God Really Has a Sense of Humor!

You would think it was spring, well actually my office is long over due for an overhaul or a purging would be more like it! In so doing I was going through those little stacks of notes one can tend to pile up and I found another fortune from a fortune cookie.  I can't believe how God has spoken and confirmed things through those silly fortunes!

At the end of June I attended a Writer/Speaker conference in Grand Rapids, MI, Speak Up, put on by Carol Kent. What an amazing time my friend and I had there. I took the writer's track and she the speakers. Wonderful time with talented people and such a great help for me knowing nothing about writing a book.

In the months of preparation before going I asked the Lord to give me an answer. Is my writing something that I should continue with or give up. You see I have been in the process of writing my crazy story for some time, just not knowing what to do with it or where to take it. I also have a desire to write on a couple of my speaking topics and I just really wanted my Father's approval before going any further.

While at the conference there were publishing agents and editors in attendance and I was so blessed to get some very positive feedback from three of the four I had appointments with. So possibly that means I should continue my adventure with writing is what I'm thinking. I'm not saying I have a book deal, but I feel very favorable about the outcome and with all that I learned while there. 

So then a month later I am cleaning my piles at work and find this crazy fortune which tells me that I love words and that some day I am going to write a book! I have to say, if God can speak through a donkey He can sure speak to me once again through a fortune! 

So is it crazy to see God's approval in a fortune? Did I do the right thing by putting out the fleece so to speak and asking Him if I was on the right track (or should I say write track!) I know this, I will continue to write and hopefully someday soon I just might have that book or two to share with you!

Is there a dream somewhere deep inside of you? Don't you dare give up...begin to pray it through and into being!

Boundless Love with Loving Boundaries

If you have read my blog in the past you might have read my posting on Lessons from a Schnauzer.  Oh, that little loving pup of ours is in some ways like my prodigal children have been, in that she is used by God to teach me more about Him.

Little miss sassy Elsa

A few years back over Easter weekend, we had an incident that only happens thankfully once in a while.  I am always praying against this happening because I am fearful of the consequences.  Elsa, is a Schnauzer who is very true to her calling, she loves children and loves to ‘hunt’.  Schnauzers were bred to mind the kinder and keep the vermin at bay on the farms.  Even when she hears children on the Television or radio she perks right up and would love to join the kid party.  As to her inquisitive nature to hunt and chase after ‘vermin’ she would constantly be off to the woods and who knows that we would ever see her again.  She even thinks that she should investigate the deer that are always roaming through the property.  So in light of her natural calling we are not able to let her run free.  If we are out she must be hooked to something to keep her from doing her ‘Schnauzer thing’.  It sounds rather cruel but she knows that is the way it is and the leash has just become a part of her life.

Like our own human nature every now and again, Schnauzers, like ourselves need to have a taste of freedom.  Elsa’s last fling without the leash came on Easter Sunday as we were getting ready for church.  My daughter and I were the last to head out and I asked her where Elsa was and she thought she was possibly downstairs.  Knowing that the kids were not in the house I suddenly entertained a thought that I really didn’t want to think about.  I went downstairs with a heavy heart knowing that she was nowhere to be found in the house.  I hollered up to my daughter and said Elsa must be outside to which she opened the door and promptly tried to coax her back into the house.  All to no avail for all the coaxing in the world was not going to ruin this fling with  freedom.  

By the time I ran up the stairs and grabbed the leash and headed out doors she was springing  for the highway leaping like a lamb through the front yard and I imagined hearing her yelling, “I’m free, I’m free…”  I began to pray immediately to the Lord beseeching Him to not let her get hit on the road as the cars were coming up and down the hill.  Yes, she leaped across the ditch and across the road she went up the neighbor’s driveway.  I continued my praying, pleading with the Lord to please keep her safe and direct her homeward.  We were all calling for her as I am sure she continued in her little puppy mind, “I’m free, I’m free…”  Then...(thank you Lord!) she turned around and headed back home, darting past my son-in-law heading right to my oldest grandson, Zachary.  I said gently, “Grab her and don’t let go!”  Which he did and then they came over to me and I promptly took her and put her on her chain by the kennel.  She only uses the chain and kennel when we have to be gone for a short time and have no one to watch her.  Or, sometimes just so she can be out and about when it is nice out.  Then off to church we headed.  I was praising God the entire way to church that He kept her from harm and returned her to home.

Well naturally my immediate application was to see this episode as how a loving God gives us loving boundaries for our good.  For Elsa it is the leash and for us it is in the Word.  For a long time I resisted some of God’s boundaries because I wanted to maintain my "freedom."  I realize now that I make enough mistakes as it is without thumbing my nose at a bunch of rules, regulations and warnings.  There is this sin nature that we wrestle with that is directly contrary to our Christ-like nature.  It is a battle that we will wage until we go home to glory.  But if we consciously live our life desiring God’s ways instead of ours we will provide less opportunity for the enemy to trip us up.  Or in Elsa's case become a flat, black furry spot on the road!

Paul tells us himself how he too very wrestled with doing what he was not supposed to do in Romans 7:15

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.”

I am amazed that Paul would openly admit his struggles.  And for me it is freeing to know that a man of Paul’s character—although probably not very often—struggled with sin.  He understood sin’s character and the impact it leaves behind.  (I think we would call that consequences.)

Sometimes, we may only struggle with seemingly small issues and the Bible warns us with a blinking yellow light like the following verse:

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

And search the word fool to see the many places you will find is in the Word.  Like in Psalm 14:1 and 53:  that says only fools say there is no God; Proverbs 1:7 says that fools despise wisdom, and discipline; Proverbs 1:22 says that fools hate knowledge!  I could go on and on for there is much for us to learn about fools and foolish behavior.

It is sometimes these grey areas that are not terribly obvious that can be used to trip us up and lead us astray.  All for the sake of “freedom”, freedom to choose what I will and will not allow myself to get into.  I know that for years I have struggled with thinking I know best what is and is not good for me.  It is just crazy how a little time here or there can leave a lasting impression on us when we spend time where we probably shouldn't.

There is this book called the Bible, that is full of practical wisdom that God Himself has given to keep us safe and to warn us about old behavior patterns.  Why?  Because in His lovingkindness He wants what is best for us.  He wants us to be safe and continue to grow more and more into Christ’s image.  

It is inevitable that there will come times when we succumb to old patterns or we may take a risk and do something that could put us in immediate danger, not heeded the warnings from our loving Father.  We will suffer the consequences from blatant disobedience and hopefully we repent and say, “whew, I am glad I didn’t continue down that pathway.”  So whether it is not ‘completely’ telling the truth, a little flirtation with the opposite sex, watching that thing on the television that stirs old feelings inside of us or reading the same, all of these little blinking yellow lights are flashing when we enter into the danger zones of life.  But, there is something that we can do to heed the warning signs.  For me it is the check in my spirit telling me that I shouldn’t go there.  I acknowledge the danger sign, back out, and praise God for His Holy Spirit that protects us, in essence, from ourselves teaching us how to take every thought captive and crucify our sinful nature.  Freedom is wonderful but not freedom that bites back or is only fleeting!

Father, my sweet little girl could have been a spot on the highway in her quest to run to places she had never been before.  I confess my desires can be much the same.  I ask forgiveness for ignoring Your loving boundaries that are in place for my good.  I know those earthly desires that can sometimes screams at me to just give it up for a season of ‘fun and freedom’ but I  have done this enough to know how easily I can get trapped and caught up.  I am grateful for your Word to me in Corinthians that says that “No temptation has overtaken [me] but such as is common to man and God is faithful, who will not allow [me] to be tempted beyond what [I] am able.  And with that temptation will also provide the way of escape also, that [I] may able to endure it.”  If we go out a bit too far You provide a way for us to escape.  Help me to be listening and willing.  Thank you Pappa for Your amazing love that only wants the very best for those You love!  Amen.

The Prayer of Faith

Mom and her daughter in prayer...

God blesses us all the time. Sometimes in small ways and sometimes in great big ways! It seems that it is quite the same with our prayers. Although I do believe He always answers our prayers—it may just not always be the way I think that He should or in the time-frame I think that He should answer them.  The Lord is teaching me some big things about prayer as of late. Like why pray if you don’t expect Him to answer? I have done a lot of praying but honestly, I have not seen a lot of obvious answers. Now I am not saying that He has not answered, just that I do not always see the results and most often not immediately.

Recently I was reminded of a time several years ago when my daughter lost her wedding ring. She just had her first baby and they had gone swimming at David’s place of work. She took her wedding ring off her finger to shower off at the center and forgot to put them back on before she left. She was devastated! When she finally told her husband, he even put notes on the bulletin board at work with hope that the person who took it would see the note and return the ring.

A few weeks went by and we were visiting when I noticed that her ring was not on her hand. She tearfully told me the story and as we sat on her bed we prayed together asking the Lord to return her ring and even allow the person wearing it to be very uncomfortable with it on their finger. I remember very distinctly that something rose up in me as I prayed for this situation feeling certain that she would get her ring back.

It was but a couple of weeks later that my daughter’s husband David, received a package at work with no return address label. He opened it to find the stolen wedding ring. We were amazed and so grateful, both realizing that God had answered our prayer and the prayers of others who were praying with us for the ring’s return to its rightful owner. It had not so much been the value of the ring but the sentimental value considering the diamond had once belonged to her great grandmother. We were ever so thankful for this victory indeed!

It is interesting how James talks about the “prayer of faith” being enough to even heal the sick.

James 5:15 NKJ

"And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."

James 5:13 NIV

"[The Prayer of Faith] Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."

James 5:15 NLV

"And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven."

The various versions show that it is possible for a few different things to happen here in regard to the “prayer of faith”:

• The sick will be saved
• The sick will be healed
• Those in trouble should pray

It is interesting however, that when those prayers appear to go unheard that we are still to trust that God does answer them, whether big and small, but in His way not ours.  This should serve to increase our faith for the next time. (Kind of like filling for reserve.) For even when it doesn’t look as if something is happening, we have to believe that God has heard and is applying Romans 8:28 to our situation.

Let me leave you with another amazing little story of my own. For about four years I was unable to find a mate to an earring. It was one in a pair of simple hand crafted opals set in sterling silver, that were a gift from my mother. (I should never wear French hook earrings with out stoppers on them and have since tried to remember to do so when wearing that type of earring.) These were a lovely little pair--probably not extremely valuable but they again have sentimental value being handed down from my mother. I had no idea when or where I could have lost the earring and I looked high and low (literally) around work, my car, etc. all to no avail. I never dared to tell mom, as she would have been terribly disappointed. I did pray though and I asked the Lord if He would help me find them so as not to upset mom should she ever ask. And I always believed that they would show up.

So then somewhere around a year or so after that, the earring still missing, I toyed with the idea of having the jeweler see if I could get a replacement. This could not be done without knowing the company who made them. Well that was out because I would have to ask my mother and then she would know the story. So I just let it rest.

The following fall I found myself vacuuming the floor of the radio station studio as my husband and I ripped out carpeting to prepare the floor for the new carpeting that was to be installed the next week. I was naturally amazed at the dirt that showed up after the carpet was ripped out. I was on my hands and knees with my husband’s big shop vac, giving the final touches on the nooks and crannies way underneath the console. I bent down low to the floor to look under a computer that sticks out on a low shelf and to my utter amazement there was my opal earring! There is no logical reason for it to have survived the carpet rip-out, and the shop vac’s super suction to be found sitting there on the floor, but for God!

Once again, God answered a small “prayer of faith” and it served once again to bolster and fill my faith reserve once again. A reminder to pray with the expectation of getting the right answer, at just the right time!

Matthew 17:20 NKJ
“So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Father, you absolutely amaze me when you answer our prayers. I know that there are many that we do not see and I am thankful that You are the one Who sees the big picture. I would ask that You continue to remind me that when I ask, I am to ask in faith, believing for Your perfect answers every time! I want to exercise the “prayer of faith” when I pray for one to be healed and or saved or simply to find a lost something of importance to whomever! In Jesus’ Name!

Divine Appointments...

I was involved in the Bible Study, “Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer and we had an assignment to respond in obedience to the nudging of the Holy Spirit--in other words, to act upon the promptings we can get that may seem a little ‘out there’.  You may have had those promptings like I have and you may have received incredible blessings from being obedient to the call.  However, I have also sometimes ignored them and not responded to that nudging with the justification that “I can’t do that” or “What would that person think if I did that”.

When I sing “Here I am to Worship...,” I know that to worship God is to revere, adore and acknowledge Him for who He is.  But there is also another part of worship that encompasses what we do with our life on the horizontal plane.  My mantra continues to be “Love God and love others” but I need help with all that entails.  I do not necessarily need to round up the troops to head over to India to be on the mission field.  That could be the call to some but I have a mission field right here in my own backyard.  Wherever I am and whatever I am doing provides an opportunity to make a difference in my “sphere of influence”.  However, I want to take this to another extreme only because every time I have let an opportunity go by without sharing the gospel when the door was planted and opened right in front of me, I knew that I blew it!  I felt such disappointment with myself and had to ask the Lord to forgive me for cowering away from such a prime moment.  I am reminded in the book of Esther when Uncle Mordecai admonished Esther that if she did not respond in obedience to the call placed upon her to confront the evil plot against the Jews God would raise up someone else to do the job! And, Esther herself might perish with the rest of the Jewish people that she had been called to rescue.  Strong words! Well, Esther did heed the warning, asking the people to fast and pray for her opportunity to go before the king.  It was her obedience that saved a nation!

On a recent return trip to Minnesota with my daughter, we did not have a direct flight and I was grateful that we could just be casual about the extra hours of waiting and flying without having to run to catch our last leg of the trip.  We finally boarded in Dallas and, since I fly a little bit more often than she, I gave her the opportunity to sit by the window before I sat down.  The isle seat remained open until the gentleman in the row ahead of us (after helping my daughter stow her carry on) was booted out of his seat because he mistakenly read his seat number when someone came to claim the seat he was in him in our row.  He was a quiet man who busied himself with reading the newspaper.  I waited until after he had read his paper, because there is nothing more annoying than being interrupted by someone asking you questions when you are reading!  Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a rather large ring on his hand which I soon discovered had Vikings imprinted on it.  Hmm...and, of course, I got my daughter to notice without too much fuss.

We began our conversation by my asking about cab service out of the Minneapolis airport.  I have never needed to take a cab before, but our Monday return had our friends working and unable to pick us up and take us to our car.  I will spare you the details of a two hour conversation, but I have continued to thank God for opening up a door to share a message of hope to a man who had some stuff going on in his life from serious physical issues, a pending divorce and some personal stuff he was trying to work through.  I was able to share Scripture with him because I could sense some uncertainty about his future.  Philippians 4:6,7 is certainly where I go camping when things look obscure, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; then the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus.”  I also encouraged a relational walk with Jesus.  He seemed like so many of us who find ourselves at the end of our rope with no way of turning things around and wondering what the point is in going on!

I have since prayed for this man, his health and marriage and I can only thank God for the fulfillment of this Scripture in 1 Peter 3:15 “...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect...”   Peter makes it very clear to me!  Now, on to my next assignment. So simple; just take the step of obedience instead of wondering if you should because God has already paved the way!