Dragons and Witches and Orcs Oh My!!!

Genesis 6:4  There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

 Genesis 1:21   So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

 

I have heard so much fuss from people who are so down on Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other books/movies in that genre.  I kind of understand the fuss about magic and such, except that I have heard no such fuss about Wizard of Oz, Tales of Narnia and other such movies.  This I do not understand.  If you are going to hate one group, you should hate all things in that group.

One of the arguments I have noticed that some of the fuss is about concerns dragons, giants and sea serpents.  As you will note from the passages above, there are many things in this world that we will never know about but should be smart enough to believe in.  As Gabriel told Mary in Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

I am not trying to preach the goodness of the above referenced stories.  I am only saying that when we do not believe something can be possible, we are demeaning the power of God.  He can create anything and cause anything to happen that He chooses.  To say something can be impossible is just not true.

The Harry Potter series gives children someone to want to be like who is on the side of good fighting evil.  The Lord of the Rings series is the same.  In both, the hero(es) makes mistakes, has doubts and eventually wins the fight.  It is much like life here on earth for each of us.  We are fighting this battle every day of our lives.

If you believe some of these things can’t happen, maybe you should have a long conversation with King David.  I am sure he would be more than happy to tell you a story about a giant he met when he was young!!!

 

With A Song In My Heart

Psalm 100:1-2

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!   Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing

 

My husband and I used to sing in a quartet.  We would sing at our church, other churches, special singing services, fund raisers and other such occasions.  It was so much fun.  I really miss being able to do this now.

Sharing our love of God in song is really special.  Most people love music, and songs of praise get them singing and thinking about the words to the songs.  Many people sing a song to the Lord and it brings them closer to Him in their worship.  Many of us have a song in our hearts that carry us through each day.

I have known since I was young that one of the talents God bestowed upon me was words.  If you need a poem, give me a subject and I can write one for you.  Want a short story?  I will be glad to write one for you.  Words come easy to me when written down.  Speaking them is no longer that easy.

Now that I am older, one of the ways I worship God is to sing to Him.  Not out loud, but in my mind and heart.  It gives me so much joy to sing praises to my God and I know that it gives Him joy also.  Sometimes, when I put a conglomeration of words together that really don’t go together, I can feel God smile. 

Once in a while I realize that I am singing out loud.  My husband will tell me, “You have a song in your heart today”.  He always smiles when he says this because he knows that it means I am having a better than average day.  Sometimes it embarrasses me to realize I have said these things out loud without realizing it.

Many people won’t sing in church or at other times because they say they can’t sing.  This is not true.  We can all sing.  God only asks that we are honest and sincere in our praise.  He doesn’t mind if we sing off key…………if we are sincere in our worship, He loves it no matter what it sounds like!!

Too Much Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 1:18

For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

      When I was young I wanted to learn everything there was to know.  I would take my encyclopedias and pour through them trying to read and remember all I could.  Of course, as time passed and I grew older, other things began to fill my life and learning became a burden rather than a blessing. 

     When I was young, there were no computers in homes and the TV was only good for a little bit of world news.  Now everyone has a computer and you can watch the news 24/7.  Many of us think this is a wonderful thing.  Many of us don’t.  Today, we can learn what is happening in every part of the world either on TV, the computer or the newspaper.  Knowledge and learning are all around us.  All we have to do is to watch and listen.

     When Solomon asked for wisdom, he was granted this from God.  He was the smartest man to ever live, past, present or future.  With this knowledge, as stated in the passage above, comes much sorrow.

    As Christians, it is hard to watch people being slaughtered for practically no reason.  It is hard to hear about rapes, murders and torture to so many innocent individuals.  All around us are horrors that we hear about whether we want to or not.  I don’t always think this knowledge is good.  It is a terrible burden to carry.  If we spent every waking moment praying about these things, we would say a prayer for only a small amount of the sorrows in the world.   I reserve judgment on having knowledge of all the terrible things happening in the world.  Sometimes it is overpowering. 

     Knowledge of some things is good.  We all need to know more about the Bible.  We need to take this knowledge and try to make the world a better place, as well as to improve our own lives.  Every time we spread this type of knowledge it is a good thing.

     The world today thinks that if you have a vast amount of knowledge, you don't need God.  Thus, the world ends up in a jumbled mess like the one we have now.  Our mess is not new.  History shows that it has happened over and over again.....we just have not yet learned to study the world's history and learn not to make the same mistakes of our ancestors. 

     Solomon learned this many years ago.  We need to put all these things in God’s Hands and let them go.  Only He can take care of them.  Only He can give us peace.  Only He has true wisdom.

I Am Weak But He Is Strong

2 Corinthians 12:9

My power will rest on you when you are weak

 

When my Crohn’s and/or MS are really acting up, I sometimes have trouble remembering that I am a blessed child of the King.  When I have a terrible day of brain fog, I get so frustrated that praising God is the last thing on my mind.  When times are trying and I want to help someone and can’t, my heart is heavy and I don’t think of the fact that our Lord and Savior is always ready to help and comfort.  When we are having weak moments, our thoughts often do not immediately realize that God is always willing to help us.

Having a chronic disease is hard to deal with.  I am not whining about my conditions…………just trying to tell you how I feel sometimes.  I get really hurt and upset when people I want to be with are doing things I cannot participate in.  I do not wish them to be in my condition.  I just wish me to be in theirs.  Sometimes I forget that I have so many things I can still do, even though there are so many I can’t.  God does not take things away from us without giving us others to take their place.

I have gotten in really low places in my thoughts and have had to shake myself to get out of them.  Sometimes they are not easy to shake.  Many prayers from family and friends have lifted me out of the darkness and put me on a steadier path to peace and contentment.

One of the hardest things I have had to learn is that God will be my strength in all things if I will just let Him.  Trying to make myself strong does not work.  It only brings failure and more frustration.  Only when I ask God to help me with my attitude and gratitude does the day get on a better tract.  Only by letting go of myself and depending on Him will I overcome whatever the day brings.  Only when I truly realize that I am weak but He is strong, does anything good happen in my life. 

Such a simple thing….but often so hard to do!

Holier Than Thou

Rom 3:23:   for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

 I once worked for a lady who seemed to be very nice.  She helped me to learn all the things I needed to know to do my job correctly.  She walked me around the park (I was working for the Parks & Conservation Service at the time) and pointed out things I would need to know.  She laughed with me and seemed to like me OK.   Little did I know…………….

The church I had been attending was being made into a historical landmark.  As such, services would no longer be held there for fear of causing more damage to the already fragile structure.  Each of the attendees were told that they would need to find another church to attend and gave us several suggestions for this.

After trying several, I had not found one that I was comfortable with.  I knew that my boss was a full-time church attendee, so I decided to ask her about her church.  This was a major mistake.

Upon asking her about her church, she asked me why I wanted to know.  I told her I was thinking of attending and seeing if I would like it.  She stopped, looked me up and down, and stated that she did not think I would “fit” in with that church.  She offered me several other churches for consideration and went on about her business.  I stayed where I was for fear of busting into tears.  If you could have witnessed this discussion, you would understand just how deeply this wounded me.

As the years went by, I realized how she was and did not even want to attend the church she did.  She was very judgmental of others, selfish and “without sin”.  In her group of friends, they felt totally superior to most people and only interacted with others when necessary.  I guess being at work I fell into the “necessary” column.

This is not true with just a small number of people……it is very common with all of us.  We all have a certain degree of “holier-than-thou” in us.  Most of us do not take it to extreme and try to squash it when it arises.  If we are to be true to our Savior, we will never, ever feel that way towards any other human being.

All of us have sinned.  All of us have fallen short of the glory of God.  It is something we need to remember at all times and in all places.  What we have to do is remember that God is everywhere and knows when we step over that line.  Life is so much sweeter when we don’t!

 

 

God Hug

Ephesians 6:23

 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

All of us have our own special likes.  Many people like flowers, mountains, beaches, waterfalls, etc.  I like all of that also.  But my very favorite thing is trees.

I think God really went out of His way to create something special when He created trees.  There are so many different kinds and each has its own special feature.  They are green and flowering in the summer and show off their many colors in autumn. 

When I go into one of my dark times, I look at the trees and they lift me up and remind me that God is in everything, including me.  They often cheer me with these thoughts and get me back on track.  They lift their arms to pray and make me want to join them.

I will never forget one special time when I was depressed.  I had been like that for several days and was getting angry with myself for not getting myself out of the fog that I was in.  On this particular day, I had ridden with my husband to pick up some medicines from the pharmacy.  My MS was acting up that day and  I was not walking well so I stayed in the car while he went into the store.

As I sat there, I thought about all the things that were bothering me.  For some reason (the Holy Spirit nudging me?!), I looked up and over to my right.  The sight I saw took my breath away.

Right there, in front of me, was the most precious little tree.  It was rather small but had beautifully shaped limbs and was spread out in such a wonderful shape.  But, what was really awesome about it was all the beautiful colored leaves that were covering every place possible on that sweet tree.  It was really showing off!

As I looked at that tree, my spirits began to rise and I started to lift out of that dark place in which I had spent the last few days.  The more I admired the tree, the higher my spirits soared.

I know some will think I am crazy, but I felt God’s Arm around my shoulder and heard Him whisper, “I did that just for you”.  Did I hear it out loud or in my head?  I have no clue.  I just know that I heard it.

Was God’s Arm really around my shoulder?  It felt so real that I put my hand on my shoulder to try and touch it.

Do you believe me? It doesn’t matter.  I know a God Hug when I feel one! 

Feeling Safe

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

 

There is no one alive who does not have a fear of something.  There are fears of heights, storms, darkness, loneliness, snakes, spiders and a very long list of other things.  Behind death, the most common cause of fear is a fear of failure.

When the Lord told those words to Joshua, Joshua was getting ready to take on a big responsibility.  Let’s face it:  most of us would not like to have to follow in the footsteps of a famous and beloved person.  Joshua was going to have to take over Moses’ job.  That was some pretty big shoes to have to step into. 

Joshua had been with this group of Israelites for many years and knew that they had a tendency to rebel against their leader and against God Himself.  Many times on their journey Moses had had to reassure them that God would take care of them and look after them.  The children of Israel had turned against Moses and God on several occasions.

But at this point in time, Moses had just died and the people were mourning and wondering what to do next.  Joshua was going to have to show them that he could carry on where Moses had left off.  It was a daunting task.

Because God had chosen Joshua to fill the vacancy that Moses had left behind, he knew that He would have to reassure Joshua in every way possible.   God told Joshua that he should not fear anything because He would be with him at all times.  It gave Joshua the comfort and strength that he needed to fulfill the job that God had given him.

I have spent the better part of my life in fear of something.  Storms, loneliness, failure and many other fears kept me from enjoying life for so many years.  I am so glad that God gives all of us this promise.  We need not fear anything for He is with us!

“Father God help us to remember that there is no situation that we can find ourselves in that You are not right there with us.  Help us to know this and never be afraid of anything we have to go through.  In Jesus’ name we ask this, amen. “

 

Peace With My Mother

2 Corinthians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort

 

My mother was buried yesterday.  Like most who lose a parent, I was brokenhearted and sad.  But, unlike most, I was surprised at how much her death hurt me. 

My mother and I never liked each other.  For some reason, there was always conflict between us.  Although we loved each other in our own way, we were never close. 

Over the years I became closer to God and tried my best to think of her with love instead of dread.  When I would try to get close to her, she would take advantage of my “weakness” and turn it around to hurt me.  I learned to stay away from her and try to love her at a distance.

 This past year she was in an assisted living home.  As she learned to accept this new life, she realized that she depended on my husband and myself to furnish her needs.  She was no longer “in charge” and gradually became more loving and less demanding.  Our relationship began to improve. 

Last Friday was our visiting day.  She lay on her bed and I held her head and hand.  We talked some and she seemed to be fairly peaceful with me.  She had been given an oxygen tank and I had to keep putting the tube in place at her nose.  She wanted to move it a lot, but seemed OK with me putting it back.  It was a good visit. 

The next day we were called early in the morning and told that she had been rushed to the hospital.  As we watched her being hooked up to all kinds of things, my only prayer was that God would take her quickly because it was so hard to watch her suffer. 

Being the merciful God that He is, she died that night. 

This is a roundabout way of saying that when she died, instead of being relieved to be rid of her, I was relieved that she was not suffering.  Mother and I had allowed God to ease our tension with each other and finally become Mother and Daughter.  It took a long time, but the times with her became precious instead of forced. 

I am so thankful that I can say that my heart aches for her.  I am so thankful that I do not have regrets that we never learned to love each other.  I am so thankful that God did not give up on us and let us have these moments. 

Thank You Father for your patience with all of us to bring us to the place we need to be.  Praise Your Holy Name.

Down In The Valley

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;  For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;  You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

Most of us have passed through the valley that King David talks about many times.  Often we have walked through it with no one to keep us safe or guide us.  Sometimes we have even fallen down and wallowed in the mire for a while.  We only do this because, unlike King David, we try to do things on our own instead of asking God to help us.

There is an old English tale of a boy and his father clearing a path through the woods.  The boy is twelve years old and thinks of himself as totally grown up.  As the boy and his father are clearing a path, the boy steps over too far and begins to sink in an area of quicksand.  He glances at his father, who is busy cutting down small bushes, and decides that he can pull himself out of the mess he is in and not bother his father.  Unfortunately, the more he struggles to pull himself free, the deeper he sinks.  Although the father is only a few feet away, the boy is too proud to ask for his help.  As the boy’s face begins to sink under the muck, he yells his father’s name.  The father quickly turns and pulls the boy to safety.

This story always reminds me of the 23^rd Psalm.  If we would only let God lead us and care for us, we would save ourselves from so many problems and downfalls that we suffer through.  That big issue called pride causes us to go through things that could easily be avoided.

I guess most of us are raised to be brave, want to get ahead, be the best and have the power.  Instead, we should want to be like sheep following the Shepherd.  Sounds too nerdy and passive for most of us.  It sure would save us a lot of problems if we would "follow" instead of "lead"!

“Father we thank you for helping us even when we try to do things on our own and get ourselves into big messes.  We thank You for not letting us sink into the mud, but for reaching down and pulling us out.  We pray that we will learn to always ask you to be with us, guide us and help us through life.  We ask this in Jesus’s name, Amen.”

 

Learning Love

Romans 8: 38-39

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height not depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Although I have MS and Crohn’s Disease, life has not managed to pull me down.  God constantly puts something or someone in my life to help me through, no matter how much I try to be strong on my own.  On my own, I usually fail.

I have always been very active.  I loved to cook, clean, participate in sports, dance and generally stay busy.  The more I became less able to do these things, the deeper I would sink into a dark place called depression.  Many times God would reach down and hand me a flashlight.  It helped to show me that God is always ready to help His children.

No matter what I go through, I know that God is with me and nothing and no one can come between us.   This took me a long time to realize.  I have never felt that God could love me and Jesus would give His life for me.  I never did not believe this.  My problem was not accepting this.  In that state of mind, there is no peace.

I have had many pitfalls in my life.  I know that you have also.  I was not raised to turn to God when things happened and I never had the belief that He would. 

Some people are so wrapped up in their power that they only depend on their own opinion.  This has got to be a lonely place when something goes wrong.  I cannot imagine not at least having the belief in a higher power that runs the universe.

Once God thumped me on the head and made me realize that He was with me no matter where I was, my life began to change.  I became more peaceful and happy.  There is so much relief in knowing that I do not have to face all the bumps in the road of life by myself. 

What an awesome God we serve!!