As the angels rejoiced in the dark Christmas sky that Messiah had come, Paul reminds us that our overcoming Lord is near, therefore we have access to all of God’s promises and provision through the victory of Calvary and the avenue of giving thanks. Thanksgiving from the heart of a believer gets the Lord’s attention.

Yet, it seems so lacking in our everyday lives, well, mine at least. But there it is, sandwiched in between our pleas and the answer. In between our petitions and the provision. Perhaps it is the conduit through which our faith travels to move the heart and hand of God.

And the result of thanksgiving is the presence of God in our lives. And with Him comes peace. The peace declared to the Shepherds and the world. Perhaps that is why our society chooses to diminish its importance because the god of this world operates best in the distraction of Halloween and the chaos of commercialism and greed that is masked as “giving.”

So today, in the in-between, in-between Halloween and Christmas, in-between my petitions and provision, I choose to give thanks. I focus not on food or family, nor fortune or fame. I focus not on future plans or present realities. Instead I will give thanks for the provision of God smashed between evil and good, between being lost and being found, between separation and reconciliation. I will give thanks for the coming of God’s Son to sacrifice His life for me. And my reward? Everlasting peace. Peace in prosperity or problems. In joy and in sadness. In the turmoil, turbulence, troubles and transitions of life. Transcending peace born on the wings of thanksgiving.

Fall Foliage Follies #2

10/27/2020

We are so fortunate to live where we live. Our area, commonly known as Happy Valley is also called the five finger valleys. We have valleys long and thin that run all through the mountain range. Being the bird nerd that I am, I was drawn last weekend to Greenwood Furnace State Park area along Standing Stone Trail where a hawkwatch platform is located. It's migration season. The wind was perfect for raptor migration so my handsome hiking buddy and I tripped over the rocky ridge trail and spent some time on the platform with the counter. Yes, people actually sit all day long with binoculars and a scope and identify the types of birds they see migrating. I managed to last about an hour but that's as hard core as I am. Maybe a stronger pair of binoculars would have kept me there longer.

I'm a big loon fan but I've never seen one in the wild. The closest I've come is the sound my phone makes when I get a text message. It is a distinctly erie sound and one you might not want to hear when you're sitting in the dark outside of the church in ladies Bible study as I found out when my husband texted me and my studymates were about to run to their cars. And although I've never seen those low riders on the lake, I saw nearly 30 in the air, all making their way south for the winter. We also saw Red Tail hawks, a bald eagle, and at least 50 Canadian geese flying in their classic V-shape formation and announcing to the world how proud they were of their accomplishment. I just tried to remember not to look up with my mouth open. Ha! Having been a huge Woody Woodpecker fan as a child, I was thrilled when a Pileated Woodpecker flew eye level across our view. I believe he was taking a pit stop to fuel up among the deadwood before continuing his trek to warmer climates.

Then we traveled a little further down the trail so Sausser's pile, aptly named because it is literally a very large pile of rocks that form an outcropping on the side of the mountain and as you can see, the view was worth the extra sweat and yes, a few bruises to boot. Can anyone say trekking poles? I think I may need to invest in some.

The forest was filled with the song of the gentle breeze and the leaves as they shook and fluttered to the ground, the gold especially brilliant as the sun hit them as they seesawed to the ground. It was nothing short of magical and although things will not die in heaven, it reminded me of what's in store when I get there. When I survey the splendor of the mountains, the colors of the autumn trees, the grays and blues of the sky, and the majesty of the God's creation, it's hard to believe that there is anywhere that could be more beautiful. But then I remember that even the world is in a fallen state, groaning for His return, and my heart swells with expectation at what the new heavens and the new earth will look like.

After our trek, we ate snacks from my pack-beef jerky and trail mix and traveled further down the mountain...in my truck...to the valley below. What would an outing to the country be without a stop at a gun shop and lunch at one of the local country stores? Homemade ham and cheddar soup, a chef's salad that came in a serving bowl, and an Amish whoppie pie for dessert was on the menu. The whoppie pie was especially yummy but not nearly as good as my mother-in-law's are. Louise, your's just can't be beat!

The leaves are slowly fading around here. The yellows are the last hold outs and are showing up the reds and burgundys. I can't remember a more beautiful or vibrant fall season ever in the 42 years we've lived here. There's just no other place on earth that I would rather be. Soon our Saturday adventures will have to turn to warmer activities but in Pennsylvania, there is no end to fun places to see and things to do.

Fall Foliage Follies

10/19/2020

I love fall! There's nothing better than donning jeans and a sweatshirt and getting out into the fresh, crisp air of autumn. I love the colors of the leaves as they become the most brilliant right before they drop to earth as they finish their life cycle. I pray that I, like them, would shine the brightest and the best all the way up to the end of my course or until Jesus returns. The smell of walnuts and acorns fill the air with a smell that is distinctive just in autumn and blends with the colder air that makes your nostrils tingle with delight. There's just something relaxing about it all, making you want to slow down, relax, and linger a little longer in beauty of it all.

This fall is a new season for me and a good time to make new memories so on the weekends we hop into my truck and head out on a new adventure. This particular week we headed northeast to the south side of what is known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon/Pine Creek Gorge. Rails to trails runs through there as well as many hiking trails, ATV trails and Hyner View. Hyner view has been on my radar for some time now so I was thrilled when we learned that it was close by. And as you can see from the photos above, it was beautiful. Even though I've seen it many times in photos, it took my breath away and I stood speechless for nearly half an hour as I pictured the finger of God moving through the mountains creating the valleys and mountain ranges that seemed to go on forever and forever.

While there some hang gliders showed up and wowed us as they fearlessly jumped off the mountain and then soared above us for several minutes before landing in a field down below.

We grew hungry and passed through a small town having an apple butter festival, complete with homemade apple butter cooking over a wood fire and a gun raffle. We stopped and grabbed a beef sandwich, some oh-my-they-grow-good-chickens-and-corn-around-here soup and a homemade apple dumpling that almost rivaled my mother's recipe...almost!

While there, some people approached me, sure that they knew me and I had to tell them my theory of this strange phenomonen that happens literally EVERYWHERE I go. People think they know me. All I can figure is that I'm one of God's common molds. He made one and said "Hmmmm, that's good. I think I'll make a ton more just like it!" At least I hope that is what He said when he created a million people who look just like me! I find it rather puzzling since I am so tall and my hair is...well, let's face it...pretty hard to miss. My reason for adding this will become obvious as I write about other adventures.

As the day leaned into dusk, we grabbed hands and strolled down the rails to trails path, watching the deer and the water. By the time our walk was complete, the sun was setting behind the mountain and night was setting in. After all the hiking and excitement, we were hungry so we stopped at a quaint little inn that had out of this world food choices and enjoyed a quiet dinner before heading home. And just in case you're wondering from the photo, we did not indulge in the alcoholic choices on the menu.

My soul was happy and my heart was full of all the heart snapshots from the day. I will cherish them always.

Just Who Do You Think You're Talking To?

10/5/2020

It was beautiful weather for a walk this morning. The clouds overhead provided a cool canopy as I got underway down the trail. I started out gingerly as my muscles screamed from yesterday’s squats and leg presses but I soon forgot about my legs as a chorus of songbirds began to serenade me. One bird seemed to be telling me to “walk down, walk back”, which is what I do each morning on my 3+ mile jaunt. Admittedly, the first few minutes of every morning, I am captivated by the beauty of the trees, vegetation, the smell of the woods, the sound of the water, and the flowering plants that line the path. Soon though, my thoughts rise from the splendor of the creation to thoughts of the creator of it all.

I’ve been praying about several situations that weigh heavy in my life. As I prayed, I asked God for new beginnings. Immediately my mind went to Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning”, the very beginning of time but not the beginning of God. He created the heavens and the earth. I thought of the sun. God spoke and the sun was created. I thought of the power of the sun and of how long the sun has burned without going out. I considered the force of its brightness and its consuming heat. That ball of continual, fiery, energy with its searing power came into being by one word spoken from God’s mouth. That’s power! “In the beginning”, God spoke and a force as potent and violent as the sun was created...out of nothing but a word. I marveled at the power that has to be present for something like that to happen and realized it can be found in the voice of God when He speaks just one word.

The creator is the same one who walks with me everyday, who put His Spirit inside of me, and who cares about every minute detail of my life. He is the captain of my life, the shepherd of my soul. He is the same God who chose a new beginning for mankind when He instructed Noah to build an ark and Moses to cross the Red Sea. This God is the one who redeemed Israel over and over again as He continually called them back to Himself. He is the same God that gave the Apostle Paul a new beginning and used him to change the world. He is the same God that redeemed Peter back to himself so that he could begin again to declare that Jesus saves! He is the same God that redeemed mankind by sacrificing His own Son that I might have a way to communicate and fellowship with Him, to be accepted in His presence. That’s powerful! As I pondered this, another bird call rang out and it seemed to be saying “I need Him, I need Him” and I joined in his chorus and began to tell God, “I need you, I need you!” I need new beginnings. I am desperate for new beginnings and as I did this, I felt His powerful peace wash over my heart just as the water rushes over the rocks when it makes its way downstream. I pictured in my mind’s eye God taking my burden and carrying it downstream to a place where it will never return. What comfort I get from putting my burdens in God’s hands and watching what He creates from them. He is a God of new beginnings. He always has been. He always will be.

I thought of my daughter. That girl was born with more spunk than any child should ever have and she was a huge hand full during her toddler years. While my three babies slept in the afternoon, I would lie on my bed and cry out to God, asking Him what to do to harness this young lioness He had given me. Often I would tiptoe into her room and lay my hands on her and pray because quite frankly, I was at my wit’s end with her. One day, I laid her down after a particularly difficult morning, laying my hands on her and asked God for what I thought would have to be a miracle in her life. When she woke up from her nap, she was an entirely different person and she continued to be an entirely different person from that day forward. When my parents came to visit, they noticed a profound change in her and asked, “Who is this child and what have you done with our granddaughter?” That is the power of God. He is still at work today creating new beginnings for those who look to Him, for those who need a miracle, for me and you.

So today, I would ask you to think about the WHO of your praying. Who are you praying to? What is He like? What has He said? How has He proved Himself in the past? Is He reliable, believable, trustworthy? Are you following His instructions for praying and getting answers or do answers seem to be fleeting? Why?

I am working on my next Red-Letter-Journey entry which deals with faith. It’s been a long time coming but as I thought about faith and prayer-answers it seemed that the subject was too broad. Volumes have been written about faith and prayer over the years by people way smarter and more knowledgeable than I am. But as I have taken this month of September to avoid social media interactions, to turn off the news, to un-crowd my brain of all the words that usually come into it during the course of a day, I’ve pondered what the red letters say concerning faith and prayer and came to the conclusion that faith is really very simple. It’s just not always easy.

I love how the Lord meets me just where I am. He created me. He hardwired me and only He knows the best way to communicate with me so that I get it! (By the way, I highly recommend taking some time from social media. I’ve always believed that the reason there is such shallowness in our culture today is because we take in so much information every day that there is no way to deeply process anything that we hear, including what we read, hear or see in our time with God. It will amaze you how your thinking patterns will change when you’re not filling up every moment with new information. Get a few thoughts and allow them to marinate a little.)

I love pickled eggs! The longer they sit in that beet juice mixture, the darker their color and the more flavorful they are. So as you read God’s Word, notice what jumps out at you. Write it down so you don’t forget and then find a quiet spot and think just on that. Do it for several days. Train your brain to think! You will be amazed at where God will take you as you allow Him to speak to you about it. For me, there’s nothing more thrilling than to know that God Almighty has taken time to personally speak into my life.

Not only does He speak, He moves as a result of my words, when they are faith-filled words. That is where prayer answers come from. That is who prayer answers come from. It’s really very simple. Requests + Faith = Prayer Answers. But, but, but-yep, I hear you! It doesn’t seem this easy, does it? But that’s what the red letters say, folks. And this seems to be where it gets complicated, doesn’t it? Yet, we must be careful that we do not allow our experiences to form our theology. Perhaps, our theology needs some adjustment to come more into line with those red letters. Perhaps our faith needs a booster shot. Perhaps our theology needs a tune-up.

More to come!

Last Post-Going Off Grid

9/1/2020

I have a new/old friend. We used to be acquaintances when our children were small. That was thirty years ago. And as our children grew apart, so did we. A few months ago, we reconnected and discovered our shared love of being in nature. Now we spend a couple days a month together hiking in Rothrock Forest. These are some of my favorite days. I love the nature we see and experience but what I love most is our conversation. From the time I jump in her truck until I drag myself to my car (notice the progression there-LOL), we talk of Jesus. Even as we hike, we’ve learned to stay more than a few steps apart as one of us may suddenly stop to more deeply discuss something from God’s Word. Occasionally we will rest at a campfire site so that we are not distracted in our conversation by slippery rocks or rattlesnakes. We are very different in some ways and sometimes we clash on issues but that doesn’t matter to us. We just love and accept each other based on our shared love of God and our desire to truly know His truth. I cherish this woman, her vulnerability, her honesty, her love. Clearly, she is a gift from God to me.

Our last conversation led to our culture and what is happening in the world and how it affects us spiritually. As I am, she is seeing the more subtle dangers of social media. I shared with her how I feel greatly conflicted in this area. I know that God has called me to write about His truth, to get His Word out there in its purest presentation. My conflict comes in that there are already so many voices speaking their version of God’s Word out there. I don’t want to be just another voice adding to the fray because I have determined that nowadays we take in so much information that we rarely have time or mental capacity to think deeply about anything. Yet, I know there is the need for truth in a world lost in deception and swept up in cultural concerns, even amongst Christians.

In Galatians, Paul shared his disappointment that they had so quickly departed from the true gospel, allowing influencers from the Jewish culture to enter disperse into the truth they had received from Paul through the Holy Spirit. To enter disperse means to break up and send in different directions. So the religious leaders were inserting human traditions into the foundation of spiritual truth and causing them to get off course in their faith. To dilute faith with works. To distract from the main doctrines of their faith. The term Christian Mingle came to mind as I read this-mingling worldly and Christian thought together. That made me giggle until I realized the gravity and prevalence of it in our world.

My daughter’s pastor has encouraged his congregation to stay off social media for the month of September and to spend that time allowing God to assess their spiritual health. That caused me to stop and consider my own social media practices. I have already greatly reduced my interactions with facebook. I don’t do Instagram or any of the others. But when I thought about not looking at facebook at all, I realized that it would be extremely difficult for me which is exactly the reason why I am going to do this. So this is my last post for the month. My blogs will still appear. My blog service automatically posts them there but as far as scrolling or commenting, I’m done for at least a month. In the past, I’ve cut out all outside voices and it has always served to cause me to hear God’s voice so much more clearly and to know Him in a much deeper way..

In the conversation about this with my friend, we acknowledged that instead of providing help, solutions or bringing peace, the loudest voices in our culture today mostly serve to increase uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. For each individual, peace and solutions can only be found in God. After all that has transpired and is still unfolding in our country, things are probably never going to be the same. It’s concerning no matter what stage of life you are in. And we need to know how to prepare to live in these new times. What we shouldn’t be doing is letting the fear and uncertainty guide our decisions. We can run on fear and stockpile food and supplies, homeschool our children, secure our investments, move to the country, fill the gun safe with weapons and ammunition, pack a go bag, or any other amount of activities but that does nothing to give us peace. Not that any of those things are wrong but if they are not God directed, they only serve to sure up fear and uncertainty. However, if we are alone with God and He tells us to do those very same things, there is peace and surety that comes along with it. Even if He indicated to us that things are going to get hard, we have the peace of knowing that He has already been where we’re going and that He is leading us in His provision for that time. What’s even better is that we know He will walk through it with us. How we react to news from the tv versus that same news from the voice of God is vastly different, at least it should be. You see, the news media and social media cannot help you in these things, they can only inform you (rightly or wrongly) about these things. But God is our help, our comfort, our wisdom, our peace, our protector, our defender, the one who leads us exactly where we need to be, who tells us exactly how we ought to think about and process all the information that comes to us. If we are not attuned with Him, if we are not more knowledgeable of His Word than we are of the state of the union, then we may miss some provision or instruction that we need and find ourselves in want or trouble.

In order to hear Him, we have to shut out all the other voices that are constantly shouting to us on facebook, instagram, all the other “grams” of social media that I’m not familiar with, the news media, and maybe even some of our friends. We need to disconnect from this world and reconnect with our God. He is the only one that has the perfect plan for your life. Only He knows what you need and when you need it. Only He knows what path you are to follow even if you are walking that path alone with others screaming in your ear that it isn’t the best one for you! I encourage you to examine your thought life and what you spend your time thinking about and seriously consider who has the loudest, strongest voice in your life right now. Is it the news? Is it Facebook? Is it your favorite Bible teacher/preacher? Is it the latest financial guru or life coach? Is it the CDC? Is it your spouse or your children? Is it the school system? Is it the banker or financial advisor? Just how loud is God’s voice in your life today? (Good indicators are your habits, actions, and yes, the all important words that come out of your mouth for “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”)

There may still be some blogs appearing on my facebook page but that is because my blog service is set to automatically post them but I will not be there. So if you comment, I will get back to you in October. I will still be using email, Messenger and text messaging so that I’m available to those who may need me. I know that some of you look forward to the photos of my forest excursions, but not to worry. I will post them when I return. And just to be honest, I will be on two facebook sites because my writing and piano classes are linked through there and I don’t want to fall a month behind when I’ve invested my time and resources in taking them.

So what will I be doing with my extra time?

-Spending more time in scripture. I have a Bible written in chronological order that is calling my name.
I will also continue my red letter journey (reading only the red letters in scripture). I can’t tell you how doing this has impressed upon me the power of the name of Jesus. I have a new sense of awe and a greater awareness of the power and privilege that has been given to me as a child of God. It’s helped me pick up some things I had lost along my journey these past couple of years.
-Journaling-I have found some wonderful sitting spots in the forest that I will be visiting. There’s just nothing better than being in nature and doing what I love to do best!
-Prayer-I’ve been revisiting what the Bible says about prayer and I am excited to put into practice what God has been showing me.
-Resting-Being still in mind and body. Something I don’t do enough of.
Listening-Letting the Lord talk about whatever He wants to and listening with an open, attentive ear.

So, have a good month! I will see you later!