Author: Paula

Two Are Better Than One

Posted on by Paula

I have always chosen not to run. I was the girl in P.E. who walked the track with the asthma girls who had the doctor’s excuse not to run, and that was long before I actually had asthma. Ha! I’m not quite sure what possessed me, but I recently decided that I needed to lay aside my pride, stop worrying that I move like Captain Jack Sparrow, and simply give running a try. I found a spot near the end of my walking route where I would muster up all of my courage and run for a very short distance, hoping that no one would recognize me.

My daughter decided to join me on my early morning walk recently, and I ended up gaining a walking/running partner. Neither of us are morning people, and both of us had our own routines. However, she needed more consistency, and I needed someone along in case I croaked.

All in all, we felt pretty good about our decision to get our workout in together each day before it got too hot outside. Four days after we made the pact, however, our enthusiasm faded and we found ourselves dragging each other out the door and down the road. Ten minutes into the walk that day, she told me, “I’m glad we started doing this together. I didn’t want to get up today.” My reply? “Me either! I made myself crawl out of bed and get ready today because I knew you were getting up to go.”

The air was so thick that morning. Breathing was difficult enough, let alone trying to run. However, one of us would take the first step to run, and the other would have to run along too. We’d run until we could no longer breathe. We’d complain a while, walk while we caught our breath, laugh a bit… and then someone would take that first step to run again. We took turns being the slave driver and being the one who loathed her. Together we persevered.

If I had been going alone that morning, I probably wouldn’t have run as often or hard as I ran. I might not have gone the distance that I did. I may have even given into my temptation to stay in bed an extra hour instead of pushing myself out the door, but someone was expecting me to go.

Some days have been harder than others, and I’m not going to lie. We were both excited the morning we woke up to rain and had to wait until the evening to run.

Isn’t it so much easier to fizzle out and give up when there’s no one watching? Don’t we perform better when we have someone around to motivate us to succeed? Whatever you are trying to do, whether it is making a healthy change, breaking an unhealthy habit or striving to reach a goal that seems way outside of your grasp, find someone to travel the road with you and to hold you accountable.

You might be fighting hard and even praying for God’s strength or deliverance, but sometimes, our spirit is willing while our flesh is weak. Sometimes, we need someone who cares about us and understands what we’re going through to help us stay disciplined and obedient. Ask God to send someone to travel with you on your journey. That person will be of great encouragement when you feel like throwing in the towel, and you will be able to provide motivation for that person when they feel like giving up as well.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 in the NLT says,

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”

Who is helping you succeed today, and who are you helping in return?

The Hidden Injury Uncovered

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I was having a productive day and staying on task. As I was rushing, my foot hit a hole, twisted and caused me to lose my balance. Pain shot through the top of my foot. How could this happen? I had a lot to do, and I had also just gotten back into the swing of walking & dabbling with running after being in a bit of a slump. I was angry. My mind raced with thoughts that included all the reasons why an injured foot was NOT acceptable at this time.

Suddenly, the pain was gone. I truly believed that God had healed me. I thanked him excitedly and got back to business. I unloaded the groceries, shopped for a gift, mailed a package, stopped by Homewood for gift certificates (caved in for the coconut yogurt & mango Dole Whip while I was there!), delivered a thank you card, stopped by the insurance company, ran to the bank, dropped a load off at Silk Purse and went to help my niece with a favor. I was doing just fine! However, after going up & down my niece’s stairs, my foot hurt—just a little bit. I shrugged it off and drove back to town. As I walked a few blocks to finish the last errand, I felt like I might be limping. How embarrassing! I hoped no one would think that I was one of those ladies who can’t walk in high heels.

By the time I got home, the pain had definitely returned. I had a big knot on the top of my foot and pain going up my leg. Because I had broken the same foot before and had ended up with a blood clot at that time, I thought I should get it checked out.

The doctor suspected a broken foot and ordered an x-ray. By the time I went back for that, I was unable to put my foot on the floor to walk. Reluctantly, I agreed to being pushed in a wheelchair. Sigh…

The doctor came in with the results. She was surprised that the foot wasn’t broken in the swollen area but asked if my big toe hurt. The x-ray showed it was broken.

I was confused, because my big toe was fine, but after thinking a while, I remembered it hurting really bad back in February when I dropped a heavy stool on it. I thought back then that it might be broken, but I didn’t figure anything could be done with a broken toe. I rested my toe that day and the next, but made myself get back on the treadmill the following. I had been faithfully walking six days a week for over a month at that time, and I was not going to let this get into my way. I pushed myself to walk in pain but could only manage to walk about 20 minutes. The next day was my normal Sunday day of rest. Monday, I pushed myself for 30 minutes. Each day, I could walk longer with less pain until there was no pain or limitation on how long I could last.

So, yeah, I guess I did break that toe back in February, but it seemed fine now. The doctor said I didn’t need to do anything since it no longer hurt but added that I might have arthritis in it someday.

As for the new injury, the doctor told me that it was probably a sprain that could last a few days to a couple of months. I left on crutches, thinking of all the reasons why this absolutely could not last for a couple of months and continuing to beat myself up for stepping in the hole. I went home that Friday night determined that I would be better by Monday and running by Friday even though I couldn’t put any weight on the foot at all. The next morning, I could put a little weight on my heel. I ran errands on crutches and rested my foot in the afternoon and all day the next day. By Sunday evening, I could hobble. By Monday, I was able to take a 50 minute morning walk and another walk that evening. By Friday, I ran!

I am so thankful that I can walk and run just a week after the injury and I am glad that I went to see what the problem was. However, I wouldn’t have known my toe had actually been broken back in February if I hadn’t gone in June for the injured foot.

This whole scenario made me think about old wounds we can have deep down. Feelings of resentment, unforgiveness, guilt, bitterness, anger and hopelessness if not dealt with can be buried and hidden away in denial. Everything might look fine on the outside, but on the inside we know that we have broken fellowship with God or someone who was once close to us. Another incident can pop up that needs attention, and during that time of examining the new incident, the old hurt is exposed and brought to our attention.

When we don’t deal with our hurts but choose instead to ignore the pain, our relationship with God or someone here on earth can become damaged. Sometimes, when that old hurt is brought to the surface again, we are able to properly deal with it and find complete healing. Other times, we have waited too long and must learn to live with whatever consequences result. The important thing is that we eventually come to terms with that hurt.

Maybe someone has hurt you, but you haven’t forgiven them. Jesus said, “If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15). If you’re having trouble forgiving someone, ask God to help you forgive.

Maybe you are the person who needs to ask forgiveness. If pride has been getting in your way of asking forgiveness, humble yourself and apologize.

Some relationships will heal quickly, some may take time and others might not mend at all if the other person chooses not to accept your apology. However, no matter how the other person responds, you can have peace in knowing that you did your part to make things right again; unforgiveness on the other person’s part is sometimes a consequence that you must live with. However, when it comes to God, He is always ready to forgive. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

So when an injury takes place, the best thing to do is address it and take the necessary measures for healing as soon as possible. If by chance you do examine yourself and find that you have hurts that you’ve been ignoring and trying to bury deep where they can’t be seen, give them to God. Remember that God’s forgiveness and grace are always available. You just need to ask. He will also enable you to forgive those with whom you’ve been holding a grudge. Let your hurts come to the surface and find peace through God.

What Do These Shells Mean?

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I love the ocean and I love to hunt for seashells as I walk along the beach. I have accumulated hundreds if not thousands of shells over the years as a result of my relaxing pastime. Some of the shells have a hole. I had always intended to use those particular shells to make jewelry and wind chimes, but I haven’t found the time to do that. Today, I was inspired to sift through those shells and get to work on my first wind chime.

I was reading from the book of Joshua this morning and was reminded of the time that God’s people crossed the Jordan River on their way to the promised land. God actually stopped the waters of the Jordan from flowing to allow them to safely cross. God told Joshua to instruct one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to pick up a stone from the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and to bring them over and lay them down in the place where they would lodge that night. He told them that the stones would be a memorial to the people forever.

So the twelve men brought the stones, and Joshua set them up at Gilgal and instructed them, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever” (Joshua 4:20-24).

I started journaling years ago and especially like to write down the times that I experience God in my life. I do this because I tend to forget a lot of details.

When I am discouraged, looking back at the times that I have had an encounter with God helps strengthen my faith. It helps me remember who He is and what He has done in me and through me.

Looking back over those encounters with God can also help me when I need direction. By examining the places and events that I have been through, I can have an idea of where He is leading me next.

Another great reason to remember these special moments with God is so I can share those stories with other people. My hope is that when others hear about the impact that God has made in my life, they can see that God is real and “that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty,”  and that they may fear the Lord God forever. (Joshua 4:24)

I decided to use my seashells for my memorial stones and to use those “stones” to make a wind chime. I will have to finish that project another day, but I do have a nice little pile of memories to read through now. There are some other encounters with God that I didn’t get a chance to write down on a shell, and there will be several to add in the future as God continues to work in my life.

I am so thankful for a God who reveals himself to me through the Bible, prayer, circumstances and the church. I am also forever grateful for a God who desires an intimate relationship with me through His Son, Jesus. My prayer is that I never miss an opportunity He gives me to share with others how awesome He is.

Every Day is Memorial Day to Us–We Remember

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What is the true meaning of Memorial Day? Ask any Gold Star family and they’ll tell you what it means. It’s not about the picnics. It’s about the men and women who have given their lives for this country. Every day is Memorial Day to us.”  These words belong to Carol Resh, Gold Star mother whose son, Army Captain Mark Resh was killed in Iraq a decade ago.

I am humbled today as we remember those who died serving our country. Over the years, millions of men and women have committed to serving our nation, and over a million have given their lives so that we could have freedom and security. I did nothing to deserve the blessings that have come because of their selfless acts. It is hard for me to understand why these heroes are willing to risk everything, but I am so thankful to them. I am touched and humbled by these heroes.

At the same time, my heart breaks for the moms, dads, wives, husbands, children, siblings and friends of those who went to battle but didn’t return home. Their lives changed forever as they grieve for their loved ones; our lives changed forever because they saw a greater purpose and gave all they had to achieve it.

May we never take for granted our freedom and safety. These men and women served knowing that they may die fighting for the cause. The price was so high. Their lives were cut short, but their impact lasts through the ages.

This stanza in Moina Michael’s poem, “We Shall Keep the Faith,” says it well,

We cherish, too, the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led;

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies,

But lends a lustre to the red

Of the flower that blooms above the dead

In Flanders Fields.”

She is right. These men & women did not die in vain; their blood never dies. Let us never forget these heroes.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” I am humbled today not only as I remember those who laid down their lives serving our country but also for Jesus who died in my place.

You see, God created us in his image and loves us with an everlasting love. However, we sinned, and sin separates us from God. Romans 6:23 tells us that “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus came to earth knowing that He would have to lay down his own life to conquer sin and death so that we could be made right again with God. He knew what was ahead before He was wrongly accused, mocked, spit upon, beaten and slain. Yet He was willing to give his all so that my sin could be forgiven and I could have eternal life. Again, I did nothing to deserve this. Romans 5:6-8 says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We were bought with a price.

This is not something we remember just today. This is not something we only reflect upon when we take communion. Every day is Memorial Day to us. May we never take for granted the sacrifice that Jesus made so that we could live eternally in heaven with him.

In Search of My Dream Job

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One of my boys asked me a couple of weeks ago, “Mom, is the job you are doing right now your dream job?” The question caught me off guard. “Well,” I answered, “I had always thought it would be nice to work in a church, & I really do love it, but I’m not sure I could say that it’s my dream job.”

“Well, then,” he asked, “What would your dream job be if you could do anything you wanted?” I had no answer. I really didn’t know.

It was kind of strange, but he didn’t let the question go. A few days later, he asked again, “Mom, you never answered. What would your dream job be?” I was a little sad after thinking about it because I realized I didn’t really have a “dream job” on my heart. For some reason though, I couldn’t stop thinking about the question. After all, I am getting older and don’t have as much time left to chase after dreams. I decided that I had better figure out what my dream job was before it was too late.

There are a lot of things that I enjoy doing. For example, I love to sing, but there are probably only about 5 notes that I can hit really well. (I apologize to those who have been unfortunate enough to stand in front of me while I sing my heart out in church.) I love to listen to people, encourage them and help them sort things out. However, I didn’t pursue a degree in counseling because I wanted to start a family as soon as possible. My “baby” only has 2 years left in high school now, but I don’t think my older brain could concentrate on learning anymore, and I don’t think I could juggle going to school while working full time. I love pouring into kids and helping shape them, but again, I don’t want to return to school for a degree. I have also always wanted to write a book, but I have enough trouble writing one blog post a week. Besides, I’m not currently getting a lot of traffic on my blog spot.

Not having a dream has really bothered me for some reason, but I believe I have finally come to a conclusion today. I think that it is okay to say that in this season of life I really don’t have a dream job. However, I do know some of the things I do in life that give me the most joy. The times when I am the happiest and most content are the times that I’m in sync with God and He blesses me by working in me and through me.

I may not be a great singer, but I love to sing praises to God and to worship Him. I don’t have a degree in counseling, but God does send me people to listen to, encourage and point to him. I don’t have a degree in teaching, but I have been given opportunities to build up high school students in my life group each week and to love and encourage children by volunteering in my son and daughter-in-law’s classrooms. I also may not be confident with my writing skills, but once in a while, I am blessed to know that God used the words I wrote to touch and encourage someone and to show them how awesome He is.

So, although there truly may not be a dream job for me, I am really pretty content to dabble in this, dabble in that and simply watch each day for the opportunities to let Jesus love the people through me. Or maybe I could say that my dream job is simply to be a vessel that God chooses to work in and through to bring him glory.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” ~Ephesians 2:10 NLT

Do You Love Me More? Part 2

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They didn’t want to move over a thousand miles away from family, but that is what Jesus asked them to do, and they love Jesus more. They love him enough to sacrifice being here with us. I didn’t want to let them move so far away, but that is what Jesus asked me to do, and I love Jesus more. I love Jesus enough to let them go.

Leaving Christopher and Cassie at their new duplex on June 28, 2016 was so much different than dropping Christopher off at college where I knew he would come home most weekends and every holiday. We left them in a place where they knew no one and where they couldn’t come home unless they drove for two days or had money to fly. We left them in a place too far away for us to help them if they had a problem. It seemed like we were leaving them a million miles away.

Because of the distance, the way we support each other and love each other must sometimes be accomplished with a little bit of extra thought and creativity. We have learned that via FaceTime, big brothers can still teach their little brothers how to tie a bow  tie for their first homecoming. We can even have dinner “together” any night of the week via FaceTime as well. We have found that even though it isn’t possible for our son and daughter-in-law to take a lot of Christmas gifts home on an airplane, we can still order gifts online and ship them directly to their home. We can even print pictures of those gifts and wrap the pictures so that they have something to open here on Christmas morning. Because of the distance, I can no longer cut my son’s hair each month as I loved to do, but I was able to teach my daughter-in-law so that she can. We can send lots of pictures, videos and audio clips back and forth to share special moments when we can’t be together. I can pray for God to put people in their lives to physically help them when we aren’t there. I may not be able to attend every concert as I had planned, but I can support Christopher, Cassie and their students through prayer, donations and volunteering when possible. We have also learned to make the most of every minute when we are together because it might be months before our next visit. Most of all, I am learning to let go of my selfishness and am dying to myself for Jesus just as He sacrificed his life for me.

Though I am sometimes sad because we live too far apart for them to come over for dinner or to drive home for the weekend, I have also been blessed in ways that I wouldn’t have been if they lived close by. For example, if they were closer, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to spend a week at a time in their home. I wouldn’t see in great detail what a wonderful wife Cassie is to my son and how hard she works making him a good breakfast each morning and packing him such great lunches. My heart wouldn’t have been blessed by overhearing them each morning as Christopher read aloud to Cassie from the Bible, as they discussed the scriptures or as they prayed each morning for their students and their schools. If they lived close by, I would probably use my vacation days for more selfish reasons rather than being compelled to volunteer in their classrooms. I wouldn’t have been able to see first-hand how they have found creative ways to make learning fun. I wouldn’t see the huge impact that they are making in their students’ lives and how much their students love them. I wouldn’t truly know that they give so much of themselves to their students all day long and then come home to fix dinner, take care of the household chores and still find time to make lesson plans, gather supplies and spend hours preparing for special activities for their students.

God has answered many of this momma’s prayers. Though He moved Christopher and Cassie far away to a place they weren’t familiar with, He ensured it was a place with a wonderful church where they can worship, grow and serve. He immediately led them to a solid life group and put Godly friends in their lives. He has moved them outside their comfort zone, but because of that, they are learning to depend on each other and most of all to depend on God. He has helped them to keep Jesus at the center of their lives and to find their purpose in him.

Though it does hurt that I can’t always be the one to help them like I wish I could, it has also been good to visit and meet the people who God has provided to do those things when I am unable. It is reassuring to see that there are caring people who have become part of their lives so quickly. God is taking care of them and building a support system for them.

In addition to answering my prayers, God is also teaching and maturing me through this experience. I really, really do not like to fly on airplanes, but God is pushing me out of my comfort zone and teaching me to trust him to keep me from falling. He is challenging me to surrender my plans for his. He is teaching my selfish heart that when I trust him enough to let go, He gives me freedom and blesses me in ways bigger than I could have asked or imagined.

Yes, over the past year, Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:37-38 have become very real to me. “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Thank you, Jesus, for challenging us, for taking us outside of our comfort zones, for strengthening our faith, for teaching us to trust, for giving us the chance to let go and for helping us find our purpose in you. Thank you, Jesus, for surrendering to the Father’s will and taking up your cross so that we can do the same. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to find freedom in loving you more.

Do You Love Me More? Part 1

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On the afternoon of April 26th, Christopher called and excitedly asked if I had prayed for him that day. I told him of course I had; I pray for him every day. Christopher said that he had attended a job fair that day. Five schools had offered him second interviews. There was talk of loan forgiveness, and one school was even supportive of his dream to start a ukulele club for the students.

His news was interesting because that morning, I had been compelled to pray something I had never prayed for him. I prayed specifically that God would help Christopher & Cassie find good jobs with loan forgiveness. I also prayed that though I really wanted them to stay close to home, God would lead them where they need to be and would send them where they would find their purpose in Him. Little did I know that being led to pray that prayer was God’s way of preparing my heart for a plan that I was not anticipating.

Later that afternoon, Christopher got a call from a school in Florida. They had been interviewing in another town and asked if he could meet them halfway that night for an interview. When he told them that his wife, Cassie, was looking for a teaching job, they told him to bring her along too. They traveled in dress clothes to a Steak and Shake that night wondering if it was a joke. They were both interviewed and offered jobs on the spot. Christopher told me they were 98% sure they didn’t want to move that far away, but I had a sick feeling deep down inside.

Less than two weeks later, Christopher sent me a text, “So my host teacher at Honey Creek is moving and said that she told the principal that I should get this teaching position. Please pray! This would be the ideal position for me! Middle school band with lots of resources!” Maybe I had been wrong, and God wasn’t really calling them so far away! Maybe it was just a test like Abraham and Isaac, and if I was willing to sacrifice my son, God would step in the last minute and let him stay.

However, when I called Christopher that evening, they were starting to lean towards the job in Florida. It was partially because of the out-of-the-blue way the job offer had popped up. But there were other reasons as well. A wall at Christopher’s future school had a mural with one of his favorite quotes, “Be the change that you wish you could see in the world.” Cassie’s future assistant principal called to say that he was praying for her and encouraged her & Christopher to pray as well. Another teacher told her that it was a real mission field down there. A devotional that Cassie subscribes to talked about not being afraid to go where God sends you. Their pastor preached on how God tends to send their church people who they then send out. Similar messages were popping up everywhere.

I couldn’t tell them that I didn’t want them to go; the decision needed to be theirs. I did tell Christopher that he can’t let fear get in his way and that he and Cassie would be happiest if they were where God wanted them and where they’d find their purpose in Him. It was so difficult for me to say those words, but I knew they were the truth.

On May 28, 2016, Christopher told me that he & Cassie were moving to Florida in less than a month. I’d like to say that my reaction was wonderful and encouraging, but out of my selfishness, I grieved. It took a good three days before I could pull myself together and at least a week before I could keep from crying when I thought about them moving. I grieved because I had looked forward to watching him direct at all of his concerts. I had plans to help them when they had babies, to babysit for them and to attend all of my grandchildren’s events. I wouldn’t be able to help out if they were sick or had an emergency. We wouldn’t be able to spend every birthday and holiday together. One of the silliest things that made me cry was knowing that someone else would be cutting Christopher’s hair.

I was so proud of Christopher and Cassie for listening to God’s voice and obeying what He asked them to do. Sincerely, what more could a mom want than for her son to grow into a man that is seeking God’s will? I loved raising Christopher, but he is not mine. He is God’s. He is a Godly man who found a Godly woman. Cassie is beautiful inside and out. I had no doubt that together they would find their purpose in God and make a difference of kingdom value in many lives. Still, I did grieve. I hated my selfish feelings and emotions, but they were out of my control.

This is the time in my life that Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:37-38 became very real to me.

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Christopher and Cassie were given the decision of whether they would move more than 1000 miles away from their parents and family and all that was familiar to a place where they didn’t know anyone and had never been. They were just starting out and would have no support system in Florida. The comfortable thing to do would have been for Christopher to pursue the dream job in the school he had been student teaching at an hour from home, but Christopher and Cassie love Jesus more. They knew Jesus was calling, and they took up their cross and followed Him.

I too had a decision to make. I could continue to grieve. I could throw a fit and try to keep them here for my selfish reasons. I could lay on a guilt trip and try to get my way, or I could surrender. Did I want to keep them here so that I could continue to enjoy life with them and my future grandchildren or did I want them to go where God called? I knew Jesus was calling me to surrender my plans with my son to Him. I took up my cross to follow Him.

Keeping in Tune When We Are Pressed and Plucked

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Christopher taught me to help tune the ukuleles so that the students could focus their time on learning to play.

My son, Christopher accepted a position last fall to teach music for preschool through 5th grade. Christopher, who has always had a passion for music, thought of several fun ways to instill that passion in his students. One of his most exciting ideas was to start a ukulele club.

In December, I was given the opportunity to travel to Florida and volunteer in both his classroom and also in his wife Cassie’s 4th grade classroom. One of the ways that I got to assist was by helping Christopher tune all 20 ukuleles before each after school ukulele club meeting.

New ukulele strings need time to stretch so they will settle down and hold their tune. As the instrument is played, the strings stretch. As the strings stretch, they become out of tune. Very frequent tuning is needed until the strings settle down.

The best way to speed up the process is to play the instrument a lot. The more the instrument is played, the more the strings become accustomed to the way they are pressed on and plucked. At first, the strings may become out of tune after being played just a short while. The more the ukulele is played, the more the strings will settle down and the longer the instrument will stay in tune.

As we were tuning the ukuleles, I thought about my relationship with God and how important it is that I stay in tune with him. Sometimes life throws us a curve and our faith is stretched. Our health may fail, we may become grieved as someone we love starts going in the wrong direction, we may lose our financial security, we may encounter disaster and we may become overwhelmed. Our faith may become stretched and the enemy may try to pull us away from God. During those times, we must remain in the Father’s hand and allow him to tune our hearts and strengthen our faith.

The more we allow God to work in us and through us the more we settle down and are able to keep in tune with him. We will continue our whole lives to be pressed and plucked as we face new challenges, but the more we submit to God’s tuning, the longer we will go before needing a major tune-up.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” ~Jude 1:24-25

Only a Season With Better Days Ahead

Posted on by Paula
Pink and white dogwoods add life and color to the beautiful spring show around us.

Spring has returned, and life is good! Slowly but surely over the past month, new life has appeared. Hyacinth, daffodils and tulips burst forth from their bulbs that had been resting beneath the dirt all winter. The buds on the trees have given way to the first green leaves. The dogwood, wisteria and redbud trees boast a beautiful show with white, pink and purple flowers whose petals will eventually fall and decorate the ground. The fresh, crisp air welcomes the scent of freshly cut grass, and the sunshine lifts my spirit and warms my bones.

The older that I have become, the more I dread the winter. The flowers disappear, the leaves fall from the trees and the landscape turns brown and seemingly lifeless. Days of clouds and dreariness cause me to long for sunshine. The bitter wind and freezing temperatures make me want to hibernate until spring. The snow that I once looked forward to as a child has become a dreaded sight. As an adult, I find that snow means hazardous driving, sidewalks to shovel, slippery parking lots, damp clothes and wet, muddy floors.

As unbearable as winter now seems to me, I always make it through. Though the frigid mornings make me want to stay in my warm fluffy pajamas and hide under my electric blanket, I force myself to rise each day and persevere. I know that winter is just a season that will eventually come to an end and that spring and summer will happily return.

Life really is all about seasons. Some seasons are less enjoyable than others. Strained relationships, health issues, financial difficulties and grief can overwhelm us at times. There may be seasons so challenging that we struggle to pull ourselves out of bed each morning. Thankfully, our hardships are only temporary and we can have hope that seasons of love, good health, prosperity and joy will surely come our way again. Best of all, if we belong to Jesus, not only will He stay by our side through our difficult season, He also promises to someday take us home where we will find a permanent ending to those seasons of struggle.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 tells us, “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this:  God has made the one as well as the other….” If life was always good, how often would we seek God? We thank God and praise him for his blessings during happy times, but we might not remember as well how much we need Him. It seems that the difficult times we encounter are the times that cause us to reflect and to realize our need for God. When times are bad, we turn to God, remembering how awesome, powerful and good He is. When things are out of our control, we seek God for guidance, strength and peace. We may learn that there are changes we need to make in our life or we may simply realize that there is nothing we can do but hold on to God with all of our might and trust that relief will come. We definitely appreciate the good days more because of the bad days we endure.

When we seek God during difficult times, we are blessed by his love, peace and presence. During seasons of despair, we can remember that a season doesn’t last forever. We find hope that better days are ahead. Some of those days may be here on earth, but if we truly belong to God, we can be sure of a future when all struggling will end and we will inherit a life far better than we can imagine. A time is coming when peace, joy and perfection will last for an eternity.

The Love that Changed My Life

Posted on by Paula

As I watched “The Passion of the Christ” with my high school students on Good Friday, I was hit pretty hard. I watched with a heart that broke as Jesus was mocked, spit upon and beaten. I could barely hold back my tears as I saw his flesh cut into and torn as he was whipped. I was deeply convicted as the nails were hammered into his hands. He was innocent; he didn’t deserve any cruelty. It was my sin that drove the whips and hammer, but it was his obedience and love that compelled him to suffer and willingly give his life to take away that sin. His suffering and death paid the price for every single one of my sins, every single one of your sins and every single sin that has ever been or ever will be committed.

When my husband and I got married, our minister gave us a poster with “the love passage” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). It was the first thing I saw when I got out of bed each morning and that last thing I saw as I laid down to sleep each night. Sadly, I didn’t really understand the fullness of the message that is so often read to brides and grooms. The tragic thing is that when I read the beautiful words, the only things that came to my mind were the ways I thought my husband wasn’t loving me. I would get upset because I didn’t feel like I was being loved the way I was supposed to.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8, painted by my daughter Jessica, now hangs on my office wall to remind me to love with the perfect love of Jesus.

One day, I was reading through the verses, having a pretty good pity party and pointing out to God the ways that my husband wasn’t loving me. That’s when God gently pointed out to me that I wasn’t living up to that passage. I had never questioned my love for my husband. I thought I was doing a great job. That day, however, God opened my eyes to see that I was definitely keeping “a record of wrong” and I was also “self-seeking.” Furthermore, when I didn’t think my husband was treating me right, I would retaliate. When the Holy Spirit convicted me, those words I had read over and over became life-changing to me. I finally realized that the great “love passage” not written to tell me how I should be loved; those words were written to tell me how I should love.

The love described in 1 Corinthians 13 is the same love manifested when Jesus died on the cross for my sin. It is a love that isn’t dependent on whether or not the recipient is lovable or worthy. It is a selfless love that comes from our obedience to God’s commands. Some of Jesus’ last words to his disciples before dying on the cross were, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:12-13).

I am to love with the love of Christ regardless of how I am being loved. Learning this truth has made a huge difference in my life. Just as Jesus laid down his life for me, I too am to lay down my life. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

I am ever thankful for a God who loved me enough to die for me. I am thankful that when I gave my life to him, he sent his Spirit to live in me. I am thankful that his Spirit enables me to love others with the same love in which he loves me. I am ever thankful to know and experience his love which is the greatest most perfect love there is. I am thankful that my life is forever changed because of him.