REBORN 2 WRITE: Writing my IMPERFECT life to share God's PERFECT Love. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:5
Yesterday I saw the movie, The Book Thief. It’s one of those movies that will haunt you
long after the credits have rolled by.
I hate it when that happens….
It is about a young, brave girl named Liesel who goes to
live with a foster family in WWII Germany.
Her foster family ends up hiding a young Jewish man named Max in their
basement for two years, saving him from Nazi capture while putting themselves
in grave danger.
When Liesel first comes to live with her foster family, she
feels abandoned and all alone. She has lost her mother who was captured by the Nazis and her
younger brother has died on the way to their new foster home. She soon comes to love her foster father,
who reaches out to this young frightened girl through his love of music but
also by teaching her to read. He
provides a quiet retreat for her in the basement where he has created a wall
dictionary for her to write down all the new words she encounters. This living
dictionary opens up her world as she embraces her love of literature. Her sweetness brings light to the darkness that surrounds her.
Liesel begins to steal books, which are being burned and
confiscated by the Nazis, in order to read and share them with Max who has been
confined to a dark basement. She also
uses the stories to distract herself and her neighbors from their fears while
they hide in a bomb shelter. As she shares these stories with those around her,
she provides them comfort and hope. Max encourages her to write down her
stories in a journal he has made for her. Max shares that in the Jewish faith,
story telling and words are very important.
“Words are life,” he tells Liesel.
I found myself loving and hating this movie. Loving it from avid reader and writer’s
perspective because I love to get lost in a story and I enjoy the creative
process of writing and sharing my stories. Hating it because it brought up
feelings of sadness of what humanity can do to one another. Hating it because
it brought up feelings of despair that history may repeat itself while we are
brainwashed by media propaganda and distracted by selfish pursuits. And mostly
hating the feeling of fear that crept into my heart when I thought about my own
possible actions. What would I have done when faced with saving a life at the
risk of sacrificing my own? Would I
have stood up for a neighbor who was being dragged and beaten merely for his
race and religion? Most importantly, what will I do if history repeats itself?
This movie is a “Must See” even if it makes us uncomfortable
because it reminds us of the danger of allowing ourselves to forget the horrors
of the past. It reminds us of the necessity of educating our children on the
truth of history so that we can hopefully prevent our children from repeating
it. But also because it gives us hope.
That one person, no matter how young, can make a difference, can save a life,
can stand up against evil, and can give hope.
And that maybe if she can do it, then if and when the time comes, I can
do it too.
This movie also reminded me of the power of the written word
to share someone’s story, to reveal truth, to inspire, to make a difference,
and change our world.
This movie made me think.
This movie made me give thanks that I still have freedom to
speak, to write, to share.
And most importantly, this movie made me pray.
Before the Resurrected Jesus ascended to Heaven, He told the
disciples to wait for the Promise of the Father in Jerusalem. This promise
would be the baptism of fire by the Holy Spirit.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and
Samaria, and the end of the earth.” Acts 1: 8
I spent a lot of my Christian life working and living in my
own strength, with not a lot to show for it. Oh, I was saved and living to the
best of my ability. But that was the problem I was living to the best of MY
ability. When times got tough, I
struggled. Sometimes I felt like I lost my way. That is not the way that Jesus
intends for us to live. He knew that
times were going to get tough and dangerous for the disciples as they
lived out their mission to spread His message of salvation to the world. They would face
persecution, torture, starvation, threats of death, and death itself. The Father gave them His very own Spirit
Power because they were going to need it. Just like He knows we need it today.
As this world becomes more and more hostile to the Christian
viewpoint, we are going to need the Holy Spirit’s power to give us wisdom, courage, and faith. And
as this movie brought out these feelings of self-reflection and fears, I had to
remind myself that I need not fear. God's perfect love for me casts out all of my
fear (1 John 4:18). What I loved about this movie is that it reminded me to pray daily for more of God's Holy Spirit power. It reminded me that God's Word IS Life. I need to memorize it and
hide it in my heart because there may come a day when that privilege is no
longer available. God's Word is alive and meant to be shared so that it can bring light to the darkness, life to the dying. That is our calling as Christians, to share God's life-giving Word, resting in the peace
that God goes before us and with us, preparing the way.
So go see the movie (if you're 13+) and let me know what
you think...
Born 12-3-1921 Went home to be with the Lord 11-30-2013
This past weekend we lost a very special lady in our family. My husband’s grandmother, Margaret, went
home to be with the Lord. And even though I know that she was blessed with almost
92 years of life and she's rejoicing in Heaven as I write this, I still feel
very sad. You see, she was beloved by many and will be missed. She was funny lady, with a quick wit and dry
sense of humor. And man could she let you have it with a one-line zinger that never failed to amuse me. She watched her sports shows
religiously, whether it was golf, tennis or baseball and she knew the stats and
her favorite players by name. She was also addicted to playing Bingo and was a cool card shark in Poker. It was amazing how
these activities kept her mind sharp as a tack even at 91 years old. The last time I saw her she complained that
she couldn't play poker anymore with her fellow senior home residents because
their minds were too slow and she felt bad taking their money, even if they
were only playing for pennies.
I remember when I first met my in-laws, like any new
bride-to-be, I was very nervous. But as soon as I met Grandma Margaret, I
felt comfortable and at home. She quickly became my go-to person at every
holiday function. She was a feisty
widow and I loved hearing her life stories. How she fell in love and eloped
soon after meeting her husband and left an old boyfriend behind without a word.
How God would eventually bring that old boyfriend back into her lonely widowed
life and they would renew their friendship. We were not allowed to call him her boyfriend though because that would get us into trouble. He was just her special friend. I loved to hear her talk about her younger
sister Belle and I always got a kick out of the fact that they would call each other
2-3 times a day even though they lived minutes apart.
Grandma with her sister Belle
One of the things that made Grandma Margaret stand out was her beautiful chestnut hair. It was always elegantly styled in a 1960’s hairdo. She was very particular
about her hair and once told me that even though it would be easier to go gray
she kept it colored because her husband liked her hair color. Later when she decided to let it go gray, I
remember feeling sad because I had to accept the fact that she was getting
older, tired more easily, and that time was passing by….too quickly.
When my husband helped clear out her little senior
apartment he told me, “This is just stuff. What is really important are the
memories I have of the times we spent together.”
He spent a lot of his childhood hanging out with his grandparents. He would go fishing with his grandfather and
when they got home Grandma Margaret would fry up their catch in the garage. My
husband claims she had the best pancake mix fish batter recipe. Through out the years of my marriage, I've heard how his grandmother was gifted at hospitality. The minute you
walked into her house she wanted to cook for you. According to my hubby, she was up at dawn all
the years of her marriage to make his grandfather’s
breakfast and lunch. In my husband’s
eyes, she was the paragon of womanhood. But you know what, that’s totally OK because that is how grandsons
should view their grandmothers. Every memory should be filled with love,
comfort, laughter, and warmth. The last
few times my husband talked to his grandma she seemed to want to reminisce
about all the fun times they shared in the past. She would say, “Remember Eric,
when grandpa, you and I would do this and that….” Story after story was filled with laughter and love. Those were happy days for her and remembering them gave her comfort.
Grandma Margaret and Hubby as a cute baby
I believe one of Grandma Margaret’s greatest qualities was her consideration
for others. It was always very
important to her that she remembered every one’s birthday. She would send us
a card with a $25 dollar check because she wanted us to treat ourselves to
something special. It really bothered
her when her cards arrived late, so one Christmas I gave her a calendar that had
everyone’s birthday written on it. She told me recently that she kept that
calendar all these years. As it became difficult for her to get around, she would call us and apologize for her cards being late. Even though I reassured her that it was
OK, it was still upsetting because it was her way of expressing love for us. In October, my daughter received her birthday card and she was saving the check to buy something special for Christmas. My daughter has decided not to cash that check. She wants to keep it as a memory of Grandma Margaret's generous spirit. Because
you see, it is the love that went into the card not the money that made the
birthday cards special.
With grandma’s passing, I’m reminded that every moment you
spend with someone you love needs to be prioritized because it could be
your very last. Our last visit with Grandma Margaret was a special blessing from the Lord and I will forever be grateful for it. We had decided to surprise her for a visit on a Sunday afternoon. Looking back on that day, God worked out every detail perfectly. We were running late and hadn't eaten lunch
so we stopped by the grocery store to buy ourselves some snacks figuring we
would eat lunch with grandma in the senior dining room. Unbeknownst to us, she
had been ill and was eating lunch in her room. She happened to dislike the meal
that had been delivered from the kitchen so the minute we walked in with
our bag of goodies she says, “What did you bring me to eat?” It was hysterical. We ended up buying enough so we all had a picnic lunch in her room.
That day, I had the feeling that it was important to take pictures with her and I am so glad that I listened to that still, small voice. I will cherish these pictures as a gift from the Lord to remember a very special picnic lunch.
On a previous visit, I had given grandma a gift. It was the Jesus Calling yearly devotion book by Sarah Young. I love
this devotion book because the author is gifted at incorporating scripture in
her writing and you feel as if the Lord is speaking to you directly. At the time, I was a little apprehensive about giving it
to grandma because I was not sure how she would receive it. But she was so grateful for
it. She asked me to place the marker on the correct date so that she could
start reading it. During our final visit, I saw the book on her nightstand by her bed. I asked her what she thought about it. She told me she liked the book very much and read it daily. I was so glad that I didn't let doubt or uncertainty prevent me from buying her this gift because my prayer is that Jesus spoke to her through the pages
of this book, that He called her his beloved daughter, that He told her how much He loved her, and that He prepared her heart to come home to be with Him for eternity. For you see, God has promised eternal life for those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the source of our hope:
1 Peter 1:3-6 (CEV)
Praise
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus
from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on.God
has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be
ruined or disappear.You
have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day.Then he will save you, just as he has always
planned to do.On that day you will be glad,
even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while.
Those of us who are left behind when our loved ones go to Heaven may be going through a trail of grief right now. And though our hearts may be breaking, we can't allow them to be shattered because our tears of grief should also be tears of hope. I believe I
will see Grandma Margaret again and when God calls me home, she along with my own grandmother, will surely come guide me home. Until then, I will cherish the memories of her and will continue to make new ones with my family for as long as God gives me breath because that is our calling and purpose. We are called to touch as many lives with the love of Jesus Christ in the time that we are given.
So Grandma Margaret, we love you. You touched each of our lives in your own special way. Each of us has our own treasured memories, and though we will miss your presence here with us, we are comforted in the promise of seeing each other again. I'd like to share these encouraging words from the Apostle Paul:
My friends, we want you to understand how it will be for those believers who have already died. Then you won't grieve over them and be like people who don't have any hope. We believe that Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died. You see, there's far more to life for us. We are citizens of high heaven! We're waiting for arrival of the Savior, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthly bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole.
This month in preschool, my co-teacher made a “We thank God for”
Turkey bulletin board in our classroom. Each feather had a child’s name and
a description of what he or she was thankful for. Here are some of the
responses we received:
I’m thankful for my mom and dad
I’m thankful for my brother and sister
I’m thankful for my cat and dog
I’m thankful for my toys
I’m thankful for Iron Man and Star Wars.
I’m thankful for God, Jesus, Holy Ghost and cockroaches. I
have no clue why cockroaches got equal billing with the Holy Trinity but that’s
why the 4-year old mind is a wonderful thing. I am sure God got a kick out of
this child’s response because He created cockroaches and probably thinks
they’re pretty cool too.
The great thing about working with preschool children is
that they are very literal. Which I find very funny! For example, in November
we taught two scripture verses. The first verse was “In everything give thanks”
(1 Thessalonians 5:18) and as you can see from our Thanksgiving Turkey even 3-4
year old children recognize God's blessings in their lives. The second scripture verse was, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2
Corinthians 9:7). This verse made a profound impact on one of our sweet girls.
On the playground one day, she went around giving the teachers cups of water as she told us, “See I’m being a cheerful giver.” Oh, we were so proud
thinking, “Thank you Lord, they are learning to hide your word in their heart.”
So on an unseasonably hot November day she decided to be
extra giving. While on the playground,
I saw my sweet student fill up her water glass and approach a teacher from
behind. I am just beaming with pride
and patting myself on the back, thinking, “Yes, she’s in my class.” When
suddenly, she tosses the cold water right on the teacher’s back! “Sweetie, why
did you do that?” “WELL, she looked hot!”
In all fairness, it was really hot that day and she did have a cheerful
attitude while she threw the water…
See why I love working with preschoolers! They get it. They don’t have to over analyze
everything. God says, “Be a cheerful
giver” and they give. God says, “In everything give thanks” and they look
around their immediate environment and see a million blessings. They give thanks for family, imaginary
characters, and even insects because in their eyes these things are magical and
bring them joy.
Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could always keep our
preschool perspective on life and remember to thank God for all His blessings? You see, saying “Thank You” to God is not just a nice gesture of empty words.
It’s our way of honoring and worshiping God. It’s sacrificing our complaining,
ungrateful hearts on the alter of his grace.
It’s being in awe of His mercy and falling down in gratitude because the
One and Only True God, who created the Heavens and Earth, who was and is to
come, loved us so much that He saved us from our sin and chose us to be His
very own children.
Psalm 50:23 (CEV)
The sacrifice that honors me is a
thankful heart. Obey me, and I, your
God, will show my power to save.
Hebrews
12:28(NLT)
Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is
unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear
and awe.
Recently,
I got a new perspective on the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers. You see, after He healed them of their leprosy only one man came back to thank him.
Luke 17:15-19(MSG)
One of them, when he realized
that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude,
glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn't thank him
enough—and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus said, “Were not ten
healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to
God except this outsider?” Then he said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your
faith has healed and saved you.”
I
always thought that the moral of the story was how it is rude not to show
gratitude to God for our blessings. But the last verse “Your faith has healed
you” also means “Your faith has saved you.” This healed man got it! This man
was not only healed on the outside but he was healed on the inside. Jesus looked into this man’s heart and saw
worship and gratitude. Jesus had compassion on all ten men, loved and healed
them equally of their physical illness but only one man got the healing of
salvation. Jesus will bless us
because He loves us more than we can comprehend but having a grateful heart shows Jesus how much we love
Him. And a thankful heart allows us to get closer to God.
Psalm
100:4 (AMP)
Enter into His gates with thanksgivinganda thank offering
and into His courts with praise! Be thankfulandsay so to Him,
blessandaffectionately praise His name!
When
I remember all that God has done for me, not only my material provisions but also
the gifts of: forgiveness of sin, salvation, eternal life, hope in the darkness,
security through the storms, refuge in times for fear, healing from pain, and
unconditional love, I can’t help but give thanks. I’d like to end with a portion of Psalm 116 as my sacrifice of
praise this Thanksgiving:
Psalm 116 (NLT) I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: "Please, LORD, save me!" How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this LORD of ours! The LORD protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. Let my soul be at rest again, for the LORD has been good to me. He has saved me from death, My eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the LORD's presence as I live here on earth!... What can I offer the LORD for all he has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the LORD's name for saving me. I will keep my promises to the LORD in the presence of all his people... I will offer you a sacrifice f thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD....
So
this Thanksgiving, embrace your inner preschooler and look around your
world. What are you thankful for? I'm thankful for the blessing of working at an awesome Christian preschool, with wonderful teachers, filled with children whom God uses to teach me spiritual lessons daily, and for each and every one of you who reads my posts. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Today I went to lunch with my hubby and across the booth
from us was a lady sitting all alone. She caught my attention because it was
almost as if she was on the perfect date…with herself. I actually felt a little envious even though
I was having a lovely lunch with my handsome man.
It reminded me of the scene from the movie, The Breakfast Club, where
Molly Ringwald is eating lunch in detention with a bunch of high school misfits. As
they are taking out their boring lunches, she opens up her neat little lunch
box, places a wooden tray on her desk, and proceeds to place a small black Sushi tray on it
with her cute little soy sauce bottle. The rest of the misfits just stare at her perfect little lunch in amazement.
This lady who caught my eye took it upon herself to create the most inviting setting for her lunch
date with herself. She ordered her water in a wine glass with a lemon slice on
the rim. She opened up her Kindle and propped it up on her little stand so she could read her novel. Soon the waiter placed before her the most appealing black tray with a little scoop
of white rice, an entree, a small salad, and a delicious looking red
dessert. I’m so glad her back was to me
because YES I was staring. She looked
so elegant, refined, confident, and completely at peace with herself.
I don’t know why she intrigued me so much? As I left the
restaurant, I found myself wanting to talk to her. But what could I say? “Wow!
You are so cool. I wish I could have been like you when I was younger.” You
see, when I was younger I didn't have a lot of confidence. I would never have dared to go to lunch alone. I was insecure, fearful, and I tended to hide behind other people. Actually, it took me until I turned 40 to
start embracing the person God made me: chunky, spunky, and little nutty. I regret wasting so much time worrying about other people's opinions.
I wanted to share the impact this lady’s perfect little
lunch had on me today. Because I don’t want you to be like me and waste another minute thinking you’re not
worthy, whether it’s making an ordinary lunch special or asking the God
of the Universe to answer your prayers.
Take for example, Friday night I went to church and the pastor asked
people to come forward for prayer if they wanted to experience the Holy
Spirit’s presence in a deeper way. I didn't
hesitate but jumped right out of my seat. A few years ago, I would have stayed
in my seat, convincing myself that my prayers weren't as worthy as someone else and I would rob myself of God’s
blessings. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I
still struggle, especially when I don’t see the answer to my prayer manifested
the way my human limitations can understand. But my struggle doesn't stop me
from getting out of my seat anymore and seeking God's will for my life.
I am writing the
following prayer for myself and for you if you are letting fear, a lack of
confidence, or feelings of unworthiness hold you back from God:
Lord Jesus, help me not to hide behind feeling of
unworthiness or run from the calling You have for my life. Help me to see myself as You see me, as Your precious child. Bring to mind all of my answered prayers and
remind me to give thanks for all my many blessings. Don’t let fear of what others may think prevent me from living
the life You have planned for me. Thank
you for loving me long before I ever knew You and thank you that You promised never to leave me or forsake me. Help me to feel Your love so I can share it with others. Amen.
1 John 4:7-19 (NLT)God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins...And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.We love each other because he loved us first.
Have I mentioned lately that I have a very overactive
imagination? If you combine that with the fact that I'm lacking in the bravery
department, you might as well call me the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz. But please don’t call me that because, like the
Cowardly Lion, I am aware of my character flaw and I'm working on gaining courage as the following will attest:
First, when I was in elementary school I would walk home after school to an empty house. I would be alone for a while until my sister
got home from high school. If she were
slightly late, I would start to panic and image all sorts of terrible
scenarios. One time she was really late. I remember it felt like forever but
realistically it was probably only a couple of hours.
I completely lost it. I ran down
to her bus stop to see if she was delayed there. When I could not find her, I ran back home and started to have a
complete panic attack. By the time she came home I was a complete sobbing mess. Yes, she was slightly annoyed and embarrassed because she was with her friends but, oh well, that's what little sisters do.
Then when I was in high school there was a terrible serial
killer on the loose. He would sneak into houses at night and attack his
victims. I made my mom lock all of our
windows for the first time ever since living in our rural neighborhood. Did I mention we didn't have air conditioning and it was mid-summer. The family was not happy with me. During this time, I worked as a waitress and a report
had been issued that the killer’s car had been sighted in a neighboring town. I
remember working late one night and having to drive home. By the time my shift was over I had completely psyched myself out. I ran to my car, locked all the doors, and sped
off. As I drove down a dark and deserted street, I started to imagine the killer on the roof of my car. I drove like a
maniac, swerving all over the road in an attempt to get the imaginary menace
off the roof of my car. Thankfully, I
lived in a very rural area and avoided hitting any “sane” drivers on the
road. I peeled into our driveway, jumped
out of the car, and ran into my house. My mom looked at me like I had lost my mind
because I was hyperventilating and near tears.
Finally, there was the terrible night that I gave into peer
pressure and I allowed my high school friends to talk me into seeing the horror
film, A Nightmare on Elm Street. It’s about a frightening killer who enters
people’s dreams whenever they fall asleep. The poor heroine is terrified to
fall asleep less she face the same deadly fate as her friends. By the end of the movie, she had gray hair and so did I. For
some weird reason, when I got home from
the theater no one was home. I was freaked
out and made my way to my upstairs bedroom.
I kept imagining hearing terrible noises downstairs but I was too afraid
to investigate. As I lay in bed
paralyzed in fear, I remember thinking, “I need a Bible.” I wasn't even a Christian yet but I knew in
my heart that as long as I could get my hands on a Bible that God would protect
me. Since I shared a room with my older sister, I borrowed her Bible and
literally placed it on my chest and prayed for God to stay with me. I eventually fell asleep with a sense of
God’s presence and comfort.
After receiving Jesus as my Lord and Savior and studying God’s Word, I have been able to control my fear. When I sense that feeling of fear come over me, I know to immediately turn to Jesus.
I remember reading a book on overcoming fear and learning the value of praying out loud. Whenever you feel a dark and oppressing presence around
you, it is good to pray out loud and proclaim the name of Jesus. You see, Satan and his demons
cannot read our mind. Only God has the ability to read our minds. So if we’re praying in our minds, Satan and
his enemies can’t hear us. Once you
speak the name of Jesus out loud, the power in His Name alone makes the demons flee.
Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)
Therefore, God elevated him to the place
of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth,and every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Recently
I received some scary news that sent me straight back to Jesus and into my Bible. My daughter and I were driving and talking about God giving
us signs of His presence.
Nonchalantly my daughter says, “I've had an experience like that.” I’m thinking, “Oh cool it’s probably
something really great.” She goes on to share that a few months ago she felt an
ominous presence in her bedroom. Enough that it freaked out our little dog that
sleeps with her and that she felt really oppressed and scared. Now, she claims that she told me this before
BUT judging by the crippling panic attack that overcame me I doubt it. Luckily my older sister was there to keep me from flying completely off
the fear cliff and rushing her over to the nearest church to have holy water
poured over her.
After
calming down a bit, my first reaction was guilt. I started to worry that I had
unconfessed sin in my life that was allowing darkness into our home. I started doing a mental inventory of our
lifestyle and any compromises we were making as a family. I asked the Lord Jesus to forgive me and to
point out anything that He wanted me to change. I also told my husband about
the incident and he immediately prayed over her bedroom and started playing
worship music in our home. We have also started prioritizing praying together on all occasions and especially at nighttime.
During my morning devotions recently, I read Psalm 91 and immediately shared it with my daughter.
Psalm
91 (CEV)
TheLordIs My
Fortress
Live under the protection of God Most
High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful.Then you will say to theLord,
“You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you.” The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly
diseases. He will spread his wings over you and
keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall. You won’t need to worry about dangers at night or
arrows during the day. And you won’t fear
diseases that strike in the dark or sudden disaster at noon. You will not be harmed, though thousands fall all around you.
And with your own eyes you will see the
punishment of the wicked. TheLordMost High is
your fortress. Run to him for safety, and no
terrible disasters will strike you or your home.
God will command his angels to protect
you wherever you go.They will carry you in their arms, and you won’t hurt your feet on
the stones. You will
overpower the strongest lions and the most deadly snakes. The Lord says, “If you love me and truly know who I am, I will
rescue you and keep you safe.When you are in
trouble, call out to me. I will answer and be there to protect and honor you. You will live a long life and see my saving power.”
What
I love about this Psalm is that the author is Anonymous. A lot of the Psalms are written by Kind
David and sometimes when I read them I think maybe they apply to David only or that they are a prophetic message about Israel or the Messiah.
But when I saw that this psalm was written by “Anonymous”, I knew that
the promises of this Psalm are for each and everyone of us. We could all be the authors of this Psalm to
God.
I
told my daughter, “You have an army of angels at your disposal. God has commanded that they protect
you. If you are afraid, call
out to God and ask Him to let loose His angel army in your defense.” With the beautiful faith of a child, she was completely at
peace with her trust in the Lord. And being an only child she is used to her
parents completely freaking out – in a good way- of course.
After reading and mediating on this Psalm, I have begun to
pray that the spiritual eyes of my family and myself are open so that we can
see God’s angelic army fighting on our side.
I want to be like Elisha’s servant who was reassured of God’s love and
protection when surrounded by the enemy army.
2 Kings 6:15-16
When Elisha’s servant got up the next
morning, he saw that Syrian troops had the town surrounded. “Sir, what are we
going to do?” he asked.“Don’t be afraid,” Elisha answered.
“There are more troops on our side than on theirs.”Then he prayed,
“Lord, please help him to see.” And theLordlet the servant see that the hillwas covered with
fiery horses and flaming chariots all around Elisha.
Just like the servant was reassured that
the victory was theirs because God's angelic army was on their side, we can be
reassured that God is always on our side. All that God asks is that we love Him
and truly know who He is. Then He
guarantees us all the promises of Psalm 91.
He will be our Mighty Fortress
He will keep us safe and secure
He is our Mighty Protector
He is our Valiant Defender
He is our Eternal Salvation
Last night, I felt the need to go to
church and be in God’s presence. As I sang worship songs, I prayed for
forgiveness, I prayed for a renewing of the Holy Spirit's power in my life, I asked to feel His love in a tangible way, and I
dedicated my Blog to Him again. I
asked God to bless my writing and to use it however He deemed fit. Here’s how God answered my prayers:
I've known since reading Psalm 91 that I
wanted to write a devotion on it but I felt like my thoughts were disjointed. The
only thing I knew for certain was that I wanted to include the worship
song, “Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies]. So last night when our worship band started to sing, “You hear me
when I call…..” I wanted to shout, “LORD, that’s my song! You’re playing my
song!” I felt God smiling down on me
and as tears filled my eyes, I raised my hands and thanked Him for confirming
that He hears my prayers, He forgives me, and He is my inspiration.
I believe God wants to remind us that
even though the days are frightening with all the uncertainty surrounding us, even if it seems like evil is winning, even if we are being attacked from all sides, even if we feel
Satan waging a war for our soul and for the souls of our
children, he will NOT win. In the
battle against us and for us, the God of Angel Armies is always on our side.
Jesus already conquered our enemy on the cross when He defeated death and rose
again. He is up in Heaven cheering me on saying, “Yolanda, I love you. Don’t be afraid. Keep learning about me so you
will truly know who I am. The more you know me the more confident you will be
in the fact that I've got everything under control. The victory is MINE. There is no enemy that can come against you or your family as
long as you always make me a part of your family.”
So my Daddy in Heaven has got this…..I can sleep soundly tonight.
How about you? Do you have trouble sleeping?
Love,
Yolanda
Cool video by Chris Tomlin on inspiration for worship song, "Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies]"
Have you ever had one of those days when you are trying to
do a good thing, helpful even, and then all your good intentions end up pouring down all around you, leaving you a wet mess. Well
that’s what happened to me today….literally.
Today on the preschool playground I was trying to do a good
thing. We have an airplane teeter totter that the children love to ride but we closed it because it was under a canopy that had filled with rainwater from
last night. I figured that I could
easily remove the water by getting a broomstick and pushing the water off of the canopy. Well the first big puddle of water
emptied easily enough. The second puddle was a bit larger so I pushed a little
bit harder and well you know what happen…..
Let it rain. Let it pour, all over Miss Yolanda!
I got soaked. Completely and utterly. Down to my chonies
wet! And it was COLD!
Immediately, I started laughing. I could not believe it, but
then again I really could believe it knowing my luck. My coworkers just stood
there in shock and then joined in laughter figuring it was OK to laugh with
me just not at me. Some of the children
were a little shocked and stated the obvious, “Miss Yolanda, you’re all wet.”
Now standing there cold and wet, I had two choices. I could have easily let the downpour bring
anger, embarrassment, and frustration or I could let it bring down showers of
blessings. I chose blessings, blessings of spontaneous laughter and joy. And my God is a God of miracles because my cell
phone in my pocket was the only thing that did not get wet.
When life happens and good intentions end up getting us all wet, we must remember it is our attitude and outlook that can either make them into blessings or curses. If we are willing to laugh at ourselves, look up to Jesus and say, "Thank you for making me laugh today and thank you for saving my phone" we may see that God has just sent us the shower we needed to refresh our souls. It was our own special shower of blessings.
Ezekiel
34:26 (NLT)
I will bless my people and their homes
around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they
need. There will be showers of blessing.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (CEV)
Always be joyful and never stop praying. Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.
My baby girl is starting middle school and I am freaking
out! I have dreaded the teen years since she’s been in my womb. Because you see, I don’t have a lot of
patience for teen drama. I drove MYSELF crazy as a teen, which is why I only
work with cute preschoolers. I leave
the scary teenagers to those the Lord has gifted with superhuman
powers.
This summer, my daughter had to mature rather
quickly. For the first time ever, I had
to go back to work before the start of her school year. She suddenly had to
make her own meals, take care of the house, and be responsible. It was a
learning experience for both of us. I
just have to brag and say that she did great. So you’d think that I would feel
confident in her ability and decision making skills right? Nope, I had to
experience a painful life lesson in order to get the message that it’s time to
let her spread her wings so she can learn how to fly.
Middle School is going to be a whole new ball
game. There are multiple classes, hormones running a muck,
girl clicks, and potential bullying. To top it all off, parents had to lease
laptops for each student to use at school.
I know, I know, technology is a good thing. But REALLY they expect 6th
graders to deal with multiple classes, hormones, and care for an expensive
computer. Last year, I was lucky if I
could find my daughter’s homework assignment in the bottom of her backpack, in
one piece and without PB&J smears.
So the day we went to pick up her new computer from school,
I made sure to ask the tech guy if the insurance policy covers any and all
natural and unnatural disasters. He
assured me that even if my daughter dropped it in a lake it would be covered. Whew! I felt better but I still gave my daughter
the 3rd degree, “Don’t eat by it. Don’t drink by it. Don’t share it.
And for goodness sakes DON’T drop it. You will handle this computer like your
life depends on it.”
As we are exiting the technology classroom, I tell my
daughter, “I’ll carry it!” Very clearly still having trust issues. We get about
20 feet down the hall when my elbow hits a protruding door handle and BAM there
goes the computer crashing to the floor! “OH BLANK!” comes spewing out of my
mouth. Unfortunately, there was a nice
teacher walking by who starts to snicker and says, “You better take it back
while you are still here.” Luckily, he didn't say, “And watch your language
young lady!”
My very supportive daughter goes, “MOM, you are so
embarrassing. I am not going back in there.”
I guess I deserved that so I took the walk of shame alone. As I entered
the class, full of the really perfect moms, I tell the tech guy, “OPPS! I just
dropped it.” He gives me a look like “REALLY?” Yep, I even showed him my
wounded arm as proof. The good news
is that the insurance coverage really works! After being handed a
perfectly working laptop, I decided my daughter should carry it. We laughed all the way home and as I was
driving I had an epiphany. I realized it was time to turn over the laptop,
metaphorically speaking.
This last month my daughter has proved that she is capable
of taking on more responsibility...when I let her. I've been so afraid to let go of the reins because of fear of
failure, injury, or danger but it’s time to trust her and, more importantly,
trust in the Lord. I am hindering her maturing process by
being over-protective. So I have
decided that this school year, I am going to take on more of the role of mentor
verses smothering, mother hen. I am
going to teach her organizational skills because it is a skill she must master
in higher education, work, and life. I
will give her limited freedom on her laptop but it will be located right next
to mine so that I can supervise her online activity. When school challenges arise, I will not run in and take over. I
will assist, if needed, but I will give her the opportunity to work through her
problems.
My most important job as a parent entering Middle School is
going to be to PRAY for my child.
Pray for God to give her wisdom so that she can do well
academically, socially, but most importantly spiritually.
Pray for God to give her discernment when it comes to
friendships and peers.
Pray for God to protect her from bullying and danger.
Pray for God to keep her pure in thought and action even
when the Enemy attempts to corrupt.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal and empower her God-given talents and
strengths so she can be hopeful and excited about her future.
Pray that God keeps our family united and focused on Him,
that we prioritize church, reading our Bible, and fellowship with Believers.
As I have been preparing myself to face the reality of
Middle School, this Bible verse keeps coming to mind:
Direct your children onto the right path, and when they
are older they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)
I looked up the word “direct” in the dictionary and it means
to train, supervise, point and show the way. I pray my daughter sees my life pointing her to Jesus, my own walk showing her the way, and that when I stumble and fall I reach for my savior for help and direction. As her
trainer, I must provide learning opportunities to test her skills. As her
supervisor, I must keep a watchful eye that she is maturing and staying on
track. If she makes a mistake, I must
correct and set her back on course. I
can’t walk the path for her or carry her.
I just have to point her in the right direction, hand her over to Jesus
who loves her more than I ever could, and trust that He has a wonderful plan for her future.
Jesus said:
“I have come so that they can have real and eternal life,
more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (John 10:10 MSG)
God’s plan for my daughter is greater than any dream I could
ever hope for. So bring on Middle
School….we’re ready.
But pray for me because, well you know, I’m me….
Love,
Yolanda
When thinking of this new school year, this poem came to me:
My hubby is not a reader…unless it’s the maintenance manual
for his precious Polaris or his hunting magazine. But even with the latter, I’m
convinced he’s only looking at the pictures.
Heaven forbid I ask his opinion on one of my blog posts because he suddenly
remembers an emergency that needs his immediate attention in the garage.
So when he got home today and told me he wanted to read me
something, I actually got a little scared.
Could it be a secret love letter from an old girlfriend, bad news from
his doctor, or maybe cut backs at work? As I sit down and prepare myself for the
worst, he reads me this email from a friend:
Of course when hubby read it to me, he changed the word "motorcycle" to "Polaris". I about died laughing because this is SO true in marriage! I don't know how many sleepless nights I've had torturing myself while he's snoring right next to me...probably dreaming about his precious Polaris. Well, no more. Next time, he seems distracted and quiet and tells me nothing is wrong, I'm going to believe him, leave him to his thoughts, and take a nice, long bubble bath.
But wait. Do you think my hubby was trying to tell me something with that email? NAH! He just thought it was funny.
Gotta love marriage!
Love,
Yolanda
PS: I wish I could give credit to the original writer of "Her Diary, His Diary" but I could not find the author's name. So I hope they don't mind that I shared it because it was too funny to resist.
“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the
beginning of faith is the end of anxiety.” George E. Mueller
On Saturday, I had one of those emotional breakdowns that
make you want to run away from home, hide out at Starbucks until they kick you
out, or just escape to a “happy place”.
Usually my happy place is a fictional story that is playing out in my
head but this time I really envied Elijah who “went up to heaven in whirlwind”
(2 Kings 2:11). Elijah literally
bypassed death and was taken straight to heaven. Since I have always been a
cowardly escape artist when it comes to conflict, this seemed like an easy way
out. But because God doesn't want me to
be a cowardly escape artist, the closest I got to heaven on Saturday was taking
the longest shower in history. As I
stood under the water, letting it wash away my tears, I starting singing softly
to the Lord, “I’m ready Lord. When my time comes, I’m ready.” I could feel
myself giving into the stress and I began to fear I would break out in a
Shingles rash again.
In that moment, I had a choice to make. I could either let my stress conquer me or I
could BREATHE. I remember back in May
when I broke out in a Shingles rash, I went to my ApageHeart Ministry friend,
Jerry, for prayer. He reminded me that
I needed to “breathe in the Spirit”. Not
some “mumbo-jumbo New Aggie” breathing exercise but literally breathing in more
of God’s Holy Spirit. Basically, I like
to think of it as an act of surrender and obedience. It is reminding myself to take the focus off myself and to
redirect my sight on God. I prayed,
“God fill me with more of your Holy Spirit power” while inhaling and prayed,
“Forgive me of my sins and unforgiveness” while exhaling. I must have stood under the water for 10
minutes taking deep breaths and praying.
I remember thinking, “Lord, you say in your Word that if I seek you with
my whole heart, I will find you. I want to feel your love. I want to have your
supernatural peace that surpasses understanding. But even if I don’t feel you
or see you right now, Lord, I am going to believe you love me out of
faith.”
Then I decided to give over my anxiety and stress to God and
I literally changed my tune. I raised my hands to God right in the shower and
started singing one of my favorite old worship songs, For You Are Good:
I cry out for your
hand of mercy to heal me
I am weak I need your
love to free me
Oh Lord, my Rock, my
strength in weakness
Come rescue me, Oh
Lord.
You are my hope, your
promise never fails me
And my desire is
follow you forever.
For you are good
For you are good
For you are good to
me.
I must have sung, “For you are good” over and over again
until the water ran cold and my frozen heart thawed. By the time I walked out
of that shower, I was ready to forgive and be forgiven. No holding grudges, no pity party, no bad
attitude. The entire atmosphere in my
house changed. And the love that I
craved from God came in the form of a hug from my daughter and a kiss from my
hubby. The words I craved from the Lord
came to me in the lyrics of the worship song, Love Came Down, sang at
church on Sunday:
If my heart is overwhelmed and I cannot hear
Your voice
If the storms of life they come and the road
ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith, I will believe
I remind myself of all that You've done
And the life I have because of Your Son
Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
Now I am Yours, I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out and remind my soul
I am Yours, I am forever Yours
When my heart is filled with hope, every
promise comes my way
When I feel Your hands of grace rest upon me
Staying desperate for You God, staying humbled
at Your feet
I will lift these hands and praise, I will believe
I am Yours, I am Yours
All my days I am Yours
As Christians, we are never promised an easy road in this
life. We are only promised that when the road get tough, God will never leave
us or forsake us. I shared this
“not-so-attractive” story about myself to encourage you. When you feel like running away, hiding at
Starbucks, or escaping down the path that seems easier, remember to Breathe, to
Pray, and receive God’s Love.
Even if we don’t see it manifested immediately the way we want it to be,
God reveals His love for us, through the Spirit, in ways that will amaze us. It
could be through a quote at church that speaks to your circumstance, a worship song that speaks to your heart, a hug that comforts, or a kiss that expresses forgiveness.
Love,
Yolanda
Jeremiah 29:13 If you look for me whole heartedly, you
will find me.
Lamentations 3:25 The Lord is good to those who depend on
him, to those who search for him.
James 4:8 Come close to God and God will come close to
you.
Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for
you O LORD, do not abandon those who
search for you.
1
Kings 8:23 …and he prayed, “OLord, God of Israel,
there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep
your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in
wholehearted devotion.”
