Author: Paula

What 50 Years of Love Can Do

Posted on by Paula
Mom as Homecoming Queen Dancing With Dad

I sifted through the photos, and my daughter used them to make decorations. One of the photos I came across was a precious picture of Mom and Dad dancing when Mom was crowned homecoming queen. Jessica captioned it with, “Dance like no one is watching; it’s just you and me.” That’s how it started—just the two of them, probably not realizing that they were being watched by those around them. Over the years, however, they were making an impact. Mom and Dad showed me and many others what true love is.

The homecoming queen graduated and got married. Her husband was drafted into the army, and then he left for boot camp. He was allowed a short trip home when his first daughter (That would be me!) was born. Then he was sent to Vietnam. It must have been hard on the young couple to be separated, especially with a new baby. They weathered the storm by exchanging letters and photos and praying a lot of prayers as God took care of them until Dad’s time of service ended. Within a few years of dad coming home, their family grew to five with two active daughters and a very busy son. Dad worked hard at the car lot while Mom worked hard at home.

Vietnam wasn’t the only difficulty that would arise in their life together. Before Mom was even 30, she lost her own mom to cancer. She took care of Grandma while also trying to take care of three little kids. Mom battled cancer herself 15 years ago, and Dad has spent his share of time in the hospital over the past couple of years. Of course, we three kids and ten grandkids have given them several challenges over the years as well. They have definitely experienced what it meant when they vowed, “for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.” While Mom and Dad did what they needed to do to take care of us through whatever life brought, they were teaching us what true love is, whether they realized it or not.

As Mom and Dad’s 50th anniversary approached this year, my siblings and I worked together with our spouses and children on planning a celebration. As I worked on decorations and refreshments in the evenings, I thought of the times in my childhood that I’d wake up in the middle of the night to see Mom decorating our birthday cakes. I also remembered how Mom always made sure that we had a special outfit for Easter Sunday and the Christmas programs. There were many times that Mom sat at the sewing machine while everyone else slept. She was up into the wee hours of the morning sometimes, putting the finishing touches on our new clothes that people would always compliment us on when they saw us the next day. I can also remember dad working hard after hours with customers but always coming home to see us over lunch and also finding time to spend his coffee break with us at the Fischer’s Hi-Boy down the road from the car lot. Mom and Dad worked hard, but they always made time for what was important, and we kids felt loved.

Dad and Mom taught us that time was way more important than money. Mom didn’t have a job outside the home to bring in extra income when we were young. Instead, she chose to spend as much time as she could, pouring into her children and home. Because she was home, we always had delicious home-cooked meals and often had fresh baked cookies waiting for us when we got home from school. She always had time to listen and also took time to read to us, help us with homework and play with us. She found time to lead my Girl Scout troop, teach Vacation Bible School and help us learn the importance of serving as she towed us around while she delivered Meals on Wheels to the elderly.

Being a single-income home meant that my parents also had to budget differently than households where both parents worked. They taught us kids to spend our money wisely. Investing in people was more important than investing in things. The memories we made going on our yearly family vacations, trips to fair and visits to the zoo are the happiest of memories. I remember riding the Scrambler with my dad, holding my mom’s hand at the zoo while a balloon with a picture of a chimpanzee was tied around my wrist, riding through the mountains of Tennessee in our 1964 red Rambler and watching the movie from the back seat at the drive inn and eating the popcorn mom had popped, but I couldn’t tell you what brand of blue jeans or tennis shoes I wore. I just know that I always had nice, clean clothes that fit, plenty of food and never lacked for anything. I felt safe and loved. Mom and Dad knew what was the most important.

We kids definitely learned from Mom and Dad that spending time together is important. We always ate our meals together around the table. They taught us to give thanks to God before eating, and then we always talked and laughed as we ate. My sister and I often spent extra quality time sitting together at the table and staring at our cold food if there was broccoli or creamed corn, but that too created some happy memories.

Dad and Mom also taught us patience by their own example. One of dad’s favorite things to do was to fish, and he often took us kids out in the boat. Dad would watch us cast our line and tell us to wait until we felt a fish tug or until we saw our bobber go under. However we would get impatient and reel it back in if we didn’t get a bite right away. Repeatedly casting and reeling our line in of course caused us to lose our bait, and Dad would spend most of his time helping us bait our hooks rather than catching the monster fish he was after. I was also very good at casting my bait into the trees on the bank. Over and over, Dad would troll to the shore to retrieve my hook from the tree. Shortly after, my sister would snag something under the water, and dad would have to help her break free as well. Then someone would whine that they needed to go to the bathroom or ask if they could dangle their feet over the edge. Through it all, Dad remained patient and somehow never lost his temper.

Mom’s patience was tested as well while we kids created messes, got into arguments and complained that we were bored with nothing to do. On top of all the shopping, cooking, laundry, cleaning and sewing, she also patiently taught us responsibility. It would have been much faster for Mom to clean up all of our messes and separate us when we fought, but she wanted us to become responsible adults. The simple chores that she started us with such as picking up our toys, doing the dishes or dusting could take us hours as we complained, piddled around or got distracted playing, but Mom would persist in making sure we got it done rather than giving into our whining and doing it for us. She also taught us to work out our differences with each other along the way so that we would understand how to work out our differences with other people. This took a lot more time and patience than simply breaking up our fights and punishing us so that we’d get along. I’m sure there were days that she was so frustrated with our lack of cooperation, but she patiently helped us to grow and mature.

Of all the things that my parents taught us through their example, the most important one was how to follow Jesus. Mom and Dad took us to church every Sunday. Dad was a deacon and Mom volunteered with communion, the ladies’ ministry and the children. Some of my sweetest memories of my dad are the times that I walked in and catch him reading his Bible. My mom taught me the importance of praying and sharing my struggles with the One who could fix it. They taught us right and wrong and set the example themselves of how to live out what we knew in our heads.

Just as we kids were looking to Mom and Dad, others were looking to them as well. Mom and Dad always put others first. They were parents not just to us, but to our friends. Mom got help for one of my friends who was in an abusive home and hugged on my friends who needed it. Dad gave people rides across town and gave money for gasoline, groceries and medicine when people were short on cash. They let people come in to use the phone, listened to their problems, took meals, helped watch others’ kids and helped with repairs. I remember one winter when Dad even gave away his only coat away because someone else didn’t have one.

So, yesterday, when we surprised Mom and Dad with a celebration for their 50th wedding anniversary the was room filled with too many people to count. Still it was only a fraction of the lives they touched over the years. Sadly, we couldn’t invite every single one of their friends and family because we just couldn’t have fit them into the building. So many people told us how special Mom and Dad are and that they wouldn’t miss their celebration for anything. Over their 50 years together, my parents have touched the lives of many, many people, but especially mine. I am so thankful that God blessed me with such wonderful parents, and I am proud to be their daughter. My prayer for them yesterday was that they would feel special and loved as friends and family came to celebrate, and my prayer for them today is that God will continue to bless them in ways bigger than they could ask or imagine. I have truly been blessed with the best parents in the world!

Mom and Dad’s Family Today

One Breath at a Time

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Gone are the days of the busy signal. The days when we could only receive one call at a time have passed. If someone doesn’t answer the phone, we can send them a text message. On top of that, we have e-mail, video calling and instant messaging. We have reached a point that we expect each other to be available whenever we want an answer. Having so many ways to communicate can be a good thing at times, but it can also become exhausting.

Last night, I put on my faded t-shirt that used to be my son’s band shirt, slipped on my comfy pajama pants that had shrunk into highwaters and eased into my fluffy pink striped socks that didn’t match because that’s just how I felt. Then I did the unthinkable…. I shut off my phone. I didn’t just put it on the charger in the other room. I didn’t just screen my messages. I totally shut it off.

It’s normal to find me holed up in my little sanctuary on the sunporch on Sunday afternoons and evenings. I committed this year to set that time aside each week to reflect on the great things God had done over the past week, to practice spiritual concentration, to journal and to blog. I look forward to this special time with just God and me but often have interruptions causing me to think and to write late into the night or early into the morning. Staying up so late causes me to break another commitment I made this year, the commitment to get more rest.

This is the year that I really set out on a quest for balance in my life. I want to have that rich, satisfying abundant life that Jesus promises through him. I want to be yoked to him, learn from him and find rest for my soul. So when things are out of whack in my life, I have to question myself, “Am I yoked to him?” If my burden is too heavy, that means that I have loaded too much upon myself. For his “yoke is easy” and his “burden is light.”

So here I was, eager for my Sunday afternoon time of reflection of God’s goodness and refreshment for my soul, but the interruptions and distractions started. I slipped onto the porch and journaled for a while and then took a break to eat and talk a little bit with my family. After that, I came back out to the porch, shut the doors, shut off the phone and shut the world out, trashed house and all.

I laid down on the floor to sort things out with God. There were so many things out of my control. I felt a bit discouraged and a bit overwhelmed. My body was drained, and my heart was racing. My mind was cluttered, yet blank at the same time. I longed for God; I longed for rest.

“How did I reach this point again anyway?” I asked my Daddy as I laid at his feet, basking in his love. I had taken on too much again. I had too many thoughts and too much on my to do list. It was time to blog, but I had no words. I thought about going to bed. “Maybe I just won’t write this week,” I thought to myself, but I knew that if I broke my commitment this week, it would be much easier to break the next, just like it was with my eating, my exercising and my rest.

The load was too big. I decided I could either quit in my discouragement or put it completely in God’s hands. I knew deep down that although quitting seemed like the easy way out, it would not lead me to that rich, satisfying, abundant life that I long for.

I made a list, I gave it to God and I set some boundaries for this week. I will have to block off times that I can work undisturbed. Messages can wait until after my morning study and prayer time so that I can focus on listening for God and letting him pour his Spirit into me. Then, I can later pour into others.  I have certain responsibilities that I absolutely must take care of and I need to stay on task in order to do that. I will pray for discernment to tell the difference between God’s appointments and Satan’s distractions.

I will put on the full armor of God, I will prioritize with God and I will take things one breath at a time. I will not stress or panic but will simply let him breathe into me so that I can exhale his love and grace to those around me.

And so I continue to take things one day at a time when possible, but sometimes things must be taken one hour at a time, one minute at a time or one breath at a time. Yes. This might very well be a “one breath at a time” week. And so I say, “Breathe into me, dear Lord. Breathe into me and help me to take life one breath at a time. Help me find balance and rest and abundantly rich and satisfying life in you.”

Dear Teacher

Posted on by Paula

 

Dear Teacher,

You love what you do, but you needed to catch your breath, relax your body, rejuvenate your mind and refresh your soul. Summer may have flown by a little bit too quickly for you, but the call to teach is already tugging on your heart. You remember the faces and are anxious to see how they are doing. You have been worried about some of them because you know their life is difficult.

You are a hard worker. You have spent hours decorating your classroom in ways that will inspire your students’ minds. You’ve been working on creative lesson plans remembering that some children learn in different ways than others. You’ve prepared extra activities realizing that some of your students need challenged so they don’t become bored while others need extra help just to make it through. Your desks will soon be filled with so many unique individuals with so many different needs. You will be helping your pupils to discover that learning can be fun and that each person has different strengths and passions that will help them succeed.

You find great joy in the students who are eager to learn and eager to please you, but you also encounter students who will be too tired to focus, disinterested in what you are teaching or desperate for the attention of anyone who they can distract. Some students are a joy, and others will exhaust you before the end of the day. Yet regardless of what attitude each one brings into your classroom at the beginning of the year, you are determined to break through and inspire that student to have become a better person when your time with them is done.

Not only do you care about each student’s education, you also care about their whole well-being. You see the hurt in their eyes and know who needs a hug. You understand when students don’t have the supplies they need because their single mom is unable to shop after working all day and then trying to cook dinner, wash laundry and help with homework. You have asked if your friends and family have khakis that a student needs to wear for their chorus concert or their homecoming dance. You’ve quietly slipped deodorant or food items into a backpack when no one was looking. You’ve looked, you’ve listened, you’ve cared.

There have been days when your heart is overwhelmed in knowing the struggles that some of your students have. There have also been days of frustration when you’ve felt no one is listening, and you question if you can ever get through to them. You have faced parents who disagree with your teaching methods, your classroom rules or the grade their child was given on their exam. You have had people outside the classroom telling you how you need to do things when you are the one who works with the students on a daily basis and actually know what is best. I’m sorry to say that you will most likely have those days again this year.

You will work all day, go home to take care of your own family and then work into the night to prepare for the next day. You will purchase materials that aren’t covered in the classroom budget. Your mind will race some nights when you go to bed because you can’t stop thinking about the girl who keeps getting bullied or the boy who wears long sleeved shirts when it’s warm to hide the cuts on his arms. You will lie awake wondering how you can help a student who isn’t grasping an important concept. You will be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted at times, but do not let yourself get discouraged. What you are doing is making a difference.

You will never know how far the influence you have on your students will go. Who knows what a student might figure out to improve technology when they finally understand an idea you’ve been teaching. You are inspiring future financial wizards, doctors, nurses, surgeons, policemen, firefighters, pilots, designers, scientists, engineers, musicians, artists, athletes, lawyers, writers…. You are even inspiring further teachers.

You are not only teaching them knowledge, you are teaching them to be responsible citizens. You are building them up and teaching them to build others up as well. You are pouring all that you have into the lives that will impact our future.

Let me assure you that your kindness will not be forgotten. I graduated high school more than 30 years ago, but I can remember every one of my teachers and something special about each one. I can remember tricks to spelling certain words, math shortcuts, different styles and paint mediums and songs as far back as kindergarten. I can remember Mr. Donaldson making history come alive for me after years of hating the class. I will never forget the kindness of Mr. Picket who comforted me when my grandpa died or the thoughtfulness of my math teacher, Mrs. Raney who recognized that I had asthma and told me to go to the doctor. I remember the smiles, I remember the hugs and I remember the encouragement. Your students will as well.

I am praying for you as school starts and asking God to give you wisdom, patience and peace and that the love and grace of Jesus would flow through you and be recognized by your students, their families, your colleagues and your bosses. I pray that on the days that you are overwhelmed, you would be encouraged in knowing that you are making a huge impact. You can never tell how far your influence will go, but be assured in knowing that you are making a difference each and every day.

So smile, hug, laugh, encourage, observe, teach and take great pride in knowing that you have one of the most important jobs there are.

Have a wonderful school year! May God bless you as you are a blessing to many!

Don’t Miss Out on His Purpose

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Life was carefree growing up in the seventies and eighties. We were normal kids from small-town Effingham and Teutopolis, Illinois. Our parents were good friends, and we spent a lot of time together. We were definitely more like family than friends, and Janee’ was like a little sister to me. We have many happy memories of playing Barbies and games like “Old Maid” and “Go Fish” for hours on end. Summers were filled with eating popsicles, drinking Kool-aid, splashing in wading pools and running through the sprinkler. We’d catch baby frogs in the spring and butterflies and lightning bugs in the summer.

Our parents would often play cards late into the night, and we would be put to bed. I liked it best when the card games were held at Janee’s house. Janee’s bedroom was just across the hall from the room my siblings and I would be put to bed in. The kitchen, where our parents played cards, was far away down the hall. The arrangement made it easy for us to sneak back and forth in between the rooms and continue playing. The layout at our house was much more difficult with her in my parents’ bedroom just off the kitchen. We tried to continue our fun after we were sent to bed, but it was just too easy to get caught.

Life got busier as we got older, and we lost track of each other for a while. I was excited when I ran into her mother who told me that she had moved overseas to work with missions. We wrote letters and sent e-mails before the days of social media and later found each other on Facebook. From her personal Facebook profile, I found her blog which I now subscribe to so that I can keep up-to-date with how God is at work in her life. She also recently created a Facebook page, “Seasoned with Spice” for those who don’t have time to read a blog but would like to learn about her ministry.

Janee’ is a very good writer and shares fascinating stories of what life in Antwerp, Belgium is like for herself, her Syrian husband named, Hary, and their two young daughters, Phoebe and Maria-Grace. Janee’s blog has been inspiring to me as I have read story after story about God answering prayers and working in ways that only God can work to help Janee’ get Syrian family members to safety when hope would seem lost to most. She also shares stories of Muslims giving their lives to Jesus Christ and sharing his love with others. Life is very different and sometimes challenging in the Muslim community in which Janee’s family lives, but her family loves the people and has a passion to share the love of Jesus with those around them. Because of the war, they also have the opportunity to share the Gospel with refugee’s from Syria and Iraq.

Whether it be Hary’s job, the children’s school, the store, the coffee shop or wherever they go, Janee’s family is committed to God, and their “heart is to see the Arabic world know Jesus.” One emerging ministry of theirs is an ongoing discipleship program that will disciple and train individuals to go out in the villages and small towns to start Bible studies, houses of prayer and churches. They have a refugee feeding project in which a team of Arabic men visit the refugee holding camps and invite people to join them for a hot meal and to hear about Jesus. Almost every single one of those invited come from a Muslim background. They have prayer walks and prayer ministries and also treat Arabic women by hosting a “spiritual day” once a year with singing, teaching, praying and eating together.

The list of how they reach out to the Arabic people and in Belgium and to refugees from Syria and Iraq goes on and on. Janee’s family seizes every opportunity to share the love of Jesus with those around them. They long for the day when Hary, who is a “tent maker” will be free to evangelize full time.

Janee’ was back in the states from July 13 – August 6 this year. I was blessed to hear her speak at her “home” church, First Baptist Church in Effingham, to talk with her over lunch and to hear more about the amazing ways that God is at work in Belgium. I am also excited for the opportunity to partner with her financially through CBF. Who knows? Maybe I will even have the chance to visit her in Belgium someday and partner with her there in prayer, in serving and in sharing the love of Jesus.

In honor of her Janee’s birthday on August 8, I’d love for you to say a prayer for her and her family and to check out her blog, “Seasoned With Spice:  An American Woman in an Arab World” or her Facebook Page, “Seasoned With Spice.” If God tugs at your heart, and you too would like to partner with her financially, you can find more information by clicking here.

As a little girl, I had no idea that God would call Janee’ to join the mission field. I would have never thought that she would find a way to e-mail and get a response from the Queen of Jordan or that she would connect with famous people for help in freeing some of her Syrian in-laws. However, God had a purpose for Janee’ long before she was even conceived; she only had to listen to his whisper on her heart and obey his call.

God has a purpose for you as well! Maybe part of your purpose is in making a donation to help Janee’ and Hary reach the Arab world for Christ. Maybe God plans to send you to Belgium, Costa Rica, Haiti, Thailand, Russia…. Maybe he simply plans for you to share the Gospel of Jesus with your neighbor, co-worker or family member. Whatever your purpose, I hope that you will listen. I hope that you will obey. Don’t miss out on the blessings he has waiting for you!

Deciding What to Wear

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Deciding what to wear each day can be a bit of a challenge for me, and you never know what I might look like. I love to wear dresses, but sometimes I want to wear my comfy pants. Sometimes I dress professional; other times, my style is pretty loud and eccentric. I have days that I receive compliments, but I also have days when my daughter looks at me, shakes her head and firmly advises, “No!” If my outfit is pink, flowery, polka dotted or lacy, I will probably be sweet that day. If I’m wearing black my attitude might not be quite as pleasant. Black could mean that I’m mourning over a person or situation, but it could also mean that I need to feel brave, confident or powerful for something I’m getting ready to face. If I’ve been having a rough time and wish I could stay at home, I will probably choose clothes that are as close as I can get to pajamas. My beachy attire might mean that I’m in a great mood, but it could also mean that while my body is trapped in the real world, my mind is trying to escape to the ocean. Sometimes my clothes don’t match. If I feel like wearing my striped pants with my printed blouse or my hot pink cheetah print slippers with my lime green t-shirt and jeggings, then that is what I’m going to wear. I might wear sequins and glitter one day, classic black another and my paisley palazzo pants with a hot pink tank top the next. The way I dress generally reflects how I feel on any particular day, but there are also days that I dress the opposite of how I feel in an effort to hide or lift my mood. You just never know what to expect.

There is however, something very important that I strive to put on every single day. No matter what my mood is or how I feel, putting on my spiritual attire is a must. When I pray each the morning, I ask God to dress me in the full armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18. It sounds something like this,

Dear Heavenly Father, please clothe me and my family in the full armor of God so that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes. Let us stand firm with the belt of truth buckled tightly around our waists to keep us aligned with your truth. Let us keep the breastplate of righteousness in place to guard our hearts from evil. Let our feet be fitted with readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace. Help us live out the Gospel so that others can see the transformation you are making in our lives. May we be ready to share the Gospel with those around us. Let us take up the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Shield us from fear and doubt. Strengthen our faith and make us like the tree in Jeremiah, planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. Give us faith that moves mountains. Let us wear the helmet of salvation, remembering that our salvation comes not because of anything we do but only through Jesus. Let us not take for granted the sacrifice that Jesus made for us when He died on the cross, but just as Jesus laid down his life for us, I pray that we would lay down our lives for him. Help us to be mighty ambassadors for Christ and children who please you and bring you glory. Keep the sword of the Spirit sharp in our possession so that we can wipe out all of Satan’s lies with your truth. Fill our minds with your truth to give us wisdom and discernment. Flood our hearts with truth to give us peace. Keep your truth on the tip of our tongues, ready to bring healing to those who need it. Lead us not into temptation. Let us remember that you are always with us and that the battle belongs to you. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

When I pray this, I visualize God clothing me with that armor, and I prepare myself for whatever I will face that day. His words of truth soak into my mind and strengthen my spirit. I am reminded that we are in a spiritual battle and that I need to keep my eyes open to see what God is doing around me and so that I can also be alert when Satan tries to distract and discourage me. It reminds me that I belong to the One who has been given all power and authority in heaven and on earth and that he has provided me with all that I need to overcome the evil one. When I put on the full armor of God, I can be confident that I am secure for battle and that I am able to stand against the devil’s schemes.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV)

Be Alert for What Lies in Wait

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While spending a week in Florida, my daughter Jessica, daughter-in-law Cassie and I decided to get up early each morning for a run/walk before it got too hot. I was enjoying the different scenery and taking occasional photos of things that could be seen on a walk in Florida that couldn’t be seen on a walk in Illinois.

Cassie had warned me not to look too hard and told me that when she runs alone down there, she prays that she won’t see anything scary. It is a different place down there for sure, but the nice, wide sidewalk running along A1A gave me a sense of security.

The different scenery was intriguing and kept my attention as we ventured along. I saw a crab that had gotten hit while trying to cross the road. I enjoyed watching white ibises walking along the shrubbery. I found the ones roosted on the telephone wires to be quite comical; that is definitely not something to be seen in Illinois. I fell in love with the gorgeous trees that are so different that what grows here, the tropical plants that grow in the trees and especially the huge rubber tree plant that puts the little ones found in offices back home to shame. Instead of our ordinary dandelions, daisy-like yellow flowers threatened to take over the grass. The coconut lying on the ground was a nice find. However, the garden hose in the brush was not so nice when it turned out to be the fastest black snake that I have ever seen. I screamed as it slithered away at lightning speed, and the girls moved me to the middle of the sidewalk. There was also a lizard plague. I have seen a lot of lizards down there but I have never encountered the hundreds of lizards that formed a constant stream running across the path in front of us. Cassie felt sad for the one she was unable to avoid. I would have been grossed out for sure had I been the unfortunate one to land on it, but I can’t say that I would have been sad. I’m pretty much anti-reptile which meant that I also did not appreciate the 2nd lightning fast black snake in the brush on the way home.

The very worst experience on our run brought a whole new meaning to the childhood phrase, “Don’t step on the crack….” I was thankful that I had paused to take a picture as the girls continued ahead. I was snapping away, trying to get just the right angle when I heard them call back to me, “Just stay there! Stay there!” Apparently, a snake had been lying in the crack of the sidewalk and jumped out as Cassie stepped over the crack. It was much smaller than the black snakes we had seen, but a frightening surprise nonetheless. We had to caution Jessica, who loves to handle snakes, to leave it alone. Although we are pretty sure it was not a poisonous snake, it did hiss and rattle its tail quite a while before it finally decided to slither away into the grass. After three snakes in just one 50 minute walk, I decided that maybe the scenery on a walk in Illinois was a little less frightening than a walk in Florida. We definitely watched for the cracks a little better after that.

You know, I really don’t like snakes. In fact, I’m pretty scared of them. However, there is one snake that is the most dangerous of all. Yet, I’m not afraid of that one. The bible refers to Satan as a serpent. Revelation 12:9 says, “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 20:2 makes the reference as well, and of course, Satan is overcome for eternity in Revelation when Jesus returns. These verses in Revelation point back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 3 when the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve, and she and Adam gave into the temptation to eat fruit from the tree that God forbid them to eat from.

Just as Satan was there to deceive and tempt them in the garden, he is still here deceiving us and tempting us today. “You’re problems are too big…. Nobody cares about you…. Go ahead and indulge…. Give in; you’re too weak to overcome…. Have another drink…. Gratify yourself…. You’re worthless…. You can never be good enough…. It’s just a little lie…. You deserve it…. Go ahead and cheat…. Give up…. If God loves you, why is he allowing this to happen to you?…” Satan is a smooth talker who is full of deceit. He wants you to believe that you know better than God, that following Jesus is too hard and that doing things your own way is way more fun than abiding by God’s rules. He wants you to believe that freedom is walking away from God when true freedom is found in Christ.

Just like the snake jumping up out of the crack as the girls passed by, Satan is waiting to pop up when you least expect it. He’s hiding in the crevice, waiting to catch you by surprise, ready to pounce and attack. He’s evil and powerful, but you don’t have to be afraid because if you are a child of God, then “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The Holy Spirit who dwells in you is more powerful than the devil who lurks in the darkness.

Satan is a liar. There is no problem too big for God. You are dearly loved. You don’t need to cheat. Drowning your problems out with drugs, alcohol, food, gambling or anything other than God will not give you lasting peace. When you are tempted, God will provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Freedom is in Christ. There is nothing he won’t forgive. Nothing is impossible with him. His power is made perfect in our weakness. He loves you with an everlasting love and no one can snatch you out of the Father’s hand. If you belong to Jesus, Satan has no authority over you. Though he is waiting to attack, you have the power to overcome. The victory is ours in Christ. Don’t be afraid. Be alert. Be victorious.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. ~1 Peter 5:8-11

A Time to Give Back

Posted on by Paula

I started digging into 1 Samuel again this week. The story of Hannah in chapters one and two is such a beautiful story, and it was also helpful to me in overcoming my selfishness/self-centeredness when God called my son to take a job over a thousand miles away last year. It was a time to give back to God what he had entrusted for a season.

Hanna had not been able to conceive. She wept bitterly as she prayed to God asking for a child. She promised that if God would give her a son, she would give him to the Lord all the days of his life.

God remembered Hannah, and she conceived and bore a son who she called Samuel which means “heard of God.” When Samuel was weaned, Hannah kept her vow to the Lord. She took Samuel to the temple, made a sacrifice to God and left her son with the priest. Then she prayed a prayer of praise and worship.

Hannah had waited so long to become a mother. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for her to follow through with her promise after bonding with her little bundle of joy, but she kept her word. Now if Hannah, who had been childless, was able to see that her son was a gift from God and was able to praise God as she gave her son to be used by him all his life, shouldn’t I be able to give my son who I enjoyed for 22 years, over to God to be used by him the rest of his life? After all, I may have carried my son for nine months in my body, but it is God who knit him together in my womb (Psalm 139:13). I may have had plans for my son’s future, but all the days ordained for him were written in God’s book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). I may have cared for my son and raised him to follow Gods ways, but God who began a good work in him is the one who will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).

Children are a gift from the Lord, and I have received many blessings through the experience of raising four of them. I am thankful that God trusted me to take care of them when they were too small to take care of themselves, but ultimately, they were created by God to bring glory to him. I have found joy in nurturing them & encouraging them to become the people that God intended. However, their true purpose is found in God alone.

Just as God had a plan for Samuel to become a mighty leader, judge and prophet that would touch many lives for eternity, God had a plan for my son to touch many lives 1000 miles from home. He has a plan for each one of our children and each one of us, but we must be willing to give our lives to him and to give our children’s lives to him as well.

For more details on how this season of letting go and giving back has made an impact on my life, check out “Do You Love Me More? Part 1” and “Do You Love Me More? Part 2.” God is good!

A Time of Rest

Posted on by Paula

“I started sorting things out with God and getting serious about some of the things He’d been putting on my heart over the past several years. Most of those things boil down to taking care of myself. The problem is, I have always tried to cram way more things into my day than I have time for. So, taking care of myself wasn’t the priority. However, if the Holy Spirit dwells in my body and I am to offer my body as a living sacrifice, I need to take care of it.” I wrote those words in my very first blog post, “A Season of Gray Hairs and Discipline.”

Beginning January 1 this year, I had made it a priority to take care of myself and find balance. I was tired of my mess and was ready to get serious about the things that God had been convicting me about for far too long. I’d been doing really well with my endeavor, but at the 6 month point my balance was a little off again, and I wasn’t sure how to fix it. A few things in life changed (as they always do) and my routine needed to adapt to these changes as well. However, I was so caught up in “staying afloat” that I couldn’t find time to figure out a solution.

Luckily, we were scheduled to leave for vacation at the end of June, but things got worse the week before with all the preparations that needed taken care of.  In order to take my break, I had to not only keep up with my day-to-day responsibilities, but also work ahead to take care of bills and such that would need my attention before we returned. I got up early each morning to take care of a few things, used my lunch break for errands and laundry and then came home from the office to take care of more responsibilities, finally going to bed late.

I had been looking forward to hiding away, resting and letting God unclutter my mind and untangle my heart. Every year, my family plans an escape where we can shut everything out for a week. I was so ready to for a reset and could hardly wait to reach our destination and sort things out with God.

Our drive should have taken about 14 hours but took over 18 due to traffic. I slept almost the entire drive and also slept through the night. I was even more tired than I thought.

I had a lovely, relaxing week away. I enjoyed early morning walks/runs with my girls followed by coffee and Bible study under the coconut trees with God. I listened to the tide rolling in and out and the birds singing in the trees. I basked in the warm sun and gentle ocean breeze. I walked along the shore, searched for seashells and delighted in the hot sand under my feet. I was entertained by the little crabs that scurried about and by the manatee that I followed for about a mile before it disappeared.

Sometimes I’d think, sometimes I’d pray and sometimes I’d let the roar of the ocean drown everything out. No worries. No problem solving. Simply enjoying the peace and resting.

Because of God’s perfect timing, I found myself in the book of Judges on vacation. God’s people seemed to be caught in a vicious cycle. They would follow God and receive his blessing, but then they would stray. They’d forget the great things God had done, but God wouldn’t forget his covenant with them. Because he loved them, he would discipline them so they would return to him and obey.

So, there I was at a point in my life when I had “forgotten” my strong commitment to get serious and obey what God had been putting on my heart for so long. I was still seeking God each day, but at the same time, I was neglecting to fix the things that were throwing me off the track he had put me on. When we start to veer just a little bit, we are in a dangerous place because if we continue to veer, we will be pulled farther and farther from where God wants us to be. Thankfully, God was waiting with his love, mercy and grace, ready to help me get back on track. I just needed to stop and get away from the noise a while so that I could see the root of the problem and nip it in the bud.

During my break, God pointed out to me a few different things that I needed to address. As funny as it may seem, I realized once again that my biggest problem was not getting enough rest. It seems that when I have a lot I want to accomplish, I should tackle the list and conquer as much as possible each day to get things done. However, not getting enough rest was really throwing my life out of balance, and unfortunately the things that were getting pushed aside were the most important.

As we were driving home, a Third Day song started playing,

“How many times have I turned away?

The number is the same as the sand on the shore

But every time You’ve taken me back

And now, I pray You do it once more

Please, take from me my life

When I don’t have the strength

To give it away to You

Please, take from me my life

When I don’t have the strength

To give it away to You, Jesus.”

 My turning away has gotten less and less over the years, but I want to be at the point where I never turn away. I want to be 100% obedient. Not my will but his will.

So here I am, back to reality. The pace must pick up again, and I will be pulled in several directions. The messages about problems that need dealt with are waiting. The refrigerator is empty. The bills and laundry are accumulating again. But, I am refreshed. My focus is where it needs to be. I am at peace. God is faithful, and is ready to woo me back if I start to get off track.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Amen!

Thank You God, for Mercy, Peace and Drano

Posted on by Paula

I don’t understand how it happened. It was one of those “Mondays” disguised as a Tuesday. I was in the middle of my typical morning rush to get ready for work when all of a sudden, I saw black smoke rising in front of me. Instead of putting my eyeshadow compact back into my makeup basket, I had somehow dropped it into the 3-wick candle that was burning behind it. All I could think was that I needed to quickly put the decent sized flame out as fast as possible. In my moment of panic, I tipped the candle upside down so that the compact would fall into the sink. I wasn’t even thinking about all the melted wax until I realized it was spilling into the sink…and down the drain as the compact fell! How could I have done that?! I frantically wiped what I could out of the sink and then ran to the other room to grab a bottle of Drano. I poured the drain opener into the sink and waited for over 20 minutes, but it did not go down the drain. I boiled hot water and poured it into the sink as well. Steam rose into the air, but so did the liquid in the sink. I finally had to say a prayer, draw a line to mark the level in the sink, shut the bathroom door and ask my daughter to check on it later to see if the level of Drano and water was falling. I left for work thinking that this would be the last straw; my husband would surely kill me over this one. My daughter later texted me that the sink had finally drained, and I truly meant my reply of “Praise the Lord!!!” I still had some wax in the sink to wipe out when I got home, but the sink was functioning properly. What a relief!

Yesterday morning, I was rushing to leave for church and got there just as worship was starting. I started singing along, “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee. How great thou art. How great thou art.” Then, the worship team led me into one of my favorites, “God, I run into your arms, unashamed because of mercy. I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You…. You are Beautiful… You are Wonderful… You are Glorious… Oh God, there is no one more Beautiful…” The words of every song that morning spoke truth into my soul, and tears trickled down my face as I sang along.

I hadn’t realized all the trivial things that had caused me stress and annoyance over the past week or so. I had been caught in a rush with too much to do. I was trying to organize 2 major events that involved coordinating multiple families with too many busy schedules as well trying to tie up several loose ends both in the office and at home so I could take a break over the upcoming holiday. I had been praying and thinking over the weekend before about a difficult decision I needed to make. Monday morning, I burned my arm really bad on a hot iron. (It’s still oozing!) A couple of hours later, I had to finalize my decision I’d been praying about, and though I had finally reached peace in it all, it was a very difficult decision nonetheless. That evening, I found out that someone very dear to my heart was undergoing testing for some serious health issues. Tuesday was the “flaming eye shadow/wax down the drain” incident. (That’s quite enough stress for one day!) Wednesday, I battled a wasp nest in my doorway (Ok. The wasp issue really wasn’t that dreadful, but let’s throw it in.) That was also the day that my temporary crown fell out which meant that Thursday, I had to take time out to go back to the dentist for another temporary crown. I was thankful that the dentist squeezed me in, but “ain’t nobody got time for that” when their to do list is already way too long. Friday, I found out that the test results for the sweet young lady I’d been praying for weren’t what we had hoped. It was also a day of arguments caused by misunderstandings and exhausted people and a tense schedule.

Now, none of those things were really that bad. However, when a woman is intent on staying on task, running at a very fast pace, cramming too much in and shrugging off the physical rest that the Good Lord is calling her to, she may not even realize what’s happening inside. I knew I needed more time in prayer that week. I knew I needed more time in God’s word. I knew I needed more rest. Yet, I stayed in turbo mode whispering those little “breath prayers,” reading a minimal amount of Scripture and getting by on little sleep. So, by Sunday, my soul was desperately longing for rest and the peace that can only come through Jesus.

My heart resonated with the words on the screen during worship. God is so great! He is so beautiful, wonderful and glorious! I ran into His arms, unashamed because of mercy, and I was overwhelmed by Him. I thought about the past week and a half. I had known that something wasn’t right, but I kept chugging along. Meanwhile, there were burdens on my heart that I hadn’t even realized were there. My soul was longing for time at His feet, but I kept ignoring my need and running around, a woman on a mission. However, it was the wrong mission. I drowned out the longing more and more while the busyness of life stole more and more of my peace with God. Shifting my focus back solely on how great God is changed everything, and peace washed through my entire being just like the Drano and hot water washing through the stopped-up drain.

I know that I can’t let the busyness of life get in the way, but that is exactly what occurred. And again, “I don’t understand how it happened.” I am thankful though, for a God I can run to, unashamed because of his mercy, his grace and his love. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit who guides me back where I need to be. I am thankful for the peace that washes over me because of the blood of Jesus. And I am thankful that Drano and hot water cut through the solidified wax in my drain….

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’

‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” ~Luke 10:38-42 NIV

Determined to continue choosing what is better. Thankful for mercy when I fall.

Make a Lasting Impact

Posted on by Paula

 

Photo Credits to Abigail Barr

 

Photo Credit:
Abigail Barr

Daisies are my favorite flower. I can’t remember how long ago Christopher planted the daisy seeds in our yard, but I know it has been at least 3 or 4 years if not more. The daisies he planted have always been special to me, but seeing them bloom is even more meaningful now that he has moved more than 1000 miles away. This year, he just happened to be home for a visit when the first daisy of the season bloomed. He cut it for me and selected a vase. He is back in Florida now, but more and more daisies are opening up and will most likely put on a beautiful show until autumn creeps back in. Though he is so far way, his daisies have made a lasting impact and continue to bring me joy and remind me of his thoughtfulness.

I was admiring the daisies this morning and also remembered a day about 5 years ago when Christopher and his brothers surprised me by setting an aquarium up in my living room while I was at work. They used cold water straight from the garden hose and plopped two white fish named Mom & Dad into the water which was full of chlorine. Needless to say the fish did not make it, and the Facebook world was saddened (and somebody got in trouble) that evening when my son Joshua posted, “Dad died today.” The following day, they removed the chlorine and heated the water and filled the tank with gravel, decorations and colorful cichlids. Today we continue to be entertained by the fish including a few that we have watched grow for the past five years.

My little flower garden in the back yard is also a project that Christopher started for me. I missed my flower beds when we moved to town, but we have a very tiny yard now, and my husband Sam wasn’t too sure about giving up space for a flower bed that would probably become overrun with weeds with my hectic schedule. Christopher got the boys together and bought me a fountain and two pretty strings of lights. He also talked his dad into letting me have a small garden. He and the boys have helped me add to it each year, and I think of them while I enjoy taking care of my little flower bed or relaxing outside and listening to the water from the fountain trickle.

There are other pieces of artwork and projects around the house that remind me of Christopher’s thoughtfulness, and I feel his love even though he isn’t here. There are also things around that house that my other children, my husband, my parents, my siblings, my nieces and nephews and my friends have left for me and projects that they have helped me with that bring back happy memories and make me feel loved. There are even things around my house that still allow me to feel the love of people who are no longer on this earth. There is my grandma’s typewriter that reminds me of all the times I sat in her lap and got to type or draw pictures of trees with birds and nests. There is the afghan she crocheted for me even though she questioned the colors when I chose them. She admitted when she was finished that she liked the colors together, and though Grandma passed away years ago, I can remember those conversations and watching her crochet and can feel her hug as I wrap myself in the blanket.

As I was thinking about all of these things that make me feel happy and loved, I wondered to myself, “What have I done that might have made a lasting impression on someone else?” Have I helped with projects or left things behind that reminds someone else of happy memories and how much I love them? Have I left behind anything that will help someone continue to feel my love when this life on earth is over? Most importantly, have I helped anyone to realize how awesome Jesus is and how much they need Him? Praying for others and sharing Jesus with them is the very best gift I have to give. I hope that many of the seeds I have planted will be watered and that God will make them grow so that others will have a gift that lasts long after I am gone. I hope that others can experience the love of Jesus through my life and that they will accept him and have the gift of eternal life through Him.