Thanksgiving has made most of us take inventory of all the things we have to be grateful for: freedom, family, friends, a roof over our heads, clothes, food, health, a job. The list is endless.  God has been good to us. We are a blessed nation.  And most of us God lovers are greatly blessed individually, as well. But what would happen if we lost some of these blessings?  Would we still be grateful?  Still have an attitude of gratitude? Still believe God loved us?

“Americans don’t know how to do poor.” That’s what one Peruvian woman said who grew up in an 8x10 dirt floor shack with ten others. I think for the most part she’s right. I spent some of Thanksgiving listening to people who have traveled to places where entire populations had little freedom, clothing, food, shelter, or health. We take so much for granted.  And we American Christians often take God for granted, too.  We equate prosperity with our reward from God.  Some even believe it’s their due.  We’ve come to think like the world thinks. If we perform well, do all the “right” things, then God will bless us. But what if the blessings don’t continue to come? Or are removed altogether?  Does that mean God no longer favors us? 

It’s true that often God’s judgment for sin comes in the form of hardship, depravation, suffering.  It’s not true that hardship, depravation and suffering always mean God’s judgment or disfavor. After all, since the Bible says it rains on the just and unjust alike, the reverse is true: drought (or a down-turn economy) can affect both the just and unjust. Sometimes God allows hard times to come our way even when we’re doing everything “right”. Why?  Because He loves us.  Because He wants to forge our character, to sandpaper those rough edges of ours, to train us, to bring us into a deeper place with Him. Think back.  Wasn’t it during those difficult times that you learned the most?  Grew the most as a person?

Some of us are facing tough times now. Many others will probably face them before too long.  A portion of these problems might be self inflicted. If they are we can learn from them as well. But others are inflicted upon us.  No matter what the case, we can learn and grow. And if we have an attitude of gratitude, if we trust God to see us through, we can end up on the other side better than when we began. 

As we near the end of a difficult 2009 and look forward to an uncertain 2010, let us keep our eyes on God, the One who is our refuge and strength in times of trouble.

Until next week,

Sylvia

I’ve often heard people say when talking about a problem, “Oh, I’d never bother God with that, He has more important things to do.”  Well, nothing could be further from the truth.  True, the world is full of tribulation: wars, famine, financial collapse, you name it. And true, our problems most often don’t come near that level.  But what’s not true is that God doesn’t care about them, or that He’s too busy.

To prove my point I’ll share this.  A while back I lost one of my gold earrings, an ultrathin triangular piece, the size of a thumbnail.  It was the first pair of earrings my husband ever bought me so it was high in sentimental value, though moderate of cost, and I dearly wanted it back. So I prayed and asked God to help.  Three days later I found it on my front door step!  I had been going in and out of my house for days and never saw it.  But now it sat, stem up and in perfect condition, just as if someone had placed it there. I was overjoyed, and praised God for his kindness.  But because it was a pierced earring, I needed the back, that little lentil-size piece that holds the earring in the ear. Now I could have used any backing. After all, who looks behind your ears?  And if I never found it, it would be okay.  But . . . since I knew God could do anything, I asked Him to kindly help me find this, too. A few days later, while vacuuming my living room rug, a tiny gold object suddenly flipped into the air (obviously from the motion of the vacuum, and which the vacuum could easily have sucked up).  And yes, you guessed it! It was the back of my earring!

Now why did God even care about my earring? Such a trivial thing? Because I cared about it, and because He cares about me. And He cares about you, too. About the things that are important to you.  Nothing is too little or inconsequential for His notice. Remember, this is the God who knows the very number of the hairs on your head!  Don’t forget that when next you’re down or in need. God truly does love you.

Until next week,

Sylvia

Last week my grandchildren had their Fall Festival at school. The kids in the lower grades wore costumes and marched along the main thoroughfare. Then followed games, face painting, shows, multiple moon-walkers, and food.  My grandkids loved it. So did I.

But it was interesting on another level, especially if you’re a student of human nature—fallen human nature. Since this was not my first festival I knew what to expect. It happens every year.  First, dozens of kids wore masks with their costumes, which is a violation of the rules.  Secondly, big buckets filled with a gazillion little prizes were stationed by each game.  The games were easy.  The idea was for everyone to win something.  When the inevitable win occurred the student was instructed to take ONE prize out of the bucket: a spider ring or whistle or small bottle of bubbles or a pencil or . . . Well, you get the idea.  But what always happens is that most of the big kids, instead of just taking one, take a handful.  Needless to say, the buckets were empty within two hours. 

I won’t even get into the negative lessons parents are teaching their kids by allowing them to break the rules, I’ll just focus on why I think they or their kids break them. It’s because they believe they’re above the rules; that these rules don’t really apply to them.  Anyone with children or grandchildren knows that most kids love to push the envelope, to see how far they can go.  It’s a game they play and if left unchecked, can damage their character.

But it’s a game God’s kids play, too.  Don’t we break His “rules”?  The rules He’s laid down in His Word? Don’t we sometimes pick and choose what we like?  Oh, we love the part that tells us how much God cares for us; how much He wants to bless us.  But the other stuff? Does it really apply to us?

For instance, Jesus couldn’t have meant it when he said we commit adultery when we lust in our minds. Surely we don’t have to make a covenant with our eyes.  We can watch those “R” rated movies.  That rule doesn’t apply to us. And Jesus couldn’t have been serious about loving our enemies and doing good to those that hate us.  Clearly He’s never had to work with Nasty Nancy or spend a holiday with Uncle Bubo. If He had, He’d understand why we could never follow that rule. And as for turning the other cheek, He surely couldn’t have meant that. Our cheeks, and hearts, would look like raw chop meat if we had to forgive everybody. So forget that one.

And do we really have to pay attention to all those other things in God’s Word that make us uncomfortable? After all, shouldn’t the church just try to get along? Fit in? Not make waves? We don’t want to turn people off, do we?  This business about being salt and light, well . . . Jesus always could turn a colorful phrase. 

And so, we, the body of Christ, the Church, too often pick and choose the “rules” we want to follow. And this to the detriment of our character or rather Christ’s character which is supposed to be reflected in us.  And instead of reflecting Christ, we end up reflecting the world.  Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”(John 14:15)  He also said his sheep know his voice and follow Him. (John 10:3-4) And we follow His voice by following His Word. Oh, how I want to follow Him. Don’t you?

Until next week,

Sylvia

Health Care is a key issue these days. And no doubt there will be some kind of bill passed by our government in the months to come. But did you know that God has a Health Care Plan, too? And it’s all laid out in His word.

First, there’s His prevention program which involves eating the right things like vegetables and legumes, and avoiding the wrong, like pork and shellfish. Shellfish, especially, can be laden with toxins.

 His prevention program also includes such things as managing our emotions by not letting the sun go down on our anger (Eph 4:26); maintaining a clear conscience (Ps 32:1-3); filling our mind with those things that are true, honest, and pure (Phi 4:8); and having a merry heart for it is like medicine (Pr 17:22).

But what if you’re already sick?  God covers that too, and instructs those who are sick to be anointed and prayed over by the elders of their church and that “the prayer of faith shall save the sick” (James 5:14-15).  He tells us that by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5); that he forgives us our sins and heals our diseases.(Ps 103:3); that if we serve Him only He will take away our sickness (Exodus 23:25); that if we had the faith of a mustard seed we could move mountains (Matthew 17:20).

Right about now you’re probably rolling your eyes and saying, “oh no, she’s one of those who doesn’t believe in doctors!” But I do.  I believe God often uses them to heal us.  But what I’m saying is that too often doctors are the only solution we seek, to the exclusion of the other wonderful options in God’s plan. 

We’ve had a lot of sickness in our family these past three years and God has used all of the above to bring about a most wondrous healing: diet, faith in His Word, and doctors.   Now that’s what I call a comprehensive Health Care Program.

Until next week,

Sylvia

“Church ladies are boring.” That’s what I heard someone say just a few years before she became one herself. It’s pretty common, this preconceived notion that anyone who believes in God and lives by faith isn’t quite as exciting as those who live in the real world. After all TV and movies and books often repeat or reinforce this error.

But let me tell you a little about some of the church ladies I know. Thursdays we meet for lunch, usually at a different restaurant.  Not all of us. And not all the time. So there’s always a different mix. And they’re all ages, too, and in various stages of life.  Married, single, widowed. Many have children, some have grandchildren.  But they are all incredible and diverse.

For example, one manages the hotel and cafeteria on our church premises.  Another makes jewelry, writes songs, has several children’s CDs in the marketplace, and makes videos for the church.  She’s without doubt one of the most talented people I’ve ever known. Another dear lady goes to Peru periodically where she and her husband have built dozens of homes (one at a time) and given them FREE to needy families.  Another lady used to be a trucker, and when her husband was alive they had a truck-stop ministry.  Another lady paints such marvelous pictures they actually look like photographs. Still another one speaks at conferences and travels back and forth to Israel where she and her husband have a small farm.  I could go on and on. 

God isn’t boring.  Because He is exciting and vibrant, He has made us, His creation, exciting and vibrant, too. And He has infused us with various talents and abilities by which we can uniquely glorify Him. And that means he can use anyone, from truckers to builders to song writers.  And because God isn’t boring and because His purposes for our lives are so much greater than anything we ourselves can conceive, I believe that those who have submitted their lives to Him and have allowed Him to direct their paths are some of the most exciting people in the world.

Until next week,

Sylvia

Over the years I’ve had many cats.  And though they’ve all had different personalities they’ve been extremely lovable. Then came Nutmeg.  Don’t get me wrong, I do love her.  She’s a big part of our family, and has been for nearly nine years. But she’s far from the sweet, compliant cats I’m used to. 

The basic problem is she wants her way in everything: what she eats, where she sits, what time she comes in or goes out.  And if she doesn’t get it she’s not above hissing, biting, deliberately upsetting something on the counter, or taking flying leaps off a high place to land near your head.

She’s smart enough to know how to be an anarchist, but not always smart enough to know what’s good for her.  She doesn’t understand, for instance, that her favorite food produces crystals in her urine so she can’t have it anymore.  Or that it’s not good for her to go outside when the pest control man is spraying. Or that I can’t work when she sits on top of my keyboard.  (One of her favorite positions is in front of my monitor and sprawled over my keyboard. She actually deleted some of my text last week!)

But because I love her even during these times she’s decidedly unlovable, I try to be patient without encouraging or rewarding her bad behavior.  After all, it’s my responsibility to train her. And that’s a challenge due to her strong rebellious tendencies.

And all this to say, sometimes we’re not lovable either. And most of the time we want our own way, even when it’s not good for us. And just as I don’t stop loving Nutmeg when she’s less than what I’d like her to be, so God doesn’t stop loving us because of our failings. And how patiently He trains us! Even during those times when He allows unpleasant circumstances to enter our lives. It is, after all, His duty to discipline His unruly children.

And in the end, aren’t you glad He does? There’s nothing so unattractive as an out of control, disobedient child . . . or cat.

Until next week,

Sylvia

Let me be upfront and come right out and say I don’t like Halloween. I never did.  And I regret my participation in it, however small, all those years ago. But I’ve come to dislike it more with every passing year. 

I remember when my children were young and our “Halloween decorations” consisted of a smiling pumpkin either drawn on or cut out of a real one, and a few cute pictures of kittens pasted on the windows.  That was it!  Now there are talking witches, ghouls of all kinds, skeletons that look real, and all manner of ugly, evil looking figures. 

Their costumes were different too: hobos were popular, so were princesses, dogs, tin men.  All tame compared to the costumes of today that evoke pure horror.

Did you know that Halloween is the second most lucrative holiday for retailers?  Coming in only second to Christmas? And every year the decorations appear earlier on shelves, and are darker and uglier.

But why should I be surprised? When it’s one of the most important days on the Satanic calendar. Originally a Druid celebration, Satanists have instituted it as a day to celebrate death.  They offer animal sacrifices and sometimes human ones, as well. Shocking, but true.

Oh, I know.  The vast majority of those who celebrate Halloween aren’t Satanist.  But the Bible says that we will “know them by their fruits,” and we could be spreading these “fruits” without meaning to.

And what exactly are the fruits of Halloween? Generally speaking? Well, it’s a time many dabble in the occult for “laughs” and do things expressly forbidden by the Bible like participate in séances, get their fortunes told, try their hand at the Ouija board. Other “fruits” are darkness, fear, dread, oppression, just to name a few. And if God is light, should we help create darkness? If He is joy and peace, should we be spreading fear and dread?  If He is freedom, should we be celebrating oppression? 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “What fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness: and what communion has light with darkness?”

On the other hand, we are not to fear Halloween, no matter how important it is to Satan.  After all, that day, and every day, is “the day the Lord has made.” And that day, though not the way it is celebrated, is good because God has made it.  But when it comes, when October 31^st rolls around, remember we are called to be light. And what better time to shine than when it’s dark?

Until next week,

Sylvia

This week I treated myself to the luxury of just sitting and looking at the leaves of my crotons.  I actually have two varieties growing in pots: a broad leaf and a spiral. Both have beautiful colored leaves; some orange, others red, green, yellow; some a combination of them all.

            Did you know there are nine major croton leaf types? Neither did I until I looked it up.  But imagine all this diversity in just one species of plant!  Now what that makes me think of is God’s incredible generosity.  He could have created only one croton leaf type. In fact, He could have made every plant in the world this one type of croton.

Think about that!

But He didn’t.  Instead, He created an infinite variety of plants, plants of all colors, shapes and sizes.  Plants that give off wonderful perfumes. Others that do not.  Plants that delight the eye. Others that serve a more functional purpose.   

Scientific volumes have been written about plants.  They are also fodder for love stories, as in Shakespear’s Romeo and Juiet, “that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet;” for poems, as Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale, “My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains, my sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk.”

But to me, the enormous variety of plant life here on planet earth is a great illustration of God’s generous nature. He has given us so much to enjoy. The Bible says that Jesus is the creator; that He made all things for His pleasure. But I think it goes without saying that He created the things of this earth for our pleasure, too.  And just as all creations reflect their creator (think of films, music, books, paintings, etc.) so God’s creations reflect His nature, His character. And from what I see, I know there is nothing stingy about God; nothing boring, or ordinary, or static. He truly is great!

Until next week,

Sylvia

I can’t prove it but I’m quite certain “stuff” reproduces in dark, cloistered spaces like drawers, closets, and even garages. How else can you explain that sooner or later these spaces all mysteriously overflow their capacity?

Recently my husband and I started cleaning our garage.  We had to.  Our “stuff” was migrating into the middle of the floor making the pathway smaller and smaller. 

Joyce Meyer talks about how junkyards are full of the “stuff” men have spent so much of their time working for; time spent away from family, friends, God. She’s right.  In addition, the more “stuff” we have the more it has us. It claims our energy.  After all, we have to repair it, clean it, organize and reorganize it.  It also claims our hearts.  We love our cars, boats, houses.

Don’t misunderstand. I don’t think it’s wrong or evil to own “stuff.”  But I do think it’s wrong to always want more.  I mean, how much “stuff” can any of us use anyway?  This is what I was thinking when I was cleaning my garage. And the conclusion I’ve drawn from my own personal life is this: I have far too much “stuff” and far too little appreciation for it.

I’m reminded of a lady in our church who went on a mission’s trip to Haiti. She brought two boxes of crayons with her; just plain ordinary crayons, nothing fancy.  They didn’t glow in the dark or sparkle. They weren’t even 3-D. And when she gave the boxes to the Haitian pastor for his church children, the pastor wept, he wept for joy!  And then he praised God over and over again for His goodness.  Imagine!

I’m still trying to get my mind around that. And while I do, my prayer is:

Lord make me more grateful!

Until next week,

Sylvia

This summer, in between Bug Camp and Ooey-Gooey Camp, my grandkids spent a few nights at my house. It doesn’t happen often due to their busy schedules. But when it does, it’s a big deal.  To get ready I cleaned the house from top to bottom. (They have allergies)  Got into corners I rarely visit. Then I inventoried their toy chest, the one I keep for when they come to dinner, etc. I always try to have a little something new and fun in it. Nothing big, but something that makes them feel like their toy box is an adventure, or a treasure chest waiting to be explored.   I culled the things they had outgrown, then went to the store and bought 2 new coloring books—Dora-the-Explorer, and Cars—a Chutes and Ladders game, a pack of construction paper and some new crayons.

            Next the menu.  What was I going to make them for breakfast, lunch and diner during the next several days?  Why, their favorites of course!  So I packed the refrigerator with plenty of organic milk, organic whole grain waffles, organic eggs, organic chicken hotdogs, organic chicken cutlets, organic yogurt, organic cookies, organic strawberries, organic ice cream, organic . . . .

I could have fed the entire neighborhood with all the food I brought home.

            Then the final step: scouring the internet for all the local fun stuff to do.  The aquarium looked good. It had at least two manatees—those big, sweet-faced lumbering sea cows that float around in their tanks like giant buoys when they’re not eating bushels of lettuce.  It also had a half dozen giant turtles, not to mention a huge variety of fish, coral and crustaceans. There were also a few playgrounds nearby.  And then there was our pool, which is always a hit. 

I tell you, it took me a week to prepare. And I did it with excitement and joy. The final results? We had a ball, and at the end of their visit I was rewarded with, “When can we come again, Grammy?”

And all this brings to mind how God invests so much into us, too. Preparing situations, laying out His plans for our life, opening doors, cleaning away debris that would hinder, pouring “gifts” into us to make that way easier. No detail is too small for His attention.  And I bet He does it all with excitement and joy, too. 

And just like my grandchildren who had no clue of all the effort that went into their visit, we have no clue of all the effort God invests into us; of all the “behind the scenes” work He does on our behalf. And if we’re really honest, sometimes we even wonder if He’s working on our behalf at all. But He is, and I think it pleases Him when we remember that fact; when we raise our voices in praise of Him in spite of what we see or feel; when we fill our hearts with gratitude for what He has done for us in the past and what He is busy doing even now, albeit, unseen.  

Until next week,

Sylvia