Please Wash My Grimy Feet
If asked to choose a favorite place for vacation, I’m hard-pressed to decide between the mountains and the beach. Each holds a different but very deep fascination for me. Today I’m in a beachy frame of mind, perhaps inspired by our very cold winter blast. I’m particularly attracted to the white sugary sands and shimmering turquoise water found on the gulf coast. The car is barely parked before my flip flops are discarded and my toes are dipping in the warm sand. I can walk for miles with my feet in the surf, the waves continuously rolling to shore and then subsiding. The relentless ebb and flow calm my soul like nothing else can. I think God gave me this gift to show me just how constant his love is.
The breakers tumble some distance out from shore and then flow in carrying all kinds of treasures, abandoned shells, polished chunks of colored glass, sand smoothed driftwood, and countless other objects. As the waves pull away from the shore, tiny crabs are uncovered and scramble to bury themselves before a shorebird scoops them up for lunch. And hermit crabs scurry across the dry sand toward their holes hoping to avoid a similar fate.
The little sandpipers scramble back and forth with the ebb and flow. They crave the tiny morsels that surface with wave action, but they just don’t like to get their feet wet. Seagulls fly overhead begging for a handout and I truly love watching the pelicans dive for a fish. They fly just above the surface and when they spot a likely meal, they dive with such force you would think their giant beaks would break. But they surface and stretch their necks up high to swallow their catch whole before resting on the surf. On a lucky day, I may gaze over the water to find dolphins jumping a bit offshore, feeding on a school of something that was carried with the current. There’s always something to see and learn about. While the tidal patterns are constant, they offer up an endless variety of creatures and treasures to study and enjoy.
All too soon, the time always comes when I must traipse back across the dry sand dunes with wet feet and reclaim my flip-flops. And this is the bad part. It’s hard enough to leave that beautiful shore but now my feet are covered in sand and I can hardly wait to find one of the many sprinklers provided in parks and at hotels for washing dirty feet.
Jesus came to a world of dirty feet! Our journey through life is much dirtier than we think.
Ray Pritchard
So isn’t it easy to understand that trudging through desert sand in open sandals must leave one’s feet feeling really grimy? In Jesus’ day, it was custom to always wash the feet when entering a home and where servants were present, they did the washing. But when Jesus wrapped the towel around himself and knelt to wash the dirty feet of his disciples, they didn’t understand this breach of protocol. Masters never stooped to such menial tasks, but Jesus did. We all know that Peter objected, as was a common reaction for him, but Jesus explained that if one had a bath in the morning, only the feet needed to be cleansed at the close of day.
A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet. John 13:10
As was usual for our teacher, Jesus, his explanations were sometimes quite confusing. But I think this one is simple to grasp. When we are baptized, we are bathed completely and our sins are washed away, but each day we walk through our world in “sandaled feet” where all manner of dirt and grime tries to grab hold of us. By end of the day, our bodies and minds need to be cleansed of that daily layer of filth. We need to come to God and accept responsibility for the mistakes we have made during that day. Our feet need to be washed. And doesn’t it feel good to place your feet in warm water when they’re really tired, grungy, and aching?
If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other’s feet.
John 13:14 CEB
Likewise, if He has been willing to cleanse away all our grime — wash our feet — shouldn’t we be willing to forgive others for the “grime” in their lives — wash their feet?
Lord Jesus, thank you for your blood that washes my sin away. I ask you to wash my dirty feet so
I might walk closely with you today. Amen. (Faces Around the Cross, Ray Pritchard)
Read more...
March Madness
A close friend of ours is an enthusiastic fan of collegiate basketball. Thus, she gets a little absorbed at this time of year in the phenomenon known as March Madness. Her now-deceased husband coached junior high and freshman basketball and they, as a couple, developed a keen love of the sport and enjoyed teaching kids the fundamentals on which to build a future, both on the court and off. His position required countless scouting trips and they were known to have watched as many as 200 games in different cities during any given year.
Our friend grew up in Wisconsin and has a condo there. She has spent summers there for a number of years and goes back south in the winter. Last year she flew up in March to share some exciting B-ball with her sister, also an avid fan. But guess what? COVID came calling, the tournament was canceled, and she ended up staying in Wisconsin until just before Christmas. She’s staying with her son’s family at present and gearing up to watch non-stop games for the duration of this year’s NCAA tournament. It still won’t be the same as those days she spent sharing the fun with her sister, but at least the games will be played.
I’m sure there are many fans among you who will also be watching and offering your unsolicited opinions regarding players, coaches, and referees and I hope you all have a great time.
This was a time when there may have been a little March Madness going on in Jesus’ day. I seem to recall a visit he made to the temple and upon finding it overtaken by opportunists, he unleashed a display of uncharacteristic anger toward the men we refer to as money changers. Why were they there and why did He become so angry?
Jesus went into the temple complex and drove out all those buying and selling in the temple.
He overturned the money changers’ tables and the chairs of those selling doves. Matthew 21:12
It had already been a busy week. Jesus and his disciples had enjoyed a hearty meal in Bethany and been met by throngs of followers, cheering and laying palms at his feet upon his entry to Jerusalem. After a time of rest, he made his way to the temple complex where huge crowds of Jews were gathering to celebrate Passover. As was the custom in those days before Jesus’ death laid the groundwork for direct communication with God, worshipers sacrificed animals as a release from their sin. People had traveled to Jerusalem from many neighboring nations and needed to purchase animals to offer in sacrifice. Thus, the city streets and temple complex teemed with merchants seeking to make their living selling those animals and anxious travelers ready to buy them. Those from foreign countries also needed the proper currency with which to shop so they turned to the money changers, much as we would seek proper currency through customs officials when entering a foreign country.
Keep in mind that all of this is happening in God’s house and on the grounds surrounding it. All were guilty; the buyers who created a demand for sacrificial animals, the sellers who provided them, and the currency specialists who made the transactions possible.
They had turned the temple from a house of prayer into a noisy, money-grubbing circus.
(Faces Around the Cross, Ray Pritchard)
Jesus was incensed and had to do something to eliminate the “madness”. His violent reaction goes completely against his gentle character and yet, sometimes it is necessary to clean house. He did what he had to do. His anger drove the evil-doers away and as quickly as it had begun, the temple became a place of prayer and learning once again. Jesus’ anger subsided and he immediately began to teach those left behind.
And He was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you
have made it a den of robbers.” Mark 11:17
We all need to do a little house cleaning from time to time. That might require a certain amount of righteous anger or tough love, emotions we try to avoid. Sometimes they are needed, but the key is to offer guidance with love. Jesus did just that. When discipline was required, he was right on top of it. But he always followed it with loving kindness and a fruit-filled teaching opportunity, even as far as the lesson of the cross.
A plaque at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. contains this quote from Yehuda Bauer:
“Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.”
Good words to ponder as we journey with Jesus to the cross. Are we bystanders as life passes by? Or will we care enough in Jesus’ name to get involved? (Faces Around the Cross, Ray Pritchard)
Read more...
Real ID
It happened at the height of our pandemic when new COVID cases were escalating throughout Missouri, and the last thing I wanted to do was pay a visit to one of my favorite places, the Division of Motor Vehicles office, AKA the DMV, and to many of us, the house of horrors. Let me be clear, I have encountered some very pleasant and very efficient people working to provide us with licensing for anything related to moving wheels, but like most everyone, I have some horror stories as well. Even when all goes perfectly, there is always a line and a long wait. Someone ahead of you in line (or more than one) will invariably forget a necessary document or not understand a process and the person behind the counter will lose patience and guess what….you’re next!
On this particular day, I had gathered all my documents to add the Real ID star to my new driver’s license. If you haven’t had the pleasure of applying for Real ID, you’re in for a treat. It’s the new government regulation taking effect on October 1 of this year (It was delayed from October 1, 2020, because of COVID) that identifies you for the purpose of boarding domestic and international flights as well as providing entry to Level 4 government facilities. If you don’t need to do any of those things, then maybe you don’t need Real ID, but it is encouraged for everyone because we just never know what changes may occur in your life.
I walked confidently up to the door of the DMV office and spoke to the greeter who was screening everyone before entry. I told her my business, she looked at my documents and asked if I had experienced a name change. Proof of name change was one of the items listed as a required document, but Ken and I reasoned that they meant they needed proof if your last name had changed since your current license was issued. Wrong! A woman’s name must be tracked from birth to present because of marriage. This means you must present your marriage certificate and, if you have been married more than once, you must provide all marriage certificates, death certificates of a spouse, and/or divorce decrees. And, obviously, if you’ve made a legal name change of any sort or to either gender, court documents will be required.
I was not in possession of all these documents and hadn’t enough time remaining before my license expired in which to acquire them.
Government offices were still operating on skeleton crews, phones were not answered, everything had to be done online and it took a very long time to get a response. A very helpful worker suggested I apply for a Passport Card, something I didn’t know existed. Long story short, I gathered the limited documents I needed, paid a hefty sum and I now own a Passport Card that will allow me to board domestic flights and cross the Canadian or Mexican borders so long as I’m on land or sea when I cross, and I may enter US federal facilities if needed. A little step down than a full-blown passport but not bad! Whew!
But what actually is Real ID? Don’t I have my most precious credentials already? I am enrolled in God’s family through my profession of faith and my baptism. He knows exactly who I am and has adopted me, warts and all. Despite man’s need to continually inspect my identity, God knows who I am, and just as importantly, I know whose I am. All the documents in this world can’t change that and He proved that I was His by sending His Son to die in my place. And He did it for you too! That’s real ID!
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1
Read more...
Is God in Your House?
I love the look of surprise on Ken’s face when he walks into a room after I have turned his personal world upside down. You see, I simply love making a room look new by rearranging furniture and accessories. There are areas of my life in which I really embrace change and my home is one of those places. It’s a real challenge in our current home because of the room layouts and placement of certain permanent pieces like the TV and fireplace. They may slow me down a little, but I won’t let those restrictions stop me. Even when I’m not actually moving things, I’m studying the current layout and searching for ways to make it flow better or provide easier access to those items we use on a daily basis. I draw room layouts and sometimes I even go so far as to draw plans for a home I may be dreaming about. My creative side is always painting new virtual masterpieces and my home is my canvas, as long as I don’t upset Ken’s world too much. He often notices me standing in a room looking around thoughtfully and he knows change is afoot.
I recently had a pause to contemplate the important images my home should reflect. As I watched online the Sunday service at our daughter’s church in Willow Springs, I was intrigued by some of the points brought forth by their pastor. The sermon was titled When God Is In the House and it prompted me to ask myself how much of the time I behave as if God is in my house, referring to the brick-and-mortar structure that I dwell in, but also the temple that is my body, my mind, and my soul.
When Jesus entered the temple of His day, He found men cheating tired travelers who had come to celebrate Passover and He was incensed. To use the temple for such a vile purpose added insult to injury. Is it any wonder that He forcefully drove this evil from His Father’s house?
Jesus went into the temple complex and drove out all those buying and selling in the temple.
He overturned the money changers’ tables and the chairs of those selling doves. Matthew 21:12
I wonder how often I allow financial issues to cloud my vision. When God expects me to give back to Him a portion of what He gave to me or when I see a financial need in someone else’s life, how often do I choose to buy that new electronic device I’ve been wanting, or in times when COVID didn’t control our lives, did I choose dinner out for myself rather than providing food to someone who was truly hungry? I’m not saying we shouldn’t have things that make our lives more pleasant or that we should never go out for dinner. It’s when we do those things to the exclusion of others who may be in need that we might want to re-examine our values. Always be sure that God is in your house.
The sermon I referred to cited the example of getting all the necessary permits in order, hiring a contractor, and building a church, but if we don’t have God living inside those walls, it’s still just a building, it has no soul.
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1a
And likewise, if you and your spouse don’t include God in your marriage, all you have is a living arrangement. And if the family is at odds over its core values, it will not survive.
If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. Mark 3:25
The other important point in the sermon was that Jesus and Satan will not, under any circumstances, share a home. That’s a pretty important statement and one we shouldn’t take lightly. We have to choose who we will invite to share our home and whether you choose Christ or Satan, the furniture will certainly be re-arranged.
But think about this, when you choose to invite God in, He always leaves your home better than He found it (excerpted from the previously cited sermon) and He only grants us access to His home if we invite Him into ours.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:20
Don’t let the noise of the world keep you from hearing the voice of God. Author Unknown
One last thought as we continue our annual journey to the cross. My husband was recently looking at the Bible he received on his twentieth birthday in 1963. He was stationed in California at the time and was enjoying a reunion with his older sister and her family. They had been on opposite coasts for a number of years and then he enlisted in the Air Force and traveled a bit before being assigned to Beale Air Force Base and landing on her doorstep The Bible was a gift from them. He chanced to read the presentation page on which he had written:
It is easy to crowd Christ out because He will never crowd himself in. Ken Barthelette
I have borrowed some very wise words from the wise people around me. I hope they offer you pause for thought as you ask yourself this question; Is God in my house?
Read more...
A Time for Celebration
By Marcy Barthelette
Journal Entry: Sunday, February 21, 2021
The Southwest Power Pool returned to normal operation last night. Finally, the bitter cold has broken, the snow is melting, and I can catch up on my laundry, not to mention how good it feels to be warm again. I awoke to the cloudy skies that forecasters had predicted but there was a song in my heart and a smile on my face. The temperature stayed above freezing overnight and I had plenty to celebrate!
It would be an understatement to say that it’s been a rough couple of weeks for most of our nation. We were all so anxious for 2020 to end and to make a fresh start, but we might want to be careful what we wish for. Ken and I were blessed during the brutal cold with only a rolling blackout lasting an hour and a half. Our son’s family lives in Austin, TX and, while they were blessed to keep power at both their home and the hotel our son manages, all was certainly not well. Joe’s staff couldn’t get to work because of the ice and snow so he lived at the hotel for a number of days, filling any position that needed attention. He’s a hands-on manager, so that’s not unusual for him, but there was a lot of ground to cover during this emergency. He had a full house for the duration, mostly displaced families and emergency workers. While there is food service in the hotel, he couldn’t get delivery of supplies to feed all those hungry people. At one point, while going through the lobby, he glanced up to find icicles hanging from the sprinkler heads. A quick call, accompanied by a fair amount of begging, and a service person arrived within a short time and drained the lines to avoid a major break that would have resulted in very damaging flooding. During the night of his third day of nearly nonstop work, a call came from his sons that their mom had been taken to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. The diagnosis was pancreatitis caused by gallstones, but they couldn’t remove the gall bladder until her labs improved. A couple of days later, she was gall bladder-free and back at home recuperating.
That’s the latest of the issues our family is dealing with and I know you have your own share. Just like the disciples out to sea when the storm came barreling through, Jesus is in our boat too, carrying us safely through the storms.
When troubles overwhelm, He stills our thoughts and calms our fears. We need simply remember
we aren’t sailing solo. Heidi Gaul, Mornings with Jesus 2021
I feel there is a parallel between Lent and my current time of contentment. While I understand that the Lenten season is to be a time of introspection, I believe there is also much to celebrate. As we study and learn more about this man, Jesus, we find Him interacting with all kinds of people. Matter of fact, He spent a lot of His time with the overlooked and the unloved, the people others wouldn’t touch. I’m so glad He lived that way because it tells me that no matter how badly I fail, His mercy always awaits.
As we read or reread the stories of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who shared a meal with Jesus, of Mary and Martha whose brother had recently died but was restored to life, of Bartimaeus as he asks for and is given sight; aren’t these moments filled with joy and celebration. In fact, isn’t everything surrounding Jesus worthy of celebration, even His death on the cross. In the days when He walked the earth, people didn’t know what was about to happen, but we do. We know about Easter morning. We know what He offers us. So, do whatever you have chosen to do for Lent in love and dedication, learn all you can about this man, develop your relationship with Him and remember to celebrate along the way, especially at the empty tomb.
Create in me a pure heart oh God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:10, 12 NIV
Many people continue to hurt as a result of the trials our nation has been through and we need to help wherever we can. That, too, is what Lent is about, living our lives as Jesus did, serving those in need.
P.S. This past Sunday morning the praise band performed What a Beautiful Name and one line really resonated with me. It says, “You didn’t want heaven without us, so Jesus, You brought heaven down.” That really sums it up. He wants us with Him, to share His home forever. And He proved it to us in a way none of us could imagine. That’s a reason for a celebration of epic proportion!
Read more...
In the Beginning
It began on an ordinary night in an ordinary stable to ordinary people before an ordinary audience, though it was anything but ordinary. It was the beginning of the greatest story ever told. The beauty of that statement is that it wasn’t just a story. It was, and is, a promise to each of us.
No day is accidental or incidental. No acts are random or wasted. Look at the Bethlehem birth. A king ordered a census. Joseph was forced to travel. Mary, as round as a ladybug, bounced on a donkey’s back. The hotel was full. The hour was late. The event was one big hassle. Yet, out of the hassle, hope was born.
Max Lucado, Because of Bethlehem
Just a few short weeks ago we celebrated the birth of the Baby and now we begin the somber journey to the Cross. As I write, we don’t know whether Aldersgate will come together in person for Ash Wednesday or observe it virtually. I suppose it’s only fitting that, as with the most important dates during the past year, this one is also being impacted. This time, COVID isn’t the only culprit. Old man winter has reared an ugly side of his personality. Oh yes, the snow is lovely, but the cold is something most of us can likely do without. Wherever we are on Ash Wednesday, it is important to turn our thoughts to the events leading up to Easter morning. It is the time we are to examine ourselves, to learn where we may be lacking, and to get our spiritual life back on track or find those tracks for the very first time.
Last Sunday, Pastor Dennis spoke of Jesus’ Transfiguration, meaning a change in form or appearance. Roughly a millennium and a half after Moses led the Israelites from Egyptian captivity and perhaps 900 or so years after the Prophet Elijah walked the earth in service to God, Jesus took His inner circle, Peter, James, and John, on a little hike up a very high mountain. It was there that Jesus was suddenly transfigured from human to divine, completely clothed in sparkling white garments and standing in the company of Moses and Elijah. The disciples were awestruck and somewhat afraid, with Peter even suggesting that altars be built to the three spiritual beings.
Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud:
“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Mark 9:7
Just as suddenly as they had appeared, the spiritual beings disappeared, and the disciples were left just with Jesus, in His human form. Some theologians believe this encounter was meant as a sign that Jesus was to fulfill the Law and the prophets and to assure his three closest friends that He was surely the long-awaited Messiah. Yet while he unveiled Himself to these three disciples, he asked them not to talk about what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They still didn’t realize He referred to His own death.
This is love: it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice
that deals with our sins. CEB
Read more...
Find Your Markers
Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and
teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:4-5
During the long cold days of winter,
and we are deep in the middle of them now, I long for bright sunshine and warming temperatures so that Ken and I can plan a nice hike. Most years we head down to Roaring River State Park when we’re blessed with a warm February day. Having worked and lived in the trout fishing parks for many years, we always get a little antsy to check out the stream and discover any changes that have occurred in the facilities during the off-season. We love to hike up over the spring pond and take in the panoramic view. During our almost 37 years of marriage, we’ve hiked in many diverse locations and they’re all alike in one very important aspect. You need to pay attention to your guide map and watch for trail markers. Getting lost in unfamiliar terrain is no picnic so preparedness is certainly key to having a good experience.
A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. Proverbs 22:3a
And who among us hasn’t fallen under the spell of a treasure map at some point in our lives? Humans are always attracted to anything that appears valuable and free. Many of us can recall a time when, as kids, we discovered what appeared to be an ancient map with an X on the spot where the buried treasure had been concealed. We just knew that if we followed the clues on that map to the letter, we would uncover a chest full of coins and jewels left behind by pirates. We never recovered tangible treasure, but the real treasure was in the fun and comradery we enjoyed on the hunt.
For a number of years, geo-caching replaced traditional treasure hunting by combining hiking and technology to discover an often-unusual cache in an eco-friendly site above ground. No digging required, just your smartphone, a good knowledge of your GPS app, sturdy walking shoes, plenty of water to keep hydrated, appropriate clothing for the weather and never forgetting to keep an eye on the radar if the sky begins to look dicey. A number of geo-caching websites offered endless opportunities for fun and exercise. A cache might be secured in any weather-tight container and might include small trinkets for finders to take. It was typical to also leave something behind. Sometimes a journal was provided for the finder to leave comments. Once again, the reward was in the enjoyment of the hunt and, of course, all rules of outdoor etiquette applied.
The most important part of hiking or treasure hunting in any form is correctly locating the markers on your map or GPS. Without those markers, we’d be completely lost, and doesn’t that same rule apply to our spiritual lives. Our markers were set by Jesus when He walked this earth just like you and me. He taught us how to live our lives by placing the best interests of others first. At the wedding in Cana, when the wine ran out, he made more. And not just more, but the finest wine of the celebration. And he did this even though he was not yet ready to reveal himself. He fed multitudes of followers when he had often eaten little himself. He healed the sick who sought him even when it was inconvenient for him. He even brought the dead back to life.
We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and
not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)
We humans don’t have superpowers and reviving the dead is probably not to be found in our bag of tricks, but what is our response when someone needs us? Do we take the time to inquire about those needs? Do we try to provide for the needs or to guide those persons to someone who can help them? I find myself too often coming up short when I could be a light in someone’s life. I don’t know about you but I’m spending a lot of time at home these days and it gives me pause to consider who I have been until now and who I want to be in the days and years to come. I think I need to check the markers on my treasure map more carefully, for it is in God that I find my only true treasure.
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal
pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11 (NIV)
Read more...
Grow Your Roots
Don’t be ashamed if you suffer as one who belongs to Christ. Rather, honor God as you
bear Christ’s name. Give honor to God. I Peter 4:16
Here in the Ozarks, when you drive along highways where construction crews have drilled and blasted through layer upon layer of rock, you’ll likely see numerous cedar trees growing out of the cracks. How in the world can they do that? It’s a sheer rock face with an occasional tiny ledge. A seed must find its way to that ledge and land in a minuscule amount of soil, all deposited there by wind and water. While moisture typically seeps out of cracks and down the rock face, that moisture must find its way to the seed that lies in wait. Once the seed is touched by moisture and kissed by sunshine, a tiny tree sprouts, its roots burrowing into nearly invisible cracks, gathering moisture and nourishment along their way. Our local cedar trees require little to survive and soon their roots will travel deeper into the rock face to anchor the tree as it grows. I’ve seen some pretty large cedars clinging to those rock walls.
Lately, I’ve been feeling a little like a cedar tree, clinging to life on the side of a sheer rock wall. Worry over contracting the virus, the isolation from other people, wondering when or if a vaccine will be available to me, my country in political chaos with no end in sight, and many other countries around the world in similar straits, not to mention family health issues. These are taller mountains than I’ve ever encountered in my life, all coming at once, and I know that many of you share these same concerns. My roots are deep, I’m strongly anchored, but if something else changes and causes a few roots to break, my anchor could be weakened, and I could slide down that bluff a very long way to the bottom. For Christians, a fall from grace is indeed deep.
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept word planted in you, which can save you. James 1:21
Fortunately, no matter how empty l may feel at any moment, I know that my anchor remains strong. My spirit keeps growing day by day, just like that tiny tree. My strength is found as I converse with God and He shows me how to turn away the evil that surrounds me and tries to drain the nourishment from my roots. There are days when I have to really struggle to hear His voice but that’s my fault, not His. Even when I’m too distracted by the world He is always there and He will meet me wherever I am.
This week my “word well” felt completely dry but with patience and a willing ear, I finally heard Him speak and He told me I should share my fears and one big failure: pride in self. Back in April, when I started writing this weekly devotion, I thought I was doing it to help Casey and provide encouragement for you, that it was my calling, especially in these troubled times. Those are pretty lofty thoughts, aren’t they? But the Lord began to rein in my self-pride and I have come to realize that the messages are, in fact, intended for me because I have so much more to learn. I’ve come to treasure these life lessons, this spiritual healing, and if some of you receive a blessing from them along the way, that is the icing on the cake.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation…. Romans 12:12
Someone close to me recently said, “Spiritual healing is painful”. I ask you to consider the joy that always follows pain. We all need to dig a little deeper into our spiritual well, into God’s promises, and deeply into ourselves. With Him, we can find a spring that never runs dry. When you find yourself doubting and fear starts creeping into your soul, take some time to get away from everyone and reconnect with your roots, your anchor. And while you’re at it, recall the determination of that tiny cedar tree, one of God’s many signs that when we accept His will in our lives, we can do anything.
Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you:
love, prayer and forgiveness. H. Jackson Brown, Jr., author
Thank You, Lord, for the things that bring me closer to you. Buck Storm, Daily Guideposts 2021
Read more...
Make Me a Blessing
There has been for years a pretty common belief that a new habit can be formed when you repeat it for 21 days. That theory was popularized following a 1960 book by Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a cosmetic surgeon, who introduced the idea that a minimum of 21 days is required for one mental image of ourselves to be replaced by another. Of course, as humans, we are always looking for a quick and easy solution for whatever challenges we face. To be able to set a specific amount of time in which to shake off any unsavory habits was a no-brainer. Everyone was ready to jump on the bandwagon. Many studies have since been launched to test the 21-day theory, the results offering an 18-254-day range of time to break an old habit and replace it with a new one. The average was about 66 days. Variables included the type of habit involved and the personality of the individual attempting to make the change. In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all rule for breaking bad habits or creating good ones, and we all know we have a generous variety of personal favorites.
My first conversation in the morning and my last conversation before falling asleep at night are the most important of the day. That statement ties in with the SeedBed devotions that Pastor Dennis encouraged us to sign up for during the month of January. It was entitled First word, Last Word, God’s Word and encourages the habit of delving into God’s Word morning and night. For my purpose here, the reference is to prayer or personal conversation with God. Those few minutes each morning set the tone for my day. Without that time alone with Him, I usually find myself floundering through projects and commitments, trying to do them on my own. And if I neglected sharing the events of my day each evening and giving Him thanks for the blessings I enjoyed, I would feel incomplete and be unable to rest well.
The final plea I make each morning is that He would make me be a blessing to someone that day. It’s not always easy to be a blessing when we find ourselves isolated from the people around us and discouraged by all that we see happening in our world. But if we search, we can find small ways to bring a ray of sunshine into the lives of others. You may be a blessing to a member of your family, or you may reach out by phone, email, or social media with a kind word to someone that you know may be lonely. The point is, get into the habit of performing those intentional acts of kindness each and every day.
But He’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple. Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love. And don’t take yourself too seriously ─ take God seriously! Micah 6:8 The Message
In the end, the number of days it takes to develop a new habit is quite irrelevant. These are all just studies, conducted by humans, often at great cost to governments or institutions. Our society is enamored with the study of just about anything, but the bottom line is that whatever habit you pursue in God’s will, it’s going to happen in His perfect time for you.
Read more...