A Simple Story About Knowing God and Finding Him…Even at Church!

There was an old recluse who lived deep in the mountains of Colorado. When he died, distant relatives came from the city to collect his valuables. Upon arriving, all they saw was an old shack with an outhouse alongside it. Inside the shack, next to the stone fireplace, was an old cooking pot and his mining equipment. A cracked table with a three-legged chair stood guard by a tiny window, and a kerosene lamp served as the centerpiece for the table. In a dark corner of the little room was a dilapidated cot with a threadbare bedroll on it.

They picked up some of the old relics and started to leave. As they were driving away, an old friend of the recluse, on his mule, flagged them down. “Do you mind if I help myself to what’s left in my friend’s cabin?” he asked. “Go right ahead,” they replied. After all, they thought, what inside that shack could be worth anything?

The old friend entered the shack and walked directly over to the table. Reaching under it he lifted one of the floor boards and proceeded to take out all the gold his friend had mined and kept over the past 53 years – enough to have built a palace. The recluse died with only his friend knowing his true worth. As the friend looked out the little window, watching the cloud of dust behind the relative’s car disappear, he said to himself, “They should have gotten to know him better.”

Do we ever treat God and His Church this way? Do we think of Him as some old recluse living in the deep recesses of heaven? Do we just go to church to see if there is anything valuable worth collecting? Maybe you go to a fancy church with chandeliers and the latest, greatest of everything; new chairs with cup holders, a star-studded praise and worship team, a charismatic preacher, people laughing and conversing everywhere, a coffee shop, and lots happening! Or maybe you go to an old shack of a church with a bunch of worn-out stained pews, a ragamuffin praise team, a depleted and washed-up preacher, a couple of families just “hanging in there”, some grumpy old men, stale coffee, and a whole lot of things “not happening”. Or maybe you go to a church somewhere between these two extremes!

It doesn’t matter; many people go to Church just to mosey around, look at everything, pick up a few things here and there and then leave. They might find some things they like, especially in the “awesome” churches!  But unfortunately, we base so much of what we “want” out of church and what we think we need from God on what we can see by perusing our churches, failing to see past the “stuff”! We miss the value behind the chandeliers, comfortable chairs, shacks, outhouses, fireplaces, pots, cracked tables, windows, and lamps as centerpieces. All we see is “stuff”!

We saunter in and then out of Church without even noticing Holy Spirit waving us down saying, “Hey! Do you mind if I help myself to what’s left inside?” We dismiss Him quickly and casually saying “Go right ahead!” After all, we think, what’s inside worth anything we didn’t already take?

Holy Spirit enters our churches and walks directly up to the cross grabbing one of the many Bibles just lying around on His way! He opens it and kneels at the altar! For the umpteenth time He rediscovers the riches hidden in the pages of time; handles the treasure buried for those who take the time to dig; holds the prize concealed for those who want to know Him. Then He rises, looks out the door and windows and says “They should have gotten to know Him better.”  

The relatives knew about the old recluse; they knew they were related; they knew he lived where they didn’t want to be. They could have gleaned so much while He was alive and so much more after His death. As followers of Christ, we know about Jesus; we know we’re related! We know He lives where we want to be one day, but “not yet”. We can glean so much from Him but do we? Has He become an old recluse to us? Are we missing God’s valuables by living a distance away from Him? Have we undervalued His value to us? Have we undervalued His Church?

Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

Unlike the relatives, we still have time! We can get to know Him; the One who lived and died! We can be amazed by the treasures He has buried for us to find! We can dig for His valuables and find He has put everything away just for us to find! All we need to do is come to Him! He’s not so much interested in what we can see but in what we can’t see. When you go to church, look for the hidden treasures! Don’t just settle for the old (and new) relics of no value, the “stuff”! Don’t just check in with Him at church and then check out! Get to know Him better; in the simplicity of His life! Let’s commit to never hearing the words, “They should have gotten to know Him better!”

John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

 

A Matrix Suit! Lessons Learned from the Lord! Part 1

A little history: I was in a terrible auto accident a long time ago. At the time I was an active wife and mother of four, playing co-ed softball, women’s power volleyball, biking, jogging, inline skating, walking, and hiking. After the accident I thought I would heal and things would go back to normal but one morning I woke in debilitating pain which incapacitated me for several years. I became an inactive wife and mother of four! As a result I gained weight and felt uncomfortable in my own skin.

Fast forward a few years: At this point our family had walked through some really dark times physically, emotionally, and spiritually. However, the faithfulness of God astounded us daily. I started feeling a bit more “normal” physically so was more active. We were in a new ministry situation where I had opportunity to teach and even preach on occasion (a new thing for me). My husband wanted to buy me a nice “outfit” for those times and we wound up at Macy’s! Looking through the racks of clothes he found a “Matrix” suit (as we affectionately call it) and we were sold. When I put it on, I felt pretty “cool” and “matrixy”! (You’ve got to see the movie “Matrix” to know what I mean) I LOVED its uniqueness even though it was WAY out of my comfort zone.

Fast forward another couple of years: God had done an amazing healing work in my body and mind. I was leading a fairly active lifestyle and teaching large group bible studies regularly. So, I was dressing up more, in fact had added an entire array of dress suits (Goodwill, not Macy’s) to my wardrobe! But…I still loved the matrix suit. The problem was I started noticing how much bigger it looked and felt on me…too big in fact. This was strange because I didn’t think I had lost THAT much weight. The pants came down without un-zippering them and that’s a problem when you dance before the Lord…you could lose your drawers pretty easily. Time for alterations!

Never had I taken clothes in for altering but I’m telling you, this matrix suit is special! (I’m not really this petty or materialistic but I did and do really like the suit) After the pants were taken in, I thought I was good to go again. But the suit coat seemed to look more ridiculous every time I put it on. Now I KNEW a few things: I KNEW I wasn’t shrinking THAT much; I KNEW my weight loss couldn’t have been more than ten to twenty pounds; I KNEW I was more active which maybe meant I had more muscular (you know the saying “Muscle weighs more than fat”? WHATEVER!); I KNEW I was older so maybe this was the new older me, just changing shape or something. Though I KNEW all these things, I still THOUGHT there was a chance I would “grow” into the suit again so I left it hanging in the closet.

Fast forward AGAIN: I got tired of the matrix suit staring me in the face, hoping it would suddenly “fit”. I thought to give it away but couldn’t! (ordinarily that might signal a problem with loving something too much) So one day I rolled it up in a ball, put it in a plastic bag, and tucked it away in the downstairs closet. If I couldn’t bring myself to give it away, at least maybe not seeing it for a while would lessen my liking to it and one day, FAR in the future, I would find it again and give it away!

Well, that might have worked if God didn’t have another plan! Now it’s the strangest thing: the matrix suit seemed to be alive, as though it spoke to me, wooing me back to it time and time again. (I know, that’s weird or sick or something) Because it was downstairs though, I could ignore it most of the time. But when I went looking for something in that closet, I would see this plastic bag and wonder what was inside; leading me to look and AAAHHHHH…there it was… my matrix suit begging to come out and be worn.

These closet episodes were getting old! I felt like I HAD to do something with that matrix suit – but what? I determined the sizing issue wasn’t about my “weight” as much as it was about “shape” or “age”! This getting older thing with shifting body fat wasn’t really working for me OR my matrix suit but it was still happening… so…maybe the suit needed to shift with me! But even that decision took time!

Fast forward at least another year to present day: If you’ve ever gotten an unction, a prompting from Holy Spirit to DO something you can relate to what happened next. We’re getting our house ready to put on the market AGAIN… UNEXPECTEDLY! (Side note: God is into “suddenlies”! We were in the midst of remodeling when SUDDENLY we shifted gears and were in the midst of selling. Are you kidding me?) Anyway, I was putting up a curtain to “hide” the menagerie of junk in the closet (to properly “stage” our house for the showings you know) and what do you think spoke to me from a plastic bag crumpled up in a corner of the closet? You got it - my matrix suit!

I immediately knew “It was time” to resurrect the suit, to make it shift with my shifting body! You might not think Holy Spirit is into little things like our clothing, but He is totally into timing and teaching! I listened to the unction and found myself the next day, standing in my oversized suit in front of a mirror while my little tailor lady pinned away! She just kept smiling as she pulled, tucked, and pinned making the jacket and pants fit perfectly.

I picked up the altered suit a week later, put it on at home and YES, I was back in action in my matrix suit! The Sunday came when I was preaching, and as I put the suit on, I was praying for the worship service, the people coming, and that my words to the people would be acceptable to God. Suddenly, the Lord interrupted my monologue, reminding me prayer is dialogue. Whoops! He surprised me by speaking to me about the matrix suit. Now some people might think that is kind of strange but the Lord often speaks in very simple, every-day occurrences of life.

It might also seem kind of odd to some of you that I have spent this much time talking about a piece of clothing. It’s pretty unusual for me too! But if you keep reading you’ll find it isn’t the matrix suit that’s important at all! It is what God taught me through it that matters!

Of course, this story has been about a suit in my life, but if the suit fits wear it; in other words if the spiritual truths fit, apply them to your life. After all, that’s why I’m writing this – for you… otherwise I would have just journaled it for myself! (Smile!) I’ll give you the first two lessons the Lord taught and save the others for another blog!

Lesson 1 – Be aware that change happens on the inside! The matrix suit was changed – AND it all happened on the inside! It looks exactly the same today on the outside as it did the day I bought it! In fact, I tried to find the tailor’s alterations but there is nothing to see. She does such fine work on the inside it keeps the outside looking spiffy! So…the suit itself didn’t change in appearance, just the shape of it changed! It needed to be altered to fit the changes in my body.

God does that too! He looks inside! 1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then He changes us on the inside while we are still the same person, just changed! Psalm 51:7,10 “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

People often look at the outside appearance to see what God has done but there isn’t anything to see. He works from the inside out and Holy Spirit does such fine work on the inside, in our hearts, it keeps the outside looking spiffy! When God works in us, we don’t become suddenly unrecognizable to others; but we do change from the inside out! We change as God fits us to Himself! 2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” This leads right into the next lesson God taught through the matrix suit.

Lesson 2 – Understand Transformation Happens! As true as it is that we are changed from the inside out, and we may or may not look different on the outside, the transformation is still a complete one! The matrix suit was transformed! Though it’s the same suit and it literally looks the same, it is also completely different from when I bought it. (Sounds like a riddle huh?)The pants are smaller in the waist, inseam and length. The jacket was brought in on both sides, full length. It has been transformed into a completely new suit, yet it is still completely the “Matrix” suit its designer originally intended.

God is into transformation! He is interested in completely and continuously transforming us into His image – from glory to glory! He takes us in, stretches us out, and fixes us up! He transforms us into new creations yet…we are still completely “us”, the same people He originally created in our mother’s wombs, the same persons He intended us to be! Isn’t that the neatest thing ever? 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Well, I have a few more lessons to share coming out of a matrix suit. Tune in next time!

 

A Tribute to My Mom…

Another Christmas has come and gone where I had the privilege of pondering Jesus like His mother Mary did. Another Christmas has come and gone where I watched mothers and daughter love on each other. Another Christmas has come and gone with “my girls” loving on me and me on them. Another Christmas has come and gone where I was amazed by the gift of grandchildren.

And another Christmas has come and gone without a word, a letter, or a phone call from my Mom. Of course, another Christmas has come and gone for my mom without a word, a letter, or a phone call from her daughter – that be me! Why? What’s the hold-up? Is there still un-forgiveness between us? Do we have irreconcilable differences? Do we not truly love each other? So many questions could be asked, answered, pondered, debated, or argued. But in truth…none of them matter…only that I love my Mom and always will.

A tribute is an expression of gratitude or praise, something said or given to show admiration to someone. Most people write a tribute about somebody they are close to, has had a positive influence on them, or they have a deep love and respect for that other person. Most people do not write a tribute about somebody they haven’t spoken to in nearly six years, whose relationship has always been rocky at best but most often non-existent, where misunderstandings are abundant, and the walls are high and thick between the two.

But that’s exactly what I want to do…My mom is my mom…whether we talk or not, ever see each again other this side of heaven or not, like each other or not…She is my mom! I have only to stop and think my God chose to create me in her womb…isn’t that amazing? He didn’t choose some other woman, but my mom. That makes me smile!

Oh sure…there have been years of tears and no smiles…years of playing the blame and shame game…years of being the victim…years of accusations and wall building…years of complaining and grumbling; years of wishing for something else…years of wasted thoughts…but in the end, my mom is my mom and I love her.

Why do I love her? Because she was chosen for me and I for her! Because she said yes when God gave me to her though she might have wanted to say no; Because she chose life for me and not death; Because she held me close and rocked me at night making me feel wanted; Because she couldn’t just walk away on my first day of kindergarten as I sat, petrified, on the piano bench next to the teacher with tears streaming down my face. She peered through the little window in the door until I calmed down.

Because she cooked great meals and made sure I ate healthy and appreciated food; Because she sang “You Are My Sunshine, my only sunshine” when we did dishes at night. Because she held me close when my eardrums were infected and bursting, crying right along with me. Because she nursed me through chicken pox, fevers, and flu, mended cuts, a crushed trachea, fat lips, and all my other injuries from “going too far”.

Because she held my hand at the dentist and let me hold her hand every Sunday in church as I played with her veins and nail polish (weird but true). Because she took me to church, Sunday School, and youth group. Because she introduced me to independence; letting me play at the park by myself, go ice skating, sledding, snowmobiling, play sports with the boys, even knowing I was going to get hurt.

Because she took me to the state fair every year and bought me goodies. Because she went with me on long bike rides in the summer. Because she signed me up for “beginning” swimming three years in a row because I just couldn’t learn how to swim. Because she let me take part in sports at school even though she never had the opportunity to play herself. Because she was a strong disciplinarian making sure I knew the difference between right and wrong.

Because she forced me to know and appreciate hard work by making me get a full-time babysitting job for three kids when I was fifteen years old, spending the summer wiping noses and changing diapers. Because she went to bat for me so I could get my first “official” job at Bridgeman’s Ice Cream though I had no experience. Then again at Montgomery Wards when I was in college (she worked at one and got me a job at another). Because she dropped me off at college and let me grow up though I was scared and she would be alone.  I could go on and on and on.

All this – yet we are not in relationship. We have tried. It just hasn’t worked. I still honor her though. In fact, it’s an honor to honor my mom! The Bible says “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

I could spend my time trying to figure out how to make right what is all wrong, how to restore what has been stolen, or how to reconstruct what has been dismantled.  OR… I will just love my mom for being my mom. I will count my mom as my blessing. I will count it all joy. I will thank God for choosing my mom for me! I won’t try to figure it out anymore. I won’t recount all the bad things .I won’t look at what I don’t have but what I do have. I won’t think what could have been but I will look at what is. I won’t talk about what I wanted but that God has given me what I needed. I can tell you, it has all worked together and it IS good. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Some of you reading this have great moms; imperfect but great. Some of you wouldn’t say your moms are all that great! If that is you, I pray you look for the greatness of God in the midst of imperfection! I never thought my mom was “great” but now? Wow! She is GREAT! Why? Because she belongs to my great God and He does great things with great people!

Another Christmas has come and gone…the greatness of God is here to stay! Thank You, Father God for my mom. You’re the greatest and You chose my mom FOR ME making her the greatest mom on earth! And mom…here’s to you! You’re the best!

 

Just a Thought About Flu Epidemics…

Christians and non-Christians alike are getting the flu…but it is what Christians are saying or not saying that is concerning. See, the flu is something that’s been around for hundreds of years. Yet, even Christians act like it is something to be feared, something we can avoid, something the flu shot can prevent, or something else. Obviously nobody wants to get the flu, or colds, or any other sickness or disease contagious or not, yet for various reasons; genetics, environmental situations, germs, viruses, our own choices, and even sin, they happen.

I am in no way making light of the flu; it is rough and can have horrific effects on people. At the same time let’s not make light of the Light of the World or make light of the truth we shine like stars in the midst of crooked generation. We don’t dim our lights when things get rough. Our words and proclamations matter to God and to others!

Our opinions about the flu are vast and varied but to be perfectly honest every one of them is inconsequential in the whole scheme of things because opinions have very little to do with truth. Whether or not we should get the flu shot; whether we think it prevents or helps stave off the flu; whether it is more or less beneficial to our bodies; whether it is merely a government conspiracy; a pharmaceutical money-making plot; or simply the biggest hoax ever; none of this makes any difference when a person has the flu. Our opinions don’t prevent it from happening and no matter what we do or believe we will never completely obliterate the flu in Midwest America.

Even Christians talk more about the flu and the flu shot, letting everyone know how sick they are along with their belief in the worldly cures than they do proclaiming Jesus. No matter what a Christian believes about the flu and the flu shot why give it so much more time, attention, and credit than Jesus gets? Since our opinions don’t matter it doesn’t make sense to spread those around to everyone we meet and talk to instead of spreading the hope we have in the Gospel message for going through trials, including the flu, and believing Jesus is our cure.

Christians have the privilege to proclaim our hope in Jesus even in times of sickness, including the flu. We get to tell people what He does in our lives every day yet we are more apt to talk about all that is wrong in our lives. And it isn’t about “naming it and claiming it” when it comes to healing. It isn’t about saying Jesus heals and then “Bam, I’m healed.” There are plenty of Christians claiming healing in Jesus’ name who are very sick, leaving pre-believers confused as to what Christianity is about and unbelievers humored at our belief system that doesn’t result in healing very often.

In Jesus there IS healing because He is our Healer. But it is all about Him not a religion or formula. As long as we live on earth we will go through trials and tribulations. Disease, sickness, tragedy, and death will happen. We have a loving God to explain and to comfort us in these situations. Sin exists and we have a Savior to bring us to repentance, to cleanse and purify us in every way. Christianity is about a relationship with Jesus, and as believers, we can boast of our confidence and trust in Him to take us through fiery trials, trying and testing our faith, without incessantly proclaiming our sickness.

For Christians, dealing with the flu epidemic isn’t about claiming healing and all will be well. It isn’t about getting a flu shot in fear of getting the flu or in hopes of preventing it. It isn’t about telling everyone how horrible it is to get the flu and sharing how sick we are with everyone who has ears. It isn’t about being thankful we got the flu shot when we hear how many other people are getting the flu. It isn’t about bragging we don’t get the flu shot. It isn’t about blaming the pharmaceutical companies or accusing the government for propagating a hoax on the American public, and it isn’t about finding alternative treatments.

For Christians, dealing with the flu epidemic is about keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith not on the things of this world. It is about reading and meditating on His Word and living in the fear of the Lord. It is about walking by faith not by sight! It is about trusting in God who never gives us more than we can handle. It is about staying close to Jesus, our Rock  and our Redeemer. It is about telling everyone how great our God is and how He takes us through the valley of the shadow of death. It is acknowledging sin and the remedy for sin; Jesus who lived, died, and rose again. It is being thankful we have a Savior and sharing Him with others by telling them what He has done for us personally. It is about praying for wisdom and discernment for our government; praying for spiritual healing along with physical and that people would live fully in the love of the One who is love!

I have some strong opinions about the flu shot too. But they don’t matter anymore than yours do. What does matter is Jesus loves us – and He is the remedy for all things. Talking about the flu, whether we get it or not, and whether we get the flu shot, is not a great use of our time as believers. What will help us get through and be an example for others is to turn our eyes upon Jesus looking fully into His wonderful face, soaking in His healing presence, trusting Him with our bodies, souls, minds, and spirits, committing and surrendering to Him, and we’ll find the things of earth growing strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace! (Yes, that’s a song)

Then our words reflect the beauty of our God who leads us through all things, even the flu,  in victory!

 

Trouble With Our Untameable Tongues! What We Can Do!

Medical advances allow us to look inside the human body but there are things we can’t see: we can look at the heart but we can’t see the soul or spirit; we can look at the throat but can’t see the voice; we can look at the brain but can’t see the mind with its thoughts; we can look at the tongue but can’t see intentions or words. Medical science has made great gains in keeping our bodies going; glasses for diminished vision, dentures for bad teeth, aids for hearing problems, transplants for failed organs, and replacements for worn-out joints.

But the tongue! A member of the body that never gets stiff or tired out; we never need to put a splint on it to fix it up; it cannot be enhanced, transplanted, or replaced with an artificial one. And the tongue gets us in all kinds of trouble. We say something without thinking and we can’t take the words back. Generally speaking, we let our tongues run wild causing havoc every place we take them.

Growing up, when my tongue got me into trouble with Mom, (lying or talking back) the grainy Lava soap came out, (or should I say went in) my mouth. Then masking tape OVER my mouth so I couldn’t spit it out!  And then I had to stand in the corner for a decent amount of time (aka, until I “had” to swallow the soap) and she would remove the tape, expecting an apology for being naughty. Some people today might think this punishment was extreme but hey… it accomplished its’ purpose and I got the message loud and clear…be careful with my words. And so, I’m thankful for the discipline!

Most people know the damage we can do with words but still seem to think we can say what we want, when and to whom we want and if that means we need to apologize or explain it away later, we will. Unfortunately by then, the words have penetrated deep within like a sword or arrow causing hurt, anger, or worse. It is pretty natural for us to say anything we want without thought to the consequences, including complaining, gossiping, slandering, lying, backbiting, grumbling, exaggerating, and criticizing.

In the Bible in the book of James, the tongue is described as small but boastful; like a rudder on a ship or bit in a horses’ mouth, (small but turns the whole body) a fire, a world of iniquity, untamable, and a restless evil full of deadly poison. It is used to bless God and curse men which simply shouldn’t happen!  In fact, God tells us this is as unnatural as fresh and bitter water coming from the same spring, olives coming from a fig tree, or figs from a grapevine. Blessing and cursing simply should not come from the same source!

We can try to stop speaking negatively but it won’t happen! That’s because we have to change our hearts first. Our words originate in the heart so if we take care of what goes in our hearts that’s what will come out our mouths. Matthew 12:34-35 “… For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” The heart engineers what we’re going to say and our tongues “showcase” what’s in our hearts, literally showing off what’s inside.

There are a few things God has told us to do to make sure we bless Him and stop cursing men with our tongues. If you ever have a problem with your tongue, with what you say or how you say it, try these out!

1. Don’t be too quick with words. Proverbs 29:20 “Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” There is always a “space of time” between something happening and our response. All we have to do is widen the space – give it some time before we talk so we can choose our words wisely. Expand the space and listen for God’s voice!

Widening the space of time helps us to walk away from gossipy conversations; not retaliate when verbally attacked; praise instead of complain; give thanks instead of grumble; let God defend us instead of being defensive; tell the truth instead of lie or fudge the truth. Basically, put your tongue on a “time out” so God can steer your speech in the right direction when you time in again!

2. Put a guard or muzzle on our mouths. Psalm 39:1 “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.” Muzzling seems extreme but extreme is necessary when it comes to this little unruly member full of deadly poison. We can’t let our tongues have their way or deny its power, going through life thinking we can say what we want, when, how, where, and to whomever we want. Put a muzzle on it!

3. Let our words be few. Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” It’s simple; talking too much produces sin. One pastor suggests limiting our casual conversation with Christian friends to only about 10-15 minutes a day. He says without a plan or purpose for conversation we undoubtedly we turn to talking ABOUT people (called gossip and slander), OR we complain, grumble and then rationalize it all! Talking too much leads to saying something wrong. This principle applies to our conversation with God too. Ecclesiastes 5:2 “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few.”

4. Say what you mean and mean what you say, no more, no less. Jesus said in Matthew 5:37 “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes, and your ‘No’, ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Jesus’ words speak for themselves!

5. Stop complaining and grumbling! 1 Corinthians 10:10 “Nor let us complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.” James 5:9 “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

Being destroyed and condemned are pretty serious consequences for complaining and grumbling, yet they seem so integrally woven into life, we don’t even hear ourselves do it anymore. If we don’t have jobs, we complain about our need. If people don’t meet our needs, we complain they don’t care about us. If we do have jobs, we complain our employers expect too much of us, work us too hard, aren’t fair, or don’t pay us enough. We complain about our health, our spouses, our neighbors, our government, our kids, our school, our church, our pastors, well… we complain about most everything because after all, life is all about us right? Wrong! If we complain we aren’t considering what God hears or the effect we have on others because truth be told, complaining brings everybody down!

A father came home after a hard day at work. Sitting down with the family at the supper table, he gave thanks to God for the food before them and for His goodness and mercy! As they began to eat, he complained the food was lukewarm and tasteless. He asked his wife what she did to ruin the meal. He complained about his boss who expected too much from him and grumbled about the customers being nasty and unappreciative of his work. His young daughter interrupted him saying, “Daddy, do you think God heard your prayer before we started eating?” He said, “Of course dear! God hears everything.” “So he hears everything we say whether we pray it or say it?” Not knowing where she was going with this he agreed with her that yes, God hears them whether they pray or say. She continued, “Did you really mean what you prayed Daddy”? Her father replied, “Of course honey. I wouldn’t have prayed it if I didn’t mean it.” She said, “Did you really mean what you said about our food, mommy, and your job too?” This made the father hesitate without answering. So the little girl finished.  “I was just wondering if God believes what you prayed or if He believes what you said.”  

Saying a prayer of thanksgiving means nothing to God if we follow it up with complaining! FIND a reason to give thanks in all circumstances instead of complaining. Matthew Henry, who wrote a commentary on every book of the Bible, was once robbed. The thieves took everything of value he had. Later that evening he wrote in his diary these words, “I am thankful during these years I have never been robbed before. Also, even though they took my money, they did not take my life. Although they took all I had, it was not much. Finally, I am grateful it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.” Matthew found several reasons to give thanks instead of complaining. Can we?

6.Stop gossiping! Proverbs 18:8 “The words of a gossip are the choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost part.” Proverbs 20:19 “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.”

People must not think gossip is all that bad or else we think talking about people really isn’t gossip. But it is and it burns deep within our hearts, deadening us to sin and leading us further from the heart of God. We can just stop gossiping and let our hearts burn with love and devotion for Jesus – then our speech will burn with love and adoration FOR Him instead of talking about others!

Six simple remedies to make sure we use our tongues for blessing and not cursing. Try them! You might like them – But for sure – others around you will!

 

A Broken Wash Machine and Shopping For a New One… Makes Me Smile

I had just posted a blog titled “A Brief Thought on Snow…and Jesus…” I was enjoying a relaxing day at home with the Lord as well as catching up on bill paying, paperwork, and some ministry things. Hot coffee, snow falling, writing, with a few extras in between is my kind of day!

A few hours later, our daughter said, “Mom, I don’t know if you noticed but the washing machine isn’t working right. There’s a bunch of water just sitting in the bottom. The lights go on and it makes noise but nothing is happening.”

I remembered a few weeks before this it was acting up and had mentioned to my husband I thought the wash machine was on its way out. But after pushing a few buttons it “kept going” so I forgot about it until this particular afternoon. I went down to the basement to see if my button pushing prowess would work better than my daughter’s. I don’t know a mom who doesn’t think she can push buttons better than anyone else!

Well, I was so confident in my ability to get it to work I actually put another load of clothes in to wash, fully expecting it to “take off” for me. Amazingly, it did. It started filling with water which it hadn’t been doing for the first fifty button pushes so I left it confident in my knack for effective button pushing. When I returned later to put the clothes into the dryer…well… I was unpleasantly surprised by a washer full of soaking wet clothes sitting in seven inches of water. Okay – it didn’t work and after another ten-minute button pushing blitz, I could no longer live in denial…the wash machine was shot!

So…I texted my husband who was at work just to see if he “remembered” me telling him a few weeks back that our wash machine was dying. Sometimes, the modern form of communicating without visual eye contact works to our benefit. That is…if your husband actually reads his text messages which in this case he didn’t. So when I called him later about some other things I expected him to bring up the wash machine. He didn’t, so I did.

He is a patient man and simply said, “So you want to go buy a new washer when I get home?” Bless his heart! What I wanted to say and what I said were two different things. I wanted to say “Absolutely not! I want YOU to go buy a new washer, bring it home, hook it up, and we’ll be good to go.” What I said was “Sure. We can do that.”

I don’t like shopping in general, and appliance shopping even less. In over thirty years of marriage though,  we’ve had to do our share of shopping for appliances so I knew we could go around to several different stores, get lots of good advice, apply for lots of great interest free payment plans, contemplate two to four year extended warranties, and well… you know how it goes. So when my husband got home and asked where should we start, I chose one store…his store…Menards! He said, “Don’t you want to try Appliance Smart, Sears, Best Buy…?” Nope – just Menards!

We went and looked at the line up of wash machines, of course, each one of them on sale! Besides the sale price, I basically looked only at energy efficiency and made my decision quickly and confidently proclaiming, “This is the one I want.” My husband said “Are you sure?” Yes! “Positive?” Yes! “You don’t want to keep looking?” No! “But I like this one over here. It’s bigger and…and…and!”

I say, “Okay, we can get that one.” He says, “No, we can get the one you want. But you really should take a good look at this one.” Around and around we go smiling and giggling along the way. We finally settle on the one I choose since I do the laundry. Now…to find a salesperson to help us…Where might we find one when we really need one?

Alas, one shows up only to hand us to another, only to be told he has to help someone else first, only to have the first one say he can “try” to help us. We tell him, “We want to buy a wash machine!” He says, “Okay”! “We want this one!” He says, “Okay, let me see if we have one in the store.” (We’re looking at it – obviously you have one in the store.) He stares at his computer screen for a long time and says, “Nope, we don’t have one.” End of story! I look at him and say, “Well, can you get one from another store?” He looks and says, “I can see if there are any available. Nope. Nope. Nope. There is one in Elk River, MN but I don’t suppose you want to drive there?” I thought (but didn’t say it out loud) “No sir, we sure would like it delivered though!”

The other guy (who was helping another customer) was watching this whole thing and said we just couldn’t get that machine. I say, “Then why is it on the floor, just to tease us?” My husband is very jovial with the fellow saying he has never been told at Menards that he can’t buy something. We thought this was quite funny, though I’m not sure the sales guys felt the same way. We ask if the other machine, the one my husband wanted was available. Nope, not that one either. How about this one? Nope, can’t get that one. I finally say, “Well, why don’t you tell us which ones we CAN buy and we’ll choose from those.” (with a smile on my face of course) He complies with us and points to one they have in stock. Only thing is the energy efficiency rating is four times the cost of the one I wanted. The sales guys sort of just walk away at this point while my husband and I have some fun at their expense, while trying to decide what to do next.

There is one floor model we can take “as is” but it is $150 more than the one we want. The guy says he’ll knock another $20 off if that will help. I said, “Well the only difference is this one has a glass top so I can watch my clothes getting cleaned, and I am probably not going to do that so… I can’t really see paying that much more for it.” He says, “Yeah, the glass top is probably why it is more.” (Insert smile here). My husband looks at him and says, “Man, do you ever smile? You need to loosen up and have some fun in life.” The man smiled!

We settled on the original machine, (not the one on the left) needing to special order it. That means we’ll not be able to wash clothes at home for about two to three weeks. If you happen to be around us this month…let me just say in advance…sorry! If we smell there is good reason.

We had a good time buying a wash machine…and then I couldn’t help but laugh some more as I rehashed the experience the next day, remembering a verse I used in the blog the previous morning, from the book of Mark “His (Jesus) clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.”

See, I think things like this are funny! Could God have been playing with me, testing my reaction, trying my trust, or maybe just seeing if I would catch His little “funny”? I can’t prove God did it but He could have been in it! I had enjoyed a day watching snow fall, so white it blinded me, threw a load of clothes in the washer to whiten them, then found out I couldn’t BECAUSE my machine was broken… all reminding me how close God is in the little things in life.

It got me thinking about how intimately God is involved with us…how detailed He is… how caring, fun, and funny He is! And most definitely, it got me thinking of Jesus and His exceeding white clothing, like snow. It got me thinking about how much I love clean clothes fresh out of the machines, smelling so good! It got me thinking how much I love Jesus fresh, every moment, smelling good, bringing refreshment into my life.

Then I thought how this could have been so different. I could have gotten angry, frustrated, and discouraged that RIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS the wash machine dies. A few years ago I would have went in that direction. Today, nah! After all, He had just talked to me hours earlier about a launderer and snow and Himself. How thankful I am to Him for cleaning us up, whiter than snow! How grateful I am that He forgives, showers us with grace, love, and mercy! And how ridiculously fun is God to show up in the midst of our everyday “disasters” to remind us He is in control?

As we were waiting to “see” if we could at least special order the wash machine, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of our persistence to buy a wash machine from Menards. I mean, seriously, we could have gone anywhere and probably gotten better customer service, but…as I said, I dislike shopping A LOT and I had no intention of shopping around…the plus side of it was hearing my husband help this guy loosen up and have a little fun…I would have missed it had we moved on too quickly…just like I would have missed the magnificent snow falling if I had moved on too quickly in my day…just like I would have missed God’s sense of humor…if I didn’t remember the launderer in the Scripture verse from the day before…

Enjoy today! Take every moment to smile a little, laugh a lot, listen attentively, and look for Jesus in every situation and circumstance, good or bad. I guarantee you’ll find Him!

 

A Brief Thought On Snow…and Jesus…

Huge snowflakes are falling outside my window. I try to capture the beauty of this Minnesota blessing by taking a picture but it is so bright the flakes are absorbed in the light and so the snowflakes do not show up. (I guess this snowfall is for me to enjoy and you to imagine)

Snow really is THAT bright – blinding! Kind of like looking at Jesus – He blinds us with His love! Snow…it’s a beautiful thing! Jesus…Even more beautiful!

 “…and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool…” (Daniel)

“His countenance was like lightning, and His clothing as white as snow. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.” (Matthew and Mark)

“His countenance was like lightning, and His clothing as white as snow.” (Revelation)

When one thinks of snow, one can only “see” white in the mind’s eye. No other color! White, blinding light! And though people who live in the Midwest states of North America are often heard complaining about snow and cold, the beauty of winter cannot be denied if we but take a moment to consider the magnificence of snowflakes, bare tree branches clothed in white, the quietness of a wintry day, or the strength of frozen lake water.

When one thinks of Jesus, one can only “see” purity – white – clean – Perfect love! And though people who love Jesus are often heard complaining about everything, the beauty of Jesus cannot be denied if we but take a moment to consider His magnificence, His creativity and ingenuity, His generosity, His still small voice, and the strength of our invincible God.

One day the ground is dirty and brown – the next only white as snow falls and covers! One day we are filthy in sin – the next we can be white as snow as our sin is removed when we confess and repent.

“Come now, and let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

Today, if you live where snow falls – enjoy it and thank God for its whiteness and cleanliness.

If you live where snow doesn’t fall – let the imagination God gave show you the whiteness of snow (AND enjoy the snow on this site)

If you know Jesus as Your Lord and Savior let Him blind you with His light today – no more complaining!

If you don’t know Jesus as Your Lord and Savior – you can – Let me introduce Him to you! He is Your Savior too!

Enjoy the snow! Enjoy Jesus!