Casting Shadows

In the cool crisp early morning light, I saw the sun casting shadows upon the ground of the Bradford pear trees on our road.  I had noticed their beauty before but on this particular morning I stopped to observe each shadow as it fell. The shadow drew a glimpse of each tree as a dark form reflecting the source of light behind it.  Each shadow was slightly different.  While the shadow was not a full image of the tree, you knew what the image was suppose to be.  It was a tree.  Depending upon the direction of the sun, the shadow would be full or slender, long or short.

We are a reflection to others based on the different values and character traits that make us who we are.  We reflect goodness, kindness, love and compassion based on the source of light behind us.  If the light we are reflecting is based only on self, we reflect self.  If, however, we are reflecting the fruits of the Spirit because we have the Spirit of God dwelling within us then Jesus Christ is who we reflect.

So the question is this.  What do you reflect? Are you a reflection of self or do you reflect the Son shine?

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Surviving Turbulant Times

 Sometimes life feels so out of control that you don't know when or how you will ever survive.  Often there are warnings about what is to be expected as in the diagnosis of a disease like Alzheimers.  You know what the end of the disease will be but you hope against hope that will not happen to the one you love.

As a Christian, I know that God knows the plans He has for each life.  And when He brings pain or hardship, I know that He is still in control.  He still loves me no matter what and He has purpose for everything He has placed in my life.
   
This summer I lost my Mother to Alzheimers after a long eight year struggle.  Had my Mother been in her right mind she would have been horrified about the way this diseased caused her to act.  In fact, she had told me numerous times before the disease not to "let" her act like that when observing some one that was acting inappropriately.  My Mother was a Southern lady and acted like a lady.  Until--the disease.  She then exhibited behavior unbecoming a lady being violent when someone tried to help her dress or assist her with personal hygiene.

One of the most horrible things about the disease is how it affects your memory.  It robs you of your personality and the memories that make you who you are.  Mother never completely lost all her memory.  She had little bits and pieces of it.  She didn't remember who her children were but knew she was suppose to love us.  She would often say the words and I was never sure whether she knew who I was or not.

Now her battle with the disease is over and she is whole again and dancing across heaven with my Dad.  I can reflect on those turbulent years and know that I only survived with my Saviour's help.  His Hand guided me and held me up when I could not do so for myself.  I can tell you that without my faith, my own strength to face this situation might have been different.  My peace only comes from Him.

You never imagine you will be in the midst of turbulent waters.  Life seems to go smoothly and then all of a sudden that quiet gentle stream develops fast moving currents that become violent turbulence all too fast.

During a recent trip to Colorado, I was reminded how rapidly waters change from headwaters where the stream flows quiet and smooth and then changes into a rushing turbulence of swift whitewater.

I observed rafters at the Royal Gorge trying to navigate through the swift violent water.  Sometimes they made it through successfully and sometimes their kayak would turn over thrusting them into the swift current. Struggling to survive a watery grave, the rafter would grab whatever was there in order to pull himself up.

AR River headwaters on valley floor

Yes, the waters of life seem to flow smoothly at times but all to soon these waters flow more swiftly to the point of becoming turbulent.  Life is like that.  But it is during those times when we must know who is our anchor.  That anchor is Jesus.  We can grab onto Him when turbulence wants to pull us down.  He will pull us up.

Because my Mother was a child of God, the Holy Spirit dwelt within her and although her mind was eaten away with the disease, the Spirit of God still dwelt within her.  He never forsook her and He never left her alone.  And now she dwells with Him forever.  Someday, I will be reunited with her and other loved ones that have gone on before me.

Arkansas River at the Royal Gorge

Rafter Struggles to stay afloat

Coming out of turbulent waters

Feasting On HIs Word

If you are a Mom, aunt, sibling, cousin or just a observant soul, you probably have watched a baby feed on his milk.  He eagerly feeds as if he had never eaten before today.  He smacks his lips and makes all kind of sounds including contentment once he starts to feed.  If he doesn't receive nourishment, he begins to cry loudly from hunger in order to get your attention.  He wants it now and eagerly draws it in as quickly as he can. Without milk he will not survive, his growth will be stunted and he will die if not nourished. When we become a new Christian, God's Word is our milk.  We crave it and desire to dig in with everything we've got. We have an insatiable appetite for the Word.   

1 Peter 2:2-3 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your  salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

So why is it that we do not "feed" our new Christians by helping them understand God's Word.   Babies are not expected to get their own meals. How then can we expect them to grow as Christians without teaching? So often, our churches rejoice at the salvation of a new soul but then leave them to fend for themselves to grow in the Word.  We don't seem to grasp the importance of mentoring and teaching them. Yes, the Holy Spirit illuminates the Word opening up each passage and making God's Word clear to every child.  But God has also gifted His children to teach and guide His "babies".  Even milk is ingested one swallow at a time.  Babies don't instantly become a mature person or a mature Christian.  We need to provide assistance/mentoring for them.  What a delight to see a new Christian growing in wisdom as he draws closer to the Lord!


Ephesians 4:11-16 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Do you provide mentoring to a new Christian by helping them understand God's Word? Help them have a full life. Share God's truths. Life without the Word is hopeless.

Batter'd to Shape and Use

In my younger years, I made homemade yeast bread the old fashion way: starting from scratch (that means no frozen bread, no prepackaged mixture or bread machine was in use).  I began with basic ingredients such as flour, sugar, salt, shortening, yeast, etc. and mixed them together then set them aside to rise.  This rising process takes time as the yeast in the mixture begins to release gases to make the dough rise.

Once the dough doubles in size, it is punched down with your fist during a process called “kneading”.  “Kneading” means simply hitting or punching the dough. Kneading helps remove some of the gas bubbles that have been produced by the yeast and develops a protein called gluten giving the dough elasticity and causing the dough to rise properly. It is stretched to develop tenderness and is then put in a warm place to rise again before baking. Left to itself without the kneading process, the dough would become tough resulting in bread with a heavy texture and unpleasant taste.

The Christian life is much like the kneading process.  When we accept Christ as our Savior, God shapes us to conform us to the image of Jesus. Much like the kneading process where the bread is punched and hit to remove the results of the yeast, God sometimes has to do the same with us in order to remove sin or unChrist-like attitudes in our life and shape us into dough that will rise to His desired heights for our lives as we are shaped into the image of His Son.

Oswald Chambers refers to the kneading process by using the word batter'd.  Battered means to beat with precision, given blows so as to bruise, shatter or demolish. In his book My Utmost for His Highest, Chambers makes this statement: “God takes us out of our own ideas for our lives and we are ‘batter’d to shape and use’…”. God batters/kneads us in order to use us for His kingdom’s purpose.

Are you being bruised by circumstances? Have you been batter'd, kneaded or bruised by someone or something lately?  Is there something in your life that needs to be removed: an attitude, unforgiveness, a sin?  Is God kneading you for a purpose?  Want to find out? Open your heart and seek His answers.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8

^{Your boasting is not good.  Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch--as you really are.  For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.  Therefore, let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.}

In the Belly of the Whale

Jonah 1:1-17  The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: ² “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
 ³ But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. ⁴ Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵ All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.  But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. ⁶ The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.” ⁷ Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸ So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” ⁹ He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” ¹⁰ This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.) ¹¹ The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” ¹² “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” ¹³ Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. ¹⁴ Then they cried to the LORD, “O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased.” ¹⁵ Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. ¹⁶ At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him. ¹⁷ But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

Have you ever been disobedient to the Lord?  Have you ever been rebellious and strong-willed wanting your own way?  If so, you may have experienced the same feelings that Jonah did.  You probably weren't swallowed by a whale physically but maybe you felt isolated, alone, depressed, and exhausted even to the point where things just didn't matter to you anymore.  You could even fall into a deep sleep and forget the world around you ignoring the fact that God told you to do a certain thing.

Jonah had no plan for being swallowed by the whale.  All he wanted to do was take a boat ride in the opposite direction of where and what God wanted for him.  You notice that not only did Jonah know the storm was a result of his disobedience but those around him knew as well.  His influence was great in his disobedience but greater still  in his obedience (after the whale belly incidence).

Funny how disobedience to the Lord always seems to catch up with you no matter how hard you try to forget it.  Disobedience is rebellion against God and rebellion against God is sin.  If the Lord has spoken to you and told you to do something, take a lesson from Jonah just do it.  Plain and simple but hard to do-just do it.  God has a reason and a plan for everything He asked you to do.  Serve Him for His kingdom's glory.

Are you in the "belly of a whale"? Do you know the Lord has asked you to do something for His kingdom by serving Him in a particular way?  Perhaps He asked you to forgive someone who has wronged you or speak to someone about Jesus.  Maybe He wants you to teach a class or serve Him in full time ministry.  The choice is always yours. You can do as He asked or you can turn and run in the opposite direction and risk being swallowed by "a whale".

Working on the Building

Sometimes on our spiritual journey, things don't always go as smoothly as we think they should.  I am a Christian so when I accepted Christ as Saviour, my life was suppose to be free from bumps in the road. It was supposed to be a paved highway, a fast ride on the interstate with no toll booths ahead.  That's right-isn't it?

At least you would think that after God finished working on your sins at conversion when He showed you how sinful you were that He would let it rest. Well, guess what! He doesn't. Because we belong to Christ, God is continually remodeling us into the image of our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Because we are human, often we do not change unless we are forced to change.  When things are going good we don't listen to what He is telling us.  It takes trouble or trials to get our attention.

In a devotion book, I ran across this comment concerning the growth of a Christian from C.S. Lewis on Mere Christianity Book IV, Chapter 9:

When troubles come along...he is disappointed.  These things, he feels, might have been necessary to rouse him and make him repent in his bad old days; but why now?  Because God is forcing him on, or up, to a higher level: putting him into situations where he will have to be very much braver, or more patient, or more loving, than he ever dreamed of being before.  It seems to us all unnecessary: but that is because we have not yet had the slightest notion of the tremendous thing He means to make of us.

C.S. Lewis continues on with an illustration of a house.  He says imagine yourself as a house.  God comes to rebuild the house and at first you understand what He is doing.  He is getting the drains right, stopping the leaks and those things you knew needed to be repaired so you were not surprised.  Then He starts knocking down walls in ways that really hurt and it doesn't seem to make sense to you.  God is building quite a different house from the one you thought you were.  He is building a new wing here, putting on the extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards, etc.  You pictured yourself as a little cottage but He is building a grand palace. 

You have no idea what God is doing but trust assured the blueprint was designed specifically for you and it will become a most magnificent creation!

Open Your Eyes

They announced their arrival as they flew over the house and beckoned me to the window.  Majestic Canadian geese flying in formation landing near the pond across the pasture in search of food.  I ran to the window as I often do to see the "special" delight that God provided just to remind me of His presence and the glory of His creation.

There they were swimming on the pond and grazing nearby grass doing what geese do as I admired their beauty.  I noticed two very large geese on the hill between the house and the pond and in order to see them better, I retrieved my binoculars from the closet.  What a delight!  They have a definite beauty all their own.

As I looked at the geese suddenly coming into view was a very large bird I had not seen while looking at the geese.  This bird was camouflaged and blended into the background so perfectly that I was not aware that he was there.  He stood perfectly still waiting for the unsuspecting fish to swim near him.  The fish would in an instant become dinner.  This large blue gray bird was the great blue heron who was also a frequent guest to our pond.  But this time I had not been looking for him but to my surprise, there he stood.

My thoughts turned to the Lord as I thought about how often He is near me and I don't even know He's there.  I do not "see".  All Christians have the assurance of His presence within us by the Holy Spirit and the assurance that He is always near to protect, to love and to commune with Him.  Sometimes, however, we do not take time during our daily activities to acknowledge His presence. We become so involved with "living" that we fail to recognize the "Life".  If we but "open our eyes" to His divine presence, we will be delighted by what we find.

The Straight Razor

As my three sisters and I were dividing my Mother's things, we have discovered a number of items belonging to grandparents and great grandparents.  The items have been a variety of things from every Christmas card and every bank statement from many years back to personal items such as wedding rings or class rings.  We very carefully are going through each piece finding some trash but mostly a lot of treasures.  These include old pictures dating back many generations, a dollar bill wrapped in a napkin secured with a rubber band from my Grandmother, canceled checks from 1942, old war ration stamps, notes my Mother wrote Daddy, notes my Daddy wrote Mother and the list goes on and on.

Because we all have precious memories of times past dividing things up has taken a lot of thought and cooperation on the part of all of us.  Some "things" mean more to one sister and other "things" mean more to another.  The things we all wanted became a challenge and in the spirit of fairness, we lumped them together and drew by number for the treasures we would take home. 

Part of this process resulted in an old rusty straight razor coming into my possession.  There were four up for grabs and being the oldest I placed the four in my hand and offered the others a choice.  They selected the ones they wanted and I took what was left.  It was an old, ugly, rusty, straight razor and there was no pearl handle and parts were missing.  I really didn't see much value in it other than it had belonged to someone in the family.  I thought, "That's ok, its just "stuff" and it really doesn't matter."

Part of cleaning and sorting also included the stacks and stacks of genealogy books my Mother and Dad compiled of relatives and generations past.  While I have not completed this task, I have a beginning.  As I was going through the genealogy information, I came across a forgotten story told by my Grandfather.  He mentioned a razor passed down from father to the oldest son.  This razor brought from Ireland had been in my Grandfather's possession since he had been the oldest son.  Could this razor be "the one"?

I examined the razor carefully.  There appeared to be letters engraved on the blade.  Using a magnifying glass, I was able to read the words "George Worstenholm" and "IXL".  After a Google search, I discovered this razor had been made in Shuffield England about the time my ancestors would have lived in Ireland.  Perhaps this razor really was that razor that had "special" meaning for my family and was the one they brought to America.  It no longer was a rusty old razor with no value.  Suddenly it had great value to me.

The same is true with the cross of Jesus.  At first glance, the cross was an instrument of execution and death that caused extreme suffering with bloody and wretched pain.  Since it was used for the worst of criminals it was associated with punishment and shame.  The people of Jesus generation would have considered the cross with horror and disgust.  They would have seen nothing of value in it.  Had Jesus not performed this sacrifice for our sin, we would have also regarded it in the same manner.

Only on closer look at the cross where Jesus died do we see the value and significance of such an ugly thing.  It was through this torturous instrument of death that Jesus provided the ultimate sacrifice for me and you.  He was the perfect sinless Lamb of God that bore all sin so we didn't have to.  He made eternal life possible if we will repent of sin and accept Him as Lord and Saviour of my life.  Now the ugly, shameful cross has become very precious to me because I know what it represents-much more valuable than anything...even a special razor.

There is a Season

Thank you, Father God, for the beauty You create in every season.  Each season has its own special beauty...even winter when the earth appears to be dead with shades of brown and no spring flowers are blooming.  Sometimes the sky is a dark shade of gray when the sun is not shining.  And yet, as it appears a dismal place...the earth is preparing for new life and soon the earth will burst forth in glorious colors as the daffodils peak up from beneath the ground.

You set the world in place and even in times of darkness, You are preparing us for new life.  From the moment we are born, we are preparing to die.  Our bodies come into this earth fresh and new and from the first cry our focus is on ourselves.  As we grow we begin the process of maturing.  You draw us unto Yourself making yourself known through Your creation and the witness of others.  You teach us Your ways and how that we can come to You through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour by His blood sacrifice for sin upon the cross.  You give us choices for eternal life in heaven in Your presence forever or in hell and eternal separation from You.

As we grow old our bodies grow weary with aches and pains we had not known before. Disease steals our health and dignity.  But even through this, You are preparing us for new life.  Even when our bodies wear out You are preparing us for the glory of heaven.  You provide these opportunities for growth not only for our own sake but for the sake of those around us.  Help me, Father, to appreciate the winter season of life especially when it lays dormant for long periods of time through disease as death begins its process.  Help me to remember the quote I found on the inside cover of my Grandma's Bible:

Through death life is changed, not ended.