At the moment my husband and I are in Hawaii with friends enjoying the warm weather and sunshine.  It's been a pretty laid back time.  We have no agenda and nowhere to be.  Pretty nice place.  Before and after breakfast we all do our devotion time, check on what's going on in the news, then head to the beach or whale watch.  

I've come to the realization that I am hearing more from God reading my devotionals here than I was at home.  I've missed that closeness with Him.  I'm not doing anything different here than I do at home.  I spend about the same time.  What exactly is distracting me from my relationship with Christ when I'm home?  My life isn't very hectic.  My home is a warm and comfortable place to be.   Maybe it's too comfortable and routine to the point that I've become complacent.  I'll need to deal with that when I get home because it can't continue on as it has.  I thank God we've had this time away so I could realize the issue I was having at home.  Pray that I find that balance that I need when we get home.

So, after that last paragraph, I want to share a few things that I have written in my little journal/calendar.  Jesus talked about seeds.  One of my devotions brought to light that if you take apart a pinecone there are little seeds in it.  That little seed doesn't look like much but if it's planted and nurtured, it will grow into a tree.  But the awesome thing is that there was always a fully grown tree in that seed, but no one could see it until the conditions were right.  Do you see how amazing that is!  Our dreams, that God has provided us, are in seed form just waiting for the right conditions to make them grow.  Philippians 1:4-6 says that we are confident that He (God) who began a good work in us will carry it to completion in Christ.  What God plants will grow if we do what's necessary.

Is the dream that God gave you still in seed form?  It's there, the whole thing.  It just needs the right conditions to grow.  Seek Christ.

While reading a devotion this morning it made think of my dad.  He passed away a few years ago.  It seems strange to realize that I won’t see him on this side of heaven anymore.  It also makes me wonder if I was a good daughter to him.  Was I too busy with my life that I didn’t consider his needs and wants?  Thoughts like that, at this time of life, are useless because there is nothing I can do about it now.  Dwelling on it could really put me in a depression.   But remembering it could help me remember to be more considerate of others in my life and not be so selfish.

I was the oldest sibling in my family and I was the first grandchild.  I was a daddy’s girl all the way.  I was loved and cherished.  I am not perfect and I did things I am not proud of but I never felt unloved by my dad.  Thinking about Fathers Day just around the corner, I realize how blessed I was.  My confidence comes from the love that I had growing up.  My small group coffee girls chuckle when I say I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t like me.  I’m so lovable!!

The love that I received while growing up, though, is nothing compared to the love of my heavenly Father.  My dad knew some of the things I did but God knows everything and still loves me.  My dad’s love makes it easy for me to accept God’s forgiveness.  It breaks my heart to think of you who have never felt that love, whether from an earthly dad or mom, husband, wife, sibling.  I have no idea how hard it is for you to accept love from God when you have never experienced it.

Even though I know I’m loved, reading about God’s love and protection for me fills my heart and mind and is such a comfort.  I need those reminders.  Zephaniah 3:17 says that God is the mighty warrior who saves.  He takes delight in us.  He will rejoice over us with singing.  We’re in a war for our souls and I need a mighty warrior to save me.  I can’t do it on my own.  Ephesians 2:4-5 says because of God’s great love for us, He has mercy on us, even when we were yet sinning against Him.  He has saved us by His grace.  There is absolutely nothing I can do to earn God’s love.  Jeremiah 31:3 says He has loved us with an everlasting love.  From beginning to end is His love.  Psalm 86:15 says God is a compassionate and gracious God slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.  Psalm 136:26 says God’s love never quits.  Romans 5:8 says that God showed His love for us that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us.

We may have different experiences with our earthly fathers but we all have the same heavenly father and He loves us, we can never make Him love us any more or any less.  His love is forever.

My husband and I took a big leap out of our comfort zone and traveled to Spain last year. We knew a few people in the tour group but not all.  We were given a list of all the items we needed to go on the trip and, of course, one of those items was our passports. Not only did we need to make sure we had at least 6 months left on the expiration dates but we were also told to take a picture of them with our phones and carry a paper copy as well.  We were warned about pickpockets and told to lock up our passports in our room safes when we checked into our hotels.  I was a little stressed about the whole process.

We flew out of Chicago and I was glad we were with a group that knew what they were doing.  It can get somewhat confusing with all the different gates we had to go through, how many times we had to take off our shoes and coats and then put them back on!  It was even harder getting back into the USA than getting out.

We stayed two nights in Barcelona and one night in Valencia.  We put our passports in the safes and made sure we took them out before we left to travel to the next city. We were getting ready to head to Madrid and most of us were on the bus and ready to go.  The woman that helped organize the tour came on the bus and told us that one couple with us couldn't find their passports and were still looking for them.  They figured hotel staff had stolen them.  That meant they would have to go to the US Embassy in Madrid to see if they could get replacements.  A day or two later we found out their passports weren't stolen but packed away in one of their bags!  

We had a memorable trip and made it home without ever getting our pockets picked or losing our passports, which I thank God for watching out for us.  It would have been bad to be stranded in a foreign country and not be able to get home just because I didn't have the correct paperwork.

I got to thinking about my citizenship here in the USA and realized that I have another citizenship because of my faith in Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 2:19 states it clearly, "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of His house."  Phillipians 3:20 says our citizenship is in heaven.  Pickpockets can't steal it and I can't put it in the wrong suitcase. I don't have to keep a paper copy or a picture on my phone.  I don't stress about it because God knows who I am and where I belong.  Not only am I citizen of heaven, I belong to God's household.  My citizenship is a gift and I will be forever a child of God.

I was reading Luke 15 about the parable of the lost sheep.  You know how you have read verses many times and just read to be done with it.  That’s me.  That’s what I was doing.  But this time something made me stop and look at the verses differently.

“Suppose one of you have a hundred sheep and loses one.  Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts in on his shoulders and goes home.  Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep’. I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”  Luke 15:1-7

I realized Jesus was talking about me.  I was that sheep. I belonged to His flock.  How did I get lost?  Maybe the terrain was just too difficult and I was too tired to continue on.  I just lay down and quit.   Quit reading the Bible, quit going to church, quit ministry, quit connecting with others.  Some other sheep may have bumped me and I was hurt.  Whether they did it on purpose or not, I couldn’t get up.  I was hurt, angry and not willing to let it go.  There may have been weeds that I got all tangled up in.  Taking my eyes off Jesus can get me tangled up so easily in things that are not my business.  Something caught my attention and I wandered off chasing it, without even realizing how far I had wandered.  And then it was too late.

I grew up in rural Montana.  My family ranched.  I was the oldest and was probably spoiled until my cousins and siblings came along.  I have always been stubborn.  I don’t remember going to church often but I asked Jesus into my life when at church camp in the 4th or 5th grade.  I went to a one room schoolhouse for kindergarten and first grade, then a two room schoolhouse.  Most of the time I was the only kid in my class.  Seventh grade we had to go to junior high in town.  I had no real close friends and it was hard to fit in with kids that had been going to school since kindergarten.  I eventually made some really good friends.  I started going with a guy in high school and got pregnant between my junior and senior year in high school.  We were married and we had a baby girl in April of my senior year.  A couple of years later we had a little boy.  Kids trying to raise kids.  Stressful years.  Verbal abuse.  I was so lost.

We moved to a house on the ranch where my aunt, uncle and cousins were living.  Aunt Patsy started taking our kids to church and eventually we started attending also. Jesus had always been my savior but now He became Lord.  He found me and was taking me back to the flock.
 
There have been tough times but I have that relationship with God that no one can take away.  That relationship with God has helped me get my self-worth back.  God was there when my husband was killed in a vehicle/train accident.  A year later He brought a wonderful man into my life that never gave up on me or my kids.  God was there while raising kids through the teenage years.  He is the good shepherd and he cares for me, he feeds me and he protects me, even when the weeds of life try to entangle me.  He always comes to find me and He will always come to find you.  And there will be rejoicing in heaven!

One early spring day I was headed to town.  It wasn’t super warm and my heater in the car was on.  I came up a street and saw a little child in only diapers in her yard, her hands lifted high dancing and singing in the sunshine.  Can you picture her?  Hair all tossled, just enjoying life.  Free, not a care in the world.

“When did I lose that kind of joy?” was my first thought.  In Matthew 18 and Luke 18 Jesus said to let the children come to him and not get in their way.  He also said that anyone who would not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.  I know God loves me.  I was created in His image.  He’s made a way, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, for me to be adopted as His daughter.  When I accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior I was made free.  I will spend eternity in God's presence.  What's wrong with me?  I should be dancing with joy, just like that little child, without a care in the world.

Jesus also told the story of the different types of soil and the seeds that were dropped on it.  Matthew 13:22 says one seed represents the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke him, making him unfruitful.  Is that me?  Is that you?  Are we letting the world choke us of joy?  If I am to receive the kingdom of God like a little child I need to realize that God, my father, wants the best for me and I need to remember that every day.  There is nothing I can do to make Him love me more or less.  But I also want to make Him happy because He loves me so much.  That's why I want to be full of joy and do the things that will bring honor and glory to Him.  

Who can we share our joy with today?  You and I have everything we need.  Let's show the world the joy that is ours through Christ.

When I started writing a few of these blog posts I felt like they needed to be like a sermon.  But I've come to realize that they are a way of sharing with you what God is saying and doing in my life.  So let's give it a try and I'm going to try to be more consistent.  It's been over a year since I posted anything and that is laziness on my part.

There has been times when I couldn't wait for my quiet time with God because I anticipated hearing from him.  But more times than not I have read and prayed just to get it done.  And I received exactly what I gave.  Nothing.  It's time to get back to the basics.

I was reading the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11:38-44 (NIV version).  Jesus didn't come right away when he heard Lazarus was sick.  He waited four days.  When he finally showed up the Bible says he was deeply moved when he came to the tomb.  Why?  I feel one of the reasons is because we weren't created to die in the beginning.  It is our sin that has caused all the sadness, ugliness, chaos, that we live in.  How it must grieve God to see the suffering we've created.  

Jesus said, "Take away the stone".  Martha reminded Jesus that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days and it was going to stink.  Jesus reminded her that if she believed, she would see God's glory.  If I put myself in Martha's sandals I think I would have been thinking, "Okay, I'm pretty sure Jesus is the Messiah and he has promised so much.  Can I believe him for right now glory and in the future glory?"  She may have had to give the nod to the men to take away the stone covering the tomb.  They took away the stone.   Jesus prayed out loud to God the Father.  He did it out loud for the people around him, not because he wanted to take credit but for the people's benefit.  Then Jesus called Lazarus' name.  Verse 44 says the dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth around his face.  Jesus said to those standing closest, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go".

Like a lot of the Bible I've read these verses many times before but this time I felt the person Jesus called out of that grave was me.  While in my sin I was dead and it wasn't just four days I had been dead.  The stench of sin was horrific.  And without Christ's voice calling to me I would still be there.  I did need to make the choice to walk out, just like Lazarus.  I know that Christ would not have forced me out.  But I walked out, the strips of cloth binding me.  The cloth over my face blinding me.  Christ said, "Take off her grave clothes and let her go".  I am free to live for the God who called me out and gave me life.

My question to you is are you still in that grave or have you walked out when Jesus called your name?  Are you still bound by the cloths of death?  Are you still blind to what God has waiting for you outside the tomb?  He'll never give up on you.

In John Eldredge's book, "The Journey of Desire" , he writes:
"By the grace of God, we cannot quite pull it off.  In the quiet moments of a day we sense a nagging within, a discontentment, a hunger for something else.  But because we have not solved the riddle of our existence, we assume that something is wrong - not with life but with us."

If you're a little like me, we look at others thinking they have it all together and wonder why we don't.  Comparison is a killer of our self worth and not only that, we aren't working in our strengths.  Our strengths, not someone else's.  Sometimes I remember God only made one of me.  If that's the case, why am I not living the life He created me to live?  But just so we don't forget, we get our strengths from God.  When I read what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12 it makes me back off and not get too cocky and proud.  I know that God will discipline me if I get out of line.  There are numerous examples of that in the Bible.  I am weak but, through Christ and only through Christ, do I become strong.

We need God.  Through Him we see our worth, not to ourselves or the world, but to Him.  We were created for His glory, His honor, not our own.  That's an issue that we all deal with.  Not our glory but His and until we get that squared away our life will be miserable, a total mess.  He is the only one who gives our life value and worth.  Ask Him to show you how to bring Him that honor and glory.  

My folks have now both passed away and my brother has the dubious honor of taking care of their estate and following their wishes for the distribution of our inheritance.  My folks were very good at taking care of their assets and my siblings and I have benefited greatly.  We have all been blessed beyond our imagination.

The inheritance from my folks is not infinite.  It will eventually dwindle and be gone.  I pray that my husband and I are as good at taking care of our assets as my parents were but if we are not diligent it will disappear, never to be see again.

As I was reading 1 Peter 1:3-4, it speaks of another inheritance.  This being Easter weekend it is especially apropos.  Peter wrote, ”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

The first thing that caught my eye was what it said about inheritance.  The inheritance from God will never perish, spoil or fade and it’s kept safe for me in heaven.  My inheritance from my folks doesn’t even come close to God's inheritance because it will disappear and is only good here, on this planet.

God’s mercy. That’s the second thing.  I will never totally comprehend God’s deep love for me.  I have to accept it on faith that Jesus lived, died and rose again for me.  He bought me with his blood so that I may be a child of God, to inherit what is kept safe for me in heaven.  I am humbled to be thoroughly known but still completely loved by God.  Undeserved mercy.

Third, I am shielded by God’s power.  I always need to remember this when the world around me is in chaos or not going according to my control.  And that’s humorous because we all know there is only one thing we are in control of and that’s our attitude.  It’s really a relief if you really stop to consider.  God’s power.  Help me to stand steady and wait for it.

My friendship with Pat really bonded because of socks.  My Friday Small Group had gifted me with an assortment of unique socks.  One day at the food pantry Pat noticed my socks because of the shoes I was wearing.  I thought it was kind of funny at the time but each Thursday when she saw me she’d want to see my socks.  I started wearing fun socks on Thursdays just to make her smile.  She’d tell me she had seen some socks at the store that she knew would be perfect for me.  She even bought me a cute pair of Valentine socks.  Every time I’d look at socks I’d think of her and know she’d get a kick out of them.

Pat passed away suddenly this week.  We are all in shock.  Sometimes the unexpected deaths are harder to accept than the ones you are expecting.  My Mom passed away two years ago.  My Dad passed away this October but I was expecting those outcomes.  But our friend Pat was so full of life the last time we saw her.  How could this be?

Pat’s death made me think of Pastor Mike’s sermon last Sunday, “To Believe or Not!”.  The take away that I got was that you get a life to live.  You get a choice whether to believe in Christ or not.  Romans 1:18-20 says no one has an excuse of not knowing God.  When you die there is no more time to choose.  You think you have all the time in the world but you don’t.  Death can come at any time.  Choose now to believe in Christ as Lord and Savior before it’s too late.

I won’t be seeing Pat at the food pantry any more but every time I see a pair of socks I will remember the fun we have had together.  I want to be able to bring joy into other’s lives as Pat did.  That is her legacy.  She'd love my pink leopard socks!

I read an article in the Livingston (Montana) Enterprise about folks heading to Yellowstone this summer using Apple maps and ending up in a residential area along the Wyoming-Idaho border close to Driggs.  Some of the subdivision residents painted rocks yellow and put them at the entrance of their subdivision, along with a sign, telling the lost travelers they’d been misled by the app.  Needless to say, some folks weren’t happy.  You know how it is.  You’re on vacation.  You have a set destination and you have a set amount of time to do it all in.  And now you’re way off track and have wasted that precious time being misdirected.

Before phone apps Coop and I used a Map n Go program off the computer.  We were headed to Arizona to visit my folks at their new retirement place for Thanksgiving for the first time.  Coop is a planner so he used Map n Go, printed the directions out, and away we went.  We ended up at an almost deserted forest service camp with our gas gauge on the red, after hours.  God was gracious.  The two guys that were working late gave us a little over two gallons of gas and we were able to make it to the folks place.  What an adventure!  We don’t use Map n Go anymore for directions.  We use multiple applications.  When we went to our grandson’s Coast Guard graduation in New Jersey our son-in-law asked us if we’d used the GPS, our phone app or our atlas.  We said, “Yes”.  We used all of them.

This makes me think of traveling through life.  There are a lot of roads and a lot of obstacles and a lot of ways to get lost.  What “mapping system” are we using?  It almost freaks me out how many option for directions there could be.  There’s TV, internet, books, friends and family that influence us every day.  But the best direction comes from God.   The Bible is an excellent roadmap for life.  God loves us.  He doesn’t get confused with His directions.  The world’s mapping system is confusing and destructive.  It changes all the time.  You think you’re on the right road and then it takes a u-turn.  Not good.  God’s mapping system is as perfect now as when it was first written.  God is always with us.  We don’t need an internet connection or our phone.  Prayer is always on.  Proverbs is a good place to start if you want to know about being smart or being a fool.  John is a good book to read to see how much God loves you.  We’ll never find our way through life on our own unless we trust in God who has it all mapped out for our good and His glory.

My husband and I have done quite a bit of traveling around this great country of ours and seen some beautiful vistas.  We don’t like the hassle of flying so do most of our traveling by vehicle.  Sometimes I get to daydreaming as we’re driving down the road and my husband will say, “Did you see that?”  By the time I look, whatever it was is behind us.  So I turn to see what I missed and realize that I just missed seeing what was ahead of us.

The Israelites had that problem when Moses led them out of Egypt.  You can read about it in Exodus.  They had been slaves all their lives and didn’t know anything else.  It wasn’t long after leaving Egypt they started looking behind them and thinking it would be better to go back than toward the promise of freedom.  They never could get past that and that generation never did make it to the promised land.

Whenever I’d read Exodus I thought those people were crazy not believing God would deliver.  He was present in the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day.  But I realized we’re no different.  It is so easy to miss out on what’s ahead by continuing to look behind.  We have friends that moved here from another state.  They had some trouble finding jobs and a lot of times they mentioned that they had it pretty good before they moved.  But, really, if it was so good back there why did they move in the first place?  What blessings did they miss out on because they were always looking back?

It’s not always wrong to look back but only for the right reasons – to learn from our mistakes.  But it’s never good to stay there.  In Philippians 3 Paul writes about looking back.  He says he was perfect in the eyes of the world/religious leaders.  But then Christ got ahold of him and changed his whole life.  Paul writes in Philippians 3:13-14,”But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

We can’t keep looking behind us because we miss so much that is ahead of us.  What a waste of God’s blessings.  And, really, can we change what’s already in the past?  Absolutely nothing that’s past can be changed now.  So let’s look with anticipation for what’s ahead of us, not at what we “may” have missed.

I’ve been reading a devotion by Henry T. and Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day By Day.  One day’s devotion spoke of Moses’ security coming from his relationship with God.  There were two questions that were posed at the end of the devotion:  Would I be satisfied to have success, power, and wealth, but not a relationship with God?   Do I value God’s presence in my life more than the greatest achievements I could experience in the world?

Both questions were thought provoking but the second question was the one that really caught my attention.  What would be the greatest achievement that I could think of without God’s presence in my life?  To tell you the truth I couldn’t think of one thing that would fit the greatest achievement category.  There are plenty of things I’d like to do but they wouldn’t qualify as the greatest.  Have I given up dreaming altogether and why?  Is that normal?  Is that good?

But the first question is why I think I couldn’t think of a thing.  I can’t see anything worthwhile doing without my relationship with God.    Have you met someone who looks like they’ve got their act together and is a total success?  We may know someone personally or we’ve seen them on the news or read about them in a magazine or seen an article about them on the internet.  You know what?  Their lives aren’t any more perfect than yours.  When you really get to know them, they are human and flawed, just like you and me.  And they have major problems, just like you and me.  As I told a pastor one time that was concerned how he was perceived at a gathering of other ministry leaders, we all put our pants on one leg at a time.  No one is better than anyone else in God’s eyes because God knows us totally, warts and all, and He still loves us. (And that’s amazing!)

Without God, whatever I did wouldn’t be worth a hill of beans.  My achievements would be like the filthiest rags you could imagine.  And the saddest part would be, no matter how successful, my achievements wouldn’t satisfy the desires of my heart because they have nothing to do with my relationship with God.  What an empty life that would be.  And it doesn’t even consider the eternal consequences of that non-relationship.  

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart”.  I want God’s desires to become mine because I delight in Him.  If God decides that I need to do something great in my life He will give me the dreams and tools to accomplish it, not for my glory but for His.  

Ask yourself these two questions.  Would you be satisfied to have success, power, and wealth, but not a relationship with God?   Do you value God’s presence in your life more than the greatest achievements you could experience in the world?  The answers have eternal consequences.

We have a feature on our car that beeps every time we wander over the center line or solid line in the road without signaling.  Sometimes it catches me off guard because I’m thinking about something besides what I should be – driving.  But there are times I swear that I never crossed that line and I still get beeped at.

I got to thinking about what it would be like if I had a feature in my life that would beep every time I crossed the line, whether thinking or unthinking. I can cross the center line and get run over by “oncoming traffic” or I can cross the solid line and end up in the “ditch”.  Not only can I get hurt but I can hurt others.

What does it look like when I cross the center line?  I easily cross that line in my mind when I take my focus off of Christ and onto me.  I get caught up in what I want to do and how I’m going to go about it.  I think of how hard I work and no one works as hard as I do.  I don’t remember all the blessings the Lord has provided and want more even though I have all I could ever need.  I let other people’s opinions cloud my perspective on who I truly am in Christ.  I get stuck in the “ditch” when I think it doesn’t matter what I do because nothing turns out the way I think it should.  So I just don’t do a thing.  It’s pretty depressing when you start writing it all down.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone, said something to them and then walked away.  Later in the day you start replaying the conversation and realize that you may have hurt them gravely or you could have at least used a little more tact?  I am so guilty of crossing those lines without thinking and then I pay the consequences of that move by hurting people by my words or what I have done.  Apologizing is agonizing.

But I do have two features in my life that warn me if I’m crossing the lines and that’s the Holy Spirit and the Bible.  If we have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit lives within us. (1Corin. 6:19).  If your conscience is bothering you, that's the Holy Spirit telling you you're getting close to crossing the lines.  Don’t ignore him.  I know for a fact that I have heard him and ignored him and suffered for it.  People who love me suffered for it.  The Bible is a treasure trove of ways to stay between the lines but you have to read it!   2 Timothy 3:1-5 gives us some idea how easy it is to be over the lines.  It is very difficult to stay between the lines because people will love only themselves and their money; they will be proud and boastful, sneering at God, being disobedient to their parents, ungrateful to them, and thoroughly bad.  They will be hardheaded and never give in to others; they will be constant liars and troublemakers and will think nothing of immorality.  They will be rough and cruel, and sneer at those who try to be good.  They will betray their friends; they will be hotheaded, puffed up with pride, and prefer good times to spending time with God.  This list could be us and we're going to have a major wreck!

How are you crossing the lines in your life right now?  It’s not too late to heed the “beeps”.  Listen to the Holy Spirit and read your Bible.  Stay between the lines!

Lessons from Paul in Prison
 
The recent “lockdown” of our normal lives continues to cause inconvenience, financial hardship, and disappointment to everyone.  Markets imploding, plans cancelled, fear of the future, even the lack of toilet paper!  In this situation, I believe we should try to encourage one another from the Word of God, and I believe that there are bright spots, however dim they may appear at this time.
 
Years ago, there was a silly song on the radio called “Making the Best Of A Bad Situation.”  It recounted unfortunate circumstances in which the recipient found a silver lining.  One woman told of her loco husband who believed he was a chicken.  He tottered around the house clucking and flapping his wings.  When asked if she’d considered finding him a doctor that could make him well, she replied, “Well yes I have, but, you know, he doesn’t eat much, and all that pecking around don’t hurt nothin’, and heaven knows we can use the eggs.”
 
In all seriousness, we are hard pressed to hear good news today.  In the book of Philippians, we find the Apostle Paul “making the best of a bad situation.”  From a Roman prison he writes to the church at Philippi with joy as his recurring theme.  Read chapter one and notice all the things that are his silver lining in the middle of a dark cloud.  In the midst of his suffering, Paul used his time in “lockdown” to lift up his Christian family.  Notice seven encouragements:
 
1) GIVE THANKS. – v. 3  “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you…”  Even in the depths of a Roman prison, Paul was able to give thanks.  Here I sit in the comfort of my modern home, with all my conveniences, plenty of food, a warm fire, and as of this moment my health.  If I cannot find a reason to give thanks, then something is drastically wrong.  God’s blessings continue, even in the darkness, even when we don’t acknowledge them.  The warmth of the sun, the snow and rain, home and family, abundant food, good friends, and work that I enjoy, all are blessings that I dare not take for granted.  Take a moment to reflect on the positive side of the ledger.  Ask your family what they are grateful for and tell God about it.  “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1Thess. 5:18).
 
2) ENCOURAGE YOUR FAMILY.  – v. 6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…”  Paul encourages his readers with the fact that God has a continuing, broader purpose for each of their lives.  What a blessing to know that I matter to God!  I remember when my Dad would praise me for a job well done and the encouragement that brought.  Some guy at the parts store would make a remark about his little helper and he would proudly claim that I was his right-hand man.  What an encouragement for me to keep learning and growing to become a man!  In the “busy-ness” of life, what is it you have left unsaid?  In your household, who needs your encouraging words?
 
3) AFFIRM YOUR LOVE. – vs. 7-8 “… I have you in my heart … For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.”  My daughter has four children, the youngest of which has been difficult from the day he was born.  That three-year-old offensive lineman is constantly obstinate during their hectic lifestyle of work, school, church and sports.  My daughter shared that, when life as they knew it came to a halt and everyone was forced to stay home, little Parker is the happiest he’s ever been!  He finally has everything he ever wanted:  all of his loved ones in their proper place, at home.  Don’t miss this opportunity to spend time with your family, and reaffirm your love.  God has providentially given you some extra time to spend with your loved ones.  Play a game, read a book, bake some cookies – make the most of it.  Affirm your love with the gift of time.
 
4) PRAY SPECIFICALLY.  – vs. 9-11 “And this I pray…” v. 4 “always in every prayer…”  You can’t watch things fall down around you without feeling a sense of frustration and anxiety.  Do you put a voice to it and pray?  Instead of pacing the floor with frustration and anxiety, Paul found great comfort in praying for his spiritual offspring in Philippi.  Although he was helpless to do anything for them himself, he asked God to do specific things in their lives.  He prayed that they would grow in knowledge and discernment; that they would make good choices; and that they would continually do right, which glorifies God.  (Wow!  A model prayer for our government!)  What are you asking God to do for your spouse?  Your children?  Your grandchildren?  God often used plagues, pestilences, oppression, military defeat, hunger and thirst to bring His people back to Himself.  (Example:  Israel and the entire Old Testament.)  It is often serious trouble that motivates us to pray.  May this experience drive us to pray.
 
5) GOD USES BAD FOR GOOD. – vs. 12-20  “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel…”  Paul has been beaten, abused and falsely accused, sentenced indefinitely to prison, and he somehow finds this to be GOOD! Incredible!  He recognizes that God has a higher purpose that supersedes his suffering, and actually puts it to good use.  Paul is in bonds but his message is prospering because of it!  Don’t discount the good that can come from this time of humbling our nation physically, financially and emotionally.  God will use this difficult time for His purpose.  We need to be reminded that God is still in control, and He can use all things for good. (Colossians 1:16-18; Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28.)
 
6) MAKE CHRIST YOUR FOCUS. – vs. 21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  The worst thing that can happen to you is NOT that you will die of the Corona Virus.  The worst thing that can happen is that you will ignore Christ, reject His gospel, and miss heaven.  The believer’s worst-case scenario is to end up In heaven!  When you can’t see the way ahead, look upon Christ.  Read of the days when He walked on this earth with broken, sick and sinful men.  Listen to His words of comfort to the widow of Nain, to Mary and Martha, to His disciples in the upper room.  Watch the scenes unfold as He turns water into wine, as He commands the storm to be still, as He emerges victorious from the grave.  Be amazed as He gives new sight to the blind man, new flesh to the lepers, and new life to Lazarus.  Now is the time to be “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Heb. 12:2).
 
7) STAND WITHOUT FEAR. – vs. 27-28 “stand fast … not in any way terrified by your adversaries…”  Fear causes panic buying in the store.  Fear causes the markets to plummet.  Fear causes people to withdraw from others and retreat from their responsibilities.  Paul reminds Timothy that “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind” (2Tim. 1:7).  This is a great opportunity to display sound thinking and love for those around us.  Be cautious, be wise, be responsible, but don’t be afraid.  Over three hundred and fifty times the Scripture says, “Fear not…” or “Be not afraid…”  Encourage your family that we are trusting God and that we don’t need to fear.  “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:10).
 
PAUL’S LOCKDOWN LIST:
1) Give thanks!  Ask your family what they are thankful for.
2) Encourage your family.  Don’t leave important things unsaid.
3) Affirm your love.  Give your family the gift of time.
4) Pray specifically.  Pray together as a family for one another and our nation.
5) Recognize that God uses our trials for good.
6) Make Christ your focus.  Spend time in the gospels getting to know Him.
7) Stand without fear.  Our Father has promised never to leave or forsake us.

I don’t know why it continues to amaze me but it does.  I can read the same scripture again and again and then one day I see something there that I never have before. Hebrews 4:12 says it well.  “For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

I was reading the account of Jesus, Peter, John and James at the transfiguration of Christ.  It’s found in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9.  Each account is a little different. It’s a lot like you and I telling of something we saw.  Even though we were at the same place at the same time we saw it differently because we relate to life differently.  But there are some similarities to our story.  When we read the stories of the transfiguration the similarities are the three disciples were there.  Jesus was there.  Elijah and Moses were there.  And Peter was talking.  In Mark it says that the disciples were so frightened, Peter didn’t know what to say.  Luke 9 says he didn’t know what he was saying.  Poor Peter.  No matter what account you read he was talking.  Knowing other stories of Peter that shouldn’t have surprised me but what caught my eye in the account in Matthew it says, “While he was still speaking, . . .”.

This is where Hebrews 4:12 comes into play.  I’m not excited when the word of God judges the thoughts and attitudes of my heart.  When I read that Peter was still talking it brought to mind how often I’m found “still speaking” when God is wanting to get my attention.  When Peter was yakking God said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.  Listen to Him!”  Right now, writing this, I’m yakking in my head, “Now where do I go with this?  What will make the most sense to those who are reading this?  Okay, that doesn’t make sense.  Just delete it”.  You get the picture.  God told Peter, John and James to listen to Jesus.  That’s what I need to do right now, to quit yakking and listen to Christ.

There are so many opportunities to listen to Christ.  You and I have the privilege and freedom to read the Bible, go to church, join and participate in small groups for Bible study and fellowship.  Our most precious privilege is prayer.  God promises to respond to our prayers but we need to listen.  For me that’s hard because I have trouble quieting down.  I have trouble even listening to you without getting distracted when we’re discussing life.  I need to remember Peter was still speaking when God wanted to instill an important fact into his life.  How many times have I missed what God was saying because I couldn't keep my mouth shut?  I want to be a listener instead of a yakker.  I want to have ears that will hear what Christ is trying to tell me. It’s not going to be easy.  Habits are hard to break.  Remind me.  Join me in becoming a better listener!

Our granddaughter has been dealing with an unexplained illness.  She’s had to wait, it seems, too long to get into the physicians that can maybe tell her what’s going on.   Many of you know what that is like – the waiting, the fear, the worry.  I have a wonderful group of ladies for my small group Bible study.  Even though we share our lives with each other on Fridays when we get together, our texting has kept us up to date on our everyday praises, heartbreak, fear, anger.  . . .  You get the point!  They’ve been praying for our granddaughter fervently.  I wanted to share a message I received from one of my sisters in Christ while she was gone on vacation but still keeping in touch with all of us through our texts.

“Good morning!  Here’s a story (the short one): Josh accidentally left his wallet in a taxi and as we sat down for breakfast at a restaurant in the city, that is when we discovered it was missing.  We all ran out in hopes of finding that same taxi in the maze of a city.  Well, we didn’t!  There’s 3,500 taxis in this town alone.  Long story short, the wallet made it back to us!  Now . . . .if God is concerned about this little thing, a wallet with cards that Josh had already cancelled, how much more so is God concerned about Miranda!  I trust God with her and what she will be told.  I love you all!!!”

What a message of hope and a reminder of God’s care for us.  In Matthew 6:25-35 Jesus is talking about worrying.  That’s really the issue.  He tells us we are more valuable than all the rest of his creation.  We will have trouble because we live in a sinful world but he will take care of us, even for the little things.  He knows what we need.  Stay close to him.

I am grateful for my small group.  Everyone needs to have one or more close confidants to pray with and for, to share life with.  Life is not easy and there’s a lot going on that can break us down.  Being isolated is one of Satan’s best tricks.  Find that special person or persons to connect with and build a close relationship.  We were created for fellowship from the beginning of time – think Adam, Eve and God.  Eccl 4:9-12 speaks of having friends.  They can help you when you have something that needs done.  If you fall down there’s someone to help you up (and there’s all sorts of ways to fall).  When it gets cold and frigid in life, two are better than one.  And, in my opinion, the most important one is if one of you needs defending the other one can step in and do it with prayer to Almighty God.  He has all the power.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken – God, you and your friend(s).  Find one or more!

It was just a box sitting on the table filled with odds and ends of stuff haphazardly thrown in.  It had been sitting like that for some time because of the accumulation of dust and dirt along with the miscellaneous items.  I was told it was a box of junk, just garbage.  But I had to take a quick look anyway.  Mmmm.  Isn’t that a roll of ribbon that’s never been unwrapped?  I didn’t dig too deep but would have loved to scrounge through and see what other treasures were hiding in there.

Later that day I was still thinking about that box during my quiet time and wondering why I was still dwelling on it.  Then it hit me.   That box filled with all those odd and ends, dirty and dusty, was a representation of our lives.  Can you picture the stuff of your life in that box?  I can picture mine.  It’s got thoughts, relationships, material possessions, words, prejudices, attitudes, all sorts of stuff all piled in there and it isn’t all clean and well organized.  I think what was bugging me the most was the attitude toward that box.  Some people looked at the stuff as junk.  I saw treasures.

What do people see when they look in the “box” of our lives?  Do they glance in there and say, “Oh, it’s just a bunch of junk, nothing worth anything in there”?  Or do they take the time to dig deeper and see if there’s any treasures in there?  The hardest question is what is my attitude toward your “box”?  I am ashamed to think that I have looked at your life and not given it a second thought, just walked on by.  I may have took the time to dig a little deeper, even found a treasure or two but still didn’t value what was truly there.
There is only one person that will dig deep into the “box” of our lives and find the treasure hidden there.  He already knows what in there and he doesn’t care how dirty or messy it is.  1 Peter 1:3-4 speaks of God’s great mercy.  He’s given us new birth into a living hope because of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and given us an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.  When Jesus gets through going through our lives this is God’s promise to us.  We aren’t junk or garbage.  We are the treasure that Christ died for and belonging to him is all we need.

Closer Than Close
Mark Batterson Weekly Devotional
January 13, 2020

Genesis 1:1-2 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.”
Long before the Holy Spirit filled or stirred or gifted or convicted or sealed or revealed or reminded, we find Him hovering over the surface of the deep.  And He is still hovering over our lives the way He hovered over creation.
He still speaks light into darkness.
He still brings order out of chaos.
He still makes beauty out of ashes.
The Hebrew word used to describe God’s proximity is paniym, and it’s multidimensional. In regard to time, paniym refers to the split second before and the split second after—a parenthesis in time. In regard to space, paniym refers to the place right in front and right in back—a parenthesis in space.
He is God with us in every sense of the word.
He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother!
A.W. Tozer pictured paniym this way: “God is above, but He’s not pushed up. He’s beneath, but He’s not pressed down. He’s outside, but He’s not excluded. He’s inside, but He’s not confined. God is above all things presiding, beneath all things sustaining, outside of all things embracing and inside of all things filling.”
The Holy Spirit is hovering. The Holy Spirit is whispering. The Holy Spirit is breathing into you the same breath He breathed into the dust bowl named Adam.
(Excerpted from Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God)

Last Christmas I was shopping, trying to get my list done in one day. Over the intercom of the store I was currently in came a voice letting us all know that the store had Christmas stamps and we didn’t have to go to the post office to get them. The post office was on my list so I figured I’d eliminate that stop. I don’t know about your post office but it always seems like there’s a huge line and only one person working. I told the checkout person I wanted about 100 stamps.
When she handed them to me I realized they had Santa Claus on them. For whatever reason I have never liked Santa, even as a child. I didn’t mind getting gifts from him but I didn’t want anything to do with the real thing. If I saw him coming down the sidewalk I’d cross to the other side to avoid him. Getting the stamps at the store cut out a stop for me but I didn’t get what I really wanted because I wanted a quick fix. I didn’t ask enough questions.
How many times have we done that? Didn’t get what we really wanted because we wanted a quick fix and didn’t want to wait. Didn’t ask enough questions. And when we got what we thought we wanted it wasn’t right. Sometimes we’re downright foolish. Proverbs speaks a lot about fools and people that are wiser. It would be a good book to read for the New Year. We could all use a little more wisdom and all we have to do is ask for it. Oh, and maybe wait and not look for a quick fix! Happy 2020.

Penny C.

We have the opportunity to see people at their best and at their worst when we serve in Valley Mission Food Pantry each week. I tell folks all the time that it's my second favorite day of the week, next to Sunday.
This past week was an exceptionally special day for all of us.
It was a cold December day with the usual Idaho winter wind howling down Arthur Avenue, making for a brisk walk to cars with food boxes for our Carry Team.
On the floor, Guests were being served with cheer, joy and a smile from the team. Just so you have a context, the majority of our volunteer team is NOT from First Baptist Church. About 60% come from the community while the other 40% are from the church.
As they went about their weekly routine of meeting needs and trying to put smiles on faces, one of our volunteers had an encounter with a guest that was out of the norm. What she did in response was, to many, an incredible display of giving. To her it was a simple gift.
As a young woman came through the line, she arrived at one of the 'stations' to get her food when our volunteer noticed she had no coat. "Where is your coat, young lady?", she asked. "I don't have one. This is all I've got for now", was the woman's reply. "It's too cold for you to be out there in just that. Wait right there", said our volunteer. She left the floor, ran into the back room and then appeared holding her coat in her hands. "Here, you take this and keep yourself warm. I can get another one", as the volunteer handed her coat to the Guest. Tears began to well up as she received the coat. The Guest was sent on her way to gather the rest of her food. It wasn't until the Guest had left that the volunteer realized, "My car keys were in that coat!"
Funny thing - God had already taken care of that little miracle. The Guest had reached into her pocket for something while heading out, and without knowing it, pulled her hand out and the keys fell on the floor in the Family Room. When our volunteer heard there were keys found she was greatly relieved to see that they were hers!

"What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb.
If I were a wiseman, I would do my part, Yet what can I give Him? Give Him my heart."

Sometimes we get caught up in the giving of gifts. Who? How much for each one? What if someone gives me a gift that I didn't have on my list? AGGHHH! We make ourselves crazy trying to keep up! If Jesus is the example of how we're to live our lives, perhaps we should be about meeting the need right in front of us first. Take time to listen to what people are really saying. Notice what they need in the moment. Then meet that need. When you touch the heart in the simplest of ways, it begins lay a foundation to hear the gospel. Then the real miracle happens - bigger than finding keys on a Family room floor!

Merry Christmas!

Narrow Minded
Have you ever been called narrow minded? I haven’t for awhile, maybe because I hang out with like-minded people. But it has happened and I have immediately become defensive. All sorts of thoughts run through my head. Am I truly narrow minded? Why would anyone think that I am? How dare they think that! Wait, how can I be narrow minded when I’m always right?
I came across a couple verses that I’ve read many times but one word caught my attention – narrow. The verses are Matthew 7:13-14. Jesus is speaking about entering the narrow gate. The road through that gate leads to life. Or a person can go through the wide gate. The road through that gate is broad but it leads to destruction.
Narrow or wide? Life or destruction? I get to choose. Do I trust in Christ and what the Bible says or do I listen to what the world is telling me and do whatever “feels good”? Getting more narrower, do I believe that Jesus is the only way to a relationship with God or do I believe that I don’t need any relationship with God, that I’m good enough on my own, or there are many ways to heaven that I can pick and choose from? The wide road looks like a lot of fun but is it really? What’s really true about it? I know from experience that there’s a lot of heartache down that road. Been there, done that. Not fun.
Narrow isn’t easy but it’s the right road to be on. I have to choose to stay on that road every day and not let anyone’s opinion or action change that. I’m going to smile the next time someone tells me I’m narrow minded because that’s the gate I chose and that’s the road I’m on. I also need to memorize Matthew 7:13-14. Maybe I’ll get a chance to share them with someone who needs to know what gate they’ve gone through and how to get to the right one.

Penny C., First Baptist Church

Over the past several weeks we've been learning through the Sunday messages and group study of Experiencing God about joining God in His work, listening when He speaks, dealing with a crisis of belief and then working toward being obedient to that call. And if we're honest, when that moment of obedience comes up, so do our excuses, right? I'm not equipped. You must have the wrong person. I don't feel ready. I don't know enough. It's uneasy and uncomfortable. It's weird...you get the idea.
Sometimes in the back of our minds we may even believe 'God couldn't be asking ME to do that?' It's like we don't think we have anything to offer.
If we didn't respond to the times that God has called us, as a church, to do something, we wouldn't be where we are today. We'd be stuck, and not in a good place.
This past week has been one of God reminding me that what we're doing with the Warming Shelter and Pantry are right where God wants us right now. And, there are things happening that are confirming that we need to move forward with the next level stuff, including a building, in the very near future. Don't ask me what that looks like yet, because He is still at work.
But for where we are NOW, it's clear.
And it's in the little things that God needs to be glorified, just as much as in the big things. Tuesday we were looking for some cot covers for our shelter in order to more sanitary for our guests and to help us keep the place cleaner. After some research and looking locally, I found a couple of great options. But I didn't hit the order button. I felt like something told me to wait. So I did. Within a couple of hours I received a call from an acquintance of the O'Briens. She said each year they adopt an agency, such as Aid for Friends, Salvation Army and others, and this year they would like to support the Warming Shelter. Her exact words, "Is there a need you have right now that we could help with?" So I told her about the covers and the need for some hygiene kits. So guess who is going to be blessed with needed items?
The same day, as I was leaving rehearsal, I was prompted to swing by Jack in the Box. They have serveral homeless folks throughout the year, but especially in the winter. I wanted to go home. So I started that way, opposite the restaurant, but heard that nagging reminder to go and do something. My response was probably like a lot of yours - "FINE!"
So around the corner I went, reluctantly. I went in and ordered some 'healthy' food and waited. When the server called my number I went up and handed him my business card which has a map on the back of it. I told him the shelter was open until 7 am and to let anyone in need know about it. "Is that the church that was just on the news?" he asked. "Yes it is", I replied. Then he floored me..."I think I will go there tonight. I need a place and where I'm at now isn't the best place for me."
Here's the deal: I would have missed out on the opportunity to be used by God to give someone some hope, albeit little to me. It was huge to him. But what if I didn't obey what I clearly heard I was supposed to do?
"If you keep on obeying what I command, then you truly are my disciples." Jesus, John 8:31
You have to know God's Word. You have to believe God's Word. You have to obey God's Word. And when He does speak - by the Holy Spirit through The Word, prayer, the Church and circumstances - you have a decision to make. Obey or not.
Let's be that blessing and give God the glory in the little and big things as we listen and obey!

Jesus came to serve, not to be served. Somehow, the 'church' in America has lost sight of that and has sat back and watched the smaller group of volunteers serve the larger group of consumers. No where in Scripture does it say to sit back and take, consume in worship. Sundays are all about loving God and loving the people He connected us all to. On top of that, there are literally thousands of people every Sunday looking for a church community, a place they can call home. But when they get to 'church' they don't see a lot of community serving together in some places. No clear signage in the parking lot or on the building to know where to park or where to enter the church. No one inside holding the door for them or directing them to the kids area or even where to sit. To top it off, nobody will speak to them because they're new and that should be SOMEBODY else's job. IF they make it through the service they can't hit the door fast enough to get away and go look elsewhere!
I'm not talking about First Baptist Church here. Though we are 'missing it' on a couple of points, we're making progress to make sure this doesn't occur in our place. But here's the point -
the same people that are already serving CAN'T DO MORE! It takes a village to raise the kids, right? So we are looking to you to step up and get into the habit of serving. Let's face it - if Christ came back today to see how His church was doing, He'd be disappointed to see what's going on. 20-30% of the people doing 80% of the work is NOT His model. Don't worry about letting me down. I'm not the one you're serving. Christ calls us over and over again to serve one another - so maybe it's time we got after that morsel and started jumping in.
Let me encourage you to listen and watch for those moments where your passion, skills, desires can actually be used on occasion to bless the body of Christ. We're not asking for hours every week. Some areas only require 20 minutes to serve, and sometimes that's only once a month! Wow! Talk about easy peesy!
If you don't know where to start, please find me and we'll walk through some simple things to find you a place.
And once you're in,  you'll be glad you made the plunge to not only live like Jesus and love like Jesus, now you're serving like Jesus!

Be blessed in His Service!
Karl