Years ago when I was a relatively new believer, I went to visit an old high school friend who lived in Northern Maine and whom I had not seen in years.  Inexplicably, I had a sudden urge to see her.  While I was there I saw a large bottle of antibiotics in the fridge and asked her who was taking them. She explained that her youngest son Wesley had been plagued with ear infections and the doctor had prescribed 6 weeks continuous dosing with Bactrim.  Interestingly enough I had just had a lengthy conversation with a pharmacist who had warned me that treating with Bactrim for 6 weeks continuously was no longer recommended as there was some evidence that it could cause an often fatal blood disorder called aplastic anemia.  I warned my friend, enjoyed my visit then returned home.

A few weeks later I received word from my friends sister that Wesley was in the hospital and was very ill. I said "he has aplastic anemia."  She said "how do you know?" And I replied "I just do." 

Soon the bloodwork  came back and confirmed that Wesley had aplastic anemia!  That was no co incidence....I had a conversation with a pharmacist, then had a sudden urge to visit an old friend....and warned her about the danger....I was seeing Gods fingerprints all over this!

Some time went by and Wesley grew seriously ill. He now would require a bone marrow transplant or he would die.  Unfortunately, no one in his family was a match, nor was there anyone in the registry.  His chances of survival were nearly zero if they went with a mismatch, so the transplant idea was tabled until the last possible moment.

Meanwhile, God was speaking to me, though I wasn't really sure of it until I took the steps that He asked me to and then each step made sense.  First, He told me to ask every one at my church to pray for Wesley.  That was easy.  Next....He said buy Wesley a card and have everyone at church sign it and then you pray over it.  OK! That was going to be a bit harder.  What if Wesley died?  What would people think?  

So I went to Walmart and as I recall, I had dismissed the card idea....I know...bad idea to ever dismiss anything that might have come from God, but He is so forgiving, especially when we are baby Christians!  In any case, I took a wrong turn and ended up....in the card section.  As I was walking down the aisle I heard  God speak to my heart..."Look left."  So I did and there it was....a beautiful  BIG get well card with plenty of room for multiple signatures.  So I bought it and dutifully took it to church.  During testimony time I obediently though sheepishly, asked everyone to sign and pray for Wesley.

Now this is the REALLY COOL PART....I can't remember what happened but for some reason I was delayed In getting the card in the mail.  Meanwhile Wesley took a turn for the worse and his parents were preparing to fly to Washington state with him for the mismatched transplant. They knew that they were probably spending their last days with their son....who by the way was only about 4 at the time I believe.  

Because of my delay in mailing the card, however, it arrived the very morning that Wes and his parents were departing for Washington state! NO possible way that was a coincidence!!!!   AND HERE IS THE BEST PART!!!! When they arrived at the hospital in Washington the doctors were amazed by Wesleys condition...his bloodwork showed no sign of infection and he looked as though he was showing some improvement.  The doctors could not explain it but I certainly could!  They went ahead with the transplant and Wesley surpassed anyone's expectations...except mine and my church friends, of course!  

Wesley is now 38 years old....my youngest son's age, who by the way, the Lord also spared because he was also plagued by ear infections and his doc wanted to put him on 6 weeks of Bactrim but I refused after speaking with the pharmacist.  What is it with doctors who don't keep up and prescribe dangerous drugs inappropriately?  I put my trust in GOD thank you very much!!

ISNT GOD WONDERFUL!?!?!

A Thorn in My side....Just One!?!

As I was reflecting over my life and the adversities I have faced, I pictured myself as one of those blow up clowns that you punch and it keeps popping back up. I have been called an airhead, so I suppose that image would explain a lot! But kidding aside, when faced with a crisis, we all have a choice to make. We can either face it with Jesus, clinging all the while to the hem of His robe....or turn away believing that God somehow does not care or doesn’t even exist.

I can testify to the fact that clinging desperately to the Lord is the only way to go. My most traumatic crisis was to be disowned by my daughter which has resulted in not seeing my two precious granddaughters for over two years now. I could never have faced such heartbreak without my precious Yeshua/Jesus, who weeps for me and for them. That said...I have I undergone a spiritual change from within, not unlike that experienced by a caterpillar while inside its cocoon.

Emotional trauma aside, somehow, I also manage to get out of bed in the morning, despite unrelenting pain in my spine. And yet....I am so happy with my life and experience, at least most of the time....the peace that passes all understanding.

The Apostle Paul wrote about the thorn in his side that made his weakness strong in Gods strength. Well, some mornings I feel as though I have done battle with a cactus, but you know, I have won the battle because my Lord has sustained me and for that I am truly grateful.

In the end end it does not matter who rejects me, who likes me, who criticizes or judges me, nor shall I be concerned about physical or emotional pain. Yeshua/Jesus always accepts me, corrects me without criticism, pleads my case rather than judge me, and never fails to bind my wounds, physical and otherwise.

I have come to recognize every crisis as an opportunity for growth. Now, rather than complain (OK after I complain a little bit......OK maybe a lot) I face the challenge head on and say”OK Lord, here we grow again.”

After all these years and the many things that God has shown me to prove that He wants to be  involvd in even the least significant details of my life, my propensity is still to forget!  Here it is winter and yet I have been finding at least one mosquito a day inside my house. Yesterday I found three!  To date the headcount has been in excess of a dozen.  They can’t possibly be coming in because I don’t hold my door open....and even the houseflies have ceased to invade my territory.  There is no standing water anywhere in my home, even in the unlikely event that a couple of late bloomers decided on a misguided attempt at procreation.

Once again, rather than ask the Lord for His help, I have been spending an inordinate amount of time  fretting over this.  Any veterinarian would tell me that I should continue to treat my dog with heartworm preventive because of the presence of mosquitoes....more than I had even seen all summer out doors!  But it’s a poison and with her history of cancer, this option isn’t the best.

So after losing a bit of sleep along with asking everyone at the Thanksgiving table where they all thought these pests could be coming from and receiving no satisfactory explanations, I FINALLY remembered to ask God.  Last night as I was terminating the life of the umteenth million flying menace, I finally said helplessly and perhaps a bit absentmindedly “God please help me with this mosquito problem.”  Before I finished my statement, however, the words “maybe they aren’t mosquitos.” Popped into mind.  Now I have come to realize that when an answer enters my mind in it’s entirety, before I have finished asking the question, the information has not been the result of my own thought processes....especially since it turns out to be correct!

So I promptly consulted the Internet with this query “bugs that look like mosquitos.”  Expecting to find images of some obvious knockoffs, I was surprised to discover that winter crane flies so closely resemble mosquitos that one nearly needs to be an entomologist to differentiate between them.  Most significant, however is the fact that they breed in rotting vegetation.  Well that explains a lot!  I don’t have standing water in my house but I do have a worm farm for composting vegetable scraps.  Mystery solved!  Ever the scientist in need of proof, the next unlucky specimen ended up on a sheet of white paper beneath the watchful glare of my camera. Sure enough, he lacked the long proboscis which his mosquito counterpart uses to impale the skin of it's victim.

Why the entomology lesson?  To remind myself that I need to be ever conscious of the fact that God wants to be involved in every aspect of my life and is delighted when I remember to seek divine consultation.  Nothing is too great or seemingly insignificant to escape His notice or concern.  I could have saved myself hours of consternation had I simply said from the onset “Hey Lord, where did that mosquito come from?” To which He would have quickly responded “It's not a mosquito.  Look it up.”

I can almost hear Him chuckling as He saw the relief that the assimilation of this new tidbit of information brought to me.   It’s not umlike the time I was 6 or so and presented my mother with  a glass jar filled with wriggling baby fish.

“Look mum, baby fish!”
“Those are not fish.”  She corrected.

Though I don’t remember if she chuckled. Probably not.

God or Google?

When faced with a difficult question, who do you ask?

Rabbi Schneider yesterday on  “Discovering the Jewish Jesus said  “God wants you to talk to Him more than you talk to your best friend.”   

Wow! How many of us can say we do that?  I do not really have a best friend, per se, however, I’m certain that I talk to my friends and family more than I talk to God.  Perhaps that is because people give us immediate feedback whereas God can be rather slow at rendering an opinion.  Maybe  it is a sign of the times.  Everything is so fast these days.  As  Mr. Rogers’postman used to say “speedy delivery” ...2 day shipping with Amazon, lightening fast food cooked and served, we no longer even need to wait for snail mail.  And a US traveler can reach Europe in just a few hours.  

Thinking about the pioneer days, when kids left home, they really left home.  Often times they would never see their parents again as they set off to parts unknown to begin their new lives.  People lived so far from neighbors and from church, that visits were limited to once a week or less.  And we think snail mail is slow? Try shipping lobsters across the country via Pony Express!  With the isolation that was geographically and technologically (or lack thereof) enforced, who WAS a person to talk to in times of trouble, or even in times of joy?  The One Who is always ready to listen. God.

Perhaps that is the reason modern people can have such a difficult time time connecting with Him these days.  I’m speculating, but it’s possible that  in days gone by, it was second nature to include Him in everything.  It just seems there are too many things competing for our collective attention now....things 

Iike  devices.  Next time you visit a restaurant, glance around and notice how many folks are looking down at a cell phone rather than the person across the table. We do it to each other, might we not also be doing it to God?  I for one know that I fire a message off without even thinking of consulting the Holy Spirit, whose job it is to be my helper.  

This morning after writing this post, my scheduled reading for the day opened with Isaiah 31:1

“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help

And rely on horses,

And trust in chariots because they are many

And in horsemen because they are very strong,

But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!”

I think I will write this down and afix it to my iPad in an effort to remind myself to always talk to God before I hit send.  

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it."  Matthew 7-13:14

Yesterday morning I started to think about the narrow gate to life and the wide road to destruction which Jesus talks about early in Matthew 7.  The context of all of 7 seems to be about faith. I used to think that the narrow gate and the few people that enter was referring to those who get into heaven, but Jesus is talking about the road to life versus the road to destruction. It occurred to me that in this context , Jesus may be saying that those who develop unshakable faith are few.....that the goal should be, and the road to life, is to develop the kind of faith whereby nothing can steal our peace.  If this is true, then few people ever  arrive.  However, those who do possess such faith are certain to show the fruit of the Spirit that Jesus also discusses.  It is far easier to be patient, kind, gentle and self controlled if your mind is not caught in the vice grip of anxiety. 

Additionally, it stands to reason that in order to  enjoy life to its fullest, anxiety and fear must be overcome and replaced by the kind of steadfast faith in God that leads to the "peace that passes all understanding."  

While it is true that anxiety and fear are hard wired into us, partly that to survive we do have the "fight or flight" hormones to deal with, in excess they can cause us real problems, both mentally and physically.  Fear and anxiety are also prime weapons in the arsenal of our enemy who roams the desert looking for "whom he can devour."  Clearly, fear and anxiety are real life stealers, hence the wide road to destruction.

Realizing that we are biologically predisposed to fear and anxiety, and knowing that the enemy sometimes has the advantage over us, I wondered, how on earth do we conquer these conditions?  

Jesus addresses that in Matthew 7:7-8.   "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

Simply put....pray for it, because no one can overcome worry without the help of the Holy Spirit.  In fact, if we could achieve ANYTHING without Him, we would not need Him and Jesus' death would have been all for naught. 

So if you find yourself struggling with anything in your life that causes you fear or anxiety, here are two verses that are worthy to meditate upon:

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7

The Creator of the universe cares for YOU!  So start casting!

The Architect of My Life...

Where my eyes see ashes, You see new growth.  Where my eyes see death, You see resurrection. Where I see pain and sickness, You see opportunity for healing and creating new and restored relationships, for those who are crushed have the greatest chance to experience Your reconstructive power. Blessed is he who is the project of Your hands because Your building can weather any storm.

Father, be the architect of my life. Follow your blueprint to every minute detail. Tear down the walls I have built which serve to protect myself against others, but which also block the flow of Your steadfast mercy and love.  Remove the weak stones from my foundation. Strip away the layers of plaster and paint which I have applied in an effort to conceal my flaws and shortcomings, and replace them with the Fruit of Your Spirit.  Rebuild my walls with the strength of Your Word that I might stand in times of adversity, and restore my crumbling foundation  with the mortar of Your Truth.  May the first Rock lain in that foundation be that which is called Christ.

In Jesus Name, Amen

And He (Jesus) said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'  Matthew 22:37

I do not believe in religious tolerance for it is not enough that we tolerate a person, but rather we should love him regardless of his religion.  One needn’t embrace a belief system in order to embrace a person. 

Battlefield or Bootcamp?

Life is a battlefield. I can either be destroyed by it or allow the Lord to use it to train me for a higher purpose.    We often find ourselves  lost and alone, bloodied and bruised, seemingly with nowhere to turn.  Yet as the light of life fades to a mere flicker and threatens to be extinguished, I hear a voice crying in the distance "Hang on, I am coming!"  My heart,  once in danger of ceasing to beat, suddenly quickens under the administration of hope!  I strain to hear the source of the voice as it draws ever nearer.    With eyes glazed and barely able to discern light from dark, I feel two strong hands gently searching to assess my injuries.  

" I am sorry, I know how much this hurts. I have been wounded before.  Hold on, we will get through this together."  

The encouraging words impart strength to go on and the determination not to be defeated by the enemy.  My comrade....a blessed new friend, lifts me to my feet.  As we hobble along together, the pain and darkness seem to subside and are replaced by an inexplicable strength as the love of Jesus begins to fill my soul. Soon we make it back to the bunker where others are waiting to encourage me and to bind my wounds. 

It has been said that we are the hands and feet of Jesus.  It is inevitable that in a fallen world, bad things will happen to even the best of people.  At such times, those who have experienced much affliction in their lives, effectively become the hands and feet of the only One who can save.  Each trial we face not only is an opportunity for personal growth and an increase of faith, but is a training exercise which renders us highly useful to Him when ministering to those who are similarly broken.  

So if you are struggling today, I encourage you not to ask "why me Lord?"  But rather "how best can I serve You?"  Pray not that God should remove your afflictions, but that He might strengthen you to get through them, that you might better be able to embrace the wounded, look straight into their suffering eyes and exclaim "I  KNOW how you feel, I have been wounded before, but do not worry, we will get through this together!"

Throw Rocks or Stand on The ROCK...

One leads to death and the other leads to life.  In these troubled times, there are two ways to behave.  Murmur, complain and speak evil, or put on the Armor of God and do battle in His strength.  I can only imagine the pain and agony which precede a death by stoning.  This seems to be the fate of our country at this moment, given the social unrest, accusations and blame shifting that is waging all around us. 

Though it realizes it’s ultimate fate, the flesh, unless reigned in by the Spirit, always opts to throw stones. Yeshua/Jesus made this clear when He told the Pharisees that “whoever is without sin should cast the first stone” at the adulteress woman. 

Now of course there are times when it is appropriate to stand up for my beliefs, to call out evil for the lying destroyer that it is, however at such a time I  should stand on the Rock for not only will I be safe from flood and foe, but elevated to a position which allows the light of Christ to shine far brighter. Surely a lighthouse would do little good if built on the beach, rather it is far more effective if built high on a rocky cliff. 

My spirit knows all this and yet my mind cannot always perceive of it for in response to all of the unfair, critical and downright evil things I see and hear, my first impulse is to pick up a stone and hurl my criticism at others. At such times, if I am right with the Lord, He will quickly remind me of the prophet Isaiah, when in response to having seen the Living God, cried out “woe is me for I am ruined, a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips! “

The Nature of Sand

One can just as easily die in a sandstorm as by stoning. I often excuse the little things say I say and do to others as inconsequential, but a grain of sand can render much harm if there are enough of them or under the proper circumstances. No, rather I should allow God to fight my battles for a pebble such as in David’s hand, wielded by the power of God..can slay any giant.

THE NATURE OF SAND...

Sand may have its uses, but it is unreliable. It shifts, washes away....is comprised of small particles, together yet separate.  Individual grains can become irritating at the very least, or cause major damage at most. Under the direction of an earthquake, sand becomes fluidic, unable to support a structure or stand it’s own ground. It can be manipulated by the ebb and flow of tides, both mighty and small. 

It was said to Abraham by God that his descendants would become numerous as grains of sand.  How much much I have in common with a grain of sand!  I can be unreliable and wash away at the smallest trickle of adversity.  I am but a small particle, together yet separate from others....a minor irritation to my neighbor or able to wield devastation with unkind words. I often collapse under the weight of evil forces which I perceive to be greater than myself, thus at times I am unable to stand my ground. If I am not cemented by  the mortar of the Holy Spirit, I can easily crumble....controlled,  manipulated and defeated.  And yet.....God still loves me. Oh that I were only able to find an even greater way to praise Him!

STAND on The Rock....or THROW rocks....

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  Matthew 3:18

Peter was a good example of one who knew how to submit to authority.  God's laws always supersede the laws of men, so how are we to submit to authority if our government opposes the Word of God with any of its mandates? We do as Peter did, for he was emulating the way in which Jesus interacted with officials during His own crucifixion.

In the days preceding Peter's own final imprisonment and subsequent crucifixion,  the Bible establishes a clear pattern of behavior which exemplifies the way in which all Christians should conduct themselves when faced with persecution from government or otherwise.  As Peter awaited his fate in prison, having defied the authorities by continuing to preach the name of Jesus, he share the Gospel with the prison guards.  When a chance to  escape availed itself, he refused to take it......for that would be breaking the law. When facing the authorities and being told he would be crucified, his only request was that he should be crucified upside down, for he considered himself unworthy to die the same death as his Savior.  Having done nothing to deserve death, Peter submitted to authority by speaking no evil, preaching only God's Word, and allowing himself without uttering one hateful word, to be crucified.  Just exactly as Christ had done. 

The book of Acts also records how Peter, Paul and the other apostles conducted themselves while under persecution.

"And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

Acts 5:40-42

How did Peter and the other Apostles react to having been beaten?  They REJOICED at having been counted as worthy to suffer shame for His name......and then they continued to preach the name of Jesus Christ!  This is a tough act to follow, and a perfect example of how the Apostles were able to 1) Obey God's commandment to preach the Gospel and 2) by rejoicing rather than criticizing the leadership which had ordered their beatings, they were simultaneously honoring God's command to respect and submit to authority.  I guarantee this did more to promote the name of Jesus than if they had chosen to be bitter and criticize the authorities.  They were demonstrating Jesus' own actions prior to His crucifixion, as it was written in Matthew 12:19 "He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets."   This does not sound like One who was speaking ill of the government, even when faced with His own demise,  rather both Jesus and the Apostles took seriously God's admonition to "speak evil of no one."

There is much wisdom in these words because criticism and badmouthing never solve a problem rather, they only lead to division, anger and strife.  In fact if we read the entire text, we soon see that we are also called to be peaceable.  

"Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. "

Titus 3:1-3

The message is clear.  Submit and speak evil of NO ONE.  Like it or not, this even includes Vladimir Putin and others who have committed even more heinous crimes.  Beware the temptation to make excuses or otherwise seek loopholes in what the Word of God says, for you know who prompts us to that line of thinking. 

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

It's time we get out our spiritual swords, folks.  In these troubled times, rather than criticizing governments and each other, we should put on the Armor of God and have each others' backs.  Instead of putting down other people, we should be lifting up the name of Jesus, the Mighty Conqueror, keeping our eyes firmly fixed upon and always directing the lost....and each other....to the Cross.  

Believing that our negative words and criticisms can ever bring about peace is foolish and seems to me to imply that we haven't the faith that the weapon of God's Word can.  Let us take to heart the admonition given in Hebrews

"but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

And

 "encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

A Thanksgiving Thought and a Prayer

It is a fine thing to strive for assets as long as I am willing to work hard, thank God for my blessings, and share what I have with others in need.  I should never cling to my wealth as though my life depends on it because it does not.  Putting away for a rainy day is not the same thing as hoarding manna.  

Putting away requires a prudent, thoughtful plan which is most successful when the Lord is my Financial Advisor.  Hoarding clings to assets with such white knuckled fists as to render my hands useless to God. It is the principle symptom of the disease of pride, a telltale sign that I trust more in myself than in the Creator and Maintainer of the universe. 

Lord please lead me not into temptation, and  never allow me to step into the pitfall of pride. Please give me the strength and the wisdom to be ever thankful for Your abundant blessings....In Yeshua’s mighty name!

Prosperity or Prophecy?

 “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. “ James 4:1-3

The purpose of life is not prosperity.  I am  called to love God, love people and to share the Gospel, which provides evidence of both.  Whenever I share the Word of God, I am issuing a prophetic utterance, of which is said will never return void.  

Conversely, the prosperity gospel, AKA “name it and claim it” misses the point entirely.  As a member of this belief system, I am no better than those folks who followed Jesus around seeking miracles and personal gain.  It should be noted that these same people shouted “crucify Him” when it was perceived that He had let them down. Such a despicable way to treat our Savior!

No, my goal is to share the Word and the Good News of Christ and then to live out of God’s abundance which is tailor made for ME.  I must therefore be cautious never to compare what I have or lack to the blessings bestowed on others. Covetness and gratitude simply cannot peacefully co-exist for where envy resides, it will most certainly dominate thankfulness.