Prose with a Purpose

Prophet Jeremiah's Revelation: Beyond the Clay

2010-02-18T10:32:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite worship songs was written by an Australian Worship Leader named Darlene Zschech: "The Potter's Hand". It captures the beautiful analogy of how a life surrendered to God is like clay in a potter's hand -- a concept Christians tend to associate with
Jeremiah chapter 18 verses 1-10.

The potter at the wheel is symbolic of God, and we are the clay He molds. What a comparison! Because just like a person, a lump of clay can be a fickle thing. Now this can work in the Potter's favor or it can grieve Him. The way it works well for Him is that "compliant" clay can be molded into any purpose that He desires. And we will experience a sense of fulfillment in our lives in the long run when we choose His will over ours. But clay that has too much water makes for a wobbly vessel, and clay that's too dry will cause the vessel to crack. So it's important that there is a balance. We don't want to spiritualize every event in our lives, but we also want to be paying enough attention that we recognize it when He is trying to get our attention, give us His directives, or He is moving on our behalf.

The Hebrew word for vessel in verse four (most of the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew) is a very general term and simply refers to something that's being made ready (or is ready) for a particular purpose. There is a story about a man born blind in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of John. Jesus spat on the ground, made clay, put it on the guy's eyes, and told him to go wash it off. Jesus told His disciples in verse three of that same chapter that this man-vessel's purpose was for the works of God to be revealed. What an awesome destiny! But if a vessel becomes marred, or more specifically, if we should choose a path of moral decay, or our leaders choose a path of moral decay for this nation, God's destiny for us changes.

It's important that we recognize that the passage about the potter and the clay isn't limited to just you and me. It can be applied to a whole nation. When those who lead our nation are applying the principles in God's Word to their decision making process, we are going to see God's favor and blessings poured out on the nation as a whole. But when our leaders allow our nation to become marred by ungodly agendas and insist on passing laws that are counter to God's Word, then our nation will experience negative consequences. In fact, this would apply to any nation. Jeremiah 18:7-10 does not name a specific nation -- it's a general, blanket statement. And a bill that has elements such as end of life counseling and taxpayer-funded abortions is certainly counter to God's Word. The good news is that those same verses also assure us that not only will God remake the destiny of repentant individuals, but He will also remodel the destiny of a repentant nations.

We serve an incredible God who sets each of us apart for a specific destiny. Though we all start out as "a lump of clay" in His hands, His loving eyes look beyond who we are, and He sees the potential for who we will become as He continues to fashion us beyond the clay.

Why some healthcare workers and others are refusing swine flu vaccine

2009-10-18T21:55:00.003-04:00

It would seem that the swine flu vaccine is on its way to healthcare workers and children, according to www.Foxnews.com . There are even some schools that have distributed information packets to parents in an effort to convince them to give permission for their children to be vaccinated right there at the school.

The fast-tracked vaccine has been a source of controversy for many, especially when the state of New York mandated its healthcare workers to get the vaccine or they'd lose their jobs. There are even healthcare facilities in other states that are insisting that their healthcare workers get the vaccine. But its not just the fast-tracked and inadequate testing that had the New York healthcare professionals carrying picket signs of protest.

Most swine flu vaccines include thimerosal mercury. Though the FDA allegedly stopped licensing other vaccines with thimerosal except those with trace amounts, they do not clearly explain why. However, there have been arguments from other sources that thimerosal mercury causes autism in children. One such organization is www.nationalautismassociation.org

Another additive that healthcare workers are calling dangerous which is in the swine flu vaccine is squalene. According to a Daily Mail article, "squalene, a naturally occurring enzyme, could potentially cause so-far-undiscovered side effects." The article also quoted Dr. Tom Jefferson of Cochrane Collaboration as saying, "none of the studies we’ve extracted have any research on it (squalene) at all."

Drug companies stand to make billions off the vaccine according to a Financial Times article. And they even get to double dip because not only did the US purchase 195 million doses with the taxpayer money over the summer, but also healthcare providers can charge a fee to those who receive the vaccine.

Interestingly, www.CNN.com reported over the summer that Defense Secretary Robert Gates was asked to sign an "executive order" which would empower the military to, "establish regional teams of military personnel to assist civilian authorities in the event of a significant outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall." It would be even more intriguing to know what’s meant by ‘assist,’ and in what way the military would go about assisting civilian authorities — whoever those civilian authorities are.

Deliver us from Broken Walls and Burned Gates

2009-06-17T13:29:00.003-04:00

I’ve really been kind of drawn to the Old Testament book of Nehemiah lately. In my Bible there is a subtitle at the top of chapter 1 that reads, "Nehemiah Prays for His People." This particular chapter talks about how Israel had been captured by her enemies, but that some Jews had survived. Nehemiah was talking with a few of his fellow countrymen, asking how those survivors were doing. When he heard that they were in "great distress" and that in Israel’s main city of Jerusalem, the walls were broken down and her gates were burned with fire, Nehemiah "wept and mourned for many days." He also began to fast and pray.

Walls around a city in that day were one of a city’s main defenses against attacks. So for Jerusalem to be without walls (or a stronghold) basically meant that it was disarmed and unable to defend itself. It had been defeated.

The gates not only allowed individual people to come and go freely, but they were also related to the city’s commerce। So for it’s gates to be burned with fire basically meant that the economy was shot. Or to borrow a few of Obama’s words from a few weeks ago, "the nation is broke."

Jerusalem was (and is) Israel’s capital—it was the place where headlines were typically made—kind of like Washington D.C. One might wonder how Israel ended up becoming disarmed, defenseless and broke. How is it that a nation on whom God had poured out such plentiful and prosperous blessings fell, seemingly suddenly, into the treacherous hands of her enemies? What happened to her allies and why did they refuse to stand with her?

I have to say that the questions are disturbing. While a nation’s primary defense today is no longer a physical wall or stronghold, the "mettle girders" of what makes a nation great and blessed of God lie in "walls" that are built with "material" that acknowledges and honors God, and a nation who chooses to apply His directives to their everyday living—from Washington D.C. all the way down to the smallest village. If we will choose to humble ourselves in that way, then we’ll eventually be delivered from the broken walls of morality and burned gates of commerce. Now such restoration isn’t going to happen overnight. And please also notice that the redeemed morality comes before the restored commerce—because when a man’s ways please the Lord, the Lord will make even his enemies to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7).

The book of Nehemiah goes on to detail how God poured out His blessings as the nation consistently choose to acknowledge and honor God with their choices and actions. He didn’t want them to have broken walls of morality and burned gates of commerce or He wouldn’t have put it on Nehemiah’s heart to fast and pray. You see, God made Nehemiah a godly leader so that he could set the example for the rest of the nation. As God dealt with their leader at the time, God dealt with the nation. Leaders often function as God’s visual aides—sometimes for how it should be done, and sometimes for how it shouldn’t be done. God desires to bless His people. But just like any good (but sometimes imperfect) parent isn’t going to "bless" a child who makes immoral choices and lacks character, neither will the good and perfect God of the universe bless such people. But when such people change their hearts and cry out to Him for deliverance from broken walls and burned gates, He is eager to bring hope and restoration.

God Bless our Military

2009-05-23T08:15:00.000-04:00

As of this writing, Memorial Day is only a few days away. And though no one in my immediate family has ever had to go and fight for the freedoms that I get to enjoy, I clearly have reaped the benefits that many unselfish men and women have won and protected on my behalf. Some of these men and women have paid the ultimate price for my freedom to pursue any vocation that I choose, say anything that’s on my mind, go anywhere I desire, live anyplace that I prefer, worship the God in whom I trust, and all of this only begins to touch the surface of the depth of their ultimate gift for me, a perfect stranger. Their willingness to give so much certainly leaves me feeling humbled. And it’s not like I can do anything to pay the ones back who died for my sake. What a beautiful illustration of Jesus’ words, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his (or her) friends" (John 15:13). The really radical thing is that these brave men and women have never even met me!

Some of the wars (or police actions) that our brave men and women have fought for us have been controversial. And while some may not agree with the reasons why our government may have deployed our military, our military still deserves to be respected and even honored. Without them, our nation would not enjoy the constant peace and safety that we all take for granted, nor would we experience the liberty of our own property, homes, cars, families, faith and other blessings that we enjoy daily.

It’s unfortunate that Memorial Day has become so commercial. Nearly every store has a sale, and picnics and cookouts are planned as people eagerly await weather reports to see if it will be nice enough to swim. Now I’m not trying to put a damper on everyone’s celebrations. I’m all for celebrating. I would just like to encourage us to remember why we even have the freedom to celebrate. And to all our brave military men and women everywhere, and especially to the families of those who’s loved ones paid the ultimate price, as understated as this seems, thank you – and God’s blessings on all of you.

The Years of Change

2009-04-01T20:55:00.006-04:00

I was listing to a conservative talk radio program the other day and was astounded to hear several callers state that they believed that Obama will get in for another term. I emphatically disagree. You see, people vote with their pocket books.And we have a housing crisis that still isn’t resolved, an automotive crisis, a looming healthcare crisis, a credit card crisis, a student loan repayment crisis on the horizon, and none of this can be resolved within four years. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!

You can be assured that gas will not stay at it’s present $2.00 per gallon price because the Obama administration doesn’t want it to. They have a "green" agenda and cheep gas flies in the face of that. Not only will gas go up, but so will diesel, which will increase the cost of food. To make matters even more interesting, the present administration is pushing for "pesticide regulatory education" for Indian tribes, Farmers, and others in the agricultural industry. Once again, this "regulation" of pesticide will mean that there is greater loss of crops, which will put a double whammy on the cost of food. It makes me wonder if, after hospitals and schools, that the next group of businesses to ask for a bail out will be farms and restaurants because not only will people buy less food, but there will be less of it available anyway. So the very notion of wiping out starvation and poverty – something that the liberals say they want to do, they will not be able to do. In fact, they will have made things worse under the present administration.

Other things that will not be fixed within the next four years are people’s retirement
plans – if we still have that once Obama gets through with all of his socializing of the government. That IS where we are headed you know – socialism. Unless we change the current administration. Most people have lost roughly 1/3 to HALF of what they had built up in their 401K. It’s going to take a long, long time for people to get all that back. And for those who are close to being prepared to retire, they ain’t no more! So in many cases, people will be forced to keep working until the day they die. How’s THAT for change?

Some of us have heard about the G20 talks that are going on in London today। One of the things on the table is a "brand new currency". Because the whole world is financially messed up. There is a push for a ONE WORLD CURRENCY. Now up above, I have talked about the government bailing out various businesses. When the government bails them out, there are strings attached. What happened with GM and it’s former CEO is a case in point. Bailouts and government grants are NOT free money – contrary to popular deception.

This is a bit oversimplified, but the government OWNS whoever gets the bailout. Not too long ago, I heard that the country of Iceland went bankrupt. I don’t believe that this will remain an isolated case. There WILL be other countries who "go bankrupt". And once they do, who will "own" them? Talk about the stage being set for a ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT. And once we have a one world currency and a one world government there is only one element left to complete this three strand cord of Bible prophecy found in Revelation chapter 17. And that would be the ONE WORLD RELIGION. Christianity and anything else that doesn’t line up with the forth-coming people’s religion will be considered hate speech and will be against the law per a new One World Constitution, which will be the ultimate symbol of the majority of the population supposedly being "of one mind" and willing "to give their kingdom to the beast…"(Revelation 17:17-18). Because with the NEW WORLD ORDER will come A ONE WORLD LEADER who has a "false prophet" that does some seriously amazing signs, wonders and miracles that amaze the population (Daniel 9:27, Matthew chapter 24, Revelation chapter 13).

When Obama campaigned, he promised us change. He didn’t say what kind of change. And I’m not saying that Obama will be the new One World Leader. My original point was that I don’t believe that he will get another four years in office because he will not be able to fix the many messes that are going to explode on the scene during his term. The new One World Leader will actually fix the mess, but it won’t be in a way that leaves everyone feeling prosperous and happy.

In the meantime, all is not lost. Next year, there will be several seats in DC that are up for reelection. So we the people have the power to enact our own change in about a year and really put a cog in the socialist agenda that the present administration is attempting to cram down our throats. And two years after that, we can finish the job.

Surmising a Slimmer Summer

2009-03-28T00:41:00.003-04:00

Though I posted this several posts ago, now seemed like a good time to dig it back out since summer seems to be on the horizon.

Well, we finally made it. Last month I was really wondering if it would ever come. Thank God it’s finally Spring! I am not a cold weather person. I would sooner sweat than shiver so I’m always glad to see that last pile of you-know-what melt. I’m of the opinion that it’s actual name is a four letter word for a reason. And now that my least favorite season is out of the way, I expect that most of us are pondering the ways in which we can look less like Frosty and melt away that pesky winter weight. Here are a few healthy ideas for a slimmer summer.

Though it originally took me some time to get used to the idea, whole wheat flour is not only beneficial for the digestive tract, but it has the potential to bring some stability for those who find that their blood sugar tends to run high. Eating whole wheat breads and pastas in place of the "bleached, enriched" white stuff is an easy change that can make a noticeable difference when done consistently. And these things can be easily found at your typical grocery store.

Another easy change is oatmeal in place of potato chips and pretzels. And when I say oatmeal, I’m not talking about the stuff that comes in little packets that’s loaded with lots of sugar and midget pieces of dried up polygons that they try to pass off as fruit. I’m talking the old fashioned stuff that comes in the cardboard canister. By the way, the old-fashioned stuff can be microwaved. Don’t let the "old-fashioned" thing fool ya. This also can be purchased at your typical grocery store. And it’s not bad at all when you mix it with a teaspoon or two of a sugar substitute and some REAL fruit – like a chopped banana, apple or some strawberries.

And speaking of sugar, the white granulated stuff is one of the worst for interfering with weight loss। For whatever ridiculous reason, almost every food manufacturer likes to include it in prepackaged items. They like to use high fructose corn syrup and dextrose, too. And you’ll find it in the most unexpected of places if you’re an avid label reader – places such as spaghetti sauce, salad dressing, even canned fruit and breakfast cereal. The good news is that some sugar substitutes that you can cook with include Splenda, Altern and Aprive. And they can even be sprinkled over cereal, in coffee or tea or wherever you might want a little extra sweetness. Once again, stocked in your typical grocery store.

As much as most of us don’t like to hear the "e" word, exercise that is, it does make a difference. Not only in our weight, but also in reducing our stress level. Finding a form that you like is really important because it can make a big difference in your ability to motivate yourself to stick with it. Having an "exercise buddy" can be helpful, too. Walking and hiking are great forms of exercise. Other options are dancing, swimming, biking, chasing after your kids and just about any sport that gets you up and moving three or four days a week for at least 15 minutes. While this is by no means a complete list of options for a slimmer summer, it will hopefully spark a few ideas along the way.

Refocusing our Trust

2009-03-24T16:24:00.005-04:00

One of many things that I have found to be key in the Christian walk is focus. Distractions can come in many forms. Relationships, money (or lack of it), pain possessions, issues at work, even simple discomfort from extreme heat or cold can steal our focus. And when we let these things distract us, then we forget that God is our provider, healer, peace, joy and basically, able to give us all that we need to handle any struggle that we bring to Him. But some distractions aren‘t viewed as a hardship. Holidays can be a distraction. So can things like sporting events, movies, electronic gadgets and concerts.

Distractions are not prejudiced. They transcend race, gender, age, denominational affiliation, vocation, social class and more. They may look slightly different from generation to generation, but we’ve all anxiously encountered their hungry persistence. They’re like stray cats who feast on our keynote musings. If you continue to feed them and let them hang around your back porch, they won’t go away. And when they draw a person’s focus away from their personal relationship with Jesus, they become a form of idolatry.

There are a lot of people who are pretty rattled over the loss in value of their 401K, the future of health care, all the irresponsible bail outs going on in Washington, and the overall future of where our economy is headed. And if your company is struggling you might even feel that your job isn’t real secure, either. Now I’m not trying to minimize anything. These concerns are some tuff stuff with which we all have to deal. But in the midst of all this, when we know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, those things can draw us closer to Him and not drive us away – it just depends on where we choose to focus. Realizing that we don’t have any control over our future, and that He is the only one who can get us through the tough times can be a springboard that makes us choose to deepen our relationship with Him. That can be accomplished through prayer, reading and memorizing portions of His Word that bring us comfort, and trying to stay in fellowship with people of like faith who encourage us in our walk with Him.

The Twila Paris song that I mentioned several posts ago, "God is in Control" continues to run through my head. Especially the concept in the first verse that this isn’t the time to be in fear; this is a time for faith and a time to be determined to hang on to the vision that God has placed in our hearts for our futures. At the very least, we can know that God has a future of peace and hope for His people because of Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11 – and some of us of may have even been given a more specific vision than that in our times of prayer with our Lord.

Jesus tells us not to lay up treasures on earth, but to lay them up in heaven (Matthew chapter 6 verse 19). Given the days that we are in presently, we are certainly being tested as to what values we hold dear, and in what, or whom, we are choosing to place our trust. But we can’t allow ourselves to get distracted by the tenacity or the intensity of the test. You see, a test is for a limited time only. Even if it seems more like a college exam, it’s still going to come to an end. The good news is that this test is open book, and we have a moderator who is allowed and wants to lead us to the right answers. Sometimes those leadings take on the form of "godly" counsel from those more experienced than ourselves, and sometimes we’ll receive them by a "revelation" in our times of prayer and /or Bible reading, but we can be sure that God has not abandoned or forsaken us when we have a mind to seek His will and ways - and refocus our trust on Him.

Living the Victory

2009-03-16T23:25:00.002-04:00

Don’t you love it when you get tackled by a revelation that seems to have the depth of Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave? I mean we’re talking something that, as you continue to follow it’s steady, steep descent, makes your ears pop with it’s vast shaft of unforgettable wisdom, lodging snuggly in your soul like a gem that’s become a family heirloom. Then every once in a while, you take it out and study it and God gives you yet another facet to examine. The priceless nuggets are as follows: "Freedom people free people. Bondage people bind people." And one powerful illustration of this lies in Matthew 18:21-35.

When the servant couldn’t repay his master and the servant pleaded for mercy, the master made a choice forgive him. The master was a freedom person – one who chooses to set others free. Now being a freedom person is not necessarily easy. Especially when someone has hurt us. Something in us just gnaws at the idea of not holding a grudge and not getting even. We might even fuss about how unfair it is and get all wrapped up in a mental stronghold of bitterness and unforgiveness that begins to hinder our prayer life, interfere with our creative abilities, and short-circuits God’s destiny for our lives. You see, when we allow unforgiveness and bitterness to take root, then we eventually begin to experience jealousy, envy, and strife toward others – whether they are the party who caused the original pain or not. And if the root grows deep enough, we may even try to sabotage their gifting or calling or God-given destiny. We attempt to imprison them in the same type of bondage in which we have been imprisoned. And if they don’t forgive, the cycle repeats itself. To make matters even worse, the enemy will take every opportunity to thrust the torment of mental anguish on us from the original painful memory itself, which intensifies the unforgiveness, bitterness, jealousy, envy, strife and any other work of the flesh in which we find ourselves walking (Gal. 5:19-21).

So how do we break the cycle? By following the example of the master and forgiving. Now I admit, sometimes that’s easier said than done. But if we want the freedom that comes with living the victorious Christian life, then the element of forgiveness must be included. We may have to go to God and say something like, "God, I am so mad at so-n-so! What was done to me was so hurtful and I’m just having trouble forgiving. I’m sorry about that. Will you help me to forgive so-n-so?" And one thing of which we can be pretty certain is that whatever was done to us, was most likely done to the person who hurt us. In addition, as much as we might not feel like it, that person needs prayer that God would set them free in that area. As we pray for that person, we’ll be set free from our pain. And as we are set free from our pain, the anointing of God on our lives will become stronger. We might even be able to experience the joy of being a vessel for Him that helps someone else to become a freedom person - living the victory.

The Church is not God…and neither are People

2009-01-08T21:36:00.005-05:00

Well, I guess I brought this blog post on myself, in a sense. I’ve been so busy with other writing projects lately that I really haven’t had the time to blog as much as I would like - so I prayed. I asked God to give me a good post. Now whether you think this is good or not will most likely depend on whether you like stuff that’s controversial, or whether it makes you mad. I typically like controversial stuff - although this might get me in trouble with some people. But before you get mad, keep in mind that Jesus was controversial. In fact, when He walked this earth He was so controversial that they killed Him. And by the way, the Bible is controversial too. Okay, here goes…

Shortly after making my request known for a good blog post, this interesting thought floated through my mind. It went something like this: What if people are feeling like the church has failed them?

Strange thought, isn’t it? Well, maybe not if you hold that view. But I personally think that one of the greatest conundrums about the church is that many people seem to think that the church is a building made of bricks and mortar…as opposed to people. And there seems to be a further mindset that God only hangs out in the church building…as opposed to being everywhere present at once. As a result, there is a popular mindset among many church folk that if one is not in the church every time there is a church function, that one is forsaking God Himself. Now there might be some churches who do this on purpose, but I’m not convinced that they all do it on purpose. But if I may borrow from veggie tales for a moment, just like God is bigger than the boggy man, God is also bigger than the church. If He’s not bigger than the people…and the building for that matter, then we’ve got a real problem.

So if He’s bigger than the people and the building, then doesn’t that suggest that our relationship with Him isn’t limited to just the people and the building? I mean, if He’s this all powerful being who’s in control, then doesn’t the essence of who He is go deeper than people and buildings and denominations and earthly limits? After all, it is written that His ways are deeper than ours and His thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8). So that must apply to His ability to love, too. His unconditional love goes far deeper than any of us will ever truly know.

To make matters even more interesting, I began to wonder, Is there a mindset that if the church approves of something or someone, then God approves? I mean, it’s also written that those who are not against Him, are for Him (Mark 9:40). So could it be that church folk, even if they’re from another Christ-centered denomination, and even Christ-centered parachurch ministries, are ALL really working toward the same goal? If God doesn't play favorites and in every nation accepts whoever respects Him and works righteousness for His name’s sake, (see Acts 10:34-35) and we are trying to apply His Biblical mandates to our lives, then why do we play favorites?

The Sky is NOT FALLING!

2008-12-08T16:30:00.004-05:00

As I glimpsed a few headlines this morning, I saw that stocks jumped 300 points on the news of Obama's plan for the auto industry. And right under that, it said that Dow Chemical is cutting 5000 jobs and will close 20 plants, and that 3M will cut 1800 jobs in the fourth quarter. A few hours later, Anheuser-Busch announces that it will cut 1400 jobs within the next few weeks. How on earth was the Dow up 300 points?

And then there are the conservative talk show hosts. They cry and moan and insist that Obama has it in mind to catapult the price of gas back up to $4 per gallon because Tom Brokaw said that hheeee thinks that this is a good idea. That way, Americans drive less and the green agenda can be powerfully propagated. Well, Tom didn't put it exactly like that. He was much more devious and smooth about it. I just added a bit of drama for effect. Nevertheless, the sound bite was being shared with whomever happened to be listening to the conservative radio talk show at the time. Tom thought that now would be a good time because then Americans wouldn't have the chance to get used to gas that 's been under $2 a gallon.

As for Obama, his sound bite indicated that this kind of burden would not be a good thing right now because, well, there might be somebody in some household who's out of work, or somebody else who's struggling to make their house payment, or somebody else who's struggling to put food on their table or hang on to their car. And the fear factor is that Obama will tax gas behind everybody's back once things get good again. But we keep hearing that things will NEVER be the same again - at least that's what Citibank said last week. And the conservative talk show guys had a field day with that, too. Now I’m not dissin’ conservative talk radio. They need ratings just like everybody else in the media. But both sides are being so overtly and pathetically negative that it just feeds my attitude of being FED UP with the ridiculous victim mentality that’s being shoved down our throats!

So we're all supposed to buy gold, guns, booze and beef jerky and barricade our doors? What on God's green earth has happened to the American resolve? We have had a reputation for being a nation that is great and a nation that is determined and a nation that is strong and able to forge ahead...especially in the tough times! Have we become a nation of wimps? Have we had it good for so long that we have forgotten how to survive? Have we become drunk off of the plenty with which we've been blessed for several decades now? I hope this is not the case. I hope that we've not become so indoctrinated by what the media is telling us (whether liberal or conservative!) that we have forgotten how to think for ourselves. These people tell us it's terrible out there. So terrible that it's not been this terrible since the 1930's depression when the stock market crashed and people were jumping out of buildings and unemployment was the highest that the nation had ever seen.

Okay, if it was that bad in the 1930's and it is now 2008 then guess what? WE SURVIVED! If we are so frightened of what's to come, then perhaps it's time to look backward with a positive and astute eye and see what our grandparents did to survive the economic crash of the 1930's. That was also a time when people were saying that this nation would never be the same.

While things may be bad, things are NOT the worst that they have ever been in the history of this nation. For one thing, as best as I can remember my history, unemployment has been much worse then than it is now. People have struggled to put food on the table, pay for their homes, and supply the basics for their families. But when our nation came out the other side of that thing, we were GREATER than before - not worse. When we were going through it, we didn't have this pathetic victim mentality, we just began to get creative and think outside the traditions of men and the comfort of affluence - and the 1920's, according to history, were an incredible decade of affluence for this nation.

Though it presently seems like I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, I'm going to say it anyway: THE SKY IS NOT FALLING! Now I will agree with you that the sun sure ain't shinnin’. I will even agree with you that the wind and the waves are blowing something fierce and that in the distance, that guy walking toward us on the water looks like a ghost. But guess what? He's not the enemy. He's the Savior and He's inviting us to get some resolve and get out of the boat. Have you ever wondered what it's like to walk on water?

FED UP with Gloom and Doom!

2008-11-09T17:08:00.002-05:00

Everywhere I turn there is somebody, somewhere, with some media outlet, who is projecting gloom and doom for this nation because of the new leadership that’s coming forth. Even the main stream media has uttered it’s doubt and dread about what the future holds for our nation. I find this ironic and maddening since they pushed their liberal agendas down America’s unsuspecting throats. But it’s time to STOP with the gloom and doom already!

This nation has a history of having a gift for being able to take what life throws at us and somehow using it to make us a better and stronger people. This present situation will be no different if we will stay rightly focused.

We have one of two choices when we find ourselves in a time of crisis. We can allow fear and panic to paralyze us, or we can focus on the fact that the One True God will never forsake us – especially when we make it a point to call on His name.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who is also the One True God of every true Christian, is the same God who has the forces of hell on a leash. The forces of evil are limited with regard to just how far they can go to harm us. They’ve been limited to just how much destruction they can do our economy. They are limited to just how far they can go to decimate our healthcare system, our education system, our 401k’s, our loved ones, our personal health, our job situation, our stock portfolios or any of the other myriad of things about which we worry.

The enemy must ask the One True God, who is in control of this universe, for permission to sift us or even this nation. We can know this because it was true for the Apostle Peter (Luke chapter 22, verses 31-32) and because, "God doesn’t show partiality. In every nation He accepts those who fear (respect) Him and do what is right" (Acts chapter 10, verses 34-35, NLT). Furthermore, the One True God is not the one who pours out a spirit of gloom, doom, terror and panic. The One True God is the God who imparts a peace into our spirits that is so uncanny that words cannot even begin to capture it’s depth, nor even explain how it’s existence is possible (Philippians chapter 4, verses 6-7). But when we are rightly focused, that’s the kind of peace that does and will reside in our soul and spirit.

Focusing on our fears will do nothing good for us. Focusing on our fears will hinder our ability to think clearly, prevent us form sensing God’s directives, and kill the dreams and vision that He has placed in us. If we are worried about our personal future and the future of this country, then it’s time to turn our hearts to the One True God and spend more time in prayer. Spending more time alone with Him will not only give us peace about the future, but it will ignite a bonfire of boldness to carry on with the plans and purposes that He has placed in each of us for the future.

God’s plans and purposes for us are not limited to a good economy, a bull market, and a fat bank account. This same God is able to look at something that’s empty, formless and in darkness, and speak beauty, purpose, life, and light into it (Genesis chapter 1, John chapter 1, verses 3-5).

All this gloom and doom that is being spewed forth is nothing more than a victim mentality. This country wasn’t built by people with a victim mentality. It was built by people who became fed up with what was, and began blazing a trail for what could be. They made a choice that they would not abandon their vision for freedom, nor their plans for the future in the face of hardship and challenging circumstances. And today, we STILL have the freedom and the right to make that same choice. Let’s exercise it.

Country in Crisis

2008-11-07T02:11:00.004-05:00

I was minding my own business reading the headlines this evening when I saw it. I wasn’t even looking for it. I was amazed that it was already there. Really amazed! It’s been a pretty busy news day all day long and there were plenty of articles that were of interest to me. I was even somewhat encouraged by Obama’s pick of Rahm Emanuel. Why? Because Rahm is an orthodox Jew. Though he doesn’t have the reputation in the press of living up to what his first name means (kind and compassionate) he is a lover of Israel and that is certainly important to me.

Another article that captured my attention detailed fact that joblessness is now at a 25 year high. But the one that nearly took my breath away was entitled, "Detroit seeks Congress aid on retiree health care" (http://news.aol.com/article/detroit-seeks-congress-aid-on-retiree/240385). I could hardly believe my eyes. Only two days ago I had just mentioned in my post that I believed that the next meltdown that this country would experience would be the coming healthcare crisis. I thought it would take a few months or even a few years before it would really hit, and perhaps it’s a bit dramatic of me to think that it has begun because this presently appears to be limited to General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. But these are huge companies! And being unable to take care of their retirees health care payments, they are turning to the government to…
BAIL THEM OUT.

I do wonder when these bailouts will stop. Since our wonderfully wise government decided to bail out the banking industry, now they have the troubled car industry coming to them with out-stretched desperate hands. And I am quite certain that I know what industry will be next. Yesterday I stated that hospitals are going bankrupt. This was no exaggeration. I know of two huge ones right in my hometown that are in a heap of trouble. And if there are a couple of them here, then I have no doubt that there are others all over the nation. I can’t say that I am certain of how long it will take before the hospitals start begging Pelosi and the rest of the congress for a hand out / bailout, but I do believe it is coming. Enter socialized medicine. The stage will be set. Much like it seems to be set for this crazy notion of "redistribution of wealth". And while we’re on the topic of bailouts, I wonder how long it will be before the schools need one.

I’m starting to feel sorry for Obama. He and congress will have so many difficult problems to face when he begins his term. But Washington aside, our nation has always been a people with resolve. Resolve to learn, resolve to grow, and most importantly, resolve to carry on and never give up. Christian recording artist Twila Paris had a hit song back in 1993 entitled, "God is in Control". It’s been running through my mind lately. Her inspiring words proclaim to us that this isn’t the time for allowing ourselves to be paralyzed with fear. Now is a time for faith, determination (or resolve) and vision. While we may be a Country in crisis, we will not be overcome when we start making it a point, as a nation, to acknowledge Him again.

Dawning of a New Day

2008-11-05T02:59:00.004-05:00

As Obama gave his victory speech last night, his flowery words reminisced of a time when African-Americans and women weren’t allowed vote because of the prejudices that our nation held. Most of us living today are too young to remember the days when women and minorities weren’t allowed to vote, get an education, and be the exclusive owner of land, a home, or business. But we do remember what it was like to experience getting cheated of equal pay for equal labor, cheated of promotions, and the frustration of not being able to have credit in our own names. And if those of us who know about that were to dwell on it for too long, it has the potential to be infuriating.

There have been terrible abuses in our nation’s past. And I can only hope that we learn from those mistakes so that we don’t repeat them. Obama has become something of an icon for those who hoped and voted for him. He became a symbol of equality, upward mobility, financial stability, environmental rehabilitation, healthcare reforms, social security reorganization, and perhaps even a symbol of peace and safety because of his insistence on removing our troops from Iraq. I’m sure that others could add more to what I have listed here.

Today, Obama holds the nation’s hope for a "changed" future in his hands. He has alot placed on his shoulders – a great deal of expectation to live up to because when he actually begins his term in a few months, he will have many problems that he must work to resolve. And there is no way that most of them can be resolved in 4 years.

I firmly believe that the next "meltdown" that this nation will face will be healthcare. There are hospitals going bankrupt; people who can’t afford to use what crummy insurance that they do have; insurance companies who are quite happy to take people’s money but refuse to pay for their care or their prescriptions; a shortage of healthcare workers because they are fed up with stupid and unreasonable industry policies; and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. I think that there’s a good chance that this healthcare crisis will happen while Obama is in office.

As for the ideal of spreading the wealth around, let me ask you this: what motivation does a person have to actually build something when they know it’s going to be taken away? Whether that person is Joe the Plumber building his business, Joe six pack building his house, or you and me building up our bank accounts through our own hard work, we build stuff because we have a dream or a vision for the future. If what you have is being taken from you so that it can be "spread around", it’s no longer yours! That’s what they do in communist countries. And the only thing that’s worse than living in a communist country…is living in a country that used to be free.

Yes, this is certainly the dawning of a new day. Not only because of who the majority of our nation elected for President, but because of what’s coming. Obama is about to face a national tsunami of catastrophic proportions on behalf of our nation. At the end of four years, he will either be the greatest hero that this nation has ever known, or he will be it’s greatest antagonist. I hope with all my heart that he ends up being a hero. I prefer happy endings.

Resolving to Search for Solutions

2008-10-29T00:16:00.003-04:00

Well, it’s hard to believe, but "E" Day is only days away. Just think, some jubilant presidential winner will have a memorable, massive, mess with which he will get to contend. And the Dems are feeling lucky. With big banks in the deep freeze of debacle, and assets frozen by the loads, visions of the number "60" are dancing in their eyes. I guess they think that the American people weren’t paying real close attention to who presently has the house majority. As angry as most people are about the bailout, I will be very surprised if those in the House and Senate (who are up for reelection) who voted for the bailout will be voted back into office. If Obama gets in, (God forbid!) I certainly can’t see people voting for a Democratic congress. If he doesn’t, I believe that they will hold their position at best.

The person whom we put in office is going to have a task that, quite possibly, no other President in history has ever seen. Not only does the economy seem to be imploding here and all over the world, but there is a coming healthcare crisis; a pending social security disaster; and an unfinished war. All this while terrorist dictators, with their strategically placed suicide-demolitioners, pause briefly to note our choice – because this will be a signal to them about whether to aggressively assault us or to plan an ambush…again. That’s a lot for us to consider. Possibly more than any generation in the history of our country has ever had to weigh.

It is written in Proverbs chapter 9 verse 10 that the fear (reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom। Yet we have a Congress that constantly pushes the boundaries with regard to ethics and morality, and forces their outrageous pet projects down the throats of the American people with total disregard and disrespect of the wills of the majority. One thing that we need to be asking is, do we just want change, or do we want a resolution to the issues that we are facing? Change can be good and change can be bad. And change that’s nonspecific is not only overly risky, it’s reckless. A resolution implies a workable solution. And since these problems have been looming for far longer than one or two presidential terms and are quite "bipartisan" in nature, it is realistic to suspect that resolving them will also take longer.

The above are tough things to consider. But these difficult circumstances should be raising questions in our minds about who we really want in such a presidential and congressional hot seat. It’s going to take something of a miracle to fix these inevitably explosive problems. But all things are possible with God. And He is more than willing to work through leaders who will acknowledge Him on behalf of this country and act with integrity. He is also willing to move on behalf of a people who will humble themselves enough to call upon His name for solutions…and then follow His ways.

…But the Greatest of these has Compassion

2008-10-17T12:20:00.004-04:00

I had the pleasure of watching this year’s last Presidential debate with my husband this past Wednesday. It was one of McCain’s better debates, though I certainly enjoyed Palin much more। I really appreciate the woman’s wit. My enthusiasm about Governor Palin aside, there was one particular thing about Obama that stood out in a major way this past Wednesday. One thing that I believe really makes the difference between a true leader verses a counterfeit one.

All great leaders that history remembers well and in a positive light have this particular character trait। George Washington had it, Lincoln had it, Reagan had it, John Ashcroft had it, and I’m sure you would even be able to think of some people that you personally know of in your own life who are leaders who have it. It’s disturbing to me that there is a possibility that we could end up with a President who thinks that the American people are so cold that we don’t care and don’t weigh the importance of calculated, cruel, careless words. It’s even more disturbing to think that a Presidential contender thinks that there’s nothing wrong with these types of words and that they are, "…the stuff campaigns are made of". These facts came out about Obama when the debate moderator asked McCain and Obama if they could look each other in the eyes and say to each other the things that were being said in their campaign ads. And it was Obama who was of the opinion that the American people were not real concerned about "hurt feelings".

God help us if this is true। Because if it is, then we have lost our compassion and our love has waxed cold and the greatest element of true character has died in this nation. When we are no longer concerned about the hurting, then neither will we be concerned about the enslaved, the oppressed, the innocent, the widow, the orphan, the poor, the jobless, the hungry…and we will no longer be concerned about what makes a godly leader who cares enough to lead this country in a way that is honorable. It is written in Proverbs 16:7 that when a man’s ways please the Lord, that the Lord will make even that man’s enemies to be at peace with him. If we no longer have compassion, if we no longer care about "hurt feelings", even if it does start in the context of a Presidential campaign, then in the end, we will no longer have peace in this nation.

We are very blessed in this generation in that we really don’t know what it looks like to have a war come to our own soil. The closest we’ve seen to that is the 9-11 attacks. But we could certainly get a clue about what it looks like for war to come to our own soil just by reading what is happening in places like Georgia, and remembering Hitler’s awful attempts to wipe out the Jews and then take over the world. He wasn’t going to stop with the Jews, you know. And the only reason that he was stopped in the end was because our country and our allies stood up to him and our God delivered the victory into our hands. And why did He deliver the victory into our hands? Because we cared.

The Flip-Flop Revival

2008-10-04T02:20:00.000-04:00

Scenes from the 2004 Republican convention have resurfaced from archives of my mind lately. That was the year that George W was running against John Kerry. Various delegates brought flip-flops with them and anytime Kerry’s name was even mentioned there would be this rousing chorus of, “Flip-flop, flip-flop, flip-flop”, as flip- flops were waved at the camera.

Kerry had this memorable habit of doing things like voting for stuff before he voted against it. And as I’ve had the pleasure of watching the debates, Obama has said that he would meet with dangerous leaders like Ahmadinejad without preconditions. I heard him say it with my own ears. Then when McCain said that this was not only dangerous but nieve, Obama denied that he ever said anything about declining preconditions. But his website says otherwise. Flip-flop.

As I watched Biden and Palin in their debate, Biden actually said that he believed that same sex marriages were a constitutional right. Palin, on the other hand, said that she supports the, “traditional family.” After hearing this, Biden suddenly changed his mind. Flip-flop.

This next one is one of my favorites: Biden indicated that he thinks that there should be a timeline for withdrawing our troops from Iraq and adamantly proclaimed that he and the Obama administration would, “end this war”. Palin emphatically insisted that such a plan would be a, “white flag of surrender”, and went on to articulate that we’ll know to end this war when: Iraq can govern itself, it’s troops can defend the country, and it’s boarders are secure. And only moments later, Biden hung himself on the moderator’s next question. When asked if a nuclear Iran was a bigger threat than an unstable Iraq, he did some DC style whirling and twirling and finished with a grand finale admission of actually voting for the Iraq war…before voting against it. Fliiiiip-Flooop!

Biden reminded me of a cockroach scrambling for cover as the foot of Palin politely pounded his pathetic prattlings.

While these are only a few of some of the more amusing Democrat blunders, this has got to be the most exciting election of my lifetime. And there are more debates to come! Until next time, keep the light on – and your flip-flops ready!

Lessons From a World Leader

2008-08-25T15:38:00.006-04:00

Psalm 3:2-4 "Many are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my
head. With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah."

The world scene is becoming more and more interesting as the return of Christ draws nearer and nearer. It would seem that the US has many enemies who seem to think that they can overtake us in spite of the military reputation that we have. Russia is one case in point. Their refusal to back down from their attack on Georgia – even as we make it clear that we are Georgia’s ally, is quite interesting. Neither is Russia bothered that the UN is threatening to revoke their membership.

Still, with it’s borders being nearly surrounded by mighty Russia, the President of Georgia makes an appeal to the American Christians to pray. He appeals to a country who’s government battles to keep prayer out of the public schools, and Judeo-Christian values out of the classrooms. How is it that the leader of a tiny country recognizes the power of prayer while the government of a mighty country fights to expel the very God on whom we are being asked to petition? It’s a scary thought, isn’t it?

While mainstream media tries to convince God’s people that we have no place in government affairs because it "violates separation of church and state", there is a leader of a country who asks us to call on the very God who has been dubbed "an American rights violation" so that his country will have a fighting chance to maintain their way of life. And don’t think for one moment that Russia will stop with Georgia. Besides the fact that the president of Georgia has tried to, perhaps prophetically, warn us that "the bear is back", Russia has a brutal history with not only Georgia, but also the Baltic states. Russia’s atrocities have been forever commemorated in The Museum of Occupation in Riga, Latvia which soberly and solemnly illustrates what we Americans would term as blatant and gross human rights violations.

The President of Georgia cries to the Lord and asks the American Christians to cry along side of him because somewhere along the line, he figured out that God will hear the cries of His people and move on their behalf. What an incredible lesson from a man who has experienced both the oppression of Russia’s communist rule, and what life is like when they are free of it. God help this nation, that we will never have to experience communism or even socialism before we appreciate and praise Jesus for our precious freedom!

Sharing in a Promise

2008-08-11T10:30:00.002-04:00

One of the things that I love the most about mission work is how inter-denominational it can be. Because of the many missions ministries that are on-line, we can easily connect and participate in outreaches that are not only on the opposite side of the country, but the other side of the world . Technology has paved the way for some very creative ways of reaching others with God’s Word. It has also opened incredible doors of opportunity to reach out past the walls of our home church, and past the barriers of Christian denominationalism for the sake of God’s Kingdom.

I like the way that the Amplified Bible words Psalm 2:7-8: "I will declare the decree of the Lord: He said to me, You are My Son; this day [ I declare] I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession." While it’s true that the above scripture was first a promise between the Father and Jesus, we Christians became "adopted" through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. We are now eligible to share in that promise and Jesus desires for us to share in it. Further proof that He is inviting us to share in it can be found in Matthew 28:18-20 where we are told to make disciples of the nations. Not denominational clones, but disciples of God’s Word. A disciple is simply a learner or a pupil. So we’re all called to be disciples of God’s Word, studying it and then sharing what we’ve learned when He presents us with an opportunity.

The Passion of God's People

2008-07-08T17:03:00.003-04:00

Paul's focus as a minister of Jesus is nicely summed up in Colossians 1:28, "Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. The reason that Paul proclaimed, warned, and taught people about Jesus and God's Word was so that they would become mature Christians- fully grown and initiated in the ways of God. Paul had a passion to help his fellow Christ-followers grow into the person whom God had chosen them to be - a passion to which any godly Pastor alive today can relate, and one which they will encourage their congregations to embrace.

We Christians aren't supposed to stay "baby" Christians and never contribute to the "building" of God's Kingdom- much of which can happen outside of the four walls of the modern-day church. While it is appropriate to minister to our siblings in the Lord, believers who are willing to go out and live what they believe and trust God to bring about the results on HIS timing, are going to experience a sense of fulfillment and purpose that only comes with the understanding that what they are doing is going to have an eternal impact . What joy it brings to the Lord when we believers function as a loving, unified family, encouraging one another to reach the lost. When we reach out to others with the intent of extending and inspiring Holy Spirit motivated - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control - God's power is gong to be on our lives. And when believers are reaching out to one another in this way - especially within the four walls of the church (as opposed to competing and moving in arrogance and / or self-seeking) it brings out everyone's best and encourages an atmosphere of rich fellowship permeated with the vast joy and peace of God's unboundless presence.

How empty and stagnate our Christianity would be if we didn't have a growing passion for a deeper relationship with Jesus, God's Word, and a desire to reach out to those around us. And as we continually embrace God's Word and apply it to our lives, He's going to guide us into opportunities in which we get to make an everlasting difference.

Praise, Worship, and Christian Attitude

2008-06-14T08:50:00.003-04:00

From my earliest years as a Christian I can remember hearing the words coming across the pulpit of many a preacher, "Worship isn’t just a Sunday thing, it’s a lifestyle thing!" And as one who enjoys worshipping God, especially through music, I have to say that I agree. But what about our praise to God? Where does that fit?

One book in the Old Testament that has some great examples of beautiful praise and worship lyrics is the book of Psalms. Though King David didn’t write all of them, he wrote most of them. And as I researched the authors various uses of the words "praise" and "worship", I made some interesting discoveries.

The book of Psalms was originally written in Hebrew. Throughout that entire Old Testament book, there’s only 1 word that means worship – but the word praise has 7 different word choices. And being the curious soul and lover of praise and worship that I am, I wanted to know about each fascinating word. In a nutshell, here’s what I found.

Praise and Worship: Psalm Style

Psalm 7:17 says, "I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness…" The Hebrew word here is "yadah". This use of the word praise means to hold out the hand, or to give thanks. It’s the one used most often in the Psalms, and was typical of both their corporate and personal praise to God.

Another great way to praise God is with a hymn. In Psalm 22:25 it’s written, "My praise shall be of you in the great assembly…" And the Hebrew word here is "tehillah". Even today there are many churches who still use hymns as a way of declaring the greatness and glory of God, and His ability to do the miraculous. Another interesting fact about "tehillah" is that it could also be used as a musical notation that gave the musician insight into the song’s dynamics.

The praise word "halal" was quite an extensive display of praise to God. "Halal" means to praise with vivid sound and / or color. It could also include singing and bragging about God’s greatness. Some great examples are found in Psalm 148:1-13, and all of Psalm 150. Every single word for praise in these passages is the Hebrew word "halal". Another interesting point about the praise word "halal" is that it also referred to a bride being given in marriage.

"Zamar" is a praise word exampled in Psalm 108:1-2. "O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn." This use of the word praise refers to touching the strings or parts of a musical instrument. It also was the word used for instruments that accompany the voice, and always implied lively songs of celebration.

Many of us who have been Christians for a while know the old song by Martin Nystrom entitled, "As a Deer". Back in the 1990’s many church worship teams and choirs sang this song which is rooted in Psalm 42:1. And moving on to verse 4 of Psalm 42, it states, "…I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast." The word for praise here is "todah", which means a choir of singers and can include extending one’s hand as a type of peace offering or praise offering. "Todah" can also refer to a sacrifice of praise. And for those who wonder just what a sacrifice of praise is, it’s praise offered to God when we don’t really feel like it. It might seem strange, but when we’re struggling due to financial loss, loss of health, or some other loss (or losses) and we make a choice to praise Him, even if all we can think of is just because of who He is, it restores our peace and joy. We may have to do it again an hour later – but that doesn’t matter. We may have to ask Him to give us strength to endure to the end, but that’s okay. He’s faithful. He’ll give it (see Psalm 71).

A praise word that was used in connection with testifying about who God is, is "shabach". All of Psalm 63 is a great example, but verse 3 specifically says, "Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you." And "shabach" includes the idea of praising loudly in triumphant words. It can also be a shout of victory.

A Word of Worship

The one and only word for worship in the book of Psalms is "shachah", and it means to lower or humble ourselves before Him of our own, free will. It can include kneeling or laying prostrate in recognition of His holy presence. Psalm 95:6-7 captures this with the beautiful words, "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His Hand." Another nice illustration is in Psalm 132:7. "Let us go into His tabernacle; Let us worship at His footstool." Our willingness to physically lower ourselves reflects the attitude of our hearts. But we don’t have to wait until we go to our "Sunday morning tabernacle" to praise and worship Him – nor should we.

In the Old Testament, the tabernacle (or temple) was the primary place where your average Joe Hebrew was going to find the presence of God. Today, because of the shed blood of Jesus for our sins, the presence of God lives primarily in us. He goes where we go because we are His temple (1 Cor. 6:19). And our praise and worship to Him is an opportunity to express our love and gratitude to Him.

Longing for the Living God

While praise and worship are clearly two different expressions of our love and gratitude toward Jesus, they belong together. Going back to the concept of the tabernacle for a moment, and thinking simplistically about it, the tabernacle had 3 main sections. The outer court, the inner court, and the Holy of Holies.

Praise is like the outer court. It helps us get our mind off of our troubles, off of the world, and focused on God. It helps us realize that God is greater than any problem we may face, and He’ll either deliver us from it or walk us through it.

The inner court is where praise and worship become intertwined. It’s a transitional place that prepares us to really draw near to God. One Psalm that’s a nice example of this intertwining is Psalm 95.

As we step into the Holy of Holies, this is where our hearts will become calm, or peaceful. The peace we experience enables us to hear from Him. Whether it’s a need for His wisdom, knowledge, understanding, comfort, restoration or something else, the Holy of Holies is where we’re going to experience His presence. And the more of His presence we experience, the more we’re going to long for it. His presence and the building of His Kingdom are the only things that are going to give life meaning and purpose. That’s why praising and worshipping Him needs to be more than just a Sunday thing. It needs to be a lifestyle thing.

Some of today’s Christian music is rooted in God’s Word. Many of the old hymns are rooted in God’s Word. And in Psalm 119:11 King David’s voice would have sung, "Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you." While praising and worshipping God are wonderful expressions of our love to Him, so are knowing His Word and applying it to our lives.

Just as we typically make an effort to avoid saying or doing the things that we know would be hurtful to our loved ones, if we’re going to say that we love Christ, we will typically make choices that express that love. We will choose to ask Him to help us to develop the fruit of His Holy Spirit in our lives (Gal. 5:22-26). This fruit is not only an evidence of true Christianity, but it is a daily praise and worship to Him. When we are in the work place, or at home, or running errands, or whatever we are doing, and we are consistently moving in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, this gives glory to God. Not that we’ll always do this perfectly. That’s impossible. But that’s where willingly humbling ourselves comes in (Matt 23:12). When we mess up, we apologize to whomever we’ve hurt, and to God, and then we move on. God’s not looking for perfection. Just our dependence on Him for His help with having a Christian attitude in a fallen world.

The Tough Love Behind God’s Judgement

2008-06-09T16:13:00.003-04:00

It seems strange to consider that the word " love" could be used alongside the word "judgement". After all, judgement is kind of a scary word. It conjures up pictures in the theater of one’s imagination of violence, destruction and anguish. Is it even possible for something as terrible as judgement to bring about an even remotely positive result? And how can a God who is supposed to be loving, be the same God who would pour out His judgement?

The word judgement has some interesting roots. One synonym for it in Hebrew is
krisis – comparable to our English word crisis. A crisis could be described as a turning point – for better or for worse. And in the Greek (the New Testament was originally written in Greek), dichotomia, is comparable to our English word dichotomy - a division, or the process of splitting into two parts. I found this next one really interesting. The Hebrew word krima, is comparable to our English word crime. Most of our laws today are rooted in the 10 commandments. For example, if someone is caught stealing, they have committed a crime. This is also true of killing. Lying (bearing false witness) under oath in a courtroom is also a crime and a sin. Have you ever noticed that you don’t have to teach a child how to lie? And we parents get very upset when our children lie to us. So we punish
them – yet we say we love them.

God Bears a Burden for Us

Most of us have probably noticed the dangerous crossroads, or perhaps dichotomy, at which our nation stands. In many ways, it reminds me of what the Old Testament prophet Amos saw in his day. The name Amos means "Burden-Bearer". Symbolic, no doubt, of the burden that God bears in His heart for us and every nation. A deep love that may very well find itself wrestling with His righteous nature on a regular basis. Ironically, the people to whom Amos was speaking were basically a people of plenty at the time. Plenty of food, plenty of water, plenty of clothes, plenty of housing, plenty of jobs, and plenty of immorality. God blessed them and not only did they take it for granted, but they saw their prosperity and political power as God’s endorsement of their life-style.

The heart of God was broken over how His blessings were being abused and used for things like destruction (Amos 1:3), oppression (Amos 1:6,9), murder (Amos 1:13), despising and not keeping God’s commandments (Amos 2:4), twisting the law to persecute and enslave the righteous and poor, (Amos 2:6), taking advantage of the poor, perverting the legal system, sexual sins, excessive interest on loans, and idolatry (Amos 2:7-8). Sounds a lot like today’s headlines.

God Corrects His Beloved

The Lord allowed some pretty intense extremes to get Israel’s attention in the midst of her sin. Everything from a series of natural disasters to war to some losing their transportation and / or homes, and that’s only part of the list in Amos 4:6-12. Because of God’s great love and mercy, He will often speak to us through His Word and cause us to see how and where it applies to us and / or our nation. This gives us an opportunity to ask for forgiveness and intercede so that things might change. Prayer can definitely change the destiny of an entire nation (Amos 7:2-6). God will give warning after warning in anticipation of the cry of a repentant heart – or nation. He warned Israel through Amos that if they would not heed His Word and apply it to their lives, that He would take His Word away from them and let them starve spiritually (Amos 8:11-12).

What if God allowed the lawmakers in our land to take our Bibles from us and shut down our churches and shut down our Christian television stations, radio stations, publications, and take from us all forms of Christian media? What if it were against the law to pray in the name of Jesus and testify? This would be a terrible famine, wouldn’t it? And we shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that it can’t happen here. Most countries in Europe used to be Christian. Now they are post-modern at best. It’s like there is another civil war happening in America – only this one is over whether we really want to invite the One True God to be the One and Only Lord of America.

God Restores Those Who Honor Him

God promised that there would be a remnant in Israel whom He would not destroy (Amos 9:8). After all, if He totally wiped out Israel, then He couldn’t make good on His promise to send them their deliverer, the Christ. And there was a remnant who truly did want Him to be their God. They were the ones who realized that they were really going to need God on a very personal level if He actually did abandon their sinful nation and turn it over to their ruthless enemies in judgement. And God would honor them by eventually restoring His blessings to them (Amos 9:11-15). He’ll preserve a country that repents. He’ll protect a remnant who honors Him. And the ultimate piece of proof that God wants to restore those who repent and honor Him is illustrated by Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. If it wasn’t for that, none of us could be restored.

Without the judgement of God, we’d continue to drift down a destructive road that would end in our demise. We often refer to God as our Father. What parent wants to witness the self-destruction of their children? If we imperfect parents will exercise the tough-love of disciplining our children so that they will one day have peace, hope and a future, then how much more will our perfect Heavenly Father do the same for us with the love behind His judgement?

Broken and Chosen

2008-05-27T22:05:00.005-04:00

I’ve often wondered how deep 17 year old Joseph’s understanding went concerning his dreams in Genesis 37:5-11. Did he tell them to his family just to get on the nerves of his envious brothers, or did he tell them because he knew his Dad could interpret them? While it’s not clear what his motive was, it is clear that God had a plan for him. While many scoffed at what seemed to be the unbridled imaginings of an idealistic, teen-age boy, God nurtured the mustard seed beginnings of something that no one could
believe – much less imagine. Though there was an understanding that young Joseph’s dreams were a call to leadership, no one seemed quite convinced that his call was truly of God. Plenty of Christians today can relate to this. But just because "men" don’t see (or recognize) what God is doing does not make it illegitimate. There were plenty of men who didn’t recognize what The Heavenly Father was doing when He sent Jesus to us, and Jesus is His Son!

Hearing Him Call

When the Lord begins revealing His plans for us, we need to realize that He doesn’t necessarily mean that we will step into that destiny tomorrow. Sometimes it’s years before we get to do what He’s chosen us to do because we need to be equipped for it.

When God first communicated to Joseph in Genesis 37:5-11 that He’d give Joseph a future as a powerful leader, Joseph had no idea that God was going to strip him of his pride and totally break him before He’d let Joseph have that impressive calling for which he’d been chosen. And (unfortunately for us) this isn’t exclusive to Joseph. God did the same thing with Moses, King David, The Apostles, and many others that we can read about in the Bible. The more willing we are to let God deal with us, the better we’ll be able to handle it when we find ourselves in the pit of rejection, discouragement and despair. Joseph’s family refused to share in his excitement about God’s call to leadership on his life (Gen. 37:19-20). In fact, they rejected him and plotted how they might kill him over it!

Tragically, fellow Christians and sometimes even our relatives will attempt to discourage us from what we know God has for us. Some might even get angry, envious and down right cruel toward us. But the key to getting out of that painful pit is to humble ourselves before the Lord in prayer and ask Him, "What do You want, Lord? How do I need to change so that I can step into that thing which you have chosen me to do?" And if we can remember to ask the Lord to help that person (or those people) who are coming against us to step into their own destiny, it will protect us from the feelings of bitterness which would short circuit our own future.

When the Lord begins to reveal just how we need to change (and He will) we may also need to cry out to Him for the strength and encouragement to obey Him. But He is faithful. And as we determine to use the pit of brokenness as a means of drawing closer to God, He will grant us favor where we need it most, orchestrate our circumstances, and cause us to end up with exactly what He promised. Joseph even ended up getting favor with the keeper of the prison where he was confined (Gen. 39:21-23)! Ironically, had he not been put in prison, he never would have met the butler, interpreted his dream, and then ended up standing before Pharaoh. Proverbs 18:16 states that, "A man’s gift will make room for him and cause him to stand before great men." And Proverbs 22:29 states, "Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before Kings; he will not stand before unknown men." This certainly happened in Joseph’s situation. Just not overnight. And it can happen in ours if we’ll use our times of waiting wisely.

Waiting Isn’t Passive

Sometimes our desire (or our zeal) grows faster than our ability to handle the plan that God has for us and we must wait. That’s when it can get difficult. I don’t think I know of anyone who likes to wait. But I know of many people who have learned how to use waiting to prepare themselves for stepping into God’s will. For example, someone might have a desire to learn how to play a particular instrument and use that gift for the benefit of the body of Christ. Their time of waiting could be used to seek out someone who already plays, ask questions about the instrument, and maybe take a few lessons. Someone who has an interest in doing missionary work in a foreign country might use his or her time of waiting to research some of the culture and history of that country, and perhaps eventually learn the language. Someone who has an interest in teaching or preaching might ask a Sunday School Teacher or their Pastor about how to prepare a message. Someone who has an interest in Evangelism might ask the Evangelism Pastor of their Church about how to get involved in church outreaches. And if someone is too shy to ask questions, Christian bookstores can also provide helpful information – even "spiritual gifts tests". A really good one is by C. Peter Wagner and can be purchased with a book called, Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow. The test is a bit lengthy, but it’s worth the investment of "wait time" and will sharpen a person’s understanding of God’s direction for his or her life.

Since God gives us our talents, He will want us to discover them and use them. If we pray and ask Him to show us what they are, He will reveal them. And there is no joy like the joy of stepping into the gifts and / or call for which He’s chosen us. That doesn’t mean that it won’t involve work. Nor does it mean that we won’t experience occasional frustrations. But overall, the experience of using our talents for His Kingdom and glory will be satisfying and joyous. As we seek the Lord about showing us our gifts and His plan for our lives, He will not only show us great and mighty things, but He will give us His wisdom, knowledge and power for accomplishing them – just as He did for Joseph.

Taking the Truth to Tucson

2008-05-19T08:40:00.005-04:00

If the old saying about variety being the spice of life is true, then Tucson, Arizona is definitely the place to be. Though this multicultural giant had the humble beginnings of a Native American farming community back in 1775, it’s natural beauty, desirable location, and potential for lucrative commerce eventually attracted a culture of over 500,000 residents so diverse that the city organized an annual extravaganza called, "Tucson meet yourself". For one weekend in October the various ethnic groups celebrate their diversity with a weekend of dancing, singing, artwork and food. But it’s strongest influences remain a blend of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American. The population of Anglo-Americans to Hispanics is nearly an even split.

Arizona is home to more than 10 distinct Indian tribes. Each is it’s own people group with it’s own culture and traditions, and their spiritual stories are often displayed in their art work, tapestries, baskets, jewelry and other items that they sell to the public in shops and at craft fairs. Of Arizona’s 113,909 square miles, 19 million acres belongs to 20 reservations. Unfortunately, suicide, hopelessness, and many forms of abuse run rampant among the tribes.

Tucson’s main seasons are summer and winter. These get briefly interrupted by fall, spring and monsoon. Summer highs can go above 100 degrees, but the humidity is normally low with a beautiful, clear sky. Summer lows range from 68-85. Monsoon can begin as early as mid-June, but normally runs from July through September. The humidity during the monsoon season is much higher than at any time of the year. In spite of this monsoon season, one of Tucson’s biggest challenges is a low supply of water. Therefore, there is quite an effort being made to conserve water.

Among this eclectic mix of people is plenty of unique opportunity to take the truth to Tucson. Those who sense the Lord’s beckoning for this mission will get to partner with The Isaiah Connection ( a short-term Christian missions organization) and a Messianic Congregation in a Holy Spirit inspired and directed effort to reach a city that is truly a multicultural wonder. This particular outreach takes place between June 14, 2008 to June 22, 2008. If you would like more information, or you would like to get involved in Taking the Truth to Tucson, please visit www.isaiahconnection.org.

Designed for Destiny

2008-05-13T13:29:00.005-04:00

Many years ago when I was a single Christian and my looks were an accurate reflection of how young I was at heart, I can remember rolling out of bed on many-a-morning and grumbling about my job. Since I lived alone, I grumbled at God. I didn’t like my job because it was boring to me and I couldn’t see how it related to the vocation toward which I was working - outside of paying the bills. What I failed to realize back then was the value of wisdom. Not that I don’t have plenty more to gain, but knowledge learned in school can not replace the wisdom of experience. God will use our vocation to shape and mold us for the destiny that He has for us. That shaping and molding will include our character, skills, confidence and more. Looking back, I can see that much of where I’ve walked and what I’ve been through has brought me closer to being the person that He created me to be, doing what He’s called me to do today.

Finding Meaning in the Mundane

While I’ve had some pretty boring jobs in my life, I can’t imagine that young David’s job tending sheep was a job that anyone would describe as a "dream job". Unless it was in the context of a nightmare. Nevertheless, as I began seeking God about how I could be a blessing to Him and His people, He showed me that one of Israel’s Kings started out with a very mundane job. Perhaps the only real perk to David’s job as a shepherd was the fact that he got to work on his harp-playing skills without being hassled by his older brothers – they were all preoccupied with Israel’s war on terror against the Philistines. And I have to wonder if the occasional excitement of the threat of a lion or bear was a somewhat welcome break in the daily grind and routine.

I’m sure that David never would have imagined that these two "skills", were the very things that were going to get him promoted to a palace position (1 Samuel 16:16-19, 1 Samuel 17:34-37). Just one step in God’s ultimate plan to design David’s destiny as King over Israel.

The other things that got David promoted were his character and attitude. The servant in 1 Samuel 16:18 said that David was, "…a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person; and the Lord is with him."

If we were to put that in 21st century vernacular, we could say that someone like David has morals, is a confident, capable leader, has excellent communication and problem solving skills, is very professional, and is a Christian. Though David was only a shepherd, he had an incredible reputation! And his willingness to tolerate the mundane put him in a position to receive God’s blessings. Now I realize that this all sounds a whole lot easier than it is. And I don’t know about you, but there have been days, many days, when I’ve had to ask God to give me strength for today and hope for tomorrow. Sometimes I’ve even asked several times a day. But that’s okay. By the way, David did that too. And Psalms 27:1, 46:1, and 119:114 are only three of many examples.

Discovering Your Destiny

Besides seeking God for strength and hope rather regularly, another thing that really makes a difference is asking God to reveal how the gifts that He has put into us relate to His plan for our life. God has put gifts in all of us (Ephesians 4:8). And He has a plan (or future) for all of us (Jeremiah 29:11). No matter who we are.

Though Solomon was a son of David and Bathsheba, a couple who’s relationship was rooted in adultery, Solomon is the one whom God chose to build His temple (1 Chronicles 28:5-10). Nothing disqualifies a person with a right heart. And that is something that Solomon definitely had. When he could have asked God for anything his heart desired, (1 Kings 3:5) he chose the godly attributes of "…a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" (1 Kings 3:9) Talk about character! All he requested was that God would make him a godly leader. He just wanted to do God’s will. And it was a short time after that request that God revealed to Solomon the awesome plan for which he was chosen; confirming it through David. God revealed the architecture of the temple to David, and then used Solomon to carry out the physical building process. The gifts of these two men complimented one another for the building of God’s house.

Some of us have a sense of our gifts and we just step right into them. God even seems to confirm through others, time and again, that we’re doing what He wants us to do. Others of us are less certain. Perhaps even less confident. But just as God equipped Solomon and confirmed his destiny, God will equip any of us who are desiring to serve Him and be a blessing to others. One book that I have found which is a wonderful guide to discovering our spiritual gifts is called, Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts. The author’s name is C. Peter Wagner. The book includes a spiritual gifts test which is a bit lengthy, but it’s worth the investment of time required. In taking the above test, I discovered that God had put gifts in me that I didn’t even know were there.

Contributing Your Legacy

It was originally David’s desire to build God’s temple. And that desire really surfaced for David when Israel finally had peace from her enemies. Something for which David and all of Israel were very grateful. So David wanted to express to God his love and gratitude in a tangible way (2 Samuel 7:1-2).

It’s not necessary for us to construct a building to house God’s presence as it would have been in David’s day. Today, God’s presence lives in us because of the shed blood of Jesus. We are His building (1 Corinthians 6:19). So we might choose to express our love and gratitude to Him in other ways such as joining the church music program, teaching children’s Sunday School, doing church administrative tasks, being an usher, helping to clean the church, or filling some other need to which we sense God may have chosen us. Something I’ve discovered over the years is that where there’s an interest, there’s frequently a gifting. And there’s no joy like the joy of stepping into that thing that God has gifted you to do. In addition, when we ask Him to lead us and we step where He prompts us, we’ll be an encouraging example to others. Especially our newer siblings in the Lord who are seeking Him about the destiny that He’s designed for them.

Welcoming His Presence

2008-04-21T16:59:00.003-04:00

Somehow, the message of the passion that He feels for us as His bride seems intense at times. Almost overwhelming. His unconditional, undying love is an incredible truth that He lived out for us of His own, free will. He chose to be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), show us a perfect example of how to live (1Peter 2:22), die as payment for our sins and then rose from the dead (1Corinthians 15:3-8). A truth that allows us to experience the amnesty and tender kindness that He offers us today. Now. Always. Still, just like the Israelites when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, many of us are more at ease looking at the Lord through a veil rather than experiencing a relationship with Him behind the veil. We’re more at ease watching Sunday morning worship than actually worshiping. Tragically, we haven’t realized that the more depth our relationship with Him has, the more we will experience Him in our lives on a regular basis.

He Welcomes Our Presence

In His perfect love for us, Jesus desires to spend time with us. In fact, He desires to spend a lifetime with us and beyond. Presently, He not only intercedes for us daily, (Romans 8:34) but He is preparing a special place for each of us (John 14:2). And as we walk through each day, He desires to help us experience the presence of His perfect peace and joy. What Jesus offers us doesn’t fade at the first sign of trouble. It’s a far cry from what the world offers! It’s never out of stock and never needs to be upgraded, uploaded, or rebooted. And it’s free. It’s also rooted in a personal relationship with Him. While there may be occasions that we get out of focus and put more trust in our abilities than in Him, when we come to Him in prayer, He is always ready to forgive a repentant heart and meet our every need.

It’s easy to allow ourselves to be influenced by the "self-made" attitude of the world. However, God’s desire for us it that we would experience freedom from the burdens of what the world dictates we ought to have, see, hear or accomplish. The world teaches us to be corporate-minded. The Word teaches us to be Christ-minded. Being Christ-minded is the only thing that will ever bring true fulfillment and God’s deeper blessings. Asking the Lord to develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23) is the bottom line in being Christ-minded.

Personally, I think the Apostle John had the right idea when he laid his head on Jesus’ breast (John 13:23), What a privilege to be close enough to Jesus’ heart that you could hear it beating! Today, we can hear the heart of Jesus by spending time in His Word and by worshiping Him. When we focus on worshiping Him, of our own free will, it brings us to a deeper place of peace and joy that we wouldn’t otherwise experience. Persistent, focused worship, whether we sing it, speak it, or think it, will bring us to a place of being able to gain the victory over our struggles, and obtain God’s deepest blessings.

The Lord takes pleasure in blessing His people. We can know this because of the parable Jesus told us about the son who asks his father for bread in Luke 11:11-13. If the typical parent desires to give good gifts to their children (and they usually do), then how much more will our perfect heavenly Father desire to give us good gifts? Another way to look at it is this: friends, who are imperfect people, often desire to bless one another. So how much more would Jesus, the perfect friend, desire to bless us? It’s Jesus’ delight to bless us. Especially when He knows we will respond by sharing our blessings with others.

Drawing Near to Us

Jesus refers to us as His friends (John 15:15). He desires to draw near to us and He’s not bothered by our imperfections. In fact, He understands them because He has experienced life as a human and knows about limitations. Even before He first called the twelve to follow Him, He knew all of their flaws. He knew these, his closest friends, would abandon Him when He would have been most blessed by their support. He’s experienced what it’s like to be weary, hungry, tempted and misunderstood. He’s aware of each area in which we struggle and still chooses us as His beloved, desiring to help us achieve victory in every area of our lives.

As we invite Him into each area of our lives, He’ll be faithful to extend His guidance to us. Our challenge is to remember to slow down long enough and spend the necessary time in prayer – and then waiting on His reply. Time spent in prayer is never time squandered. In fact, I have heard many a minister say that more is accomplished when he or she takes the time to pray than when they just "jump into their day." Somehow, God always makes up the difference when we seek Him first.

Drawing Near to Him

It’s no secret that there are plenty of decisions in life that we must make. Everything from decisions concerning our career, to finances, to our choice of friends. And two of the most major decisions that we’ll ever make are who to marry and what house to buy. We can do what we think is best and then hope He’ll bless it, or we can ask Him what we should do and know He’ll bless it. When we make the decision to seek Him first, He’ll direct our path.

Two leaders from Israel’s history who can really bring us some insight about this are Johanan and Jezaniah (Jeremiah 42:1-22). They were in the middle of a rather ugly situation and asked Jeremiah to pray that God would show them where they should go and what they should do. However, they’d already decided where they’d go and what they’d do. They were trusting in their own ways. The only reason they wanted God involved was so that they’d have a guarantee concerning what they wanted. They didn’t really want what God wanted. That’s legalistic religion and God doesn’t respond favorably to those types of prayer requests. Even our Savior, while in the middle of a grueling struggle for our souls in the garden of Gethsemane, was willing to yield His will to the Father. This being the case, can we really consider doing anything less?

It’s sometimes difficult to let go of our own plans. Most of us don’t like being dependent on someone else concerning our futures or anything else that’s important to us. But yielding our plans to Him, in the long run, will bring the greatest blessing. In addition, our willingness to choose to ask Him to direct our plans is a type of life-style worship that will draw us into a deeper relationship with Him. It will cause us to draw near to Him, which in turn, will welcome Him to draw near to us.

Surmising a Slimmer Summer

2008-04-08T16:19:00.006-04:00

Well, we finally made it. Last month I was really wondering if it would ever come. Thank God it’s finally Spring! I am not a cold weather person. I would sooner sweat than shiver so I’m always glad to see that last pile of you-know-what melt. I’m of the opinion that it’s actual name is a four letter word for a reason. And now that my least favorite season is out of the way, I expect that most of us are pondering the ways in which we can look less like Frosty and melt away that pesky winter weight. Here are a few healthy ideas for a slimmer summer.

Though it originally took me some time to get used to the idea – and the taste – whole wheat flour is not only beneficial for the digestive tract, but it has the potential to bring some stability for those who find that their blood sugar tends to run high. Eating whole wheat breads and pastas in place of the "bleached, enriched" white stuff is an easy change that can make a noticeable difference when done consistently. And these things can be easily found at your typical grocery store.

Another easy change is oatmeal in place of potato chips and pretzels. And when I say oatmeal, I’m not talking about the stuff that comes in little packets that’s loaded with lots of sugar and midget pieces of dried up polygons that they try to pass off as fruit. I’m talking the old fashioned stuff that comes in the cardboard canister. By the way, the old-fashioned stuff can be microwaved. Don’t let the "old-fashioned" thing fool ya. This also can be purchased at your typical grocery store. And it’s not bad at all when you mix it with a teaspoon or two of a sugar substitute and some REAL fruit – like a chopped banana, apple or some strawberries.

And speaking of sugar, the white granulated stuff is one of the worst for interfering with weight loss. For whatever ridiculous reason, almost every food manufacturer likes to include it in prepackaged items. They like to use high fructose corn syrup and dextrose, too. And you’ll find it in the most unexpected of places if you’re an avid label reader – places such as spaghetti sauce, salad dressing, even canned fruit and breakfast cereal.
The good news is that some sugar substitutes that you can cook with include Splenda, Altern and Aprive. And they can even be sprinkled over cereal, in coffee or tea or wherever you might want a little extra sweetness. Once again, stocked in your typical grocery store.

As much as most of us don’t like to hear the "e" word, exercise that is, it does make a difference. Not only in our weight, but also in reducing our stress level. Finding a form that you like is really important because it can make a big difference in your ability to motivate yourself to stick with it. Having an "exercise buddy" can be helpful, too. Walking and hiking are great forms of exercise. Other options are dancing, swimming, biking, chasing after your kids and just about any sport that gets you up and moving three or four days a week for at least 15 minutes. While this is by no means a complete list of options for a slimmer summer, it will hopefully spark a few ideas along the way.

Greater Impact

2008-03-31T22:40:00.005-04:00

"Come here, Mom! I want to show you something." My nine-year-old son excitedly led me through the store to it’s electronics department.

"I’m a really good driver," he insisted. "Watch this game."

I smiled as he swerved, dodged and passed. And for a moment, I was transported into the future. Gee, I thought, it won’t be long and he’ll be 16!

We parents like to dream for our children: a solid relationship with Jesus, a good paying job one day, beautiful family, supernatural health, strength of character, and the list could go on. We even try to orchestrate their childhood in such a way that they will have the proper education, nutrition, relationship skills and whatever else it takes to cause them to have a hope and a future. We do our best to help them to develop a vision. In a similar way, God has developed a vision for us.

Sometimes God puts His desires for us in our hearts but doesn’t let us have them right away. Perhaps we dream of owning a business, or of doing some short-term mission work, or impacting our world in some other way. Just as your typical parent wouldn’t let their 9-year-old drive the family car, the Lord waits until we grow into the spiritual maturity to handle responsibilities that will bring a greater impact of blessings to more people – fulfilling that vision that He originally placed in our heart.

Heavenly Treasures

2008-03-24T15:43:00.009-04:00

One of my favorite non-fiction authors is Rick Joyner, and one of many wonderful books that he has written is entitled, The Call. I was just really blessed by the insight of a particular character who, when asked what he saw when he looked at a prison yard full of people replied, "A great field of buried treasure." The young man’s reply left a rather memorable impression on me and there were several reasons why it spoke to me. But I think the primary one is that no matter how bad things look in the natural, God can turn it into a treasure. One of the most valuable questions that we can ask Him is, "Lord, what do you want to teach me through this?" If we can remember to do that then we will set ourselves up to receive added depth to our character and our relationship with Him. These treasures will position us to step into the meaningful future that He has planned for us, and enable us to remain faithful with it.

Hidden Treasure

Jesus speaks of a man who finds a hidden treasure in a field, sells all he has, and buys the field (Matt 13:44). And when I checked out the Greek word for treasure, (the New Testament was originally written in Greek) I discovered that the word could be used either literally or figuratively. So this wealth is not necessarily a monetary issue. While our greatest treasure will certainly be our personal relationship with Jesus, our relationship with those who love us is also a treasure. The talents and abilities that the Lord has put into each of us are treasures that we can use to express our love to Him. Also, encouraging one another in our giftings, or even helping one another to discover them are treasures that will change lives – perhaps even the world.

But it all begins with a personal relationship with Jesus. If we don’t have that, we don’t have the most valuable treasure of all. Without Jesus, we’re directionless, dejected and destitute. And laying up treasure in Heaven only begins with making Jesus the center of our lives. When the rich young ruler in Luke chapter 18 verses 18-23 asked what good thing he could do to have eternal life, the problem wasn’t the fact that the man was rich. It was his focus. His arrogance, pride, envy, and greedy lust for lots of stuff and cash cost him the greatest treasure of all. He thought he could do something to earn or buy his personal relationship with Jesus. He couldn’t understand that a healthy, real, relationship with God can’t be earned or purchased with human strategies. By the way, neither can God’s goodness - nor His grace, favor, forgiveness, peace nor any of His other blessings.

God’s Heart for World Changers

In the Gospel of John chapter 4 verse 23, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that the Father is seeking people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. The Greek word here also defines seeking as, "to go enquire", or "to seek after". So one could say that the Lord pursues people whom He knows He can trust and then grants them opportunities. Likewise, many are called but few are chosen (Matt. 20:16). The Greek word "called" can be defined as "appointed", and the word "chosen" as "favored" or "elect". And just because someone isn’t popular with men doesn’t mean that they aren’t favored of God. Consider David – who would have thought that the young shepherd boy would grow up to be a King? Or who would have thought that Joshua the spy would be the one to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land? Or that a typical, young, virgin, Jewish lady named Mary would be chosen to give birth to the Messiah. But just to name a few examples who are more "modern", Watchman Nee, a man born and raised in Communist China, was used by God to help many of his pagan countrymen realize their need for a personal relationship with Jesus. Luis Palau, born and raised in a small town in Argentina, has a worldwide ministry today. And the well-known Pastor Tony Evans started with a 10 member church right here in America about 30 years ago. Today his church has about 7000 members and his preaching is heard on about 500 stations internationally. These people, once a typical as you and I, were chosen by God to do great exploits because of their faithful, willing, obedient hearts. But we must always remember that to whom much is given, much is required. Or to put it another way, God is going to require an extraordinary depth of character in those whom He has chosen to do extraodinary things.

When we choose to lay our own plans at Jesus’ feet, and be willing to change them if we have a sense that He is asking us to do so, then we will not only store up treasures, but the Lord will also cause us to step into the fullness of the future that He has for us. We can start by simply choosing to ask Him, in a simple prayer, to be our personal Lord and Savior. And one day, we can look forward to hearing the treasured words in Matthew chapter 25 verse 21, "Well done good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord."

Our God is a Poet

2008-03-18T14:46:00.002-04:00

When I think of Old Testament poetry, the first book that comes to my mind is the book of Psalms. Now someone might say, "Psalms? That’s more like Israel’s hymnal than it is poetry." But let’s face it, the writings we tend to remember best in our culture are song lyrics – and lyrics often begin as poems. Poetry is often used to help young school children remember things such as the number of days in a month, (30 days has September…) important dates in history such as, "In fourteen hundred ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue", and other important concepts. Just as we use poetry as a tool in this culture, the poetic books were used in Israel’s culture to help them to remember their history, the character of their God, and His directives for how to live in a way that’s pleasing to Him.

Recognizing Redemption

The Lord also used these "poems set to music" as a way to speak to Israel about the arrival of their Messiah. Here are a few specific examples:

Psalm 2:7 highlights the Messiah as God’s son (compare with Matt.3:17, Acts 13:33-34)
Psalm 78:1-2 states that the Messiah would often teach using parables (see also Matt. 13:35)
Psalm 22 speaks of how Messiah would die (compare with Mark 15:33-39)
Psalm 45 highlights Messiah’s victory over evil (compare to Revelation 1:5-8 and Revelation 19:11-16)

There are many other messianic prophecies, but these will create an outline to illustrate how our God often uses poetry to express His desire to have a personal relationship with us and the extent to which He will go to make it happen. All we have to do is confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord (the promised Messiah) and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9-10) And this particular scripture would highlight one of the major differences between Christianity and other religions. Buddha was not raised from the dead, nor was Mohammed, nor Joseph Smith (founder of Mormons), nor Charles Taze Russell (founder of Jehovah’s Witness / Watchtower society), nor any other alleged "prophet of God". Jesus warned us that many false prophets would rise up and deceive many (Matt 24:11). But it’s Jesus alone who was raised from the dead as payment for every sin ever committed. In Acts 4:8-13 the Apostle Peter testified to his fellow Jews that it’s Jesus alone who is able to deliver people from an eternity of suffering, shame and misery. And within that testimony, Peter quoted Psalm 118:22 as proof that Jesus is the Messiah – a Psalm that he would have learned as a boy in the Jewish culture.

Another important difference between Christianity and other religions is that Christians worship one God who offers forgiveness for all sins. All other religions require their followers to work for their forgiveness. In addition, they are required to perform good works in order to get into Heaven, though Heaven might be renamed something like Paradise, Nirvana or "achieving godhood". Now at first glance, working for forgiveness and working to get into Heaven might seem like the same thing. But it’s not. Earning repentance and earning a reward are two different things. But for Christians, it’s Jesus’ shed blood that grants us access into Heaven and a loving, Heavenly Father who hears and answers our prayers (Jeremiah 33:3). And we do our good works as an expression of our love and gratitude to Jesus – a free, joyous gift to Him: A way to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Reinforcing Relationship

Another important concept that the Apostle Peter pointed out to his fellow Jews was that God’s promise of a personal relationship with Him is for anyone who will accept it (Acts 2:38-39). This being the case, that would make anyone accepting it a part of His chosen people – because He becomes our God. So we get to be grafted in (Romans 11:13-20). As those who are grafted in, we become eligible for the same plethora of promises proclaimed through out His Word. And the promises demonstrate His character.

Even in this culture we make promises to those with whom we desire to have some kind of relationship. For example, businesses sign contracts, credit card companies have people sign an agreement to terms, banks have borrowers sign an agreement, even a bride and groom make promises or vows to one another in front of witnesses.

In the same way, the Lord has made promises to His people and He put them in writing in the Bible. In fact, Jesus compares our relationship with Him to the relationship between a husband and a wife in many places throughout the Word. And anyone who’s been married for a while knows that a good, lasting marriage relationship requires effort. Many people want to put all the effort into the wedding rather than the marriage. If we rarely spent time with our spouse and we only communicated occasionally, there wouldn’t be much of a relationship there. While our spouse might respond when we mentioned a need or want, a relationship that lacked time together and communication would be somehow unfulfilling – sort of empty and irrelevant. But when we begin discovering our Spouse’s (Jesus’) interests, His likes and dislikes, we begin to see the beauty of our Spouse’s character. That beauty is laid out in every promise in His Word.

One of the most beautiful representations of the analogy of our wife and husband relationship with Jesus is the poetic book, Song of Solomon. It gives us an example of just how deep Jesus’ love for us runs and how much He enjoys us – His people. It gives us a glimpse of how he sees us in spite of our imperfections. Just as the lover in Song of Solomon looks past the flaw of the Shulamite woman’s tanned skin and sees the beauty of who she is, ( Song 1:5-10) Jesus looks fondly on a heart that is devoted to Him.

Reaching the Races

One of my favorite promises is in Jeremiah 29:11. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." The reason that I like this promise so much is because it shows me that the Lord has vision for my life – a destiny. And since I know He’s all-powerful (Matthew 19:26, able to finish what He starts (Phil 1:6), and loves me beyond my ability to
comprehend it (Jer. 31:3), I know He’ll be faithful. Of course these promises (as well as many other promises) apply to anyone who has accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. He has a plan for each of us as individuals, and a collective plan for us as His bride (the church). As we experience the joy of going where He leads us and using the talents He’s given us, we get to have the privilege of helping to add to His Kingdom. If we’re not experiencing joy, we need to ask Him why – He might be calling us to do something other than what we’re doing.

As we step into the giftings and talents that He has given to each of us, He will empower us to share with others the great things that He has done for us. He will extend His power to us and bring opportunities to us to share with others what we have learned about His character through each book that makes up the Bible. Each book shows us something different about the depth of who he is. And as we pray and take the time to listen for Him to speak to us through His Word, He will show us His heart – just as any husband longs to share his heart with his wife in a healthy, Christian marriage. Likewise, he will desire to hear his wife share her heart with him as well.

As we continue to make a point of communicating with our Lover in prayer and take the time to listen for His voice through His word, we will not only see that He is a poet, but we’ll see the deeper things too. Such as catching a deeper revelation of His unconditional, undying love for us – and gaining deeper insight into who we are becoming in Him.

A Few Fast Facts on Fats

2008-03-10T17:41:00.003-04:00

By now most of us have heard or read somewhere that trans fats and saturated fats are some of the worst things for arteries and cholesterol levels. Some of us may even be aware that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are very beneficial. It seems like anything that’s cooked and tastes good has fat – the more the tastier. But is fat really a necessary part of our diet? If so, why?

I think one of the most interesting facts about fat is that the body is not able to produce it’s own fatty acids. That may also be one of the most annoying facts. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather blame that five pound gain on genetics than chocolate cake. The good news is that there are certain oils and foods that can be used in place of the bad stuff on those days when we actually feel like exercising the necessary self-control for making healthy choices.

Putting the right fats into our bodies does not, unfortunately, eliminate the need for exercise. But when eaten in moderation, they will increase our energy level, boost the body’s ability to protect vital organs, keep us warm, help hormone production, and promote healthy skin and hair. The trick is to do enough exercise that a healthy weight is maintained – because good fats can cause weight gain if we don’t. At least 30 minutes of daily exercise is ideal. Some of the best forms include brisk walking, hiking, biking (or a stationary bike), swimming and dancing. And it doesn’t have to be done in one thirty minute block. For example, 15 minutes on lunch break and 15 minutes before dinner is also beneficial – and sometimes more doable in our busy lives.

A few changes that we can incorporate into our diets that will yield healthy results are:

Olive oil in place of lard, bacon grease or corn oil
Whole wheat bread in place of white bread
Whole wheat flour in place of white flour
Whole wheat pasta in place of white pasta
Skim milk in place of whole milk or 2% milk
Smart Balance in place of butter or margarine
Ground turkey in place of hamburger
Chicken in place of beef or pork

While this is not a complete list of changes that can be made, they are a few fast facts that can be applied for the sake of maintaining (or getting one step closer to) the blessing of a healthy body.

Determined to Love

2008-03-03T19:14:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite hobbies is hiking. And it just so happens that it’s a favorite hobby for my husband Gary too. God often speaks to us through the artistry of His handiwork, and He gave us a beautiful and powerful picture of a love that’s determined to stay committed. As we walked, I noticed a rock partially embedded in the side of a huge hill and pointed it out to my husband. The top of the rock was covered with dirt, and a couple of intertwined and healthy flowers grew out of it. The Lord began to speak to us about the value of having Christ our Rock as our foundation.

When life’s storms of economic woes, health care scares, and job instability cause us to feel the effects of being dumped on with an erosion of difficulties, it’s only the rock solid love of our personal relationship with Jesus that will cause us (and a marriage) to survive and flourish. We must pull together – or we will pull apart. When we make a choice to run to God by spending more time in His Word, laying our concerns at His feet with our prayers, and determining to continue in our worship of Him, He will cause us to overcome because of the power of His blood and the word of our testimony. Keeping our focus on Jesus is where we will find true peace, love joy, and hope for the future.

Blessed Endurance

2008-02-25T15:09:00.003-05:00

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:3, NIV)

Recently I experienced the blessing of participating in a short-term mission trip to the country of Romania. Though free of communist rule for about 10 years now, Christians still experience subtle, devious persecutions. One church that became my living example of staying focused on Christ and enduring opposition was a church that had it’s property deed seized by come corrupt government officials a few years ago. As a result, that group of saints was thrown out of their building and told that they must, "sue the state" if they wanted their building returned. But that little group of believers refused to give up. They continued to meet, found another building, and today, even have a sister church in another village. Praise God for their willingness to continue walking with Jesus and endure in the face of sinful men.

We are at a vulnerable crossroads in our nation today. While we don’t have government officials kicking Christians out of their places of worship (yet), we do experience a subtle, devious form of persecution in our schools. Often times, if students speak out about their Christian beliefs, they end up experiencing negative consequences that range from a poor grade to expulsion. The only way we are going to stop this madness is to begin to vote leaders into our government who are willing to stand up for family values, morality, and interpret the Constitution rather than try to rewrite to suite their own wicked, liberal agendas. We need leaders who will do what’s in the best interest of the people of America, not the best interest of gaining another term in their political office. We must weigh all the choices very carefully as we approach our primaries. The media is all too willing to try to tell us how to vote; again, to suite their own liberal agenda. We need to take charge, do the research, and put someone in office who will work for the good of our country and our future generations. The future of our nation is up to us. And I personally believe that Mike Huckabee is this nation’s best hope of America being restored to the economically healthy, great nation that we use to be. He is a moral man who loves God, loves this country, and desires to see families restored, traditional family values protected, and TRUE freedom of religion – even for Christians.

I hope and pray that moral and religious freedom and our economy will never get as out-of-control here as it once did in Romania and as it still is in the Muslim and communist nations. Especially when we the people have the power to ensure that this never happens here. But if we are going to be proactive about it, we MUST exercise our right to vote and put leaders in place who are going to work with us – not against us.

Worship from the Heart

2008-02-17T19:04:00.006-05:00

Many years ago the small inner-city ministry where my husband, Gary and I were volunteering was in desperate need of more volunteers. Not an uncommon thing for your typical inner-city ministry or church – even today. For some strange reason, churches want to move to the suburbs, forgetting, I suppose, that every great revival in history began in the inner city because of passionate intercession. This hobbyhorse of mine aside, I found myself drafted to lead the praise and worship at the Friday night service.

Being relatively young in the Lord at the time and with the matching inexperience, I began seeking the Lord for His wisdom concerning how to go about leading worship. The very first thing that He showed me was Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John 4:21-24. "Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Three things jumped out at me. I began to jot down some ideas.

Catching the Revelation of Relationship

The New Testament was originally written in Greek. So I did a bit of research and found that the word for "know" in John 4:22 comes from a Greek word that indicates something beyond what we can learn form reading a book, getting a degree, listening to a speaker or a preacher, or other ways of obtaining academic knowledge. It’s the kind of knowledge that the Holy Spirit supernaturally reveals to us.

We can’t get this from our man-made religious traditions and expectations. And if we hold too tightly to what we’ve always done in the past, we’ll miss the blessings that God has for us today.

If we remain focused on what we’ve always done rather than looking honestly at how God is moving today, we will find ourselves in a place where we are only worshiping God with our lips and our hearts are far from Him (Isaiah 29:13). The Lord calls this type of empty worship purposeless in Isaiah 1:10-11.

While it’s true that Sodom and Gomorrah were terribly sinful nations, America has plenty of it’s own iniquity. And we Christians need to be willing to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit with repentant hearts in our churches and our lives before we can ever hope to begin making a difference where our nation is concerned. When we begin worshiping the Lord in spirit and in truth on a regular basis, He’ll empower us to walk in the spirit daily (Galatians 5:22-26).

True Worshipers

In John 4:23 the word "true" (as in "true worshipers") comes from a Greek root that means unconcealed. A nice synonym here would be "unashamed" or "open". The Father is looking for people who are openly and unashamedly worshiping Him. Willing to give Him the glory at work, in the car, at the grocery, at home, in the church or wherever He presents us with an opportunity – and that doesn’t necessarily mean in song. Taking advantage of an opportunity to tell someone about some good thing that God has done for us is a form of worship. And when our hearts are willing and obedient, He continues to pour out His blessings on us (Isaiah 1:19).

Another important word in John 4:23 is the word "spirit" (in spirit and in truth) which comes from a Greek word that can be translated as "a current of air", "breath", "blast", or "breeze". Our hearts are a very important part of our ability to "breath". This being the case, we could say that the Father seeks those who will worship Him "from the heart". But here’s my favorite part of that whole verse. He "is seeking such to worship Him." The word "seek" comes from a Greek word that can be translated as to "be desired", "will seek after", and "will seek means". So our Heavenly Father desires and will chase after and even make a way for those who will worship Him from their hearts.

In Spirit and in Truth

Because God created each of us with different giftings and different personalities, worship from the heart isn’t going to be a "one size fits all" kind of a thing. However, there are examples throughout God’s Word of worship from the heart. King David wrote psalms, played the harp, and danced. Miriam and many other Israeli women played the timbrel and danced (Ex. 15:20). King David invited all people to clap their hands (Psalm 47:1), shout (Psalm 32, Psalm 35) play instruments and sing (Psalm 147), and many other Biblical examples could be mentioned.

While it’s important to worship with the church corporately, it’s also important that we make time to worship Him on our own. Whether we choose to sing our praises to Him when we first wake up, think our praises to Him on our lunch break, speak our praises to Him before going to sleep or even in the shower, this time with Him is one thing that will strengthen our relationship with Him, as will reading His Word on a regular basis and applying it to our lives.

As we commit to waiting on Him (or listening for His directives) during our personal worship time with Him, we’ll gain the wisdom and the faith we need to step where He calls us. Our choice to worship God from our hearts, read His Word, and apply it to our lives is going to empower us to live our lives, and equip us to make a difference in the world around us.

Notes for Growth

2008-02-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

While I find that I enjoy many different genres of music, I’ve become keenly aware that there are benefits to studying classical music. With most classical pieces, it can take several weeks before one is truly comfortable with it. This being the case, I have discovered that if I don’t like the piece that I’m studying, it’s extremely difficult to exercise the discipline to stick with the song. Lately, I’ve found that I like the romantic era of the classics the best. I especially like Chopin's piano preludes. And for me, studying something I like is often where I find the dividing line between a piece that frustrates me and one I label as "challenging". And challenge is where I experience growth as a musician.

My favorite benefit from studying classical music is that it helps to develop good technique - which can sometimes be a battle. Especially if one has developed some bad habits. Since bad habits are typically subconscious, they can be hard to overcome. The good news is that a habit is a learned thing. So if a conscious, consistent effort is made to adopt a good habit and stop the bad one, the good habit will eventually become the subconscious one, replacing the bad one. And fighting that battle is definitely worth it.

More specifically, one of the many benefits of studying classical piano music is that it encourages good fingering. With many pieces, this aspect of technique will make or break the piece. It’s a foundational issue – just as being able to read the notes is foundational. If the fingering is good, the song can be played cleanly. The more subconscious good fingering becomes, the easier it is to think about dynamics, which are a great way for a musician to add depth to what he or she is playing. And if it’s an up-tempo song, clean play will lend itself to speed. I believe that classical music is the most difficult to play. So when a musician begins mastering songs in that genre, these skills are wonderfully transferable. Also, as someone who enjoys songwriting, I find that studying classical pieces has inspired ideas for creating songs with a more full sound.

Another benefit is more effective use of the damper pedal. Something that I’ve noticed about classical music is that, since it’s typically more complex than contemporary music, it’s much easier for an incorrectly used damper pedal to make a classical piece sound "blurred" where it should have a more crisp sound. This benefit will lend itself to musicians having a more precise, professional sound.

Studying classical music also encourages an enhanced ability to focus. Not only is it physically demanding, but it’s mentally demanding. It’s the ultimate multi-tasking experience. In fact, if I’m working on a classical piece, I’ll often work on that before any other piece. If my mind is tired, I don’t do as well. And it’s amazing how easy the less demanding things become after I’ve worked on a classical song. Some of the longest songs ever created are classical pieces. This being the case, Studying classical music enhances endurance - both physically and mentally.

In closing, improving one’s technique enhances clean, quality playing, which is a reward that brings the skill and satisfaction of being able to play more complex pieces. Not only will this increase a person’s confidence as a musician, it will also cause an audience to be more receptive, and bring about more opportunities to play out.

Calorie Combat by Hiking

2008-02-04T15:44:00.000-05:00

After a few months of sitting around eating chocolate Santas, sipping holiday eggnog, and dealing with holiday hoopla, many of us have noticed that our clothes and our budgets seem to fit a bit tighter come the end of January . As unfair as it is, holiday shopping just doesn’t cancel out those Christmas calories.

February rolls around and if we’ve actually kept that resolution for a trimmer New Year, we’ve probably gotten bored with the exercise bike, the gym or whatever plan we’ve concocted to combat Christmas calories. This being the case, it can often be helpful to find more than one form of exercise that’s enjoyable – or at least tolerable. The more tolerable it is, the more likely we’ll be to stick with it. And for me, and perhaps for you as well, that would be where hiking comes in.

Hiking is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise. As the heart gets exercised on a regular basis, more oxygen gets delivered throughout the body, which has many positive and lasting effects. Some favorites would include looking younger, more energy, sleeping better, building strength (especially the legs), building endurance, losing weight, relieving stress and fighting depression. I think my favorite aspect of hiking is that it can be a family activity without the expense of long distance travel. There are some fabulous state and county parks that don’t require a long drive or airfare. Just type www.stateparks.com into your internet browser for a detailed listing. Also, typing "county parks" into your browser will bring up the ones even closer to home. For hiking enthusiasts who’d like to find a local hiking club, I’d like to recommend checking out www.HikingClubsOnline.com. This particular website lists hiking clubs all over the nation, and links to companies that sell gear.

Hiking as a family has some wonderful benefits. Not only will a person be provided with built in exercise buddies, but it will bring exciting learning opportunities. For example, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville, Kentucky offers a glance into American History. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, near Akron, Ohio, creates opportunities to learn about plants and wildlife. Shawnee Lookout Park near Cincinnati, Ohio can offer a quick archeology lesson in the Shawnee Center building, and some seriously camera-worthy views on the Miami Fort Trail. Other parks of the picturesque persuasion are Clifty Falls in Madison, Indiana, and Cathedral Gorge in Panaca, Nevada. Mammoth Cave National Park offers some unique insight into the science behind stalactites and stalagmites, and these are only a glimpse of the possibilities. I think the most valuable benefit of all is that a family’s shared experiences will open a door to create positive memories that last a lifetime.

Natural Immune System Strengtheners

2008-01-29T23:34:00.000-05:00

With the skyrocketing cost of health care and insurance that, even once obtained, we often can't afford to use, there is a growing interest for information about natural ways of maintaining a healthy body. And this is the time of the year when cold and flu season is in full swing. It's an unfortunate fact that the common cold can't be prevented in the same way as the flu. The good news is that we can do more than just get a flu shot to keep ourselves up and running.

There are certain foods and spices that are natural immune system boosters - and they can be easily incorporated into many typical family meals. Some dinner helps that I like to use include oregano, onions and garlic. Dessert helps that I often choose are things like cinnamon, ginger and natural peanut butter. And the natural element is key because the well-known name brands tend to add ingredients that weaken peanut butter's overall effectiveness in combating colds and flu. Another reason peanut butter is effective is because it's high in protein, and protein also gives the body that extra advantage over season related ailments. Other great high protein dinner items that can be used are soy and Salmon.

Though most of us are aware of the value of vitamin C in protecting our bodies from seasonal sickness, I would also like to take a moment to emphasize the fact that fresh fruits and veggies are always a better choice than just taking a vitamin C tablet. While a tablet or a glass of fruit or vegetable juice (which is notated as 100% juice on the product) are better than nothing, when fresh fruits or veggies are eaten, then we also get the benefit of the fiber and the natural sugar - elements which also keep a body healthy. A few great choices include oranges, pineapple, strawberries, grapefruit, broccoli, tomatoes and potatoes.

Another item which is great for strengthening the immune system is green tea. And when sweetened with a teaspoon or two of Splenda, it tastes great. Not only is green tea good for the immune system, it also helps to reduce stress - which is another type of health thief. Unrelieved stress over extended periods of time can actually deplete the body's ability to maintain optimum health. Getting the right amount of sleep also keeps stress levels lower and keeps the immune system charged and more prepared to fight off colds and flu.

While the above isn't a complete list of natural immune system strengtheners, when we use them consistently, they are very effective items for building up our system and keeping us healthy. That being said, here are some ideas that will help make that healthy New Year a little more than just a wish.

Simple Winter Dinner
(Goes great with a dinner salad)
1 pound ground turkey or hamburger
1 small onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Soy sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon hickory salt
Combine turkey, diced onion, salt, hickory salt and garlic. Cook together on medium heat until ground turkey browned. Add Oregano and Soy sauce and stir. Serve over white rice. Serves 3-4

Peanut Butter Cookies
(A Peanut Butter lover’s dream!)
½ cup milk
½ cup water
2 eggs
½ cup natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 Tablespoons Blackstrap Molasses
1 cup sugar (or Splenda)
1 ½ cup self-rising flour
Beat together milk, water, eggs, peanut butter, vanilla, molasses and sugar for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour. Drop by teaspoon full on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Spice Cookies
(A little spice on a cold winter night)
½ cup milk
1 egg
1 Tablespoon butter softened
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons honey (optional)
3 teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup sugar (or Splenda)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
1 cup self rising white flour
Beat together milk, egg, butter, oil, honey, vanilla and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour. Consistency will be somewhat stringy. Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet
and bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes. Makes about 12 cookies

One Chosen Hero

2008-01-25T16:49:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Old Testament stories is that of Gideon's in the book of Judges, Chapter 6, verse 11 through Chapter 8. Not only have I enjoyed creating a short "retelling" of this Bible classic, but a few years ago I even wrote (and published) a song which captures his experience, and I entitled the song, "The Sword of the Lord". I have enjoyed sharing it live with various people groups when the Lord has given me opportunity so share my musical gifts in a ministry type setting. That being said, I hope you will enjoy reading "One Chosen Hero" as much as I enjoyed writing it.

"Lord, this is craziness," Gideon muttered in prayer from the floor of a shallow, stone pit. "I can’t believe that I’m forced to thresh wheat on the floor of a winepress! And for what cause? The Midianites might steal our harvest if they find out we have one. Why can’t you just wipe them out?" He raised his threshing sledge into the air and pounded a loosened wheat sheave for emphasis.

A sudden burst of light caught Gideon’s attention and he looked up from the sheaves. Gazing down at him was a man with blazing, brilliant eyes that exuded a joy which Gideon knew he’d never personally experienced. "The Lord is with you, you mighty hero!"

Gideon slowly stood, staring at the figure who seemed to have an iridescent glint that emanated from his very core. At first, Gideon was unsure of how to respond. Then the words of the strange greeting registered. "The Lord is with me," Gideon repeated incredulously. "If the Lord is with me, or anybody in this nation for that matter, then why has the Lord allowed the enemy to kill so many of us? And why has the Lord allowed our enemy to steal our livelyhood and destroy so much of our land? It feels more like God and all the world are against us!"

"Don’t you realize that I have given you the power and the authority to trample the enemy and overcome all of his wickedness? I will use you to help your people get the victory over the enemy because I have chosen you."

Gideon gaped, stunned by the words of the stranger. Then he asked, "But how? I’m not rich, I have no notoriety, I’m not even very smart."

"I promise you, I will equip you. When you go to fight this battle, I’ll be closer to you than any of your family or friends. Just call out to me. I am more than able."

Gideon blinked, shaking his head in utter amazement.

"I promise," the figure grinned, which made him even more vivid. But there was something deeper.

Is it possible to emit love? Gideon wondered, then he finally spoke again. "Could you please stay here for just another moment? I…I just need a confirmation from you. You know, just so I can know that I haven’t lost my mind from threshing too much wheat. Um…I…I want to bring you an offering. Will you wait?

"Sure," the figure chuckled as he helped Gideon out of the pit.

Gideon turned, walked a few steps and looked over his shoulder. The figure had seated himself under a nearby oak tree, and in a rich baritone voice began singing a song that Gideon had never heard before. "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"

Gideon spun around, ran to his house, and hurriedly prepared an offering of young goat meat, unleavened bread and broth. Once everything was ready, he made his way back to the oak tree. His stomach plummeted to his feet when he saw that the figure wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. Then a sense of peace washed over him.
Well, at least I know I haven’t gone crazy.

The figure grinned and pushed himself to standing with his staff. "I see the mighty warrior has returned."

Gideon chuckled to himself at the very sound of the words.

"Set it on that rock," the figure pointed, then added, "Smells good. Go ahead and pour the broth over it."

As Gideon poured, it felt as though lightening surged through him. He stepped back as the figure pointed his staff at the offering. The rock on which it sat began to vibrate, glowing brilliant white as smoke swirled and billowed into the azure sky. A blaze erupted from the rock and consumed the offering as the figure disappeared.

Gideon fell to his knees and cried out, "Please God, have mercy on me! I’ve seen your Angel!"

An immediate peace coursed through him as he heard the Lord’s voice reply, "Be at peace. You shall live and be victorious."

An overwhelming joy flooded Gideon’s soul as he was hit with the reality that God hadn’t forgotten him or his people. It suddenly struck him that God wanted to give them peace, hope, and most especially, a future. The problem was wrong focus. Everywhere he looked it seemed people were either undermining God’s ways, or worse, worshiping something other than The One True God. Joy gave way to indignation as he uttered, "But Lord, what can I do?"

An uncanny boldness rose up in him as an idea floated into his mind. Restore a right focus! Restructure my priorities, Lord. And Yahweh, bring an army who will join me to reach this nation!

Peace in Peril’s Midst

2008-01-24T16:11:00.000-05:00

I’ve heard it said over the years by various aunts and uncles of mine that when they were kids, no one locked their doors, tamper-proof meant toddler-proofing your house, all kids walked home from school (which I’m told was always several miles), and basically, people just felt far more safe and secure than we do today - even when they had opportunity to do some fun family travel.

It’s an amazing thing to me that this generation has more technology than any other, yet all of our fancy gadgets haven’t made much difference in our overall sense of peace and safety. Even with all the precautions that airports take, travelers are still subjected to a host of regulations that make travel more of a hassle and less enjoyable with each passing month. And as we see the perils of our times increase, it’s enough to make a person wonder what on earth is happening? If technological advances and safety regulations won’t protect us, then what – or who will?

Peace in Relationship

Acquiring peace begins with a right relationship with Jesus. We can choose to ask Jesus to be our personal Lord and Savior simply by asking Him in our own heart felt prayer.We can even choose to abide by the 10 commandments. But right relationship goes deeper than keeping a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s a heart issue. God desires a friendship with us. And as with any loving relationship, if we love Him, we’ll avoid destroying that relationship by applying His Word to our lives (Gospel of John 15:14-15). Once we have asked Him to be our personal Lord and Savior, that relationship is sealed (Revelation 7:3). But just like we choose not to do the things that we know annoy our loved ones, if we love Christ, we will make an effort to find out what things annoy Him by reading His Word, and then choose not to do those things.

Cultivating a relationship with Him is comparable to cultivating a relationship with a physical person. Basically, it consists of spending time with Him and listening to Him. And the way that is accomplished is through prayer and reading His Word. As our love for Him grows deeper daily, we’ll develop a desire to do the things in His Word that we discover bring Him joy.

Peace in Focusing on Him

Job was a man who had it all. The Old Testament Book that bears Job's name illustrates that he had wealth, success, a family – he also lost it all. But even in the middle of his storm of tribulation, Job didn’t focus on the fact that he had lost everything. His attitude was, "…the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Now this does not mean that Job wasn’t upset. Nor does it mean that he didn’t mourn. And I admit, having an attitude like that is much easier said than done. Still, when tragedy strikes and we call on the Lord Jesus, He will be faithful to strengthen us and bring us through the tough times.

If we focus on that which is stealing our peace, we’ll become fearful. However, if we direct our focus on His promises to us from His Word, then we’ll be able to experience peace in spite of our struggles. The way we handle each difficult situation that we encounter will do one of two things for us. We’ll either learn to trust God on a deeper level, or we’ll be overcome by or own fears and frustrations. Focusing on Jesus and his promise of victory to us is something that will always bring us great encouragement (see Revelation 12:10-11). And if we can remember to thank Him for the victory while we are still in the struggle, it will seem less intense.

God can take any situation that we are in and make it work out for our benefit and his glory (Romans 8:28). Catching that revelation will keep us from getting stuck in fear. While we might occasionally experience fear due to our circumstances, we will not be overcome by it when we choose to direct our feelings of fear to Jesus in prayer. Nothing is more powerful than the God whom we worship – the same God who claims us as His own children.

Meticulously Planned Peace

Every parent knows that little children believe what their parents tell them. We parents plan a future for our children. Some of our plans include things they really don’t appreciate. Things such as school, eating their vegetables and having a set bedtime on school nights are not appreciated by the average child. However, these things which they see as a frustration, an inconvenience and a hindrance to accomplishing their wills are just some of the things we parents do which will eventually prosper our children, give them hope and a future.

Often times we express our aggravation over the struggles that God allows in our lives. We typically don’t appreciate them and sometimes get irritated with Him. If we can remember to ask God in prayer to show us the wisdom that He wants to give us from each struggle, then the struggles that we walk through will not only give us opportunity to develop more of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-26), but we’ll be able to more effectively encourage someone else in the future. One of the greatest blessings and joys God can give us is the opportunity to help a brother or sister in Christ walk through a struggle we’ve already come through victoriously. Our great God has not left us powerless and hopeless in the middle of our difficult circumstances. He is a loving, living Savior who is ready, willing, and able to help us acquire His perfect peace – especially in the midst of peril.

Heart of Love

2008-01-23T13:44:00.000-05:00

If you’ve been following my blogs, you’ve probably noticed by now that I really enjoy serving the Lord through mission work. Though a sweet blessing, traveling to whatever host country He allows me to go is rarely easy. It requires time away from my job as a freelance writer, time away from my family, and of course, some cash. But honestly, I’m typically so excited about going that I’m nearly oblivious to the struggle. Instead, I see myself as a participant in an exhilarating, joyous journey of faith as I watch God move in ways which are always over, abundantly, above anything I could think or even imagine. He never ceases to surprise me as I walk into opportunities to witness, and encourage my siblings in the Lord – and even experience their encouragement. It’s amazing to me that a team and I will travel with the intent of serving and encouraging; and the whole team typically ends up getting encouraged and served by our Christian siblings in the host country!

On one particular mission to Latvia, a lovely Christian lady name Maudina (a member of one of the churches with whom we were partnered for that mission) graciously opened her home to us as a place to stay while we were there. Though her home was roughly the size of a small two bedroom apartment, it was beautiful with all of it’s wood accents, and her face glowed with delight when she met us at the door.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, moving toward the kitchen where a homemade apple coffeecake and several different beverages awaited us. Then she added, "Sorry I was not sure what you really like. And sorry about my English. Is not so good. Is everything else good?"

"Yes ma’am. It’s wonderful. Thank you so much! And your English is much better than our Latvian." I smiled, feeling humbled.

Our hostess giggled and we hugged each other. I knew that all she’d done was a sacrifice because Latvia is a second world country. Maudina reminded me a little of Lydia in the 16th chapter of Acts.

A Heart that’s Filled

Just like this precious lady in Latvia, Lydia had a heart of love - faithful to serve others. Lydia, a Jewish business lady from Thyatira (present day Turkey) loved God. She and other women met regularly to pray together (Acts 16:13). One day, Paul and his missionary team showed up at the prayer meeting and told everyone about Jesus. Lydia was so excited to hear that the Messiah had some and would fill her life with purpose, hope, and victory, that she immediately became a disciple. Then she offered Paul and the team a place to stay in the midst of their travels so that she could hear more testimonies from them.

And speaking of purpose, hope and victory, it didn’t take long for our little team to discover that these things were sadly absent from the lives of many inmates in a Latvian prison where we did some ministry. In fact, those things were lacking in their lives long before they ever wound up in prison. Many of them were taught as children (under the Russian rulers) that there wasn’t a God and that they were here "by chance". A simple product of evolution. But as the Lord imparted his vision and purpose to them through our ministry outreach, they’d go and witness to their cellmates and invite them to the chapel services that we held. What an incredible blessing to see God working in their hearts!

A Servant’s Heart

A willingness to serve sets us apart from today’s business world mentality. Worldly industries have a mindset of out-doing one another. Jesus’ apostles originally had a hard time understanding that Jesus had not come to out-do the Roman Empire. He wasn’t even making an effort to compete with it, much less impress anyone or gain men’s approval. Seems like a contradiction to a servant’s heart until we remember that Jesus set an example for us to obey the Father first, and then serve Christ’s body. It is written that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). It took obedience for Jesus Christ to sacrifice His life for us. And all we need to do is ask Him to come into our heart and lives and save us. When we do that, He shares with us His power to cause us to overcome in every difficult circumstance that we’ll ever face. He has given us gifts and talents to encourage and build up one another. One isn’t better than another, but they all work together to strengthen us, His Bride, and bring glory to God. And what a beautiful Bride we are when we are all about loving Jesus and one another, willing to support one another emotionally, in prayer, and in ministry – with a heart of love.

Covering Missionaries in Effectual Fervent Prayer

2008-01-22T16:32:00.000-05:00

The older I get in the Lord the more evident it becomes to me that God has given a mighty weapon to every Christian – the weapon of prayer. It’s mighty to the pulling down of enemy strongholds and more powerful than the world system. And where mission work is concerned, prayer has more value than money. Now someone might raise an eyebrow at that and ask, "How is that possible? Isn’t it money that makes mission work possible?" While there is a cost involved, it’s very easy to just give money and then never give another thought – much less another prayer. And as someone who’s been on the field many times, if I had to choose between the gift of someone’s prayer covering or their monetary gift, I personally would pick the prayer covering. Money can only go so far. Prayer has a fascinating way of being the catalyst for making stuff happen, and God has an incredible way of stepping in where we come up short. Consider what Jesus was able to do with five loaves and two fish (Luke 9:13). So here are 10 specific ways that prayer warriors (i. e. intercessors) can pray for missionaries that are not only highly beneficial, but also down-to-earth practical.

1) It’s not an uncommon thing for an airline to decide (seemingly arbitrarily) to cancel a person’s flight and move him or her to another. On one occasion, I just happened to see a flight attendant standing at the bottom of an exit ramp with a small sign that had my next flight number written on it. Because my previous flight had been long, and I was rather tiard, her sign didn’t quite register in my mind and I walked right on by. Then at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I went back and asked her why she was holding up that sign.

"Is this your next flight?" she asked.
"Yes."
"It’s been canceled. I need to escort you and any others to your new flight."

It turned out that I was the only one from that particular flight. God knows if that was an angel disquised as a human or not, but it was certainly someone’s prayers that helped me make that connecting flight. Thank God for His grace and mercy!

2) Great flying weather and beautiful weather while in the host country. Poor weather can cause turbulence, and a plane in turbulence can be pretty unnerving. In addition, crummy weather will delay flights, complicate other modes of travel, and make ministry more difficult – especially if you have equipment to transport. Because I typically lead the praise and worship when I go on a mission trip, I usually have my guitar. On one occasion we had to catch a train to another city in pouring down rain. To make matters even more interesting, the train station was not within walking distance. So we had to pile our team into a taxi that was roughly the size of a VW bug. Since the trunk was way too small to hold my guitar, we laid it across our laps. Let’s just say the trip to the train station was a unique experience. We sang Veggie Tales songs as a stress release. However, there have been other occasions when I went on a short-term mission trip and never saw a drop of rain. God can do anything!

3) That all the missionary’s luggage would arrive both ways, undamaged. Nothing’s more frustrating than not having what you need and trying to file a lost / damaged claim report. Especially if one of those items is an instrument. And I speak from experience about the deep annoyance I've felt when my guitar has been lost in transit and my luggage has been damaged. By God’s grace and mercy, I did eventually get my guitar back.

4) Supernatural health. It’s very difficult to get medical care in some countries. Sickness definitely complicates ministry in many ways. Also, the pace of a mission trip is often very rapid. Getting needed rest can be a very real complication – which makes it difficult to heal if a person has health issues. I thank God that the worst thing that I personally ever experienced has been a cold, but this did make it difficult to sing.

5) That God would be in the middle of all the missionary’s relationships. The enemy loves to mess with people’s minds. And the combination of jet lag and stress can make it a real challenge to stay focused and subdue the flesh. I once heard a preacher say that mission work will either bring out the worst in a person, or the best in a person. When I finally got the opportunity to go on the field myself, I understood. I’ll sum that up like this: any area in which a person is lacking the fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-26) will be an area that the enemy will hit hard.

6) God’s wisdom and discernment for the missionary. Some people know how to talk a good game. Though in some cases, there are just language barriers. There are also some people in other countries who aren’t particularly fond of Americans. I was once in a situation when a woman wanted to argue her political views of America with me. I apologized for the things that she was frustrated about and the Lord opened a door for me to witness to her. It was only by God’s grace (and probably someone’s prayers) that I knew what to say.

7) God’s provision for the missionary’s finances, and that He’d stretch them out. During one mission trip, a couple of shopkeepers found out that our group was a group of missionaries and blessed us with a few items at no charge!

8) That God would use the missionary for the prospering of His kingdom. It seems obvious to pray that people will be saved and delivered, but the enemy will fight to keep people in bondage. Also there are some countries in which people will more readily accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. This is why some mission agencies will report "thousands saved" and other missionaries only report a few saved. It all depends
on how open the people are. Sometimes it takes years before results even begin to show. The thing we must remember is that heaven rejoices over each saved individual - not a qualifying quantity.

9) That the missionary would focus consistently on being a person after God’s own heart. It can be easy to get out of focus when out of your comfort zone – especially when things don’t go as planned. Which they often don’t when on the field. Flexibility is a necessity. And trading our agendas for God’s is the best way to avoid a lot of frustration that will often manifest as complaining. I’ve watched teams almost split because of a team member’s hidden agenda and self-seeking attitude.

10) That God would help the missionary to adapt easily to the host country, and have an easy readjustment when returning home. There is actually a type of reverse culture shock that can happen to a missionary if he or she has been particularly immersed in the culture of his or her host country. It all depends on how much the missionary has identified and adapted to the culture of the host country, and how well the missionary has been able to stay in-touch with family back home.

The above list is definitely not a complete list. However, it will make a great springboard as we listen for the Holy Spirit to lead us into keeping our missionaries covered in prayer.

The Comission of Missions

2008-01-21T18:16:00.000-05:00

I thought my heart would leap right out of my chest as the plane raced down the runway, gathering speed for takeoff. The joy I felt was definitely comparable to that of my wedding day as I praised and thanked God in my heart while the plane ascended. In the seat beside me, I could hear my husband whispering his own praises to God.

Mission work has always been an event that has brought me joy. When I had the opportunity to visit the country of Latvia (in the old Soviet block) in July of 2002 and 2003, it was one of the most positive experiences of my life. And when my first opportunity presented itself, it was very sudden - but very welcome. I had all of four months to prepare before I left. Now that might sound like plenty of time, but when you're going overseas, it makes for a very rushed preparation. The ideal situation is to have the opportunity to prepare over the course of about six months or even a year. The following points are some things that I have learned (some of which came the hard way) and that I have found beneficial and worth passing along because of other wonderful mission experiences that the Lord has arranged for me to have.

And so it Begins...

My thought is to highlight a few of the basic things in preparing for a short-term mission trip. You see, things like obtaining a passport can take several months. For whatever reason, the folks who issue them don’t like to be rushed. It’s advisable to allow at least six months for them to do their thing. Passport photos can be taken in several different locations. Stores that advertise portrait packages often also do passport photos.

After getting passport photos, the post office is the next stop. This is where the exhilarating, action packed process of filling out the paperwork begins.(grin!) The clerk at the post office will most likely request a driver’s license and social security card, or a birth certificate for proof of identification. Once the paperwork is completed and the passport pictures are given to the clerk, the post office will do the rest of the work... concerning the passport.

Another thing that must be done many months in advance is getting proper immunizations. It can take several months for the human body to build up the necessary antibodies from immunizations to make them effective. Check with your health care provider to determine what immunizations are necessary and how much time it will take to make them effective.

Airline tickets are another thing that should be taken care of months in advance. The general rule of thumb is that the more time one allows between purchasing the tickets and the actual departure date, the less expensive the tickets will be. And while tickets can be purchased on-line, I find that a good travel agent is a God-send! If your luggage gets lost - as often occurs, or it gets damaged, a good travel agent is a real blessing. You tell them what happened, they can guide you through the lost / damaged claim process.

Survival Techniques

There are many items that I can recommend in order to effectively "survive" an overseas trip, but I think the most useful tools are good old fashioned courtesy and politeness. Especially if one doesn’t get the opportunity to learn the language before arriving. As I stated earlier, I had all of four months to prepare for my first mission trip to Latvia. One can’t just walk into one’s local university and take three credit hours in Latvian 101. It’s not a common language. So the first two words I made a point of learning in Latvian when I arrived were "ludza" and "paldiez" (please and thank you), and I followed them up with the most warm-hearted smile I could muster. I’ve never forgotten those two words. This effort took me a long way with the people. In time, I gained the confidence to attempt some other words and a few phrases. Though we did have an interpreter, the people really appreciated my attempts and efforts to connect with them in their own language.

When traveling abroad, it isn’t uncommon to become sleepy at the very worst possible time - otherwise known as jet-lag. Multivitamins, a healthy and physically fit body, and a hot shower all help to combat jet-lag.

Most people I have contact with don’t realize how beneficial it is to be physically fit before going on a mission trip. There is typically a lot of walking involved. If you can make the time to get involved in an exercise program about six months before leaving, it’s very helpful.

Often times a washing machine or a dryer are difficult to find when on the mission field. Therefore, it’s a good idea to take clothes that can be hand washed, dry quickly, and don’t wrinkle easily.

Anything requiring electricity (such as hair dryers, curling irons, or musical equipment) will need a device called a converter if you have the blessing of electricity available to you. This makes items designed for an American electrical current usable in foreign countries. Converters can be purchased in many electronics stores.

Another very useful item is mosquito netting. Many places in Latvia didn’t have screens in the windows; nor did they have air conditioning. So the only way to stay cool is to open the windows. Mosquito repellent is also very helpful.

European bathrooms are not always quite the same as American ones. Therefore, I would highly recommend bringing a roll or two of toilet paper, bath towels, bath robe and bath slippers. I would say that the most important preparation you can make is through prayer, and having your church and loved ones keep you in prayer. There are a whole multitude of things to keep in prayer such as not missing connecting flights, not losing luggage, protection, the people being able to understand the message that the mission team is bringing, and don't forget about praying for good weather. Especially while traveling. Believe it or not, I have seen the Lord respond to those types of prayers with some gorgeous days.

By now, you might be asking, "Why on earth would anyone in their right mind want to do this?"

Besides the fact that It’s an opportunity to share what I believe is true and positively affects someone’s eternity - it’ an adventure. It’s a challenge that few will embark on and many fear. A God-given opportunity that some dare to dream of but only a handful would ever seriously consider. A great exploit for expressing God’s unconditional, undying love to people who are often feeling hopeless and confused. But most importantly, it’s one of many ways to honor Jesus and it's mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew 28:19, "Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit".