For much of my life I have been shackled to fear....fear of meeting new people, fear of new situations, fear of the unknown. That has resulted in my being an introvert who is painfully shy. When I was much younger, I feared meeting new people and taking risks. In college I somewhat grew out of that, but I remained painfully shy. There are ghosts associated with that, of course---ghosts that shall remain just that---at least for now.
People who know me now can not believe it when I tell them I am an introvert or how shy I actually am. That is because I am basically two people. At work, I am a take-charge person who is competitive and doesn't tolerate foolishness. This stems from my self-confidence with my profession; I am good at what I do---not perfect---but good, highly competent and highly qualified.
Outside of work, I am the introvert who struggles around others. God is helping me in that area, though. I believe He is leading me to focus on this area this year as I start a new venture and branch out to seek to be more like Him. Because in being more like Him, I must overcome fear.
These verses encouraging courage are going to be my touchstone:
John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be
afraid."
Psalm 27:1: "The Lord is my light and my salvation---whom shall I fear? The Lord
is the stronghold of my life---of whom shall I be afraid?"
Isaiah 41:13: "For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and
says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you.'"
And my favorite: 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness;
but of power and love and discipline."
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
New Year, Resolutions, and Legacies
Most people make resolutions at the onset of a new year------weight loss and getting finances in order seem to top the list. I have spent much time thinking what I want in the new year. I think I can sum it up by saying I want to be more pleasing to God, to rely more on Him, and to be more like Jesus. I have the traditional resolutions, but they seem to fall under this umbrella.
What does it take to please God? I think He is pleased when I rely more on Him, seeking Him for guidance as well as in times of need. That is what a relationship with Him is about: reliance. I really don't know how people make it through this life without Him. It is hard. Life stinks sometimes...actually, much of the time. If I rely on Him, I can accomplish the resolutions I make.....be they weight loss or finances. It may take a moment-by-moment reliance, but that's ok. That is what He wants of His children.
To be more like Jesus-----That is a hard one.....and one I really need to work on. We are commanded to pray for our enemies, and I have to admit, that is a hard one for me. When we are in the midst of trials provoked by another, it is human nature to balk at this expectation. Likewise, we are commanded to pray for those in authority over us. How many of us do that? How many of us who don't like the current President, pray for him rather than curse him? I have had to change the topic with my own family members when one of them brings up the President. Such vitriol is not productive. Period....
To be more like Jesus also involves giving to those in need. He has taught me much in the last year about that......and He continues to teach me. In giving to those in need, He has shown me to rely on Him to provide the resources. There have been times when I have said, "But how am I going to do this, God?" He has responded by telling me to let Him worry about that.....and He has always provided. A friend recently posted, "Nobody has ever become poor by giving to others." Think about that.
Many people say we have but one life, so we should make the most of it.....have as much fun as we can while we can.....get what "things" we can to enjoy life.
I agree.....that we do have but one life here on earth; but, what does it mean to "make the most of it"? When we are gone, do we want to be remembered for all the "toys" we accumulated, all the trips we took, all the people we trampled on to "get to the top" of our profession......or, do we want to be remembered for all the good that we did for others, for the blessing we tried to be?
What will be your legacy?
What does it take to please God? I think He is pleased when I rely more on Him, seeking Him for guidance as well as in times of need. That is what a relationship with Him is about: reliance. I really don't know how people make it through this life without Him. It is hard. Life stinks sometimes...actually, much of the time. If I rely on Him, I can accomplish the resolutions I make.....be they weight loss or finances. It may take a moment-by-moment reliance, but that's ok. That is what He wants of His children.
To be more like Jesus-----That is a hard one.....and one I really need to work on. We are commanded to pray for our enemies, and I have to admit, that is a hard one for me. When we are in the midst of trials provoked by another, it is human nature to balk at this expectation. Likewise, we are commanded to pray for those in authority over us. How many of us do that? How many of us who don't like the current President, pray for him rather than curse him? I have had to change the topic with my own family members when one of them brings up the President. Such vitriol is not productive. Period....
To be more like Jesus also involves giving to those in need. He has taught me much in the last year about that......and He continues to teach me. In giving to those in need, He has shown me to rely on Him to provide the resources. There have been times when I have said, "But how am I going to do this, God?" He has responded by telling me to let Him worry about that.....and He has always provided. A friend recently posted, "Nobody has ever become poor by giving to others." Think about that.
Many people say we have but one life, so we should make the most of it.....have as much fun as we can while we can.....get what "things" we can to enjoy life.
I agree.....that we do have but one life here on earth; but, what does it mean to "make the most of it"? When we are gone, do we want to be remembered for all the "toys" we accumulated, all the trips we took, all the people we trampled on to "get to the top" of our profession......or, do we want to be remembered for all the good that we did for others, for the blessing we tried to be?
What will be your legacy?
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
On the outside it was not a beautiful cake; one could tell it was not done by a pro. But the inside was scrumptious when I tasted the batter----real butter, eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, coconut, sugar, flour----and the outside was equally divine: butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, walnuts. The outside was every bit as decadent as the ingredients on the inside, but it wasn't "Cake Wars" worthy. I was worried as I drove to deliver the cake to the client. I shouldn't have been. She knew the inside was far more valuable, because what is the purpose of the cake? To sit and gaze at or to EAT? It's the inside that truly matters.
So it is with us as humans. 1 Peter 3:3-4 cautions,
"Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles
and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead, it should consist
of what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet
spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes."
Our society has everything mixed up. We have a celebrity like Miley Cyrus named one of the most intriguing people of the year, hang on everything the Kardashians do, and brushstroke models in magazines so young girls think they have to strive to be anorexic to be beautiful. Once we reach a "certain age," we are deemed old and unattractive.....in society's eyes....and our society is driven by Hollywood.
God tells us in 1 Samuel 16:7: "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
And, finally, Proverbs 20:29: "The glory of young men is their strength; and the beauty of old men is the gray head."
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Show your beauty with your actions.
So it is with us as humans. 1 Peter 3:3-4 cautions,
"Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles
and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead, it should consist
of what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet
spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes."
Our society has everything mixed up. We have a celebrity like Miley Cyrus named one of the most intriguing people of the year, hang on everything the Kardashians do, and brushstroke models in magazines so young girls think they have to strive to be anorexic to be beautiful. Once we reach a "certain age," we are deemed old and unattractive.....in society's eyes....and our society is driven by Hollywood.
God tells us in 1 Samuel 16:7: "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
And, finally, Proverbs 20:29: "The glory of young men is their strength; and the beauty of old men is the gray head."
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Show your beauty with your actions.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Keeping the Christ in Christmas
Tis the season.....for depression and commercialism.....yet, it is also the season for hope.........
The holiday season...........while I have no statistics to substantiate this, I know this is the time of year when most people hit the doldrums, seasonal depression, whatever you want to label it. I speak from experience, and this morning was a classic example.
I found myself before 8 am in a local national retailer, wandering with a buggy. I was looking for one thing on my son's Christmas list......and I was depressed. As I meandered through the aisles, the Christmas music was subliminally trying to get me to buy more ....I am sure. I could not find the item on my son's list, but I did do some Christmas shopping. This is how I now approach Christmas: I do not need anything (except a new phone). Since this season is so hard on me emotionally (I am not happy with the place I am in life.), I seek to not focus on myself, but on others.
Today I started Christmas shopping for my school Angel. This is a boy who has moved on to a higher grade, but he is one that last year went home on Fridays with a backpack of food he may not have had as well as special kid treats because God told me to help him. While I see "I want" postings on Facebook and read of people stun gunning each other and knifing each other on Black Friday, I want to simplify Christmas.....I want to get as close to what I think Christ would want me to do. And, to me, that means doing for others.
If you know anything about Jesus, think of whom he hung out with: tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers...............the misfits of society....those society spurned.........He, the Son of God, came to offer us, any of us, including the "marginal" of society (society's "cast-offs").....life everlasting beyond this broken, corrupted life on earth. I believe He shakes his head in pain when he sees the greed demonstrated during this season that bears His name...........at how commercialized we have become so that the average person has either forgotten the reason for the season or gives Him a minimum nod.
I think of this boy who doesn't have much; and on his questionnaire he filled out, he is not asking for much. God has given me the resources to help him, and that is my calling. I do it in Jesus' name and for Him; I have to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Jesus is why I am compiling a baking list of items I need from the grocery store to bake for the kids at school...........any 6th grader, not just the 67 I teach. A large number of the kids I contact daily live in poverty and in less-than-desirable home situations; I may be the only light some of them see on a daily basis. That is why I scoured the internet on-the-spur-of-the-moment for eggless brownies (I had no eggs but still wanted to bake.) the other night. By the way, the kids LOVED them!
So.................in this season of "I want" thinking when you may find yourself feeling depressed or harried from the "expected" shopping, slow down. Ask yourself what you can do for someone else this season....connect or re-connect with the true meaning of Christmas: Be Christ to someone who may not know Him.........you may be the only light in that person's life.
The holiday season...........while I have no statistics to substantiate this, I know this is the time of year when most people hit the doldrums, seasonal depression, whatever you want to label it. I speak from experience, and this morning was a classic example.
I found myself before 8 am in a local national retailer, wandering with a buggy. I was looking for one thing on my son's Christmas list......and I was depressed. As I meandered through the aisles, the Christmas music was subliminally trying to get me to buy more ....I am sure. I could not find the item on my son's list, but I did do some Christmas shopping. This is how I now approach Christmas: I do not need anything (except a new phone). Since this season is so hard on me emotionally (I am not happy with the place I am in life.), I seek to not focus on myself, but on others.
Today I started Christmas shopping for my school Angel. This is a boy who has moved on to a higher grade, but he is one that last year went home on Fridays with a backpack of food he may not have had as well as special kid treats because God told me to help him. While I see "I want" postings on Facebook and read of people stun gunning each other and knifing each other on Black Friday, I want to simplify Christmas.....I want to get as close to what I think Christ would want me to do. And, to me, that means doing for others.
If you know anything about Jesus, think of whom he hung out with: tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers...............the misfits of society....those society spurned.........He, the Son of God, came to offer us, any of us, including the "marginal" of society (society's "cast-offs").....life everlasting beyond this broken, corrupted life on earth. I believe He shakes his head in pain when he sees the greed demonstrated during this season that bears His name...........at how commercialized we have become so that the average person has either forgotten the reason for the season or gives Him a minimum nod.
I think of this boy who doesn't have much; and on his questionnaire he filled out, he is not asking for much. God has given me the resources to help him, and that is my calling. I do it in Jesus' name and for Him; I have to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Jesus is why I am compiling a baking list of items I need from the grocery store to bake for the kids at school...........any 6th grader, not just the 67 I teach. A large number of the kids I contact daily live in poverty and in less-than-desirable home situations; I may be the only light some of them see on a daily basis. That is why I scoured the internet on-the-spur-of-the-moment for eggless brownies (I had no eggs but still wanted to bake.) the other night. By the way, the kids LOVED them!
So.................in this season of "I want" thinking when you may find yourself feeling depressed or harried from the "expected" shopping, slow down. Ask yourself what you can do for someone else this season....connect or re-connect with the true meaning of Christmas: Be Christ to someone who may not know Him.........you may be the only light in that person's life.
Friday, November 29, 2013
The Greed of American Consumerism
I came across this on Facebook this morning:
God has been speaking to me all week during this "Thanksgiving" break about greed and the overwhelming need Americans have to chase the demon I call "Materialism."
When I checked, there are close to 50 verses in the Bible about greed.....50.......God knew it was and would always be an issue. My mother used to love to misquote one verse and say, "Money is the root of all evil." When I was old enough to know better, I corrected her: "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil......" (1 Timothy 6:10). Make no mistake, money can and is used for good; however, God warns us of letting it become our god.
As each and every Thanksgiving, I woke to the same old story in the online news: (the link will not work, so I removed it.) Anyway, in West Virginia two men fought over a parking space at Walmart; one pulled a gun and one was slashed to the bone.
When I read these articles, this verse screams at me: Proverbs 28:25..."A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts the Lord will be enriched." Re the above article: Brandishing guns and cutting people to the bone OVER STUFF?????? This is how far our society has plummeted?? I don't do Black Friday. Years ago I attempted it once but never even left the car when I saw the lines. There is NOTHING I WANT that badly to venture into this insanity that looms today.
Hebrews 13:5 reminds us, "Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"
Contentment.....what does this mean? Be satisfied with what you have. I do not need the next bigger, better gadget, or "toy". We as a nation have become enslaved by tech companies such as Apple and Microsoft. Truly, when I think about it: Their CEOs have got to be laughing at us.....laughing at us all the way to the bank.
This week as I have mulled this over, I have taken steps, albeit small ones, to do my part to avoid this trap. I have de-cluttered, taking things to the dump and giving things away. I have also started to question every purchase. I am not obsessing, but I am asking myself, "Do I need this?"
Do yourself a favor, for one week ask yourself the same question: "Do I need this?" You may be surprised at how freeing that can be. ......and at your answer.
God has been speaking to me all week during this "Thanksgiving" break about greed and the overwhelming need Americans have to chase the demon I call "Materialism."
When I checked, there are close to 50 verses in the Bible about greed.....50.......God knew it was and would always be an issue. My mother used to love to misquote one verse and say, "Money is the root of all evil." When I was old enough to know better, I corrected her: "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil......" (1 Timothy 6:10). Make no mistake, money can and is used for good; however, God warns us of letting it become our god.
As each and every Thanksgiving, I woke to the same old story in the online news: (the link will not work, so I removed it.) Anyway, in West Virginia two men fought over a parking space at Walmart; one pulled a gun and one was slashed to the bone.
When I read these articles, this verse screams at me: Proverbs 28:25..."A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts the Lord will be enriched." Re the above article: Brandishing guns and cutting people to the bone OVER STUFF?????? This is how far our society has plummeted?? I don't do Black Friday. Years ago I attempted it once but never even left the car when I saw the lines. There is NOTHING I WANT that badly to venture into this insanity that looms today.
Hebrews 13:5 reminds us, "Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"
Contentment.....what does this mean? Be satisfied with what you have. I do not need the next bigger, better gadget, or "toy". We as a nation have become enslaved by tech companies such as Apple and Microsoft. Truly, when I think about it: Their CEOs have got to be laughing at us.....laughing at us all the way to the bank.
This week as I have mulled this over, I have taken steps, albeit small ones, to do my part to avoid this trap. I have de-cluttered, taking things to the dump and giving things away. I have also started to question every purchase. I am not obsessing, but I am asking myself, "Do I need this?"
Do yourself a favor, for one week ask yourself the same question: "Do I need this?" You may be surprised at how freeing that can be. ......and at your answer.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Chiseling Granite
God is working on me in these few days I have off for Thanksgiving. There is much He is teaching me, but for now I will share one thing.....my selfishness. It is not that I don't like to do for others, but I like to hang on to "things" that are sentimental. I have a special Scottish wool blanket my father brought from that country when he was working there for the US government in the late 80s. Because I have cats, I did not want them to ruin it with their hair; thus, it has been packed away in my cedar chest since. ...... Hear me: it has not been used. So, the other day when I was visiting my shut-in as I do every Sunday, she asked if I had any blankets. No, she was not begging. I had told her I was de cluttering for Goodwill, so she simply asked if I had extras. Immediately I thought of some throws we had left over from last winter's homeless drive.....then, God reminded me of that blanket.
Back and forth we wrestled. Me: "But, God, it is special. My dad gave it to me."
God: "So? You don't use it. Priscilla needs it."
You get my drift. On and on this went until this morning. It now sits packed, ready to go with her feast this afternoon.
Do not get caught up with "things". You can't take them with you when you die. They are mere hay and stubble.
Back and forth we wrestled. Me: "But, God, it is special. My dad gave it to me."
God: "So? You don't use it. Priscilla needs it."
You get my drift. On and on this went until this morning. It now sits packed, ready to go with her feast this afternoon.
Do not get caught up with "things". You can't take them with you when you die. They are mere hay and stubble.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Change
I have never been good at change. I like familiarity. I like the people I care about to be close. That is why I didn't go far off to college and why I didn't move far from my parents. I need to be close. But, there comes a time in our lives where we have no control. Such a time has come for me. In the near future my life as I know it will turn upside down. For a year and a half I have been involved in a park ministry to feed the poor and homeless on Sundays. Three of us have done this for the last year. Now, two of the three are moving on to bigger and better things .....in California. It might as well be China. I did not just cook in this ministry with them; my whole social life was wrapped up with these people. Now, it is coming to an end....soon....very soon. I can not afford emotionally or financially to continue. I don't know what I will do. My life will go on, somehow. But it will never be the same. Enriching friendships will fade as distant memories. Promises not to forget will fade with new relationships and adventures. Life will go on..........as the tide ebbs and flows.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Romans 5:3
"We rejoice in our affliction, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope."
Monday, August 5, 2013
Faith, Hope, and Love: Part 2
I said in my last post that faith is the state of being convinced about what we hope for, and we grow our faith from the Bible. Romans 10:17: "Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is the Word of Christ." We need to submerge ourselves, bathe ourselves, in the Bible. We need to open our hearts and ask God to speak to us as we read.
Many times, especially in times of trouble, I have implored Him to speak to me.....to give me specific verses that pertained to my situation. Quite often He has. In fact, about ten years ago I was going through something so frightening that I was highlighting and writing in my Bible when He spoke verses to me. My Bible became so ragged that a friend bought me a new one.
This is how we grow our faith; we have to exercise that muscle-----it involves reading, seeking, and meditating on what He says to us.
I read recently that faith is the "act of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods...." The devil will use our emotions to make us doubt; he does it all the time. That is why our emotions really don't mean anything. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So, His love for us will not change, even if our emotions tell us (the devil actually) that He doesn't really love us...that we're not good enough. All of that is rubbish because Jesus died for us.
I will leave this post on this note: Luke 18:18:
"When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"
Many times, especially in times of trouble, I have implored Him to speak to me.....to give me specific verses that pertained to my situation. Quite often He has. In fact, about ten years ago I was going through something so frightening that I was highlighting and writing in my Bible when He spoke verses to me. My Bible became so ragged that a friend bought me a new one.
This is how we grow our faith; we have to exercise that muscle-----it involves reading, seeking, and meditating on what He says to us.
I read recently that faith is the "act of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods...." The devil will use our emotions to make us doubt; he does it all the time. That is why our emotions really don't mean anything. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So, His love for us will not change, even if our emotions tell us (the devil actually) that He doesn't really love us...that we're not good enough. All of that is rubbish because Jesus died for us.
I will leave this post on this note: Luke 18:18:
"When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Faith, Hope, and Love: Part 1
"and now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13
A few weeks ago I felt drawn to write my thoughts on this verse. They are just that: my thoughts. This verse seems to encapsulate the message of the Gospel in three little words:
faith.......hope......love
Today I am going to begin to tackle faith.
Faith, for the Christian, is trusting God at His word; lack of faith is doubting Him. I have read that lacking faith is adultery. I can see the correlation because if we are His, it is like a marriage and we can not doubt Him in spite of our feelings or circumstances. Those feelings and circumstances would pull us away from him as a spouse would be drawn away in adultery. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6:
"Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near
to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him."
Faith is believing in what we can see and more importantly, in what we can't see.
Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen."
The first step of faith is believing in Christ....that God sent Him as a substitute on the cross for our sins, and that He rose again for all those who believe and follow Him to have everlasting life with Him in heaven. That is the gospel in a nutshell. I guess I am speaking to those who are Christians and who ask, "How can I keep the faith when all around me is a mess?"
God wants us to believe in Him even when the "evidence" of the world looks bad. That is what
sets us Christians apart from the rest of the world. Faith is the state of being convinced about what we hope for. How do we grow our faith? ......the Word of God-----the Bible. We need to submerge ourselves, bathe ourselves, in the Bible. We need to open our hearts and ask God to speak to us as we read.
Next: Faith, Part 2
1 Corinthians 13:13
A few weeks ago I felt drawn to write my thoughts on this verse. They are just that: my thoughts. This verse seems to encapsulate the message of the Gospel in three little words:
faith.......hope......love
Today I am going to begin to tackle faith.
Faith, for the Christian, is trusting God at His word; lack of faith is doubting Him. I have read that lacking faith is adultery. I can see the correlation because if we are His, it is like a marriage and we can not doubt Him in spite of our feelings or circumstances. Those feelings and circumstances would pull us away from him as a spouse would be drawn away in adultery. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6:
"Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near
to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him."
Faith is believing in what we can see and more importantly, in what we can't see.
Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen."
The first step of faith is believing in Christ....that God sent Him as a substitute on the cross for our sins, and that He rose again for all those who believe and follow Him to have everlasting life with Him in heaven. That is the gospel in a nutshell. I guess I am speaking to those who are Christians and who ask, "How can I keep the faith when all around me is a mess?"
God wants us to believe in Him even when the "evidence" of the world looks bad. That is what
sets us Christians apart from the rest of the world. Faith is the state of being convinced about what we hope for. How do we grow our faith? ......the Word of God-----the Bible. We need to submerge ourselves, bathe ourselves, in the Bible. We need to open our hearts and ask God to speak to us as we read.
Next: Faith, Part 2
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