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Memorial Day – More Than Just Pool Parties and Backyard BBQ’s

May 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I often ask my children questions to see whether they know the answer or not. Knowing that Memorial Day weekend was coming up, I decided to ask my three children why we celebrate it. I was so proud to hear them answer, “We celebrate it to honor those who have fought for our freedoms. Our veterans.” They then asked me why I was asking and I told them that I was just making sure that they didn’t think it was just about eating and swimming.

Memorial Day previously called Decoration Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died while serving in the military of the United States. Unfortunately, too many in our country take for granted our freedoms and the last thing on their hearts and minds over the Memorial Day weekend is honoring and remembering those who gave their lives so that they can celebrate.

We need to teach our children and frankly the adults, the history of Memorial Day. We need to instill in them the principle of honoring those who have gone before us to fight for our freedoms. Too many believe that they are entitled to everything. They never take the time to consider, truly consider, why they have so many privileges. Maybe the following cartoons and images will make the message clearer.

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Unbelievable Prayer

November 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Life has been a huge struggle for many years for my family and me. Today hasn’t been any different. Things have not been good financially. And in my finite mind I don’t see a way out. I love word pictures so I often picture our family inside an enclosure with cement on all sides and we just keep running into the walls in hopes to find a secret compartment or door to open, but it never does and we are only getting bruised up and damaged.

What does this have to do with prayer? Well, everything. In the good and in the bad, we are to be praying to God. Pray without ceasing. This is where I am at. I have always prayed, but have I really. Do I believe when I pray? I never doubt that God can do things, but I doubt that He will. I have allowed my families circumstances to get the best of me and I have allowed fear to overtake me. Is this what it means to be broken? Maybe.

I was reading my devotional, Streams in the Desert, by L.B. Cowman, for the day and it was appropriately on prayer. God has a sense of humor! I want to quote parts of the devotional; because I couldn’t say it any better than she did.

“Prayer is the link that connects us with God. It is the bridge that spans every gulf and carries us safely over every chasm of danger or need”. (pg. 412, Steams in the Desert) No one can ever take this away from me. I am so grateful for that. Everything else may go, but my connection to God will never be stripped from me. Now if I could just remember that every single day.

“In your prayers, above everything else, beware of limiting God, not only through unbelief but also by thinking you know exactly what He can do. Learn to expect the unexpected, beyond all that you ask or think”. (pg. 413, Streams in the Desert) Wow, this quote hit me hard. I know that I limit God. I only see what is obvious or feasible in my own mind. Sure I see Him do wondrous things for others, but that surely can’t happen in my own life or the life of my family. Like I said above, I believe God is capable, but I truly doubt that He will do anything in my life. I have limited God and this isn’t okay.

This has been a struggle for some time in my life and until God is through with me, I assume it will always be something I have to be guarded against. I must always remember that I serve an amazing God and that nothing is impossible for Him.

Wrestling prayer can wonders do,
Bring relief in dire straits;
Prayer can force a passage through
Iron bars and heavy gates.
Frederick William Farrar
(pg. 413 Steams in the Desert)

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Finding Rest

October 12, 2009 By 2 Comments

This past week and even today, I have had unrest in my soul that I can’t even put into words. Circumstances and issues just seem to keep flying in my face and there seems to be no rest from them.

I have had many a break down and have gone through a good share of Kleenex. I find myself in a panic. Anxiety builds up. My husband was right when he told me I paralyze myself, because I allow all of the “stuff” to overwhelm me, instead of just moving, even if it means baby-steps.

Finding RestI need rest. Life just seems to be crushing me and wearing me out. I am in a daily battle just to keep my eyes and heart focused on the Lord. There has to be some light.

Well, there is. God always has a way of bringing me back to Him. I was reading Matthew 11 today, and was reminded in verse 28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Boy how I needed that. It was a reminder that no matter what happens or doesn’t happen, God is always there.

Are you weary? Are you burdened? Guess who can give you the rest you so desperately need? GOD can and will. He’s waiting.

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My God is Bigger than Corruption

August 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

With all the despair and well deserved concern happening in our blessed country it is difficult to find encouragement. I can’t make it through a day without dealing with worry. If I didn’t have Jesus as Lord of my life, the despair would continue. Praise God, though! When I find worry overwhelming in my daily life and attitude I am gently reminded that my Lord is bigger than the problems and concerns that I face personally and that our country faces under the direction of an unwise and corrupt administration.

There are many days that I feel like Jeremiah. I am watching my country going down and I weep. I see a power and money hungry government trying to take over. I see a lost people living their lives with absolute relativism. I see corruption on every corner. What has happened. The same thing that happened to Israel and Judah. They turned their back on God and decided to partake in their own type of relativism. They felt it was okay to dabble in a little of this and a little of that. Sounds eerily familiar. It didn’t work then and it won’t work now. God is a just God.

I just finished reading the book of Lamentations and was amazed at how it hit home with me and what America is going through. I would urge everyone to read it. Remember the context. Jeremiah had predicted and witnessed the devastation of his homeland. And now he was expressing his nation’s grief. Through the despair, though, you find hope, repentance and renewal.
My prayer is that the people of America will turn back to God and not take the beautiful freedoms he has given us for granted. I pray that they will understand just what God has done for us and remember it every day of their lives. Then and only then will they realize that God is bigger than all of this corruption that is plaguing our government and people.

Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?
Why should any living man complain
when punished for his sins?

Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.
Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven, and say:
“We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.”   Lamentations 3:37-42

There is always hope.  God gives people a chance.  Will we take it?  Will you take it?

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My Hope Is Built On…

March 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I was thinking about how so many people have been easily duped into thinking that their hope is in a man, our new president and it made me recall the song about how my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ love and righteousness.

The Lord does not want us to put our hope in man and government. It will always disappoint and this instance it will lead us down an out of control spiral.

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less
by Edward Mote

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

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