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Category: Blog

  • Jesus…

    Every year I want to write a Christmas post, but I’ve always had way too much to do to prepare for the holidays… baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating (I LOVE to decorate my entire house) and traveling to visit family.

    But this year, I’ve had to forgo two of my favorite things to do at Christmas time: decorating and baking.

    My husband convinced me to at least put up the Christmas tree even if I didn’t decorate every room in the house as in previous years. So, I agreed and only put up the tree with the angel on top with none of my favorite ornaments. We also put the Christmas wreath on the door. That was it for this year.

    Another item scratched off the to do list for 2021 was baking. I love to bake goodies for my family, but this year, I decided to order pastries from a fabulous Italian pastry shop near my hometown. I realized it was less expensive in terms of time and money than for me to buy the ingredients and make them myself. The love factor may not be in the purchased baked goods, but the pressure it eliminated was well worth it. I also recognized no one really cared if they were purchased or homemade. What was important was the people surrounding us during the holidays.

    While my heart lamented, as it got closer to Christmas, I was less stressed and able to enjoy the holiday more.

    Because the entire year had been one of tremendous stress to begin with, spending time with family was more important than ever before. This year we lost the matriarch of our family, so it’ll be a poignant Christmas. Sadly, because of the virus, some have chosen to not travel and stay home. And that’s OK. We will be together at other times of the year, and we can still face time.

    But more important than anything, I was able to focus my thoughts on the Reason For The Season…

    Jesus came to earth on a chilly night. A star led the way to the tiny baby with only shepherds and farm animals to herald his coming. He was swaddled in a manger most likely made of stone. The Messiah was fully God and fully man. A mystery we, as humans, cannot fathom. According to the sermon on the mount. we are blessed because we believe without seeing.

    Prophets predicted his birth long before Jesus was born in that tiny hamlet. He fulfilled at least three hundred prophecies during his earthly ministry. Here are a few he fulfilled at his birth.

    Jesus would be Born of the Family of Jesse and of the House of David

    There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
    And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.     Isaiah 11:1 (NKJV)

    “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
    “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
    A King shall reign and prosper,
    And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.     Jeremiah 23:5 (NKJV)

    Jesus Would be Born of a Virgin in Bethlehem

    Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV)

    “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
    Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
    The One to be Ruler in Israel,
    Whose goings forth are from of old,
    From everlasting.”     Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

    Jesus Would be Filled with Power, Peace, and the Spirit from Birth

    For unto us a Child is born,
    Unto us a Son is given;
    And the government will be upon His shoulder.
    And His name will be called
    Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace    . Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV) 

    “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
    Because He has anointed Me
    To preach the gospel to     the poor;
    He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
    To proclaim liberty to     the captives
    And recovery of sight to     the blind,
    To set at liberty those who are oppressed; Luke 4:18 (NKJV)

    A Star Would Point the Way Towards Jesus, the Christ

    “I see Him, but not now;
    I behold Him, but not near;
    A Star shall come out of Jacob;
    A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
    And batter the brow of Moab,
    And destroy all the sons of tumult.     Numbers 24:17 (NKJV)

    Jesus Would be Worshipped by Shepherds

    Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. Luke 2:8-12 (NKJV)

    Kings would Present Gifts to Jesus

    The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
    Will bring presents;
    The kings of Sheba and Seba
    Will offer gifts.
    Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
    All nations shall serve Him.     Psalm 72:10-11(NKJV)

    An Angelic Dream would Direct Jospeh to escape with Mary and Jesus to Egypt.

    “When Israel was a child, I loved him,
    And out of Egypt I called My son.     Hosea 11:1 (NKJV)

    There Would be a Great Sorrow Surrounding the Time of His Birth and Many Children Would be Killed

    Thus says the Lord:

    “A voice was heard in Ramah,
    Lamentation and bitter weeping,
    Rachel weeping for her children,
    Refusing to be comforted for her children,
    Because they are no more.”     Jeremiah 31:15 (NKJV)

    As we celebrate this wondrous day, I want to focus more on Jesus and what he did for me… and for you.

    May you have a blessed Christmas filled with joy and peace, knowing the prophecies surrounding his birth give us the assurance that we may live with him in eternity.

  • Memorial Day Observance

    When we lived in Germany, we took a road trip to Paris. It was Memorial Day weekend. What surprised us was how disconnected we felt from the “holiday” because the Europeans do not celebrate the day. And why would they? It’s an American holiday. We were given the last Monday in May off because my husband worked for an American company in Germany. Since the company did work for the military, they observed the holiday as well.

    While in Paris, on that Memorial Day Sunday, we visited the Arc de Triomphe. A three-to-four-lane road circles the Arc so to get to it, you have to go underground and walk through a lengthy tunnel. I’ve seen the Arc on television many times but what I didn’t realize is that there is not only an arc front to back but there are arcs on either side. I was blown away by that but was disappointed because the Arc had limited hours that day.

    But this post isn’t about the Arc, it’s about what happened while we were there.

    I wanted a photo of the side of the Arc, so I walked over to the edge of the circle and took some photos. I noticed a man with a VFW hat locking his car door to the left of me. I walked over to him and thanked him for his service (something I always do whenever I see a person in uniform.) Because I don’t speak French, I asked him if he knew why the Arc was closing. He said there was a Memorial Day procession at noon and that we should stay for it. My watch said it was barely 11:30.

    I had no idea the French honor the U.S. Memorial Day! Why hasn’t the media ever talked about that? Since it was a Sunday and not Monday—the day the U.S. celebrates Memorial Day—I didn’t make the connection between Memorial Day and the gentleman with the VFW hat.

       My husband, Ted, sat on a ledge and I told him why the Arc would be closed. He wanted to stay for the event. I joined him for a few minutes to cool off because the temperature soared that day.

    The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was in the front, and it was cordoned off, but we were second in line.

    We had no idea how this event would play out. The VFW man told me a gentleman (from a long-term care facility) who had survived storming the beaches at Normandy would be there. This was history coming alive.

    The French Police came and told us we had to move behind a set of metal barricades. My husband and I turned and moved quickly to get a ring-side spot that allowed the best view. The Star Spangled Banner faintly played and I wondered who played it. French soldiers marched to the front of the tomb and there was a French military band who came around the side and stood opposite the French soldiers. They had been playing our national anthem!

    As we stood there, I turned to see a tall young man with a huge camera. I remarked it was one big lens. He turned and smiled and started a conversation. He and his girlfriend were German. As we talked, he wanted to know what was going on and we gave him an explanation.

    I hesitated because I didn’t want to offend him, but I wanted his opinion on WWII. I think he understood what I meant. He said that it was sad that it happened. He said he didn’t know what he would have done if he had lived in that era and that he was glad he was living now and not then. His response disappointed me, but I wasn’t surprised by it. Five minutes before the event, he and his girlfriend left. That surprised me.

    The Air Force honor guard marched to their spot. Then came the flags. First the U.S. and then the French, followed by various military personnel from each.

    As the soldiers took their places, I was so overcome by emotion I began to cry. Never in my life had a Memorial Day event affected me in such a way. Was it because of the enormity of the war? Or was it because we were on foreign soil? I don’t know, but I remember the pride I felt that America helped liberate the French from the Nazis.

    As the band played the Star-Spangled Banner, my husband saluted, and I began to sing loud and proud. I heard a woman’s voice behind me singing loudly as well, and then other voices joined in. There were more Americans in the crowd than I expected.

    The French then played their anthem. The French soldiers and then the Americans placed wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

    I’m so glad we chose to go to the Arc first. Otherwise, we would have missed out on the solemn occasion and the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

  • Mother’s Day 2021

    Wishing every mother and/or grandmother who reads this blog post a very Happy Mother’s Day.

    My mother, who turns 92 in June (exactly one week after my birthday), has been slowly deteriorating.

    She has been housebound for several years. With my brother wheelchair bound and me a day’s drive away, we had a caregiver who went to her place twice a day to ensure she ate, got her medication and ensured her physical needs were met. The rest of the time she was all alone. And that bothered me.

    But mentally? She has her good days and her bad days. Some days I’d call, and she didn’t recognize my voice. Other days, she was jovial. And that was cause for celebration.

    But this year has been a particularly tough year for me… and my brother. My mother had to be hospitalized and then taken to long-term care. And while my brother fought this, he realized based on her lack of interest in using her walker and her continued physical frailty, she needed 24/7 care that neither of us could give her.

    The heartbreak of this ordeal has been to clear out decades of stuff from her home. It’s been daunting, and it’s not done yet. While I was going through her garage and donating the vast majority of stuff in there, It struck me that we are born with nothing and we die with nothing. It’s all just “stuff”. Stuff that we don’t need or want.

    I’ve come to terms with my mother’s frailty and the fact that it may not be long before she’s not with us, but rejoice because we still have her… even if it’s just for a little while longer.

    If you still have your mother in pristine health, rejoice and spend time with her. If you don’t, search your memory banks for the sweet times you spent with her and relive them in your heart and mind and know you were blessed to have her.

    So Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. You are loved.

  • He is Risen!

    This week marks the holiest week of the Christian calendar. Passion week begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Resurrection Sunday.

    Over the years, there have been many films depicting the life and crucifixion of Jesus. Two of the most recent films are Franco Zefferelli’s Jesus of Nazareth, which was originally shown on television during Holy Week in the late 1970s, and more recently Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ.   

    When I first saw Jesus of Nazareth back in the day, I remember how it deeply affected me. I remember sobbing and thinking how much He must love me (and everyone else) to have gone through such agony.

    And then in 2004, Mel Gibson produced The Passion of the Christ. I remember what a controversy it was. How Hollywood disdained and mocked Mel Gibson and the film. But God will not be mocked, and the film was an incredible success grossing over 612 million worldwide. It became the seventh-highest domestic grossing film and the highest-grossing Christian film of all time.

    Standing in line outside the theater, my husband and I knew what we were about to see from our study of the Bible, but we were unprepared for the shock and sorrow on the faces of those who left the theater. And their silence was unnerving.

    We hadn’t expected it would be as brutal as it had been and yet, thinking about the abject cruelty of the Roman Empire, the film was probably not nearly as violent as the reality of the actual crucifixion. When the film ended, there was not only pin-dropping silence in the darkened room, but a stillness, a reverence, that I had never seen in a theater before, or since. As those around us got up and soundlessly left the theater, we had the same sorrow etched on our faces that the previous group had had. When I asked my friends and family members, some in our state and many who lived across the country, of what had occurred when they went to see the film, they recounted the same experience. The unnerving silence, the sorrow, and the stillness.

    After the film’s release, Mel Gibson and the film’s star were interviewed and told amazing stories about the film’s concept and things that occurred during the filming of The Passion of the Christ. Most notable and incredible was how the actor, Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus, had been struck by lightning while hanging on the cross and lived. But he had to heart surgery after they completed the film. Caviezel has since visited churches throughout the nation to encourage people to live for Jesus.

    Jesus came to earth as a humble man, died a sinner’s death even though He was without sin and arose from the dead. That is the gospel. And that is what we, as Christians, believe.

    But it’s not the end of the story. Jesus will return in glory.

    He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

    Matthew 28:6

  • The Biltmore

    Christmas 2020 is like no other we’ve ever encountered. There’s an overarching sadness and we all know why. Rather than lamenting on what we can and cannot do, I choose to think about the reason for the season and past Christmases where happiness abounded. Unlike Ebenezer Scrooge, we’ll take a trip to a Christmas past and relive a fond memory.

    Every year, my husband and I travel to Northeast Ohio where my entire family gathers for Christmas and we return to North Carolina before New Year’s.  My two children and grandchildren fly or drive to visit my mother, my sibling’s family, and of course, us. Three years ago, it was no different.

    Without telling me, my husband had invited his older sister for a visit to North Carolina for her birthday in January, My husband wanted to do something special for her and take her (and me) to see the Christmas decorations at The Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. (We had visited one summer a few years before, but wanted to see it at Christmas time).

    While the sentiment was lovely and his sister deserved it for all she had done for his family over the years, it was December. I was knee-deep in cleaning, decorating, baking, wrapping, and last-minute year-end work stuff. I told him he had to plan the entire trip because I couldn’t possibly put one more thing on my plate. So he did.

    Of course, anything my husband does, it’s always the last minute. Tickets for Christmas at the Biltmore (not to mention hotel rooms) would have been impossible to get, not to mention ultra-expensive if he’d wanted to go in December. But, thankfully, The Biltmore keeps the Christmas decorations until around the tenth of January. So, he could get tickets and make hotel reservations.

    The day his sister arrived, it snowed. It delighted not only my husband, but his sister as well. Since they grew up in the Los Angeles area, snow was a big deal. Except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, snow had lost its luster for me since I lived in it growing up. The rest of the time, I could do without it. For the three years we had lived in North Carolina, that year was the coldest we’d experienced.

    We had dinner and planned for the four-hour trip to Asheville, North Carolina, the next day. The day we left, the sun shone and but the air was frigid as we traveled to the estate, which is in the northwest mountains of North Carolina. When we arrived, we checked into the smaller of the two Biltmore hotels. To date, with all our travels, it remains my husband’s favorite hotel.

    We had tickets for the Candlelight Christmas tour that evening. The hotel and exterior decorations were spectacular, but being in the mountains, arctic-like temperatures prevailed, which curtailed our ability to walk the estate. Shopping was a must, though, and the quaint shops on the Biltmore estate still had Christmas themed items.

    The carriage house next to The Biltmore has quaint gift shops year-round, but at Christmas, they transform into a unique Christmas shopping experience. Since ornaments are my favorite item to purchase during the holiday season, I bought several not only for myself but for my children for the following year. Interestingly, the sales clerk who sold his sister the delightful Santa she shipped back to California, grew up in the same little town where my husband grew up. What a small world! Neither my husband nor his sister could get over it.

    The intense cold bit through several layers of clothing, but after our shopping expedition, it was finally time to see the interior of the house. Every fireplace and lamp was lit and made the enormous rooms look cozy and inviting. Words cannot do justice to the grandiose beauty of the Biltmore at Christmas, so I won’t even try. Instead, here’s a look at just a few of the photos we took and I hope someday you too, may see the wonder of The Biltmore at Christmas… Enjoy!

     

     

     

     

     

    Merry Christmas from our house to yours!  May you have peaceful and blessed Christmas, remembering the reason for the season. 

     

     

     

  • The Biltmore

    Christmas 2020 is like no other we’ve ever encountered. There’s an overarching sadness and we all know why. Rather than lamenting on what we can and cannot do, I choose to think about the reason for the season and past Christmases where happiness abounded. Unlike Ebenezer Scrooge, we’ll take a trip to a Christmas past and relive a fond memory.

    Every year, my husband and I travel to Northeast Ohio where my entire family gathers for Christmas and we return to North Carolina before New Year’s.  My two children and grandchildren fly or drive to visit my mother, my sibling’s family, and of course, us. Three years ago, it was no different.

    Without telling me, my husband had invited his older sister for a visit to North Carolina for her birthday in January, My husband wanted to do something special for her and take her (and me) to see the Christmas decorations at The Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. (We had visited one summer a few years before, but wanted to see it at Christmas time).

    While the sentiment was lovely and his sister deserved it for all she had done for his family over the years, it was December. I was knee-deep in cleaning, decorating, baking, wrapping, and last-minute year-end work stuff. I told him he had to plan the entire trip because I couldn’t possibly put one more thing on my plate. So he did.

    Of course, anything my husband does, it’s always the last minute. Tickets for Christmas at the Biltmore (not to mention hotel rooms) would have been impossible to get, not to mention ultra-expensive if he’d wanted to go in December. But, thankfully, The Biltmore keeps the Christmas decorations until around the tenth of January. So, he could get tickets and make hotel reservations.

    The day his sister arrived, it snowed. It delighted not only my husband, but his sister as well. Since they grew up in the Los Angeles area, snow was a big deal. Except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, snow had lost its luster for me since I lived in it growing up. The rest of the time, I could do without it. For the three years we had lived in North Carolina, that year was the coldest we’d experienced.

    We had dinner and planned for the four-hour trip to Asheville, North Carolina, the next day. The day we left, the sun shone and but the air was frigid as we traveled to the estate, which is in the northwest mountains of North Carolina. When we arrived, we checked into the smaller of the two Biltmore hotels. To date, with all our travels, it remains my husband’s favorite hotel.

    We had tickets for the Candlelight Christmas tour that evening. The hotel and exterior decorations were spectacular, but being in the mountains, arctic-like temperatures prevailed, which curtailed our ability to walk the estate. Shopping was a must, though, and the quaint shops on the Biltmore estate still had Christmas themed items.

    The carriage house next to The Biltmore has quaint gift shops year-round, but at Christmas, they transform into a unique Christmas shopping experience. Since ornaments are my favorite item to purchase during the holiday season, I bought several not only for myself but for my children for the following year. Interestingly, the sales clerk who sold his sister the delightful Santa she shipped back to California, grew up in the same little town where my husband grew up. What a small world! Neither my husband nor his sister could get over it.

    The intense cold bit through several layers of clothing, but after our shopping expedition, it was finally time to see the interior of the house. Every fireplace and lamp was lit and made the enormous rooms look cozy and inviting. Words cannot do justice to the grandiose beauty of the Biltmore at Christmas, so I won’t even try. Instead, here’s a look at just a few of the photos we took and I hope someday you too, may see the wonder of The Biltmore at Christmas… Enjoy!

     

     

     

     

     

    Merry Christmas from our house to yours!  May you have peaceful and blessed Christmas, remembering the reason for the season. 

     

     

     

  • Happy Thanksgiving?

    For almost four hundred years Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving. This year will go down in history as different from all other Thanksgivings in the past century. It is still the fourth Thursday of November as Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared it to be in 1941. We’ll still have Turkey with all the trimmings, pumpkin pie, and the Macy’s Day Parade. But it will be different. Different in a way few of us have seen in our lifetimes.

    In 1620, the Pilgrims proclaimed the Mayflower Compact, which would become the basis for America’s Declaration of Independence. This was a scant year before the first ever Thanksgiving. And if you were in any doubt as to this country’s roots, check out what the Mayflower Compact says. I’ve been out of school for many, many years and didn’t remember it or what it said. But after listening to a Thanksgiving message last night from one of my favorite Bible teachers, Jack Hibbs, I looked it up, and our nation’s colorful history enthralled me.

    What the pastor reflected upon was the genuine act of Thanksgiving. We have lost sight of what is truly important. What do we have to be thankful for this year? Given all that Americans have suffered and lost, it doesn’t seem like there’s much to be thankful for.  And while I understand the need for all the changes to our national holiday this year, I don’t have to like it. Not at all.  And yet there are things to be thankful for. Like what you ask.

    Family? Spending time with family will be relegated to telephone calls, FaceTime, Zoom, or any other method we can come up with to see and spend time with family. I am thankful for those methods we have at our fingertips to see and talk to loved ones. That we even have loved ones who we can call is a blessing and a cause to be thankful. Some do not. Yes, I’m exceedingly thankful for my family.

    Friends? Again, being able to wish our friends, whether they be near or far, a Happy Thanksgiving is a blessing. Having Facebook to extend wishes is also a blessing. Something we didn’t have twenty years ago and beyond. Many states have put restrictions on who and how many can visit on this holiday, but we can make the best of it by using those tools we have at our fingertips to contact and stay in touch. Yes, I’m extremely thankful for friends and the tools available to me to reach them.

    Provision? In a time where there are nations who are starving, we have an abundance of food in our pantries and freezers. Restaurants who will make your Thanksgiving meal. I’m thankful for a well-prepared meal, even if I have to prepare it myself. It’s not about the turkey and trimmings or having a day off from work (some even have two days off.)  It’s about Thanking God for His Provision in our lives.

    Jobs?  With so many small businesses shutting their doors, my heart aches for the business owners and their employees now out of work. I wish it hadn’t happened, but it has. I pray those who have lost all will have it returned to them tenfold. I am thankful my husband has a job and is working from home. God has truly answered that prayer for us, and for that, I’m incredibly thankful.

    Health?  This one is tough because we all have been touched by the virus that runs rampant across our nation.  But we can be thankful for those doctors and nurses who have put their lives on the line to care for our loved ones. And if we escaped the virus, all the more reason to be thankful. Yes, I’m thankful for our continued good health.

    So.. we return to the core of why we celebrate Thanksgiving. Opening the door to our hearts will enable us to give thanks for those things in our lives. Search for something in which to give thanks this day, and every day.

    And above all, give thanks to the creator.

    Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
    For His mercy endures forever.

    1 Chronicles 16:34

  • Happy Thanksgiving?

    For almost four hundred years Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving. This year will go down in history as different from all other Thanksgivings in the past century. It is still the fourth Thursday of November as Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared it to be in 1941. We’ll still have Turkey with all the trimmings, pumpkin pie, and the Macy’s Day Parade. But it will be different. Different in a way few of us have seen in our lifetimes.

    In 1620, the Pilgrims proclaimed the Mayflower Compact, which would become the basis for America’s Declaration of Independence. This was a scant year before the first ever Thanksgiving. And if you were in any doubt as to this country’s roots, check out what the Mayflower Compact says. I’ve been out of school for many, many years and didn’t remember it or what it said. But after listening to a Thanksgiving message last night from one of my favorite Bible teachers, Jack Hibbs, I looked it up, and our nation’s colorful history enthralled me.

    What the pastor reflected upon was the genuine act of Thanksgiving. We have lost sight of what is truly important. What do we have to be thankful for this year? Given all that Americans have suffered and lost, it doesn’t seem like there’s much to be thankful for.  And while I understand the need for all the changes to our national holiday this year, I don’t have to like it. Not at all.  And yet there are things to be thankful for. Like what you ask.

    Family? Spending time with family will be relegated to telephone calls, FaceTime, Zoom, or any other method we can come up with to see and spend time with family. I am thankful for those methods we have at our fingertips to see and talk to loved ones. That we even have loved ones who we can call is a blessing and a cause to be thankful. Some do not. Yes, I’m exceedingly thankful for my family.

    Friends? Again, being able to wish our friends, whether they be near or far, a Happy Thanksgiving is a blessing. Having Facebook to extend wishes is also a blessing. Something we didn’t have twenty years ago and beyond. Many states have put restrictions on who and how many can visit on this holiday, but we can make the best of it by using those tools we have at our fingertips to contact and stay in touch. Yes, I’m extremely thankful for friends and the tools available to me to reach them.

    Provision? In a time where there are nations who are starving, we have an abundance of food in our pantries and freezers. Restaurants who will make your Thanksgiving meal. I’m thankful for a well-prepared meal, even if I have to prepare it myself. It’s not about the turkey and trimmings or having a day off from work (some even have two days off.)  It’s about Thanking God for His Provision in our lives.

    Jobs?  With so many small businesses shutting their doors, my heart aches for the business owners and their employees now out of work. I wish it hadn’t happened, but it has. I pray those who have lost all will have it returned to them tenfold. I am thankful my husband has a job and is working from home. God has truly answered that prayer for us, and for that, I’m incredibly thankful.

    Health?  This one is tough because we all have been touched by the virus that runs rampant across our nation.  But we can be thankful for those doctors and nurses who have put their lives on the line to care for our loved ones. And if we escaped the virus, all the more reason to be thankful. Yes, I’m thankful for our continued good health.

    So.. we return to the core of why we celebrate Thanksgiving. Opening the door to our hearts will enable us to give thanks for those things in our lives. Search for something in which to give thanks this day, and every day.

    And above all, give thanks to the creator.

    Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
    For His mercy endures forever.

    1 Chronicles 16:34

  • Love your neighbors…

    But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.

    Jonah 1:4

    Let’s look at the background for this book of the Bible.  Small children know the story of Jonah and the whale, and that’s what this book is about, that childhood Bible story.  However, there’s more to the story than our childhood memories.

    God spoke to Jonah in a unique way.  He wanted Jonah to do two things:  go to Ninevah, a large pagan city of that time, and call them to repentance. But Jonah didn’t want to go. He knew the people of Ninevah would mock him or worse, kill him. And the very worst was that Jonah wanted the Ninevites to be punished for their sin. So, he fled from God’s call to travel to Ninevah as he should have. Instead, he boarded a boat to go to Tarshish, a city that was considered the farthest ends of the earth.

    We pick up the story at this verse.  God stirred up a storm while Jonah was on that boat to Tarshish in direct opposition to what God told him to do.  There was nothing wrong with the ship or the sailors on that ship, but Jonah was not supposed to be there.  And it probably would not have been an issue if Jonah had traveled to Tarshish any other time, but he was not supposed to be on that boat.

    Jonah disobeyed God’s calling on his life.

    Let’s look at how this verse impacts our lives today.  Whether we are talking about God’s calling on our lives or we are talking about things we are supposed to do in our lives not related to God, it all boils down to disobedience.  When we are disobedient to God when he calls us to do something, many things can happen to us.  Perhaps not as dramatic as Jonah’s situation, but there is a consequence to not heeding God’s call on our lives. Likewise, if we disobey authority figures in our lives, it has consequences.  Those consequences can be anything from going to jail for rioting to losing our job for insubordination.  Consequences are consequences, and they can take any form.

    Loving his neighbors was not what Jonah wanted to do. He wasn’t called to like the Ninevites, he was called to love them by showing them their sin. And he paid for his disobedience.  We all should strive to love our neighbors.  From the grumpy guy down the street to the harried mother of five kids to the down-and-out street person that no one wants to see. We may not like any of them, but we are called to love them. God does and so should we.

    God has called me to pray for friends, family and even people I don’t know.  What has God called you to do?

     

  • Our country today…

    And he said:

    “The Lord roars from Zion,
    And utters His voice from Jerusalem;
    The pastures of the shepherds mourn,
    And the top of Carmel withers.”

    Amos 1:2

    Let’s look at some background information. Amos is a lesser known book of the Bible and the man, Amos, is one of the minor prophets of the Bible. His name means “burden” or “burden bearer” and he was a man of burden as he delivered prophecies of judgment on the nations surrounding Israel and Israel itself. He lived about ten miles from Jerusalem and Bible scholars have dated his ministry between 750 and 760 BC, at the time of King Uzziah, when the nation of Israel had been divided into two nations for 150 years

    Let’s look at the context of this verse. The first part of this passage deals with God’s judgment. The roar deals with God’s judgment toward the Gentile nations and then toward Judah and Israel. The people of Israel and Judah set up places of worship in other cities. This was a reminder that the true center of worship was Jerusalem. Amos described himself as a sheep raiser which meant he was a shepherd, not in the spiritual sense as Jesus was the great shepherd and he knew if God withheld rain, sent plagues or allowed foreign armies to invade, the land would suffer and the people of the land would suffer. Carmel was a mountain where Isaiah defeated the prophets of Baal. Amos is reminding the people of the Lord’s victory over idolatry.

    So how does this verse correlate to today’s society?

    The U.S. is experiencing a climate of protests and violence in our nation’s cities. The land is mourning with the destruction of buildings and businesses. The U.S. has had to overcome many obstacles from the beginning of the nation until now, but it has overcome those things through the prayers of the people. We live in hope that God will heal our land if we call out to Him.

    What is your prayer for our country today?