The Right Place at the Right Time

This wasn't in my plan for today.  The old saying "Strike while the iron's hot" holds true.  Sometimes you just can't plan inspiration!  It just happens and when it does you gotta take action (if you want to take advantage of it that is!).

At the onset of this year I wanted to stop being so random in my devotional time.  So I chose the One Year Read through the Bible plan- with one exception- for me it's a Two Year Read through the Bible plan! :)  I can feel like super Christian and do the whole thing in a year, but how much would I actually be taking in and applying to my everyday life?

With that as my premise I just want to say God is doing something in these daily Bible reading times.  Most noteworthy has happened this past week.  For starters in the plan there are selections from the O.T. and N.T. to read each day plus a Psalm & Proverb.  Within a 24 hr. period God emphasized how He takes care of His own.

I read in Genesis of the account of Abraham pleading with God to not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of 50, and God told him he wouldn't destroy the cities for the sake of 50 people.  So Abraham gets brave and bargains for 45, then 40, 30, 20, and finally he bargained for the sake of 10.  All of which God reassured him He would not destroy the cities.

The people of these two cities were so wicked and far from God that God told Abraham,  "I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.  I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard.  If not, I want to know."

In the end the people of the city of Sodom want nothing but evil.  God sends angels to warn Abraham's nephew Lot and warns him to get his family out of there because God is going to destroy the city.  Lot tries to tell his son in laws about it, but they just think it's a joke and pay no attention.  Just before dawn the angels urge Lot and his family to leave the city now because at dawn the city is going to be destroyed.  In the end it is only Lot and his wife and 2 daughters that leave the city unscathed by God's judgement.

Next I read in Matthew and Jesus is talking (it's in red letters).  "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear.  Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds.  They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them.  And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?" (Matthew 6:25-26)  I  think that passage speaks for itself!

Finally I get the awesome privilege to teach Children's Bible Quizzing in my local church.  The kids make it all worth while.  They aren't afraid to ask the really tough questions and I have grown so much just from "teaching" them when in actuality they are teaching me!  Anyway, the passage we went over on Wed. night was in Genesis and it's the section that pertains to the life of Joseph.  When God strategically places Joseph as second in command to help save many lives from starving during a 7 year famine.  God gave a warning through a dream that Pharaoh had and God used Joseph to interpret the dream and devise a plan to take care of the people of Egypt. In fact the Bible says that people came from all over the world to get food in Egypt because the famine was so great.  Here's the part that jumped out at me! "As predicted, for seven years the land produced bumper crops.  During those years, Joseph gathered all the crops grown in Egypt and stored the grain from the surrounding fields in the cities.  He piled up huge amounts of grain like sand on the seashore.  Finally, he stopped keeping records  because there was too  much to measure." (Gen. 41:47-49)

Ok, so Jesus points out that birds don't store up and yet God takes care of them.  He also says that we are much more valuable to God than the birds. Here in Genesis, Joseph is storing up grain, we humans have the capability to plan ahead for the future.  Birds not so much.  Either way God takes care of us.  God let Joseph know enough in advance that they needed to be saving the grain and so they did.  People literally were kept from starving to death because of it.  And then there's Lot and his family.  They were only 6 people out of a possible population of  600-1200 people!  I'm not a mathematician but that's like less than 1% of the population that God took care of!

Simply and honestly here's my take away, God will take care of us.  Even if it looks impossible He will take care of us!  He is so worthy of our trust!  He is able to move the events and people in our lives in such a way to put us in the right place at the right time in order for His plans to succeed.  Some may say it's coincidence, but I know there have been too many times in my life when things worked out in such an unbelievable way that the only explanation was that it was God!

 There you have it!  My inspiration for the day.  I hope this is an encouragement to someone today!

For Such A Time As This

    Every morning my husband wakes up first, and when I do finally come out of my deep slumber because that's the best sleep I get all night is right before it's time to get up!  I ask my husband the same question, "What time is it?". Well similarly I have a question about time and it's just the beginning of 2014, I am already wondering, "Will this be the year?"  Our time, right here, right now is the time God has put us in. To borrow a phrase from Esther, "For such a time as this".  This concept of where God allowed me to be born geographically and historically came to my mind early on in 2013 as I went with Ron Gay and a team or volunteers to Guatemala on what is known as a  Work and Witness trip.

  Through the Church of the Nazarene, local churches can assemble teams to go to where there are missionaries or foreign congregations that are in need of either Medical support, Construction  or Evangelistic type needs.  It is short term, around 10-15 days, but those 10-15 days can change your life!  Our team went to help with construction needs and to do some child evangelism (that's the part I do, don't ask me to paint or use any type of extender poles or to stand on a ladder- you can ask my husband about it!)

  Going to Guatemala was an eye opening experience for me, because as we went to the village I saw people living so poor and needy and yet so content.  I could go on and on, especially comparing our "needs" and theirs but that would be getting off my original topic.  Seeing these people made me question, "What if God in His sovereignty had me born here in Guatemala?".  What if instead of having a beautiful home with carpeted floors I lived in a shack with dirt floors and instead of having running water, I had to use an outhouse?  Or, what about those nice long hot showers I take on a cold day?

  My son was studying the book of Acts in Children's Bible Quizzing  at the time I was preparing to go to Guatemala. In studying with him I saw the apostle Paul declare that God chooses the time and place we are born! Act 17:26 (NIV) says, "From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands."  (That whole passage Acts 17:16-34 is powerful, if you get a chance look it up and really think about what what is happening and what Paul is saying.  It will blow you away!)

  Well fast forward through the year of 2013 for me, as I'm sure for you it was a year of ups and downs and things that weren't planned on happened.  Some good, some bad and some that make me very sad.  At year end a friend went home to be with the Lord.  She left behind 5 boys ranging in age from 6-12 years old.  She was a single Mom and had been fighting Leukemia for the sake of her boys she fought long and hard over the past 4 years.

  As I sat in the memorial service different people shared how she had touched their lives and the events in her final weeks and days on this earth.  The rather morbid thought came to mind, when it all comes down to the end what do I want people to say about me?  I hope and pray that I live out my days helping to build the Kingdom of God ( and I don't mean construction wise- if you know what I mean, because I'm not good at that!)

  So back to my opening thought, "Will this be the year?"  Our time, right here, right now, is much like the times were when Jesus came to the earth as a baby.  "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light"  Are not the days growing darker?  And in the midst of that darkness shines the Light of Jesus!  We live in an exciting time when prophecies about Jesus' return are lining up and drawing us closer to the day when our Lord returns!  So could this be the year?  I don't know.  All I know is when He does return I want to be found busy shining that light and being used for building His kingdom!  

Happy New Year!  I close with the words from this song by Josh Wilson that hit me right between the eyes yesterday!

Thanksgiving With Every Fiber of My Being

 

     Last night before we turned out the light and called it a day my husband and I shared some of our favorite Psalms together from the Bible.  Mentioned among our favorites was Psalm 1 "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly ... .  Psalm 27 "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life..."  of course The Thanksgiving Psalm 100 "Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise..."  But the Psalm I was waiting to share was Psalm 103.

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits 

Psalm 103:1-2

     Personally I am an, "All or nothing" kind of person.  In this Psalm, David doesn't just say  he praises the Lord, he says it with every fiber of  his being!  Wow!  That's the kind of Christian I want to be!  Since this blog is titled Simply and Honestly  I'll tell you honestly that there are days when I struggle to let this truth be fleshed out in daily living.

     Let me explain a little further in detail.  I Thessalonians 5:18 says that I am to," Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"  I must confess it's much easier to fly off the handle when things don't go the way I want them to go.  Am I the only one who can come up with sarcasm at it's finest when I'm frustrated?  One of my favorite lines is . . . "of course such and such didn't happen, because that would be convenient!"  It's just so much easier to whine and complain if you know what I mean!

     God has been calling me away from those responses and prompting me to give Him praise in ALL circumstances!  And here is yet another reason to do away with the whining, sarcasm and complaining.

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation."  Then you will shine among them like stars in  the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life."  Philippians 2 :14-16 

     One thing I tell my son Michael is that "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how we react to it"  (Charles R. Swindoll)  Ouch!  I'm preaching to myself!  My desire and determination is to not give in to the temptation to complain when I'm frustrated.  I pray for God's help, because I know I can't do this without Him!

     And so to my amazement, God gives me the ability to hold back on those complaints!  He puts a desire in my heart to praise Him and to look for the good!  I can tell you that doesn't come naturally to me.  It is God's strength in me!

  This Thanksgiving Day of 2013 I want to give a song of praise to God and His goodness in my life.  I want to do this with every fiber in my being!

How Can I Keep From Singing

By: Chris Tomlin

"How can I keep from singing your praise?   How can I ever say enough?  How amazing is your love!  How can I keep from shouting your name? I know I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing!

I can sing in the troubled times.  Sing when I win.  I can sing when I lose my step and  I fall down again.  I  can sing cause you pick me up. Sing cause you're there.  I can sing cause you hear me Lord when I call to you in prayer.  I can sing with my last breath.  Sing for I know, that I'll  sing with the angels and the saints around the throne!

I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing!

Wow!  What can be greater than that?  If you get a chance look up Psalm 103 because David gives a whole list of awesome things that God has done and will do in our lives if we let Him!  Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

     

Looking for the Good

     I love to see what God does with his paintbrush this time of year!  Vibrant oranges, yellows and reds on the trees, carved pumpkins, geese flying south and the first frost of the season.  These are markers to me of a strikingly beautiful time of the year!  The season is Fall and the month is November.  A special time to pause and reflect, not just on material possessions but on the really good stuff!

     That is probably an oxymoron calling people and blessings the really good "stuff"! This month several of my Facebook friends  have had a daily entry of something they are thankful for.  I guess that's what's got me started on thinking of what I am thankful for.  So I pause right here to say, "thank you" if you are one of those friends who've faithfully entered something you've been thankful for during this month.

     Do you know the expression, "You don't know what you've got till it's gone."?  This month has been an astonishing reminder of that expression.  Don't get me wrong, I know that we are blessed way beyond anything we could ever earn or even deserve.  God has been so good to my family and I that I feel unworthy and even at times feel guilty.  

     What I am referring to in that expression, "You don't know what you've got till it's gone,is the devastation  from Typhoon Haiyan that hit the Phillippines. On November 8, 2013 what has been known as the deadliest storm to ever make landfall occurred. The pictures, the scenes and the stories are forever etched in my memory.  My heart has been heavy as I pray daily for these people. They had next to nothing and the little bit they did have was destroyed. 

     I think it's in times like this that what really matters in this life becomes very clear.  What really matters are  the people and  the relationships we have, not houses, cars or anything that money can buy.  When I saw parents stricken with panic and grief because they had not been able to locate their son or daughter it just pulled at my heartstrings! To wake up one day and find your home in a pile of rubble is one thing.  To wake up and find out your spouse or your son or daughter, or any number of relatives or friends cannot be found and there is little hope, they will be found is entirely a different thing.

     This is getting really heavy and if you're in a hurry you're probably pealing out about now or have already deemed this too depressing and have moved on.  I'm guilty of such actions so I get it.  BUT I do want to pause right here and say that even in tragedy there is good to be found.  The enemy of our souls would want us to believe that this is the end.  That we may as well give up because there is nothing good to be found in this tragedy.  He would want us to curse God or blame Him and have us focus on the heartache.

    To coin another expression, "You are what you eat.".  Really a better way of defining who we are is by defining us by what we think about. Rather than how we feed our body, how do we feed our soul? When bad things happen my natural inclination is to dwell on it.  Thinking through the scenario, thinking about how I could have done something differently or just running it over and over in my mind like it's on continuous replay.  But as a Christian God has been changing me!  Wish I could say I've arrived in this area, but none the less He is changing me day by day!

     It is by choice that I yield my natural inclination over to Him to help me look for God's goodness in people, things and events.  Now, back to  Typhoon Haiyan, in the news I saw how people in the Philippines were saying, "How could God have allowed this to happen?"  And to be completely honest with you, I've had a hard time wrapping my mind around that question.  There is no easy, pat answer that will be a cure all end all.  BUT I can say this, as a result of this horrific tragedy people are looking to God for answers and for help.  I didn't hear about this in the news, no I heard about it from a dear lady from our church who's son and daughter in law are missionaries to the Philippines through the Church of the Nazarene. She says, that for her entire life the Philippine people have never been this way.  Her daughter in law informed her that people are saying, "we have turned away from God and now we need to turn back to Him".  

     All I can say is may God be praised!  In this tragedy people are seeking Him!  I ran across a quote the other day that was new to me. "Sometimes while we're waiting for God to do something "big" we miss out seeing Him in a thousand little details throughout our lives."

Simply and honestly looking for God in the details is a little like playing I Spy. It does not come naturally and it takes God's power at work in me to look for the good things God is doing.  As for thankfulness, I could list people and events in my life that God has used to shape me into the person that I am, and I could truly list a whole lot of material things that God has blessed me with!  Still don't know why He's been so good to me!  BUT I am so incredibly thankful for His goodness in my life!  I'll finish with this passage that looks for God's goodness in the midst of tragedy.

Amongst Friends

Two weeks ago Kelly Barr invited another friend, Lynette Groves and myself over to her home for supper and to maybe play a game afterwards or to just talk.  When 3 women get together, watch out!  It spells nothing but trouble! :)  Somehow we got to talking about how we are getting so forgetful, at our young ages I might add!  I was relieved to know I wasn't the only one saying one thing, but meaning to say something else.  For example, when  trying to do something really fast like trying to break up a "fight" between our dog and our son, I'll  mistakenly call our dog named Dusty, Michael!  I was relieved to know that I'm not the only one who can't think of the word I'm trying to say when giving directions to my son ect...    Being amongst friends in the same boat gave me a sense of belonging.  I could let down my guard and just be myself!  Both of these women are great at putting a person at ease. That night we laughed so hard that I know it was good medicine for the soul!!  Thank you Lynette and Kelly for the laughter that made me feel like I was a teenager again!

Since forgetfulness seems to be plaguing me these days, more than I care to admit it has me to thinking.  I know, " Don't think too much!".  In the Bible God warns us not to forget the things He commanded.   Dueteronomy 4:9 says "But watch out!  Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen.  Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live!  And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren."

God also does not want us to forget the great things He has done.  When Joshua was a new leader over the Israelites God commanded him to have the whole nation of Israel to cross through the Jordan river on dry land. The number of men alone was at 601,730 that's not even figuring women and children! (Numbers 26:51)  God's hand held back the waters and the Bible describes them as standing up in a heap (Joshua 3:13)

After the Israelites were so miraculously taken care of by God, God told Joshua to have 12 representatives to each get a stone and make a monument. This monument was to be a reminder of what God had done on that day.  God said, "In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD.  When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off... ." (Joshua 4:6-7)

In light of that, I recall a time in Buffalo, NY.  It was about this time of year Nov./Dec. and we were making initial stages to move to Ohio.  Steve was working late and so it was just Michael and I at home that evening.  Feeling compelled (I believe God prompted me) we knelt down and prayed for Michael to be able to make new friends and specifically to find a friend who has Alopecia.

Those of you who do not know, Michael has an autoimmune  condition known as Alopecia that makes him allergic to his own hair.  It is rare but happens to men, women and children of all ages.  For some people it is temporary, others it is life long.  However it is NOT life threatening and at this point there is no cure although it is being researched.  For more details you can access the official web site: www.naaf.org

We moved to Ohio in April of 2008~ yet another thing to remember God helping us to sell our house in the coldest part of winter in Buffalo, NY! We had lived here maybe a month and were shopping at  Berean our local Christian Bookstore at t.he time.  Cindy Molnar an employee who works there seeing Michael with no hair approached us.  She asked about his condition and I was quick to reassure her he is not on chemo or fighting cancer.  I started to explain about Alopecia to which she mentioned that she runs a support group for people with Alopecia and wanted to know would we like to join the group?

Well fast forward to Saturday, November 2,2013 and our family finds ourselves with 4 other families meeting together just to hang out and compare what's going on  in our lives.  There were 4 children who have Alopecia and 2 of their siblings who do not have it.  They were all playing together having a great time.  While we parents took time to share things that've happened and plan our next get together!

It's just so amazing that these kids were brought together and have that sense of belonging that you can only have with people who've experienced the same things you've gone through! Others can sympathize ect.  but till you've walked a mile in another person's shoes, it's just not the same.  But the greatest part is that God did not just answer that prayer with one friend!  God brought 4 friends and their siblings + another boy that Michael went to school with had Alopecia temporarily.and we were able to reach out to him.

Simply and Honestly I just want to take time to remember the things God has done.  I was able to share this story at our last meeting and really wanted to put this here in print.  To give God the credit and to remember the great things He's done in our lives!

Wishing I had taken pictures at our last meeting to share here with permission of course!  Maybe next time! :)

Michael at 12 months 

Michael at 3 yrs. Hair patchy had lost all
and returned temporarily.

Michael at 4 yrs. At this point he permanently lost his hair.

From Headlines to Hope

     We live at an incredible time in history!  With technology, news spreads faster than ever before.  Traveling around the world in minutes or even seconds in some cases and at the click of a button we can view things as they are happening!  Along with that comes a heavy weight at least it does for me.  I talk to others who say the same thing.  It would be so much easier to just live with my head in the sand and claim ignorance.

     For me personally, I've learned to take News in small doses.  If I get hooked on a topic and start following it, then I see another headline that intrigues me and another and that one leads to yet another!  You get the picture, I follow way too many rabbit trails! Before I know it, this cloud of gloom hangs over me.  Just picture Eeyore.          

Last Thursday as I started up my laptop and clicked to go online.  CNN's set to come up as my home page, so before I click on anything else that's what pops up.  The headline caught my attention: "Debate Over School Safety Revs Up After Teacher Deaths" With a heavy heart my curiosity got the best of me and so I read part of the article (small doses). What caught my attention was the school shooting took place at a Middle School and the shooter was a 12 year old boy.  That hit home the instant I read it.  My son is in Middle School and although he'll be 13 in two weeks, he is still in fact a 12 year old boy.  What if my son was faced with a fellow student with a gun?  What are the possibilities that he could be faced with something like that?    

On almost any given day I start the morning off by listening to some music and a cup of coffee to help me wake up.  As early as October I start adding a little Christmas music to the mix.  On this particular morning I just so happened to put on some Christmas music.  So to the back drop of the gloom and doom I heard the music that offers us hope in a world stained with evil.  It was instrumental music, but I could hear the words in my mind.  "The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord. ...And He shall reign forever and ever.  King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He shall reign forever and ever..." 

Suddenly I realized that in the midst of darkness that there is hope.  One day all the wrongs will be made right.  Sin will be done away with!  It also became clear to me that the darker and more evil this world becomes the more brilliantly the light of the hope that we have in Jesus shines!  Not that I would ever want the evil in this world to increase.  But isn't it amazing that Jesus came as a baby, lived a life with absolutely no sin,that He died a sinners crucifixion even though He had never done a single thing wrong in His life and He descended into Hell? If the story ended there, He would have just been a good man who made a mark in History.  But it does not end there!  He came back to life!  He was resurrected by the power of God!  Because Jesus was victorious over death, we have HOPE!  When the headlines scream of death and destruction we have hope!  When cancer strikes, we have hope! When homes fall apart, we have hope!   When it just seems like things can't get any worse, we have HOPE!

Christmas is so much more than the giving of gifts.  It's celebrating that God loved us so much He sent Jesus, born as a baby to bring hope and peace in a world of suffering and sorrow.  I think it's no coincidence that I just studied about Adam and Eve and the first sin.  After they sinned they were cursed, the earth too and all of creation was cursed because of sin.
   
But look at these words from a popular Christmas song: "...No more let sin and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found" from Joy to the World by Issac Watts

Putting it simply and honestly, I am so filled with gratitude, joy and hope because God loved humanity so much that He sent Jesus.  I eagerly await the day when the curse of sin will be lifted from all of creation!  If I did not have this hope in my humanness I would give up in despair.  But I do have a hope that goes beyond any partying or friends or any high that could ever begin to give me an escape from hard times.  

I'll finish with this word of hope from the Bible.  It's found in II Corinthians 4:6-9 (NLT)

"For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.  We have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.  This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves."  We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.  We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.  We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed."

     

Hope shines out, even in the midst of death and the curse. This picture was actually taken in a cemetery.        "O, death where is thy sting? O, grave where is thy victory?" I Cor. 15;55

What's in a Name

     We'll I'm taking the plunge and finally doing this!  For quite some time now I've wanted to become a blogger and I finally decided to go beyond my fear of inadequacy as far as technology goes and just do this blogging thing!  
     Coming up with a name took a lot of thinking. Bella Lin, a college friend of mine from Taiwan used to tell me, "Don't think too much" and then she'd turn around and tell me, "You think too much!".  I guess I do sometimes get carried away in my thoughts trying to solve the worlds problems and such.