Smile

Absolutely...you call us if you need us....thanks for calling."  As I hung up the phone, I realized I was smiling.  I was in "customer service mode."  Recently I read of the importance of physically smiling when you are on the phone to put a pleasant tone in your voice.

Then I was reminded of my Bible reading that same morning.  Just for a change of pace, I had done the "surprise me" method.  I just let the Bible open wherever and started reading.  I rarely do it but I thought "everything in the Bible is relevant, let's see what I can find." 

I opened to Daniel chapter 4 verse 2. Nebuchadnezzar begins his testimony with "...it is my pleasure..."  He was excited, enthused and pleased to share about his experience with God.  In my mind, I imagined him smiling.  He was the King so he probably made sure everyone listened.

This made me think about how most of us dread that moment when we need to tell another of God's intervention, direction, blessing and/or instruction in our personal life.  Do we realize what a privilege it is to share and tell about God?

We rejoice by telling about who God is and God is doing. 

                We give thanks by telling. 

                                We join God in His work when we tell others.

So I am reminded to seize the moments and when an opportunity is given, to share what God is doing in my life, with a smile.  To smile and by giving a bit of testimony, I rejoice, I praise and I participate.

I then thought, "What would happen if I smiled when I prayed?"  Sure there are times when I need God so deeply to soothe my pain and smiling would be fake.  There are plenty of times that I may not put my best "face on" even before God and I may need to stop and smile and put a pleasant tone to my conversation with God.

At work, when the phone rings just before I pick it up to greet the caller, I take a second to adjust my attitude away from my task to be pleasant and, I guess, I put on a smile.

Tomorrow,  just before I open my heart to God in prayer, I am going to take a few seconds to adjust my attitude and to put on a smile before I converse with the One who............

 

So Smile....

Seek

Meek

Incline

Lift

Enjoy

Content

Dick and I were on one of our "just the two of us" vacations in the Wisconsin Dells.  When Adam was off to college we started the "just the two of us" vacations.  Dick is a people person so most vacations are with friends and family.  When we entered the empty nest years, we also realized it was a time for the two of us also.

I'd heard the sunset dinner cruise on the river was nice and Dick is always up for a boat ride, so we made reservations.  Standing in line, I mentioned I wanted to sit on the top.  He took the challenge and maneuvered us through the crowd so we were the first on the top deck.  We had our choice of tables.  There were only two tables for two so we immediately sat at one of them.

As we settled into our table, feeling slightly victorious, it dawned on  us.  We were at the back of the boat, facing backward.  Dick thought we wouldn't be able to see where we were going.  I started to worry about motion sickness.  But by the time we made these realizations the other "good" tables were taken.  Sure, we could have joined another couple at a table for four but this was for the "two of us!"

So we decided to be content in our choice and circumstance.  In hindsight, we were blessed.  We had the best table  on the boat.

The pilot told us where we were going.  There were no tables that faced forward.  There were only 2 tables on the top deck for two and we had one of them.  It was like we were on a private boat ride.

 

1. 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow what a view.

Often we need to learn to be content just as Philippians 4:12 reminds us.

I wanted to have a closing acronym for Content to close this entry but got stuck.  Give me your suggestions for E, N and T.

Circumstances

Only

Need

Trust in the Lord

E

N

T

Solid!

"Hold on!"  "Hold on!"  The field superintendent kept yelling to us as he rode his desk back and forth across the room.  It was 4:42 pm on May 2, 1983 and a 6.8 earthquake.  The earth shook for 28 seconds although it felt much longer.  As soon as it stopped we ran outside to see the buildings of downtown crumble into giant clouds of dust.

During the weeks and months that followed, I was always ready to run for a doorway and hold on.  It seemed to be the safest place because there was really no solid ground.

As our lives were forever changed in those few seconds, we learned that the only solid foundation is our faith in God and God's love for us.  The church building moved on its foundation about 6 inches south.  A later earthquake moved it a few inches back but because the main structure was off its foundation, the building had to be torn down and a new sanctuary built.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and Hebrews chapter five, we are instructed to grow on the "solid food" of God's truth, not worldly food.  By using on the "solid food" of God's teaching we will be able to distinguish good from evil.  In today's everyday life, isn't that what we need?  To know the good from the evil?

In the dictionary, the word "solid" means:

not hollowed out - God is full of life, love and grace;

same substance or color - God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow;

 no gaps - there is no where I can go that God is not;

good quality-  God is the best;

sound, reliable- God says He will never leave or forsake us;

upstanding and dependable-  years ago the word "solid" was slang for excellent or first rate-  God is so totally SOLID!

Seek

Only the

Lord

In

Daily Life.

Lost Coin

It was a romantic and beautiful walk through Witch's Gulch near sunset. I stopped often to take photos of the interesting rock formations

and the ferns. As we came to the waterfall and the "bath tub", I noticed coins in the water.

"What a waste" I thought.  How foolish to throw coins, especially, a large coin, here.  This was a natural environment. It's not a mall fountain where the coins will be scooped out and donated to a charity.  These were several feet down a small and treacherous stream.  It was be very dangerous to retrieve coins.  There were lots of truly lost coins. 

I thought of the parable of the Lost Coin in Luke chapter 15.  The woman loses one of her ten coins, 10% of her treasure.  She stops and searches for the one coin.  When she finds it she calls her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her that her lost treasure had been found.

Even though I doubt anyone will ever benefit from the coins in Witch's Gulch, since it would be too dangerous to retrieve,  I know that Jesus will retrieve the lost and rejoice.  No one is too far, too risky or too deep to rescue.  Jesus will search and retrieve the "valuable" that others may see as worthless.

Proverbs 3:13 reminds me to gain wisdom and understanding, they are more profitable than gold and silver.   Jesus will show me what is truly valuable and what is truly lost and will invite me to rejoice when the "lost" is found! 


 

Rescued

"Excuse me, madam.  Is there something I can do to help you?”  A sophisticated man with white hair and a pale linen suit had approached our leader.  He rescued us that day.  I was part of a group of sixteen women, temporarily stranded in a foreign airport.  We did not speak the language.  Our ride had not met us.  We did not have the proper money so some of our luggage was being held hostage by angry porters.  I’m sure we looked desparate!

I remembered this episode when I flipped through my journal recently.  In the margin, at the entry for Galatians 1: 4, I had written, “look up rescue.”  When I used the concordance I found many uses of the word, “rescue,” in the NIV translation.  They refer to God rescuing us from enemies, darkness, evil and trials.

Just last week, I was reminded that my life could have been very different if I had made a different choice when I was young.  I like the word “rescued” better than “saved” because it reminds me that my life was in “dire straits” and God rescued me.  I would be really, really lost without Jesus.  Jesus gave Himself to rescue us from our sins.

The story of the man whose house was surrounded by flood waters reminds us that we have a choice to be rescued.  The police came to the house and warned the man to leave as the flood was approaching.  The man stayed.  His response was “God will save me.”  As the waters filled his lower story, a boat came by and there was an offer to escape the flood by boat.  Still the man stayed and responded “God will save me”.  The water rose so high, the man was on his roof.  A helicopter came by but he refused the offer because “God will save me.”  The man drowned.  The story continues that when the man arrived in heaven he asked God why He didn’t save him.  God replied, “I sent the police car, a boat and a helicopter!”

My response to rescue includes:

Reach for it, Realize it and Recognize it
Expect it
Seek it
Cast my fears away to see it
Unleash my control of the rescue
Enjoy it!  Rejoice in the rescue and give God the credit.

God will always be ready to rescue me.

He is
Reaching to rescue me
Ever ready to rescue me
Supernaturally able to supersede the situation   
Controlling the situation
Unlimited in His love and is ready to rescue me
Eager that each one will be, has been and can be rescued.

God rescues us from eternal darkness and on a daily basis rescues me from situations and myself!  We are rescued once for all, over and over again!

Bird in a cage

I was walking down the hall at work yesterday and had an old memory from 1987 when I was a member of a mission trip.  I was waiting to enter a van to head to our next destination in Northern Thailand. A withered woman in a huge straw hat approached me with a tray of little cages.  Inside each bamboo cage, the size of the palm of my hand, was a small brown bird.  The bird was probably an ordinary sparrow.

The woman thrust the tray of birds at me and wanted me to buy a bird. I asked the interpreter why on earth I would want to buy a bird?  She explained the belief was to release the bird was a good deed and would earn favor.

I have used this illustration many times to encourage us to share the good news of God's salvation with others trapped by sin.  We should stop and notice the ordinary people who need Jesus' healing words.  They need the simple answer to surviving  life on this planet.  They need Jesus.  Jesus will set them free from sin and release them from its cage.

Yesterday I was reminded that too often I allow life put me in a bamboo cage- pressure, uncertainty, change, pain or just plain busyness!

The good news is Jesus will set me free and has set me free of those cages.  I just need to turn from that part of life and turn to Jesus.  Jesus has paid the price.  He will release and has released me.

As I continued down the hall, I thanked God for setting me free, over and over again!

"Jesus...set me free..." Romans 8:2

 

To the Platinum Girls

               (because Golden Girls makes us sound old!)

"I love you." 

"Thank you so much." 

"This means so much to me."

"What a great day."

                I heard these phrases and said them so many times in the past three days.  I spent a weekend with six amazing women.  My childhood friends had a refreshing, renewing and perfect weekend together.  

                We wore matching t-shirts, had manicures and pedicures together, laughed, shared, celebrated and ate together.

                We were very close growing up but as Life went on, we were spread across the world.  We had different careers, circumstances and concerns.  Living our lives took us in many directions.  I was not conscientious about keeping in touch.

                Last September  we met for our high school reunion and it was just like we were young again.  We laughed, reminisced and talked, lots of talking. 

                For me, it was a miracle, a gift and a blessing.      Our lives intersected at just the moment in my life when I needed to touch of these women!  I know it was God miraculously intervening in my life at just the time I needed the soothing comfort of my lifelong friends.  It was so easy to schedule time to meet with these women.  Considering Life's schedules, finding a weekend when all of us could gather is a miracle.  It has happened! I think and hope it will happen again.

                I commented several times this weekend that we are all still the same.  Each one of us has faced Life, the joys and challenges, and maintained her unique self.   I love these women and know they love me, just as I am.

                In Romans chapter 8 I am reminded that the Spirit helps us in our weakness even when we don't know what we need.  God knows our heart and gives us what we need even when we can't put it into words.  Nothing in life can separate me from God's love.

                Thank you God for the weekend, for the Platinum Girls and reminding me:

God loves me just as I am.

God meets my need at just the right time.

God is the same.  You loved me in the past, the present and the future.

My first day of "school"

Dear God,

Thank you for the past eleven years.  August 5, 2002 was the first day of "school" for me.  The "school" that taught me to trust You for my days, every single one of them.

Thank you for walking with me and ahead of me.

Thank you for providing me with my partner, my advocate and fellow “survivor”, my husband.

Thank you for the rest of my family, friends and medical personnel who shepherded me through the past eleven years.

I look forward to Your gift of  many more years.

Love,
Jan

(This is my anniversary as a breast cancer survivor.)

Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I say rejoice....again and again.  
My paraphrase of Philippians 4:4.

Old and New

 I needed my old friend. I had an idea for another blog post but I could not remember the site of the chapter and verse in the Bible I wanted. 

I think I am rather high tech for a woman of my "experience"  I have the electronic app for the Bible on my phone.  One of my "favorites" on my computer is a Bible concordance search site.  At my fingertips I can read and reflect on the Word.

Yet, when I need a verse, I want my old, reliable Bible of over thirty years.  The one with the faded cross stitched cover and the Book of Revelation half eaten by a dog.  Yes, the dog "feasted" on the Word!

In my mind, I see the words on the pages of that particular Bible.  I am secure knowing that with the familiar, I will find what I am looking for.

So I need the new and the old.  Just like God.  God is the same as He was yesterday.  I can remember all the times He was faithful and dependable.

At the very same time, God is also new.  Nearly every day I am surprised by His gentle interaction with my daily activities.  If I just pay attention, I will see God guiding me and protecting me.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Hebrews 13:8 (I used the online concordance to look it up.)

This verse reminded me of the old and new in my relationship with God.  This verse is tucked in a list of advice for living: love one another, be hospitable, remember the less fortunate, honor marriage, don't be greedy, remember the leaders, Jesus is the same and don't get carried away by strange teachings.

In the midst of my everyday living I enjoy the past experience with God and enjoy the new that is in store for me each day!  This is three dimensional thinking- God in my past, God in my today and God in my future, simultaneously!