Star-fish

      Some of the people that we went to Israel with in May met tonight and shared stories, photos, and updates on life events. As I looked through photos, I was reminded of our trip through King Hezekiah's Tunnel.  The tunnel, leading from the  Gihon Spring  to the  Pool of Siloam ,  was designed as an  aqueduct  to provide Jerusalem with water during an impending siege by the  Assyrians , led by  Sennacherib . (Wikipedia) My husband and I had no idea what we were getting into by going through this quarter of a mile, pitch black tunnel with water flowing through it at varying heights. The water started out at my thighs and then receded to my ankles. I seriously considered turning around, but the narrow tunnel and long line of people behind me prohibited it.       My husband had a more harrowing trip through the tunnel because he was burdened with our backpack, shoes, and his camera, besides the fact that h...

     I got a call today from a friend that our mutual friend was in lockdown at a local high school. She spent several hours in a hot stuffy room with nearly a hundred teenagers waiting to be released. (A shooting nearby caused the emergency situation.) She has claustrophobia. My friend noted that looking back, only God got her through this difficult situation.      I wonder how many times God gets us through difficult situations and we don't know it or recognize His hand at work in our lives. Another friend and I were talking about how the more problems we experience in life the easier it is to have hope when the next trying times come. I believe God is "growing our backbone" with each problem we overcome and especially when we lean on Him and give Him the glory. Call out to God when you need a lifeline, He is willing and ready to help. Psalm 38:22 Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.

     A friend shared that she attended a conference where the speaker noted she had felt rejected by her mother all of her life. When her mother was on her deathbed, she asked her mother what she had against her. Her mother wouldn't look her daughter in the eye, but said that she had saved enough money to leave her alcoholic husband with this woman's younger brother and sister then the mother found out she was pregnant with this daughter. The mother resented the daughter due to this turn of events that the daughter had no control over. The mother asked for forgiveness and the daughter gave it. But what a bittersweet ending, don't you think?      It's interesting how we can make choices in our own lives that cause consequences that we do not like, but then we quickly transfer those outcomes onto someone else even if they weren't a cause of the problem. A scapegoat for our behaviors, if you will. The flip side is also tragic, we live our lives being upset w...

     I have spent nearly 40 years dieting or thinking about dieting. A friend recently wanted me to help support her and get on board with a healthy diet and exercise. Since my cholesterol is high, I have been including more oatmeal into my diet and am watching my meat intake. But frankly, I'm just not all in, so I'm neither losing weight nor firming up my muscles.      Diet and exercise is like our spiritual life. We have to put the time in to get the results. It's a matter of intentionally praying, reading the Word and doing what God asks us to do, not just thinking it's a good idea. I think dieting and exercise is a great idea, but it hasn't changed my waistline to ponder it, but not put it into practice:) Bikes to rent in Paris. A bike not ridden, it more like yard art:) 1 Timothy 4:8  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things,  holding promise for both the present life  and the life to come.

     Why would the God of the universe ever have the need for jealousy? What is jealousy anyway? Where does it come from? I know for me it is an uneasy feeling that stems from a loss of control. The feeling that something or someone I love is slipping through my fingertips and I can do nothing to stop it from happening.      My new 2011 Merriam-Webster Dictionary, (that my parents bought me for my birthday, yes, I requested it:) has one definition that matches my idea of what God means when He says He is a jealous God. The definition on page 671 notes: vigilant in guarding a possession, which seems to me like a wonderful character trait for God, but a terrible idea for me. Everything I possess came as a gift from God. If I cling to something with vigilance, won't release it back to God when He asks me to, then I'm missing out on a greater gift that He's waiting to put into my open hands.      Jealousy is only an attractive trait of God, sin...

      Our pastor had another stellar sermon this morning on the importance of being prepared for battle, spiritual battle in this case. He noted that we should put preventative measures in place, before we get a full frontal attack by the enemy. That when "we put on the full armor of God," we have protection from Satan's lies and are reminded of Jesus' truths. Satan wants us to live defeated and powerless, but through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit within us, we can "stand firm" against the temptations of the devil.     Pastor also reminded us to put on the "breastplate of righteousness," making us new creations living in holiness as children of the light. We have been united with Christ and as such through His Spirit have power flowing through us, if we abide in Him. So when in that weak moment, when Satan walks us to the edge of temptations, we can call on God's protection and even if we fail, we can reconnect with God, who forgives us whe...

      I had lunch with a friend today and she has entered into the world of education, a field I have studied and/or worked in for over 30 years now. A recent event, at the school she works, sent her world into a bit of a tailspin. She was enjoying her new job, getting to know the teachers and students when wham, a fight broke out in a classroom she was working in. The students and staff alike were in danger, but could not get any assistance.            As we debriefed over the phone and some at lunch today about the event, it occurred to both of us that she had witnessed not only a physical battle, but a spiritual battle. Both of which scared her and made her question the work she, just a week ago, loved.       Satan loves to scare us off and send us running with out tail between our legs. I've allowed fear, which is not of God, to keep me from accomplishing what I had felt at the beginning was just what God wanted me t...

     Reading the headlines tonight, on my computer, it seems as if the world has gone crazy! People are shooting and harming each other at will. They seem to be completely void of respect for human life. It makes me think of what one of my health professors said nearly thirty years ago. He said research was coming out that women who take illegal drugs during pregnancy would give birth to "unbonded" babies. He added that we would start seeing those kids showing up in kindergarten in ten years.       Those kindergartners that the professor spoke of would be about 26 years old by now and others have been born since then. He explained these "unbonded" children would be "unconscionable." They would not even have a connection with their own parents. They would be self-consumed and unaware of the needs, feelings or concerns of others.       I read a sad story in the paper tonight about a foster family that took in a baby and eventually a...

     I continued my reading today in II Chronicles 12 with the story of King Rehoboam, Solomon's son and heir to the throne of Israel. In Chapter 12:1 Rehoboam is well established as king, "he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD." Shishak, king of Egypt, attacks Jerusalem with thousands of chariots and horsemen. The prophet, Shemaiah, tells Rehoboam, "This is what the LORD says, 'You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.'" (II Chronicles 12:5)      Realizing what they had done and why they were under attack verse 6, "The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, 'The LORD is just.'" The Lord in His awesome mercy then relents due to their humility and does not destroy them, but in verse 8 God says, "They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands." Then Ki...

     Today I got together with three of my girlfriends and we had a great time sharing news, crying, laughing and commiserating. Since these friends are godly women, I respect their counsel. If we ignore wise counsel and go our own way, we can cause division and death to relationships, careers, and in some cases even worse. No matter how unimportant we perceive our lives to be, we impact the lives of others, either in the positive or the negative. We have a sphere of influence and a responsibility to those people in our circle.      I read this morning in II Chronicles 10 about King Solomon's son, Rehoboam, when he took over as reigning king of Israel. Jeroboam of Egypt came to him after many years of being away from Israel and said, "Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." Rehoboam essentially said let me think about it and I'll get back to you. Then he talked to hi...

      This morning as I read today's  Our Daily Bread entry,  http://odb.org/ , I was struck by a scene in the Bible that I hadn't remembered reading in I Kings starting at 19:19: 19  So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak  around him.   20  Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,”  he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” 21  So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen  and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.      The author of the accompanying entry added this side note: "Elisha then slaughtered a yoke of o...

     This morning as my husband and I sat on the patio watching our dog do her morning rounds, I mentioned a situation from my past of which I could not let go. Even as I spoke, the tears began to form at the corners of my eyes. He shared his perspective on the event and noted I needed to put it behind me and move on. I often hear cavalier comments about living life with "no regrets" and as a Christian, I think that's even more important for me to remember.      After salvation, all my life is in the Lord's hands and although I have free will and can easily mess up, He is always there to help and forgive me, if I'm truly repentant. The situation above, I have given over to God a number of times and even asked for forgiveness from those involved, some of which have responded with forgiveness. And yet it keeps surfacing in my mind.      What am I trying to get out of this episode that hasn't already been done? Am I trying to get a "do over" s...

     Our pastor gave one of his most inspirational sermons today. I think it touched me in particular because it was a confirmation of what the Lord spoke into my heart the other night. I woke up in the middle of the night and was asking God questions as I sometimes do. My concern was for the future and would I be able to handle the things that might come and the Lord seemed to speak to me, not in an audible voice, but in my spirit.      I've always thought I needed to do things in my own strength and if I couldn't do it, then I was a failure. You can imagine how many times I've failed with that attitude. I was telling God that I didn't want to let Him or others down again and He said, "Then don't do it in your own strength, do it in mine."      The pastor talked about how often as Christians we try really hard to do lots of great works, but then fail to "stand firm" when tempted. He noted that we have the idea that we need to pull ourselv...

     I got the following script from my friend Helen yesterday:  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 1 Cor 2:10  There is no way I can understand God's word unless he reveals it to me by his spirit.  I depend on the Holy Spirit to help me see and understand. In order to do this, I need to pay close attention to what God is doing in my life...then I need to obey.  God Bless You, Helen      If obeying were easy, we'd all be saints! At least that's how I feel, as I'm not, nor have I ever been particularly good at obeying. I could always see way too many other possibilities that didn't seem too bad and could possibly be fun, if I didn't obey. But that's where I got into all matter of trouble, over and over in my life. Even after I became a Christian, I found other options that maybe God hadn't thought of at the time (of course I say that "tongue in cheek" and also found out why later He hadn't suggested thos...

     Yesterday I spent the day prepping for a procedure I had today. The doctor said that everything looked normal. That is good news, right? The only problem is it doesn't answer why I've been having this pain in my side. But I've decided I don't need to know where every ache and pain derives its source of irritation. I'm going to live until the Good Lord decides to call me home or better yet, raptures the Christians into the clouds to join Him.      The apostle Paul probably sought out his share of medical men in his day to find out why his side was aching and he prayed three times to God to take the pain from him. But what did God tell him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." That's the problem though for me, I don't want to be weak. I see weakness as the world does, it's an inferior state. But is that because I want to boast in my strength rather than in God's? God knows I'll be stronger if I...

      Last night we had a big dust storm. It happened after we had gone to bed. In the morning, my husband found our big pool umbrella still attached to it's heavy metal stand, mangled, and hanging over into the neighbor's yard. It made me think that even when we are anchored, heavily in the Word of God, we can get caught off guard, and drug off course. Things can catch us by surprise at any time of day or night. We need to start and end each day in prayer. Choose Jesus Christ to be your rear guard and He will protect you during surprise attacks. Sea of Galilee at nightfall, Israel. Isaiah 58:8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,       and your healing  will quickly appear; then your righteousness  will go before you,      and the glory of the  Lord  will be your rear guard.    Then you will call,  and the  Lord  will answer;   you will cry for help, and he wil...

      Recently, I've been asking God for direction in my life. I have been diligently preparing in case God agreed with my decision for a direction. I didn't want to be unprepared if He said for me to go ahead and yet today it struck me that my preparation may be predetermination. I've made up my mind the way things should go and I'm taking the steps that need to be taken so things go my way. BUT...I'm skirting around God's will.      So what do you do when you are waiting on God's direction in life? Nothing? Something? Pray? I'm not exactly sure I have the answer to that question, as I've been forever noted as one that would use a battering ram on doors God had already closed. I know that the answer is to pray and patiently wait (another term that tries my "do it now" personality) so I'm going to put away my plans and turn them over to God. In Your Will may I be Lord and not in mine, that the path I am on and the one in my future, wil...

      Thank you Lord for answering our prayers for my husband's lung biopsy! The mass had shrunk and thus no biopsy was required at this time. He said, when he would tell the nurses and radiologist that his pulmonologist said that there wouldn't need to be a biopsy today, if the nodule in his lung had shrunk, they all gave him a sad, sort of, sympathetic look. He said it was as if they didn't believe it could have shrunk.      But when the radiologist came in, after viewing his new CT scans and comparing them to the old ones, my husband said he seemed happy. He said they smiled and congratulated him. Of course, when he got back into recovery we prayed and thanked God for His mercy and grace in this situation.       This difficult time of illness and then not knowing has been a refining time for us both. It's amazing how much clearly you can see your life or your relationship with others when your life or the life of a loved one is in d...

      Today my husband and I have been married 23 years. I'm grateful to be married to a man who knows and loves the Lord Jesus Christ. He reads the Bible and prays. He is patient and kind to me and has always been a great provider and hard worker. And what's really great is he makes me laugh:)      May God go with my husband tomorrow as he has his lung biopsy and keep him safely in the palm of His hand. Thank you Lord for being with us at all times and especially in the hard times. Amen. May God give us many more years to enjoy each other's company. Amen. I Corinthians 13:4  Love is patient,  love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  5  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,  it is not easily angered,  it keeps no record of wrongs.

     Really? How is it possibly not to worry? My husband remarked, "I've read the Bible, I know what it says about worry, but I can't seem to stop it." He said that every time a worry came up into his mind yesterday, he'd pray and ask God to take it from him. But he still can't shake the worry he feels about an upcoming medical procedure.      When things come up that are unknown and out of our comfort zone in life, many of us worry. But the time we spend worrying does not change the situation. Fretting causes us to lose our joy. That would not be God's best for us. That's why He tells us, "do not worry," because He's got it all under His control; what better place for all our worries to be? We are God's kids. He will take care of us and provide for us. Don't worry, be happy:) Matthew 6:34   Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Luke 12:25   W...

     A friend called this morning about a party we are going to tomorrow. She also had a similar disorder to the one my husband has been suffering with the last two months. After discussing party details, she asked about an over-the-counter medicine she had recommended. I told her that the odd thing was I had already purchased it the day before she told me about it.      I told her that on Wednesday my husband needed something for his cough so I went to Walgreens and they had a wall of cough-type medicines with different things added in. After standing there several minutes, I went to see if the pharmacist was available. There were at least 10 people waiting, so then I trudged back to the wall of intimidating cough pills and potions and prayed that God would help me get the right one.      As I spoke with her today, she said she had asked the pharmacist and the medicine I picked out was the correct one! I laughed and told her I asked the "A...

      I had coffee with a friend this morning and the age-old issue of dieting came up as it often does with women. It's difficult to eat right and exercise and yet it is the only way to keep our bodies fit. We want something easy, something that will allow us to continue in our same old patterns and poor habits, but get entirely different results. Unfortunately, that is not how the body works.      The Bible speaks briefly about exercise and poor eating habits, but mostly it reiterates that we are to "train [ourselves] to be godly," "labor and strive" with the work of the Lord and keep away from the refrigerator or snack cupboard. (Well, it doesn't say the last part, but if we do the former, we're more likely to do the latter:)      I told my friend how so often my attitude is that "I just want to do what I want to do" and yet that attitude does not show respect or gratitude to God for the body He's given me. That attitude is prideful, a...