Reflections

Reflections on Patience

August 21, 2010

At this moment I am on the phone with Dell Computers. Now I will say at the beginning I really love my new computer, but as you may remember I spilled a glass of ice water on the poor thing and it just hasn’t been right since then. At any rate I am now talking to Scott, who seems to be a very nice young man and I am of course on hold. Also Scott is the sixth nice young man I have talked to. Odd that I haven’t had a woman since the start and she was a recording.

Now I have come to one conclusion with this; God is trying to teach me patience. I believe He has been trying to teach me this lesson for at least nine years now. (You may recall also that this is the length of time my wonderful son, Bobby has been with me. What a coincidence.)

Now I just know that they can fix this computer and I have no doubts that eventually it will be brand spanking new, especially since by the end of this event everything in it will have been replaced except the screen. I do wonder though why they don’t send out a new computer. I will have to ask Scott that when he comes back. Yes, I am still on hold, but since all my documents, pictures and music were backed up, I am very calm and collected. I also know that I can remain patient for about 2 more people then I may get caustic. Yes, I said caustic. I have even had time to look words up in the dictionary.

Now patience has never been one of my strong points. We all have our little quirks or traits that we should not have and I have been blessed with this one. I choose to call it a blessing instead of a curse because I have to pray about it rather often and any opportunity to talk to God is a good one. Well I heard somewhere that we are all works in progress. I am not sure I would agree with that for the simple reason that I don’t seem to be making any, progress that is. However, I am surely not a finished project because I don’t think God would leave all these things out on purpose

I have of course prayed for patience. I told God I was ready for it right now, but I am still waiting. Sometimes I think I have finally had this prayer answered and something, like having to wait in line somewhere, will happen and then I know that I also having to wait at the same time for my gift of patience. I do not understand. Does He not realize that I need patience right now? I am of course not serious and I hope I would never give God orders, but don’t we often do just that. We pray for something important to us of someone we love and then we expect God to immediately jump to attention and lay it out in front of us like He is a genie in a bottle.

God has a perfect plan in each of our lives. He has had that plan for each and every one of us before we were born. But being of the flawed human nature we are, we want it now. Every part of our lives seems to concentrate on doing it faster. From fast foods to those silly abbreviations in text messaging, we want it always faster. Slow down today. Look at the blessing God has for you. Linger in some of those places that mean the most to you. Show your family how much you love them. And wait; wait on God’s perfect plan for your life. He has certainly spent His fair share of time waiting on you. And as the Bible tells us in Matthew 10:30,31 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. With that much attention paid to us, surely we can wait patiently for His plan.

______________________________________________________________________________

Reflections On Being "Fluffy"

August 14, 2010

My niece, Abby, is six years old and getting ready to enter the first grade. She has always had a really unique way of looking at things. Her imagination knows no bounds, she always questions what she does not understand and when done she fits these explanations into the box in her mind that I call story time.

She knows the difference between real and imaginary. She just likes them both. Now maybe it is this wonderfully accepting attitude or maybe she just accepts thing exactly the way I think God would want us to, but whatever the reason, she just accepts.

My Sunday school class is the 6^th through 8^th grade kids. These are the early teen years. At one time I think this age is where the problems with body images began to be a problem. While it is still a problem at this age I think it starts at a much earlier age now. I can understand the body image thing because I am not exactly the model of perfection shown in magazines and movies and TV. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with that but I have. The reason I have is this.

There are numerous times our being created in God's image is mentioned in the bible. For instance, in Genesis 5: 1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.

Ephesians 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Now I live in the real world although Abby does allow me to visit imaginary friend world often. I don't believe that there is a God who looks exactly like all of us. But I think that our God does not look at us with disgust or loathing because we are not a size 2. Nor does He shake His head in shame when He looks at us and sees a bad hair day or the many other things we see or imagine we see in the mirror. If He felt that way, why would he have sent His only son to die for us. Well that to me says He must think we are okay the way we are physically. And He is ready for us to accept the mentally. He is ready for us to become more like His son every day. And as you read your Bible remember what is found in Isaiah 53:2. It says:"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him." and Beauty, in God's eyes, comes from within [1 Peter 3:3-4].

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as your hair and jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. In other words God looks at the beauty inside not outside. So the more your light shines for God and the more He receives the Glory from us, the more beautiful we become in His eyes.

So Abby has already begun this lesson and I hope it will remain tight in her heart. She has a word for those of us who are not size 2 by the way. We are fluffy and that just sounds so warm and desired that it makes you feel good to be fluffy. Yes, fluffy is a good word in her book whether in the real word or the imaginary one. I am going to have to go now because I think I am going to visit in imaginary friend world and come back with even more stories going through my head. But really it's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. I like living in God's world too much.

______________________________________________________________________________

Reflections on Saving the Best for Last

July 18, 2010

My Sunday school class has been studying about witnessing, starting with the “Great Commission” and ending up today with “The Roman Road”. In our studies we talked about the Great Commission being the last instructions given by Christ. I have had a very long time habit of, well I guess you could call it, saving the best for last. It happens when you turn a piece of cake upside down so the icing is the last thing you eat. And then there is cleaning house and saving the job you like the most for last and getting the worse one over with first. I am aware that there are people out there who like housework, I am not one of them. Or reading your email and saving the one from your friend, that you know will be the best and will have you laughing and crying, to open last.

I think the Great Commission falls into this saving the best for last. Now witnessing to others is not easy. First there is the getting up the nerve to jump into the opening that may be very small that is given to you to witness. I have found that if you pass up the opportunity that is given you it just might not come around again. I know I can look back on these lost opportunities knowing that it is unlikely that I am going to get that chance again. Next there is the problem of having the right words to say. I believe we linger too long thinking about this problem, when God is right there ready to give us those words. That of course is where the Roman Road comes in. It is laid out neatly for us to follow. If you, like me, have trouble, remembering bible verses or where they came from you can always carry a copy of these verses in your wallet or some handy place to pull out when they are needed. It could not be clearer than God makes it in these few verses. In case you are not familiar with them I will add them on the end.

So you get up the nerve, you know what to say, and when you have a responsive answer what better feeling could you have than knowing that you have been an assistant in leading someone to Christ. And that good feeling that you get and that you are sharing with others, that is saving the best for last. So as daunting as it sounds, as scared as you are, as unsure of yourself as you can possibly be, when you have successfully completed this instruction from Jesus, nothing else can feel that good. So that is the best. Probably the only feeling that is better was the one you experienced when you gave your own heart to God. So with His final instructions He gave us the best for last. You really don’t want to miss out on this icing on the cake.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

"We all have sin in our hearts. We all were born with sin. We were born under the power of sin's control.- Admit that you are a sinner.

Romans 6:23a "...The wages of sin is death..."

Sin has an ending. It results in death. We all face physical death, which is a result of sin. But a worse death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and will last for all eternity. The Bible teaches that there is a place called the Lake of Fire where lost people will be in torment forever. It is the place where people who are spiritually dead will remain.- Understand that you deserve death for your sin.

Romans 6:23b "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Salvation is a free gift from God to you! You can't earn this gift, but you must reach out and receive it.- Ask God to forgive you and save you.

Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"

When Jesus died on the cross He paid sin's penalty. He paid the price for all sin, and when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on the cross, He bought us out of slavery to sin and death! The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us, understanding that we are now joined with Him, and that He is our life. He did all this because He loved us and gave Himself for us!- Give your life to God... His love poured out in Jesus on the cross is your only hope to have forgiveness and change. His love bought you out of being a slave to sin. His love is what saves you -- not religion, or church membership. God loves you!

Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!" -

Call out to God in the name of Jesus!

Romans 10:9,10 "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."-

If you know that God is knocking on your heart's door, ask Him to come into your heart.

Jesus said,Revelation 3:20a "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him..." -

Is Jesus knocking on your heart's door? Believe in Him. Ask Him to come in to your heart by faith, and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Open the Bible to the Gospel of John and read what God says about Jesus, about you, and about being born again. God will help you. He loves you. You need to look for a local church where God's word is preached. The Bible says that we are to desireGod's word like a newborn baby desires mother's milk.Aren't you hungry to know the truth? Water baptism is one of the ways you first show that you have been joined to Jesus. This is an action, and actions will not save you. However, it is an act of obedience and a symbol of commitment.The symbolism is this:When you go down in the water you show thatYou have been crucified and buried with Him, And when you come up out of the water you show thatyou have been raised to walk with Him in newness of life. (See Romans chapter 6) You have been born again. (See John chapter 3) Your body has become God's temple.Your heart is where He lives. Forgiveness is yours in Jesus.And you belong to Him. You were sin's slave.But now... You are a child of GOD!

John 1:12"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name!"

____________________________________________________________________________

Reflections on Anger

July 14, 2010

Something happened today that reminded me of my teenage years. I can remember my mother telling me on more than one occasion that she did not understand how I had any friends at school, if I was even half as hateful as I was at home. Now I remembered this as very angry words were, not only coming to my mind, but rapidly escaping my lips. I know that once spoken, words can never be taken back. Yes, I know that, but keeping them inside when anger is boiling over is harder with every incidence of anger.

My son is a teenager. All of my friends who have had or do have teenagers tell me that he is exactly the same as theirs. A small part of me believes this but there is also that part that is positive that he is the most aggravating child every to set foot on earth. I sit back and watch him when other people are around and he is so well behaved. So nice to people, so complimentary, so polite. He is quick to offer a more than willing hand to anyone who might need help. So what happens to that beautiful boy when it is just me and him? Now that is what I started out thinking about as I sat here writing. The bible verse from Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger, was floating around in my brain, accompanied by trying not to count the number of times I had gotten mad enough to verbalize my feelings at the top of my lungs or to put it mildly to have a harsh word or two.

My back has been bothering me this week, bad enough to keep me out of church and until the church bell rang I hadn’t remembered to turn on the live broadcast. {Let me turn a little corner here and thank God for the home I have right across from the church where I can hear the church bell ring}. They were just concluding the prayer requests and then Ken had us turning to 352 “Love lifted me” in the song book. This is probably my favorite hymn. I will sometime share with you why it is. But for now, I was sitting here singing along with the congregation and it came time for the second line of the last verse “He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.” I of course stopped immediately to think how God talks to us (when we are ready to listen) and how His words and planning are so perfect. But He wasn’t done yet.

Pastor James is on a much deserved vacation and Jimmy, our youth pastor, was filling in for him. He had us turn to Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. I very strongly believe that attempting to raise a child as part of a Christian home and the accompanying Christian church is “doing good”. I know that he gets good examples from the other people who go there. So now I need to figuratively get down on my knees and thank God for the people of that church who set such a good example for him. For the teachers he has and the words from God he learns there. And I need to beg most humbly for the patience needed, that I definitely have not shown this week, and the chance to do better. And thank you God also for the memory of my own teenage years and what my poor mother who I appreciate more every day, put up with from me and the many times she must have grown weary and also used a gentle word when I was a teenager.

______________________________________________________________________________

Reflecting on Christians and their Seasoning

July 2, 2010

Our church Bible studies have been on Genesis for the past few weeks. I really love Bible study time although admittedly my brain does not always go in the same directions as everyone else. We have been learning about Abraham, and Lot leaving and his wife becoming a pillar of salt was in this particular lesson. The statement of salt losing its savor was mentioned. My mind had skipped to Jesus and He being the salt of the earth. But quoting correctly and not from my thoughts which are frequently wrong; Matthew 5:13 which is a part of Jesus’ teaching on the sermon on the Mount says ¹³Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. So I was skipping ahead to another subject while Lot was being studied (sorry James, I started out good. ) As someone who worked in a medical field I know a small amount about salt or sodium and its requirement for the body to live. It also has other qualities that are not medical but interesting. So I was thinking about this and how it applies to our lives as Christians.

•Salt when added to foods, makes something bland become more lively and bring joy. Jesus has certainly done that in my life. Every blessing I receive brings even more joy to my life. Going back to that medical thing I mentioned earlier.

•You cannot live without salt (or sodium) . To put it simply salt allows the muscles including the heart to continue to function. So not only do you need that salt you could not live without it. As Jesus called us salt of the earth as Christians, that particular salt gives us the promise of eternal life.

•Salt makes things pure. Now I am no scientist but I know that salt is an ingredient in some water filtrations systems with it being one of the processes the water goes through to be pure. So salt purifies.

•Then there is salt as a preservative. I am no whiz around the kitchen but wasn’t salt a main ingredient in sauerkraut and pickles and some other foods that are canned to last longer, as well as meat as in salt cured bacon?

•Salt melts and softens. How many times have you sat in your pew praying for someone who you know is under conviction and asked God to soften their hearts. Now take ice. cold and hard, and how we make sure we have plenty of salt around to melt the ice on our sidewalks and porches in the winter. What better way to soften the heart than the light shined from one of God’s “salt of the earth” followers.

•Salts value is in its use. If you question that, buy a box of salt, place it in the cabinet and wait. If it does anything without you getting it out of that cylinder let me know.

…Salt was very valuable in Biblical times. It was actually given as part of a Roman soldier’s pay. The word for salt was “Salarium”. This word is the Latin origin of our word salary. As Christians we are valuable in God’s kingdom.

•Salt is a symbol of the righteousness of Jesus. A symbol of Christ and His righteousness. When Jesus says we are the salt of the earth, He is not asking us to be something He isn’t. He is also the salt of the earth. When Christ as the salt of the earth comes into our heart, sin goes out the window.

So how does salt lose its savor. Salt will only lose its saltiness when it is no longer pure. When things of the earth are mixed with it. What better comparison could there be than salt losing its flavor by mixture with things of the earth, than that of a Christian who turns to carnal pleasure, pleasures of the world or the earth, instead of maintaining the spirit of God and the fellowship of like minded Christians and not that of the world. If we lose that purity that savor then we should be "cast out and trodden underfoot", but God doesn’t do that to us. He keeps us in His heart and continues to value us, to make us pure and to bring us joy, to give us eternal life. Thank you God for not giving up on us.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reflections on Waiting

June 22, 2010

One of the things that appear to be inevitable in life is that we continue getting older. And as we get older, it seems we see more Drs. I have seen Drs. in the last year for specialties that I had never given a thought to even existing. I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and I have another tomorrow. One thing all these doctors have in common is waiting rooms.

I have spent so much time in waiting rooms that I have actually considered moving furniture and decorating in some of them. You start out waiting in the lobby. You are moved to an exam room and yet another wait. The nurse comes in and does various things and then you wait a little longer for the doctor. The doctor comes in and you think oh finally, but no you are wrong.

You have the lab tests, x-rays, EKGs whatever kind of test they deem appropriate and you wait for the results. The results finally arrive and you are finished waiting. Oh wrong again now the pharmacy rears its ugly head and you have to wait, again.

We basically learn to cope with these waits; personally I never leave home without a book. We cope by complaining, by getting up and moving around, by making numerous trips to the receptionist behind the little window and asking how long it’s going to be. Granted these aren’t really coping but it’s better than nothing I guess. I like to listen to conversations around me as I am hiding behind my book. Sometimes I hear a better story than the one I am pretending to read.

Now one of the most important people in this line up of health care professionals never makes us wait. He listens to all our complaints. He doesn’t look at us as though He is not quite convinced of our sanity. You can talk to Him day or night for as long as you want about any subject you want. He doesn’t get us mixed up with another person or have the wrong chart with Him. He, of course, is the Great Healer. He accepts us just the way we are, with all our ailments, all our complaints and all our begging for a better outcome. Today on our prayer line we had a praise report for one of our sisters in Christ. We have all been talking to the Great Healer about her. Thank you God for listening to us for always being there and never sticking us in the waiting room. And thank you most of all for the praise report. Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.