Turn It Around

Are you center stage?  Does every moment of every day depend on whether things are going your way or living up to your expectations? If daily life seems to be all about you then turn it around.  It takes practice. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!”  (Psalm 68:19)

"Oh rat feathers! The electricity must have gone off in the night and messed up my alarm clock, now I'm going to be late".  Would that start your morning wrong? Would you grouch and growl speeding your way through your morning routine? Would an expression sit on your face that would scare children, domestic animals and the elderly?  Well turn it around. See the blessings. The electricity came back on. (Blessed) My niece in Connecticut lost her electricity for three weeks with that last storm.  You had to take a fast shower? (Blessed) the homeless man who slept under the bridge last night won't have a shower. I really don't like those 'get your guilt on' comparisons. I'd much rather you just see the multitude of blessings around you and let them light you up. Getting out of the shower you reach for a clean fluffy towel... ummm... smell good. (Blessed) Clothing enough to make choices. (Blessed) Rush into the kitchen to grab a quick bite.(Blessed)  Food, home, all your basic needs God has provided. You look up and see smiles ... of course they are fifteen feet away because of the expression on your face. Your smile can decrease the distance and get needed hugs. (Blessed) You sprint out the door and jump into your car.  Oh my gosh you've got a car (Blessed) that's parked in a garage (Blessed) that has gas in it (Blessed) that working at your job (Blessed) provided the funds to put into the bank to pay for that gas (Blessed) and all your other expenses. (Blessed)  Do you have enough for everything you want? No???, then you are (Blessed)  We should never get everything we want! You back out and drive down the street. (Blessed) neighbors (Blessed) rain??? Huh???? oh no that will slow me..... turn it around (Blessed) The swish and slap of the windshield wipers will keep good time to the music.. so SING (Blessed) laugh (Blessed) and the glow on your face will bless everyone you run into at work (Blessed) 

A pearl to string: My grandmother use to say "Count your blessings".  Well now I am a grandmother so I'm saying, "Counting your blessings will turn your attitude of self-focus around to a gratitude that unlocks the joy of the Lord.  It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."  “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!”  (Psalm 68:19) 

Turn It Around

Know you are loved,

                              Lyndi

All Roads Lead to Jesus

by Phil Ware

If we are honest, there simply are a lot of things that we get wrong about Jesus' birth. It's not that we don't care about the facts, we just seem to lose them in the mix of sentimentality and the re-telling of a story precious to us. As well-intentioned as we may be, we just get some things wrong: 

  * The time of year -- Jesus was probably born in late
    September or early October, though the explanation
    of that would take too long to put here, just take
    this one verse and do some investigation on when
    shepherds would have been out in the fields at
    night watching their flocks (Luke 2:8). 

  * The place where Jesus was born -- probably not a

    barn, but a cave for keeping animals, especially
    sheep, and in this cave would have been a carved
    out stone for watering them, and this watering
    trough was called a manger (Luke 2:7). 

  * Joseph and Mary didn't go to the cave to have
    Jesus because the local inn was out of rooms --
    it was because they were outcasts to their own
    families: folks to whom they were related wanted
    to have nothing to do with them because Mary was
    pregnant and not married and there was no
    explanation of her pregnancy that made sense
    (Luke 2:4-7 -- literally it says, "FOR THEM
    there was no place in the [family] guest room"). 

  * Mary doesn't ride a donkey or a camel -- there

    is no mention of her riding. Donkeys and camels
    were expensive. Walking was the common mode of
    transportation. 

  * The magi did not show up with the shepherds at
    the manger -- they came to the house where Joseph,
    Mary, and Jesus were living (Matthew 2:11),
    probably several months after Jesus' birth
    (Matthew 2:16) and quite likely because there
    were still unkind things being said about
    Mary's pregnancy. 

  * The magi were not three Kings -- they were
    astrologers from the East (Matthew 2:1-2
    likely Iran), who used a forbidden practice

    (astrology) to find Jesus whom they identified
    as king of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). While we
    know they brought three gifts -- gold,

    frankincense, and myrrh -- we don't know how
    many of them there were. 

When you strip these down and hear the story in its simple yet brutal beauty, it may lose some sentimentality, but takes on even greater power. A young engaged couple, expecting a child conceived by the Holy Spirit, goes back to their ancestral home and has no one who will take them in because they are unmarried and pregnant. They find an abandoned cave normally used to keep sheep safe. It is abandoned because the shepherds are in their fields at night during this special time of year. 

Baby Jesus is wrapped in strips of cloth and placed in a stone watering trough for his bed. (For those who first heard these stories and knew the culture, this would sound eerily like the tomb in which he was placed in death!) The Lamb of God is rejected by family and people in power. The Lamb of God is welcomed by those who tended sheep as he slept where baby lambs would have slept. The shepherds in the fields could have been the very same shepherds who watched over the lambs slain at Passover, because that is what many Bethlehem shepherds did. 

God with us, Immanuel (Matthew 1:23), was not welcomed into this world by those who knew Mary and Joseph. Jesus, who would save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21), yet he and his family were rejected because everyone suspected he was conceived under "sinful circumstances" in the minds of many people. Shortly after Mary became pregnant, she left her home in Nazareth and went to be with Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea, probably because of her questionable pregnancy while she was engaged to Joseph (Luke 1:39). Even years later, Jesus would still hear the taunt that he was Mary's boy, implying that Joseph wasn't his real father and Mary's supposed sin had somehow tainted him (Mark 6:3). 

At the end of Mary's pregnancy came the required trip to Bethlehem.

Where is Joseph's family during this journey? They would have made the trip, but Joseph and Mary journey alone. After the long hard walk from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Mary had to give birth without the love or support of family -- not because they weren't there, but because they had spurned Joseph and Mary! Mary had risked everything to follow the call of God -- including the risk of losing the love and companionship of Joseph (Matthew 1:18-19). And Mary did all of this to offer herself to God as the servant of the yet to be born Messiah (Luke 1:38). And when Joseph joined her in this risk of obedience, he was ostracized, too!

The story of Jesus' birth is a powerful testimony to the amazing obedience of two simple people who were willing to risk everything to honor God. And this story is a powerful testimony to the amazing love of God to risk everything to the faithfulness of these two people.

Such is the love of God for us … for all of us … those near and far from God … to show us that Jesus came to include us … each of us … all of us … in his mercy and grace. 

So we see Jesus welcomed, worshiped, and proclaimed by Jewish shepherds (Luke 2:15-20), Iranian astrologers (Matthew 2:1-11), and angels from heaven (Luke 2:8-14). We see his birth recognized and feared by King Herod and his religious experts (Matthew 2:3-8). We find precious and devout servants Simeon and Anna, both long in years, rejoicing in his birth and proclaiming God's loving mercy in the Temple (Luke 2:22-28).

We see his birth set in history in Roman time (Luke 2:1) and Jewish time (Luke 1:5-7). We see Jesus' genealogy traced through David and Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17) -- with some Gentile detours through Gentiles like Rahab and Ruth -- and we see it traced through David to Adam (Luke 3:23-37). 

Bottom line, no one is left out. Whether we get some things wrong or we research every bit of minutiae, all roads lead to Jesus -- whether those roads are traveled by Jews or Gentiles, the pitiful or the powerful, the righteous or the rebellious! Jesus is the story of God's love, the testimony to God's gritty grace, and the living witness of God's costly kindness for all people (John 1:14-18). And that story is consistent from beginning to end -- from cave to grave, from heaven and back to glory. 

May he be born in us this day and not lost in sentimentality or sanctimony of our season!

You can find the video here: http://hlt.me/tmlFpr

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  (c) 2011 Phil Ware <phil@heartlight.org>. All rights reserved.

It's Christmas

December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

Thousands of people know that holidays like Christmas and Easter  have pagan origins, but we don't hear of the holidays being celebrated in pagan fashion like days of old.  It is kind of creepy knowing that though. ewe! For whatever reason the church leaders had for choosing the dates they are the dates we celebrate.  Christmas... Merry Christmas. Say that in public a few times these days and watch heads spin. Christmas is obnoxious to some because it represents the combination of two words, "Christ" and "mass." The word means "the mass of Christ."  But what does "mass" really mean in the compound word Christmas? The dictionary reveals that the English term mass evolved from the Anglo-Saxon word maesse, which derived in turn from the Latin missa, which is a form of the verb mittere, which means "to send." Consequently, the root meaning of Christ-mass is "to send Christ," or "Christ is sent."  There is nothing inherently obnoxious in the name Christmas. The term accurately represents what the holiday is all about--the sending of Christ.

In doing that little word study I discovered another thing that sets my teeth on edge like fingernails scratching a black board. Xmas!?! The abbreviation Xmas takes Christ out of Christmas right? That's what I thought. Certainly some who use the abbreviation may do so for that very reason. But the abbreviation did not originate either to take Christ out of Christmas or as an "irreverent modern substitute for Christmas."  The X in Xmas did not originate as our English alphabet's X but as the symbol X in the Greek alphabet, called Chi, with a hard ch. The Greek Chi or X is the first letter in the Greek word Christos. Studies reveal that as early as the first century the X was used as Christ's initial. Certainly through church history we can trace this usage. In many manuscripts of the New Testament, X abbreviates Christos (Xristos). In ancient Christian art X and XR (Chi Ro--the first two letters in Greek of Christos abbreviate his name. This practice entered the Old English language as early as AD 100.  

A pearl to string:. God planned and executed the first Christmas. No matter how flagrantly men may abuse this holiday, they cannot rob devout believers of its wonder and glory as expressed by the angel of old, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10, 11).  

Christ IS sent...

Because God loves you

Merry Christmas my friends

I love you too

                  Lyndi 

Enjoy this fun song: Christmas With A Capital C  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne

A very old Hymn my Grandmother Chase use to sing to me.
Text: Timothy R. Matthews
Music: Emily E. S. Elliott
________________________________________
1. Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown,
when thou camest to earth for me;
but in Bethlehem's home there was found no room
for thy holy nativity.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for thee.

2. Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang,
proclaiming thy royal degree;
but in lowly birth didst thou come to earth,
and in greatest humility.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for thee.

3. The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
in the shade of the forest tree;
but thy couch was the sod, O thou Son of God,
in the deserts of Galilee.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for thee.

4. Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word
that should set thy people free;
but with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn,
they bore thee to Calvary.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for thee.

5. When heav'ns arches shall ring and its choir shall sing
at thy coming to victory,
let thy voice call me home, saying "Yet there is room,
there is room at my side for thee!"
And my heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
when thou comest and callest for me.

Lonely this Christmas?

Loneliness is the painful gap in your life between the amount of contact you want to have with other human beings and the amount you actually have.  Loneliness is about loss: loss of a loved one, loss of a family grown up, loss of being grown without family, loss of a youth stolen by tragedy, loss of physical abilities or loss of health to name a few.  With painful disappointment many suffer from feelings of shame, self-pity, guilt or failure.   

We are about to experience the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Many know what it feels like to be in the darkness of night. Others have called it “the dark night of the soul,” or “the winter of our discontent.” This time of year can bring back memories of past pain and sorrow. It highlights and heightens new experiences of suffering and this Christmas season is not a joy for everyone. In love & compassion people reach out and gather in the lonely yet often it hurts more going and seeing a family group that you're outside of. 

"Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man".  (Psalm 112:4) 

A pearl to string: Oh my goodness there is power in God's Word, in His promise!  Just as night passes into dawn, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous, dawn comes even in the worst nights of deep spiritual darkness. The Holy Spirit is reminding us that even in those worst times of cultural decay and decadence, satan's darkness will not rule forever. His darkness cannot stay where Jesus' disciples reflect the character of the Light of the world. 

That just lit me up.  I was feeling so blue not having the physical ability to decorate my home for Christmas, which was in itself a spiritual time of joy for me. I am in the process of grieving that loss in my life and along comes Jesus. He comes right into my heartache to remind me I am His walking decoration when I reflect His character. 

You know what "they" say when you are standing out on the ledge of the 72nd floor of a tall building..... "don't look down"!  When you're hurting... don't look down!

No matter what you are facing, no matter how bad it gets or how deep it hurts... there is hope in that beautiful child's birth that we celebrate this time of year. Each one of us can choose to reflect His character and decorate our world. 

Let us shine & twinkle

He came so you would know

You are loved,

                    Lyndi

The Outcome is His

Back in the day when I was in High School one of the big events I was looking forward to was going to the premier of "Ben Hur", the greatest epic movie of it's time. That was "The" red carpet event back then. A good old fashion Hollywood special screening premier with the high-intensity searchlights criss-crossing the night sky and a very big deal to me. The boy I was dating had made all the special arrangements.  At the last minute he told me that he had an emergency and had to travel out of town with his family on the night we had planned to attend. Disappointment didn't begin to describe my feelings. He said we'd go to the movie when he got back. Going to a movie and the premier of a movie are two completely different things. I then learned that boy was not out of town but had taken my friend (?) to the premier. Imagine my joy in plotting his demise after I cried a bucket of tears and then planned her demise.  That sunk two friendless-ships. My dad came to my heart rescue and escorted me to the private cast party celebration viewing of Ben Hur.  Wow, what an evening! I didn't know any of the other stars but meeting Charlton Heston that night was a definite memory maker. Having that very special evening with my dad was THE quintessential blessing bigger than life itself. It certainly helped me to have a dad in "the Hollywood business" 

Those fun memories came flooding back while I was reading a devotional from God's Little Devotional Book about how Charlton Heston worked long hours with the stunt trainers to learn to drive a chariot for the movie's crucial chariot race scene. He improved greatly with His mastery over the horses and rig, but finally became convinced the task was more of a challenge than he had initially anticipated.  He approached the legendary director of the movie, Cecil DeMille about the scene. "Mr. DeMille," he said, "I've worked very hard at mastering this rig, and I think I can drive it convincingly in the scene. But I don't think I can win the race."

The director replied, "You just drive. I'll do the rest."  

A pearl to string: God has a way of orchestrating the various races we run during the course of our lives. He trust us to do our part in "manning the rigs." We must trust him to determine the result of the race.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

The greatest act of faith is when man decides he is not God but realizes that "he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him."  (Philippians 4:13) 

We have a Creator in the Saving business

You are loved,

                  Lyndi

NOTE: I love the point this illustration makes but I'm not sure of the validity of the story.  Cecil B DeMille was not the director on the 1959 Ben Hur movie but he did direct Charlton Heston in the Ten Commandments in 1956 which turned out to be Mr. DeMille's last film. William Wyler directed the 1959 movie. AND yes I did wind up forgiving both friends but didn't choose to hang with either one of them again :)

Christmas With A Captial "C"

Do Right

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked". (Psalm 82:3-4)

Like thousands upon thousands of you my heart is hurting for those suffering children as we witness the horror of the news unfolding before our eyes at Penn State. In the midst of all this I was blessed to learn that while some students acted out their pain by throwing a temper tantrum (riot) a large number gathered on campus to pray for the children who have grown into young men and their families. The wait for justice was too long for saving. The healing had to begin without it.  Honestly to do the right thing now won't make up for the past but it will guard the future. 

Though we are living in a society of moral decay I think we'd all like to believe that given the same set of circumstances we would have done the right thing for the kids. Judging from hindsight does not really give anyone a clear picture of what it looks like or what it costs to be a person who does the right thing.

In the fifth century (early 400's A.D.) a little monk named Telemachus was led by an inner voice to go to Rome without knowing why. At that particular time in history the Romans held gladiator events that were loved and cherished by the people much like our football is cherished today. Back then the honored sport had grown so much in popularity that it had become a 'god' to the people. Telemachus followed the crowds to the Coliseum.  He was appalled to witness two gladiators fighting to the death.  Moved by his compassion for the sanctity of life Telemachus tried to get between them to stop them, shouting three times, "In the name of Christ, forbear!" Telemachus was stoned to death by the furious crowd, enraged that someone would dare to interfere with their "entertainment."  Because of Telemachus' death, three days later, the Emperor by decree ended the Games.  One man dared to do the right thing. One man who loved God stood for God's Word and evil was squelched.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken". (Psalm 82:5)

A pearl to string: Would a better moral climate at Penn State University and the surrounding community have changed the behavior of an alleged pedophile?....  probably not.  Would a better moral climate at the University and in the community have changed the response of those who saw what was happening? I believe it would have. Do Universities and communities across this nation share in the decline of morality? I believe we all do. Moving away from God is moving into disaster. 

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God". (Micah 6:8)

We're in this life together... We've tried the 'me, me, me' method and it's not working so well.  Each person has to choose who they will serve. For my husband and I and our household, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

He loves all of us,

                       Lyndi

Capture Unchecked Thoughts

Ever get something stuck in your mind?  The more it rolls around in your head the more you think on it. All the possibilities and ramifications grow worse the longer you think on it. Wow what was a moehill is quickly becoming a mountain and it is all in my mind. A trickle can do that. If it continues it may turn into a stream, and then a brook, then maybe a river. Before you know it, you’re dealing with an ocean of unchecked thoughts.  Capture those unchecked thoughts.... don't let them roam around in your brain till they drop into your heart. 

Has this ever happened to you? I’d like to say I have it all in hand and I stop those thoughts dead in their tracks, but it took awhile for me to recognize what was going on and then turn in another direction. Sometimes it still does. I depend on the Holy Spirit to alert me. 

A pearl to string:  Scripture has the only satisfying answers for me: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5) "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he..." (Proverb 23:7) 

I kept this poem framed and hanging on the wall in our kitchen to remind me often how very important our role as parents was to the future of our children.  

Twas a sheep not a lamb that strayed away
In the parable Jesus told,
A grown-up sheep that strayed away
From the ninety and nine in the fold. 

And why for the sheep should we seek
And earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger when sheep go wrong;
They lead the lambs astray. 

Lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray.
When sheep go wrong, it won’t take long
Till the lambs are as wrong as they. 

And so with the sheep we earnestly plead
For the sake of the lambs today,
For when sheep are lost, what a terrible cost
The lambs will have to pay! -C. C. Miller 

Capture those unchecked thoughts!

You are loved,

                Lyndi

Keep Him

Our culture is changing and growing darker the further away we move the Lord from our way of life.  The late U.S. Senate Chaplain Dr. Peter Marshall used to love to tell the story of the "Keeper of the Spring," a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps.

The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. The village soon became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description. 

Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, "Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know, the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer." By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man's services. 

For several weeks, nothing changed. 

By early autumn, the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A few days later, the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks, and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left, as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village. 

Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they rehired the old keeper of the spring, and within a few weeks, the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps. 

A pearl to string: If the powers that be continue to take God out of every aspect of our humanity we will become diseased and sick just like the little village.  I can already see the leaves of anger and the twigs of resentment with the silt of unforgiveness plaguing our society.  What we see is becoming what we get as we use our human reasoning in place of God. 

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23)  "Worldly-mindedness is a common and fatal symptom of hypocrisy, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and faster hold of the soul, under the cloak of a profession of religion." Matthew Henry 

We the people need the Lord.

It is His love that keeps us safe,

and gives us eternal hope.....

                                    Lyndi

Un-thrown Stones

Up at a ghastly hour one morning checking out face book for prayer fodder when I hit pay dirt. A gentleman wrote: "I am learning that the term "best friends" often makes its way to the people you thought were yours....People who claim God as their compass are the worst in my experience".  Whoa..... that's thought provoking. I had several different reactions...... I bet you will too and I'd love to hear where this question led you.

First I climbed right into the pain of a "Christian best friend" behaving in a manner that would break hearts. How devastating to have that happen more than once in a lifetime. Then this voice came into my head, what difference does it make if their skin is Christian? Is this a love crime?  People seem to expect the world to act like the Word, but when "members" of the Body of Christ act like the world it sends shockwaves to the soul.

Uh oh, I seem to be moving right into judgment.  I'm thinking if any of us is experiencing a painful situation over and over again then maybe it's not the situation that is the problem. One of my personal struggles in life has been EXPECTATION. I have grown through pain and prayer to give it the 1, 2, 3 punch when my expectations of others goes off kilter.

1. The Law of Power by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend:  “You only have the power to change yourself.  You can’t change another person.  You must see yourself as the problem, not the other person.  To see another person as the problem to be fixed is to give that person power over you and your well-being. Because you cannot change another person, You are out of control. The “REAL problem lies in how you are relating to the problem person.  You are the one in pain, and only you have the power to fix it”

2. Jesus died for my sins…..and He died for those who sin against me.
3. Forgiveness is the perfume that the trampled flower casts back upon the foot that crushed it

A pearl to string: “People do things for their own reasons, not yours” I don't have any stones to be throwing at anyone. Let him who never made a mistake, or poor choice, or stupid decision. or let anybody down...cast the first stone. "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone..." (John 8:7b) "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matt. 5:44) do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27)

Margaret Lee Runbeck said: "Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling."  I might add travel well and don't let the baggage block your view.

You are loved,

                Lyndi

Tired of the Ugliness?

by Ron Rose

Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ...(Philippians 2:15 NIV).

Preparation

I'm tired of the ugliness. The financial struggles this year are ugly.

The 2012 election cycle promises to be one of the ugliest campaigns in history. Public discourse is punctuated with disrespect and foul language. As news breaks from day to day we are exposed to all manner of creative ugliness. In the last few months I have witnessed ugly weather, ugly moods, ugly situations, ugly architecture, even ugly truths.

Uglyism lives! It appears when we least expect it. Instead of staying just below the surface, it's popping above the surface and hanging around. This week, even with your eyes closed, you will see ugliness.

Without trying, you will be exposed to ugly comments, ugly injustices, ugly squabble, ugly arrogance, ugly attitudes, ugly confrontations, and a few ugly messes.

What do you do when faced with ugliness? I see 4 possible options.

  1. You can run; run as fast as you can.
  2. Ignore reality and go straight to Denial.
  3. Condemn the ugliness and talk constantly about how bad it is and how sad it is that we live in this mess.
  4. Become an agent of transformation.

Hidden somewhere in the middle of ugliness is blessing and beauty, put there by the Creator. He continues to allow ugliness so we can get introduced to new beauty. It's there, unseen, but there.

This is not the time to run. It's time to be the story of blessing, to see the unseen beauty growing wild in this culture of ugliness.

Inspiration

One of the most thought-provoking movies in my DVD collection is "The Green Mile." It's a story of ugliness and pain. Most of the movie is set in a death row prison of the 1930s. In a cell, toward the end of the hall, is an innocent large black man named John Coffey. He has few words to say, but he is the reason for the movie.

They say he committed a brutal crime, but as the story unfolds you learn he is innocent. And, more than that, he has miraculous gifts of healing and prophesy. Just by touching the arm of a fellow inmate, he can see the rapes and murders that the man has committed.

Tom Hanks plays the head guard who finally comes to the truth: John is innocent. He asks John if he wants him to fight to get him off death row.

In a weeping response, Coffey explains: I's tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be with, or tell me where we's coming from or going to, or why. Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world ever' day. There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head all the time. Can you understand?

Tom's character did. Do you?

Motivation

You have a gift, maybe not one of Coffey's gifts, but you have a gift.

The God of transformation has given you eyes to see the unseen, to see beauty when all around you is pain and ugliness. You CAN see the good when it's covered in badness, the hope in hopelessness, the healing in pain. There is beauty in the middle of ugliness.

Now, the question: Do you choose to open the gift, or run with the ugly crowd?

For one week, just one week, try seeing the unseen.

Pray for eyes to see beyond the ugliness, to see hope and goodness and beauty. It's a gift from God. Believe it. Live it, for just one week and you will be transformed. Your mind will be renewed. You will become an agent of transformation.

Look for it!

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  (c) 2011 FaithFitness and Ron Rose <ron@faithteam.org>.

Garden Party

Ever notice what you instinctively do when you are doing something or wanting something that does not line up to what you understand is God's will or plan for you?     Your sin nature replicates the garden party with Eve and the snake whittling away at her resolve. 

Well.... he's still serving apples and people are still going to his garden party.

If you find yourself moving away from God: not reading His Word, not praying, not wanting to go to church or fellowshipping with other believers.  Temptation could be leading you in the direction of giving up your protection.  Perhaps it's a stale mate in your marriage, or mean spirited people in your work place.  You could be overwhelmed with responsibility at home, work, school or all three.  Maybe you are so discouraged over finances that you can't see straight. The temptation to not go Gods way and just take care of your needs your way can lead to a prodigious disaster.

The temptation is not the problem but entertaining a thought against God's ways is the first step in deception.  Misquoting God's Word to yourself begins the justification process towards sin.  You have been tempted but at this point.... right here.... there is a choice to turn back to God's word, His ways for your answers. If you listen to the deceiver you will be as Eve was in the garden of Eden: She was sold. She was mesmerized. She was captivated. It was too irresistible to walk away. She didn't say another word. She didn't ask Adam for advice. She followed her senses right into sin.

A pearl to string: The beauty of God's Word... it's a blue print for living in a fallen world. God will show the way.... when Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil, He quoted Scripture perfectly. There was no discussion, no friendly conversation. Straight Scripture -- the sword of the Spirit. Likewise, the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:11, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” The only way to resist the enemy is with the exact words of God, spoken from an obedient and believing heart.

Keep growing in Him

God is your protection and
you are loved,
                    Lyndi

Adversity Reveals

Do you know where you are?  When I go to the mall I know where I am. There is always a giant sign to tell me, YOU ARE HERE! What a relief I giggle to myself, I am here! I don't know why upon learning, YOU ARE HERE, that we always want to go over there instead.  Ever notice once you get there and check the sign it says, YOU ARE HERE?

Is this a test?  YES, life is a test!

John Bevere says, "that trials and tests locate a person. In other words, they determine where you were spiritually. They reveal the true condition of your heart. How you react under pressure is how the real you reacts."  Yikes!

 God’s ultimate purpose for us is to grow more into the image of His Son (Rom 8:29)
Trials develop godly character, and "suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us” (Rom 5:3-5) "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:2-4,12) God has also assured us that no trial will test us beyond our ability to bear it, and “he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor. 10:13)

In Old Testament times, the people of Israel, upon a victory in a battle, or a special event would build of stone a memorial or marker, sometimes referred to as a stele. They placed together stones, or created an altar where they sacrificed an animal as part of a ritual of giving thanks. This was done in remembering what GOD HAD DONE in the lives of His people. They knew He had brought them through the trial and wanted to mark the moment or time.  So years or decades later, the 'history' could be marked that indeed the Lord had been good and brought them through a challenge or delivered His grace and power and might for just the right occasion.

A pearl to string: The horse is a powerful animal, yet with the tug of the reins, nudge of a knee or the tap of a heel, he will submit to his master’s bidding.  On the other hand, a wild stallion that has not been brought under the control of a master is of very little use. I'm not crazy about trials and I've often asked the Lord, "are you sure you have the right address?" but I don't want to be a useless wild stallion. So I memorized Job 40:4, “I put my hand over my mouth” and obey and watch what the Lord is doing. Ok, maybe I kick up a little dust sometimes but I'm growing cuz God is bigger than all my trials..

He is Amazing Grace!

Count your steles

And know you are loved,

                                   Lyndi      

Defiance or Devotion

Do you ever get mad at God because you don't think He is answering your prayers? Do you ever run down a list of what a good person you are in this world and shake that list at God? You know the kind of thing, "I am nice to people, I tithe, I pray, I read my Bible everyday..... hey would you all shut up I'm trying to think in here". 
 

"Well come on... that was annoying they were making so much noise.... Don't I have a right to be a smidge irritable with all that racket going on?"

That was not exactly a gracious demo of the fruit of the spirit. I don't think God is looking for any of us to be right standing with the world or our cultures' ways.  Politically correct is nothing more than communal tyranny.

God's love always happens right where you are and your love needs to happen there also.

Matthew 9:7 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone"?  Oswald Chambers explains the illustration of prayer that Our Lord uses in the Scripture verse is that of a good child asking for a good thing. A good child being one who is in right standing with their Father. We talk about God answering our prayers irrespective of our behavior and our right standing with Him. Are you rightly relating to your wife, to your husband, to your children, to your fellow-students, your co-workers - are you a "good child" there? "

The Lord's not going to change His ways for you.  He's not going to say ok I've commanded everyone to be kind, merciful and forgiving but for you my precious, it's the deal of the day, I'll let you live selfishly, be grouchy, mean, tell lies and cheat others and I'll grant your prayers.  Not going to happen.

 

A pearl to string: I am a child of God only by rebirth, and as a child of God I am good only as I walk in His ways. "Prayer with most of us is turned into pious platitude, it is a matter of emotion, mystical communion with God. Spiritually we are all good at producing fogs". (Oswald Chambers) We need to be honest with ourselves and turn away from wrong living. None of us will ever be perfect that is not the goal ... it's to live as a child of God, following Jesus.  Really it is no use praying unless we are living as children of God.  Then, Jesus says - "Everyone that asks receives."

His mercy is new every morning,

You are loved

                  Lyndi

I Love that Kid!, by Rubel Shelly

 I don't know Josh Ripley, but I love that kid! Let me tell you why.
Sixteen-year-old Josh is a junior at Andover (Minnesota) High School.
He was running a 5K race on Sept. 16 in a field of 261 competitors.
With the race less than half done, the 6-foot-5-inch runner heard a scream and saw a runner he didn't know crumpled against a fence -- holding a profusely bleeding ankle.

The injured athlete was 5-foot-5-inch Mark Paulauskas, a freshman at Lakeville South High. Here is Mark's account: "He just picked me up without saying anything and started carrying me and trying to calm me down. He said, 'It's going to be OK. I'm going to get you to your coaches.' ... I think it's amazing."

Sure enough, with his own coach trying to figure out why Josh hadn't passed the halfway mark, he spotted him. "I was wondering what was going on, why was he so far back," said Scott Clark. "Then I see Josh.

He's got the kid in his arms."

 

Josh Ripley carried Mark about a quarter mile! He handed him off to his coaches and family and then -- dead last in the field of runners now -- sped off to resume his race. He passed 50 kids to finish 211th out of

261 runners. No excuses. No disappointment. No explanation. He just finished what he had started -- only to be asked by one teammate why he had fallen so far behind. "He just humbly says, 'Oh, I picked up a kid,' " said sophomore Simeon Toronto. "And I'm like, 'Dude, you just picked up a kid and carried him?' That's incredible!" Then added Toronto: "It was just so typical Josh."

I love that kid! And while most of the news reports I tracked down cited this as a supreme example of sportsmanship and compassion among athletes, I think they missed the real force at work in Josh's action. The details make it pretty clear that it was the unfolding of a very practical faith that Josh embraces. He does volunteer work at Living Word Christian Center and -- by both Mark and Josh's account -- prayed over Mark as he ran with him in his arms. He prayed for Mark's pain to stop and for him to be all right. He even asked Mark's permission before he started the prayer! And Josh seemed honestly bemused by all the attention being paid to him later.

He insists he did "nothing special" -- but said he was just thankful God let him be there for someone who needed help.

Mark's ankle needed 20 stitches to close the gash some runner's spikes accidentally created. Blessedly, there were no damaged ligaments or tendons. He should recover fully, after he gets out of a walking boot and off his crutches.

Josh has reminded me again that there are wonderful people out there who are always doing kind and good things with no expectation of being noticed or rewarded. Great kids who aren't threatening teachers or doing drugs. People whose faith is not a banner or excuse, but a daily lived reality.

I just love that kid! Don't you? And I want to be more like him.

  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may

  see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16
  NIV).
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  (c) 2011 Used by permission. From Rubel Shelly <rshelly@rc.edu>'s
  "FAX of Life" printed each Tuesday. See Faith Matters for
  previous issues of the "FAX of Life."

The Gift

Author Bill Brant decribes the moment the gift was received: She approached cautiously and her eyes never left it. When her hands touched it, it was a caress, not a grab. Then she bowed, not to me but to the book. I was just the holder; she knew the importance of the gift itself. And I watched as she gently took the Bible in her native language of Swahili and cuddled it against her chest. Then as she sat, she began to read because she wanted to know what was written there. A young woman in Mbeya, Tanzania, not having a Bible before, hungered to know for herself what God says. 

Is that not precious? It brings tears to my eyes. We live in the land of plenty and I'm not sure anyone in America would treasure the gift of Gods Word with such tender  adoration. Yet it is a treasure beyond description.  There are those who have entered the very chambers of His holiness and touched the heart of God. They have walked with Him (Gen 5:24), talked with Him (Exo 19:19) and heard His voice (Gen 15:1). Some have even spoken with Him " face to face" (Exo 33:11).  

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:34)  Those who find God as their Treasure will be a treasure to Him: "And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels" (Mal 3:17).  "And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of His people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an emblem upon His land" (Zech 9:16). 

We've all traveled in the family car.  We have either been the seeker or the recipient of the eternal question: are we there yet? The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy that: From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (II Tim. 3:15-17).   

A pearl to string: God's word is not a bat to be swung at people nor is it something to bean others over the head with... God's Word is a treasure to embrace and learn how to live in this fallen world of ours. God's Word is for gwowing and glowing. Despite all our learning, despite all our experience, we come to two great awakenings: our knowledge compared to what there is to know is so very small and our place in the passage of time is so very short. Both of these awakenings prepare us to turn our lives and future over to our God who longs to bring us to himself.  "We were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow"(Job 8:9). 

Immānûʼēl (Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל "God (is) with us")

You are loved,

                  Lyndi

Did ya miss the suffering?

I get the feeling sometimes that when people are encouraged to trust God to see them thru a drought or heartache in their lives that they expect it to happen without suffering.  And if they suffer the response is God is with you He's not with me.  Really? Un-cloud  that thinking Lord.  

There are many Biblical examples of heroes and they all suffered. Take Joseph for instance.  He was kidnapped by his jealous brothers, thrown in a cistern, sold into slavery, promoted to the man in charge. Life was going smooth when he was falsely accused, thrown into prison and forgotten for years. YEARS! Never doubting God through it all he was released from prison and rose to fame, fortune and ultimately able to save his family that was facing drought doom. (Genesis 37, 39 to 45). 

Who can forget the romantic tale of two sisters and the one man they love. Leah becomes Jacob's first wife and from her son, Judah, comes the line of David and Jesus. The love affair of Jacob and Rachel, as well as the love of the sisters for each other, lasted despite desperate circumstances. These sisters shared a home, a husband, and a history. They must have developed great inner peace to live together for decades. That, in itself, is a tribute to the women who raised the twelve sons who became the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel.  (Genesis 29-35) 

You might be very familiar with those examples and think yes but in reality: Joseph was a bit of a brat, Leah was sneaky,  Rachel pms'd a lot and Jacob had been deceptive in business. Ok those were normal people what about Job? God knew that Job was a righteous man, but satan opted to test his character. After Job was put through the fire, his character was undeniable. Job was able to maintain his faith in God and emerge even stronger and he lost everything. (Book of Job) 

No man in all of time, ever suffered as much as Jesus. He was bruised, beaten, rejected, scorned, and He carried the weight of the sins of the world. God even turned His back on Him, and yet still… Christ persevered. He finished His work. He is our ultimate example of heroism, with all that He endured. 

A pearl to string: Not going to get through this earth life without suffering.  Expect it because the thrill of victory is so quickly replaced with the agony of defeat.  The distance between a great victory and a great defeat is only one step. One sad truth of reality in a fallen world is that we can be riding high on the cloud of some great spiritual success and the very next moment find ourselves in a valley of spiritual failure and despair. The good news is our suffering is temporal and the harvest that suffering produces is eternal.  

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:10) 

Be encouraged

you are loved,

                Lyndi

Anger Hunt

Some Christians can be as mad as a pit bull chewing bumblebees and still excuse their temper by saying that it is just the way they are. They take a perverse pride in being outspoken and honest. One man told his pastor, "I know I have a bad temper. I suppose that is my cross." His pastor said, "That is not your cross. It is your wife's cross. And it is your sin!" 

Anger? Sin? I get angry... am I sinning?  You never think so when it's you spewing bumblebees. I'm going on an anger hunt.  I want to find out what God says about this anger thing because I know He gave us the emotion. I also know I want to take captive any unrighteousness in my life.  I want to be in right standing with God.

Not all anger is sin, but some is. Just as lust is often confused with love, so the two sides of anger are misunderstood. Lust and love are powerful emotions of attraction: one to get something, the other to give something. Anger is a powerful emotion of resistance which also has two sides: selfish and selfless. Both sides, however, are expressed by the same word.

Two Greek words are used in the New Testament for our English word “anger.” One means “passion, energy” and the other means “agitated, boiling.” Biblically, anger is God-given energy intended to help us solve problems not anger involved self-defense, but a defense of others or of a principle.

A pearl to string: As I'm writing self-defense just leaps off the page.  Defending self....hmmm what does that really mean? Someone hurt me.... so I'll get angry?  It's not going my way...so I'll get angry?  That's not how or what I think or believe .... so I'll get angry?  Oh, oh, oh that was disrespectful to me.... so I'll get angry? The culture we live in has so radically changed from my youth.  It's topsy turvy and loosey goosey on every level so I'll get angry?  The government is not doing what I want.... people are not doing what I want..... church isn't doing what I want..... so I'll get angry? Really? Do any of us have a right to self righteous anger?  We have the right to defend ourselves just not in anger.   How can we be 'good and mad'?  Jesus shows us how. Unlike most of us, he was never angry at wrong done to himself. Even while he was hanging on the cross he said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do". I've got some work to do with the Lord.

 Anger turns to sin when it is selfishly motivated: "...for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires" (James 1:20).

 Oh my, we need the Lord,

                                    Lyndi