Category: Relationship

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Learning More

So yesterday morning Dave and I sat here and discussed how far technology has advanced in our life time. I told you a couple days ago that I remember when television broadcasting ended each day with a poem and a test pattern. And…there were only three stations – NBC, ABC, CBS. But what a marvel that was, our parents had thought the radio was a major advancement.

Telephone was absolutely amazing; when Dave’s parents got their first phone they had a party line. For those of you younger than 40 let me explain, a party line was a phone line that had several households using the same connection. Each home had a distinctive ring and you didn’t answer if it wasn’t your ring because the call wouldn’t be for you.

Now we have smart phones! No more three rings and talk; it’s an amazing little computer in your pocket. Does everything for you – gives you directions, alerts you to upcoming appointments, aids in your banking, does a search, shows a video, makes a call. About the only thing it doesn’t do is dress you in the morning and feed you lunch. I’m sure that’s coming.

But with all the technology, all the advancements in information gathering people still feel weak and inadequate. Stress levels are as high or higher than they’ve ever been, feelings of inferiority grip so many who live around us and suicide is rampant. We have more modern conveniences and “time-saving” products to help deal with the small daily chores and we find ourselves working harder and longer.

Somedays it’s really hard to face the day. Those feelings that you’re unappreciated or under valued for who you are flood in. If that’s the case then here’s your answer to end those days of malize. The answer comes from God’s word – it’s time we learn more about God’s plan and desire for our lives. Technology cannot improve on what God has said.

“I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 16 So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers. 17 I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God. 18 My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people.

19 I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used 20 when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. 21 There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. 22 God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. 23 The church is Christ’s body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.” Ephesians 1:15-23 CEV

The Lord wants us to have an understanding of the hope that He has given us, the power that He has made available to us (raising from the dead power) and what it truly means to be a part of the body of Christ!

I know this is a weak analogy but I will use it just the same. Many christians are like a new smart phone user. Only using their phones to make calls and send a few texts. They don’t know how to use it anymore than that…

It’s time to get educated about who we are in Christ. Download the apps, take pictures, use the GPS, on-line banking, the language translator, etc. Utilize what’s been given to us. The data plan is unlimited and we’ll never have a power outage or dropped call. The Father has given us wisdom, understanding hope and power.

I’ve been at a place where things seemed hopeless and I felt left out and alone. I didn’t realize all the Lord had made available for me. Through believing God’s word I have found that life with Christ is unlimited and I’m still learning more each day. I pray that we all will learn more about what God has made available to us.

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Time to Listen

Have you noticed how text messages and twitter have reduced our conversations to brief snippets and how our cell phone conversations are disjointed and distracted? Does it bother you that we don’t just sit and talk?

So often phone conversations are one sided; I have to hurry and tell you all about me and when you start to talk about you, I get distracted by doing dishes or folding laundry, etc. and I barely listen.

Important stuff like news stories have been reduced to snippets because the viewing public have shortened their attention spans and if they don’t catch my interest immediately I’m off to another channel. So everything appears to be a crisis or a breaking story.

Very few take time to develop sincere interest. The sad thing is I find that happens more often than I like to admit in my relationship with the Lord. The saying “quality not quantity” leaves us making excuses for our actions. But what’s wrong with quality and quantity. Spending time, our only unrenewable resource, with those we love especially our Heavenly Father is essential to a solid relationship.

Write a letter, leave a card, put a note in a lunch bag, sit down and focus when carrying on a phone conversation, turn the TV and other electronic devices off during meals and following, just visit. Let people know they are important.

There’s a true expression of love in being listened too. Listen without interrupting. This gives the person you’re listening to importance and value. It means that what they have to say is important to me and I’m not just waiting to jump in with “my” important words. There is a difference, a big difference, between hearing and listening. Hearing is the comprehension of sound but listening is the comprehension of the heart.

The Father always listens – He waits for each word and His desire is that we take time to listen to Him as well. Jesus relates this instruction to John in the book of Revelation about Christians and a lukewarm relationship. He wants us to spend time together with Him.

“Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together.” Revelation 3:20 CEV

Jesus is waiting to sit down and visit with us today. Will we make the time?

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Producing Beauty

When we lived in Spokane we were only a few blocks from the Manitou Park. It was a beautiful, peaceful place. There was a large duck pond (which the kids ice skated on in winter), walking trails, the famed flower gardens, the orchid hot house, a Japanese garden, large shady trees and rock building that had been used to house animals in the early 1900’s when it was used as a zoo. The sloping hills made a great place to sled in the winter and the bike paths encouraged you to stay fit in the spring and fall.

Each time I went, I would marvel at the beauty of those gardens and of the dedication of the staff to keep it lovely and inviting at all times. Hundreds of manhours went in to the cultivation and care of the grounds.

I, on the other hand, am a fair weather gardener and grounds keeper. I do love working in my yard but I become reluctant in the hot days of summer. I was noticing yesterday how I’ve let the mesquite beans and hollyhock stalks and seed pods make a mess in my front courtyard. It needs attention but the answer I gave myself is “I’ll get too it one of these cool mornings, not right now”.

Life’s like that.

We see how we want to be; the person we desire to become, but if we aren’t diligent in pulling out the weeds, picking up the debris, tilling the soil and watering what we’ve planted it will fall into disrepair.

A little sprout of anger comes up and we don’t pull it out because we justify our right to be angry. Then the leaves of sarcasm fall and make a mess but we don’t rake them up because “everyone knows I was just kidding”. The trash of unforgiveness blows in and it’s over in the corner against the wall and we say I’ll get to it next time I’m on that side of the yard so we leave it to rot and decay. And then before we know it we look across the yard and it’s a mess – little white lies, impatience, selfishness, greed, and anxiety are all spoiling the beauty of our garden.

“Put out of your life these things also: anger, bad temper, bad feelings toward others, talk that hurts people, speaking against God, and dirty talk. 9 Do not lie to each other. You have put out of your life your old ways. 10 You have now become a new person and are always learning more about Christ. You are being made more like Christ. He is the One Who made you. 11 There is no difference in men in this new life. Greeks and Jews are the same. The man who has gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew and the one who has not are the same. There is no difference between nations. Men who are servants and those who are free are the same. Christ is everything. He is in all of us.” Colossians 3:8-11 NLV

Time to get the wheel barrow out and begin cleaning up the mess. It will take effort to get it all cleaned up. A rake, shovel, pruners, and some good old fashioned elbow grease and sweat will be the tools to use. But don’t despair, we’re not in this alone. Christ is in us and He has provided all we need to make our life a beautiful garden.

“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:22-23 NLV

The “want to” and desire are up to us and once we make that decision the Holy Spirit steps in and empowers us to get the job done!

“If Christ is in you, your spirit lives because you are right with God, and yet your body is dead because of sin. 11 The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. If the same Holy Spirit lives in you, He will give life to your bodies in the same way.

12 So then, Christian brothers, we are not to do what our sinful old selves want us to do. 13 If you do what your sinful old selves want you to do, you will die in sin. But if, through the power of the Holy Spirit, you destroy those actions to which the body can be led, you will have life. 14 All those who are led by the Holy Spirit are sons of God. 15 You should not act like people who are owned by someone. They are always afraid. Instead, the Holy Spirit makes us His sons, and we can call to Him, “My Father.” Romans 8:10-12 NLV

Happy Gardening!!

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Death’s Valley

Seems the last few days the Lord has me encouraging you to stand strong during the storms. Some of you must be battered and weary or could it be that the Lord is giving us advanced warning of something that is coming so we can take shelter and remain safe?

A couple weeks ago a dear friend of ours died. He and his wife had provided worship music for us when we started Christian Cowboys Association. We met them one night after a “Cowboy Cathedral”, our Friday night cowboy church service, in Scottsdale. It was right about the time of our first year birthday. We found out they sang cowboy gospel music and so we invited them to join us for that celebration and asked them to do some music. That was it! God put us together and for the several years Don and Ann were at every cowboy campmeeting, rodeo service and most of the Cowboy Cathedrals. We were together several times a week – what a sweet couple and wonderful fellowship.

When I became pregnant with our youngest daughter we asked Don and Ann to take the ministry and continue the outreach to working cowboys and the kids in the youth rodeos. They did. And they continued to share God’s love with those special people for many more years.

I tell you that as background for what I’m about to say.

This morning I woke with the words of a song filling my heart and my head. It was one of the songs that I had heard Don and Ann sing at nearly every Cowboy Service. Their harmonizing was what I heard and as I sit here quietly, if I close my eyes I can see them singing and hear their voices. Ann playing stand up bass and Don playing guitar. I knew I had to share the words with you.

I feel the touch of hands so kind and gentle,
They’re leading me in paths that I must trod;
I have no fear when Jesus walks beside me,
For I’m sheltered in the arms of God.

So let the storms rage high, the dark clouds rise,
They won’t worry me for I’m sheltered safe within the arms of God;
He walks with me and naught of Earth can harm me,
Sheltered safe within the arms of God.

Soon I shall hear the call from Heaven’s portals,
Come home my child, it’s the last mile you must trod;
I’ll fall asleep and wake in God’s new Heaven,
Sheltered safe within the arms of God.

So let the storms rage high, the dark clouds rise,
They won’t worry me for I’m sheltered safe within the arms of God;
He walks with me and naught of Earth can harm me,
Sheltered safe within the arms of God.

Sheltered safe within the arms of God! lyrics by Dottie Rambo

I’ve been silently singing along and I thought of Psalm 23 and the particular phrase “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear for You are with me”. Shadows can be scary. If you don’t think so try walking through a dark alley or a cemetery at night. Your mind will play all sorts of tricks on you and you end up seeing so many things that aren’t real, they are just shadows.

The image I used this morning is a picture that was taken in Death Valley. It’s a hot and desolate place. You can see for miles and there is nothing but more desert, more emptiness. To be lost out there is almost certain death, hence the name. Almost nothing grows there and in the summer time it’s as hot as an oven. There in the shadow of its rocky crags you are in the “valley of the shadow of death”.

But…

We’re not alone! We are sheltered safe within the arms of our loving God and heavenly Father.

“The Lord is my Shepherd. I will have everything I need. 2 He lets me rest in fields of green grass. He leads me beside the quiet waters. 3 He makes me strong again. He leads me in the way of living right with Himself which brings honor to His name. 4 Yes, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of anything, because You are with me. You have a walking stick with which to guide and one with which to help. These comfort me. 5 You are making a table of food ready for me in front of those who hate me. You have poured oil on my head. I have everything I need. 6 For sure, You will give me goodness and loving-kindness all the days of my life. Then I will live with You in Your house forever.” Psalm 23 NLV

Fear of the unknown – fear of the storms – fear of failure – fear of being alone – fear of financial ruin – fear of divorce – fear of death…all of these and more can be devastating. They are daunting shadows, they are the “what if’s” of life. But remember, we are not alone; do not fear!

“Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will give you strength, and for sure I will help you. Yes, I will hold you up with My right hand that is right and good.” Isaiah 41:10 NLV

“God has said, “I will never leave you or let you be alone.” 6 So we can say for sure, ‘The Lord is my Helper. I am not afraid of anything man can do to me.’” Hebrews 13:5b,6 NLV

Fear not!

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One of the Crowd

Many people followed Jesus when he was here on earth. He was a novelty with his healing power and his words of love. He claimed to be the Messiah and as such they expected him to overthrow the government and set up his reign as King.

No more Roman oppression; this man could multiply food; he could walk on water and even raise the dead. He called out hypocrisy and brought a sense of worthiness to the down trodden. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to be one of his followers.

But then there was a call for accountability. Jesus said that the path of following Him would require them to change their way of life and commit to His. He even said that they would need to “eat of his flesh and drink of his blood” and this, they thought, was referring to a type of cannibalism and so many of them left and return to their old way of life.

Jesus was simply saying that they needed to be all in – totally committed – in following him. So, as his followers were leaving He turned to his disciples and asked this question.

“Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. 67 Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they were going to leave him. 68 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. 69 We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.” John 6:66-69 CEV

At one time thousands followed him; they came to the hear the Sermon on the Mount, they were there when he multiplied the loaves and fishes, they crowded the streets just to get close to Him but when public opinion and political pressure was exerted they fell away and some changed sides completely.

Some of the same ones who had welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday calling out Hosanna, Hosanna were also in the crowd a few days later saying crucify Him, crucify Him.

Our resolve must be that of the disciples. “Where else can we go, you have the words of life?”. So many are turning their backs on Jesus and becoming one of the crowd. It’s important that we stand strong in faith and follow Jesus.

Father, we gladly follow you today. We are not ashamed to be called Christians – Christ-like ones. You gave your life for us and we will live our lives for you!

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Oil & Wine

When we first moved to Rio Rico and began working to make this house our home we quickly became acquainted with the hard, stony, clay infused ground. I don’t think we have ever lived anywhere with soil as hard as here.

It was necessary to soak it for several days, a slow soak, and then use a pick to break through. When the footers were dug for our courtyard wall it took several men, several days to dig deep enough to have a trench that would hold the concrete and rebar for the foundation. When I decided I wanted a flower and vegetable garden we had to mix in many bags of a top soil/garden soil mixture just to provide a good environment for them to grow.

Hard ground. Stony earth. Both of these prevent proper growth of the seeds that are planted. To have a good and healthy growing environment the soil needs to be broken up, the rocks removed and good earth mixed in. The same is true of our hearts.

“The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.” Mark 4:16-17 NLT

I know what it’s like to work with hard soil, the time it takes to get a good harvest and I know what it’s like to have an unproductive heart and the time it takes to see a good harvest there, as well.

” I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,  and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’” Hosea 10:12 NLT

For years I had memorized Bible verses for Sunday School contests and awards at Vacation Bible School but all they were, were words on a page. My heart was hard and there wasn’t much fruit. But I remember when I prayed “Lord, I want to know your Word. I want the Holy Spirit to make it come alive in me.”. It was only a couple days later, as I sat at my kitchen table, Bible open before me and I read…

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ” Philippians 4:19 NKJV

I had memorized this verse over twenty years earlier but it had never taken root. That day as I read it out loud, I began to cry. That Bible verse, that seed, planted in the soil of my softened heart, took root and immediately brought a harvest of hope. That was just one of many examples I could share with you.

If the soil in a garden isn’t tilled regularly it will harden. It needs to be watered and the sun baked surface needs to be broken up. The same is true of our lives. Our hearts can become hardened and the seed of God’s word won’t produce a good harvest. So, we must break it up with repentance and water it with prayer.

When our older children were in high school, they went to a winter camp with the church group. The kids came home and on a Sunday evening sang a song they had learned at camp. The words of that song are still captured in my heart. The song was written by Keith Green, My Eyes are Dry.

“My eyes are dry
My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me

But what can be done
For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew
With the wine of Your Blood

The good news is we don’t have to go through the dry spells. We can keep our hearts tender and always producing good fruit if we work the soil everyday. We do that with prayer and applying God’s word.

Reading the Bible and praying doesn’t get the Father to love us any more than He already does. But it does keep us in constant remembrance of His promises and HIs love.

Maybe you’re like I was, hard and unproductive. Let the oil and wine soft you again.

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Twenty-Three and Me

I think it all started with Ancestry.com. You know the search of where we came from, what is our heritage and who we are related too. It all helps to answer the question “Who am I”.

I have a strong Norwegian heritage and I’m very proud of that. I’ve never really done a lot of research on my family tree nor do I feel compelled too. It’s enough knowing that my ancestors came from Norway.

However, I do spend considerable amounts of time researching my DNA. But the DNA I refer cannot be run for chemical analysis; instead it is revealed in the pages of Scripture. I know I’ve told you this before but the DNA I am speaking of stands for my Divine Nature Ability.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” II Corinthians 5:17 NLT

A completely new life has begun.

This morning I was reading in I John and once again evidence of my DNA jumped off the pages of my Bible.

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” I John 5:1-5 NLT

Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ? Then these verses are referring to you. First off, the Christ, means that Jesus is the Anointed One. Not just a man, but one who has been selected as perfect and set apart by God, the Father, to bring new life to us. He gave us the right to be a child of God.

Then our DNA gives us the power to obtain victory in this life through faith. Our DNA causes us to love. Just as naturally as a duck floats on water because it’s his nature, we keep God’s commandment to love. It’s been programmed into us – it’s what we have inherited from our Father, who is love.

Do we ever act unloving? Of course, we do! But…God, through His word, reminds us that we have been given His nature and His ability to life that reflects his character. These are His words to us.

“God has also said that he gave us eternal life and that this life comes to us from his Son. 12 And so, if we have God’s Son, we have this life. But if we don’t have the Son, we don’t have this life. 13 All of you have faith in the Son of God, and I have written to let you know that you have eternal life. 14 We are certain that God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. 15 And if we know that God listens when we pray, we are sure that our prayers have already been answered.” I John 5:11-15 CEV

He has given us life; He has placed within us His ability, His character. We receive our natural DNA from our earthly parents and we receive our spiritual DNA from our heavenly Father and our life that comes through His Son.

“All of you are God’s children because of your faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. 28 Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman.” Galatians 3:26-28 CEV

Father, thank you for making us your children and filling us with your power. We have victory in this life because of our faith in what You have done for us and in us!

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Watch Your Step

Yesterday we were with our youngest grandkids, ages 2 and 4. We got into the swimming pool before it got too hot and had fun splashing and playing. But they both needed a helping hand getting in and out of the pool. They needed someone stronger they could depend on.

“Watch Your Step”

We were with them the whole way. Getting into their life jacket or floating pool toy, they were never alone. We were always right beside them!

It’s nice to have someone there beside you when you steps are uncertain.

When we visit Mom she enjoys taking our arm just to steady her. I remember holding her hand when I was a child and we would go places. Then when I was in high school we would find ourselves walking down the street hand in hand. (I didn’t need her assistance then but I liked the feeling of her hand in mine.)

That’s what God does for us! He takes our hand and steadies our step.

“Understanding your word brings light to the minds of ordinary people. 131 I honestly want to know everything you teach. 132 Think about me and be kind, just as you are to everyone who loves your name. 133 Keep your promise and don’t let me stumble or let sin control my life. 134 Protect me from abuse, so I can obey your laws.”
Psalm 119:130-134 CEV

Father, today my path may be uncertain. I’m not sure where You will lead and what the terrain may be but I am certain that if you are with me You will tell me to “watch my step” and You won’t let me stumble. Thank you for keeping Your promise. I love walking hand in hand with You!

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Puppy Love

Last night we were talking with friends about the obvious devotion that our little dog has for me. Dave loves to tell the story of when we brought her home. Her previous owners had put her in a crate and had her flown from Iowa to Montana. It was the middle of the night when she arrived. She was nervous, hungry and a little cold.

I took her from the crate and held her in my arms for the entire two hour trip home. The whole way Glory looked up into my face and I spoke to her softly telling her how glad we were to have her and that we would give her a good and loving home…and we have.

This morning the Lord reminded me again of how this loyal pup is an example for me to learn from.

“Then Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who believes in me will ever be thirsty.” John 6:35 ERV

My morning starts by letting Glory out, starting the coffee, feeding her and then coming to my chair where Glory joins me as soon as she’s eaten. Each morning she knows I will feed her and she waits for me to get up. But it’s what happens after she eats that means so much. Glory comes as close as she can, lays at my feet and waits for me to rub her head. She comes to be loved on. After a few minutes she moves away a bit but still stays close.

The Father has shown me that this is what He wants our routine to be like. Coming to Him for nourishment, feeding from His word and staying close so that He can love on me.

He doesn’t want my Bible reading to be “drudgery”. I should be excited to come, eat and then stay to be loved on. God’s word is a wonderful love letter but it’s also a banquet, a meal, that will strengthen me and provide all I need for each day.

I shouldn’t eat and run. It’s not fast food. He wants me to stay, visit and develop a loving relationship. Make it a routine! I need to be ready to spend time, loving time, with my Father. (I can learn a lot from Glory.)

“So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are? 27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the wildflowers in the field. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. 29 But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 30 If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? It’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!

31 “Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need.” Matthew 6:25-33 ERV

Jesus said to learn from the birds and the flowers. This morning I’m learning from a little miniature Aussie. If she can trust me to provide everything that she needs, I can certainly trust the Father to do the same!

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Good Ole Days

I was reminded this morning of a country song that the Judd’s made popular in the 1980’s. To some of you reading this the 80’s may seem like the “olden days”.

Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)

“Grandpa, tell me ’bout the good old days
Sometimes it feels like
This world’s gone crazy
Grandpa, take me back to yesterday
When the line between right and wrong
Didn’t seem so hazy

Did lovers really fall in love to stay
And stand beside each other, come what may?
Was a promise really something people kept
Not just something they would say?
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Did daddies really never go away?
Oh, Grandpa, tell me ’bout the good old days…”

In today’s world, we have better living conditions, better advancements in health care, better education than the generations before us. But we also have more stress, more acts of violence, more fear and less family stability.

In the “olden days” people prayed for rain and the success of the crops, families worked and played together, communities gathered together to help a neighbor in need and children were educated by teachers who prayed and used the Bible as the core curriculum in reading.

Truth was the foundation for society, government and the family.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. ” John 14:6 ERV

The word “the” is a defining force. Truth isn’t subjective, it’s an absolute. You are either telling the truth or it’s a lie. If you leave facts out to skew the story or sway the outcome, it isn’t truth. Remember the days when people in court had to place their hands on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? People swore or affirmed their statement by the Bible because it was and is the only standard of truth that has never changed since it was written.

“The way”. Our life’s a journey and we can chose the path but when we follow paths of our own making we become distracted, confused and even lost.

“Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live. 20 You must love the Lord your God and obey him. Never leave him, because he is your life. And he will give you a long life in the land that he, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ERV

I love that verse. When we chose “the way” and “the truth” we gain life. And when we don’t, we face an enemy who seeks to destroy us.

“Everyone who came before me was a thief or a robber, and the sheep did not listen to any of them. 9 I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:8-10 CEV

When Kaci was very little she woke up one night crying. I got up and took her to the living room to rock her back to sleep. She didn’t want to be there – she strained and leaned in my arms, wanting me to take her to another room. I did and her actions were the same. Wanting to go from the living room to the family room to the kitchen and then the dining room and finally back to the living room.

No matter which room we were in, she wasn’t content. When we arrived back in the living room (only about 10 minutes had past), she snuggled into my chest and fell asleep. I remember saying to her, “This is where we started. I knew this was the best place for you. Why couldn’t you trust me and see that?” And then I heard God speak in my heart and ask me the same question.

Oh!

Why don’t you trust Me to know what’s best for you and to have you in the right place?

WOW!

I wish I could say that I never had to learn that lesson again but that wouldn’t be the truth. However, the longer I walk with Him the easier it is for me to see that I am on a path of my own making and not where He wants me. I quickly come back to the place of comfort and peace.

I encourage you to join me, make your foundation “The Way”, committed to “The Truth” and finding “The Life” that is abundant and everlasting! Return to the Good Ole Days.

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