From My Heart

I have always loved studying the life of Joseph in Genesis, but as I prepared my lesson for my bible study  group this week, it really began to hit home what Joseph was faced with. In Genesis 39:1-6 ,  Joseph has already been through the betrayal of those closest to him, has become of victim of human trafficking, has arrived in a foreign country, and has been sold like a piece of meat. This was a young man who was to be the successor and heir to his father's fortune and property back home. He went from being the favored son to being a slave. Joseph did not choose his life - it was thrust upon him savagely and violently.  By the time we read the verses in chapter 30 of Genesis above, he has come to realize a new normal. He has come to reside in a country in which he does not know the language, he has no concept of the customs, and the culture is a complete mystery to him. He could have sat in his misery and spent his time and energy thinking of all the hurt and cruelty his...

Well, we are at it again. The social media wars are in full swing. Everybody is mad... or at least upset. The memes are flying both ways. Is this really the most productive way to handle a conflict? In Luke 10:25-37, we find the story that has come to be known as the Good Samaritan. In the story, a man is beaten, stripped and robbed while traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. He is left for dead alongside the road. Other than that, we know absolutely NOTHING about this man. (But that's a story for another day...) As he is laying there, not one but two religious leaders pass him by. Not only do they not help him, they cross the street to get away from him.  We live in a nation of people who for one reason or another, have been beaten, stripped, and robbed of their faith in God. Other than that, for the most part we know little to nothing about them. We don't know how they have been hurt, how they were raised, who taught them what to believe. This is not a random act of v...

Several years ago, Larry and I had the chance to cross off one of our bucket list trips when we went to Alaska. We were not disappointed. It is a spectacularly beautiful place and we were able to see things we may never have the opportunity to see again. In addition, we did it all with great friends and some incredible memories were made. Now, I feel like I am a moderately adventurous person and I love to try new things. BUT.... I am afraid of heights. Or maybe a better way to say it might be I am afraid of falling. So when the entire group decided to go zip lining, I was terrified. On the other hand, I  didn't want to be the only one in the group wouldn't do it - the party pooper, if you will - so I agreed to go. The day came and we got all geared up. The practice runs were nothing. We got to the first big line and I was nervous, but it was a nice, tight line and seemed pretty stable. I took off. Flying through the trees was wonderful. I thought, "I CAN DO THIS!...

I can promise you this: If you ever get mono, you will hear or see the words “get some rest” 5,492 times a day. Well.... maybe not that much, but a lot. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. We see two sisters with vastly different personalities - and that’s okay. Jesus came to visit. The God of the Universe, the Messiah is sitting in the living room. Verse 40 is very telling regarding Martha’s state of mind. It starts off “but Martha”. Jesus is in the house teaching those who were present, but Martha.... she was distracted, anxious, troubled, tired. All of that emotion drove her to confront Jesus with the words, “don’t You care?”. Oh my, how many times have we all been there? When my doctor called me to give me test results this week, he told me that 80-90% of the population carries the Epstein-Barr Virus that causes mono. Most of the time a healthy immune system is able to fight it off. But when we become over tired and stressed ...

In my previous post, I mentioned that Larry and I have been dealing with aging parent problems. My mom in particular is suffering with dementia and I knew my dad could no longer take care of her alone in their home. Unfortunately, until they came to live with us, I did not realize just how much she had deteriorated. After an illness, surgery, and two hospitalizations, I came to realize I could not bring her home again. So she went to rehab, my dad stayed with us, and we began the search for an appropriate assisted living. After looking at options and talking with my dad, we found a place we felt was perfect for them, got them at the top of the waiting list and began to pray for an opening. In the meantime, we were shuttling my dad back and forth to the rehab every day and at each visit my mom would beg us to bring her home. I know his heart was breaking. After a couple of weeks of this, I began to feel tired. No big deal. We've been busy and stressed and we all just needed...

I haven’t written in a long time and decided I would make the most of my time of confinement. The first quarter of two thousand eighteen has been a difficult and stressful one for my husband and I.  Dealing with issues related to aging parents has put a strain on us that we could not have anticipated. Wanting to do what is best for them, still do what is best for us, dealing with dementia, hospitalizations, nursing homes has been enough to create a level of stress that has taken a toll. On a particular week when we had been running back and forth to facilities, doctor appointments, and just trying to keep up with day to day responsibilities, I remember venting to the Lord in my quiet time and praying what I have come to see as a fateful prayer. I remember, probably a little resentfully, telling God that I wished I could have a day to just do nothing and read a book..... As of today, I have had FIFTEEN days to do nothing and read books. As a matter of fact, it is being en...

I have tried to stay out of the fray for the most part re: this election. And now that it is over, I have something to say. I have seen some divisive political campaigns in my life, but this one may top the list. I believe Satan has used it not only to divide one half of this country from the other, but to divide Christians as well. Christian brothers and sisters calling the faith of others into question because of their voting preferences or political opinions. James 3:10 says "From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so." 1 Peter 4:8 says "ABOVE ALL, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." I have seen so much hate and vitriol posted on social media this past year and much of it has come from fellow believers. As James says, 'this ought not to be so.' Not only are we at each other, but at opposing parties and candidates. Name calling, belittling remarks, etc. Where does...

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." I recently had a falling out with a friend. I said something she disagreed with. A lot. I disagreed with her. A lot. It was tense for a few weeks. We rarely spoke to each other and when we did it was... Well... Tense. I really thought we were done for. After a couple of rounds of "intense fellowship", we began to realize something. We valued the friendship and each other more than we valued the argument. We forgave each other. We became tenderhearted and said kind things to each other. Then, God did what He always does. Not only did He restore the friendship ~ He took it to another level. We now meet weekly for prayer. If we hadn't been willing to forgive, we would be missing out on a prayer partnership. Proverbs 17:17 says "a friend loves at ALL times". Good times, difficult times, times when we are unlovely, times when it would be easier...

Yesterday was not my best ... not a great ... kind of a bad day. I know it was partly my fault. But we all have "those" days. The whole day wasn't awful. I had a great lunch with my daughter and a sweet friend for her birthday. It all just seemed to go downhill after that. Here is the deal: My work load is almost overwhelming right now. My best friend is moving out of state. I have some family issues that are challenging at best. My mom had some medical procedures last week. My husband had a major surgery. It could be so much worse. Most days I know I am blessed. I am blessed I have a job. I am blessed to have a good friend who will stay my friend despite location. My mom is doing well. My husband is recovering nicely. And God's grace is sufficient.  So why the meltdown yesterday? I wasn't being heard. I tried to have one conversation and the person on the other end was talking to someone else.. I didn't feel heard. Then I tried to have another c...

Some days, you just need to look across the table into the face of someone older and wiser. Some days, you just need the tender touch of a hand and a word of encouragement over a mug of strong Irish tea. Some days, you just need to be reminded.... I have been having some areas of dread lately. Things in my life that are making me feel anxious and overwhelmed. It occurred to me, after having a talk with a wonderful mentor in my life, that dread is just another word for apprehension and fear. Fear of the unknown mostly. 2 Timothy 1:7 says God did not give me this spirit of fear - He gave me a sound mind. What I needed to be reminded of is that I am a child of hope. In Ephesians 1, Paul prays for his fellow believers and asks that they will KNOW the HOPE to which they are called. I am CALLED to hope! One of the most inspirational passages on hope for me is in Lamentations chapter 3. But to truly get the full impact of Jeremiah's words here, you must read the whole chapter...

It's not often I can say my days have a theme to them, but today was one of those days. The word for today was 'COME'. I went to a new (for me) Bible study this morning and the lessons were titled "Come". The first scripture was Mark 10:13-16: "And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdoms of God like a child shall not enter it.' And he took them in His arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them." (ESV) Jesus wants us to come to Him as children, but How do children come? I am a mom and a Nana of nine and I have spent much time on this earth raising and caring for children. Yes, children come to you with innocence and trust. But the times I always loved was when I walked in a r...

As I sit here preparing my Sunday School lesson for this week, I am reading through the first chapter of Matthew which begins with one of those exciting genealogies we all love so much when reading through the Bible. (read slight sarcasm here) But as I read through this one this year, it occurs to me that 2 Timothy 3:16 tells me that ALL scripture is inspired by God and ALL scripture is useful. So if the genealogy is here -  it must be worth my time. The first, and most obvious, reason is to prove the lineage of Christ and His right to the throne of Israel. It traces His Messianic lineage back to David and further to Abraham both of whom the Jews recognized would be ancestors to the Messiah. As we read on, though, there are some interesting characters indeed. Jacob was a liar. Tamar (the fact that a woman is included is unheard of) who seduced her former father in law, Judah, in order to continue her deceased husband's line (Genesis 38). Rahab (another woman AND a Gentile) w...

Since the New Year started, I have seen everyone  well, maybe not everyone , posting their verse for the year or their word for this year. I want to be that spiritual, really, I do. But reality reigns at my house. Truth be told, I hadn't even thought about a verse or a word for the year. I'm not sure I could remember what my verse and word were for last year, so why bother with another one? We had a lovely time ringing in the New Year with some wonderful friends and maybe the whole evening just had me waxing nostalgic. I looked at these people - some we had done life with for a long time. We have traveled together, laughed together, mourned together, and loved together. I looked at others who are more newcomers to the scene and think about what our future together will bring. It's exciting and a little scary. On our way home, it was dark and there were still a few fireworks going off in the distance.. my thoughts turned toward the year past and other circumstances ...

It always amazes me to see how God works things together, how He speaks the same things to different people, how He works to get His message out. I had planned to write this yesterday, but I procrastinated only to wake up this morning and find that one of the leadership team for my Online Bible Study had already written it.  In her post, she talks of all the dark articles regarding events happening in our world today. I agree with her that we need to be aware, but is this where our focus should lie? And what about that person on your news feed that uses Facebook as their rant forum? It's all so depressing if we don't balance it with hope. Lately, I have been trying to get back into my walking routine and was dismayed several days ago to discover shortly into my walk that I left my ear buds at home. Whatever was a girl to do? How about talking to Jesus?  It occurred to me that when God tells us to "Be still" in Psalm 46:10, He is not just telling us 'd...

I hadn't realized how long it has been since I wrote a post. Tonight I was reading stories from the tornado and flood ravaged areas and my heart breaks for the things I am seeing: a mom who lost her two little boys, homes absolutely leveled, people separated from their pets, catastrophic injuries. It's all so tragic. Then I picked up my Bible to do my reading for the day and my New Testament passage was John 1:1-28. I have decided to try and read through the gospel of John aloud and ask God to show me words or phrases that I need to dwell on. Tonight He gave me chapter 1, verse 16, "From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another . (NIV)" The ESV says we have received "grace upon grace".  As I looked around me and thought of those going through so much pain tonight, I felt He was telling me to remember what I have to be thankful for...letting me know I need to be more thankful. I remember reading a quote one time that ...

And He said to all, "If any would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Luke 9:23 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:20 - 21 I have only known in my life one person that truly personified those verses. In 2009, one of our youngest, most energetic ministers was taken to the hospital emergency room with chest pain. He was healthy and athletic. He taught PE at our local high school. This trip to the hospital began a journey that would last the next three years and affect more lives than anyone could have ever anticipated. Mike Storter was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. Mike immediately began treatments for his disease and for a short period during these years was considered cancer-free. It was a ...