Grandchildren

The last few days were spent in Nana glow in Winnipeg. There, surrounded by my three grandchildren and their parents love, I felt the contentment that we all long for. There is nothing like unconditional love to make a person feel like they have some value in this old world.



My eldest son, Mike, and his wife, Stacie, gave birth to their first son/third child. You can imagine how happy finally having a boy made Mike feel. Stacie, while happy as well was experiencing a few different emotions. This was her first boy baby. She does not have any brothers, and has no experience with boy parts. Mixed with her joy is fear of the unknown. Being an only child (with a few stepsisters who did not live nor grow up with her), she was not pushed nor pulled through a lot of new experiences by her siblings. This sharing of life experiences really does make us better prepared to handle new things.

Still, gratefully, Stacie's mom, Gayle, is still around to come to the rescue and help with the new boy baby transition. After my few days there, I could see and appreciate how much help she is being to Stacie and through that, to Mike.

All that was required of me was to spend time entertaining my eldest grandchild, Mya, who is my #1 Sweetie-pie. Being four hours away from Winnipeg, sometimes feels like forty hours away, when life and health does not allow me to visit as much as I would like.



One day, I was feeling a bit lonely so I called Stacie, just to chat. Mya answered the phone and immediately noticed that my voice sounded down. She decided to cheer me up. She got four books, put the phone on speaker, and sat and read stories to me for almost an hour. After each book, she would say, "this one will cheer you up, Nana." and be off on another story.

The last one she chose was The Cat In The Hat's Green Eggs and Ham. It was one that we always read together and had down to memory. Mya would say the query lines and I would say the responses--using the appropriate funny voices, of course. By the end of that story, we both had the giggles. Mya decided her job was finished and finally handed the phone to Stacie.

What a joy! My favorite sweetie-pie has a sense of intuitiveness where it comes to other's feelings. This and so many other things makes us kindred spirits. Even at the ripe old age of 5 years, she will give me a knowing glance when someone or something is not right, is hurting, or needs assistance. She pitches in with a cheery smile, expecting nothing in return.

Maybe I wasn't the world's best mom, but who was? Still, God has seen fit to allow me the privilege and joy of being around to share time with my grandchildren. More and more, I find that what I am most grateful for is His love, grace, and the many blessings He has placed in my life--foremost being my husband, my children, and now my grandchildren. None of this depends on whether or not I deserve this outpouring of love. He does not keep a ledger of what we have earned. He just pours it out upon us freely.

No matter what is going on in your life, my dear ones, He is pouring out many blessings as well. He loves you, unconditionally.

Be blessed,
Jude

Control issues

Aren’t children great? My children have taught me some of my most valued life lessons. For years, I was that kind of mom who would rather do things myself, than fight with the kids to get them done. At least conflict avoidance was what I thought I was practicing.

One year, I suffered several medical issues. That year, my children had to do things that I had usually done myself. A big one was making beds. I was raised that a bed had to be made a certain way—hospital corners, nice even hang on the sides, tight sheets. This strict format was not how the beds ended up after the children had made them.

I learned that the world would not stop turning if I was not in complete control of every little thing. In the face of the cancer issues, the fact that the covers on the bed were rum­pled and crooked—or the bed was not made at all—did not matter. God, through my chil­dren, had taught me a valuable lesson. There were much more important things than whether my house would pass military inspection. Oh, how He patiently frees me from my foolish pride.

Control issues are pride issues. We want to be able to stand back and pat ourselves on the back for the wonderful way we pulled it all together. However, if we are in 100% con­trol, what percentage of control is left to God? Relax dear ones. He loves you, even if your bed is not made.

What are you trying to control that should be left to God's perfect plan? Do you ever feel like you have gotten in His way? These are questions that I ask myself each time I do a personal inventory. You see, I am not completely fixed yet. God is still working on me.

And, my dear ones, He is still working on you, too. Hugs!

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Pain Relief

Another restless night with sleep broken by muscle cramps in my legs and arms; by morning, my body has finally found a comfortable position—just in time to get up. At times, I am sorely tempted to despair. I lie in bed, not wanting to move, because I know that the simple act of getting out of bed will cause increased discomfort. It usually takes a good hour before I can move without pain. By then, my meds have kicked in, and my muscles have limbered up a bit.

As I lie there, trying to will the night to come back, a voice pops into my head. The voice is that of a speaker who has faced and is facing a far more physical burden than I am.

“When I get to heaven I’m going to have a brand new body. I’m not going to walk with a limp; I’m not going to talk funny anymore; I’m going to walk and talk like Jesus. If you don’t like the way I am, hang in there. I’m still in the oven. God’s still in the kitchen. God’s still cooking on me; And when God gets finished cooking on me, God’s going to pull me out of the oven and God’s going to say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.”’

David Ring http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPQOzwaD_hk&NR=1 was born with Cerebral Palsy. He was raised in an environment of abuse, which lasted up until adulthood. He is one of the most inspiring speakers that I have ever heard.

His voice in my head reminds me that this body, which is so uncomfortable, is just a temporary dwelling place. With that reminder, I am once again, lifted beyond the present and moved to begin my day with the glorious hope of a better tomorrow encouraging me onward.

Remember, dear ones, this life and its toils are just fleeting in comparison with an everlasting promise of Heaven. When I focus on Him, I forget myself…pain and all.
What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see…What a day, what a day, that will be.

Pressing In

“I trust in your plan for my life, Lord; but please listen while I tell You what that is.”

How much do you really trust that God has a plan for your life? Do you truly believe that He is working it all out for your good?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and eternal life.”

When we are busy telling God what the ‘plan’ is for our life, do we realize that we may be getting in God’s way? How can we possibly promise the same glorious outcome to our earthly, ignorant plans that God is promising?

It is your life. God has given you self will to make your own choices. However, knowing the weakness of the human condition, He has also provided us with an instructional guide in form of the Bible. He has furthermore provided us with personal instruction in the form of the Holy Spirit. Going one step further, He has given us the ultimate goal to strive for and a way to achieve it.

Pastor has spoken about pressing in. I have asked several Christians, of different faiths, from all around the world, what they would tell a new Christian “pressing in” meant. It surprised me to find that some had never heard that term, some did not know what it meant, and some decided to legalize the simple phrase into a very complicated discussion on religion.

How can we possibly be in step with God’s perfect plan for our lives if we do not know how to press in closer to His presence? Needless to say, my prayer list has gotten much longer with my research on the subject. For myself, though, I am going to seek Him fervently. I am going to press in so close that I may leave bruises on his ribs—such is my desire to be close to Him.

Press in, dear ones. If you are not clear on what that means, or how to accomplish it, talk to your Pastor.Remember, if you are wise enough to recognize what you do not know or understand, and intelegent enough to seek wisdom, the possibility for growth, knowledge, and understanding is greatly increased.

My challenge for this week is to purposely make time for Him. I will open my Bible and seek His company, His guidence, and His wisdom. I will press in to Him with all my might.

God's Warning Signs

My home is situated in a rural area of Northwestern Ontario. People come and go, but other than that, not much changes. The seasons rotate, children grow up, every once in a while, someone will move in or move away. However, in the grand scheme of things, day in and day out, life remains the same.

A while back, someone, in their ultimate wisdom, put up a stop sign by an uncontrolled train track. This train track has been there since very early in the 1900's. People have come and gone, crossing the tracks, for over 100 years. They got used to slowing down to a crawl, looking both ways, then proceeding with caution--not exactly the railroad rule of stop, look, and listen that we learned in grade school. But these "country stops" are the norm around here. At each stop sign, road junction, train track, etc. we just slow down to a crawl, give a good look, then proceed (sometimes with caution, sometimes without--depending on how distracted we are).

The other day, I crossed the tracks, and realized that I had crossed the tracks and barely slowed down. I couldn't remember if I had looked left or right. I did NOT stop at the stop sign. Needless to say, I found that rather distressing. How often, I wondered, had I crossed those tracks without giving them the respect that they should have had?

Then, I got to thinking about how God gives us a sign. He prepares us for the hard times in our lives. We, in our human narcissism, do not recognize these signs. When we do, we often try to rationalize, minimize what He is trying to tell us.

Things are always bad before they get worse. We need to be so in tune with Him that we recognize the warning signs and seek guidance and help before things get worse.

It is like this stop sign that seems to have been posted for no apparent reason. Someone, somewhere, knew something that was not mine to know. They had the authority to do something to prevent something bad from becoming something worse. Instead of respecting that, those of us who have crossed that track for years, simply kept crossing in the same way we always had.

Years ago, a fellow had been killed while going over the train tracks. The story is that he was tired and wasn't paying attention. How is that different from my not paying attention and not slowing down and taking a good look?

In the past couple of years the speed and length of trains has increased exponentially. There are no longer cabooses, engineers are at the controls for extremely long hours, and the chances of a train/auto accident has been increased accordingly.

Just like that stop sign, God gives us signs to get our attention. They are meant to slow us down so that we will wait for his guidence. They are meant to slow us down or stop us, so we wait for his will, his timing, his plan to play itself out in our lives.

Just like that stop sign, I have gone by these God signs without paying attention. Next thing I know, I have found myself at a destination, or in a situation, which is definitely out of his will, timing, or plan for my life. Usually, when finding myself lost like that, I then turn for his guidance. As my mom would say, "a day late, and a penny short." My husband says it is like shutting the barn door after the cow got loose. Either way, it is the same principal...I am in a fine mess of my own making because I did not keep God involved. I did not seek his voice, nor did I pay attention to any of the signs that He supplied to warn me that I was out of his will.

So, my sweet ones, whether the signs before you make sense, or not, pay attention. God just might be trying to prevent something bad from becoming worse. Take the time to slow down and listen for his voice. Put your stubborn self aside and seek his guidance--before you find yourself in a pickle.

In all things, and in all times, know that He loves you. His greatest desire is your good.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Have a wonderful, God based beginning to 2010. Remember that every single moment is a blessing. God could either call you home, or send Christ to return at any moment. Live each day to do some good for others, to honour God and bring increase to the kingdom. Watch for his signs in your life, and stay close to his side.

Happy New Year!
Jude
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The Same...Only Different

The Same—Only Different

“The assurance has grown upon me that here, in the Scriptures, at the very heart and core of our faith, Christians are far more at one than their outward divisions would imply.” J B Phillips

This statement is true only as long as those professing Christian are grounded in the Scriptures; only if they are Bible believing, Bible guided and Bible studying people are they indeed close to what that statement describes. I would agree that they are closer to the whole family of Christ, than what their particular church choice’s doctrines would indicate.

Unfortunately, many “Christians” that we come into contact with do not meet that simple litmus test. Oh, they might meet one or two points of what describes a Christian, however, sadly, many do not meet all three of that simple criterion. Believe; be guided by; study. Many of them know the Bible inside and out. However, when in conversation with them about its basic principals, you will find some room for doubt.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in out lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” II Timothy 3:16 NLT

False doctrine is not just something that is going on in the un-churched; it is prevalent in many of our churches and Christian groups. In each gathering, there are those who read the Bible then pick and choose which parts to believe and which parts not to. There are those who take a hold of those portions that support their personal preferences, supplying fuel for the argument in support of bias, prejudice, division, or excuses for un-Godly behaviour.

These people, for all their cranial knowledge of the Word, are not taking their responsibility as Christians as seriously, as they need to. Theirs is a selfish faith. They use their Christianity and the Bible with a personal agenda being their sole purpose for studying, or quoting. They will debate, quote, and use any form of connivance to sway those who are seeking into their way of thinking and belief.

If you are in conversation or association with a Christian and find yourself feeling that something is not quite right—or something they are sharing does not ring true, use your Bible as the litmus test. Check the facts. Whenever something comes to you that you either have not heard before, or are hearing in a different way, it is always good to go to your Bible and check it out. Sometimes, reading a verse in the context of the entire Bible chapter, or book, will put things into a better perspective.

A good Bible Concordance is an invaluable tool for this kind of research. It will help you narrow your search down to those passages that are relevant to the subject at hand. Strong’s concordances are very user friendly and are quite affordable.

One thing is certain, the Bible will either confirm or increase your understanding, or it will show you what is false and protect you from being led down the wrong path. When in doubt, check your facts. A fact that you can count on as true: 2600 statements in the Bible affirm that “God said” or that Scripture is “the Word of God.”

God has made himself known in many ways throughout Scripture. Still, there are those who have their doubts. Having doubts is not a sin. Taking those doubts and structuring a personal version of Bible truths, then preaching them in order to sway others to your way of thinking, is. It is dishonest, and selfish. In addition, it is my personal belief that it is cowardly. Delving into Scripture and allowing it to honestly minister to you and in your life, can be a scary thing. Many of us would rather not have that particular mirror held up to us.

Thankfully, God is merciful and He constantly works to teach, guide, and repair our lives toward the Truth. One of our tools of defense is the teaching and accountability of Bible Studies. In this venue of personal sharing, one can ask questions and gain a clear understanding and consensus on the lessons and truths of the Bible. They can also learn how to apply these lessons and truths to their lives.

The more you know, not only of what the Bible says, but what the Bible means, the better protected you are against false teachings.

“It is a wonder God did not loose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, He embraced us. He took our sin—dead lives and made us alive in Christ.” Ephesians 2:3-5 MSG



Remember, when we are unsure, God knows. He gave us the Bible, his Word, for a reason. READ IT. STUDY IT. BELIEVE IT.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man [woman] of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 1:14 MSG

Strongholds

The message today was on strongholds. It reminded me about a study that I did a few years ago. It was done in my room, just me and God. The study, “Facing the Giants in Your Life” by Dr. David Jeremiah, really touched me deeply.

How many of those strongholds have I won victory over, I wondered, as I drove home from church. That led me to wonder what the biggest stronghold was in my life today. Often when I am driving the 40 or so minutes to and from town, I am deep in thought about something or other, or praying as I drive (yes, with my eyes open.)

This time in the car is when God has me as a captive audience. There is no escaping his voice in my ear. He can even reach me over the volume of the radio. Today, He was prompting me to look deep in my heart of hearts and recognize that which was keeping me trapped and away from His side.

What I realized, as I thought and prayed, was that an image kept coming to my mind. It was the image of my mother lying in a hospital bed, her legs blackened up past her knee. You see, my mother was a diabetic and she had gangrene in both of her legs. She chose not to have any amputation. Once again, I felt the anguish of watching her suffer, and knowing that there was nothing any of us could do to relieve her pain. It felt as real as it had when she was still alive, over twenty years ago.

Now that I have been diagnosed with diabetes, this image is always lurking, causing a deep and terribly crippling fear in my heart of hearts. Will I end up like Mom? Will I suffer as she did? These questions are never far from my mind. Each time my ankle swells, or I have leg cramps, or my toes tingle, or my heel becomes calloused, or... the fear increases.

In so many things, I have placed my complete trust in God’s plan for my life. Facing cancer—five times—did not instill in me the fear that the mental image of those blackened legs has. This, I recognized, is my greatest stronghold.

What is tricky about these types of strongholds is that we do not realize what a profound affect they have on so many other areas of our lives. The fear of my diabetes has coloured my relationships with family and friends; it has caused me to make choices, which, at times, are not the wisest, God purposed choices; and it has crippled me in my faith walk, handicapping my spirit and the Spirit’s work in my life. In a very real way, this fear has me giving up—giving up on the joy that should fill each day; giving up on trusting God for healing, as well. Now, I know that I have always had trust issues, but I did not realize that I had trust issues where God is concerned. I always thought that I trusted Him completely…however, in this stronghold, I have to ask myself, where is my trust in God?

So, all of this understood, what do I do about it? The first step, of course, is recognizing that there is a problem. Just as it is true with an alcoholic recognizing that he is powerless over his alcoholism, so must I recognize that I am completely powerless over this fear. Only in complete submission to that revelation, can I let go completely and allow God to work on it. As long as I try to battle even the smallest part of that fear, satan has a toehold to continue to persecute me through it and bind me to it.

Next, I have to find the courage to allow God to work on it. Even the most fearful, uncomfortable place can become comfortable—especially with those of us who feel like we are not worthy of any better.

My job, in the work, is to pray fervently for God to remove this fear…and this image from me. I know, with all of my heart and being, that only through Him can I be relieved of the chains of this fear.

My challenge to you, dear ones, is to search your heart of hearts to discover that which holds you in bondage. What are the strongholds in your life?

Here is a small list to help you sort that out. It is the list of strongholds that are worked through in the before mentioned study. I have included a Bible reference which speaks to this stronghold.

For myself, I think it is time to work through the study again. Needless to say, I will be concentrating on “fear.”

LIST OF STRONGHOLDS
- Fear (Deuteronomy 1:19-40)
- Discouragement (Nehemiah 4)
- Loneliness (Colossians 1:21,22; Hebrew 10:25, Roman’s 12:4-6)
- Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
- Guilt (Psalms 32 and 51)
- Temptation (1 Corinthians 10:12-14)
- Anger (Ephesians 4:25-32)
- Resentment (Matthew 5:38-42)
- Doubt (John 20:24-29)
- Procrastination (Acts 24:22-27)
- Failure (II Corinthians 4:7-18)
- Jealousy (1 Corinthians 13:4; Ephesians 4:30)

May God richly bless your personal time with Him.




2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (New International Version)
4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.



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