Category Archives: Family, Friends & Fellowship

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June 20, 2015

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Grace & Love, Holidays & Holy Days, Knowing Him

GOD THE FATHER – Father’s Day 2015

fdayhorzAnd I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. [2 Corinthians 6:18 (NLT)]

What are the qualities of the ideal father? I think he’d be loving and upright, wise and patient, gentle and kind. He’d be a comforter and good provider, a teacher and a helper. He’d be a firm but fair disciplinarian with a forgiving heart. The perfect father would be easy to approach and always ready with an encouraging word. He’d have a wonderful imagination, a great sense of humor and would always have a few surprises up his sleeve. He would protect his children and never abandon them. Some of us were blessed with fathers who had all or most of these qualities and others, unfortunately, had fathers who fell short in some (or many) of them. It’s comforting to know we all have a Father in Heaven who has every one of these good characteristics plus many more!

Thank you, Lord, for being the perfect father and for loving us, your imperfect children, as only a father can!

It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father. [Pope John XXIII]

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. [Romans 8:15-16 (NLT)]

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! [1 John 3:1a (NLT)]

 

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June 5, 2015

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Challenges & Difficulty, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Joy, Prayer, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Worry

IN THE DARKNESS

Be full of joy always because you belong to the Lord. Again I say, be full of joy! [Philippians 4:4 (NLV)]

Hear my prayer, O Lord! Let my cry for help come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble. Turn Your ear to me. Hurry to answer me in the day when I call. For my days go up in smoke. And my bones are burned as with fire. My heart is crushed and dried like grass. And I forget to eat my food. I am nothing but skin and bones because of my loud cries. I am like a pelican in the desert. I am like an owl of the waste places. I lie awake. And I feel like a bird alone on the roof. [Psalm 102:1-7 (NLV)]

moon-ACLwebI woke at 2:00 AM and limped to the bathroom for some Advil for my aching foot. Returning to bed, I knew my foot would feel better, if not that night then surely in the near future. God willing, I’ll be back to power walking within a few months. But, as I lay there, I wondered how many people were also awake and hurting that night, but hurting in a way that couldn’t be helped by a few ibuprofen. How many people see no end in sight for their pain and anguish?

Why such dark thoughts in the middle of the night? At Bible study earlier that evening, several people had asked for prayers for loved ones suffering from depression and, as often happens when serious depression is discussed, the topic of suicide also arose. While we’ve all been sad, depression is far more than just a bad case of the blues. Depression is when that sadness becomes so persistent that it interferes with everyday activities and adversely affects someone’s life. A complex illness, it has many contributing factors including grief, genetics, medications, illness, a history of being abused, and personal problems. I’ve watched family and friends suffer from serious depression and mental illness, some to the point of hospitalization, and I imagine they might describe it as a living hell.

Since we’re told to live lives of praise and joy, I don’t think God wants us to live a life of despair and agony. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world and both mental and physical afflictions are part of it. We may not find the word “depression” in the Bible but anguish and despair can be found throughout its pages. I think Job was depressed and, at some time or another, so were David, Hannah, Jeremiah, and Elijah. Their depression didn’t mean they’d lost their faith any more than having cancer or diabetes means we’ve lost ours. Accepting Christ doesn’t mean we get a vaccination making us immune to any illness, least of all depression.

Lying in bed that night, I knew there is little any of us can do to alleviate the anguish of the mentally ill. We can, however, support Christian mental health services, be compassionate and supportive to both the ill and their families, and offer our heartfelt prayers.

Father in Heaven, I cannot begin to fathom the agony suffered by the mentally ill and the distress their illness brings to their loved ones. Protect them from the pitfalls, like addiction or homelessness, that so often accompany mental illness. Reassure them of your presence, lift their hearts, and guide them to healers so they can get the support and treatment they so desperately need. Give them the gift of hope and peace and restore them to health. Fill the hearts of their families with love, empathy, patience and understanding and help them to trust in your power and might.

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I plan what to do in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will those who hate me rise above me? … But I have trusted in Your loving-kindness. My heart will be full of joy because You will save me. I will sing to the Lord, because He has been good to me. [Psalm 13:1-2,5-6 (NLV)]

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May 21, 2015

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Challenges & Difficulty, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works, Today: Make it Count

TRAIL MAGIC

You yourself have done this plenty of times, spoken words that clarify, encouraged those who were about to quit. Your words have put stumbling people on their feet, put fresh hope in people about to collapse. [Job 4:3-4 (MSG)]

5-15-15-hiking to RosenlauiawebWhile reading about one man’s trek along the Appalachian Trail, I came upon a new term: “trail magic.” A tradition along the Appalachian Trail and other long distance trails, trail magic is an unexpected act of kindness and can take many forms: snacks handed out at a trail crossing, cold drinks left in a stream, rides to or from nearby towns, a night’s stay at a home, a cook-out at a shelter, packages of ibuprofen or even an impromptu concert along the trail. Trail magic seems to serendipitously occur when a hiker needs it most: when his spirits are lowest, his legs weariest, or his supplies nearly depleted! There is also another kind of trail magic of which many hikers are unaware. Trail magic occurs when volunteers clear fallen trees and branches from the trail, paint blazes on trees, repair shelters or cut back poison ivy. Those who offer trail magic usually have hiked the trail themselves and know how strenuous it can be; they are known as “trail angels.”

I don’t live near any long distance trails and, while I love to hike, long distance hiking is not on my bucket list. Nevertheless, I can be a trail angel and so can you. A through hike on the Appalachian Trail is about 2,200 miles; it is grueling, challenging and lasts several months. Our walk through life can also be grueling, challenging and can last several decades. We have opportunities every day to be trail angels to those we encounter on our journey.

A friend, another church photographer, recently shared a “trail angel” moment and she didn’t even know she’d been an angel until it was over. We both love zooming in on the face of one of our church singers. She is absolutely beautiful, not only because of her features (although she is lovely), but because of the joy she radiates as she sings her praises to the Lord. We both try to capture her radiance but it seems to elude our cameras; that radiance, however, enhances the worship experience of all who see her. Recently, after church, my friend approached this woman to tell her how much she appreciates her singing and the way she shares her love of the Lord with us all. To my friend’s surprise, this beautiful woman got misty and shed a tear. It had been a difficult week for her. She’d been running on empty and needed encouragement and kind words. My friend’s message gave her a spiritual recharge just when she required it most! Those few words were trail magic for her spirit and fortified her for the challenging days ahead.

What little kindnesses can we leave along the trail of life for God’s children? Are there ways we can make that trek easier for our fellow travelers; are there obstacles we can clear or ways we can help them find their way? How can we lift their spirits or brighten their day’s walk? We don’t need to be hikers or find a long distance trail to be trail angels; we have that opportunity every day right where we are. What gift can we leave for those who might pass our way?

Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love. [St. Therese de Lisieux]

Gracious speech is like clover honey—good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body. [Proverbs 16:24 (MSG)]

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May 11, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Holidays & Holy Days

MOTHERS-IN-LAW – MOTHER’S DAY

“Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.” [Ruth 2:11-12 (NLT)]

5-11-15smartweedWEB

Now in my seventh decade, I view the Bible story of Ruth from an entirely different perspective than when I was younger. While I used to connect with the youthful woman, Ruth, I now relate to the older one (and mother-in-law), Naomi. In a time of famine, Naomi and her husband Elimelech moved from Judah to Moab with their two sons. Even though Jewish law forbade it, their sons married local girls: Orpah and Ruth. Unfortunately, all three men died, leaving Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth widows. In those days, there was little worse than being a widow; widows were ignored, usually poverty stricken, and often victimized. Since a widow’s closest relative was supposed to take care of her, Naomi decided to return to her relatives in Judah. Orpah and Ruth set out to go with her, but Naomi stopped and advised them to go back to their families in Moab, telling the young women that she had nothing for them. Orpah, perhaps wisely, chose to return home. Ruth, however, chose to stay and said those words we often hear repeated in wedding ceremonies: “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.” [Ruth 1:16-17 (NLT)]

What an amazing declaration of love! It’s one you might expect from a wife to a husband but not from a son’s wife to her mother-in-law. What was it about Naomi that could inspire such words from her daughter-in-law? What kind of woman earns that much love and loyalty? What kind of woman arouses such devotion that her daughter-in-law willingly leaves the safety of her homeland to share a poverty-stricken existence with her? She’s certainly not the kind about whom bad mother-in-law jokes are written.

Naomi must have been cool and calm, loving and gracious. Perhaps she kept the Biblical equivalent of duct tape handy to place over her mouth when necessary. I’m sure she never interfered or told her sons’ wives how to manage their households. In spite of the fact they weren’t Jewish, Naomi must have accepted, loved and respected her daughters-in-law as if they were her very own daughters. Finally, she must have had a deep faith in God that was evident in the way she lived. Otherwise, why would Ruth chose to follow Naomi’s one God rather than the pagan gods of Moab?

My fervent prayer is that I can be a Ruth to my mother-in-law, a women deserving of such love and devotion. Moreover, I pray that I can be a Naomi to my daughters-in-law. Heavenly Father, show me how to be a woman filled with kindness and wisdom, love and faith. May I be the sort of woman who can inspire these loving words: “Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. … Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. [Proverbs 31:25-26,30 (NLT)]

 

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May 9, 2015

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Grace & Love, Holidays & Holy Days, Knowing Him, Nature

HIS LOVE – Mother’s Day 2015

DSC05555-2redHe spreads his wings over them, even as an eagle overspreads her young. She carries them upon her wings – as does the Lord his people! [Deuteronomy 32:11 (TLB)]

These last few years, I’ve been blessed to watch a family of swans who nest in a nearby park. I’ve observed them take turns sitting on the nest, taking their babies for a swim and even teaching them to fly. Last year, I saw a mother swan actually taking her baby for a ride on her back, sheltering the cygnet with her wings. Moses probably never saw a swan because, if he had, he might have mentioned the swan in Deuteronomy as well as the eagle.

Thank you, God, for being like a mother bird, protecting us from harm, carrying us when we’re too weak to do it alone, and teaching us to fly. Thank you for our mothers and for every other woman who has acted in your place and boldly watched over and protected our young, helped them through the challenges of childhood and taught them the skills they need to be independent adults.

A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path. [Agatha Christie]

There is no friendship, no love, like that of a parent for the child. [Henry Ward Beecher]

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May 8, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Plan, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Today: Make it Count

SEIZE THE DAY

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. [James 4:13-14 (MSG)]

My wife was dead. All those things we were going to do together were now impossible. We had spent a lifetime working toward that distant goal, making promises to ourselves that now we would never fulfill. Sure, it’s important to plan for the future, but think about this: You’ve had the gift of yesterday, and you are living today with its choices and opportunities, but who knows if you will have tomorrow? You’ve heard it time and time again, but I will tell you – and I know it’s true, because the painful lesson is etched into my yesterday – no one has a guarantee of tomorrow. That’s why it is so important today to tell our spouses and loved ones what they mean to us. [From “Hiking Through” by Paul Stutzman]

5-8-15seizewebThe day I started reading Paul Stutzman’s book Hiking Through, about his journey on the Appalachian Trail, was the same day I learned that a friend’s wife has conceded defeat in her war against cancer. Having recently received the last rites, her remaining time is measured in just days and hours. What struck me is the similarity between both men’s situations. Like my friend’s wife, after a long and painful struggle, Stutzman’s spouse lost her battle with cancer. Both couples had persisted through their difficult yesterdays: the financial and professional struggles of the early years and the stress of raising children. They were approaching what I think of as the “wonder” years: those blessed years when careers are secure, the children are capable young adults, money is no longer scarce, health is still good, and there are time and funds enough for travel. Those highly anticipated carefree and joy-filled tomorrows will never happen for either couple.

Having lost my parents in their prime (my mother was only forty-seven and my father just fifty-six), I’ve always had an awareness of life’s brevity. That doesn’t mean I don’t waste precious moments of every today by reliving my yesterdays or anticipating my hoped for tomorrows. May these men’s experiences remind us all that we must take delight in every precious today granted to us. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon makes the point that there is a right time for each activity in life. It is, however, always the right time to praise God for the blessings of the day. Moreover, there is never a wrong time to tell those we love how much we care for them and how precious they are to us.

There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace. [Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (MSG)]