I found a game on my computer last weekend that had been installed a couple of years ago when I purchased my computer. It is something about a virtual village. I had a little free time, so I opened it up to see what it was about. It started out with seven villagers on a deserted beach. They needed to "learn" how to take care of themselves, so I had to "teach" them, by moving them around the village and placing them in certain strategic locations at certain times. I played around with it for about an hour, and then I turned it off and went about my day.
Yesterday, I opened it up again, and I found that the game continued on while it was off. All but one of my virtual villagers was dead! Their skeletons were strewn across the virtual beach! I felt bad momentarily. Then I really felt bad about opening up a game that would have required me to waste countless hours in front of a computer screen, trying to keep virtual people "alive"!
This made me think about God. How often do we think of him as someone "out there" just toying with us, and then absently walking away, leaving us to "die" in our ignorance, when he should be teaching us something. So many people I know think of God like that. Like he just set the world in motion and then stepped back to watch us mess it all up.
What a thought! This season, however, we are reminded of how close to humanity that he really is. That he not only participates in our day to day lives, but he even sent his son to become one of us, to live like us, and to offer his life in exchange for ours!
To put it in perspective, it would be like my going into my virtual village to show the virtual people how to be real people, then becoming a game so that they could be really alive! The concept blows my mind!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Creative Dogs
We have been trying to find a way to keep our two large, active dogs off our new deck. Just telling them to stay down has not been effective. We bought a large baby gate, but they quickly learned they could simply knock it over and get up on the deck. Then we bought two smaller baby gates and fastened them together. They proved to be harder to knock over, so the dogs came up with a more simple solution:
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Sins of the Fathers
I have always been puzzled by such verses in scripture as:
Exodus 20:5: "...I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."
Exodus 34:7: "...Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."
This is repeated several times. I have heard commentators and pastors try to explain these verses away, but I was never convinced, and it left me with an unsettled feeling about God's character.
Now, I am reading the book of Ezekiel in my daily devotions, and I was thrilled to find this yesterday:
Ezekiel 18;14 - 20:
Exodus 20:5: "...I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."
Exodus 34:7: "...Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."
This is repeated several times. I have heard commentators and pastors try to explain these verses away, but I was never convinced, and it left me with an unsettled feeling about God's character.
Now, I am reading the book of Ezekiel in my daily devotions, and I was thrilled to find this yesterday:
Ezekiel 18;14 - 20:
14 "But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:
15 "He does not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of the house of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor's wife.
or look to the idols of the house of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor's wife.
16 He does not oppress anyone
or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.
or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.
17 He withholds his hand from sin [a]
and takes no usury or excessive interest.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.
He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
and takes no usury or excessive interest.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.
He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
19 "Yet you ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him."
Now this makes sense! This describes God's just judgement in the way that I understand it. All those pastors and commentators were right all along, when they interpreted the previous verses to mean that our bad actions can have long-lasting and far-reaching consequences that affect many others, whether we chose to believe it or not. I praise God that he clears up the misconceptions and confusing ideas within the entirety of his word. One more reason to continue daily study!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Fog
This morning I woke up to a gorgeous day! By the time I left home, the sun was shining in a cloudless sky, and the nearly full moon was still visible. As I drove to town, I noticed how the leaves of the trees were turning various shades of red and yellow, showing that fall is indeed here. As I drove down out of the mountains and into town, however, everything changed. I drove into a thick fog bank. Now the only sunlight I could find was scattered beams that broke through the mist every now and then. You could tell it was daytime, but the light was muted and greyish to amber in color. The bright fall colors were even drab. I knew that the fog was only a temporary condition, and soon the bright sunlight that I had seen above the fog would reach the valley.
This made me think of my experience with God. In reality, he is everything I know he is and more. His brilliance is more than many suns. His goodness, tenderness, love, and mercy are deeper than anything I have experienced on earth. But all of his glory and goodness are hidden from us, much like the sunlight is hidden by the fog. We know it is there, we can see glimpses of it now and then, and there is a constant, muted glow around us that reveals his presence in our lives all the time.
But imagine the glory, when we finally get to see him as he is! When the fog of sin is lifted from between us and we can know true love for what it is. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (KJV).
This made me think of my experience with God. In reality, he is everything I know he is and more. His brilliance is more than many suns. His goodness, tenderness, love, and mercy are deeper than anything I have experienced on earth. But all of his glory and goodness are hidden from us, much like the sunlight is hidden by the fog. We know it is there, we can see glimpses of it now and then, and there is a constant, muted glow around us that reveals his presence in our lives all the time.
But imagine the glory, when we finally get to see him as he is! When the fog of sin is lifted from between us and we can know true love for what it is. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (KJV).
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Forgot my camera!
Would you believe it...I forgot my camera when I went hiking yesterday, and I saw a pika for the first time! He (or she??) was sooo cute! My husband and I were crossing a bridge over a dry creek bed, and there it was, peeking out at us from a gap between some rocks. I threw him a piece of a granola bar that I had brought for lunch, and then I trew him several more. He went running after them (I was throwing left-handed, so my aim wasn't quite accurate). If I wasn't really wanting to get to the waterfall I had promised to share with my husband, I would have stayed with the pika all day and fed him my whole PB&J sandwich, too!
What a blessing to interact with God's creatures in unexpected ways!
What a blessing to interact with God's creatures in unexpected ways!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Walking with God
I am about half way through reading "Walking with God," by John Eldredge. He is one of my favorite authors. Only another tightly-wound type-A person is able to really get into my head and share deep new thoughts, like he does. This book is great! I picked it up thinking it would give me more insights on what steps I can take to get closer to God. But it is so much better than that.
Eldredge really gets people like me. He, too, would like a step-by-step manual on how to "do" Christianity. But this book, like all of his others, is about "being" not "doing". He, too, struggles with just remaining in the presence of God, and connecting at the heart level.
This book is about his struggle to listen to God. Wow! I struggle with that, too. I spend a lot of time talking to Him, but listening is really HARD! I love the way this book shows and describes how this plays out in real life. As everyone that follows this blog knows, I have been struggling with prayer for years. I am voraciously reading and studying everything I can find about prayer, but have still come up so empty. I think what I am learning now, about listening, is at least part of the key to my struggles.
Not only does this book open up a whole new world in the area of prayer, it also delves deeper into spiritual warfare. He explains a lot about agreements that we make with the enemy and how that plays out in our lives. I can identify with many of his examples. I have realized that when the voice in my head reminds me in a given situation: "This is just like the last time. Won't you ever learn? You need to protect yourself. You can't open up to people. You need to keep things inside. You are really on your own in this world," etc., I am really making an agreement with the devil and allowing him to control me. I need to recognize it and not make the agreements and allow Satan a stronghold in my heart.
He also mentions something that totally intrigued me: He thinks that when someone is struggling with an issue, such as doubt, that this is part of spiritual warfare. And the same spirit that is pushing the person into this struggle can catch on to us when we try to help that person fight it off, causing us to struggle with it, too, unless we are aware of it. I don't know if I agree, but it is an interesting concept that I think I will ponder for a while.
Very interesting book. Can't wait to finish.
Eldredge really gets people like me. He, too, would like a step-by-step manual on how to "do" Christianity. But this book, like all of his others, is about "being" not "doing". He, too, struggles with just remaining in the presence of God, and connecting at the heart level.
This book is about his struggle to listen to God. Wow! I struggle with that, too. I spend a lot of time talking to Him, but listening is really HARD! I love the way this book shows and describes how this plays out in real life. As everyone that follows this blog knows, I have been struggling with prayer for years. I am voraciously reading and studying everything I can find about prayer, but have still come up so empty. I think what I am learning now, about listening, is at least part of the key to my struggles.
Not only does this book open up a whole new world in the area of prayer, it also delves deeper into spiritual warfare. He explains a lot about agreements that we make with the enemy and how that plays out in our lives. I can identify with many of his examples. I have realized that when the voice in my head reminds me in a given situation: "This is just like the last time. Won't you ever learn? You need to protect yourself. You can't open up to people. You need to keep things inside. You are really on your own in this world," etc., I am really making an agreement with the devil and allowing him to control me. I need to recognize it and not make the agreements and allow Satan a stronghold in my heart.
He also mentions something that totally intrigued me: He thinks that when someone is struggling with an issue, such as doubt, that this is part of spiritual warfare. And the same spirit that is pushing the person into this struggle can catch on to us when we try to help that person fight it off, causing us to struggle with it, too, unless we are aware of it. I don't know if I agree, but it is an interesting concept that I think I will ponder for a while.
Very interesting book. Can't wait to finish.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
How people grow
Our Pastor recommended to all of our small group leaders that we read a book, by Townsend and Cloud, authors of the "Boundaries" series, called, "How People Grow." My first impression was, "Oh,no! Not another psychobabble book to help us feel good. Ughhh!" But because I have had life-changing help from the "Boundaries" books and am familiar with and trust the authors, I decided to read it.
I finished it this week, and what a blessing I found. It wasn't about how people grow, with step-by-step charts on growth and development and lots of psychology, as I had expected. It was a refreshing look at examples of how people have experienced growth, or not experienced it, as the case may be, and lessons we can all learn. It was just like their other books, in that it offered tangible lessons that I can and will apply to my own life, as I grow in relationship to God and others, and as I help others in their life journeys.
For example, in a chapter on temptation, they write:
This is exactly how temptation occurs. Satan tempts us at our weakest moments and in our weakest areas. We need something, or we are in pain. And the temptation answers both of those for the moment. If someone needs love or is lonely, the deceptive sin of illicit sex (the lust of the flesh) can momentarily masquerade as love. If someone needs validation, the lure of power and the "boastful pride of life" can trick him into feeling as if his existence is worthwhile because of that power. If someone is feeling "not good enough," the lure of materialism and the "lust of the eyes" can momentarily dull that pain. In those three areas, John tells us, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world -- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does -- comes not from the Father but from the world" (1 John 2:15 - 16).
The book then goes on to describe ways that we can avoid temptation and recognize it for what it is. It explains several reasons that people go through suffering, and how we can grow and help others through this process. It shows how to be good friends to our suffering brothers and sisters, without being like Job's friends, who were of no help to Job at all.
I am so grateful for the lessons I have learned in this book, and encourage everyone that reads this blog to give this book a try. It might open up a whole new life to you.
I finished it this week, and what a blessing I found. It wasn't about how people grow, with step-by-step charts on growth and development and lots of psychology, as I had expected. It was a refreshing look at examples of how people have experienced growth, or not experienced it, as the case may be, and lessons we can all learn. It was just like their other books, in that it offered tangible lessons that I can and will apply to my own life, as I grow in relationship to God and others, and as I help others in their life journeys.
For example, in a chapter on temptation, they write:
This is exactly how temptation occurs. Satan tempts us at our weakest moments and in our weakest areas. We need something, or we are in pain. And the temptation answers both of those for the moment. If someone needs love or is lonely, the deceptive sin of illicit sex (the lust of the flesh) can momentarily masquerade as love. If someone needs validation, the lure of power and the "boastful pride of life" can trick him into feeling as if his existence is worthwhile because of that power. If someone is feeling "not good enough," the lure of materialism and the "lust of the eyes" can momentarily dull that pain. In those three areas, John tells us, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world -- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does -- comes not from the Father but from the world" (1 John 2:15 - 16).
The book then goes on to describe ways that we can avoid temptation and recognize it for what it is. It explains several reasons that people go through suffering, and how we can grow and help others through this process. It shows how to be good friends to our suffering brothers and sisters, without being like Job's friends, who were of no help to Job at all.
I am so grateful for the lessons I have learned in this book, and encourage everyone that reads this blog to give this book a try. It might open up a whole new life to you.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Hiking with My Daughter
Yay! My daughter came home on leave for a few days, and we got to go hiking, (and to a barbecue, and the 4th of July fireworks display in our community, and to a rodeo, and to a birthday party, and to church, and out to dinner, whew!). We hiked to a new place on Sabbath afternoon:
It was so refreshing to get to renew our relationship in the splendor of God's creation! What a blessing!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Back Home
Eric did not call me with any recent updates, but late Friday night, he showed up at home. Apparently, the challenge was not on the up and up. A lot of things were happening, both on the part of the organizers and by other riders that were making the challenge something that Eric could no longer find himself ethically being involved with. So, he came home. He still made it from Key West, FL to southwest Washington in 6 days, which is not bad!
He was disappointed that the event was not legitimate, as it was something he had been so proud to be a part of, and something that made his heart stir, to push himself to the limit doing something he loves so much. He walked away with his integrity intact and still had an amazing adventure!
He was disappointed that the event was not legitimate, as it was something he had been so proud to be a part of, and something that made his heart stir, to push himself to the limit doing something he loves so much. He walked away with his integrity intact and still had an amazing adventure!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Hairless, armored 'possums
I heard from Eric this morning. He is now near Denver, CO, on his way North. He discussed some of the wildlife he has seen along the way: fireflies (a first, since we don't have them in the Northwest), a turtle, a brown bear, and a "hairless, armored 'possum (an armadillo), also something one would never encounter in the Northwest.
He is truly enjoying this adventure, seeing sites he has never seen, and pushing himself to do something daring. As John Eldredge says in "Wild at Heart," a man needs an adventure to live if he is to feel truly alive. Ride on!
He is truly enjoying this adventure, seeing sites he has never seen, and pushing himself to do something daring. As John Eldredge says in "Wild at Heart," a man needs an adventure to live if he is to feel truly alive. Ride on!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Update
I got a call from Eric just as I was walking out the door for work this morning, so I couldn't log on for this update. He made it through severe storms in Mississipi, with trees blown down across the road and debris being blown around much of the night. He made it to Arkansas this morning.
He just called me at almost 9 pm tonight and had made it to New Mexico. On his way to Colorado before turning in for a few hours tonight.
Good luck, honey!!!
He just called me at almost 9 pm tonight and had made it to New Mexico. On his way to Colorado before turning in for a few hours tonight.
Good luck, honey!!!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Hoka Hey Challenge
For the next two weeks or so, I will divert from my usual topics to share with my friends and family my husband's progress on his latest adventure. On Sunday, June 20, 2010, Eric set off as one of 1,000 chosen riders to participate in a grueling competition. This ride, which started in Key West, Florida, will end by July 4th in Homer, Alaska. In the meantime, the riders will follow a predetermined course across mainly back roads, crossing 62 mountain ranges, 8 deserts, 25 national forests, 33 Indian reservations, and two countries. The riders are given directions to only one checkpoint at a time, getting the next set of directions upon arrival at each checkpoint, which are stationed approximately 1000 miles apart. Anyone caught speeding, sleeping in a hotel/motel, using GPS, or drinking/using performance enhancing drugs will be disqualified.
By last evening, Eric had made it to near Talledega, Alabama, on his way to Mississipi, which is the next checkpoint. He has been traveling about 20 hours a day. I will update this blog with each update from Eric.
By last evening, Eric had made it to near Talledega, Alabama, on his way to Mississipi, which is the next checkpoint. He has been traveling about 20 hours a day. I will update this blog with each update from Eric.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Generations
In my devotionals today, I read part of the book of Judges. I was amazed at the people who so quickly forgot the incredible ways that God repeatedly rescued his people. It seems as though the people would turn back to God and truly worship him, but only for as long as the people who witnessed the miracles of God's favor remained alive, or at least as long as the judge that lead them was alive. But within a generation the people would turn away from him and go back to worshipping idols.
This makes me think about our modern world. We don't worship idols, per se, but we become easily distracted by so many things that fight for our attention, usually things that we find to be more exciting than worshiping God. I think about how all of the "worldly" things attract our youth, and how within a generation, they could all forget the way God has miraculously led our own families. I see that unless they actively seek and experience God for themselves, our own stories will not provide enough substance to keep our children in a trusting relationship with God.
This is heavy stuff...
This makes me think about our modern world. We don't worship idols, per se, but we become easily distracted by so many things that fight for our attention, usually things that we find to be more exciting than worshiping God. I think about how all of the "worldly" things attract our youth, and how within a generation, they could all forget the way God has miraculously led our own families. I see that unless they actively seek and experience God for themselves, our own stories will not provide enough substance to keep our children in a trusting relationship with God.
This is heavy stuff...
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Deluded
I have a patient that has been suffering for quite some time with delusions. In long term care, nurses track behaviors such as delusions on a flow sheet, to track the times, events, etc., that may show a pattern to the behavior, as well as any interventions that are effective in alleviating the behaviors. Well, for this particular patient, all of the nurses have been marking on the flow sheet that the patient is not having delusions, while, in fact, she is having them daily. Since the behavior was occurring so frequently, it has become "normal" for this patient, so everyone else just grew accustomed to it and forgot that it was an abnormal behavior.
So, I had to spend some time educating the nurses on what constitutes a delusion, so that our documentation will improve. According to my dictionary, a delusion is "1. a false notion or belief. 2. a fixed belief maintained in the face of indisputable evidence to the contratry." This definitely fit my patient. I can't share my patient's details, but an example would be when a patient believes that aliens are talking to them through the television.
All this focus on delusions, and the review of the definition made me think about life in a spiritual sense. I remember a Bible verse that says, "...They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:10 - 12.
I wonder about those of us who go about living life apart from truth, following the lies of the world: "We are just a product of evolution," or "He who dies with the most toys wins", or "I am really busy with work, family, etc. but I will have time for God later", or "I don't need God. If I just do good things and am basically a good person, I can make it without him." I have been held captive by those, and others, many times. Are you caught in a delusion? What is holding you back from experiencing freedom in God's truth?
So, I had to spend some time educating the nurses on what constitutes a delusion, so that our documentation will improve. According to my dictionary, a delusion is "1. a false notion or belief. 2. a fixed belief maintained in the face of indisputable evidence to the contratry." This definitely fit my patient. I can't share my patient's details, but an example would be when a patient believes that aliens are talking to them through the television.
All this focus on delusions, and the review of the definition made me think about life in a spiritual sense. I remember a Bible verse that says, "...They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:10 - 12.
I wonder about those of us who go about living life apart from truth, following the lies of the world: "We are just a product of evolution," or "He who dies with the most toys wins", or "I am really busy with work, family, etc. but I will have time for God later", or "I don't need God. If I just do good things and am basically a good person, I can make it without him." I have been held captive by those, and others, many times. Are you caught in a delusion? What is holding you back from experiencing freedom in God's truth?
Friday, April 16, 2010
Tribute to a Dear Friend
I lost a patient this week. She was really much more than a patient. Her name was Irene. She was the only woman I have ever met from her generation that was a U.S. Marine, which in itself speaks volumes of what kind of a woman she was.
Irene came to us a few years ago, after losing her independence to a debilitating illness. She never complained, and never would take a pain pill, even though she was in obvious pain at times, probably much more often than we were aware. She was so stoic, and would always say she was fine, and always had a smile to offer. When she was fitted with a special wheelchair, early in her stay with us, it opened the door for her to regain some of her independence, and that changed not only her life, but ours.
While many people in her condition would have complained about all that they had lost, Irene was a joy! She became president of our facility's resident council, and she took her job very seriously. She openly welcomed newcommers to our facility, and she did everything she could to facilitate meeting each patient's needs. She would bring up issues large or small that needed to be changed, and actively helped to solve the issues, so that our facility could provide everyone the very best care possible. She was a friend to all, and an advocate for those who could not voice thier needs.
She also took care of the nurses and C.N.A.'s. She would make sure our supplies were well-stocked, asking us frequently if there was anything we needed, then going to the office to get them, and delivering them on the back of her electric wheelchair. She would make sure that some of us who tend to work too much would take time to take a break and would remind us to eat when we tried to work through lunch.
More than that, she was everyone's mother. She had 2 amazing children of her own, and grandchildren, too, that she was very proud of. But she was quick to advise and nurture the rest of us, too. We could always count on her for loving counsel, a listening ear, and care and nurturing (even from those of us who were supposed to be nurturing her!) And when the state surveyors would come into our building to inspect us and perhaps find something wrong, Irene was there as an ever-protective mother hen, letting those surveyors know just who they were dealing with, and no one was going to mess with her "family"!
There is not a person in our facility that was not touched in a major way by this amazing woman. It was a shock to all of us to see her leave us so suddenly. But I am amazed at the grace of God, who was merciful in taking her quickly and painlessly, which is the way I know she would have wanted it. In fact, I am certain that this is exactly what she ordered! I know that God loves her so much more than we can imagine, so he was willing to grant her such a quick transition.
In my experience, it seems that we go through so many emotions when we lose a loved one. Most of all, we are caught up with anger and confusion. When we hear of the death of a "bad" person, we feel a sense of justice. But when someone so "good" passes away, we can't understand it. That's why we have the saying that "only the good die young". But God knows a whole lot more about death and what comes next than we can imagine. I know that Irene loved God, and that means that we will be together again soon. And I can't wait to see her again, with our new glorious bodies, unlike anything we now know, where there is no sickness or pain, where everything is new and perfect. I can't wait to see Irene run through the fields on her new, pain-free legs, or soar through the air, or do whatever it is that we will do then, with an even more abundant joy than we shared together in this life. Until then, Irene, you will be sorely missed.
Irene came to us a few years ago, after losing her independence to a debilitating illness. She never complained, and never would take a pain pill, even though she was in obvious pain at times, probably much more often than we were aware. She was so stoic, and would always say she was fine, and always had a smile to offer. When she was fitted with a special wheelchair, early in her stay with us, it opened the door for her to regain some of her independence, and that changed not only her life, but ours.
While many people in her condition would have complained about all that they had lost, Irene was a joy! She became president of our facility's resident council, and she took her job very seriously. She openly welcomed newcommers to our facility, and she did everything she could to facilitate meeting each patient's needs. She would bring up issues large or small that needed to be changed, and actively helped to solve the issues, so that our facility could provide everyone the very best care possible. She was a friend to all, and an advocate for those who could not voice thier needs.
She also took care of the nurses and C.N.A.'s. She would make sure our supplies were well-stocked, asking us frequently if there was anything we needed, then going to the office to get them, and delivering them on the back of her electric wheelchair. She would make sure that some of us who tend to work too much would take time to take a break and would remind us to eat when we tried to work through lunch.
More than that, she was everyone's mother. She had 2 amazing children of her own, and grandchildren, too, that she was very proud of. But she was quick to advise and nurture the rest of us, too. We could always count on her for loving counsel, a listening ear, and care and nurturing (even from those of us who were supposed to be nurturing her!) And when the state surveyors would come into our building to inspect us and perhaps find something wrong, Irene was there as an ever-protective mother hen, letting those surveyors know just who they were dealing with, and no one was going to mess with her "family"!
There is not a person in our facility that was not touched in a major way by this amazing woman. It was a shock to all of us to see her leave us so suddenly. But I am amazed at the grace of God, who was merciful in taking her quickly and painlessly, which is the way I know she would have wanted it. In fact, I am certain that this is exactly what she ordered! I know that God loves her so much more than we can imagine, so he was willing to grant her such a quick transition.
In my experience, it seems that we go through so many emotions when we lose a loved one. Most of all, we are caught up with anger and confusion. When we hear of the death of a "bad" person, we feel a sense of justice. But when someone so "good" passes away, we can't understand it. That's why we have the saying that "only the good die young". But God knows a whole lot more about death and what comes next than we can imagine. I know that Irene loved God, and that means that we will be together again soon. And I can't wait to see her again, with our new glorious bodies, unlike anything we now know, where there is no sickness or pain, where everything is new and perfect. I can't wait to see Irene run through the fields on her new, pain-free legs, or soar through the air, or do whatever it is that we will do then, with an even more abundant joy than we shared together in this life. Until then, Irene, you will be sorely missed.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Moment by Moment
I am reading a fabulous book that my best friend gave me for my birthday: "Escape to God," by Jim Hohnberger. In my reading last night, I came across this:
"It is when the world sees us being saved in the present rather than just saved from the past that our lives will demonstrate that we have the power of God rather than just a form of godliness."
Wow! That is exactly how I want to live my life! Sometimes, when I am living like that, focused on God and what He is guiding me to do in any given situation, it all seems so right. But when I rely on myself to make my decisions, I tend to blow it. It is like the cartoon I keep on my wall in my office: "Dear Lord, So far today I am doing really good. I haven't yelled, haven't lost my temper, haven't sworn, and I haven't even eaten any chocolate. But I will be getting out of bed soon, and then I think I am really gonna need your help!"
I hope you are having a great day. Remember to stay plugged in to the source of your strength, and listen to his leading...he will take you far beyond your wildest imaginings!
"It is when the world sees us being saved in the present rather than just saved from the past that our lives will demonstrate that we have the power of God rather than just a form of godliness."
Wow! That is exactly how I want to live my life! Sometimes, when I am living like that, focused on God and what He is guiding me to do in any given situation, it all seems so right. But when I rely on myself to make my decisions, I tend to blow it. It is like the cartoon I keep on my wall in my office: "Dear Lord, So far today I am doing really good. I haven't yelled, haven't lost my temper, haven't sworn, and I haven't even eaten any chocolate. But I will be getting out of bed soon, and then I think I am really gonna need your help!"
I hope you are having a great day. Remember to stay plugged in to the source of your strength, and listen to his leading...he will take you far beyond your wildest imaginings!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
childlike prayer
With all the changes in my life over the past year, I have been thinking a lot about my grandpa. He has been gone more than 10 years now, and sometimes my heart aches for him. I was thinking especially about the times we used to share in the garden lately. I remeber how each spring he would go off to some magical place, probably his backyard, and come back with a bouquet of pussywillows. I remember stroking them, and feeling the soft, furlike texture of each blossom, amazed that a plant could be so special. Grandpa would always send me home with a branch to remind me of the experience. (he did the same in the summer with 4 leaf clovers, which also grew in some magical place in his yard).
While I was reminiscing, I was taken by how little I really knew about the things I know he wanted to teach me. Why didn't I listen better? I really wished I knew where those pussywillows came from. I remember praying a quaint little prayer, "God, it would be really special if you could send me a pussywillow branch this spring." I stopped there: how absurd to pray for a tree branch! But the memories lingered.
I looked up pussywillow in the dictionary: A small willow tree that grows in the U.S. Not very helpful. "Maybe I could find some at the florist? I didn't have time for that. Oh, well." I thought to myself. Then the amazing thing happened:
On Sunday morning, I went for my usual walk, down our long road. To my amazement, there on the side of the road was a willow tree in full blossom -- pussywillows! They must have been growing there for at least 10 years, and I had never noticed them before. I quickly gathered a bundle and brought them home, displaying them fondly on the shelf. How pleased I was that God answered my childlike prayer.
As you know, I have been struggling with the idea of prayer for quite some time. God knows this too. Maybe that is why he keeps me in the primary class at church, so I can learn along with the 7, 8, & 9 year olds, how to trust him with everything and to share with him about everything! Praise God that He blesses the smallest prayers in faith!
While I was reminiscing, I was taken by how little I really knew about the things I know he wanted to teach me. Why didn't I listen better? I really wished I knew where those pussywillows came from. I remember praying a quaint little prayer, "God, it would be really special if you could send me a pussywillow branch this spring." I stopped there: how absurd to pray for a tree branch! But the memories lingered.
I looked up pussywillow in the dictionary: A small willow tree that grows in the U.S. Not very helpful. "Maybe I could find some at the florist? I didn't have time for that. Oh, well." I thought to myself. Then the amazing thing happened:
On Sunday morning, I went for my usual walk, down our long road. To my amazement, there on the side of the road was a willow tree in full blossom -- pussywillows! They must have been growing there for at least 10 years, and I had never noticed them before. I quickly gathered a bundle and brought them home, displaying them fondly on the shelf. How pleased I was that God answered my childlike prayer.
As you know, I have been struggling with the idea of prayer for quite some time. God knows this too. Maybe that is why he keeps me in the primary class at church, so I can learn along with the 7, 8, & 9 year olds, how to trust him with everything and to share with him about everything! Praise God that He blesses the smallest prayers in faith!
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Woman of Shunem
In my devotions this morning, I was studying this passage from 2 Kings, chapter 4:
Elisha and the Woman from Shunem
8 One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat.
9 She said to her husband, “I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by.”
11 One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.” When she appeared, 13 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’”
“No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.”
14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”
Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”
15 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, 16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”
“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”
17 But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.
18 One day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters. 19 Suddenly he cried out, “My head hurts! My head hurts!”
His father said to one of the servants, “Carry him home to his mother.”
20 So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died. 21 She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there. 22 She sent a message to her husband: “Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back.”
23 “Why go today?” he asked. “It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath.”
But she said, “It will be all right.”
24 So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, “Hurry! Don’t slow down unless I tell you to.”
25 As she approached the man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance. He said to Gehazi, “Look, the woman from Shunem is coming. 26 Run out to meet her and ask her, ‘Is everything all right with you, your husband, and your child?’”
“Yes,” the woman told Gehazi, “everything is fine.”
27 But when she came to the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet. Gehazi began to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone. She is deeply troubled, but the Lord has not told me what it is.”
28 Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? And didn’t I say, ‘Don’t deceive me and get my hopes up’?”
29 Then Elisha said to Gehazi, “Get ready to travel[a]; take my staff and go! Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child’s face.”
30 But the boy’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I won’t go home unless you go with me.” So Elisha returned with her.
31 Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child’s face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, “The child is still dead.”
32 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. 33 He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again! 35 Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
36 Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. “Call the child’s mother!” he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!” 37 She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs.
I can relate to this story on so many levels! First of all, I am a lot like the Shunamite woman. I feel so much like her when I don't ask God for the desires of my heart because I don't want to be disappointed. I have so often held back, because I know that when I ask God for a certain blessing, He can certainly say, "No." I almost said, "he is very likely to say no." This is how I often feel. But the truth is, He is just as likely to say "yes". So, when Jesus says, "You do not have because you do not ask," this is true of me. I hold back due to fear of being disappointed when I don't get what I ask for. Then I still don't get it, because I didn't ask! How disappointing!
Also, I am like the woman in this story in that I hold back from others. This woman was not a widow. She had a hard-working, involved husband. When He asked his wife what was happening, she told him, essentially, "everything is fine, dear, just go back to work." She told Elisha's servant the same thing, "everything is fine." Only when she got to Elisha, who in this case represented God in her life, did she tell the truth about what was really on her heart. How often I have done the same thing! I am always fine, even when my heart is breaking. Very often, I hold back from my friends, and even my family. Sometimes even God.
Finally, I identify with Elisha in this story. I have had so many times when I felt God's work in my life, when I knew that God was doing great things for me and for others through me, but when it came time to make a bold move, God seemed quiet. When Elisha saw the woman coming, he knew something was wrong, but "the Lord has not told me what it is." I hate the silence of God! I want to know what his plans are. I want to know "why" things are happening, and "what" he wants me to do. But most of the time his answer to me is the same as to Elisha, "Be patient. Pay attention. You'll see in a minute." UGH, Patience. That is a hard one. That means we have to rely on trusting God when we don't know the outcome. That will take a lifetime.
I am thankful for God's word, which teaches us that in the end, it will all come together, and even a stubborn, impatient, control-freak such as myself will one day "get it", and God will teach even me what it means to trust in the Lord.
Elisha and the Woman from Shunem
8 One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat.
9 She said to her husband, “I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by.”
11 One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.” When she appeared, 13 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’”
“No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.”
14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”
Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”
15 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, 16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”
“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”
17 But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.
18 One day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters. 19 Suddenly he cried out, “My head hurts! My head hurts!”
His father said to one of the servants, “Carry him home to his mother.”
20 So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died. 21 She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there. 22 She sent a message to her husband: “Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back.”
23 “Why go today?” he asked. “It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath.”
But she said, “It will be all right.”
24 So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, “Hurry! Don’t slow down unless I tell you to.”
25 As she approached the man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance. He said to Gehazi, “Look, the woman from Shunem is coming. 26 Run out to meet her and ask her, ‘Is everything all right with you, your husband, and your child?’”
“Yes,” the woman told Gehazi, “everything is fine.”
27 But when she came to the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet. Gehazi began to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone. She is deeply troubled, but the Lord has not told me what it is.”
28 Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? And didn’t I say, ‘Don’t deceive me and get my hopes up’?”
29 Then Elisha said to Gehazi, “Get ready to travel[a]; take my staff and go! Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child’s face.”
30 But the boy’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I won’t go home unless you go with me.” So Elisha returned with her.
31 Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child’s face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, “The child is still dead.”
32 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. 33 He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again! 35 Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
36 Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. “Call the child’s mother!” he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!” 37 She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs.
I can relate to this story on so many levels! First of all, I am a lot like the Shunamite woman. I feel so much like her when I don't ask God for the desires of my heart because I don't want to be disappointed. I have so often held back, because I know that when I ask God for a certain blessing, He can certainly say, "No." I almost said, "he is very likely to say no." This is how I often feel. But the truth is, He is just as likely to say "yes". So, when Jesus says, "You do not have because you do not ask," this is true of me. I hold back due to fear of being disappointed when I don't get what I ask for. Then I still don't get it, because I didn't ask! How disappointing!
Also, I am like the woman in this story in that I hold back from others. This woman was not a widow. She had a hard-working, involved husband. When He asked his wife what was happening, she told him, essentially, "everything is fine, dear, just go back to work." She told Elisha's servant the same thing, "everything is fine." Only when she got to Elisha, who in this case represented God in her life, did she tell the truth about what was really on her heart. How often I have done the same thing! I am always fine, even when my heart is breaking. Very often, I hold back from my friends, and even my family. Sometimes even God.
Finally, I identify with Elisha in this story. I have had so many times when I felt God's work in my life, when I knew that God was doing great things for me and for others through me, but when it came time to make a bold move, God seemed quiet. When Elisha saw the woman coming, he knew something was wrong, but "the Lord has not told me what it is." I hate the silence of God! I want to know what his plans are. I want to know "why" things are happening, and "what" he wants me to do. But most of the time his answer to me is the same as to Elisha, "Be patient. Pay attention. You'll see in a minute." UGH, Patience. That is a hard one. That means we have to rely on trusting God when we don't know the outcome. That will take a lifetime.
I am thankful for God's word, which teaches us that in the end, it will all come together, and even a stubborn, impatient, control-freak such as myself will one day "get it", and God will teach even me what it means to trust in the Lord.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
more thoughts on prayer
Last week I was invited to participate in an annointing service for my best friend's daughter. She has a congenital health condition, but now is having symptoms that may be physical, emotional, or spiritual -- perhaps a combination of all three. Traditional medical treatment and counselling have not helped, so they decided to have an annointing service and ask God for divine intervention. I was grateful to be asked to take part in the service, and I thought I would share my thoughts:
First, I was amazed to find that this young woman has many of the same questions as I do in regard to prayer. Why does God choose to do miracles sometimes, but seems to ignore our requests at other times? My young friend recounted a time when she was on a missionary trip, and a woman desperately needed a miracle. The group prayed earnestly, yet no miracle seemed to happen. Why wouldn't God intervene, at a time when thousands could have been impacted, in addition to the woman who was desperate for healing?
In my friend's case, she was hesitant to have the annointing, because, as she put it, "If I pray and ask Him for healing, and I put my faith in Him, and he doesn't do anything, I don't want to be disappointed." What are we mere mortals to do with this? I feel the same way so often. What right have I to even ask Him? (The answer, of course, is that throughout the Bible, He encourages us, even commands us to ask Him for whatever we need).
The biggest problem, for me, is that while He promises to hear my prayers, even to answer them, He never promises that the answer will be "Yes," or even, "maybe," or even to give me a response at all. That is so frustrating! I am to ask Him, to expect that whatever His response is, that it is what is best, and to trust Him to do what is right, all the while knowing that like Job, I may be left in the dark my entire life in regard to what His answer is or why the answer comes the way it does.
Then, I can't shake the question: If I pray for healing, such as for my friend, and God has other plans, is it still worth asking in the first place? Why should I ask him to help someone, if he already has a plan for that person? Is he going to change his plans, or change his mind just because I, or someone else, or a whole group of people, or even millions of people ask him? I think of Abraham pleading for God to be lenient with the people in Sodom. I think of the Israelites asking God for a King. I know that God could agree to change his mind, but would I want him to give me what I want instead of what He knows is right?
So many questions! For those of you that follow this blog regularly, you know this has been a lengthy struggle. I have searched the scriptures, I have read book after book on prayer, and I am even praying about praying! What I am finding is that God, for now, wants me to learn through experience. He wants me to "try him out for size" as the saying goes. So, here I am, praying, hoping, that my friend will find healing, and that in the process, I will keep learning with each step, as I practice praying in different manners and for different things, and as I keep growing in my relationship with my maker and king.
First, I was amazed to find that this young woman has many of the same questions as I do in regard to prayer. Why does God choose to do miracles sometimes, but seems to ignore our requests at other times? My young friend recounted a time when she was on a missionary trip, and a woman desperately needed a miracle. The group prayed earnestly, yet no miracle seemed to happen. Why wouldn't God intervene, at a time when thousands could have been impacted, in addition to the woman who was desperate for healing?
In my friend's case, she was hesitant to have the annointing, because, as she put it, "If I pray and ask Him for healing, and I put my faith in Him, and he doesn't do anything, I don't want to be disappointed." What are we mere mortals to do with this? I feel the same way so often. What right have I to even ask Him? (The answer, of course, is that throughout the Bible, He encourages us, even commands us to ask Him for whatever we need).
The biggest problem, for me, is that while He promises to hear my prayers, even to answer them, He never promises that the answer will be "Yes," or even, "maybe," or even to give me a response at all. That is so frustrating! I am to ask Him, to expect that whatever His response is, that it is what is best, and to trust Him to do what is right, all the while knowing that like Job, I may be left in the dark my entire life in regard to what His answer is or why the answer comes the way it does.
Then, I can't shake the question: If I pray for healing, such as for my friend, and God has other plans, is it still worth asking in the first place? Why should I ask him to help someone, if he already has a plan for that person? Is he going to change his plans, or change his mind just because I, or someone else, or a whole group of people, or even millions of people ask him? I think of Abraham pleading for God to be lenient with the people in Sodom. I think of the Israelites asking God for a King. I know that God could agree to change his mind, but would I want him to give me what I want instead of what He knows is right?
So many questions! For those of you that follow this blog regularly, you know this has been a lengthy struggle. I have searched the scriptures, I have read book after book on prayer, and I am even praying about praying! What I am finding is that God, for now, wants me to learn through experience. He wants me to "try him out for size" as the saying goes. So, here I am, praying, hoping, that my friend will find healing, and that in the process, I will keep learning with each step, as I practice praying in different manners and for different things, and as I keep growing in my relationship with my maker and king.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
It's never too late
I want to tell you about a patient I had. I'll call him Tommy. Tommy had a heart attack, and had to have surgery. While he was in surgery, he had a bad stroke. No one thought he had a chance in making it out of the hospital alive, and if he did, they were sure he would be in bad, bad shape thereafter. He was in the hospital for weeks. While he was there, he ended up sharing a room with another man.
One day, the roommate had some visitors who came and prayed with the man. The visitors then came and prayed over Tommy, who was still on a breathing machine and unable to interact with the world around him, though he could hear what was going on. He told me later, "I know that God heard their prayers, because I am here now."
Tommy came to our facility for rehab, to help him learn to walk, to feed himself, and to do all of the daily activities that the rest of us take for granted. He shared his story with me, and I asked him if he wanted to join our small prayer group that meets in my office every morning. He was excited and gladly joined us. Tommy ended up accepting Jesus as his savior and was even baptized by the chaplain at our facility before he was discharged home.
Tommy's life was changed, and we were all blessed to watch the changes taking place. He was such an encouragement to the other patients. He would eat in our assist dining room, though he did not need assistance any longer. He would tell the other men at the table, "Joe, you gotta drink your juice. You aren't gonna get better if you don't drink." He worked hard at his own rehab and did everything he could to help the others get well, too.
Now, Tommy comes in twice a week to continue his rehab on an outpatient basis. After his therapy, he stops by my office, "Come on, Terri, it's time to pray." He has led us in some amazing prayers. He is more alive now than ever!
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I felt a strong urge to give him a copy of my latest book. I am not one to toot my own horn, and I don't push my books at my job, but I couldn't shake the thought that I needed to give him one. So I did.
Last week, he stopped by again, and reported to me that he was so thankful for the book, that it had changed his life. He recounted the years of abuse he had endured from his father, and how his sister would take him under her wing and care for him after the beatings. He had never thanked her, and he left home angry and bitter. He says that he was an angry man and had often taken it out on his wife and children. "No more," he said. "I understand now what happened, and God has healed my heart. I called my sister after all these years, and I was able to thank her. We are now able to talk and have a new relationship." He was so thankful for the words in the book, that God had, especially for him.
I learned a lot from him, too. I learned that God can use us to encourage others no matter what our circumstances. I learned that God doesn't give up on us, even if we waste many years following another path. What an awesome God!
One day, the roommate had some visitors who came and prayed with the man. The visitors then came and prayed over Tommy, who was still on a breathing machine and unable to interact with the world around him, though he could hear what was going on. He told me later, "I know that God heard their prayers, because I am here now."
Tommy came to our facility for rehab, to help him learn to walk, to feed himself, and to do all of the daily activities that the rest of us take for granted. He shared his story with me, and I asked him if he wanted to join our small prayer group that meets in my office every morning. He was excited and gladly joined us. Tommy ended up accepting Jesus as his savior and was even baptized by the chaplain at our facility before he was discharged home.
Tommy's life was changed, and we were all blessed to watch the changes taking place. He was such an encouragement to the other patients. He would eat in our assist dining room, though he did not need assistance any longer. He would tell the other men at the table, "Joe, you gotta drink your juice. You aren't gonna get better if you don't drink." He worked hard at his own rehab and did everything he could to help the others get well, too.
Now, Tommy comes in twice a week to continue his rehab on an outpatient basis. After his therapy, he stops by my office, "Come on, Terri, it's time to pray." He has led us in some amazing prayers. He is more alive now than ever!
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I felt a strong urge to give him a copy of my latest book. I am not one to toot my own horn, and I don't push my books at my job, but I couldn't shake the thought that I needed to give him one. So I did.
Last week, he stopped by again, and reported to me that he was so thankful for the book, that it had changed his life. He recounted the years of abuse he had endured from his father, and how his sister would take him under her wing and care for him after the beatings. He had never thanked her, and he left home angry and bitter. He says that he was an angry man and had often taken it out on his wife and children. "No more," he said. "I understand now what happened, and God has healed my heart. I called my sister after all these years, and I was able to thank her. We are now able to talk and have a new relationship." He was so thankful for the words in the book, that God had, especially for him.
I learned a lot from him, too. I learned that God can use us to encourage others no matter what our circumstances. I learned that God doesn't give up on us, even if we waste many years following another path. What an awesome God!
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