Category: Relationship

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Under the Circumstances

Too many times people become overwhelmed by the circumstances that surround them. I remember once I taught a ladies Bible Study on “Are You Under the Circumstances or A World Overcomer?”

This was a six week study so suffice it to say that I won’t be doing the full teaching here…

The enemy tries to get us to focus on the circumstances. Daniel had to face lions, David went up against a giant, Peter was in a small boat on a stormy sea, Paul was shipwrecked, beaten, bitten by a poisonous snake, stoned and imprisoned.

However, I continually find myself going back to these verses and principles, putting myself in remembrance of what God says my life should be. The Father wants us to look up, above the circumstances, to His promises, power and peace.

“I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” John 16:33 ERV

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4 NKJV

“Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 5 No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.” I John 5:4-5 CEV

So when you are feeling overwhelmed or under the circumstances do what King David said.

“God, hear my cry for help. Listen to my prayer. 2 From a faraway land I call to you for help. I feel so weak and helpless! Carry me to a high rock where no one can reach me. 3 You are my place of safety, a strong tower that protects me from my enemies.” Psalm 61:1-3 ERV

I can almost hear someone say, “that’s fine and good for you but my lifestyle isn’t close to God. He probably doesn’t want anything to do with me and wouldn’t help me if I asked.”

Let me remind you of a young man who felt that way about his father. He had squandered his money – lived with prostitutes, gamblers and didn’t care about anyone but himself. Then when he got to the bottom, he thought he would try to go home and work as a hired hand.

The Father had other plans. He saw his son coming from a long way, ran to him, hugged and kissed him and restored him to right standing. And so, He WILL do it for you too.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the world instead overcome it in Jesus!

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Time Away

We just returned home after being gone for 5 days. What a good trip!

The last couple of days we were back on the mountain. For two years we had been camp hosts at Rainbow Campground on Big Lake in the Arizona White Mountains. This year we made a tough decision and were not able to return.

We miss the serenity of mountain life and the dear friends we have there. Everything we do is dependent upon God’s times and seasons.

“Everything on earth
has its own time
    and its own season.
2 There is a time
for birth and death,
    planting and reaping,
3 for killing and healing,
    destroying and building,
4 for crying and laughing,
    weeping and dancing,
5 for throwing stones
and gathering stones,
    embracing and parting.
6 There is a time
for finding and losing,
    keeping and giving,
7 for tearing and sewing,
    listening and speaking.
8 There is also a time
for love and hate,
    for war and peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 CEV

The embracing and parting are hard. We spent time with some friends we have known for many years and also with some who we only been acquainted with for a few years. It was a time of refreshing and catching up. There were tears and laughter, promises to meet again and always – always – an expression of gratitude for the Lord bringing our lives together.

What a joy it is to know that the Lord cares about our associations and friendships.

“Jonathan liked David so much that they promised to always be loyal friends.” I Samuel 18:3 CEV

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives. 24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” Psalm 37:23-24 NLT

Last night after we returned home Dave and I began to call out names of so many who have been a part of our lives and we know how truly rich we are in the area of relationships.

I am truly grateful for each of you who read this blog. I feel the Lord has blessed me in such a tremendous way, being able to share with you my walk with the Lord and to encourage you in your walk with Him as well.

Thank you for being faithful readers and precious friends, some we know and some we have yet to meet.

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Legacy

Last night before I fell asleep I was thinking of my Dad and Mom and the legacy they left me. Tomorrow is the date of their marriage, they were married just short of sixty years when my Dad died in 2005.

They were both first generation Americans, born to Norwegian immigrants. They grew up on farms in Iowa and Minnesota. Dad was a husband, father, heavy equipment operator and mechanic. He built roads, dams, bridges and pipelines. Fishing was his passion, he enjoyed hunting, tinkering in his workshop and playing cards and dominoes with his friends. Mom was a wife, homemaker, school teacher, clerical worker and bank teller. She loved to bake, sew, knit, and read. She always enjoyed having the house full of family and friends.

My parents loved each other dearly and they practiced the art of forgiveness. They modeled, not a perfect life, but certainly a loving one. They were strict, we had rules. We learned to work hard, respect our elders, and obedience. They loved the Lord and honored His word. My brother, sister and I grew up in Sunday School and church. We learned to trust the Lord at an early age.

We weren’t perfect, each of us had times when we followed our own path without consideration for the Lord but we returned to serve Him.

Why am I taking this trip down memory lane this morning?

I want it to be an encouragement to young parents, to parents of teenagers, to parents of adult children, and to grandparents. My Mom and Dad prayed for us every day and they prayed for our grandchildren. Mom prayed over my oldest two children on their last visit with her before she died. She trusted the Lord to provide them with strength, courage and a lasting relationship with Him.

“Bring up a child by teaching him the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn away from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NLV

“I will make My agreement between Me and you and your children after you through their whole lives for all time. I will be God to you and to your children’s children after you.” Genesis 17:7 NLV

My parents molded my character with love and discipline. Dave and I followed that example and raised our children the same way and I am pleased to say that our children are raising and have raised their children the same way.

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 Keep these words in your heart that I am telling you today. 7 Do your best to teach them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:5-7 NLV

As parents the Lord has entrusted us with a responsibility to teach our children to love and honor Him and His word. There is no greater legacy!

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Life Can Be Hard

I have been blessed in my life. God’s grace, strength, joy and peace have sustained me. There have been times I wanted to give up and quit but the support of loved ones and God’s grace encouraged me to go on.

Maybe you are in a really rough place right now – you’re tempted to quit. What’s the use of continuing on? I’d like to share a story that has always been an encouragement to me during hard times.

A king brought his army against the Israelites, they had surrounded Samaria and cut off all the food supply to the city. The situation became so dire that the people in the city were eating animal dung and even reports of cannibalism were recorded. They were in a desperate place – hope was gone.

There were four lepers who were outside the city wall and they asked a question, “Why are we sitting here waiting to die? There is no food in Samaria. If we go into the city, we will die there. If we stay here, we will also die. So let’s go to the Aramean camp. If they let us live, we will live. If they kill us, we will just die.” II Kings 7:4 ERV

Now that’s desperation.

It was time to do something even if it meant that they might die. So, they went. I’ve faced some difficult situations, but none have been this serious, how about you?

When they got to the enemy camp they found that the Arameans had fled and left all of their belongings.

“So that evening the four lepers went to the Aramean camp. When they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! 6 The Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a large army. So the soldiers said to each other, ‘The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to come against us.’

7 The Arameans ran away early that evening. They left everything behind. They left their tents, horses, and donkeys and ran for their lives. 8 When these lepers came to where the camp began, they went into one tent. They ate and drank. Then they carried silver, gold, and clothes out of the camp and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent. They carried things out from this tent and went out and hid them. 9 Then they said to each other, ‘We are doing wrong! Today we have good news, but we are silent. If we wait until the sun comes up, we will be punished. Now let’s go and tell the people who live in the king’s palace.’” II Kings 7:5-9

Through these four lepers, the outcasts of society, God provided not only for them but for the whole city.

God is the same yesterday, today and forever. I’m not saying that you’re going to find an enemy camp with horses, clothing, food and gold but I am saying that God will provide. Your desperate situation isn’t desperate to God. He has the answer and is providing a way – that is His character.

“My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus. 20 Glory to our God and Father forever and ever.” Philippians 4:19 – 20

Trust God – trust Him today and follow what He calls you to do. Life can be hard but don’t just sit there until you die!

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Heart to Heart

Every morning when Dave gets up he comes to the living room, kisses me, tells me he loves me and then takes and fills my coffee cup. He’s been doing this for the past 9 years but for the past 50 years he has kissed me and told me he loves me – the filling my coffee cup is a new addition. One I never tire of.

I have a similar routine for my Bible reading and quiet time. Every morning I tell the Lord that I love Him, I even write it in my journal and then I open my Bible and have favorite verses I read which tell me of the Lord’s love for me and His commitment to walking with me each day.

I never tire of that either, it is a time that we share heart to heart.

This morning I want to encourage you to listen to God’s leading. Listen to His heart!

As you read the Bible if you come across something you don’t really understand then tell the Lord and ask Him to give you the insight you need to properly apply what you are reading.

God’s desire from the very beginning of time was to walk and talk to us and to tell us what was on His heart. He never changes so that is still His desire today. We just need to take the time to slow down and listen.

“But we speak God’s secret wisdom that has been hidden from everyone until now. God planned this wisdom for our glory. He planned it before the world began. 8 None of the rulers of this world understood this wisdom. If they had understood it, they would not have killed our great and glorious Lord on a cross. 9 But as the Scriptures say,

‘No one has ever seen, no one has ever heard, no one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’

10 But God has shown us these things through the Spirit. The Spirit knows all things. The Spirit even knows the deep secrets of God. 11 It is like this: No one knows the thoughts that another person has. Only the person’s spirit that lives inside knows those thoughts. It is the same with God. No one knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit. 12 We received the Spirit that is from God, not the spirit of the world. We received God’s Spirit so that we can know all that God has given us.” I Corinthians 2:6-12 ERV

Trust the Holy Spirit to give you understanding of Christ’s way of thinking. He wants us to know His ways and walk each day directed by Him. He wants us to know the depth of His love.

He wants to share with us heart to heart.

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Religion or Relationship

I love when we get together with friends and our conversation focuses on our relationship with the Lord!

For so many years I lived by religious rules. Church attendance was required. There was Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night and the reoccurring youth get togethers. Sad to say most of it was a religious act and didn’t build my relationship with the Lord. It didn’t matter that through the week I felt lonely, out of the inner circle and abandon. There was an ache in my heart a deeper connection with the Lord and I wasn’t finding it.

“Everything and everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won’t turn any of them away.” John 6:37 CEV

Last night we visited with friends and shared from the heart about our walk with the Lord. We have been in churches and religious surroundings where we were treated like outcasts. But you know what? We were in good company because Jesus faced the same treatment from the religious rulers of His day.

“God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven.11  God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 12  Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.” Matthew 5:10-12 CEV

Jesus faced down the religion of His day. The religious leaders said he was unfit because He ate with sinners and the lower class of society. Jesus’ response was: “I came to seek and to save those who are lost”. Religion and their opinions didn’t stop Him.

It shouldn’t stop us either.

We have pharisees living among us and at times, if we aren’t careful, we could act just like them. We judge because of someone’s appearance and/or lifestyle. But that’s not God’s way. God looks at the heart and to Him sin is sin, no big sins or little sins – just sin.

“They kept on asking Jesus about the woman. Finally, he stood up and said, ‘If any of you have never sinned, then go ahead and throw the first stone at her! 8′  Once again he bent over and began writing on the ground.” John 8:7-8 CEV

 “If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all. ” James 2:10 CEV

Religion judges. Relationship forgives and restores.

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.” Romans 5:6-8 CEV

Let’s cultivate relationship with our loving and forgiving heavenly Father and stay away from religious judgements.

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Covered by Love

I have a fleece throw that I use every day – warm days, cold days it doesn’t matter. I find a sense of comfort in cuddling under that blanket. I like being covered. I guess that’s why these verses mean so much to me.

 “The mouth of the one who is right with God is a well of life, but the mouth of the sinful hides trouble. 12 Hate starts fights, but love covers all sins.” Proverbs 10:11-12 NLV

I’ve been taught when we have a heart of love we don’t expose someone else’s weaknesses or their wrongdoing. We cover them. This is a true teaching but it goes deeper than that.

It has to do with me and my Father. He loves me and His love covers my short comings and my wrong doings. He doesn’t come to you and tell you all the things I’ve done wrong. He doesn’t go to my husband or my kids or my friends and point out how many times I’ve missed it.

He covers me – He covers me with His love and in His mercy, He forgives, and He forgets.

WOW!

Does that mean we don’t have to accept any responsibility for what we do wrong? Not in the slightest. If we drive drunk, there are consequences. If we steal there are consequences. If we gossip or lie there are consequences.

However, we have the Father’s promise that He will and has covered them and He won’t use our past failures to embarrass us or berate us.

“With one sacrifice Christ made his people perfect forever. They are the ones who are being made holy. 15 The Holy Spirit also tells us about this. First he says, 16’This is the agreement I will make with my people in the future, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts. I will write my laws in their minds.’ 17 Then he says, ‘I will forget their sins and never again remember the evil they have done.’ 18 And after everything is forgiven, there is no more need for a sacrifice to pay for sins. 19 And so, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place. We can do this without fear because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus.” Hebrews 10:14-19 ERV

Because of Christ’s sacrifice our sins are not only covered, but they are also completely blotted out and forgotten. We are forgiven, we are free to enter the Father’s presence.

When I was a kid we sang a song in church and the meaning of the words were lost to me until I was older. Now, when I sing them, my throat tightens, and tears come to my eyes:

“Calvary covers it all,

My past with its sin and shame;

My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there,

And Calvary covers it all.”

I don’t know about you but I am certainly glad that His love covers my sins!

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In The Morning

Boy, my morning started late today but the Lord knew it would. He let me sleep. The first words that came to my heart were “thank you”.

It’s hard for me to admit there were many mornings when I didn’t greet the day and the Lord like that. I fretted and fussed, worried and anguished over the day and what it would hold. How could I possibly get everything done or how could I make a change in the outcome of the day’s events?

Now I rest and find my peace in Him!

“It is wonderful to be grateful and to sing your praises, Lord Most High! 2 It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are.” Psalm 92:1-2 CEV

I read a little devotional this morning by Max Lucado. I so enjoy reading his thoughts on daily living. This morning he was teaching on fear. He said something I found profound.

“He didn’t take away the cross from Christ, but he took the fear. Who’s to say he won’t do the same for you?” from Give God Your Fear

In life we will have crosses to bear. We have struggles to face and hardships to overcome but we never have to go through them alone.

“Teach me to follow you, and I will obey your truth. Always keep me faithful. 12 With all my heart I thank you.  I praise you, Lord God. 13 Your love for me is so great that you protected me from death and the grave.” Psalm 83:11-13 CEV

There is a song that often comes to mind on beautiful mornings like today, Give Me Jesus:

In the morning when I rise,
in the morning when I rise,
in the morning when I rise,
give me Jesus.

Refrain:
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus.
You may have all this world, give me Jesus.

I pray that your morning , and all day through, your heart and your thoughts are filled by Jesus!

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Extraction

Six years ago we were in Indiana for the Indianapolis 500 race. This was a bucket list item of Dave’s. Our son and his girlfriend made it possible. It was an amazing time!

I don’t remember who won but what I do remember is the patriotism. The unapologetic display of our flag and the way they honored our fallen soldiers and those who are currently serving.

The image I used this morning was one I captured as the Army Airborne performed a ground to air extraction. We watched as each man went hand-over-hand up the rope and the helicopter rose higher and higher, simulating the removal of soldiers to safety. The last soldier was charged with unfurling the American flag. I cried…

Isn’t it great to have a day when we think about the sacrifice that others have been willing to make on our behalf? Time to reflect and remember those who have given so much. Folks that we don’t even know have fought for us, many gave their lives.

And yet, there is one greater than all these who gave His life for our freedom.

“And we can see that it was while we were powerless to help ourselves that Christ died for sinful men. In human experience it is a rare thing for one man to give his life for another, even if the latter be a good man, though there have been a few who have had the courage to do it. Yet the proof of God’s amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8

When we were at our worst, He died to set us free from sin and all the destruction that it would bring. The freedom He gives isn’t just for this life but it has eternal value. He gives us an abundant life here on earth and the promise of eternity in heaven with Him.

“The thief comes with the sole intention of stealing and killing and destroying, but I came to bring them life, and far more life than before. ” John 10:10

The thing that Christ asks of us is that we don’t take His sacrifice for granted, ignoring it or taking it lightly. He asks us to love and live a life of love as He did. We have a responsibility to share the love that He has freely given us with others.

“This is my commandment: that you love each other as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this—that a man should lay down his life for his friends. ” John 15:12-13 CEV

Every day should be “Memorial Day” as we remember the One who gave His all for us.

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Basking in the Son

For a number of summers Dave and I drove from Montana to Iowa. On our return trip I loved driving through the miles of sunflower fields along I-90 in South Dakota.

The first couple of years we were on the road before sunrise and when we reached the fields they were still bent low. I remember the first year we came through after the sun had risen. The stems had strengthened and the blooms were facing the sun. It was glorious!

When we moved back to Arizona I planted some sunflowers in my garden. They were a living reminder that I should face the Son and bask in His light.

That’s the way that we grow in the Lord – we bask in the Son.

“Our Lord and our God, you are like the sun and also like a shield. You treat us with kindness and with honor, never denying any good thing to those who live right. 12 Lord God All Powerful, you bless everyone who trusts you.” Psalm 84:11-12 CEV

For years, I tried to be more like Christ; trying hard to do the right things, keeping my attitude in check, putting others first, etc. I wanted to make sure I was reading my Bible, attending church, tithing, serving. Did you notice it was all about me and what I was trying to do?

“Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen” II Peter 3:18 CEV

Our growth as Christians doesn’t come from our efforts any more than the sunflowers can control their reaction to the warmth of the sun. My works to be like Him are futile and unsustainable but His works in me produce the growth. Understanding His amazing grace lifts my head and my heart, making me more like Him.

“But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.” Psalm 3:3 NLT

God’s grace covers me when I fall, picks me up, encourages me to keep going and not lose hope. When I began to realize what grace truly was my relationship with the Father and with Jesus began to grow.

Knowledge of His deep unconditional love brought me from a place of working for the Lord to letting Him work in and through me.

Each day I desire to bask in the Son and let His light change my life.

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