"Thank you" can never be enough!!!

This morning I was told my last remaining grandfather died.  It instantly brings to mind an old song "Thank You" by Ray Boltz.  While I do not agree with Mr. Boltz's current lifestyle/views, his song still is the perfect tribute to a life well-lived for the Lord!  "Thank You" talks of a person's entry into Heaven.   I know my grandfather's story so I know he is there as I type this.  Born to a farmer turned Baptist preacher but in his later teens it was his best friend's father who led him to the saving grace of Jesus.

Even knowing where Grandpa is,  it still is hard!  I have been blessed beyond measure by having that man in my life!  Growing up all I ever wanted was to be on the farm.  Stories of how it had been passed through the generations and even at a very young age I intended to manage it when I grew up.  Anywhere Grandpa was you could usually find me...in fact when out at the local feed mill he would proudly introduce me as his 'hired hand'.  When I was 7 we moved an hour away for my Dad's new principal/teaching job.  Our family made great friends and a great life there.  However to me it was not the same as the farm!  It never was home!   I would go home to the farm every weekend I could.  As I got into my preteens I often asked my grandparents to move in with them.  This was not at all because of conflict with my parents like one might think, rather it was a case of homesickness. After several months of my asking, Grandpa devised a sure fire plan to remedy the situation.  He informed my dad that he could not maintain the farm anymore by himself and was going to sell it.  "By himself" were the trigger words because he knew my Dad felt the same way I did about the farm and also knew what his response would be at the mention of "selling" the family farm.  Yes, we packed up and moved back!  That was in the late 70's and thankfully Dad was willing to sacrifice his time to drive 2 hours a day for his education job while coming home to work more hours each night at his love, the family farm.  I am convinced that God prompted this plan because it is also what allowed us to keep our farm during our nation's 1980's Farm Crisis.  I owe everything I am to my grandfather(and my father's sacrifice) for it is this one incident that I can pinpoint which could have made my life go a totally different direction!

There are countless other ways he impacted my life and others.  I learned some of my best life lessons by his life.  Lessons that were not just spoken but lived out every day! 

• Grandpa valued education highly so much that four of his children went to college and ended up becoming teachers.  He also gave his grandchildren money for college whenever possible. 
• All the grandchildren laughed as he insisted it is truly a privilege to have a job...we would be heard stating "I have to go to_____" and he would restate it "No, you GET to go to ____".   In today's uncertain economic times I often hear that conversation played out in my mind anytime I am about to grumble about summer commencing and a new school year starting....he was right then but as an adult who acknowledges God's control I see it better now!  
• It really is better to give than to receive!  Not only was he a great provider for his family but Grandpa would give as much as possible to see others provided for too.  His coworkers(upon one hailstorm that wiped out a crop, Grandpa took a job at the local Pottery plant so he could pay the farm bills and he continued there until his late 70's) once gave him an award and the plaque read "give the shirt off your back" award.  We only saw glimpses of this because Grandpa was an extremely generous man but VERY humble man. He never talked about his role in other's provision.  Twenty years ago I was in the hospital when an employee came in to ask me if I was related to him.  In that brief conversation I found out that not only did he provide her with a car so she could continue her schooling and leave factory work but she had several other instances of his money used to buy coworkers medicines, food, and college expenses.  So many "thank you's" that his ears have heard!
• God is faithful and provides!  With that came the lessons of differences between a need and a want.   His stance was always "God will provide everything we need and often He will bless our wants too".   I see the fruit of that wisdom today!  Exodus 17:14...."rehearse it in their ears".....the purpose for that is training the generations to trust in God and building their faith.  I only pray that I can do this as well as many of their generation did!

But mostly I  thank him for being the perfect model of God's love which pointed everyone he came in contact with to the truth of the redeeming love of Christ.  For it was Christ in him that radically changed his life and provided us with a living testimony!   For Christ and Grandpa my heartfelt "thank you" can never be enough!!! 

Grandpa, until we meet again....

What's in a name?

Wow!!!  We are having a scorcher of a day even in the shade!  However I am still outside enjoying my almond milk iced mocha and English muffin with orange marmalade.  My poor puppy wants to be out but she is a air conditioned diva so she will go in sooner than I.  Life is good and God is great!

I have switched up my Bible reading plan this year.  For several years I have used various styles of 'read through in one year' plans.  While they are great plans, for me it was becoming more of a check-off on my list to do.  I wanted something that would allow me to go deeper and study things out.  So I found a great one that is a chapter a day which is estimated to take about 2-3 years.  It delivered!

Often in the Bible we see God changing people's name throughout time.  I had never noticed that early in Exodus He changes His own name!   Originally, Genesis 17:1, the Isrealites knew Him as El Shaddai which translates to God Almighty.   In Hebrew it also means "God, the mountain one".   As God was preparing them for deliverance out of Egyptian bondage in Exodus 6:3, He introduces himself as Yahweh meaning dependable, faithful, or 'He is'.  Back in chapter 3:14-15 the study notes refer to "I AM" and Yahweh being the same name but the use depends on the speaker.  If God is referring to himself than 'I AM' is used but if we are speaking of God than Yahweh or 'He is' needs to be used.  This was the name He wished to be known as...faithful, dependable.

That has had me thinking for over a month!  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all had specific memorable encounters with God as El Shaddai....much like our 'mountaintop experiences' today.  However just as in Exodus, today God still prefers to be known as Yahweh.  The name that suggests true relationship...'He is' with us always!  He was trying to make the Isrealites ready for a long walk with a daily reliance on Him.  That brings to mind our daily walk with Him.  Sometimes my walk is hot and dusty while other times it is cool and refreshing.  Nonetheless He is always there and providing....even when I am too parched to notice and/or appreciate it!

A daily walk is not promised to be easy!  In fact the middle section of Ephesians 6 depicts for us that life is a battle....it also instructs us how to prepare ourselves not only to fight but also to win!   Any person in any kind of lasting relationship will tell you it was the hard times that made it grow deeper.  I know personally that is true of my relationships and especially of my relationship with God!   It will be work but it will produce a depth and a joy beyond what you can imagine!

So which name do you know God by?   El Shaddai or Yahweh?

Stale Air

You ever walk into a space/building that has been shut up tight and hit a wall of stale air?  Hot, musty, nasty air that leaves you running back outside for fresh air?  First thing you do is open all the curtains letting in light and opening windows so the fresh air can come in!

Amidst doing dishes this morning I realized that over last few weeks my quiet time has become nothing more than "stale air".  Because of the heat and an illness I have sat inside to do my quiet time which I attribute to the staleness.  I am an outdoorsy girl.  Let me be in full view of God's wonderful creation when I'm doing my quiet time and all is right!!!!!  Even in late fall and early spring I can be found outside wrapped in a blanket!   I have a specific area that my BFF refers to as my "Godspot".

In this spot I have full view of all the creation God has blessed me with....a great home, beautiful yard, and a rich heritage.  See across the road is the farm that has been in my family for SEVERAL years/generations.  The farmhouse where 3 generations were raised is no longer there but I can still see it in my mind every time I look!  The barn and corncrib won't be far behind the house unfortunately but the windmill will stay as long as I have a say!

So it's time to brave the heat, breathe in some fresh air, and get back to the spot where I meet God daily!!!!   My guess is He's going to show me that it's my heart that is full of stale air!  ;(  The recent Captivating study our church did made me realize I still have some chambers closed off from others.  It's time to unlock the door, throw open the curtains/windows and let fresh air in there too....that's going to be harder but necessary!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Rain, Rain Go Away

.....actually I am thankful today for the unending rain we've had(written 4/21/13).  I so needed a day of hiding!  Life is going at a breakneck speed and I need sometime to process things and refocus!

All this week my quiet time reading has been again in the age old story of Abraham and Sarah(Genesis 16-21).  Plus we have started a Bible Study at church on Captivating which has caused me to look at life a little differently.  Interestingly I had purposely not read that book because I thought it is fluff...too touchy-feely...and that definitely is not me!  ;) 

In Genesis Sarah so desperately wanted her own child that she offered her servant as a surrogate.......upon her plan working she became overwhelmed with jealousy. Her lack of trust caused her to take matters into her own hands.   Results of our efforts never work the way we imagine!  Trying to control things that were not ours to control! 

This time reading one event stopped me cold(Gen 18:10-15).  Sarah overheard God stating that in a year she would produce a son.  Now being in her 90's she laughed to herself...wouldn't we all?!?   What happened next was she had her own face-to-face exchange with the Lord.  As I was reading it the most vivid picture played out in my mind.   He was looking straight into her eyes as she denied that she laughed.  The most penetrating, soul-searching, heart-searing, stare she had ever encountered!  His calm, clear voice "Nay, but thou didst laugh."

Have you ever been on Sarah's end of a stare like that?  One friend can wade through the false exterior I put up and can really see my heart.  He sees me and knows me better sometimes than I do!  It is the most unsettling thing I've ever experienced.  While I realize that he is only trying to get me to 'be real', it is the most unsettling feeling ever.  Much like Adam in Genesis 3:10 when he discovered he was naked/vulnerable.  Interestingly when Satan entices them to eat of Tree of Knowledge that is when fear enters into the newly created world. 

Why the fear?  I'm not really sure of the answer to that!  For some reason unbeknown to me, I had developed a "trust no one but yourself" attitude.  Now that is a TRULY a scary place!  Various life events have proven to me that only God knows what is truly best for me....and definitely I do not! 

Trust....the heart of the matter!  Sarah should have trusted God.  She had a husband who was God's guy and should have trusted him.  God was faithful to keep His word(Gen 21:1) even when she laughed and lied to His face!  How many people do you know would love you if you did that to them?    Only He that first loved us.  He knows us and loves us anyway!!! 

By the way Captivating is a very interesting book and makes you think deeper about life.  Don't trust my opinion, read it for yourself!

Battle weary

I was reading about Abraham's calling in Genesis 15.   God pledges to be Abraham's "shield" & reading this brought to mind Ephesians 6:16 "taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." 

 

Fiery darts....anyone been feeling overwhelmed by those lately?  This has been a really tough few weeks in our school district.  Not only the funding crisis that all surrounding districts are facing but recently we've had several tragedies amongst our staff; cancer, brain surgeries, sudden deaths of young teachers. 

 

In fact I was on my way to visit one of those teacher friends in the hospital when I heard this song again.  It put things back into perspective. 

You tired of the battle?  Then stop just playing defense and go on the offense.   Pick up that sword! 

Ephesians 6:17-18  "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."  

just a small seed of doubt

I read the most interesting thing in my study Bible this morning!   Currently I am in Genesis 3:1  where the serpent asks Eve "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"   I quote from it's notes "the question and the response changed the course of human history!  By causing the woman to doubt God's word, Satan brought evil into the world."  At that encounter it was the same world that God had recently created. 

Boy did it ever change history!  Eve had the perfect life in that garden.....no weeds, no bugs, no worries!  God had provided everything for her so why would she ever allow doubt in?  Eve's small seed of doubt planted that day led each and everyone of us into a sinful, hard, painful, unfair life...just by one little doubt.  She screwed life up for the rest of us!  To be real honest I have always wanted to kick that woman!

Then another thing popped out in my reading; the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made....God had made the snake!  Why had I assumed the snake was Satan's creation?   I love my study note Bible!!!  It reminded me that Satan, the great deceiver, had only taken on the appearance of a snake.  The snake that had been part of the creation in Gen 1:24 and the same part of that creation which God declared as "It was good" in verse 25.   It makes me wonder if Satan had tricked the snake into taking a part of this encounter?  Because after all the snake had a part of the ensuing curse.

We think of doubt as normal and inconsequential.....but really it is the tool to alienate us from God.  Doubt is just the first step and often leads to a reaction which separates us further.   We humans are so easily deceived and often so fainthearted it makes me wonder just what is there about us that God could love?   And that is how easy Satan tempts us to doubt!!!! 

And I quickly realize how am I any different than Eve?   How many times has a tiny seed of doubt changed my life course?   How would my life be different if there had never been moments of doubt & a consequent reaction?   Very convicting to me!

Do you struggle with doubt in your life?  The only recommendation I have is to saturate yourself in God's instruction book for life!  It is a vital part of maintaining the relationship you started when you accepted Jesus as your salvation(Romans 10:9).   The Bible is still as relevant to everyday life as it was when it was originally written!  It provides the only hope we have to stand against the deceptions of Satan(Ephesians 6:10-11).  What better than the sword when you fighting a battle(Eph 6: 17)?

a lesson from a dog and her devoted admirer

I LOVE spending time with my 3 year old niece.  Our personalities are very similar!!!  In her "all serious" personality she says the funniest things and reminds me to not take myself so seriously. 

At least once or twice a week she comes out to my parents which is just over the hill from my house.  As she has grown up my chocolate lab has always been around and she has become enamored with it.   When the dog arrives the 3 yr old becomes the perfect hostess.  Picture a 1950's socialite.... 

Over the last few months I have been watching my niece fetch a bowl of fresh water, a handful of Cheez-its, and place all of the "favored toys" of the day at my dog's feet.  If there is food and water involved than the dog rewards her with a sloppy kiss which sends her into squeals and giggles! 

However, sometimes the 3 yr old does not have the food and water at her disposal so she just brings the toys as an offering.  On those occasions the dog might acknowledge her efforts but usually stares off in indifference as a cold statue might.  As I was watching today it struck me that this scene between my dog and my niece was very similar to passages I've been reading when the Philistines would bring their best offerings to the feet of Dagon, a cold statue.  Thousands of years ago these people considered a man-made idol as their God.  Dagon who was made out of either stone, wood, or metal also stared off in indifference when the loyal subjects presented their sacrifices. 

In 1 Samuel 5 Dagon's true power was demonstrated when face to face with the Living God.  As I was pondering all this it made me wonder how often am I barking up the wrong tree with my affections?   Yes, pun intended!!!  Seriously though, just like my niece I will sacrifice my time, my money, and my attention for many things that I am enamored with.  Are my sacrifices pleasing my God or just falling short for some man-made idol?  

And if this insight wasn't firmly planted yet then God wanted to make it clear the next day.   My daily reading schedule landed me in 1st John 5:21 which says "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."  Not only is it plainly stated but followed with 'Amen' which is a Hebrew word that means 'firm, sure'.  As my dad would put it "I mean business"....which literally doesn't make sense.  However when dad said that you knew it was time to do as told and no questions asked or there would be DIRE consequences!  I am sensing  that's God's take on this matter too! 

So now I need to watch for the teachable moment to explain this to a 3 year old.  Prayers are appreciated!