Trust in the Foundation...Friday

11/22/13

My grandmother got up at 5:30 every morning to make coffee, a full breakfast, and pack a lunch for my grandfather. After placing the food and any important papers inside of his black metal lunch pail she placed it on the table. She tidied the kitchen and sipped her own cup of coffee as he ate his meal and read the newspaper. No Wall Street Journal for him, he knew how the economy was by the number of orders waiting for him at his shop.

Standing up from the table my grandfather thanked my grandmother as she reached to clear his dishes. Reminding him of any plans for the day she would ask him what time he would be home for dinner. He almost always said 5:30, and she would reply that dinner would be ready by 6:00.

Except on the coldest of days, my grandfather would carry his work boots outside before putting them on. With his lunch pail beside him, he sat on the top step of a small concrete porch with beautiful ornate iron railings. He kissed my grandmother, said goodbye, and walked to his truck. As he drove past he made one final wave before heading into town.

Both of my grandparents were teens during the depression of the 1930’s. They married in the early 40’s and had two sons and a daughter over the next twelve years. As they moved an hour away from their families they sought out a church family by visiting various congregations. I can only guess from my own experience that they were looking to attach themselves to their community and to establish a foundation.

As my own children leave the safety net of our home during a time of economic uncertainty I am encouraged by my grandparent’s history. No matter how difficult and challenging the days may be, I can have hope.

Psalm 37:3-9 (NLT)

Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.

Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,

and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.

Don’t worry about evil people who

prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

Stop being angry! Turn from your rage!

Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.

For the wicked will be destroyed,

but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.

Dear Lord, thank You for blessing this country throughout its history. Although the whole world is struggling and striving to create economic stability and social peace, You alone are the foundation that will not be shaken. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by a Women's Focus Ministries
                   Staff Writer

The Promise of Hard Times....Monday

Looking at my small vegetable garden a few weeks ago, I was losing hope. Will tomatoes grow on such short plants, I wondered? And those poor pepper plants are such a sight. Well, I sighed, I will just have to wait and see.

I am in a time of transition in my life right now. My husband and I are trying to balance our responsibilities to work, home, and each other. Our kids are adults, coming and going, as they search out their next stepping stones in the world at large. Just when I thought life was going to get easier, we are facing challenges, dealing with the big platter of spaghetti that we call our lives. As we deal with one string of spaghetti, trying to follow through to the end, we find it is tangled up with 5 other things. Situations and issues that are in process, on hold, not budging, resisting, complex, not easily understood or resolved. There are no quick fixes. No simply putting things in order.

The temptation to argue is strong, and we sometimes do. It is hard, we don't want to be at odds. But we have been practicing finishing the discussion, heated or not. We have started depending on each other intentionally instead of habitually. Communication and understanding have been our greatest tools. But the process is messy, even uncomfortable. The honesty is humbling and hard. But we are determined to not give up. 

The message in church was about saying yes to God in every season (of course it was). We should take advantage of tough times to grow. Not every day will be like this, so don't worry about tomorrow, or obsess over how this will never end. Trust God. Ask Him to give you eyes to recognize, and a heart that understands, what He wants to do inside of you in the midst of your troubles. If you will let Him.

Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.

5 If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind; 7-8 and every decision you then make will be uncertain, as you turn first this way and then that. If you don’t ask with faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer. 
James 1:2-8 TLB

7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore be earnest, thoughtful men of prayer. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love makes up for many of your faults.[c] 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay for the night. 

I Peter 4:7-9 TLB

After 2 weeks of excessive heat, I finally went out to check on my garden. I hadn't changed the watering cycle, and I was worried that I might have lost some of those stunted plants because of the intense weather. At first I didn't understand. What had happened to my garden? There in the place of my short tomatoes plants were 7 large healthy plants, quite literally twice the height and thickness they had been only a few weeks before. I am not a master gardener and cannot explain the process, but God used that image of stronger healthier plants after a time of intense stress to show me what He will do in our lives, if we will stop trying to run for cover and let Him.

Dear Lord, thank You for using the messed up situations in our lives to accomplish good things inside of each of us including cleaning out trash we might not have realized was still in there. What the enemy intends for evil, we know You can use for some good purpose in our lives (see Genesis 50:20). We thank You for Your faithfulness towards us. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

SUFFERINGS... Sunday

Devotional for 6/14/15

Seems I have this propensity to have difficulties with medical procedures.  Sometimes it has appeared to be just bad luck, like a tooth that didn't want to hold on to a crown (three times in three days!), and in the recent past the same said tooth didn't want a root canal so broke two drill bits that are left in the roots in the process!  Other times though it has been things like anesthesiologists who lack empathy and have no tact, or nursing staff who ignore my repeated reports of my allergy to adhesives including tapes and cardiac electrodes.  And then there are the pharmacy woes both in a hospital and with mail order prescriptions.  Or the improper use of a therapeutic technique by a narcissistic professional who can't see that she was doing anything wrong.

My first instinct is to blame myself.  Because I am in a health profession, perhaps I know just enough to be dangerous and get me into trouble. Possibly I have too high of an expectation for others in the health field.  Or maybe I just didn't speak up enough before these things took place,  Or maybe I'm just a marked woman or there is some kind of bad vibes I put out.  But then I am brought back to reality by those around me, some of whom get more upset by what has happened to me than I do, and most of whom encourage me to file complaints. 

Then I wonder, why is God allowing me to go through these troubles over and over?  And is filing a complaint the appropriate response?  First of all, I am reminded of what Jesus said:

John 16:33 (NIV) "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."

Even though we may not understand "Why?" while we are here on earth, we can rest assured He will use our trials for good in some way, even if we never fully know or see how until we join him in heaven.  

1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV) "Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."

Romans 8:28 (NIV) "And we know that in all things God works of the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

And it is always helpful to know that not only does God fully understand our struggles, Jesus experienced them here on earth, worse than anything we have ever experienced, including mocking and torture and finally death on a cross.  If God can use that most devastating suffering and death of Jesus to bring about the world's most amazing life-giving act of resurrection providing salvation, then He can certainly create something good out of my little difficulties.  So if I approach my response lovingly, for the good of others and without malice, as Jesus did, then it will be an appropriate response.  I can never do this perfectly, but I can ask for God's help, and thankfully He will forgive me where I fail.

Dear Lord Jesus in heaven, thank you for your gift of forgiveness and eternal life with you in heaven.  Please be with us here on earth as we go through difficult situations and painful troubles.  Help us to be patient in times of trial and to rely on you to bring good things out of them.  Show us the way you want us to respond so that the outcome and our witness brings you glory.  In your name we pray, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

This song is unusual with a very odd introduction into it.

However it was picked because it neatly illustrates the point 

 of Jan Andersen's topic in this devotional. and one of her quoted scriptures
2 Corinthians 13:12

Corinne Mustafa,
Administrator

WALK IN THE LIGHT...Saturday

 6/13

"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: 

God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all." 

I John 1:5

     

God is light.  Apart from Him is only darkness.  We all need to be grounded in the Bible which clearly points to walking with God in the light of the life He gives

.

     

The world we live in is filled with darkness.  People are searching for the light in many places and not finding it.  Satan disguises himself as "light" when he only leads away from God and His truth and further into darkness.

     Some examples of searching for light but finding darkness: black magic and the magical arts, the occult, tarot cards, fortune telling.  People are searching for guidance and support from things other than the true God.

     Often we don't take the concept of Satan or hell seriously.  They are real.  Heaven is all goodness because it is filled with the light of God's glory.  Hell means separation from God's presence so it will only be darkness and sorrow and pain.

    God wants us to walk in the light of His presence now and for all eternity.  Open the Bible and find light in the Word of God.

Written by

Carol Steficek

Live What You Love...Friday

June 12, 2015

I was shopping two times this past week and both times I almost bought a comfy and fun top that had printed on it “Live What You Love”.  I thought it was a good reminder to me that I need to do that.  That has been my advice and theme to others during this phase of my life.  Well, the end result was that I didn’t buy the top because I came to my senses and realized that I could use the money to do the things that I love rather than walk around with a shirt on only occasionally telling everyone else to do it.   

So my prayer for you all and for myself is to learn to live life with passion.  Find what you love to do and do as much of it as possible.  A friend of mine passed away suddenly last week.  She was only 51 years old.  She used to say all the time….” Be happy, life is too short.  There is no room for drama and negativity in our lives.  We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, so live your life to the fullest”.  And that she did.  She was very good a truly living in the moment and seizing the moments as they come upon us.  Sue would celebrate people and show them how much she loved them.  Unfortunately, Sue and I had a falling out about a year and a half ago.  We never had the chance to make amends to each other.  She had been on my mind over the past month and I now know that God was placing that on my heart to make peace with her.  I feel a bit sad that we didn’t have that opportunity, but, at the same time I also know that it is okay.  God knows what is in our hearts, and I also know that Sue is with Jesus now and is reunited with her mama and daddy living in Paradise.

So, my best advice to myself and all of you is live your life with joy and peace, spending your moments with those you love doing exactly what you love to do.  Don’t allow the troubles of the earth get in the way of friendships and family relationships.  Life is precious and meant to be full of smiles and laughter, honesty and happiness.  Live what you love!!

Oh! Teach us to live well!

    Teach us to live wisely and well!

Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—

    and treat your servants with kindness for a change.

Surprise us with love at daybreak;

    then we’ll skip and dance all the day long.

Make up for the bad times with some good times;

    we’ve seen enough evil to last a lifetime.

Let your servants see what you’re best at—

    the ways you rule and bless your children.

And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,

    confirming the work that we do.

    Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

Psalm 90:12-17

 (MSG)

Written by 

Kelly Dobyns

"Power Outages"...Thursday

A month or so ago our electric company had a planned outage. They had been sending notices for about three weeks. Several times we got postcards about outages that never actually happened. Every few days we would get yet another outage notice. So, when the lights did not go out on time we laughed and made some remarks about all the postage was being wasted. All of a sudden one day…click…the lights were dimmed. It was a cloudy day, so the rooms were barely lit. I still had not taken a shower, so I prepared to take one in dusky bathroom. It was a bit of a challenge. We are spoiled by the convenience we enjoy of lighted rooms.

I was standing in the shower with the warm…thank God about that…water raining down on me. I started to think what would happen if God had planned power outages. In that time we would be in the dark away from the spiritual perks that He provides to light up our days and give us words that speak to us in wondrous spiritual ways. For the time of His planned outage, we would have no path to follow or inspiration of what we need to do.

When I got out of the shower, I noticed that the mirror was totally fogged. The fan could not be operated to keep the obscuring condensation at bay. Another impediment to having a clear vision of what you would need to do.  I was operating in nearly as blind in the smoggy and misty grayness.

I can see that power is very important on a natural level in an age where such conveniences are taken for granted. However, the natural level is only a small part of it. Power and light are also important on a spiritual plain as well. In fact, on the otherworldly level it is considerably more important than in our earthly realm. In our material dominion power and light are a convenience that, when missing, is a bit troublesome. However, life can go on and adjustments can be made. Without light and power in our nonphysical sphere, we are unable to keep on track, to continue our life plan, or to relate to God at all. We are like a clipper ship trying to cross the ocean without a compass.

It is our blessing that God will never leave us rudderless, floundering on the waves and swells of life. His light shines out to those who love Him and serve Him. This light shows His people the path they should go, and lets them know Him for all the wonder of who He is and how He loves us. His light also enables us to become a His light to others.

For God, who said, 
"Light shall shine out of darkness,"
 is the One who has shone in our hearts to give
the Light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Christ.
2Corinthians 4:6

"Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people
into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them,
and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. 
"The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you;
 He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.
Do not fear or be dismayed."
Deuteronomy 31:7b-8

Written by
Corinne Mustafa

                                          

"Authority In Jesus"...Wednesday

6/10/15 

 

Over brunch one morning my friend shared a bone chilling story about one of her dogs. Recently her husband came out to the backyard only to find their dog chomping on a baby bunny with a bloody bite on his forehead. He quickly realized there was a rattlesnake nearby livid, and not about to share lunch with anyone.  With no time to lose, her husband grabbed something from the house and approached the rattlesnake cutting off his head. They rushed their beloved dog to the vet and had him treated. He is alive and well much to my friend's relief.

 

That story reminded me of the authority Jesus has given us as His children over the plans of the enemy for us. He tells us in Luke 10:19

"Behold, "I give you the authority to trample on serpents 

and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, 

and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

 

As children of God, we have authority over the evil one, for the Lord God Almighty lives within us and He tells us that we have authority. It is only because of Him and His power that we can trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy!!  And for an added bonus He tells us also that nothing shall by any means harm us.

 

When the enemy knocks, we do not have to be cowardice and hide underneath our bed trembling with fear. We can proclaim what God's Word says boldly and not back down, believing by faith God will do exactly what His Word says He will do.

As you are reminded of your Authority in Christ, you can live a life of Great Victory, not defeat, each day of your life here on earth!

 

In Christ's Authority,

Sandy Billingham