Catching Up Again

Once a person falls behind, it is extremely difficult to get ahead.   This is the lesson I am learning this week.  Good intentions are not enough.  Wishing it were done is not enough.  Living a "woulda, shoulda, coulda" existence is futile.  I'm starting to sound like an addition to the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible.

What is this about?  The writer of Ecclesiastes, supposedly a very wise man, records his search for many things, but repeatedly compares his actions to ". . . a chasing after the wind" and often says "this too is meaningless".  This certainly is the epitome of hopelessness.

All is not hopeless, however, even in Ecclesiastes.  Chapter 3 begins, "There is a time for everything . . ."  Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells me "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might . . ."  These verses sound like something I can use.  On the other hand, my Creator has something for me to do before I look around to see what my hand finds to do.

I am once again struggling with priorities, especially the priority stated in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness . . ."  This is so clear, stated so simply, and is the key to success of any kind.  Therefore, this is what I have to do, whether it takes me several days, or weeks.  However long it takes to develop this habit, I need to seek God before I do anything else.  I want to be able to wake in the morning and say "Thank you, Lord, for this new day.  Please show me what you want me to do today." 

First steps, baby steps, stumbling steps.

Whenever you fall, get up.

First steps, baby steps, stumbling steps.

Take His hand that is offered.

First steps, baby steps, stumbling steps.

It's alright to start again.

Playing Catch Up

This has been a week of unusual challenges, most of them not very pleasant.  However, Saturday was a celebration day, and made up for the unpleasantness of the days before. 


My family celebrated with my dad his 90th birthday.  We got together at the assisted living facility where he lives in northern Minnesota, my siblings and spouses, several of Dad's grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Dad's (older) brother and some of his cousins, and many, many of his friends.  It was amazing to have so many family members together at the same time, though of course, impossible to spend much time with any of them.  Another great blessing was to know that Dad had so many people that cared about him, and he acknowledged that he knew he was cared for.  Emotional beyond words at times, but very happy, he gave us a reminder of the heritage we have. 


Today, we also took Dad to a church service and received a warm welcome from more great people.  The pastor challenged us, among other things, to pay close attention to our prayer lives, and this was a reminder that I needed.  Living away from my family, I often feel lonely for them, and helpless to be of any use in their lives.  I was reminded that I have the priviledge of prayer, and that prayer works.


The week-end went way too fast, and I am home again, tired yet refreshed, and ready for the challenges God gives me this week. Most of all, I am thankful to God for the family He placed me in, and I am looking forward to all of us having many more times together, both here on earth, and later in Heaven. 

Let Your Moderation Be Known

The problem with some of our sins is that other people see them.  On the other hand, if there is no one that sees them, this can also be a problem because they are so much easier to get away with, or so it may seem.

The past few days I've expended an unusual amount of energy (unusual for me, that is) getting a few things done that I didn't really feel like doing.  There was great reward in doing so.  I love the feeling of accomplishment, and find that it is an energizer, almost a high.  However, I have several health issues that require good management, and that presents a difficulty; I'm just not good at managing them.

Today, I feel like a crash is coming.  The reason is simple. I have been concentrating on accomplishment and forgetting moderation.  Other versions of the Bible use different words, but the King James Version in Philippians 4:5 says "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand."  A follow-up verse, after reminding us to ask God for what we need, is verse 7 which promises ". . . the peace of God . . . shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  Oh moderation, how shall I learn thee?  I think the answer is right there: ask God for help.  So very often, something so simple is made difficult by my insistence on doing things my own way.

I don't know that everyone everywhere is going to know when I have mastered either a little bit or a lot of moderation.  If it's not known unto "all men", I do believe my man, my husband, will know.  In fact, in trying to please him by accomplishing much, he took note of my situation, that my moderation was lacking.  So that's what he knows about me.  Little reminders are helpful, but I hope I can get moderation mastered somewhat before my husband gets tired of reminding me, or I get tired of having him remind me.  God and I will have to have a chat about that.

Trying on Obedience

I haven't been clothes shopping lately; I really dislike trying on clothes in those tiny little rooms with bad mirrors.  Instead, I've been trying something else on for size--obedience, to God, and yes, even to my husband.  I've had a few rewards already, so I think I might try a few more.

Yesterday, I had put in my daily calendar (which my husband really bugs me to use) that I should call a couple friends who I "just never get around to" calling.  I was able to check that off--I really did it. As if the feeling of accomplishment wasn't enough of a reward, I was also rewarded with a couple awesome conversations.  They are the best kind of friends, those that, even if you don't see or talk to them for months, you can pick up a conversation just as if you had talked to them the day before! It was wonderful.

I did a few other "make hubby happy" jobs, and that felt good to me, too.  Enough of doing just what I feel like doing!  I've been encouraged to develop this new habit.

Is there anything you need to try on?

Sing to the Lord

A couple of days ago, I wrote about wisdom, and how looking at the hills was a reminder to me that I needed to ask the God who made those hills for help.  Today, I was reading a devotional that mentioned the beauty of our wilderness surroundings, and how even the earth that God made is created to praise Him. 

Let the sea resound, and everything in it.

Let the world, and all who live in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands,

Let the mountains sing together for joy;

Let them sing before the Lord.

(Psalm 98: 7-9)

There seems to be no place better than the Psalms to remind me that God desires my praise.  Let me never forget to show Him my love!

Wisdom For Any Situation

When my daughter was young, about ten, she had some insecurity issues related to her ability to do well in school and have the "popular" girls include her in their activities. We made a fun project out of helping her learn her "Times Tables" and we encouraged her love of reading and writing.  Best of all though, to me, were the mother-daughter conversations while sitting on her bed.  Of particular encouragement to her were  Bible verses from Psalm 119, verses 98-99: "Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.  I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes."  For some people, these words could rapidly feed an ego and cause a few problems; for an insecure little girl, however, they were just what she needed.

This memory came to my mind as I read a daily devotional this week and listened to the sermon in Sunday morning church.  Our minister challenged us to share God's Good News, and explained that there were many ways to do that, and one didn't need a theology degree or extensive training to obey God's desire to have us encourage, uplift, and testify to people who cross our path.  Later in the day, I read in Isaiah 50 about the struggles the Israelite people were having, being held captive far from their homeland. Verse 4 says "God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary."

So often I hesitate to speak to someone, even with a phone call, because I don't know what I will say, or my human, physical strength is weak.  How encouraging to know that God is just waiting for that opportunity to bail me out of my predicament; HE will help me; HE will give me the words to say: He will make up for all my inadequacies!  This is the encouragement that I need right now, and I am sure it will make me go on in greater strength for this week.

Where Does My Help Come From?

This week, my Bible moved from the back of my desk in the bedroom to the lamp table by my recliner in the living room, by a nice sunny window.

Today was an unusually wonderful, warm day to enjoy all things outdoors, and I enjoyed especially my favorite "sport" of looking at the hills around our home, hills that sometimes look like they should be the "Blue Ridge Mountains".

Yes, there really is a connection between those two leading sentences!

In Psalm 121: 1-2, it says (my paraphrase) "I lift my eyes unto the hills.  Where does my help come from?  It comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth--and the valleys and hills."

I believe the Lord wants us to pray, to thank Him for His help even as we ask.   However, He has also given us an instruction book, and my neglect of it is not a good excuse for me to cry, "Help, Lord, help!"  Therefore, I need to remember where my help really does come from, and how to regularly receive the help I need for any situation.  In Psalm 199:105 there are words that provide a strong reminder, words that have been made into a song sung by many professional recording artists as well as the average person in a pew.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet And a light unto my path. "

And that is why the placement of my Bible and the hills around my home have something in common.

I know where my help comes from.

The Blessing of Food

Right now, as I write this, I am hungry.  It's past time for lunch, and my breakfast was cereal and fruit (Oops! Plus coffee and a taste of the brownies I made yesterday, or maybe just a bit more than a taste). I'm thinking that I don't trust myself to go to the kitchen.

I just referred myself to Dr. Scott Conard's book again, the section on food.  He says, "Food is the strongest drug you put into your body.  With food that blesses your body, health and wellness ensue."  I need to send up a prayer before I go to the kitchen. There is no doubt but that I am blessed with God's provisions for me in the area of quantity and quality of food. I still have a choice of how much I want to be blessed, and making right choices will result in greater blessings.

I am re-learning quite a bit.  I've studied health-related subjects for many years, seeking to find my own answers to the health challenges I've faced.  As I've said before, learning is much easier than doing, especially doing enough to make a new habit.  Making a habit of something good, however, is simply done by repeating that action.  It seems that I need very frequent reminders--repeating the learning will hopefully lead to repeating the healthful actions.  It's a healthy habit in the making.

One thing I am sure of: no matter how much I learn and attempt, there is a high risk of failure if I depend only on my own strength. With God, however, there is great hope, because He "is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of--infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes."
(Ephesians 3:20 TLB)

Obedience

Today I was challenged to believe God for something that I thought was too big.  I have several of those issues, but the one that seems to be most bothersome is that my body doesn't want to go along with what my mind wants to do!  As I pondered on it during the day, I remembered the admonition from Dr. Conard's book to ask God what to eat.  I did this, and I believe God answered by telling me to ask myself what foods would contribute most to making my body healthier. Unfortunately, I had already yielded to the temptation to bake a pan of brownies.  I'd like to say that I resisted them, but can only say that I didn't eat as many as I wanted to!  I also ate some fresh blueberries, and had meat, a potato, and a salad for dinner.  As I end this day, I have to admit to partial obedience.  I know what to do, but I don't always do it.  I think I'm learning.  I really want to learn how to obey God, and develop healthy eating habits. Father, God, I need your help.  Thank you for wisdom, strength, and your care for me.

Do You Have the 7 Keys?

I have been reading and re-reading a book by Scott Conard, MD titled  Weight Loss the Jabez Way.  You may or may not be familiar with another book describing the Old Testament character of Jabez and his prayer, but it is not necessary to the understanding of Dr. Conard's book.  There are 2 major parts of his book that distinguish it from all other books I've read about diet, weight loss, and health (and there have been many). 

One is that he suggests asking God for wisdom about what you eat as well as other health habits.  This is enlightening for me, because as I said, I've read many books on those subjects rather than just going directly to the Source, God.

The second part of the book is "7 Keys to Adding Years to Your Life & Life to Your Years".  This relates to total health rather than just weight management. The 7 keys, or healers, are air, water, sleep, food, play, relationships, and purpose.  This is going to involve a big learning curve for me, since I have struggled in all of those areas, but I'm really looking forward to the challenge. 

Either for a few days, or from time to time, I plan to share some things I'm learning in this area, and hopefully, it will help me stay on track and inspire someone else to begin a healthier lifestyle.  Life is too short to be lived poorly!

More Restoration

My last blog involved personal, physical and spiritual restoration.  The word restoration cannot today be remembered at all without taking into account the thousands of people in our country who have suffered so much damage and personal loss from the numerous tornados and other storms of the past several days. Homes and businesses were completely destroyed, yet people interviewed repeatedly said all that can be replaced, rebuilt, but they were thankful that their family and friends survived.  Others did have to suffer the loss of loved ones, yet many were still able to see the hand of God helping them get through the experience, and some were comforted by the assurance that their loved ones had not only lived a good life, but now had gone to heaven.  I cried with them, via television of course, and shared a bit of their pain and their joy.

Tonight, in a different area and circumstance, a man I watched on television spoke of his difficulty in earning a living after suffering unemployment, and even worse, suffering the loss of his son in Iraq.  He was asked how he got through the pain, and he said his answer was "easy" to come by. His faith, his God, made each day possible.

Also this week, I heard and saw an interview with a Syrian man who was called "Daniel"; he so passionately and touchingly spoke of the horrible atrocities in his country, and asked "Why won't someone come to help us?"

I can't physically go to help any of these people. However, especially when I think of "Daniel" and his question, "Why won't someone come to help us?", I know that it is my responsibility to help someone, in some way.  It is just too easy to get wrapped up in the little complexities of my personal daily life, and act like there's nothing I can do for anyone else.  The truth is different.  What God calls me to do, I know He can give me the ability to do it.  My action must be to obey.

Restoring the Temple

This is an idea that has gone around in my brain for many years already, until I've finally found it very difficult to ignore.  Countless New Years' resolutions aside, I know that my body is greatly in need of some shaping up; I need to stay on a healthy diet for more than 2 days at a time.  Sometimes I make it a week, just once I did it for a month. I want to say I have a built-in failure component, but I know all about negative versus positive affirmations, so I can't get by with that excuse.  There has to be a deeper motive for me to achieve success in the "Shape Up" department.  There has to be, and there is. 

Let's look at the underlying truth, as I believe it.  The Bible, in 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV) says "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" and in 2 Corinthians 6:16 says "...For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said, 'I will live with them...' "

I surrendered myself to God, many years ago (although I'm still learning how to leave myself in His hands).  Even when I fail, as often as I do, God does not.  Therefore, whatever the level of obedience I'm at, God still is the same, and He still dwells in me as He has promised.  That means, my body is His dwelling, His temple. 

Thank You For?

Have you heard of an "attitude of gratitude"?  I have, but I certainly am struggling with it now.  I'm especially bound by two niggling little (comparatively speaking) issues.  First, I'm not fully recovered from my November 29th surgery. "Come on, it's been 7 weeks!" I say in my grumpiest voice, though most often I'm only talking to myself, or maybe I'm talking to God.  I don't appreciate my own complaining, so I suppose God doesn't either.  The other issue I'm not too appreciative of is the winter weather.  Most people I meet are thankful that we are having a much milder, less snowy winter than usual here in Wisconsin.  Well, I still don't like it; I hate being cold!

I was reading today in a magazine from the Disabled American Veterans; the chaplain wrote a message in there for me.  Just in case it might be for you as well, I'll share some of it.  This is from the National Chaplain, Dr. Charles W. Edwards, Jr.

• Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.  If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
• Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
• Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.
• Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character.
• Be thankful for your mistakes.  They will teach you valuable lessons.
• It's easy to be thankful for the good things.  A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

These are words that I needed today.  What is it that you don't want to be thankful for?  Are you ready for that "rich fulfillment" the chaplain talks about?  I hope I can learn this soon.

A Simple Prayer

In the past few months, we have somehow come across a prayer book entitled Grace Before Meals.  The most remarkable part about it, to us, is that it was published 100 years ago, in 1911.  Growing up in a family and a church where we usually practiced the habit of spontaneous prayers, rather than those that were read or memorized, the book didn't at first have an appeal to me.  In celebration of that 100-year book birthday, however, we decided to give it a try, and found it to be amazing in its relevancy to times of today, its beauty in the the Old King James language, and its reminders of how even a simple grace before meals can end up being not simple.  For example, "Wherein we have failed to please Thee, O God, do Thou grant Thy pardon."  These words would not ordinarily be inserted into my "thank-you" before eating a meal, but I'm grateful to be reminded of their importance.

On the other end of the prayer spectrum, I was reminded of a prayer that my friend Hallie, in her blog, said she has hanging on the wall of her home; it is in modern language, and centered on one theme.  "Let me live in such a way that those who know me but don't know God will come to know God because they know me."  These words are hard to get around, difficult to forget.

From the profound to the simple, from the simple to the profound, occasions for prayer are all around us, and prayer is not difficult. Thinking of prayer as difficult is a stumbling block for many, however, and I believe it is in those instances that the Lord is standing by, waiting for one of his children to teach, to lead the way to His ears.

I think often of my cousin Joey, who became a casualty of the VietNam war, but a few years earlier spent several weeks with his "up north" cousins.  My youth group was accustomed to going around the circle lifting up prayers until everyone had the opportunity to offer a prayer.  Joe quickly whispered to me, "When it's my turn, you'll have to tell me what to say!"  We came out of that meeting with Joey's pride intact, but I'm sure I missed many opportunities to demonstrate to him just how easy he could make those prayers for himself.  I don't know to this day whether I will be able to meet him in heaven, but I do know that I had a responsibility to him, and I'm sure I did not make the most of that responsibility.

How simple it really is to speak to God, our creator!  How great it is also that He is always listening for our every word. Simple words may have deep meaning, and I again wish to offer Hallie's simple prayer, "Let me live in such a way that those who know me but don't know God will come to know God because they know me."

Recovery Work

Still in that recovery phase of my surgery that now feels like it was "really" a long time ago, I have let my writing slide just as I've let slide many other important duties.  It came to my realization today, however, that I've been waiting for things to be easier, to just "flooooooooooooow"!  In doing that, I left God out of the equation again.  If I just had made a habit of talking to him, saying "Father, I don't feel like doing anything today, but I know there are many things I could do.  Will you please help me decide what is most important today, and then give me strength to do that, even if it is just one thing.  Help me, guide me, enable me, Father, for I really need you."  In retrospect, that wasn't hard at all, but I didn't do it.  I remember a couple of desperate pleas, "Please Jesus, HELP ME!"  I don't remember the calm request that would have given a calm reply, and a certainty that whatever He wanted me to do, He would enable me to do.

As an important part of my recovery, I want to learn from my mistakes.  I want to learn to never leave God out of my plans, however simple they may be.  There are things to do and people to talk with every day and every hour of my life.  God has planned for me to be a helpmate and a servant, and there's no time to take a month off.  In our weakness, God says He will give strength.  And all I have to do is ASK.