Category Archives: Wisdom & Guidance

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January 26, 2015

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Faith & Hope, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Prayer, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance, Worry

DON’T WORRY; PRAY

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. [Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)]
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God does answer prayers but often not according to our time-table. Several years ago, my daughter was searching for a school that would be the right fit for her daughter, a bright and charming five-year old with some developmental delays. Application had been made to several charter schools that appeared to be good possibilities. Charter schools in her town select students by lottery and we were disappointed that her name had not been drawn by any of the schools to which she’d applied. My daughter and I had prayed up a storm that that the “right” school would accept her daughter, but none had.

That same spring, we were stunned to learn that our granddaughter has three congenital heart defects and major medical problems loomed ahead for her. Topping it off, in spite of much therapy, her developmental tests indicated that her motor skills weren’t what they should be for kindergarten. During prayers, I realized that God had answered our prayers. We’d asked for the “right” school for this sweet little girl; God was telling us that school wasn’t “right” for her at that time. Oddly, my daughter came to the identical conclusion at the same time. There would be another year of pre-school; kindergarten could wait one more year.

Early that fall, because of her medical problems, our grand had to miss what would have been the crucial early weeks of kindergarten. By the end of autumn, however, her most pressing medical issue had been resolved. She returned to pre-school, continued with a variety of therapies, and her skills continued to improve during the school year. The following spring, her mother learned of a private Christian school that seemed like the perfect fit for her daughter. Application was made, her name was put on the waiting list, and we again prayed that God would find the “right” school for our little girl. This time He did! Although she had been eighth on the waiting list, a spot was found for her. God does answer our prayers, just in his own time and in his own way.

My grand is now a happy successful fourth grader. As she approaches junior high, however, school decisions will need to be made again. For a second time, her mother and I will pray up a storm asking God to find the right school for her. We are, however, confident that He will hear our prayers and provide the right solution at exactly the right time.

I don’t know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
And I don’t borrow from the sunshine,
‘Cause the skies might turn to gray.
And I don’t worry about the future
‘Cause I know what Jesus said.
And today I’m gonna walk beside Him
‘Cause He’s the one who knows what is ahead.
There are things about tomorrow
That I don’t seem to understand,
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.
[“I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” by Ira F. Stanphill]

 

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January 12, 2015

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Fruit of the Spirit, God's Plan, Nature, Sharing Our Faith, Today: Make it Count, Wisdom & Guidance

WE CONTINUE TO FLOURISH IN HIS GARDEN

But good people will grow like palm trees; they will be tall like the cedars of Lebanon. Like trees planted in the Temple of the Lord, they will grow strong in the courtyards of our God. When they are old, they will still produce fruit; they will be healthy and fresh. They will say that the Lord is good. He is my Rock, and there is no wrong in him. [Psalm 92:12-15 (NCV)]

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Bald Cypress – Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Some of the old-growth cypress trees in Corkscrew Swamp are nearly 600 years old. They’re just youngsters compared to a bristlecone pine tree in California that’s still alive and growing at over 5,000 years of age. That’s nothing compared to a Norway spruce in Sweden with a root system that has been growing for over 9,500 years. Granted, these old trees aren’t that beautiful anymore; time and weather have taken their toll, but they still stand strong. If these trees can continue to flourish in their old age, I guess we can, too.

In God’s world, we are never too old to grow, blossom and even bear fruit. There is much we can share with those younger than us. More important, there is much we can still be taught by those both older and younger than ourselves. We’re never too old to learn something new!

Lord, help us all to continue to thrive in your garden and to bear fruit among your people.

Teach older men to be self-controlled, serious, wise, strong in faith, in love, and in patience. In the same way, teach older women to be holy in their behavior, not speaking against others or enslaved to too much wine, but teaching what is good. … In every way be an example of doing good deeds. When you teach, do it with honesty and seriousness. [Titus 2:2-3,7 (NCV)]

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December 22, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Prayer, Wisdom & Guidance

HIS MEGAPHONE

Now I’m glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. [2 Corinthians 7:9-10a (MSG)]

I admit it; sometimes I’m really foolish! About three weeks ago, I felt pain in my ankle. Hoping it would simply go away, I continued to work out and power walk. When it continued to ache, I tried the old standards of rest, ice, compression, elevation and ibuprofen but there was no improvement. Each morning, I expected a miracle cure and every day I was disappointed. Did I do the obvious thing and call a physician? Of course not! It took nearly three weeks for me to accept that since it wasn’t getting any better, it was only getting worse. I finally went to a doctor and a stress fracture was quickly diagnosed. Now, I get to wear denim leggings and a knee-high inflatable boot cast to holiday parties instead of my new high heels and red party dress!

Back to the “foolish” part: of course, it was unwise of me to delay seeing a physician. I’d even gotten the name of a foot and ankle specialist a week earlier! Moreover, the day I hurt myself, my morning’s reading had referred to pain as God’s megaphone. Apparently, those words did not register! Pain may be His way of getting our attention but God had to shout at me long and hard before I finally listened

There are many who are in excruciating pain and are doing all that is possible to alleviate it; I am not minimizing their suffering. There are, however, many more of us who remain unnecessarily in pain, simply because we aren’t listening to what the pain is telling us and are unwilling to do what we should to relieve it.

We all tend to ignore pain. For me it was a sore ankle, but for others it can be much worse. It may be the pain of a crumbling marriage or death of a loved one, a child’s addiction, severe depression, a lump in one’s breast or tightness in one’s chest, an abusive or co-dependent relationship. Others may ignore the pain of unemployment, an alcoholic spouse, precarious finances, unpaid bills, failing grades or legal difficulties. We foolishly think the pain of these problems will magically disappear if we just ignore them. They won’t! We won’t wake tomorrow suddenly untroubled and unbruised, in a good mood, free of debt or cancer, with a healthy heart, passing grades, or a new job.

Pain is, indeed, God’s megaphone. It is His way of telling us to admit we’re hurting and need help. As we seek God, we need to ask Him what our pain means and what things He expects us to do to improve our condition. God may be telling us to change bad habits, leave abusive or unhealthy relationships, or to stop spending or enabling. We may have to seek medical help or spiritual guidance, start studying or search for ways to get better. Professional help, support groups, counselling or major changes in our behavior and attitudes may be necessary to relieve our pain.

Are you in pain? If so, what might He be saying to you? Is there something He wants you to learn? Is there something He wants you to do? Have you committed the situation to Him? Listen and let Him lead.

Pain insists on being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. [From “The Problem of Pain” by C.S. Lewis]

Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.” [From “The Problem of Pain” by C.S. Lewis]

Show me how you work, God; School me in your ways.  Take me by the hand; Lead me down the path of truth. You are my Savior, aren’t you? [Psalm 25:4-5 (MSG)]

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December 1, 2014

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Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, God's Plan, Patience & Perseverance, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

ON A MISSION FROM GOD

Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!” [Exodus 5:22-23 (NLT)]

Sunday mornings, I take photographs for our church’s website. Last week, due to a cranky computer, only a handful of over 100 photos got edited, the day’s pics temporarily went AWOL, and my three editing programs eventually stopped working. In frustration, after hours of unsuccessful work, I gave up and tried to upload the few photos I’d managed to edit. That’s when I discovered my computer was on strike; there would be no uploading of anything from it! Panic set in and I resorted to what I usually do in such a situation: cry and complain.

Like Moses, I complained to God. If He wanted me to do this job, why was it so difficult? I then did what I should have done at first: asked for God’s blessing and guidance. “Lord, bless my work. If it’s your work as well, show me what I need to do to accomplish it.” After praying, it occurred to me that I didn’t have the only computer in the house! Duh! In fact, not only was my husband’s computer available, but I’d also installed a photo editing program on it several years ago. Using his laptop and my flash drive, I finished the editing in record time and uploaded all of the photos.

Moses was given a mission from God: get Pharaoh to free the Israelites and lead them to the Promised Land. Things weren’t going well; in fact, the situation had only gotten worse and Moses complained to God. After all, if we’re on a mission from God, shouldn’t it be trouble-free? Reading his complaint, I imagined what God was thinking. “Moses, you think this is tough? Just wait until you have Pharaoh’s army chase you into the sea, or you’ve had to provide food and water for over 600,000 men and their families, or listened to forty years of complaints before your task is done! Toughen up, big guy; you’ll encounter greater problems down the road. Trust me; I’ll never let you down. Don’t give up; you’re learning some valuable lessons that will help you in the future!”

Although God gives us tasks, He doesn’t promise they’ll be easy. It’s difficult to reconcile our problems with God’s assignments. As we struggle to achieve His work, however, we learn to depend on God and not ourselves. There’s nothing like a few obstacles to humble a prideful attitude. As He guides us through our difficulties and challenges, we become smarter, stronger and more determined. Moses’s early challenges prepared him for the trials of leading over half a million people as they walked forty years in the wilderness. Mine taught me about prayer, trust, perseverance, and backing up valuable computer files.

By the way, the next morning, my computer woke up in a far better mood. I had to do some minor clean up, delete some old files and back up others, but it is running smoothly again! Coincidence? I think not: more like a lesson from above.

“They’re not gonna catch us. We’re on a mission from God.” [Elwood to Jake in “The Blues Brothers”]

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. [James 1:2-4 (NLT)]

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November 24, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Plan, Prayer, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

LET THEM SOAR

For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. [Psalm 78:5-7 (NLT)]P1060145-cropWEB

A friend recently confided her mixed feelings about her son’s future plans. The good news: not only has he been accepted at the graduate school of his choice, but he also has secured the necessary funding. The bad news: it’s in New Zealand, far away from Florida and the safety of home. Her words reminded me of nearly twenty years ago when my daughter finished her schooling and completed her dietetic internship. She’d been offered two jobs: one in New Mexico, where she knew no one and had never been, and one less than an hour from our suburban Illinois home. With only twenty-four hours to deliberate before she had to make her decision, there were several frantic phone calls that night. As I spoke with my daughter, my mama’s heart was breaking. I didn’t want my baby to leave the nest, but God strengthened my heart and put wise words in my mouth. We spoke of my daughter’s internship experiences; I reminded her of the comments she’d made after her stint in the outpatient clinic: “This is what I want to do!” The New Mexico offer was in their outpatient clinic; the Illinois offer was vague and less promising. It was clear that the better job was in New Mexico, but that meant moving, leaving the comfort of friends and family, and the great unknown! When my daughter expressed concerns about the ability to move and be in New Mexico less than a week after graduation, I reassured her that her father and I could make it happen. I told her to pray about her decision, reminding her that this choice shouldn’t be determined by convenience, but by her calling and God’s guidance. We hung up and, I’m ashamed to say, I didn’t want her to make what I believed to be the right choice. I wanted her to stay near family and friends; I wanted her safe in our circle. It was with a reluctant heart that I prayed: “God, let her make the right choice, not the choice I want. Give me a happy heart no matter what her decision.”

Within three weeks’ time, my daughter had moved to Albuquerque and was busy in her new job. Was it the right choice? Because of government cutbacks, the Illinois job position was eliminated within six months. Her move to Albuquerque led her to a wonderful man, a deeper faith, a beautiful daughter, new friends, several sisters in Christ, and an even better and more rewarding career. Thank you, God, for taking her under your wings!

No matter how old our children, we never want to let them go; but let them go we must. If we have taught them well, our part is done. Parenthood is a job that is supposed to become obsolete. Once we’ve taught our children to fly, we should praise God when we see them spread their wings and soar. There are many children who, because of disabilities, will never be able to fly away; we should be thankful when ours can! Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t continue to love and even on occasion, worry about them. We call them, probably more than we should, and pray about them, probably less than we should.

Father in heaven, give us happy hearts when our children leave our homes. Teach them, guard them, lead them and lift them so they may soar!

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. [Isaiah 40:28b-31 (NLT)]

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November 21, 2014

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God's Word: The Bible, Knowing Him, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. [Luke 20:21 (NLT)]

I’ve had a busy week of hearing from a variety of authorities. “In my expert opinion,” said the physician. “It’s my understanding,” opined the lawyer. “From past experience,” offered the political science professor. All of their statements allowed for some wiggle room, different interpretations, or alternative conclusions. Did I hear the truth or only their version of the truth? Jesus never guessed, or assumed, and certainly never presumed; He knew! Let’s remember that Jesus didn’t offer an approximation, a guesstimate or an opinion; he offered the truth—the whole truth and nothing but the truth, because he was the truth!

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14:6 (NLT)]

Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. [Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT)]