Things to ponder

This morning I was allowing anxiety to creep into my peaceful soul. An issue over which I have no control was invading my space with a vengeance. Have you been there? In times like these, logic and reasoning seem to have gone out for a walk. There you sit, with an impending doom over something that may never happen. Silly, right? Yet it still happens even to people who otherwise seem to have their proverbial shit together.

As I was struggling with the war going on inside, a vision came to me. I want to wrap God around me like a blanket. He is the ultimate comforter. He is always available, 24/7. My loved ones are not. And when they are, there is only so much they can say to you that will take away the anxiety you are experiencing.  Sometimes they are in the midst of their own troubles. The will to help you is there but they cannot see past their own pressing needs.

God as a blanket. I rather like that image. It would be like wrapping yourself up in love. How wonderful would that be? I remember the day we had to put down my beloved horse, Barbie. It was a cold, rainy, miserable day. I came home and laid on the couch after taking some Nyquil to help me sleep. Then I took the feather bed comforter off our bed and wrapped myself up in it. I love the way it feels around me. It is soft and soothing and tantamount to a hug. Not just any hug, but a loving, generous mother’s hug. I still sleep with it today, even in the warmer weather. I know. Weird, right?

God is just waiting for us to call on him, for whatever reason. Be it prayer, gratitude, praise or a cry for help. When you are in the midst of strife, pain, sadness, whatever the feeling, if you need him, call on him, even just to say, “Please help me, God! I can’t do this alone. Please be with me.” Then wrap him around you like a blanket. Stay in that embrace for as long as you need. When you feel better, get up and move on, knowing he is still close by and reachable, whenever you need him. God bless.

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My daughter-in-law was reading a story about the meaning of Easter to her two children. Her four year old son piped up and said, “That’s not a story about Easter!” He then proceeded to get a book out of his room that showed the Easter bunny, eggs and little chicks. He looked at her proudly and said, “This is a story about Easter!”

How true for many of us, regardless of age. Easter brings forth baskets filled with fake straw, colored eggs, chocolate bunnies and peeps candy.  For some people, this is one of the few Sundays they will go to church. When I was a girl my sister and I always got a new Easter outfit which included fancy socks, new shoes, a dress and sometimes a bonnet. I looked forward to the arrival under my bed from the Easter Bunny, a beautiful basket filled with goodies. Such a wonderful surprise when I woke up! Just like magic it appeared while I was sleeping. Those were the days when magic was everything.

But I digress. We always went to church. My sister and I attended Sunday School. We didn’t talk about the Easter Bunny, though. We talked about Jesus, who at a certain point in my upbringing transformed into a friend.

How many people today remember Jesus on Easter and the reason we celebrate it? How many are even thinking about him?

Jesus is my Savior who died over two thousand years ago so that I could spend eternity praising him in a place called Heaven. He suffered for all the sins of the world then and into the future. He gave up his life for us. Can you even begin to fathom that? Do you know anybody who would do that for you?

“Greater love hath no man than this, then to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13

Take a moment tomorrow to remember, to praise, to pray and give thanks.  God is always available, 24/7. No one else can say that.  He is the creator of all things, the power behind all things and the one to whom we owe our very lives. Raise a Hallelujah tomorrow to the King of Kings, and then take a bite out of your chocolate rabbit. You can do both. God bless.

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Have you ever had a good friend say excitedly, “Hey, I have a surprise for you!” And you respond with, “What is it?” And they say, “Come and see!” And then you are taken back to your childhood when surprises were joy on steroids. Christmas morning, Easter morning and my birthday were always like that when I was growing up. Surprises for adults may not be quite as exciting but they still have the ability to stimulate our imagination and awaken our sense of wonder.

In the book of John, Chapter 1, starting with verse 35:

The following day John (the Baptist) was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.

They replied, “Rabbi” (which means teacher),  “where are you staying?”

“Come and see,” he said.

Now the “surprise” was not where he was staying. It was not that interesting. It was rather what he had to say to them. They spent the entire day together. At the end of the day, the two had become followers of Jesus.

“Come and see” struck me as a ministry unto itself. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could approach those who do not believe, pique their curiosity about God, and then say when they asked for more, “come and see”? That probably would look like taking them to church with you, or a bible study, or a good movie about God. It sounds like a great way to introduce people to Christ, as most of us feel completely inadequate when it comes to talking about Him and the bible. We are. However, we are given His words when and if the time comes. Our job is to open doors. God is the closer. It is not our task to get someone to believe. It is His.

I must admit it is still uncomfortable and awkward for me to talk to non-believers about Christ. I am told to simply share what God has done for me in my life. Most stories are far more engaging than mine. Stories of people who had hit rock bottom, were hanging on by a thread and then in their last desperate attempt for help reached out to God and He answered them. He saved their lives, sometimes literally.

You will not hear that story from me. It was much less dramatic. The only interesting part was that I came to Christ through a comedian on a YouTube video. I was not unhappy, nor was I searching for anything of great meaning in my life. I am convinced that God tapped me on the shoulder that day and said “It’s time you stopped being just a believer and became my follower. Come and see what I can do in your life.” I was never the same after that, truly.

God wants all of us to be His children. He especially wants the broken ones, the pitiful, the weak, the desperate, the needy. I could go on.

Take yourself back to your childhood. Think of the best surprise you ever had growing up. Now multiply that surprise by a billion. That is what it is like following God. You will never be alone. You will never go through struggles by yourself. You will never be without someone to talk to and ask guidance from. You will always have someone who not only loves you, but cherishes you, regardless of who you are or what you have done. You will forever be either a son or daughter of the creator of the universe. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Want to know what it’s like? Come and see.  God bless.

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Luis Palau, a Christian Evangelist, recently spoke on the radio about our social media, techno-crazy world of 2018. Everywhere you go, you see people on their cell phones or tablets with their heads pointing down. Not only do they not see anyone else, they barely see what is around them. They are drawn to their phones like moths to a flame. Pity. Because while they are doing that, they miss seeing people who are in a great place of need. Some may be crying, some might be shivering from the cold, some are hungry and have nothing to eat and no money to buy food. You may even be walking with a friend who is in pain but who cannot get your attention. So much need and yet many of us do not see it. Why? Because our eyes are diverted elsewhere. Maybe you aren’t looking down but you are so engrossed in your own thoughts you can’t see anyone else. You look past them and continue on your path, oblivious to the world around you.

Don’t feel too bad. This is true for most of us. We are basically self-centered. That is human nature. Is it good? No. Is it common and even practiced by very kind people? Yes. Is it too late to change? Of course not. It’s called being aware of what is around you. Not only should you not be staring at your phone, you should be actively looking for someone in need, someone you could help, a fellow human being.

This means of course that you must take your attention away from yourself for awhile. You must focus on others instead of you. You may have a lot to think about. You yourself might be in need. If that is the case, wouldn’t it be nice if a stranger passed by you, looked into your eyes and simply smiled? A smile that might tell you, “It’s going to be okay.” How powerful would that be?

I am always in my head. When I am out and about, I rarely think about the strangers around me. I have enough to think about without adding on other people’s issues. But wait a minute. Isn’t that what Jesus did? Didn’t he notice others in need? And then didn’t he help them, often in miraculous ways? All for the glory of his father in Heaven? He did all those things and so much more.

The Christians among us are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. That is not just a nice metaphor, it is a directive. Continue the work. Based on the way the world is today I would say there is a desperate need for us to do just that. Is that impossible to accomplish? Does it take too much time out of our day? No, not really.

When we have disasters in the world, have you ever noticed how all the people come together to help those in need? Strangers helping strangers? A gang member helping an old lady? People of different races and backgrounds helping someone who might normally disapprove of them but who is now graciously accepting their help?

Why can’t we be that way all the time? The simple answer is we can, at least we can aim for that. But we can only control one person, us.  The next time you are walking down the street, shopping at the mall, grocery shopping, whatever, be aware of those around you. Look for a way to help someone. You will not only change their life, you will change your own. Make it a habit. Start today. Let someone’s life be better because of you. Now there is a legacy to be truly proud of. Go do it. God bless.

 

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When I was a little girl and for several years after, the word “selfish” was  a bad word. It meant that I did not think of others but only of myself. As a dedicated Sunday School attendant, this was drummed into me on a regular basis. As soon as we stopped going to church (after moving out of the area), I slowly came around to thinking that being selfish was not such a bad thing after all.

Many years later, after my divorce, I did a 180 on the selfless scale. It was just me and my child and you better believe I was thinking of me as number one back then. It was several years until I attended church again but it was not a Christian church. It was Science of Mind (not Scientology). It had many good teachings, just not the real thing. Being selfish was not really talked about and so I continued to put myself first.

When you are on your own you tend to think of self defense. I envisioned myself on the top of a mountain, sword at my side and a shield at my chest. It was me against the world. I didn’t want to be alone but for many years, despite a handful of promising but failed relationships, I would remain alone for some time.

In 2015 I turned my life over to God at a time that was, I could say, sublime. I was happily married, had two grown sons who were happily married and grandchildren to spoil. I was retired and got to play with my horse several days a week. Life was good. No, life was great. Nothing was missing, or so I thought. Then God tapped me on the shoulder one day and said, Time to follow me, not just believe in me. And so I did and haven’t looked back since.

So did my selfish ways cease? Not entirely, although I had more people to consider then. Where did this idea for a blog subject come from? Recently I was promised something which made me excited and happy. Then I got a text asking a favor of me for the very day I was supposed to receive my favor. I was gracious in my reply but immediately went to poor me mode. It took me a while to realize I was being completely selfish and was actually made to feel smaller by someone else who was involved as I witnessed their utter and complete selflessness and generosity. I was ashamed and embarrassed at my initial reaction. Wow, I thought to myself, I am only thinking of me right now. That’s terrible! That’s unacceptable! What I forgot to add was, That’s normal! That’s called being human and falling down.

I switched gears and told myself I wouldn’t even mention the promise that appeared to be forgotten about. I changed my attitude and God changed the circumstances. Not only was that promise kept, but sooner than I had expected. Silly me. As soon as I gave it up, I got it back.

We all have our moments of “poor me.” That is completely natural. But work on putting others first, your spouse, your friends, your children, even strangers. You will be taken care of whether you worry about it or not.

I remember as a dramatic teenager telling my father that I needed to “find myself.” In his great wisdom he told me that the best way to do that was in service to others. Bingo!

Next time you find yourself not getting your way and having a pity party, try thinking about doing something nice for someone else instead. Leave the party and help a fellow being. You will not only lose your self-pity, you will feel joy. God bless.

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I could stop there. Think about it. I heard this line in a marginally interesting movie last night. This was my only take-away which doesn’t say much for the film. Indeed.

Older parents tell young parents to enjoy the time they have with their little ones. Soon the little ones will be big ones who leave the nest to begin lives on their own. In the blink of an eye…  Why do we say that? Because life is short. You will looking back soon enough and realizing how there is much more life behind you than in front of you. I’m there now.

What can we do about it? You have little to no control over the quantity but you definitely have a lot of control over the quality of your life.  We see that when hit in the face with reminders but how often do we really ponder it? Almost never. Who wants to be reminded that we will not be on this earth forever? Who wants to think about the time they are out of the game, no longer playing at life. It depresses most. I have a friend in her late 80s. Several years ago she told me she goes through bouts of depression about getting old. I didn’t understand very well back then, but I am gleaning it now.

I am not here to bring you down. No, quite the opposite. I am here to inspire you to be more intentional in your life. Don’t let life go by,  live your life! Putting off what brings us joy is common, but is it smart? I don’t think so. I remember something that was going around the internet years ago, written by a lady in her 90s. She was offering up advice to everyone younger than she. I can only remember a few things she said. Things like, “Don’t save the good china for special occasions. Use it now!” And “Wear that special new dress, even if just to the grocery store. Don’t leave it in the closet with the tags still on it.”  “Don’t waste your time being angry. Forgive and move on.”

I am not suggesting that you go forward with foolish plans that should be more thought out, like jumping into a marriage or a divorce or having children even though you are still one yourself. I am speaking of a conscious and responsible decision to stop putting off things you could do now because you are trying to be thrifty or practical or you just like delaying gratification. Maybe you even think you don’t deserve that special something. Yes, you do!

We all watch our lives go by before our eyes without savoring moments, without acknowledging those we love, without seeing the small but amazing miracles that go on around us, every day.

Don’t let the tough times rob you of your joy. That may sound counter-intuitive, but bear with me. There is always something to be thankful for. There is always beauty around you. There is a peace in knowing that what you are experiencing right now is temporary, that better times lie ahead. Finding the joy in pain is probably the most difficult and challenging thing you could ever do. But you need to try. God is with you through all of it, the great times and the miserable times. If nothing else, find the joy in that.

Live your life by seeing God in everything, especially in people. Make a difference in someone’s day, or better yet, life. Help a person in need. Be a safe haven for the troubled souls in your life. Make your life about doing for others and less about what you can get out of it. Your time will be gone before you know it. In a short time, this will be a long time ago. Think on it and live a good life. God bless.

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What? We have all grown up hearing the advice “Dream Big”. “Go after your dreams and don’t let anyone stop you. Reach for the skies!” There is a new Christian song out called “Dream Small.” It wasn’t until I heard the origin of the song that I understood and even became an advocate.

In the Christian world, we are supposed to go out and spread the Good News. This means that by simply accepting Christ into your life and becoming a follower, you can live with God for eternity in Heaven. Sounds like good news to me! Knowing and understanding that Christ died on the cross to erase and pay for all the sins we humans have committed or will commit.  Doing good deeds for the sake of getting to Heaven is not necessary. Earning your way there is not required. Just follow Him, obey Him. When you screw up, own it, turn things around (that’s where the word “repent” comes from), ask for forgiveness and move on. God’s grace and mercy do not give you the right to continue to practice the sinful behavior. You must turn away from it and choose better the next time. Not an impossible task.

Some Christians ( me included) believe or believed that we had to do some grand thing in order to please God. That our assignment of spreading the Good News meant mission trips, becoming a pastor, selling all of your worldly goods to travel around the world and help others. Many people do these things and most of them are amazing human beings. Do understand that not everyone who appears selfless and to be living a godly life is actually who they say they are. They are more like the Pharisees, an ancient Jewish sect in Jesus’ s time who  held strictly to the religious laws of the day but at the same time made a practice of flaunting their piety. Many prayed in the streets to show off. Needless to say, Jesus was never impressed. In fact he often challenged them. He likened them to whitewashed graves, pretty on the outside but dead on the inside. We should never brag about our selfless acts; i.e. don’t do good to look good.

Here is what is meant by dreaming small. Do a kindness for someone in need. Help a person less fortunate than yourself. Give to people who have little when you are blessed to have much. Volunteer for a project like cleaning up an elderly person’s yard or go grocery shopping for them. Make it a practice to lift others up rather than tear them down. Think less of yourself and more of someone else. Start at home. This is what marriage is supposed to be like. Waking up in the morning and thinking what can I do today to make his/her life better?  Very few of us ever think that way but give it a try. If you do it often enough, it will become a habit.

I meet with my daughter-in-law and grandkids once a week just to hang out after she gets off work. I always look forward to it. Sometimes we go to Target, sometimes a park or the mall. It really doesn’t matter to me. I just love being with all of them. Yesterday was that day. Plans were made where to meet and I was joyful in anticipation. Then a few hours before meeting I received a text from her asking if I wouldn’t mind coming over to their house instead and watching the kids while she took a nap. She gets up at 3:15 am every work day and the night before one of the kids had kept them up most of the night so she had only gotten 1 1/2 hours sleep, then worked her 8 hour shift. Of course I agreed. I would be hard pressed to turn down any request from her, I love her that much. But a small part of me was disappointed. I would miss spending time with her out and about somewhere.

I got over that and willingly met them at the house. Well, I have to tell you, I had such a wonderful time playing with the kids that when I left, my heart was overflowing. It turned out to be a very special day and one I am deeply grateful for.

Small things like helping out your daughter-in-law when she needs rest can turn into an amazing gift. Do your small helpful things with an open, joyous heart. Dream small. It will make you feel big. God bless.

 

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Shortly after becoming a Christian I was talking with someone in my Growth Group about praying. Sometimes I just don’t have it in me to repeat every single prayer I have, every day. She replied with, God knows what is on your heart and in your mind. He knows your concerns, your pain, your anguish.  He knows what brings you joy and what makes you angry. God is omniscient and omnipresent. Then why do we bother to pray when we find ourselves in desperation if He already knows?

When you decide to follow Him, to accept Him into your life, the only thing He asks of you is a relationship. When we pray, we are talking to Him. We are listening for a response. We are communicating like we do with our friends and family. That is the most important request He has of us,  to keep in touch. Like your mother or father or spouse or best friend says when you go away, “Stay in touch.”

There are many people who only talk to God when they are in trouble. You know them. On an airplane that is going down; a diagnosis that is terminal;  on their death bed. These are all good reasons to reach out to God, but maybe the only time they ever do. These are Christians who think God is there only for the tough times. The rest of the year you think that you have everything under control. You are in charge and really don’t need Him. He should hear the prayers of those whose problems are much more serious. You’re fine. Until you aren’t.

It must make Him sad to only hear from you when you are in need. Kind of like that relative or friend who only calls when they want something from you. They never call to say “Hi” or “I’ve been thinking about you lately. How are you doing?” That is not a relationship. That is an acquaintance, a convenience.

God always knows what is on your heart. But he wants you to reach out to Him anyway, to show Him you’re thinking about Him. How about just to say “Thank you!” God loves gratitude. Don’t you love it when someone tells you that you make their lives better? That they appreciate you?  Of course you do. So does He.

I pray every morning but one day a week I refrain from asking Him for anything. I just thank Him for all the blessings in my life. For all the good things that happened the day or night before. For the grace He consistently bestows upon me.  You should try it some time. Just spend your day in gratitude. It will change your life.

There are days I go to pray and am so distraught over something that I can’t bring myself to enumerate all of my prayers. And that is when I say, God, you know what is on my heart. Please help these people. I put these troubled souls in your capable hands. I cannot handle it today. I need you to deal with them. And I always, always, always end with,  Thy will be done. Because ultimately, the outcome is His.

God is the best friend you will ever have. He will never let you down. That is not to say that you will get everything you ask for. But you will get everything you need for your highest good. Your plans for your life will never be as big or glorious as His plans for you. Think about that.

Stay in touch with Him, for the little things and for the big things in your life. It’s the most important relationship you will ever have. I promise. God bless.

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Do you remember those stores that sold every kind of storage container possible? I think it was called the Container Store. People who are inclined to organize love these stores. Putting things that belong in a particular category in their own special container is a great way to organize and get rid of clutter, be it in your home or office. My grandmother used to say, “There’s a place for everything and everything in its place.”  Have you ever lost your keys? Your wallet? Your cell phone? Moments of shear panic. Some people can handle it better than others. I am not in that category. Especially if it’s my cell phone. I couldn’t find it once after cleaning up the office in our new home. I had been sitting on the floor putting things I no longer needed in a pile. Guess what? My cell phone was at the bottom of the pile.

When I finished, I gathered up the stack destined for the trash and threw it away in our large trash container in the garage, completely unaware that my cell phone was included. To make matters worse, the volume was turned all the way down because it irritates my husband to hear  the myriad of sounds emanating from it,  announcing Facebook messages, texts and emails. I soon discovered my phone was missing and after much searching and panic, I thought to check the trash. Under a large stack of papers I spotted something shiny. Happy does not begin to describe the emotion.

Although I do enjoy organizing things, I am not here today to talk about the art of organizing. I am here to speak about the little boxes that exist in our lives. Several years ago I heard about this and found it both fascinating and highly significant. We all have little boxes in our lives representing the different areas peculiar to us. For example, we all have a “family” box which holds our thoughts, our beliefs and the day to day activities revolving around our own family. This may or may not include your immediate family. You might have a separate box for that, which would include a spouse or partner, children, pets, etc.

Another box might apply to your job, your finances, friends. dreams, etc. You can have as many or as few as you wish. Generally speaking, it is family, home, work and recreation. Life happens and usually there is something challenging going on in one or two of your boxes. It is said that you can cope with that without too much difficulty. The challenge comes when there is a problem in almost every box of your life. Rare, but it does happen. Let’s say work is not going well. There will be layoffs and you are unsure if you will have a job by next month. Your spouse and you are not getting along. It has been progressive and you are not sure what to do to fix it. And your mother just found out she has a terminal disease. The combination of all of these difficulties/challenges/issues can wreak havoc on your life. Understandably you become overwhelmed and closer and closer to the end of your proverbial rope. Time to reach out for help.

Most often, you only have challenges in one or two boxes, which, as I said, is doable. When it becomes more, I try to prioritize. I pray. In the really critical cases, I turn it over to God. I did just that a couple of years ago regarding three of my grandchildren who live on the East Coast. We never speak. The last time I saw them was 2016. I send them presents and cards for birthdays and Christmas but never hear back. For a brief while I was getting letters from one of them but that too has stopped. I was distressed over this situation for years. I was so troubled that my life never felt complete or satisfying. Then one day I decided I had suffered enough over something I had no control over. I gave it to God. I finally recognized they weren’t just my grandchildren but His children. It took awhile but the terrible angst I had created for myself went away. I still send cards with loving messages and gifts but I do not expect anything in return, not even a phone call. It is for God to deal with now, not me. Maybe some day things will change and maybe they won’t.

Figure out the boxes in your own life. Watch them and see where your challenges lay. Give the biggest ones, the ones you cannot control, over to the one who can handle it better than you ever could. Deal with the smaller ones as part of life. Do what you can and then move forward. Remember your priorities. Know what matters and what is the small stuff. Most of life’s problems fall into that category anyway. My father used to say, “Your biggest fears never happen.” Go with that. God bless.

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