Anger and Blessing

 

Anger and Blessing

 

I worked in an Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in Chicago. A new nurse joined the staff. She was tall (6′), gangly, and looked like someone we now associate with the 60’s. However, it was the 70’s. People thought that Roxy looked like someone straight from Haight-Ashbury. And she cast off the aura of the same.

 

Roxy was a terrific lady. And was a more conservative person than I was or am. But she didn’t look like it at all. A person had to be around her for some time and talk about the basics in order to realize that this is a very solid, decent human being.

 

At the same time,we had a supervisor who was a very good looking, bright, intelligent woman.  I liked her and thought she did a good job as our supervisor. Then one day she called me into her office. She took it upon herself to advise me that I would do better than to have Roxy for a friend…that being around her would ruin my reputation. But this lady did not know Roxy. But I did. She was making her judgment on how she felt about how Roxy looked.

 

I was furious. I don’t think I have ever been so angry in all my life. I spent night and day dreaming up what horrendously dreadful things I could do to “get back” at the supervisor. I was very inventive too, I might add. But this went on day after day. I wondered what right she had to tell me who my friends should be. And since she was rarely around Roxy, how did she know about her anyway. I had righteous anger if there ever was righteous anger. And I thought I had a right to it too. And I was a wrathful person.

 

Now, you may ask, “What did you do about it?” Actually, I didn’t do anything about it. I realized I was harming myself and nobody else. And I like people too much to “do” something to her. The one thing I told her was that my friends are my business just as her friends are hers.

 

I don’t know how God felt in his anger at Israel, but I understand why He decided to bring them blessings. I was not able to go that far all those years ago (35), but it has always been a wonderful example in my life of how to behave when a person has managed to engage my wrath. Since that time nothing has made me so angry as that did. I had no idea I could feel so angry.  It is a powerful feeling…and since then I have tried to use it for good instead of trying to convince a person of my position. I will stand on my own two feet but not in anger. That will benefit nobody and just makes the situation worse. Yes, I become angry from time to time. But it is important in our lives to be selective over that about which we become angry. I have found that if I am quite angry, there is usually something important going on in my life that I am ignoring. 

I try to take the anger and try to turn it into a blessing for myself or another person. Yes, it can be done. Anger is the spiritually drained person’s way of handling problems. We do not see it as a red flag in our lives. We just know that we are right. And we may be. But anger will not fix anything at all. But it will make most situations worse and make us feel miserable as well.

 

It is obvious that I have not forgotten this incident in my life. It has been too good of a teacher to forget what happened. I learned tremendously from it…one of which was just how angry I could feel. I was totally surprised. Prior to this incident, I had turned most anger inward, and it expressed itself in depression. 

 

Lord, help us to forgive as You forgive. Help us be a blessing to everyone whether we become angry with them or not.

 

Carol

Anger and Blessing

 

I worked in an Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in Chicago. A new nurse joined the staff. She was tall (6′), gangly, and looked like someone we now associate with the 60’s. However, it was the 70’s. People thought that Roxy looked like someone straight from Haight-Ashbury. And she cast off the aura of the same.

 

Roxy was a terrific lady. And was a more conservative person than I was or am. But she didn’t look like it at all. A person had to be around her for some time and talk about the basics in order to realize that this is a very solid, decent human being.

 

At the same time,we had a supervisor who was a very good looking, bright, intelligent woman.  I liked her and thought she did a good job as our supervisor. Then one day she called me into her office. She took it upon herself to advise me that I would do better than to have Roxy for a friend…that being around her would ruin my reputation. But this lady did not know Roxy. But I did. She was making her judgment on how she felt about how Roxy looked.

 

I was furious. I don’t think I have ever been so angry in all my life. I spent night and day dreaming up what horrendously dreadful things I could do to “get back” at the supervisor. I was very inventive too, I might add. But this went on day after day. I wondered what right she had to tell me who my friends should be. And since she was rarely around Roxy, how did she know about her anyway. I had righteous anger if there ever was righteous anger. And I thought I had a right to it too. And I was a wrathful person.

 

Now, you may ask, “What did you do about it?” Actually, I didn’t do anything about it. I realized I was harming myself and nobody else. And I like people too much to “do” something to her. The one thing I told her was that my friends are my business just as her friends are hers.

 

I don’t know how God felt in his anger at Israel, but I understand why He decided to bring them blessings. I was not able to go that far all those years ago (35), but it has always been a wonderful example in my life of how to behave when a person has managed to engage my wrath. Since that time nothing has made me so angry as that did. I had no idea I could feel so angry.  It is a powerful feeling…and since then I have tried to use it for good instead of trying to convince a person of my position. I will stand on my own two feet but not in anger. That will benefit nobody and just makes the situation worse. Yes, I become angry from time to time. But it is important in our lives to be selective over that about which we become angry. I have found that if I am quite angry, there is usually something important going on in my life that I am ignoring. 

I try to take the anger and try to turn it into a blessing for myself or another person. Yes, it can be done. Anger is the spiritually drained person’s way of handling problems. We do not see it as a red flag in our lives. We just know that we are right. And we may be. But anger will not fix anything at all. But it will make most situations worse and make us feel miserable as well.

 

It is obvious that I have not forgotten this incident in my life. It has been too good of a teacher to forget what happened. I learned tremendously from it…one of which was just how angry I could feel. I was totally surprised. Prior to this incident, I had turned most anger inward, and it expressed itself in depression. 

 

Lord, help us to forgive as You forgive. Help us be a blessing to everyone whether we become angry with them or not.

 

Carol

Our Silence Denies Him.

Mark 14:27-31, 50 NLT

“All of you will desert me,” Jesus told them [the disciples]. “For the Scriptures say,

     ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’

“But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” 

Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” “Peter,” Jesus replied, “the truth is this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

“No!” Peter insisted. “Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you! And all the others vowed the same…Meanwhile, all the disciples deserted him and ran away.

 

When we first met Peter, I doubt that any one of us would have believed that this blustery, self-confident fisherman would deny Jesus. Not Peter! He was the person that Jesus was depending upon to build the church. But Peter denied Christ as Jesus said that he would. Peter cried. (Mark 14:72) If Peter had never felt humility, shame or guilt before, he certainly experienced them when he denied Jesus.

I sometimes read passages like this  and wonder how I would have behaved. Am stronger than Peter? Do I love Jesus and God more than Peter did? Certainly I would have been there when He wanted and needed me to be there for Him.  Would I have denied Jesus?

It seems to me that we “run away” frequently. We say we are Christians. As Christians we are expected to follow the great commandments:  Love God with all your heart, soul, and might and love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19-20 to “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” NLT

In other words we need to speak up for Jesus whenever we can…not just in church or in Bible Study or when other “church people” are the people to whom we are speaking.

No! We are to speak to the world about Jesus. When we do not, our silence denies Jesus just as loudly as Peter’s denials. We need to feel ashamed, gulty, humbled, and cry as Peter did.

How can we say we are Christians and not speak Jesus’ name in public? I am guilty as well. Recently, however, I have discovered almost by accident that it is not so difficult to talk about Jesus to other people as I thought it was. We just need to do so. It is easier than you may think. People are hungry for Jesus…but they may not know it. If we wait for that “perfect time,” to teach, witness, affirm we may be denying Jesus the rest of our lives. Jesus is our  Savior. We must tell people about Him. If we do not, the forces of evil will win.

I do not want to face Jesus and have Him ask me, “Carol, why did you deny Me?

Carol

Bible Breath:

Jesus, make me your witness.

Praying and Writing

As I continue writing on our blog, I am reminded how much alike writing and praying are in this context. When a person prays, he/she expects that God will answer. Now, of course, we want God to answer the way we want Him to answer. We also want Him to answer sooner…not later. We want Him to answer in our time when we think it would be most beneficial. God answers in His own time when He knows we will benefit, if we are listening. In addition, we want God’s answer and our answer to be the same. Sometimes, God’s answer is something entirely different from what we want. We know that, but we still want to have our own way.

Writing is sometimes similar…at least it is for me. When I write on a forum or blog, it is with the expectation of some kind of response. That is true for most of what I write unless it is my personal writing. I do not think that most of us write a letter to another person without the expectation that the person will respond. He/she may not respond, but that is the expectation.

That makes me take another look at why I am writing on here. Yes, it is with the expectation of response…from someone. Otherwise, why is there a blog in the first place. It is for discussion. Therefore, I need to establish another reason to write if I am not getting a response. Actually, one of the reasons “should” be that I write to the glory of God. Right now, I feel that I am writing for the Glory of God part of the time. I think God is probably getting a good laugh at what I am writing right now. God might even telling me to stop whining!

I also write because I enjoy writing. It is a wonderful means of conveying thoughts and ideas…but they are written in the wind if nobody reads them. It has become harder and harder to write when there is no response. I am, in effect, writing for myself. I would say I am writing for God, but He already knows these things. Maybe this is truly one of those time when “it is the thought that counts.”

I remember when people told me that I needed to have some interactive elements on our website. Now, we have Read the Bible in a Year with the accompanying blog. I could not think of anything which was more interactive and valuable than that. Much to my disappointment I am the only person who is using this feature of our website. If others of you are reading this, I invite you to join me on this journey through the Bible. It is a rewarding experience.

I am told, “These things take time.” Perhaps I am impatient. I am in the second year of reading the Bible in a year on our website. I am waiting…just as we wait for God to answer our prayers…and I have trouble waiting patiently; but I know I must continue for it is God’s work to reach out as far as we can. On a computer we have the opportunity of reaching out to the entire world. Can anything be more breathtaking than that?  

Yes, it would be even more breathtaking if people came to Christ because of our computer ability to reach out to them with the Word of God!!

Bless one and all,

Carol

Considering Breath Prayers

“Every Scripture is God-breathed…”   2 Timothy 3:16 

A pastor I met on the internet introduced me to the idea of Breath Prayers. We are told to “pray constantly” which I have difficulty doing, but I think in some context it can be done…at least by those who practice praying…yes, practice. Maybe praying comes naturally to some of you, but it does not come naturally to me.

A breath prayer is a prayer of about seven words which are breathed. Pastor Connelly has suggested that we write down our prayers and pray them every three hours. Here is a page he has written about breath prayers:

http://biblethroughseasons.com/Bible%20Breaths.html

Therefore, I am going to share my breath prayers with you from time to time so you can see how I do them.  There are many, many other ways.

I take my prayers from the Bible reading for the day. Today the reading was Psalm 37.

Breath Prayers:

     Trust in the Lord and do good.    verse 3

     Delight yourself in the Lord.    v. 4

     Commit your way to the Lord.    v. 5

     Wait patiently for the Lord.    v. 7

     The meek will enjoy great peace.    v. 11

Another benefit of breathing the prayers is that it helps me to keep the scripture in mind throughout the day.

Below is a more knowledgeable discussion of breath prayers and the different ways they can be used.

http://www.saint-augustine.org/_nov07/ef1107e.htm

God bless one and all,

Carol

Noble Tasks

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”1

Is the above statement true for you? It certainly is for me. All my life I have wanted to do something that really was important for people…that mattered to them, made their lives better in some way, enriched their lives…and not just a couple of people either. I wanted to “save the world.”

As I became a bit older, I decided that I would “save the United States” in some way…and then the state of Indiana. For some reason I was not able to accomplish these things.

Then I became a group home manager for six men with retardation and some physical problems as well. For these six men, I could make a difference. I could see that they attended church. I could teach them how to behave in public so that they were not ridiculed. I could bring our family Christmas Eve tradition to the group home. Did anyone understand? I don’t know, but one of the men asked if we were going to do it the next Christmas. I said that we were; he said, “Good.”

Then came a time when I was unable to work at the group home any more. What then does a person do? After realizing how much I allowed my work to define me, I had to turn another direction. It took a long time. And I was unable to go to church; I also did not think to read the Bible much. I read, listened to music, and learned to paint…not well, but I learned.

These tasks I had to do as if they were “great and noble,” or my life would not have made any sense to me at all. I am not quite certain that I ever attained “great and noble,” but I was trying at least.

Years went by. Health problems became worse, better, and worse again…just as they do with everyone. But I had a church visitor…not from my church. I was visited by a man who was and still is a Jehovah’s Witness. He would come with his little girls. That man knew that I was a Methodist and would always be a Methodist…but he came four or five times a year.

When I moved, he found me and continued to visit. I watched his kids grow up, and I met his grandson. This man taught me about discipleship. He had a noble task and did it no matter how many doors were slammed in his face. He was doing God’s work, and there was no doubt about it. His was a “noble task” indeed.

Eventually, I got a computer…and decided to do our church website with no knowledge at all of what I was doing. I began reading the Bible, went back to church when they installed an elevator, and I am now here writing about doing small tasks nobly. We must. We are God’s children. We can serve Him well by doing our “small tasks as if they were great and noble.”

Carol

1 Helen Keller

Happy New Year

I said to a man who stood at the gate of the year:  ”Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way.”

M. Louise Haskins

I was unable to write at the beginning of  ”our” New Year so I great everyone at the beginning of the Chinese New Year…so Happy New Year to one and all. It is the Year of the Ox. However, for you and me the most important thing about the year is that it is God’s year.

I am hoping that once again this year some of you will join my in reading the Bible in a year…and commenting upon what you read, think, and feel as well. And it would be an addition if we could discuss how various scripture affects our lives today.

Last year I tried to write every day, but that was a bit much for me. This year I will write at least once a week. What I write may or may not pertain to the scripture for the day. Today is a good example. 

If some of you are behind, that is okay. You can begin with today’s readings, or you can read two or three daily scripture until you catch up. Reading the Bible is not a race. It is a joy. All you need is the desire and just a tiny bit of discipline. If you are like I am, you will find that you just can’t wait for the next day’s reading. I thought I would have a terrible time with self-discipline when I first decided to read the Bible in a year. I had said I was going to do so for a long time. Finally, I did it…and I continue…not because I am some kind of odd person, although I may be, but because I truly enjoy doing so. Every time I read a scripture I find something new. You may have heard people say that, but for me, it is true.

Therefore, I once again invite you on this sacred jouney…one we can take together. By the way in the Bible reading for today, Moses had just seen the burning bush and had spoken to God.

Blessings to one and all,

Carol

Old Acquaintances

Genesis 1 – Revelation 22:21

A year has passed. For anyone who has stayed with me, we have had the pleasure of reading the Bible this year, 2008. I found reading the Bible on the computer every day very odd indeed because I have read the Bible in book form previously. And there is something to be said for each format. I am not certain what exactly. I prefer reading Bible in hand.

But it has been a wonderful experience, and I am going to continue. I invite anyone else who is reading this to join. Maybe we can get some discussions going this year. I have to admit that I have been surprised that so few people have appeared on these pages on the website. One of the things the “gurus” told me about building a website was that it needs to be interactive.

I could think of nothing more interactive than reading the Bible and sharing with one another. I was wrong evidently. And at times I have felt that what I did on here didn’t matter. And then I understood that it mattered to God, and that was all that was necessary on my part. All I can do is present the resources. Other people must decide whether they will or will not use them.

There are wonderful people to meet in the Bible. There are Adam, Eve, Moses, Gideon, Nathan, Deborah, David, Uriah, Darius, Joseph…several of them…Mary and Mary and Mary, Peter, Paul, Ananias,  and last but not least Jesus. He is not just an acquaintance but our friend and Savior.

And I am going to continue with the blog. I started off like a house on fire, but I wasn’t able to keep up that pace so I am going to try to write once a week. That, for me, is probably more reasonable.

I thank those people who have taken the time to comment on my writing this year. It always makes me smile when I see that somebody has commented. If  he/she agrees or disagrees I smile nonetheless. I cannot help myself.

I have just finish “Revelation.” I must say that is a perplexing book. I can see why there was such a debate about whether it should be included in the Bible. But like the angel said to John who had fallen to his knees to worship the angel. “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” And that is what I shall do. I hope you join me.

Carol

I Don’t Believe This, But…

Something happened this morning which has never happened in my 67 1/2 years.

I awakened thinking about God. And I was smiling from ear to ear. And it was such a good feeling I hope it happens again. It was just the neatest thing under the sun.

I went to sleep thinking about God because we had a meeting of the six of us who take communion to nursing homes and people who are home-bound for one reason or another. We shared our experiences, problems, if any, and shared communion together. It was a wonderful experience.

I have been trying like crazy to make God the top priority in my life. This one day, I have a little bit of evidence that I just might be succeeding a little bit. Thanks be to God!

What an extraordinary thing to have happen!! What a blessing!!

If you have never had this happen, I pray that it happens to you. I think you will be just as surprised and delighted as I was. It feels like a special blessing this day.

Carol

Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving and praise:

“I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.”  Psalm 7:17

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.” Psalm 28:7

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”  Psalm 30:11-12

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.  For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.  In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him.  The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.  Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are people of His pasture, the flock under His care.”  Psalm 95:1-7

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”  Psalm 100:4-5

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Corinthians 15:56-57

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”  2 Corinthians 2:14

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (grace)!”  2 Corinthians 9:15

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of God because of you?”  1 Thessalonians 3:9

(All quotes from the NIV)

Carol

Consider Uriah

2 Samuel 11-12

I know this is not the Bible Scripture for today on the website, but it is on another Bible Study that I am doing.

Frequently when we hear the story of David, whether we read it or hear sermons about it, we hear mostly about David and Bathsheba. But consider Uriah. He is a faithful and loyal soldier in David’s army even though he was a resident alien in Judah. While he is fighting for David, David sees Bathsheba, sleeps with her, and she becomes pregnant. Now, even though David is a great man, it is obvious that he sins big time just like the rest of us do. There are many choices he could have made to resolve the issue. His choice, however, was designed to keep him looking good to his people. Now, Uriah did not have a choice in this situation. When David summoned him, he had to respond. David did not expect to meet a man who was as loyal to his troops as Uriah was. Most soldiers, when they have a little bit of leave, dash home. Uriah was not like most soldiers. David asked why he didn’t go home, and Uriah replied, “The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and his officers are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I will never be guilty of acting like that.” It would have been a good idea if David had used Uriah as a role model for his own behavior. Even when Uriah drank, he would not go home because his army was not able to share the luxuries with him. Now, Uriah’s behavior caught David off guard. He would never have guessed that a soldier would behave in such an upright manner. David could have been just as upright himself if he had wanted to. Instead he took the coward’s way out of the situation. He sent Uriah back to battle, and David told Joab to put Uriah at the head of the charge so that he would be killed. And he was. And what did Uriah do that cost him his life? He was faithful, loyal, compassionate, and right. Because of these traits Uriah died. I don’t know about you, but I consider Uriah one of the heroes in the Bible. However, I have never known anyone to refer to him as a hero. I have heard him referred to as the man David duped in order to have Bathsheba. There is no honor in that. David was right to ask for forgiveness. I would have found it difficult to forgive him. Have you ever wondered whether Bathsheba knew the full story and forgave David? Carol
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Remember My Chains.

18 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.  Colossians 4:18

I think when we read many of Paul’s letters, we forget that he was literally in prison when he was writing. He was a captive of the Roman government. Paul spent years in captivity. However, he did not waste his time. He kept in constant contact with the churches which he or other members of the sect had begun.

Can you imagine being in prison and getting some of the reports that Paul evidently received about the behavior of the people in the new churches? It must have been dismaying to him. But he continued to try to teach proper Christian behavior…to remind the people that Jesus Christ was their model to follow. And Jesus Christ was their Lord and Master. In the letters, Paul reminds people again and again.

Paul had literal chains. Some of us may have literal chains. But almost all of us have figurative chains which keep us from being the people that Christ wants us to be. Our chains can also be called sins. They keep us bound up. Unless we admit to having them, the chains will not be loosened.

However, when we can come to the point of saying, “God, take my sins away,” we will begin to grow as the Beloved Children of God. We will grow in grace, mercy, and if we listen, we just may be able to hear God’s voice. But as long as we are making a lot of ruckus in our lives, we will not hear God.

Our chains are of our own making. God, help us loosen them.

Carol

Prayer Person

Prayer has always been fascinating to me. I have gone for long periods of time in the past without praying. In desperate times, I always pray. There have been times when I have been too sick even to think about prayer which is one reason we all need people praying for us.

I am now on a committee. Because of health I had not been on a committee for about 1000 years. I was forever speaking at an inappropriate time. But I have been in a position here alone that I could think, say, or write whenever I wanted to. I did not need to follow an agenda. At the end of one of the meetings, I said, “Aren’t we going to pray?” The pastor said, “You pray.” I said, “NO!”

In all my 67 years I had never prayed out loud where others could hear me. I did end up praying, but I felt like a nit-wit that day. That was probably very good for me. It pointed up to me how ridiculous false pride can make me sound. I did not want to pray aloud unless I could pray “the perfect prayer.” Of course, no such prayer exists. There are prayers which sound as if the person has spent 6 weeks writing them, and there are prayers in which the person stumbles all over the place. All are precious to God…in my opinion.

Now, I have been asked to be the “prayer minister” for our group. I am not certain everything that will entail, but I am willing to give it a go. I am bound to learn even if I am not at all helpful to anyone else.

However, one of the terms which people applied was “prayer warrior” which I reject. It seems to me that the more we speak in terms of war, warriors, fighting, etc., the more we do it. We are a violent people.

I was reminded that there is evil to be fought. But violent speech and/or violent behavior are only one way to try to fight evil.  There is the non-violent approach. Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Jesus…these men knew this and paid for this approach to evil with their lives. But each made a difference. The world was a better place…but still violent. Perhaps we are all too selfish not to be violent.

But Ephesians 6:10-18 reminds us that God’s armor is much different from man’s armor and ways of fighting. God would have us fight with:

1. The belt of truth

2. Breastplate of righteousness

3. Your feet fitted with the gospel of peace

4. The shield of faith

5. The helmet of salvation

6. The sword of the Spirit— the word of God

7. Prayer in the Spirit

These are God’s weapons…and His armor. We cannot lose the battle or the war if we use God’s “weapons of war.” Evil cannot stand up to them.

Carol

Idols

I was particularly struck today by the following verses which are

Isaiah 32:6-7:

“Therefore, my people, though you are such wicked rebels, come and return to the Lord. I know the glorious day will come when every one of you will throw away the gold idols and silver images that your sinful hands have made.”  (NLT)

And in these times I would add “purchased” since we do not “make” things with our hands much any more.

It is encouraging to note that despite our wickedness we can return to the Lord…if we give up our “idols.”

I submit that it is difficult in this day and age…and possibly any day and age… for people to put God first in our lives and give up idols. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I put lots of things ahead of God for the majority of my life. And, I call them idols. I put education ahead of God, a car, my family, my job, music, on and on. Without any kind of deep searching in my life, I know that I put those things ahead of God.

Yes, I thought about God and read the Bible off and on. But God was not first in my life. God was not an every day presence that I felt and was certain was with me. I did not think of God the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. If you would have asked me whether God was with me, I would have said He was. But I didn’t know for certain. And I was afraid to say no.

I think many of us find ourselves in the same position that I had been in…and in a way they don’t know how to get out of it. They may recognize that they do not put God first in their lives, but they do not recognize the “idols they have made.” We are very creative at creating “idols” for ourselves.

Have you ever heard a collector of anything…be it cars, furniture, lamps, irons, political badges, stamps, coins, matchbooks  etc…talk about his/her collection? He/she speaks  with a joy and a passion for that collection as if it were the greatest thing which ever existed… be it ever so meaningless to someone else.

How often have you heard people talk about God with the same passion and joy…and do it consistently?  When was the last time you talked about God to someone in a grocery store? I know that sounds weird, but it is one of my favorite places to speak about God one on one with somebody I do not know. I have discovered that is called witnessing which I never thought I could or would do.

And, no, I don’t do that nearly often enough. However, changes have come into my life. I will be forever grateful.

Christmas 2003 the people of our church gave me some Christmas presents. They were given to those of us who are shut in, semi-shut in, or have nobody else from whom to receive a present. That year one of the gifts was a daily calendar…the kind that you tear off the date to go to the next one. There were Bible verses each day, and if a person read every day all year, he/she would read the Bible in a year. I decided to do that.

What a joy! I was so surprised. I thought it would be a struggle in disciple, but it turned out that I looked forward reading the Bible each morning. Therefore, I continue reading the Bible each year. It is remarkable what I find one year that I totally overlooked the year before.

Not too long after that after that I met Pastor Nick Connolly who had a forum based on The Bible Through the Seasons, I joined that as well. Through his generosity I have the book, The Bible Through the Seasons which he also wrote.

About one year prior to this, I began working on the church website. And I type the weekly scripture. In other words, I am now surrounded by scripture. That has made a big difference in my life.

In other words idols are diminishing, and God is coming into my life more and more. Is God at the top of my list? Yes, He is. Do I behave like He is at the top of my list? Once in awhile I do so. In fact, when I write something of this nature, you can be certain that God is at the top of my list…at least for the moment…or I wouldn’t write. What a joy!!

Carol

The Oratorio

Hi, to One and All,

My favorite form of music in the entire world is the oratorio. And, of course, at the top of the oratorio list stands The Messiah. I don’t know whether the rest of you enjoy this music, but I play it many times a year…not just Christmas or Easter.

Every time I read Isaiah, I am reminded of The Messiah for obvious reasons. Much of the text of the oratorio comes from Isaiah. For example:

Comfort ye….Isaiah 40:1-3

Every Valley….Isaiah 40:4

And the glory….Isaiah 40:5

Behold! A virgin shall conceive…Isaiah 7:14

O Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion… Isaiah 40:9

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth…Isaiah 60:2-3

That just gives you a taste of how Isaiah is used to tell this wonderful story of Christ.

If you haven’t heard the entire Messiah, I urge you to listen to it.  If you have listened to it, listen again. If you do not own a copy, you can get the entire Messiah on Amazon.com. You can purchase it for a penny plus S&H. If you get the complete oratorio, it will be on 2 discs…not just one. Or you can probably borrow a copy from your library…or maybe even your church.

Enjoy!

Carol

Job and Friends

I think that most of us can empathize with Job. And we have all had friends or acquaintances who responded as his did.

I don’t know about you, but I would not like to be the person whom God was using to show Satan that I am a righteous person, that I won’t give up on God, that I won’t be a hypocrite. I especially would not like it if I didn’t know what was happening.

What would any of us think if we lost our families, all of our wealth and property, and our health as well? I don’t think I would be in a very good mood. Can you imagine behaving like you think God wants you to behave, to pray, follow whatever rules were in place at the time, have everyone think you are a terrific person…and this happens? This is gross injustice if ever there was injustice. But I think the worst thing would to be a pawn between God and Satan.

There is one thing to be said. Had not Job risen to the occasion and been as righteous a man as God thought He was, I doubt that we would have ever heard of him. Many people have disastrous events befall them, and frequently they do blame God. Or they believe that God is punishing them for sin. I don’t think that very many of us would consider that God was allowing these things to happen to us in order to teach other people.

But all of us know people like Job’s friends. No matter what happens or why, they will blame the victim. Job didn’t need that kind of stuff from his “friends.” However, they certainly did sound like people we have all heard when they are “consoling” a friend. No, they are not consoling. They are just making Job feel worse…and perhaps get a bit angry.

Can you imagine yourself talking like they did to a man in such dire straits? I wonder if, when we give advice to people in distress,  we sound like Job’s friends did. I would imagine that I have a number of times in my life.

Job is one of my heroes. He didn’t give in. He struggled mightily, but he didn’t give in to Satan. And God blessed him mightily for not doing so. We are much like Job, and we, too, can receive God’s blessings when we don’t give up on God.

Carol

Bible breath: Letting God / Work in you

Are We the Church…for Real?

10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas^[a]“; still another, “I follow Christ.”

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into^[b] the name of Paul?

Our church as well as churches in general puzzle me. We say we are the body of Christ. If Christ’s body literally has to put up with all of us, including me, I feel sorry for Him. He must  be miserable and in pain all the time. I would also imagine He weeps considerably.

In the above scripture the church was already arguing with one another…and it is just shortly after Christ’s resurrection. How can that be? Why is it that we argue with one another so much?

Can you imagine what a wonderful world we would have if we put as much thought and energy into eleminating strife as we do in creating it? We would actually get along with one another whether we are talking face to face with each other or whether we are talking behind people’s backs! Can you imagine…no more arguments about microphones, chairs, greeters, coffee, and especially money. They would not exist.

What is it that causes such a ruckus among people? I am positing one particular idea. There must be zillions more. We all, each and every one of us, want our own way. And each of us thinks that he/she is right about many issues.

I remember one time that I was just furious with the bahavior of some of the people in the church. I ranted and raved and my mother listened until I was finished which took great patience on her part. Then she just looked at me and said, “Carol Ann, do you think you are the only person at church with an idea?” That was indeed exactly what I had been thinking. And guess what? It turned out I was completely wrong, but I was willing to argue my point “to the death”.

Those, friends, are the kinds of things that tear churches apart. Non church goers see our behavior and don’t want any part of a church. I know that I am going to do better. I hope others of you join me.

Carol

Bible breath:  Agree with/ One another

What about the Money?

2 Chronicles 24:1-16

At this particular time in my life, I find this section of scripture pertinent. The temple was in a state of disrepair. The money which God told Moses that the people were to give had not been collected.

Does this have a familiar sound to you? It does to me. It seems that any number of churches have programs which the congregation has pledged, promised, to support. And then the money does not come in. This is a bit hard for me to understand when so many people say that God is first in their lives.

It would seem to me that if God is first in their lives, He would also be first when it comes to budgeting; however, that seems not to be true. It was not true in this scripture, and it is not true today. It seems that people need to understand what a budget is…then and now. I do not expect to live beyond my means. A church or any other organization should not do it either.

It makes no sense to me for assets to be used to order to cover a short-fall in money…just because we did not pay our pledges, or we didn’t budget well. There will always be unforeseen circumstances as we are now facing with the price of gas; consequently, there is a rise in the costs of everything which is impacted by oil…our entire lives.

But I would hope that a church or an individual would plan for circumstances of that nature. And if the situation is severe, they need to know what they will give up in order to function normally in the rest of their lives. If I were in a situation in which I had to get rid of something in order to keep within the budget, it would be my car. We all need to know.

In the scripture the priest and the king asked the people for money…and it was given. In fact, it appears that a lot of money was given in order to repair the temple. To me that is a good example of how we all need to make-up a short fall.

The other aspect to the entire situation regarding money is that we truly do not need most of the things we have. I heard of a family with six children recently. They did not have a refrigerator. That is an unmet need which, because of the generosity of an individual, has been met. It is no different in a church. We have big ideas which are wonderful, but until people are willing to give to God first, churches will have difficulties. In my opinion, God needs to be paid first. The money for God should not come from left-overs.

Have you ever considered what you would give up if you were really in a very tight situation monetarily? This is truly my opinion and has little to do with the scripture, but I think it would be good for each of us to consider what we would give up in order to live a decent life if our income were beneath the poverty level.

My guess is that we would discover many things…and that money could go to the church.

The temple in our scripture was repaired and rebuilt with the money from the people. It was not borrowed…it came from the people. And in my opinion, that is the path that all churches need to follow.

If nothing else, it sets a wonderful example for all parishioners…especially the children.

Carol

Statement of Faith

As I was reading the scripture Romans 8:26-39, I began to think about how we make statements of our faith…or whether we do. I know that for the majority of my life, I did not tell people that I am a Christian. I did not tell them what that meant to me. I didn’t  think too much about it. Did I believe? Yes, of course. Was I a good example to other people of who Christ was, is, and continues to be? There I stumbled drastically. I have been a decent person. I have been a moral person, most of the time, and I have tried to be an ethical person. At least these things are true in my own opinion, and of course, I am terribly biased.

But that is much different from being a person who is able to stand before the world and say, “I believe.”

Listen to Paul’s statement of faith…for all of us:

“38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  NIV

That is a strong statement of faith. I have read the statement in five other translations of the Bible, and that statement is just as strong  as in the above. To lessen the power of the statement would be to do a disservice to Paul. Paul was a better speaker and writer than most of us will ever be. He also has the ability to argue like a lawyer.

Most of us do not have those skills. But we do have the ability to recite the “creed” with meaning instead of mumbling. We have the ability to say in one way or another, “I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Nothing is going to strip me of that belief…no matter what happens in my life, I do believe. I do put God and Jesus as the priority in my life. They are at the top of my list of priorities where they need to be. Nothing is going to change that in my life ever again.” And this is my Statement of Faith.

Keep the Faith,

Carol

Are You Honest with God?

A couple of weeks ago our pastor asked us this question. “Are you honest with God?” At the time, I thought, “Good grief, what a question. Of course we are honest with God. God knows everything about us anyway.”

However, the question kept roaming around in my mind. “Carol, are you honest with God?” I continuously thought about that question. Finally, I realized that I am not honest with God…just as I am at times not honest with people or myself. Many of us have a facade which we think will protect us from the slings and arrows of life. A facade does not do that for us. A facade just keeps other people from knowing who we really are. It keeps others at a distance. That is why we surprise one another so often. We think we know a particular person. He/she then behaves in a way which amazes us…but it is only because the facade slipped.

In order to be honest with God like He would have us be, we have to be honest with ourselves first. If you are anything like I am, I find that complete honesty with myself is a difficult thing to do. And part of the reason, of course, is that I almost always look at my negative self. I really would prefer not to look at the negatives. But we tend to disregard the “neutral” to positive self. Or some people only see the good or even self-aggrandized part of their nature and do not acknowledge the neutral or negative aspects of their beings  However, God wants us to be honest with our entire beings.

God wants us to present our authentic selves before Him. He knows who we are. He just wants to make certain that we know who we are as well and that we can use who we are to glorify Him. After all, that is why He put us here in the first place.

Let us take a good look at ourselves and admit to ourselves and to God who we really are…the good, the bad, the ugly…and everything else imaginable. It may take us years to be honest with consistency, but I think we will all find that it is worth the effort…and I think God will be pleased with each one of us as we grow in our personal honesty with God.

Carol

Thinking and Speaking

21 The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 NIV

How often do you think about how what you say affects your life? Stop and consider. Your life is a direct reflection of what you say to yourself and to other people…but especially to yourself. I think we all know that it one way or another. Jesus made it clear when He said, “Love your neighbors as yourself.” Much to my surprise, the same thing was said in the Old Testament.

Leviticus 19:18 NIV

“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Loving your neighbor sounds like a good thing to do. Love can be an emotion…but it is also a decision which we consciously make. And if we are speaking “death” to ourselves, we will not be able to love anyone at all.

What do I mean by speaking death to ourselves? It is easy, and we all have done it. “I am stupid. I have no patience. I am too shy. I don’t know how to do “that”. Even God hates me. I have no self-confidence. I always feel just awful. My background was terrible. I grew up alone and unloved. I learned from the streets. People always look down on me. Nobody cares at all.

That is speaking death to ourselves. Each of us has our own litany of “death sentences” which we say. And we are bound to beat ourselves to “death”. And is that the way we would treat our neighbors? If we look around at parts of our culture, the answer must be, “Yes, that is how we treat our neighbors.”

However, that is not how God wants us to see ourselves. He has made us His beloved children. How much better can it get for a human being? If we believe we are God’s children, then we must speak life to ourselves. I can succeed. People do love me. I do love myself…warts and all. I can learn to do new things. I am able to be a victor. I can say, “Hallelujah” and mean it…and I can love my neighbor. Just think how that pleases God. And think of the joy your neighbors will experience…and we will experience it as well.

We need to remember that is what we are about…pleasing God. We were not put on this earth to make ourselves and others miserable. No, we were put here to love one another and “Praise the Lord!” The positive power of the tongue brings life and brings it abundantly…to you, to me, to the people whose paths we cross.

Carol

Bible Breath:  Children of God / Rejoice in Him