Focus

This morning I read Deuteronomy 1:32-36.  I was struck by the "bookends" of these verses.  The verses begin with "you did not trust God" and end with Caleb followed God wholeheartedly.  It was quite the contrast, from no trust to wholehearted trust.

"On a scale of one to ten, can you tell me what your pain level is?"  Every day at the conclusion of my radiation treatment I heard this question.  My answer was recorded to give the medical personnel a quantitative measure of my status.  Depending on my answer, my treatment could be changed or enhanced.

Today, I envisioned a trust scale, that would give me a picture of my trust in God.  Zero is no trust in God and 10 is wholehearted.  Moses used Caleb as the example of one who wholeheartedly followed God.

I flipped back to Numbers 13 & 14 to read the actual account of Caleb and his trust in God.  He was one of the spies who explored the hill country prior to the Israelites moving forward.  After the spies gave their report, there must have been murmuring, grumbling and complaining because Caleb had to silence the crowd.  He stood before an unhappy audience.

He encouraged the crowd to remember the land has been and will be good and the Lord would lead them.  He asked them not to rebel and not to be afraid. He reminded them that God would give the victory and God was with them. 

Unfortunately, the mass of people were on the "zero" end of the trust scale and as a result spent more time in the desert wandering.

Each day I have a multitude of opportunities to trust God.  I think for a while I'm going to ask myself, "on a scale of zero to ten, do I trust God in this moment?"  This is not a competitive or prideful project.  Rather, I want my answer to remind me that my goal is 10- to follow God wholeheartedly.  If I'm not even on the higher end of  my trust scale, I'm going to ask "What will take for me to move toward the "10" end of the trust scale?"

My answer today is Focus.  Focus every day, in every circumstance.

Focus on God - what He has done and has promised, God is my leader.

Focus on obedience -  Do not rebel.  When all else fails, do what God says.

Focus on the future - God has promised me good things in my future.

Everyday

From the shower, I can hear the whimpering and the howling.  Mickey and Molly are gated into the kitchen while I get dressed.  This is not what they want.  They want to be with me, at all times.  Yet they are easily distracted.  A shoe, an open door, the wastebasket and they are off.  If I leave the room, I'll hear whimpering.  They want me with them while they chew on each other in my lap. I get their attention when I remove them from my lap or my presence.

I'd like to think it's because of my natural born "pack leader presence" that causes this devotion.  Yet I think it's as simple as a daily constant relationship between the puppies and me.  I provide for them and thus they want to be with me.

In Deuteronomy 1:29-33, Moses is reminding the Israelites that they do not trust the God who has gone before them, fought for them and before them, carried them, stayed with them, led them and was visible to them. I think Moses was telling them:  to gain courage for today's challenge, remember what God has done in the past.

My question for the day:  Why are we so quick to forget what God has done in the past?  It doesn't take much adversity or just plain busyness for us to forget the work of God in our past.

Basically, we ignore God on a daily basis.  We choose to be self-absorbed and compartmentalize our life into spiritual and secular. We spent a few minutes in prayer and Bible reading and check daily devotion box. The puppies know the command "come" but if there is a leaf to chase, a hosta to be eaten or an open door to explore, they choose to ignore me.

Life is God's Gift.  How can any part be unspiritual?  How can God not be a part of any part of my life?

We think we own our life but we don't.  We fill our life with so much stuff we can 't see, hear or feel God with us.  We miss His activity, not because He is not active but because we don't pay attention. We choose to ignore His invitation to Come to Him, daily, hourly, every minute of our life.

Everyday... remember, accurately,  what God has done.

Everyday...observe what God is doing.

Everyday...trust God with what He will do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Live the Moment

 I saw myself in Deuteronomy 1: 22-25 yesterday.  The Israelites had arrived at the hill country.  This was it!, God had told them.  Just as I would have done, they said, "to help us make a better plan let's do some research."  Again, this is a Jan translation.

For some reason many humans think knowing what will happen in the future is a good thing.  But maybe not.  If we knew the change, that might not be to our liking, was in our future would that help me live today?  I'm not sure I would be comforted by knowing my future. There are some events and circumstances we cannot control.  Many times I have decided "ignorance is bliss!"

Sometimes our need to know creates more fear rather than less.  The Israelites sent their spies.  They came back with a report.  The land was flowing with milk and honey, the cities were big and so were the people.  Perhaps as the news spread, fear led to the exaggerated perception that the cities were walled to the sky, the people were taller and bigger and God brought them there to kill them. 

People are pretty quick to forget the years of provision and protection that God provides when fear takes control.

Yesterday I also read a section in Cesar Millan's (the Dog Whisperer) book about how dogs live in the moment.  It was a good contrast.  It's not that dogs don't have memories but yet they have the ability to live the moment of life as it happens.  Dogs know you by your energy at the moment they are living.  I would assume there is some forgiveness and hope in that lifestyle.  My puppies see me in each moment.  So if I had a bad moment, I can change that and make a better next moment.

Maybe I should do more living in the moment and less researching about the future.  The Israelites worried about the future, which lead to exaggerated fear and lack of trust in God.  They yearned for a past with selective memory.

I'm still going to be sensible and make sure I have gas in my car before I leave town.  I have moved the computer power cord out of a puppy's mouth several times.  I have learned consequences in life.  I don't need to create situations I can easily prevent.

Yet, when I hear God say, "This is it!"  I am going to remember to live in His moment.  Trust God in the moment and in the future He has for me.  I will remember His provision and protection in my past so I can live the moment and see His future.  God's future has to be the best.

Earrings

"You're wearing earrings..."  My friend burst into tears when she saw me at the door.  She was just home from the hospital after the birth of her second son.  I was on the way to the grocery store and had called to ask if I could pick up some groceries for her.  I rang the doorbell expecting to be handed her shopping list.  But instead, she reminded me that change even really good change is a crisis.

My thoughts went to that event when I read Deuteronomy 1: 19-21.  Moses was retelling the Israelites the story of arriving at the hill country of the Amorites.  God told them, "This is it!  We're here! Go get the land!"  Ok, that's the Jan translation.

I was intrigued by God's words.  First, He presented them with the news that they had arrived at the land He had promised them.  He gave them instructions to go and take possession of it.  Then He reassured them not to be afraid or discouraged.  I thought, "why not tell them to rejoice or enjoy themselves?"

God knows us well.  He knows that change is hard.  With change, even the very best, comes new circumstances, some we don't anticipate.

The Israelites were to have new homes(the hill country versus the desert they had known for so long);

They had new jobs (take possession of the land.  So far they possessed only what traveled along with them on their wanderings.)

And they had new responsibilities - possessing land.  Possessing land means to me, some measure of permanence and I've always thought of the Israelites not too attached to land.

God knows that new homes, jobs and responsibilities can cause fear and discouragement.  My friend loved that baby and her family.  She was a great wife and mother.  Her grocery list was organized by the aisle in the grocery store for my shopping ease.  But she longed for the day when she had time to shower leisurely and choose earrings to match her outfit or maybe wouldn't get pulled on by a baby.

He knows we are entering "foreign territory" on a daily basis.  The Israelites were entering land that was fertile (flowing with milk and honey), had cities and kings and the people looked different.

To live Life means change happens.  Too often, the change is not our choice.

Today we live in a world that is "foreign" to us.  The people sometimes think different from us and have different goals for life.  We are only temporary residents in this world.  We have a Heavenly Home where we are citizens.  In the meantime, God tells us:   Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.  I will never leave you or forsake you.

Take it to the Leader

The phone rang.  I heard, "I'm driving in the dark.  I need you."  Dick was on his second day of his adventure and Onstar had gone blank. 

He is navigationally challenged and I am usually the navigator.  In our house we call it "JPS"(Jan PS)!  I'm not a back seat driven just the one that knows how to get us there.  When I am unavailable, Onstar is his guide more often that most people think.  The voice on the other side has assured him, "Mr. Sipe, we always know where you are!"

He had a brand new atlas in the car - good thing we both were Scouts and trained to be prepared.  I got on the internet and sent him instructions.  He arrived at his appointed destination.

I thought of this episode when reading Deuteronomy 1:15-18.  Moses was reminding the Israelites of the organization of the judges designated to resolve disputes among their multitude.  He gave the judges instructions to not be partial, to remember to resolve the dispute and justice belongs to God and to know when a case is too hard and to call in their leader, Moses.

To know when a situation is too hard and to call in the leader--good advice for life in today's world.  We have earthly leaders..  Too often pride and stubbornness prevent us from making the right decision to call in our leader.

Dick and I have begun a spiritual adventure.  We know God has called us to this "his and hers" ministry.  It must be God's work, as the enemy is making ripples in the journey.  So through texting, we have gone to our Leader, God, and asked for his protection from the enemy.  The car will go to the dealer for Onstar repair but the case has been "kicked up" to our Leader.

We'd appreciate the prayer covering from friends if you are available.  But do keep in mind to know when it's time to call in your Leader!

One I didn't miss!

This morning I read through Deuteronomy 1:5-8.  Moses gives God's instructions to the Israelites.  It was now time to break camp to go and take possession of the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  He gave them the Big Picture-the when, where, why and what. 

This was it!  The fulfillment of a promise that was hundreds of years old! I jotted in my journal:  "Do you think they knew what a great moment this was? Have I diminished or missed a great moment?"

Instead, I remembered a time when I knew a great moment was coming.  A young couple from a very different faith persuasion began to attend our church.  It didn't seem that they knew anyone, no one had invited them but they became regular attenders.

We learned they had experienced a great tragedy and their faith system had not eased their pain.  Their community had been unable to help them find relief of their pain and begin to heal.

Then I realized.  We had been given a great privilege and honor to be Jesus in their hurt, to point them to the only One that could even begin to ease their pain.  This was not a time for an evangelistic project but  an opportunity to gently show God's love, care and soothing touch. 

We included them in the life of the church just so they could watch, listen and eventually share.  We found people, who had experienced similar life tragedies, to connect so they could find common ground.

We had the opportunity to be the balm.  A balm is an medicinal aromatic ointment.  God expects us to be a fragrant aroma, showing his love, to the world around us.  We are not the ones who heal.  God heals and relieves but He gives us the opportunity to be the tool, the balm.

We had the privilege to see them come to know God in a deeper way and hopefully their pain beginning to ease.  I've lost track of them but I continue to pray for the balm in their lives and thank God that He gave me the honor and privilege to be part of his Touch.

So the answer to my question must be:  "I'm sure I have missed many great moments but I paid attention at least once."  Thanks God for giving me the honor of being balm.  I'm glad I didn't miss it.

Be open to hear God

Always Ready to

Love to

Move others toward The One who...

Seconds, please

"Where were you at 4:42?"  It was a discussion starter in Coalinga California for months after the major earthquake.  I used it as a hunt for the most unusual spot.  I was at work-how mundane!  I wanted to hear outrageous.  One friend was in the shower!  But the one I remember as unusual was my friend who happened to be in the bathroom and spent the earthquake watching her infant  in one of those contraptions that adhere to the top of the door frame to allow the baby to bounce.  Unfortunately, books and other objects flew past the baby as the earth shook.  The baby bounced and bounced!  There was nothing mother could do.  It's pretty difficult to move when the earth beneath your feet is moving and almost feels fluid.  So in my mind, this was the winner!  Second place was the plumber under a house-too scary to think about.

I thought about how our minds work.  We always seem to have vivid memory of where we were when historic events happen.  I remember so many details of where I was on 9/11 yet I can't remember what I had for breakfast two days ago. (I thought about using the example of where I was when JFK was shot but that would give away my age.)

I have decided to start my devotional study of Deuteronomy.  I know, who chooses Deuteronomy?  I love the book.  The book of seconds.  It's the second telling of the Law.  The Israelites had been given many "second chances." 

It appeals to my logical, here are the rules, slightly legalistic side but also I see God's love for those people, who don't fully appreciate how much God loves them.  It reassures me that if He loved them He loves me too.

I also think I choose it because I have two puppies and am striving to build my own dog pack.  I'm on a new journey with the puppies. 

My husband and I are on a new journey in  ministry with two locations.  It is time for some structure in my puppies' lives and in my spiritual life.  So Deuteronomy here I come!

I am encouraged that God will speak to me because the book begins with a description of exactly where Moses delivered the message from God and a description of the point in history complete with a day on the calendar and a historical reference.  What Moses is about to say is really important.

I did a quick internet search on why we remember the tragic and historical events so vividly.  Once I skipped the scientific research on rats, I noted that we use those events and the details as hooks for our memories.  Our brain has to store and file huge amounts of information.  In an effort to make it relevant, we use the hooks of those vivid details to help us retrieve the information.  We store information that is relevant so we can use it as a guide in the future.

The first two verses made me think.  I am anticipating some relevant information for my life from Deuteronomy.  Another Beginning! 

M&M insight No. 1

"Do you kiss the hand that stops you?"  After I said it, I realized how unusual it sounded.

I have never said "No" or "Stop" so many times in three days!  In the last five minutes I've said those two words dozens of times to keep my laptop safe as I type. 

We did an "insane" thing this week.  I'm not sure this is recommended in retirement.  This morning in a moment of clarity I wondered if there is some kind of manual or advisor for  the "do's and don'ts of retirement."

We have wanted to get another dog and have been doing a bit of shopping.  This week , "a lead" surfaced and my husband pursued it!  We ended up at a breeder with the intent of looking.  We both knew I can't be trusted with a litter of puppies .  We knew one was coming home.

Yet we did not come home with a puppy.  We came home with two!  So it has been a wild three days.  They are adorable  and double trouble!  I'm sure the spiritual insights from M & M (Mickey and Molly) will be the second chapter in my Another Beginning blog.

My question to the puppies came when I was issuing the command to "Stop" , probably from chewing my clothes, the couch or each other.  When I give the command and they don't stop I push them away.  Their first response is a lick of my hand.  I know they are little manipulators and that's their method of conning me into allowing them to continue chewing.

My question made me consider my relationship with God. I discipline the puppies (I should probably put discipline in quotation marks-I'm not sure who is training who in the housebreaking department.) to protect them and to make them acceptable to society.  Isn't that the same reason God says No to us?

Matthew 6:13 in The Message reminds me that we should ask God to keep us safe from ourselves.  The puppies can't get enough of chewing on the rose bush.  Apparently the thorns are not doing their job!  Is there some vitamin in rose bushes that puppies need?  I know the thorns will hurt them.  I know that the electrical current flowing through the laptop cord will hurt puppies, they don't.   (Yes, I'm in a chair surrounded by three dogs typing!)  I say no to the puppies to protect them.

I will say no to the puppies to make them acceptable to society.  Too soon, that jumping and leaping will not be cute.  People will not enjoy  my puppies if they continue to maul visitors at their arrival.

God does the same for us because He loves us, even when we are not cute!  He will stop us to protect us and to help us fit into His world.  How often have I thanked Him for that discipline?

Proverbs 3:11-12  spoke to me when I pondered my unusual question, "Do you kiss the hand that stops you?"  I usually don't because I'm selfish like my little puppies.  I plan to remember in the future that God disciplines the ones He loves.  He disciplines me for my benefit. 

So in the future I hope I answer in the affirmative and tell God, "Thanks for saving me from myself and making me fit into Your world."

Gotta go....... The  printer woke up one puppy and he's trying to chew her collar off.  I need to break out the words and do some protecting!

Make Coffee?

"And you’ll make the coffee..." My mouth dropped open as he explained that I was the first one in the store in the morning so it was only logical that I make the coffee. I then explained that I didn’t know how to make coffee. I didn’t drink the stuff. His reply was, "it’s easy I’ll show you."

I remembered that job interview from many years ago when reading Deuteronomy 10:12 this morning. Deuteronomy is one of my favorite books. I know not many people say that! To me, it shows the God of the second chances. If I’d have been God, the Israelites would have been charred cinders after about the second day of whining. Yet God still loved them, provided for them, led them and fulfilled His promises.

The verse answers the question, "What does God ask of you?". The first verb in the list is to "fear" the Lord. I like to think of that kind of fear as honor, revere and follow, not "quake in my boots" afraid. Perhaps the phrases that follow are the list of our duties for our "job" of honoring and following God.

The list that follows "fear" tells me to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord with all my heart and all my soul and to observe all His commands and decrees. I like the order. I choose to live for the Lord and love the Lord. Then because of my choice to love God, I serve and obey.

I also note the frequent use of the word "all". God’s expectation is that I am "all in", that I strive to do my best.

I may think I get to choose God and I do. The following verses tell me God really chose me first. He’s going to keep me even if I fail in my "job responsibilities", as I’ve viewed these verses.

I lost my job making coffee after a week and three "easy" lessons. Guess it wasn’t as easy as my boss thought.

So glad God will keep me even when I fall short of living for Him, loving Him, serving and obeying.

By the way, I have learned to make coffee well and now I drink the stuff, granted it’s really creamer with a bit of coffee! Likewise, I am learning to honor and follow God by living, loving, serving and obeying.

A wedding toast and a dream"

"..and through the trials in life that make us stronger..." These words from a chic flick movie wedding toast stuck in my brain.  So stuck in my brain I had a very strange dream.

My dream early this morning tells me I have probably watched too many suspense and action movies.  My reflection of the who and why of the dream has caused me to go to the Bible and think on perseverance.

In my dream I was in trouble, probably a bit of my own poor choice and a bit of "being in the wrong place at the wrong time." In my trial, three friends appeared.  The couple came alongside me in my trial.  They stayed with me, not to rescue me, but to keep me calm and focused and give me sound advice.  The third friend came later and gave me food, a necessity at the time.  (Granted it was weird food, but it was food.)

This morning I went to James 1:2.  James reminds us to consider it joy when facing trials.  Now that is not a comforting thought at the time of the trial.  Usually that choice to be joyful comes in hindsight.  James tells us that the testing of our faith develops perseverance.

This made me ask why these three specific friends appeared in my dream.  They are good friends but not ones I see regularly, unless you count Facebook.  However, all three of them have persevered through some serious testing of faith.  They face the  kind of trials that take daily perseverance to overcome and remain faithful.

I remember the longer the dream went, the more courage I mustered.  My wise friends in my dream continued to remind me not to be alone.  There was safety in numbers.  This morning I rejoice that I do have friends who come alongside of me keeping me calm, focused and nourished.

We should mature as a result of a trial, not crumble and fall away.  It is our choice.  The benefits are maturity, blessings, joy and better equipped for life's next trial.

A synonym for persevere is endure.  I like to think to endure is not gritting your teeth and hanging on.  I think of it as calmly weathering the storms, learning from each one to make the navigation of the next one smoother.

In my journal for James 1:2 my comment was "Hang onto God, it's good for you." It is always better with God rather than alone.

Around a curve

While we were in Wisconsin we took a train ride.  We paid $2 extra to sit in the caboose. (It was well worth it!).  In the caboose we had the benefit of the train wisdom stenciled on the walls.  I was drawn to "Always be prepared for slack action." I didn't know what it meant but I had that "there is a sermon in that" feeling.   So I took my picture with it.

 

 

Can you tell I'm still learning the photo functions of the phone?
 

I did an internet search for a definition of slack action.  Apparently it is the free movement of a car before it transmits motion to an adjoining coupled car.  The free movement is a result of the loosely coupled cars.  The cars are loosely coupled to enable the train to bend around curves.  But often when the pull from the locomotive to move the train begins to move car to car, there might be a slight jerk as it comes to the next car.  Hence if you are not alert you might stumble or lose your balance.

This morning as I reflected on a surprising curve in our journey, I was reminded of that "little jerk" in the information on slack action.  If I am not alert to these curves in my life journey and do some planning I might stumble and lose my balance in my life journey.

When you look at a coupler on a train it almost looks too loose to keep the cars together, especially when you see the movement.  Yet these couplers have held train cars connected for hundreds of years.  So I need to develop a "coupler" hold onto God, tight enough to stay on track but loose enough to survive the curves of life.

So my journey may see unusual movement, but I am sure of God's love and the direction the "train".  Jus s morning in my "surprise me" method of bible study, I flipped to I John.  I was using my familiar friend of my Bible collection and had underlined "know" in I John.  Wow, it's in I John a lot!

So I know God loves me and directs my life.  My job is to be prepared for the surprises, the little "jerks" in the journey, the slack action, so I don't stumble and lose balance.

So

Live alert

And stay

Coupled to God to

Keep balance in life's journey

 

 

It's a smalll world!

"She's my favorite first cousin."  We were in Missouri on our way to church.  We'd just parked in the visitor's space and a man noticed our license plate.  He introduced himself and explained he had recently moved to Missouri from a town two counties from us in Iowa.  We started the "do you knows."  He had family in Marshalltown and we discovered he was related to a friend of ours!

It's a small world!  In a sense we have "family" everywhere.

When Adam was very small we lived in California, very far from the grandparents.  Yet he had plenty of grandparents.  Adam knew he had "Papa" in Kansas City but at home he had "Papa Reese" (Maurice) and "Two Papa" (Ed).  Everywhere we lived our friends had kids that treated Adam like a sibling, with the good and bad that goes with siblinghood!  So on an occasional basis, Adam had a break from being an only child.  As he was a teenager, there were mature adults who took an interest in Adam in a "grandparently" way.  I so enjoyed seeing Jim G. intently listened to Adam and give him a  pearl of wisdom and know that it rang true to Adam.

In chapter 3 of Ephesians we are told that every family in heaven and earth derive its name from God. That means, to me, that

I belong,

I am protected,

I have an inheritance,

I have family wherever I am on earth,

I have family in Heaven,

I am never alone.

In Hebrews chapter 2,  I am reminded that the One who makes us holy also makes us family.  Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.

God has provided me with family everywhere I go.  I have the big sisters, the almost mothers and little sisters everywhere I've lived.  Those people put flesh to God's promise to always be with me.  He sends part of "The Family" the minister to me.

No wonder "It's a small world" in Disneyland is my favorite ride!