Peace?

I started to write this posting before the U.S. and other nations bombed Syria and Iraq in an effort to slow down ISIS and Khorasan. While I don't want to see war, I was very glad to see our military launch an attack to slow down the efforts of a group bent on bringing down Western countries.

I have to admit, many times I hesitate to even turn on the news. . .there's so much evil and ugliness nowadays that I'm not sure I want to hear any more. But, last week I was glad to hear of action being taken, that the military did what they are trained to do in taking down a new enemy before the rest of us know there is another enemy. We don't always get to hear about these military victories.

Does this action stop the evil from happening? No. Did it make the groups hit by the bombs mad? Sure it did. The surprise attack is no longer a surprise. Are we still targets? Yes. So is there a chance to have peace? That's the million dollar question.

While peace evades the countries of the Middle East, I must confess that hearing this news in the confines of my home, far from the countries under attack, makes everything seem detached from me. But, in many ways it's not. Those fellow citizens are fighting half a world away to keep me safe in my home and at peace. Then I realize that on any given day we could have a repeat of 9/11, not just in the U.S. but in other western countries. Now where's my peace?

And what exactly is the peace I'm looking for? According to Merriam-Webster, peace by definition is a state of quiet or tranquility. Dictionary.com adds it is a freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, obsession...a tranquility, serenity.

How do I get that?

Here's where God comes in. How many times in the Bible have you read, "Do not be afraid," or "Fear not...," or "Peace to you..."? While some of those people were told these words because an angel of the Lord stood before them, others were in the midst of trouble. Either way, nerves were on fire inside the person and they're told to be at peace. This is how God works. If there is nothing happening to scare you, if there's no reason to cry out to God, then there's no need for additional peace.

So while it only takes turning on the TV to be scared and fearful of harm, I need to cling to what I know in the scriptures. God is in control of the bigger picture. And nothing that happens is a surprise to Him. I just have to remember that my peace comes from Him and not the status of peace in the world.

Now is a great time to read, really pray, the Psalm being recited by the Jewish people at this time of year... Psalm 27. Read it. Pray it. Cling to it.

It's Here

What's here? The time to wake up and smell the weeds. I say weeds because to say roses would imply that things are sweet. And, they are not sweet. We need to look around and stop pretending that the awful things written in the Biblical book Revelation will never happen.

I know that sounds fatalistic but have you been listening to the news? There are so many people being killed because of their faith and refusal to follow ISIS or Hamas. Some networks tell it all, while others play it down. If you only listen to the local news that's all you're going to hear... local news. I follow Joel Rosenberg's blog and my eyes have been opened to so much more as a result.

If you follow the link above you'll read about believers in Iraq being killed by ISIS. Not just killed but beheaded and crucified. Hello. Did you know those actions were still in practice today? Most of us probably didn't, but now there's a video floating around the internet showing the recent beheading of an American reporter.

Years ago when I read the book of Revelation for the first time I scoffed at the word 'beheaded' (20:4). My thinking was, "no one does that anymore; John was wrong when he saw that." I admit that was very naive of me. But I truly thought modern man was beyond beheading, hanging or crucifying people to death. Now, years later I find out I'm wrong.

Hearing of the recent beheadings alone tells you that we are in the midst of the beginning stages of what's to come. I don't want anyone to be scared in any way. On the one hand it is an atrocity to hear of these things happening. On the other hand, the Bible tells us how bad things will get as we head into the years before and during the Tribulation.

We have options to take now. We could run into the streets yelling, "The sky is falling and the world is coming to an end. Save yourselves. Run away from the city and hide." We could sock away stock piles of food and supplies to last another lifetime. Or, we can go before God Most High and ask Him for directions, as well as for peace.

As bad as things seem to be getting I have to realize that God is in control. Read Revelation 6:9-11. Those who died because of their faith ask when will their blood be avenged. God's reply is the clincher. There is a certain number of fellow servants and believers that God is waiting to be completed. Until then He waits.

What should we do as we hear about these deaths? I don't know about you but I will continue to pray for believers in Iraq and Syria. For that matter, throughout all the Arab nations. As I posted earlier there are Jesus followers even in Muslim countries. Let's not let our fellow believers down by ignoring the fact that their lives are threatened with death.

Out With the Old and in With the New

Every autumn marks the beginning of a new school year. Depending on where you live, school starts either right before or just after Labor Day. It brings a sense of excitement to the season as something new is about to happen. It's the one thing that breaks up the warm fun-in-the-water days of summer.

When you think about it, autumn is a great time to start a school year. It reflects how everything is changing as the temperatures begin dropping to signal the impending winter months. Personally, I love the fall with the start of college football and the foliage colors transforming all around us. Of course for those of us in Texas, if we want color we have to find locations with deciduous trees whose leaves will help us see the beauty of the season. Fortunately, here in the Hill Country all we have to do is take a Sunday ride through the back roads or visit Lost Maples State Park (come early if you want to get in).

I digressed... Let's get back to where we were...

For many people each school year brings new schools and new friends. And while new is good and fun, change can be hard at times. Gone are the routines of the past.

Good or bad, routines are something we can count on... a stability of sorts with no unwanted surprises, almost to the point of boredom. In my case, I love some routine and cling to it when I can. There's nothing like following a repeated pattern and seeing it through to the end each time you start it, or always seeing the same object in the same place wherever that may be. But, to experience change now and then does keep me feeling fresh and alert.

So while I love routine, I have found God doesn't call us to a routine which can lead to indifference or being stagnant. He calls us to change. He wants us to always be moving forward whether it's in our personal life or walk with him.

It's my love of routine that has kept the same furniture and household items in my life for decades. But as we move our things back into place after renovating the house, I've found that it's time to change. This is a big step for me, but as I look back over my life I can see where change has made a difference. For example, if I had never left Texas to follow my husband in his military moves, I would never have learned the Biblical truths I now know.

So, I'm taking a lesson from the season and embracing the change happening in my home. Whether it's just at school or in some other avenue, may you also enjoy the changes this autumn brings to your life.

When is Enough Enough?

The phrase, "God never gives you more than you can handle," has come to mean more to me in the last three years then ever before.  In the past I've heard people explain away the trials of others by that statement, saying, "Well, God won't give him more than he can handle, so he must be able to handle this on his own.  I'll just pray for him."  Honestly, asking God what kind of help is needed for the person would be a better action.

Now before you start shutting me out... thinking, I'm up on some pedestal, preaching should and should nots... let me say one thing.

When trials come my way, and I remember those words, I try talking to myself in much the same way as the little engine going up the hill... "I think I can, I think I can."  Although, I must confess, it's more like singing the chorus, "God will make a way where there seems to be no way."

This is a chorus I've sung almost weekly over the past three years.  I think if I were to take a stress test that covered that time period, my score might well be off the charts.  As my already high level has recently elevated with the ever increasing renovations we've been undergoing, I have experienced fatigue.  Fatigue that has interrupted my easy focus on God and my weekly postings. (Note my last posting was one month ago.)  As I struggle to keep that focus where it belongs I've looked on the above phrase in a new light.

God may not give us more than we can handle, but is what we can handle more than we think?  Do you ever feel that one more thing on your plate will send you over the edge?  Before my recent much needed vacations, I realized I was at the end of my strength.  That feeling of "I can't do this" was overwhelming and brought me to a point where I could go no further.

My rescue came in the form of my sister making an additional trip down just to help me prepare for the next step in the renovation process.  Her help was a breath of fresh air.  I didn't have to ask her to come.  Still, God used her to lighten my load.

In all this I learned a jewel of a lesson.  If I take my eyes off Jesus and stop looking to Him for guidance every day, I falter.  I accomplish far less than is normally possible and I'm exhausted by what little I do complete.

So, while I discovered I can handle more than I thought I could, I have also found that sometimes it takes putting someone at the brink of overload that gets our attention to turn to God... to ask daily for His energy, His wisdom, His guidance for the next step in the day.  And that next step, may be to stop and rest in His peace.  I also learned, actually I'm still learning, that I don't have to be perfect to accomplish what God has for me to do each day.  God knows my weakened state.  I only have to reach His goal to the best of my current ability.

The Teacher King

I know the Israelites in the days of the New Testament were expecting a Messiah to come and rescue them from the treacheries of the Romans. The timing was right in as far as prophecy had predicted the time when the Messiah would arrive. In fact, Jesus was a popular name for a baby when the Messiah was born. That's one of the reasons he was called Jesus of Nazareth. It helped identify him.

Other prophecy called for him to be a Servant King. And he was. The climax of this was when he washed the disciples feet. This was something new for his followers. Can you see the mayor of your town washing the feet of his office staff, including the janitors? Or a general of an army, who expects his commands to be followed without question, washing the feet of the privates under his command? Kind of gives it a different spin on it, doesn't it?

Whether you think of Jesus as a servant King, or a conquering King, or just simply the Messiah, he is known as a teacher to all of us. We read his parables today and still learn from them. We search his words regarding the end days to see if we are nearing them. We learn about heaven and what to expect when we enter eternity.

And while thinking of him as a teacher is second nature to us, it may have been a stumbling block to the Jews of old, especially the Pharisees. According to Lois Tverberg in Listening to the Language of the Bible, the people were expecting the Messiah to teach from and about the law. No wonder the people gathered to hear him speak. He brought understanding to the heart of the law. He walked the talk.

Somehow I missed that connection. I didn't realize the Messiah was suppose to teach the people. I just figured it was his way to get the word out that he had arrived and that the people needed to change their lives around in order to get right with God.

God Works in Mysterious Ways

All I wanted was an answer on what to do with some land we had just outside of town and what to do with our current home. Do we sell the land or build on it? At the time I was leaning toward building on it since our years of having it on the market had failed. Oh we had inquiries about the land but we never got any good offers. Talk about frustrating. Then to add onto that, if we decided to build on the land then we needed to sell our current home. This brought in another dilemma. . . how much do we renovate so that the house holds its worth on the current market?

I was in turmoil. There's so much I would change in the house if we stayed, but if we wanted to sell how much did we need to do? Do we paint? And how many places in the house do we paint? Maybe all we needed to do was change the counter tops in the kitchen. But what about the stained, no-longer-plush carpet. . .do we change it? In which rooms? To what style. . .cheap or high quality? What do I pack up so the house doesn't look cluttered?

The possibilities seemed to snowball. The more I thought on it, the more I needed to consider. My stress level was reaching an all time high. How was I going to sell a house and then turn around and build another one?

So, I cried out to God. In the end, I told him maybe all I needed to do to be happy in my current house was change the carpet. At the time it seemed a weak concession, but it felt like the right answer. At the same time, Dave came up with the same conclusion. We decided we would put the land in God's hands and fix up the old house.

Oddly enough from that moment on things fell into place. (That sounds like a line from a movie.) In whatever way it worked, whether we were on the same page at the same time or the timing was finally right, our lot sold within six months. And our ride to renovating the house began.

The changes to the study were completed without any issues. But the kitchen held another story. In removing the drywall behind the sink we discovered the plumbers were unique in their placement of pipes. This lead to some expected expenses.

And speaking of expenses. . .the kitchen work was placed on hold and slowed when one early morning I discovered that our water heater was leaking. This may not be so alarming to some of you. But, if your water heater is in the attic and the drip pan connection is cracked, then you have a problem.

After one hour of scooping out water from the pan, pulling out every towel we own, and soaking up water from the carpet, we called our insurance company. The water restoration people quickly arrived. They pulled down dry wall, tore out door and floor trim, and cut open the carpet to remove the padding that was soaked before beginning the drying process. And let me just add that large fans and dehumidifiers are LOUD.

Now, months later, we are almost finished with the repair work from the damage done. I must say that I now have a better understanding for all the DIY and home improvement shows that always find something that has to be updated or brought up to code in the midst of their project.

Interestingly enough, the last thing to be fixed is the carpet where the men had pulled up the padding. When the contractor went to put the carpet together they couldn't, so they went back to the insurance company. Come to find out, the carpet will need to be replaced not only in the area where the damage was done but also in the adjoining loft area, bonus room and stairs.

When I talked to God about the carpet I was only thinking about the great room. What I'm getting is far more than I ever expected. And in this round about, mysterious way I see God's hand in it all.

What an Example

My intention last Sunday was to view the segment about drones on 60 Minutes, but what ended up making an impression on me was the story titled "The Coptic Christians of Egypt." It was fascinating to say the least. While I highly recommend that you view the segment through the internet, I will give a quick summary of the points that made me think.

After supporting the military take over, Coptic Christians found themselves under attack by Muslims. Let me insert here that I had no idea there were so many Christians in Egypt. They have multiple churches and even have a pope. I remember hearing of churches being burned but I was thinking the buildings were probably small and not many of them. The pictures shown on Sunday were cathedral type buildings now burned and crumpled in the wake of the destruction done by Muslims.

What the show's producers probably thought they would find were Christians seeking revenge, instead they found people still meeting in large crowds. Still worshiping Jesus. And still getting a cross tattoo on their wrist that identified them as Coptic.

But what hit home with me the most was the attitude of the leadership of the church. They embrace the discrimination. They have always had it. They have forgiven those who destroyed their churches and killed some of their membership. They feel that if they do anything less than forgive they are not just enough to ask for justice from God.

The peace and sincerity I saw in that leader's face was refreshing. He showed no hidden agenda. He truly embraces what he spoke. What a testament. Those Christians stand strong for God, for Jesus. They're not letting destruction stop them. The persecution continues to surround them and yet they keep going forward for Jesus.

I wonder. . .in our country where we have the liberty to worship God freely, do we know our God well enough to stand this strong? Would we pick ourselves up and forgive those who try to knock us down? Or do we take our fight to the court system crying foul play?

If our liberties were to change, how would we respond? How would we look at life? Would we welcome the discrimination and the chance to stand up for our faith? Would we be the God-loving example the Egyptian Coptic Christians show themselves to be? It makes you think. Doesn't it?

I thank God we have the Coptic Christians as examples of God's love and forgiveness. May God continue to bless them for their faithfulness.