Tragedy happens way too often. Our response to it is paramount in our future. Not just our physical and worldly future, but our spiritual future as well.
This past weekend four young adults were taken from their families through a horrendous car accident. One young man, Louis, was a week away from his wedding. He left behind a fiancé with two young children. My husband was to perform the marriage ceremony. It is truly a heart-wrenching story.
As we waited at the Funeral Home to pay our respects to the family, I was amazed at the number of 20-somethings who were drawn together looking for comfort, for answers, for strength to face each new day – not knowing or understanding why.
This is a tragic story. But it is a story not without hope…
As part the wedding process for each couple that he marries, my husband Paul requires that he counsels with them 3 or 4 times. These sessions are sometimes fun, informative, and important. He gives procedural as well as spiritual counsel. About two weeks ago in a session with Louis and his fiancé, Meghan, Paul shared with them an invitation to receive Christ as their personal Savior. Both understood and accepted Him into their hearts and lives. What a joyous day!
At the Funeral Home, as we approached a broken Meghan, she began to cry out, “Because you talked with us, because you prayed with us, I know where Louis is. He is in Heaven!”
Please pray for Meghan and her two children as they continue to deal with the grief and as she grows in her relationship with Her Savior.
HOPE IN THE MIDST OF TRAGEDY
October 29, 2009 at 11:18 am (Focus, Lessons Learned, Love)
ECO-FRIENDLY, ECO-CONVENIENT?
March 13, 2009 at 10:37 am (Commitment, Focus)
Today I had the chance to re-connect with a young woman that I had worked with for about a year when she was a freshman in college. She is now married and well into her career (teaching). I always find it interesting to see how college has molded (changed?) a young person.
We began to talk about her lifestyle. She is a self-proclaimed eco-friendly activist. She and her husband only have one bag of trash each week. Their goal is to have only one large bag PER YEAR! She shared with me the waste of buying and using bottled water. (What a waste of landfill space!) Vegetable skins, egg shells, etc. should be composted. It is so important not to waste the earth that God has given us.
I was really impressed with her eco-education and her commitment! She was adamant about preserving the world that God gave us.
And then, somehow, the conversation turned to having babies. As a 51 year old, I understand her mother’s desire for grandchildren. In the midst of this conversation, I innocently asked if she was going to use cloth or disposable diapers. (Disposable diapers make up 3% of landfills according to the Fall 1988 edition of The Earth Review). Immediately she said to me, “I will not use cloth diapers. I don’t want to have to rinse a ‘poopy diaper’!” In that one moment, her eco-credibility bottomed out (pun intended). If it involved something unpleasant, forget about it!
So how often do I blow my Christian credibility because I am not willing to do something unpleasant??? How about you?
GRACE
January 7, 2009 at 8:01 am (Attitudes, Focus)
GRACE – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense God’s Grace to me is incredible! But very often, I enjoy and appreciate God’s Grace when things are going well…But when I have some “difficulties to face”, His Grace is temporarily forgotten.
The story of Job is portrayed in the Old Testament. In man’s eyes, Job was “blameless and upright”. In other words, according to his peers, Job was perfect! He had all that anyone could ever need or want. He had a wonderful family, good health, servants, livestock, properties – everything! But within a short time he lost it all! Everything was gone, except for his wife who told him to “curse God and die”. (What a wonderful {????} helpmate!) He spent the period of his life in agony. His children and servants were killed. All of his livestock were destroyed. In Job 1:22, God’s Word says of Job, “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”
Finally, he lost his health. Job sat in a heap of ashes and used broken pottery to scrape the sores on his body. (Not a pleasant picture, is it?) This “perfect man” who had it all, no longer was on top of his game.
What would your response be to tragedies like this? Job answers the obstacles in his life with this response: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
On New Year’s Eve I was informed that I must have one more (?) surgery. Evidently, I have developed a large amount of scar tissue that is causing some problems. I thought this part of it was all over! Then, on Sunday I received a traffic citation because I did not realize that my car inspection had run out! There have been some other “difficulties” this past week. (You really don’t need all the details.) I have been tempted to find a heap of ashes and sit and cry.
But God’s Grace – Oh, how precious! His Grace covers it all! The good, the bad, the difficult. I am so blest with a wonderful family and incredible friends! God has given me a tremendous heritage. Will I scoff at the struggles that God allows to come my way? Will I “quit life” or at least my “spiritual life” because it’s not the way I want it to be?
Absolutely not! God has given me so much, especially salvation through His son. This is more important and precious than anything else. I will choose to walk this journey with Him.
How about you?
THE BLESSINGS OF CHRISTMAS
December 28, 2008 at 7:54 am (Family, Focus, Holidays)
It is December 28, 2008. Christmas is over. New Year’s is just a few days away. Now is the time to evaluate the “Season”. Was it good? Were there disappointments? Will we be glad when it is all finished?
I have always loved Christmas! It has everything wonderful wrapped up in one big present. The meaning of Christmas is vital to our Christian walk. If it weren’t for Christmas (and Easter), we would not have a Savior who came to earth as a man and then died on the cross for our redemption, our faith would be worthless! This is truly an important and meaningful time to remember!
Christmas is also a wonderful time to see friends and families. Many memories are made during this time of the year. It is important to me to keep a strong connection with my sisters and their children. I want us to make memories for ourselves!
And, of course, Christmas has it’s own special foods. It is almost magical sitting down to Christmas dinner. The smells, the tastes, and the conversation are such a beautiful fusion of the senses. Each one is good, but the blending is incredible!
This year, the Christmas Season has been bittersweet. This is the first year without my Mother. My sister and her husband announced that they are moving to Missouri. My uncle passed away on December 23. The funeral was held on Christmas Eve. Each of these events is sad, but the combination of them is overwhelming.
In the book of Job, Job experiences wonderful blessings of God, followed by horrendous tragedies. As he is suffering through all of this, his so-called friends try to give him advice. They wonder why he is facing so many difficulties. They ask about the sin in his life. He declares, quite adamantly, “Why should I accept the good from God, and not the bad?” He isn’t saying that God randomly sends us good, and then slaughters us with bad. What Job conveys is the blessings of the plans of God. His plans include wonderful gifts, and also difficulties. But I can have assurance and encouragement knowing that God is in it all. I will live this day, this month, this Season knowing that God is good!
FINISH WHAT YOU START!
May 14, 2008 at 7:38 am (Focus)
“The man who forms the habit of beginning without finishing has simply formed the habit of failure.” Streams in the Desert It has often been said that hardest step in completing anything is the first one. But I am not so sure about that! There are many edifices (Monsour Hospital in Jeannette) that began with great fervor. But somewhere along the way, the “excitement” of the finished project is lost. The “fun” in the work is no longer there. This happens often on short-term missions trips. Everyone is enthusiastic and motivated until the first case of “Montezuma’s revenge” hits. Then the rest of the time is set “just enduring”.
This journey called “life” is sometimes a struggle. I am praying today that I will complete what God has set before me; that I will continue even when the excitement is not what it used to be! Because the prize is in the finishing!
I never completed my college education. I have less than one year to go…but I quit before I received the prize. I have regrets about that. But it has made me realize the need to finish what I begin. I don’t want to be a quitter. I want to be a finisher. I want to finish well! How about you?
AUNT MAUD’S OATMEAL CAKE
April 8, 2008 at 8:53 am (Focus)
My grandmother, Lydia, had a sister named Maud. Everyone should have an Aunt Maud. Aunt Maud lived in this huge, old house on a hill. Her driveway frequently was ruddy from the rain water washing it out. The aroma of her house, I will never forget. It was a distinct smell of freshly made bread. She was quite a woman. She could cook, bake, and sew. We all had at least one pair of her infamous “one size fits all” pajamas! I loved Aunt Maud.
One recipe that Aunt Maud passed down to my mother and on to me was oatmeal cake. Now, you may think that sounds kind of boring, unexciting, dull. But it was full of flavor! It is not hard to make, and it is OOOHHH, so GOOD! The topping has three ingredients: brown sugar, nuts, and butter. That’s it. The topping makes the cake! But you MUST use real butter. To substitute margarine is an insult to the cake and Aunt Maud. The butter with its smooth, slightly salty taste enhances the flavors of the entire cake. To use margarine would be a crime. It serves the same purpose, BUT IT IS NOT THE SAME!
In Deuteronomy 13, God speaks to us to keep true to Him. Even if someone speaks something that sounds good, that looks good; if it is not true to God and His Word, get away from it! In Old Testament times, they were actually instructed to stone the false prophet! Why? Because God knew the dangers of allowing just a little bit of false teaching in a person’s life. Adding margarine instead of butter ruins the entire oatmeal cake. God, help me to stay true to You and Your Word today.
Now, I think I’ll go bake an oatmeal cake. For some reason, I’m hungry for it today!
NO SHORTCUTS ALLOWED
March 17, 2008 at 8:36 am (Focus)
I am reading Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado. I love his writing style and insight into Old Testament stories. One that intrigues me is the story of Uzzah. Uzzah was a priest during David’s time. When David decides to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, Uzzah and his brother, Ahio, are put in charge of the transport. The ark is loaded onto a cart drawn by oxen. As the cart lunges forward, the ark begins to teeter. Uzzah reaches to steady it. He is immediately struck down by God, dead! Why would God kill Uzzah as he was doing a godly thing? That just doesn’t seem fair! But the truth of the matter is that Uzzah tried to take a shortcut. He was aware of God’s requirements that the ark was to be carried by priests using two acacia wooden poles. God was very specific concerning the Ark of the Covenant. It was something that was sacred. And God never allows us to take shortcuts with the sacred. Uzzah would have known the requirements for transporting the ark. But he chose to take a shortcut.
In my own life, there have been so many times when I felt that I deserved a shortcut. After all, I am doing God’s work. And I have had some “challenges” with which to deal. So, as long as I “get the ark to Jerusalem”, does it matter what shortcuts I take? YES, it does! In a very insignificant example: There have been numerous times lately that I have felt that I “deserve” to have an apricot danish, some ice cream, french fries, etc. You get the idea. My body has gone through some trauma, so it is okay to eat these things. But the reality is: If you eat all that fat, you gain all that fat!
God has called me and YOU to very specific tasks. You can’t sidestep them. You can’t take shortcuts. You MUST follow His instructions (His Word). To do otherwise is to nullify His will.
SPIRITUAL ADHD
March 11, 2008 at 8:25 am (Focus)
The past few months I have had a hard time concentrating on doing the “task at hand”. I have referred to my many lists and tried (in vain) to complete every task each day. My husband (the best husband in the world) has been my daily encouragement by praising those things that I have completed. But I have found myself doing the “unimportant” things just so I could scratch them from my list. I jump from one thing to another and get very little accomplished. I am majoring on the wrong things! It is as if I have “spiritual ADHD”! Yesterday I came to realize that my main focus in life is not what I have been working towards. My purpose, my focus is to reach others for Jesus Christ! It isn’t to have two wonderful kids; it isn’t to beat cancer; it isn’t even to plan a great event. It is to reach others for Christ! This past Sunday, a wonderful lady in my Sunday School class prayed a simple, but profound prayer. It went something like this: “God, when Satan can’t make us bad, he makes us busy. Keep us from that.” Philippians 3:13b-14 says, “…Forgetting what is behind (my “tasks for today) and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal (reaching others for Christ) for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
