What's the hurry?

I don't believe every thing I hear. I don't always agree with other's assessment of risk. I would venture to say you don't either. When I'm encouraged to read a book about a topic I'm interested in, I ask, "Who's the author?" When I'm talking to someone about a class they took or a conference they attended, I'm usually asking who the speaker or teacher was. Why? Because there are some authors, speakers and educators that I won't spend the time with.

Let me share with you a portion of an email our company sent out. We get these weeklyl "fun" emails that get you thinking; This one sure did.

The photographer for a national magazine was assigned to get photos of a great forest fire. Smoke at the scene was too thick to get any good shots, so he frantically called his home office to hire a plane. "It will be waiting for you at the airport!" he was assured by his editor. As soon as he got to the small, rural airport, sure enough, a plane was warming up near the runway. He jumped in with his equipment and yelled, "Let's go! Let's go!" The pilot swung the plane into the wind and soon they were in the air. "Fly over the north side of the fire," said the photographer, "and make three or four low level passes." "Why?" asked the pilot. "Because I'm going to take pictures! I'm a photographer, and photographers take pictures!" said the photographer with great exasperation. After a long pause the pilot said, "You mean you're not the instructor?"

WOW! I'm thinking what a really stupid thing to do.

How does a normally rational person get into these sitautions? Is it that they don't use common sense? Is it that they don't have the skills to evaluate the potential risk and make a factual-based decision? I don't think that's it. I believe that in these moments we are not thinking at all. We have let our emotions control us and we have overridden our normal rational thinking.

In the joke above, the photographer was in such a hurry to get that perfect picture that he forgot to ensure he was getting into the right airplane. Perhaps he saw this as his one chance at the Pulitzer Prize or a promotion to the senior correspondent for his newspaper. His frantic actions to get those pictures overrode his common sense.

Paul Harvey would have given us the "rest of the story." We didn't get that. So indulge me for a moment. I'd like to think that they reached the control tower and were patched through to a seasoned instructor who was able to guide them through getting back on the ground quickly and safely. The photographer didn't get the picture, but he did learn some valuable lessons about letting the power of the moment or the emotions override the normal check points to ensure safety.

I wish I could say that I never get into those emotional situations where all my normal fact-based reasoning is short circuited. I can't. What I do see is that I'm in too much of a hurry and I allow the "moment" to seize my emotions and I'm off chasing a wild fire.

There is a Bible character that I admire very much. It's Mary the mother of Jesus. In Luke 2:19, the Bible says "But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart". This passage is written right after Mary had delivered the baby Jesus and the angels and shepherds were praising and worshipping. In verse 51, Mary had another occasion to talk about Jesus' when they found him talking with the leaders in the temple when he was twelve years old. The Bible says they were "astonished" at his understanding and answers. Again, the scripture says Mary kept these things to herself.

I can only imagine the emotions that were clamoring for attention in her life. SHE was the mother of the great and long-awaited Messaiah. HER baby was going to deliver Israel. THIS child was special! But she kept quiet and waited until the time was right. Not until the wedding in Cana did she speak out. Her knowledge of who Jesus really was evidenced by her words "Do whatever he tells you." By this time, we're told Jesus was about 30 years old. That's a long time to hold all these thoughts inside!

My question is then, what's the hurry? The situation didn't happen over night. The fire is still burning. That fantastic money-making opportunity will be there tomorrow. That friends problem will work itself out without your "immediate" intervention. Take time to think about it. Take time to ponder the facts and things you have learned over the years before making those decisions. Use your life's experiences to evaluate the facts; use your common sense. I guarantee you, it's much better to know who you're flying with BEFORE you take off!

What is this?

I gave an assignment out the other day. It was pretty simple and direct. It should have taken about 3 - 4 hours to complete and we'd have an automated monitoring report. I wasn't looking for bells and whistles. I just needed a daily report with the facts.

Towards the end of the day I realized that I still had not received the results. So I walk over to check on how things were going. What a surprise! There were three people around a desk in deep discussion. Now I'm really curious as to what is going on. What I find is that the report is still not done and it's now being coded with automated notification by email and some other 'cool' things. And oh by the way, we added some other things that would be nice to have too.

You can imagine my dismay. What I wanted was a very quick way to get to a specific set of facts that could be used in gauging the health of our new system. What I was going to get was this report with some fancy wrapping paper and sparkling bows. By the way, when I did get it, some of the important facts were missed. Too much time was spent on how 'cool' the technology was and I needed the facts which were totally missed.

When I began to question the developer, I found that his intentions were in the right place. But he wanted something that had "his name on it" to have the latest and greatest techniques. He wanted to make sure that his peers knew, when they would maintain the program, that he used the newest technologies available to him. Bottom line, his pride got in the way of getting the job done and producing the exact results that I was looking for.

As I sit here this morning thinking about this, my mind ponders the similarities between work and the kingdom of God. God has spoken to my heart. I know what he wants. So I go off and begin to do those things. But I don't see the results that I am sure God showed to me. I'm even frustrated because I am getting some results but nothing like the vision God gave to me.

So I wonder. Have I done exactly what God has asked of me? Have I done it the way he told me to? Or, have I in my pride, tried to make the assignment cooler than what it truly is because of what my peers will think or say? Is God looking down on this work and asking "What is this?" Is God wondering what in the world is taking me so long to accomplish a simple assignment?

The passage in Matthew 7:21-23 comes to my mind. The Message version of the Bible says it like this, "Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here."

I am humbled again by the way God takes the simple things in my life and speaks directly to my heart. His word goes but right to the root of the issue, doesn't it?

Pride. It's a trait that you want to have. We should take pride in our work, our appearance, and our heritage. We should value who we are and what we have accomplished in life. But that proverbial fine line is there. Pride can become the biggest monster in our closet too. It can destroy who we are and turn us into ugly, self-centered people that no one wants to be around.

When it comes right down to it, God is really looking for simple obedience to his direction. He's not looking for us to embellish on his plan. He's looking for people who will just obey.

So I ponder these things. Is the reason for the lack of results because God doesn't recognize the program? Have I taken the direction of God and tried to embellish it to the point that God no longer recognizes it? Is God looking down on my work and asking "What is this?"

I'm Expecting!

I'm expecting! That's right. I'm expecting God to do great things! Now that you know what I'm expecting, let's ponder on it for just a moment.

The first definition of the verb expecting, according to Dictionary.com, means "to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming of". I know some of you hit the down arrow to read this pondering because the first definition you thought of with that phrase was the fourth definition. "to anticipate the birth of (one's child)" LOL

The first Chiropractor that my husband and I visited in Illinois was Dr. Weide. He truly believed in expectations. When you lay down with your face to the ceiling in his examination room, you saw a sign taped to the ceiling that said "Expect a miracle." He firmly believed that this act of expecting was part of the healing process.

Expectations are set by what we hear or what we know about something. I've had my expectations exceeded many times and experienced bliss so yummy you could almost taste it. Reliving that experience brings a smile even today. On the flip side of this, I've had my expectations blown away in a shattering moment of disappointment so intense that tears flow freely and today to relive that moment puts a lump in my throat it's hard to swallow the feelings.

So why am I expecting God to do great things? Because I know Him. He is the Master Redeemer! He is the Great Physician! He is the God of second chances! He is the Restorer of our faith! He is Whatever!

Never in my life time have I been faced with people in my home, in my family, in my church, in my work place and community with such great and diverse needs. Our economy and our world is in such turmoil and unrest it is literally breeding an environment of need beyond anything I've ever seen.

And in this environment, God is the "I Am that I Am". In the language of today, God is Whatever. You basically get a blank check here. Honest! You get to fill it out! I am expecting God to meet the need.

Now before you get so excited, let me share one more very important thing. Let me set your expectations correctly so you clearly understand and you are not disappointed. God doesn't do things in the way that we would. It's true!! God does things in ways that we can't even imagine. So before you go replying to this little pondering message with all your notes about the many times you prayed and didn't get what you asked for, let's get something straight. God is your Father. He loves you more than life itself; literally! So sometimes the way he does things is to say no! And sometimes God's yes is so far out of our understanding that we miss his answer.

Let's review just a few examples:

• Abraham and Sarah had a baby at the age of 99/100. Sara laughed when she heard about it.
  
• Joseph was sold by his brothers, falsely accused by his employer's wife, jailed and forgotten by those he helped before he ever realized his dreams. Joseph's family hated him and laughed and pondered about his dreams.
  
• David, the shepherd boy, became King of Israel. No body would have believed it when the boy was brought to the prophet to be anointed.
  
• The widow and her son were saved because she agreed to cook for the prophet of God. Scandalous request by the prophet when he KNEW that the corn and oil she had was for the last cake of all before they were to die.
  
• Lepers found food and saved a whole city for siege by the enemy. How? Because this pack of pathetic, sick and crippled lepers sounded like a large reinforcement coming to attack them and the enemy fled in terror!

As you well know, I could go on and on because you have read the book too. What I will ask you today is this. Do you believe what it says? I know bold question, however, it's the right question. Do you really believe the word? Because if you do, then you're expecting too!! or you should be expecting!!

God's Word is true! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If:

• he could give a child to a couple that are past child bearing days,
  
• he can take a shepherd boy and make him into a king,
  
• he can take childhood dreams and bring them to fruition after great personal adversity,
  
• he can take a little oil and meal and sustain a family until the economy changes, and,
• he can take sick people and use them to overwhelm the odds and bring deliverance to an entire city

then I am expecting that God will meet the needs of all those in my world today. He is the same God. He has the same power. He says we have to ask, believing! Put that another way, He says we have to ask and expect! Expect that He will answer. Just remember that His way of answering is different that ours. So expect the unexpected! Believe the unbelievable!

My God cannot ignore the world where I am living at. There are so many opportunities for him to work in and through that he cannot NOT do something. But the key is, are we asking and expecting! He's right there waiting to be asked!

I'm expecting! I am looking forward to miracles, regarding things as likely to happen quickly, and I am anticipating the occurrence or the coming of God on the scene! My expectation is so intense that my heart is pounding in anticipation! I can hardly wait to see and experience the unbelievably unique solutions God will provide! What about you? Are you expecting?

Love in with the Apples

My daughter, Vanessa, came home last night with some apples. Actually, Vanessa came home with a whole lot of apples last night. Her crew were creating boxes to send to our American troops and they sent the leftovers home with every one.



When I got up this morning I realized that we needed to do something with them otherwise they would spoil. We eat apples here and there, but not that many, and we're leaving for St. Louis tomorrow. So what to do.



Looking at them more closely, I realized they were not store bought. These apples were a mixture of varieties, sizes, shapes and quality. I started examining them and found scars, bruised spots and very odd shapes. They certainly are not what I buy in the store. You know what I'm talking about. You go down the fruit isle in the store and your mouth waters because they are perfectly shaped and have a consistent, beautiful, shiny red very appealing skin. Not these. These looked like they'd lived and could tell us some stories. LOL



I decided that I could make some pies. I had some leftover pie crusts from a holiday and got excited thinking who I could bless today with some apple pie. You might wonder why I don't just fix if for my family. Guess what? They don't like pie. :-)



So I start washing the apples. I tossed out some bruised ones and there were a couple I threw out because they just had some icky looking scars. As I worked through the pile I started thinking about those I threw away. I'm going to be peeling them. There's bound to be a good part of that apple that's usable. I could make more than one pie if I get those back out and cut off those areas that were not usable.



So I grab those out of the trash. I washed them again and worked on them to get to the usable parts. Some of the apples that looked good on the outside, when I halved them, were actually very scarred on the inside around the core. I didn't see that from the outside. Some apples had very large core areas with less fruit. Some had very small cores and a lot of fruit.



By the time I had them peeled, cored, and sliced I had way more apple than I can use in two pies. So I decide to make some apple crisp too. Then I remembered that Pastor Anthony was coming over to spend some time with Ryan today. So I made a couple apple crisp desserts. I can't believe how many desserts I was able to make with a bag of apples. I ended up with 2 apple pies and 3 apple crisp desserts.



I put the apple crisp in the oven first and they started cooking and I began to clean up the area. I'm not Sally Homemaker so I did throw all the cores out and all the peelings. I know, I have a friend who's reading this and can't believe I wasted all those peelings .......... I hear her loud and clear..there's a use for all apple parts. You're wasting good usable parts.



Wouldn't you know it? God started talking to me. As the smell of cinnamon and apples begins to fill the house, I start hearing God. We're just like those apples.



There are so many different types of people. People come in all different shapes and sizes. Some are so beautiful on the outside. We see them and think they're really going to do great things for God. They have it so together that very shortly they're going to be so useful in the Kingdom. We see others and their scars and bruises are very apparent from the outside. We know God can use them but we also know it's going to take a good long time before they're productive. Some we look at and we throw them away immediately. We don't see anything good in saving that one and we throw them out before spending much time looking.



But God does it different. He starts by washing us off gently. Then He starts working on those areas that are not very appealing. He smooths out the scars and heals the bruised areas. And by the time He's finished, we are actually quite appealing. He too finds pretty ones that have very little fruit on the inside, but he uses what there is. And He also finds the not so pretty ones that inside are just full of precious fruit.



Best of all, God's not surprised at the harvest. He's not surprised that so little becomes so much when He completes the process of preparation. And He has so many things that people of all shapes, sizes and tastes can do that it's impossible not to be fruitful if you want to be.



God, the Master Creator and Reconstructor, with love changes lives. He's the only one that can love me when I'm not so pretty or my bruised ego or attitude needs some adjustments. He's the only one that can take what I am and who I am and change me to be what He sees in me. He loves us so much and He knows just how much peeling, coring and slicing we need in order to bring enjoyment to those around us.

You see, I found love in the apples today!

The Faithless Wife vs. The Harlot

I love to read the Bible and learn the principles that create a great foundation for a successful life. My husband taught me a long time ago the value of reading Proverbs every day. I love it. What I find difficult, however, is the prophets in the Old Testament. All the types and shadows, allegory's and prophesy challenge me so much that I honestly lose interest. BUT......

I decided to try once more to read one of them. Actually, a message I heard recently tweaked my interest and I thought I'd try to read Ezekiel. I mean, really, if these books were not important in some way, then God would never have moved upon folks to write them. Right?

Right! Man did the Word of God speak to my heart today. You see I'm in chapter 16 of Ezekiel. God is talking to him about Judah, and how she played the harlot. God took Judah and created something wonderful out of nothing. He gave them embroidered clothing, jewels fit for a king, fed them with the tastiest of pastries and sweets and gave them beauty as well. Judah was the envy of all the people around them. She had everything!

Then it all fell apart. Judah played the role of a harlot. She began taking the things she was given and created images and began worshiping idols instead of the God who created her beauty and provided for her. She began trusting in herself instead of the God who provided all things. Judah began to praise and promote herself. But it didn't stop there, Judah also taught the next generation to do the same.

What really grabbed my attention, however, is the fact that God changes His characterization of Judah in this chapter. Instead of being a harlot, he says, you are a faithless wife. You are giving it away free. You are not even charging for your harlotry. So you've taken your wickedness to a more depraved state. You're a wife who should be committed to your relationship, but you are throwing it all away for nothing!

Then I stop to think about this. What role am I playing today? Am I the real deal? Am I living like royalty and appreciating the blessings and beauty that God has created in my life? Am I appreciating His provisions in my life and walking in the way I know I should? Am I trusting God to provide my needs? Am I promoting myself instead of letting God promote me? Am I teaching my children to live for God in a way that brings glory to Him and appreciates the life He has blessed us with?

Or am I the faithless wife or harlot? Have I lost sight of the value of God's blessings and provisions and become just like Judah? Am I acting like a faithless wife? Worse than a harlot? I made my life's commitment to walk with God, love Him and serve Him. So He forgave me of my sins and washed me with His blood and gave me salvation. Am I faithful? Is my relationship with God a priority? Do I talk to Him every day? Do I seek His favor in all I do and say? Do I take my daily needs to the Lord and trust Him to take care of them? You know, leave it there?

The NEB version of the Bible puts it this way. "We are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to devote ourselves to the good deeds for which God has designed us". (Eph. 2:10) I need to remember that I am significant and unique, not because of what I do, but because of whose I am.

Two for one

I love bargains. Actually, I love bargains that are truly a bargain. The reason I say that is that some of these fast food restaurants have "meal" deals. Some times when you add up the items separately, they are really not a bargain at all. They are just wrapped up with pretty packaging that makes you feel like you just got a bargain.

There's a scripture that talks about two for one. Matthew 5:41 says "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." Now just so we get this right let's talk a bit about what was going on here. Jesus was teaching and he was using law of that day as his reference in teaching. This law was that if a soldier required you to carry his pack, then you had to do it. But it put a cap on how far; one mile. Jesus was teaching the people to go the second mile. Do more than you are asked to do.

This is truly a valuable principle to learn. One story that uses this scripture says that if you only go the first mile you only get what's expected, but when you go the second mile, you make a friend.

Service to one another is rewarding. It is work too. Doing more than is required, going the extra mile, giving more than was asked for takes a special kind of mentality. It's called a servants heart. Jesus Christ declared that he came to serve and tells us we should also seek to serve. Serving one another takes love and compassion.

Matter of fact, out of all of the fruit of the spirit, love is the greatest. Why? Because by this trait, Jesus says, they will know you are my disciples. He also states that if we don't have love, then we are not his.

Love is the only trait that I know of that will cause you to go the second mile. Love is the only trait that will motivate you to sacrifice your time, energy, and money for another person or a worthy cause.

So where's the bargain in this? How is this "Two for One" principle a bargain? I think it's because first you are helping another person and second you reap the benefits of discipleship.

Lest we forget those benefits, let me list just a few.

• Peace knowing Jesus is in control of every situation.
• Courage knowing that I'm never alone.
• All my needs provided for because Jesus is my provider.
• Friendship knowing that Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
• Health because Jesus heals.
• Salvation and hope for tomorrow because He has saved me by his blood.

When I think about the Lord, how he saved me, how he raised me, how he filled me with the Holy Ghost......It makes me want to shout Hallelujah, thank you Jesus, Lord you're worthy, of all the honor and all of the glory and all of the praise!! (Everett, Shane Barnard & Shane) Oh what a Savior!!

Are you a fool?

I read a joke my sister sent me the other day about there being a holiday for everyone...even fools. The scripture reference in that joke was this Psalm 14:1 "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." ....."

As I laughed at the joke, I also wondered if there are times that I am the fool saying there is no God? Ok, I've not said it out loud, but have my actions said that. When I was growing up, my parents would quote that little phrase "actions speak louder than words". They would warn us that who we were with and what we did in times of stress or play actually said more about us than our actual words.

There's a new phrase I've been hearing more frequently. Living out loud. So I wonder what God hears in my actions.

When I participate in gossip, am I really saying that I don't believe God hates gossipers?

When I omit some important fact in a conversation that would otherwise, if shared, place the responsibility or blame on me, do I really think God doesn't know I am lying through my front teeth? Do I really think that God excludes me from His wrath for lying?

When I am unkind and have no compassion for those people I come into contact with everyday, including the people I live with, am I thumbing my nose at God and ignoring His commandments?

I have to wonder about this. Because if you look at the entire verse of that scripture it says, "Psalm 14:1 "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good."

So I take a little closer look at two words; corrupt and vile. Corrupt means "guilty of dishonest practices, as bribery; lacking integrity; crooked" Vile means "wretchedly bad or highly offensive, unpleasant, or objectionable."

So, I conclude that my actions are saying "There is no God". Because I have not always refrained from gossip. I have not always told the truth all the time. I have not always chosen to take the higher standard and walk away when others are engaged in questionable conversations. By association, by staying around, I am guilty by association. Verdict: I am a fool.

But there is hope!! God loves us! He will and does forgive us the moment we repent and ask Him. God is hearing my actions BUT He's also right there when we need to ask for forgiveness. One of the greatest scriptures of all times says it all. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)

Put another way by the Message version of the Bible "If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. ".

The question is "Are you a fool?" I am. I am a repented fool. I am thankful that God is there waiting to hear my confession and extend grace and mercy when I repent.