"...Everything's going my way." Or IS it?

 

Remember the words from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, Oklahoma ! ?

The refrain of the song, first published in 1943, goes like this:

“Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day,
I've got a wonderful feeling,
Everything's going my way.…"

 

That is what I felt like as I took my walk this morning.

After wet and rainy gloomy days,

The sun is shining,

The birds are singing and the sky is blue.

“Oh, what a beautiful morning.”

 

But what if it’s not? 

What if everything is not going my way?

What if the sun isn’t shining and the birds aren’t singing?

What then? 

 

What if I just got a disappointing phone call, or bad news, or had an unwelcomed development?

What if circumstances don’t give me a “wonderful feeling”? 

What then?

While walking I came across these words chalked on the cement:

  

 

 

 

And I thought to myself,

“No matter what –

Sunshine or rain,

Sickness or health,

Disappointment or fears,

Whatever happens, God’s got this!

God’s got ME!

He loves me... and HE IS GOOD!

 

Be encouraged today, friends.

God’s got YOU, too!

Blessings,

Ruth

Coronavirus...Economics...Politics...

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14 

 

The Psalmist expressed great confidence and trust in the Lord when facing serious life-threatening opposition from enemies who attacked and besieged him while falsely accusing him of wrong-doing.

Psalm 27 starts with this great declaration: “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?

 

In David’s case he knew who his enemies were. He knew the danger he was facing.

But he also knew his GOD. His trust in God was unwavering, so much so that he was able to say: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.” Psalm 28:7 

 

I came home from teaching Bible study this morning and turned on the tv. The news was full of speculation and information about the coronavirus that is causing concern around the world today. People are being quarantined,

travel is being restricted,

borders are closing,

and science is scrambling to develop a vaccine.

Also vying for attention in the news are the upcoming elections in our country.

The uncertainty is being reflected in the stock market.

 

If we’re honest it could be easy to be afraid. We tend to fear the unknown, the possible,

the what if’s…

So, in times like these what do we do?  

As Christians we cling to what we DO know!

We know that God is good, merciful, faithful, loving; He is the Lord Almighty.

We can reflect on what we have seen Him do in the past and know that He hasn’t changed.

 

Like the Psalmist we can be strong and take heart. 

We can determine to trust Him.

With David we can say “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” Psalm 27:3.

 

And we can do what David determined to do despite opposition and trials –

sing and make music to the Lord, seek His face, and give Him thanks. 

 

Be encouraged today,

Ruth

 

"The Lord Almighty- He is the King of glory." Psalm 24:10

I Resolve to ...

At the beginning of each New Year I look back through my calendar, reflecting on the past year and asking myself what significant events happened that could potentially change the way I live in the next year. What activities, actions, behaviors should be added, subtracted, multiplied or continued?   I think about what I know is ahead and wonder what unknown surprises could be coming.  

With each passing year more of the road is behind me than ahead. By the grace of God, I am sure of my destination but I want to end the journey well. 

So I resolve. 

I resolve that this year I will_______________________________________________.

I consider the spiritual, physical, relational, mental, and emotional aspects of life.

I ask God to direct my focus for this year. 

And then I write it down.  

I post reminders in places where I see them frequently because I know that in the busyness of daily living it is easy to get off track and forget… at least for me it is.

I didn’t always do this, but I wish I had. 

I wonder what would have been different if I had? 

I wonder how much more focused I could have been? 

How much more kingdom work could have happened?

How many mistakes could have been avoided? 

How many relationships could have been deepened?

I wonder how my family could have been more encouraged?

And then I recall the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:13-14

“Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

And I press on.

So, my friends, I challenge you to complete this sentence,

 “This year I resolve to_______________________________________.

And if you are up to the challenge I would love to hear how you filled in the blank. 

Feel free to comment at the end of this post.  

And then, dear ones,

Press On.

Blessings,

Ruth

'Tis the Season for Gift-Giving

You select the perfect gifts for your loved ones.

To your amazement they offer to pay you,

Or to work for the gifts,

Or even more shocking… they refuse the gifts altogether!

Never!

You say, “That would never happen!”
And yet it does –
Multiple times –
Every single day! 

From His loving heart, God so loved that He gave -

He gave Jesus!

Jesus IS the gift!

And wrapped up in the tiny baby we celebrate at Christmas are so many gifts, some of which are: Redemption,

Forgiveness,

Adoption into God’s Family,

Eternal LIFE,

A lasting Inheritance,

A constant Helper,

Counsel,

Comfort,

Instruction,

Direction,

Discernment,

Power,   

Gifts for service,

Assurance of salvation,

Help in prayer,

Wisdom,

Grace,

Joy,

Peace,

Hope.

God’s gifts are lasting and God’s gifts are good!

Who wouldn’t want all that?
Even more so, we all need it.
We ALL need HIM.

For a gift to become yours you have to

Believe it and
Receive it when it is offered.

God’s gift – Freely given.

You can’t buy it or work for it - and please, please,  please don’t refuse it!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

Merry Christmas!

Ruth

 

Thanksgiving?

This is a huge holiday week in America, as millions of people are preparing to give thanks,
or are we? 
One can only imagine the conversations as friends and families gather around tables...
Politics,
"Global warming,"
Wars and threats of war,
Strange weather phenomenon,
Immigration,
Economic insecurity,
Fractured, difficult, or lost relationships,
Health concerns,
Travel difficulties,
Etc., etc.

Can we stop?
Even for one day? 
Can we stop and remember?
Remember the things we have to be thankful for,
Blessings that God liberally pours out with generosity on all of us.
The undeserved gifts He showers on a world that largely discounts Him most of the time.
Sacrifices made by those who fight for freedom, those who even while we celebrate, are responding to calls for help, or keeping us safe in our homes.

Like a challenge? 
How about for 24 hours giving thanks, no complaining, just thanksgiving.
Can we do it?
I don't know but I'm willing to try. How about you?

Happy Giving of Thanks,
Ruth

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High."

Psalm 92:1

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

"Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen." Revelation 7:12

Yesterday Americans celebrated Memorial Day, remembering those who died for the cause of freedom. In every war people fought to keep us free:

·         From oppression
·         From domination
·         From slavery
·         From communism, fascism, socialism, terrorism
·         From dictatorship and tyranny.
Yet the war continues without and within our own borders today.
Many suffered death or grievous loss for the cause of a peace that can be only temporary.
For that, we are grateful and honor their sacrifice and bravery on Memorial Day.

Christ died ONCE to give lasting freedom

·         From the tyranny of sin and death
·         From judgement and eternal destruction
·         From bondage and slavery to sin.
He suffered unjust agony, humiliation, the weight of the sin of the whole world, rejection of the Father, the penalty we all deserve.
And for that, we love and worship Him.

His is a lasting eternal peace:

·         The peace of God
·         Peace with God
·         And peace with one another.

We must never forget the sacrifice of those who fought for the freedoms we enjoy in America today. We must not dishonor them by trampling on those freedoms or by giving them away.

 

We must not forget that we are “One Nation under God” and that it is because of Him that we can have true freedom. We must not disparage the One who died to bring eternal peace to our souls, and hearts, and minds – the One who died once, declaring “It is finished” –the One who reconciled fallen humanity to our holy, righteous God. Let’s not dishonor Him by forgetting His sacrifice every day.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free.” Galatians 5:1

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
“I AM the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6
“You were called to freedom.” Galatians 5:13
“…Free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

Thank you, God, for the freedoms we enjoy in our country. Thank you for those who sacrificed to keep us free. Thank you most of all for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross to atone for our sins and to reconcile us to God. Thank you that He rose again to guarantee our eternal life. Help us to walk in freedom today and always.  Amen.

The Need to Impress

Recently I heard about a company that will make fake vacation photos for you, ensuring that no one knows that you did not take an expensive dream vacation. You won’t live with the shame of not being able to afford the vacation you wish you had taken, or feel embarrassed that others have more resources than you have. 

It’s ironic that in a culture screaming for transparency and authenticity, a company selling hypocrisy can survive. It also amazes me that the need to impress others becomes the driving force behind fake photos.  

• Why does what others think – or what we believe others think – become more important than truthful reality?  
• What is it within the human heart that craves acclaim and applause so much that we pay to pretend to be what we are not? 
• Do our insecurities lead us to live a life of pretense? 
• Or does discontentment with our true selves lead us to crave more?
• Do we believe acceptance depends on keeping up?

In our struggle for acceptance we can take comfort in this:

• What God thinks is most important and we cannot fool Him.  
• He already knows the truth about us – and get this – He loves us anyway!
• He calls us His own beloved children. 
• He showers us with blessings we couldn’t possibly deserve.
• He fills our hearts with joy and peace. 
• He provides for us everything we need. 
• He assures us of His presence and says He will never leave us. 
• He gives us strength for each daily challenge.  
• And He has given us many precious promises. 

That’s a reality we can live with.

He asks us to trust Him, to be content with what we have, to lovingly speak the truth, and to exercise wisdom without hypocrisy. And that is living a life worth sharing.

Blessings,

Ruth 

Here are some encouraging scriptures: Philippians 4:13,19; 1 John 3:1-2; 2 Thessalonians  2:13; Hebrews 13:5; Ephesians 4:15; James 3:17; Romans  8:38-39; Romans 12:9; 2 Peter 1:2-11

Slow down ...

December seems to have arrived at record speed this year!

I’m amazed that as I age the seasons seem to rocket past. Or is it just me?

I remember, as a child, days of seemingly agonizing anticipation waiting for certain days or events to arrive. Birthdays, Christmas, school holidays, vacations took FOR . EV .  ER to get here, and then were quickly gone.

But now?

Now I just want to slow down the clock and savor each delicious moment.

Why is that? Why do we reach this life stage before recognizing the value of each and every day?

Perhaps, just perhaps, that is what it was like for those who waited and longed for the coming of the Messiah. Agonizing, endless waiting for the fulfillment of a promise made to generations past. He would come. The Redeemer - to Rescue and Deliver. He would Restore Peace once again - Peace between God and man.

And then…He came!

It happened in a blink.

He came, and He went – mostly unrecognized, unacknowledged and unwanted.

 

He was the Savior promised so long ago.

The One who came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)

To save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

Immanuel. God with us. (Matthew 1:23)

 

Once a year His birth is celebrated around the world with parties and programs, shopping and gift exchanges, food, and friends, and family. And sometimes we stop to remember that it all started with a promise.

“Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14)

 

Let’s stop and savor the moment,

And remember that it’s really all about Him!

 

Merry Christmas.

I REMEMBER

I REMEMBER…

...As a child waking up to wonderful smells of sautéed onion and celery, sage and poultry seasoning and turkey already roasting in the oven. Mom would get up in “the wee hours of the morning” to get Thanksgiving dinner started.

…Family gatherings around the table, eating off the “good dishes,” expressing thanks to God for His many blessings.

… Cleaning up and doing dishes together afterwards (no dishwasher) everyone pitching in to help.

… Walks after dinner to “make room for dessert.”

… Playing football outside in the yard with whoever would play.

…Cold turkey sandwiches from leftovers. Yum!

… The time we went to our Aunt’s house in Philadelphia for the meal, after which my teenage brother told our Aunt that was the first time he was ever full!  We all cracked up, but Mom acted mortified!

…Watching the Parade on TV, looking for the next huge balloon to go by.

…Starting our own family and carrying on the traditions. Going back home and sitting around Mom’s table with Mom and Dad, my adult brothers and their families, and whoever else happened to be there that year.

… The years we were in Africa and unable to be “home” for the family gatherings. Mom and Dad would put the Cassette Tape Player on the table while they ate so everyone could talk to us and we could be part of the day. Mostly we heard the clanking of silverware, laughter and “Pass the stuffing,” interspersed every so often with Mom saying, “Say something to Ruth and Pete!” Some weeks later we would get the cassette in the mail, listen to it, tape over it and send it back.  

…Trying to find a turkey to keep the tradition going, sometimes settling on a chicken we raised ourselves.

…Teaching our own children about The First Thanksgiving while living in a foreign country, even though there it was just another day with school and work as usual.

… Gathering with other American Expats, also away from their families, to celebrate together.

… Passing around notecards so we could write some reasons we are thankful for each other.

…“Football” outside in the yard but now it was Soccer.

 

THINGS CHANGE OVER TIME.

Children marry, move away, and start their own family traditions. We have to share them now just like our parents had to share us. This makes the times we are together just that much more special. Now there’s texting or Skype instead of cassette tapes, and no need to wait weeks for the tape to come in the mail so we can hear their voices.

BUT SOME THINGS DON'T CHANGE.

There’s still turkey and stuffing, plenty to eat, cleaning up afterward and maybe a walk to “make room for dessert.”  

AND ALWAYS,

no matter where we are
or who we’re with,
there are reasons to give thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29:13 (NIV)

Let Go

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

 

That night I woke up multiple times with this verse going through my mind. I didn’t know why, and I still don’t.

It has been a stressful couple of months. First the symptoms driving him to the doctor, emergency room and the specialist. Then the verdict, ‘You need a biopsy.’ We were leaving for Austria in 2 days so the biopsy was scheduled for 2 weeks after we returned – 1 month from the day we knew he needed one.

It was a great trip and a wonderful visit with family. The only pall overshadowing the trip was the knowledge that it could be his last.

With the biopsy came a diagnosis leading to surgery. Cancer is never welcome – It sneaks in subtly, insidiously, when you least expect it, inconvenient, uninvited and unwelcomed. Surgery was scheduled and performed. A 2 day hospital stay turned into 6. Afterwards a favorable pathology report gave us the best possible news, the cancer was non-invasive. Some preventive life-style changes were recommended and frequent follow-up visits would keep us apprised of any recurrence. No chemo would be needed!

So now why, after all that and with him recuperating at home, did I find myself wakeful with 1 Peter 5:7 running through my mind?

The very next morning the verse of the day popped up on my phone screen and guess what it was? Yes, 1 Peter 5:7! It almost made me laugh out loud.

I looked up the word “cast.”  Then I looked up the verse to get its context.

The previous verse reads, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”

Ok, Lord, I get the message. It is only in rolling my burdens on you, letting loose of them by throwing them onto the shoulders of the God of the universe and not trying to handle things on my own, that I can come in complete humility and dependency acknowledging your sovereignty over every single area of my life.

Every. Single. Area.

And when I do, when I let go and stop carrying burdens myself, I find your strength sustaining me and I can rest.

Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 55:22

More than a Declaration

Near the end of his life, Joshua gave a farewell address to the people of Israel. You can read it for yourself in Joshua chapters 23, 24. He reminded them that God had been fighting FOR them. He challenged them to:

Cling to the Lord.

Love the Lord.
Fear the Lord.
Serve the Lord.
Choose Him.
Obey Him.
Incline their hearts to Him.

Loving God is ACTIVE, not passive.

It involves choosing,
Following,
Serving,
Obeying,
Fearing,
Turning away from things of the world that distract us from Him,
Turning to Him in wholehearted adoration and worship.

To love God is more than just a decision or a declaration or a profession.

It is a putting OFF and a putting ON,
A turning FROM and a turning TO,
Running the race in pursuit of the goal,
Giving one’s life in the service of the Master,
Choosing His way over my way,
His thoughts over my thoughts,
His way over my will,
His Word over the world.
It is choosing THIS day and EVERY DAY to serve Him,
To choose life – HIS life,

Father God,

This day, today I again choose You!
Help me make choices that honor you.
Keep me from being distracted by anything that would draw me away from your will for me today.
Amen.

One Day at a Time

In a recent radio broadcast Dr. David Jeremiah was teaching about the prophet, Elijah. In the course of the message he said, “If God gave the widow a full barrel of flour (enough to last through the famine) she would learn to trust in the barrel instead of in God.” (You can find the details of the miracle in 1 Kings 17:8-16)

 

This brought to my mind these lyrics by Marijohn Wilkin, 1974 

“One Day at a time, Sweet Jesus, that’s all I’m asking of you.

Just give me the strength to do every day what I have to do.

Yesterday’s gone, Sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine,

Lord, help me today, show me the way, one day at a time.” 

Or how about this classic hymn, written by Swedish hymnist Lina Sandell Berg (1832-1903)

“Day by day and with each passing moment

Strength I find to meet my trials here.
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly it’s part of pain and pleasure
Mingling toil with peace and rest.”

The widow in the Bible did not get a full barrel of flour. What she did get was strength for each day

– one day at a time! But she only received the strength and the nourishment when each day she went to the pantry and dipped into the barrel.

 So we are promised strength for each day. But we need to go to the source daily to receive from His abundance exactly what is needed. Grace, direction, inspiration, forgiveness, comfort, mercy – whatever the need He provides! When I try to manage on my own, to conjure up my own solution, I go away hungry, weak and unsatisfied.

Father,

Forgive me for those times I doubt your provision and think I can manage on my own.
Help me each day to drink from the water of your Word,
to feast on the meat of the Word
and to rely on Your provision and strength for each day –
one day at a time.
Amen