You, like me, probably have loved ones who aren't following Jesus Christ. You, like me, are concerned for their eternal destination. We don't want anyone to go to hell. God doesn't either. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." Even if we don't get to see them turn back to Jesus, that doesn't mean our lives aren't still speaking to them about him after we are gone. Thank you, Jesus! So, it has been weeks since I wrote on this blog. And I totally forgot my last post was called "Our Bodies." Because the weird thing is that yesterday I began writing a new post that I named "It began with a commercial." And guess what it was about -- our bodies . . . again. From what I write it seems I'm completely focused on the body and that's it. Truly this isn't the case, but maybe it is a topic that needs more writing about? I have no idea. I deleted it because I didn't want to repeat what I said in the last post. But goodness, I think you need to hear this. That even an almost 56-year-old woman who has been a lover and follower of Jesus for over 30 years; a woman who reads and studies her Bible daily with relish (I love reading the Bible); a woman who is loved, loved, loved and cherished by her husband; a woman who is pretty much content in her own skin; a woman who knows God's will for her life (at least right now) -- anyway, this woman still has body issues at times. So, let me tell you a story (a quick one -- I know you're busy). So, I saw a commercial on TV that features Actor Jennifer Garner speaking about the benefits of a certain credit card (I think it's Capital One). Anyway, I say to Shannon, "She's cute (meaning Jennifer)." And in the commercial she looks really cute and kind -- a woman who could be a good friend; a woman I'd love to have coffee with. Well, that commercial comes on again and I say the same thing. Something about her approachability and real-person kind of vibe hits my heart (it's a commercial so that is probably what they are going for). And then I hear from God. He says to me (really, I'm not making this up), "You wanted to be a Ginger, but you're a Mary Ann." Yeah -- God will use anything -- even Gilligan's Island. That TV show wasn't even on my mind at the time of this comment (I can say with complete confidence it hasn't been on my mind for years and years). God sure knows us better than we know ourselves. And yes, when I was a kid and saw Gilligan's Island, I wished I could be like Ginger -- beautiful and glamorous. Why does this matter? Well, here's the thing. Inside each of us we have pictures of how we want to be. If those pictures don't line up with who God made us to be, we will struggle with ourselves as long as we hold onto those pictures. Sometimes we don't even know about the pictures. They've been filed away inside our heads in some dusty file cabinet that we've forgotten about. When God told me this it made so much sense. My whole life (well, since I was about five years old -- so like over 50 years), I wanted princess hair. I wanted that long, gorgeous hair you see on TV and in the movies. Look, my hair can grow. I can grow it long. But it isn't pretty. It's actually kind of ugly long -- no! Let's be clear. It is ugly long. I look like the lady who has the gingerbread house in the woods! Receiving this revelation from God (the Ginger revelation) freed me to have my hair a lot shorter (I know this sounds silly, but I'm enjoying a glass of Merlot as I write this so maybe .... nah. I'm silly whether I have a glass of wine or a glass of water). It freed me to be just me. Now in a million years, you would have never guessed the Ginger thing because I usually dress in the style of bag-lady chic. It was just a tiny voice inside me somewhere (oh yeah, in that dusty forgotten file cabinet). Dressing up is hard for me. Really, it is. I'd rather wear an old pair of jeans and one of my husband's shirts. Okay, enough about me. What about you? Have you accepted yourself as you are? Jesus says to love your neighbor has yourself, but if you don't accept yourself it is going to be really hard to accept your neighbor and love him or her. Do you find yourself calling yourself names when you mess up? Like do you say, "I'm so stupid." Or, "I'm such an idiot." If you are negative on yourself, please go to God. Ask him to help you figure out why you are. Because you are loved and cherished and you were made by God. He never calls you bad things. He never condemns you. He wants you to be free to love and be loved. So, I will close now. The last couple of years I've been reading lots of poetry. Why? Cause I want to understand it. And I think I finally am (at least a bit). I plan on writing a poem tonight. It probably won't be very good, but it is the process that's important. Let Jesus love you. Cause he already does, and he knows you better than you know yourself. Our bodies are a prime target that the devil and his minions like to attack. They don't care how they get us to focus on it or how they get us to think it needs to be changed or fixed or shrunk or whatever -- they are great at getting us to not like them. And when we don't accept them as what they are -- gifts from God -- we can get obsessed with trying to change them and our minds get focused on them instead of Jesus and loving him and loving others. I read 1 Corinthians 6:20 today. It says, "you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." I like most of us have wished my body looked different. I have fallen for those lies that are rampant everywhere. And also have fallen for the comparison trap which is not from God. So, how do we glorify God in our bodies? I wrote down a few things. You probably can think of for. Here is Jane's quick list of how to glorify God in our bodies: 1. Acknowledge your body belongs to God. It has been created for his purposes. 2. Love your body as God loves it. 3. Know your body is an integral part of who you are -- just the way God made it. If you deny the way it was made, you are losing sight of who you were created to be. 4. Nourish you body. Give it rest. Move it. Don't abuse it. Keep it clean and groom it. Clothe it. 5. Without your body, you couldn't function as a person. You couldn't love others. You couldn't be who you are. For me I couldn't be a wife or a mother or Baba or a daughter or a sister. 6. Your body allows you to love others. What glorifying your body is not: 1. Conforming to the world's view of beauty. 2. Trying to make your body a certain shape or weight it wasn't created to be is not from God. 3. Trying to change it to fit what you want it to be is not a godly way of treating it. 4. Hurting it. 5. Being obsessed with it -- good or bad obsession. 6. Not giving it grace. 7. Using it to sin. Think on it. Think about what it means for you to glorify God in your body. Hawk and I were driving back from Spearfish yesterday when we heard Meta's Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg apologize to families which have been harmed by social media. I'm glad the federal government is addressing this issue with social media company CEOs and the public. I don't think any of us should leave it to their safety measures or to any laws that are passed to keep us and our families safe though on the internet. The devil is alive and well in the virtual world -- as is lust and greed and pure evil (obviously I'm not against it -- I have a blog -- but we need to "guard what is entrusted to (us)" (2 Timothy 1:14). The virtual world and social media have grown so fast that most of the world was caught off guard by the power and influence it now has over society. But now we know. Our job is to use it as a tool for good and not for evil. We can't ignore it -- it is here for good and will continue to grow in ways we can't fathom right now. We can't be afraid of it -- we are only to fear God. With God on our side there is nothing that can defeat us (that's part of Romans 8:31). (Man, this is not what I meant to write about at all! There goes by brain -- off on a tangent! What I wanted to talk about is my emotional and mental stubbornness rooted in thought behavior that needs to change. That probably sounds pretty silly -- but man, it is an issue I am having trouble conquering. I know through Christ I have the victory, but sometimes some of our issues have so many layers and hidden roots that it takes a long time for them to be worked out of us. I'll have to talk about this subject another day I guess.). All my kids (except Hawken who needs to be cared for) are grown and out of the house. If you still have kids at home your job with them isn't done as far as social media -- and I am sure you know that. Pray about it. God will lead you on how to protect them while still allowing them to do whatever they need to do in the virtual world. There are no set rules for everyone. Every family, every person is different. As a grown woman, I am responsible for myself. I know what affects me and what I can and cannot put before my eyes. I have no desire crossing that line. If you do (wherever the line is for you) only the Spirit can cleanse your brain of the stuff you let inside your head. Romans 12:1-2 applies so well here. They say: I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[d] (ESV). Also, Let's see what The MESSAGE version says: 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. That is good too! You transform your mind by what you "feed" it. If you feed it world junk, it is going to transform into looking just like world junk. If you feed it the Word of God, it will start to transform into a beautiful, godly, intelligent, open, honest, loving-life-kind-of-brain! That's what Jesus wants for you, for me, for all of us!
On some of the social media platforms AI people like this talk and interact and look as real as you and me.
I'm not afraid of AI. When used well, AI is doing some great things (sorry -- AI stands for Artificial Intelligence -- you probably know that). And I don't think AI will take over the world forcefully as seen in some movies. No. AI when used for evil will use influence and will "speak" to the baser parts of our human nature: lust, greed, desire for money and power and fame. AI will speak to our sinful natures. It already is. If we allow our sinful natures to rule our lives; if we live by the flesh rather than the Spirit, we will fall prey to the evil that is rampant in the virtual world (there is good too -- where sin abounds, grace abounds even more....Romans 5:20). We need to stay alert. We need to guard what has been entrusted to us (2 Timothy 1:14). We need to protect those under our care from the evil that is everywhere wanting to take over our lives. Morning light has arrived. My son needs his breakfast and I need to end this post. Two more verses for you: "Claiming to be wise, they became fools," Romans 1:22 and (you) should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with (your) repentance. Acts 26:20c The world will tell us it's stupid, a waste of time, just plain silly; maybe even ridiculous. The devil will tell us it won't make a difference. The devil will do his best to distract us. The devil will tell us that self-help books or nagging or ultimatums would be better. But none of that will have lasting effects (and very likely they could damage relationships). Women, we need to be women. We were specially made to nurture and love those God puts in our lives. We have power within us. And if we know Jesus Christ, He has promised we will have rivers of living water flowing out of us. There is no reason why we have to watch our society decline and fall into the darkest and most heinous sin we never would have pictured happening to our world. We can fight back. We have God on our side. This current society is against men being men and women being women. This is anti-God. This is anti-life. This is anti-truth! Toddlers know the difference between men and women. We do too if we are honest. Who could imagine it takes courage to admit what a woman is and what a man is! That is where we are now. So, what do we do? We don't get angry. We don't despair. We don't hate. We love. We love with abandon! And we pray! We pray and pray and pray! Women, I have a challenge for you. And it is a lifelong challenge, and if you commit to it there maybe days you forget. Life gets busy. And everything around you won't want you to do it. But our men need us. Commit to praying for your men every day for the rest of your life. There are two times to choose from: 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Choose your time and when that time comes, pray. You can pray silently. You can pray aloud. You can pray with others. But pray. Just for 30 seconds or for a minute. Whatever. Pray your men see truth. Pray they see God. Pray they follow Jesus. Pray they have courage to be the men God has called them to be. Name them by name in your prayers. Picture them when you pray. We take time to look at our phones quickly. This is just like that. But oh, so much more! It has eternal consequences. And our prayers are actually things we create and they take on lives of their own. This is between you and God. You don't have to tell me you are doing it. But I beg you, your men, whoever they are, need you to pray for them. Maybe you pray for your husband or your sons; your grandsons, your brothers, your father or friends -- you know the men in your life who are important to you. Pray for them. And please, share this post with other women in your life. Here is the scripture I referred to: John 7:38. Jesus says, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of (her) heart will flow rivers or living water.'" Rivers! That is more than one!! Women, God's power will work through us. Let God work through you in prayer. Snow is pretty. But it can also be dangerous, deadly and inconvenient. You choose how it affects your life -- good or bad. (Actually, you could say the same thing about all sorts of things and people. God tells us to stay alert and awake -- to live each day purposefully, waiting in expectation for Him.) I spent some time looking at pictures today -- specifically looking for any pictures I have of my dad. Every single picture I have of Dad catches him smiling big showing off his nice white teeth. Dad had his issues just like we all do, but he loved giving hugs and taking pictures with his family. Behind every picture is a story. We kind of forget that these days when pictures are so easy to take. We used to have to bring a camera along and then get the film developed not knowing exactly what we'd get when we picked up the finished pictures. There's a spiritual exercise I recommend you try sometime called Imaginative Prayer. You read a passage of scripture that involves a scene of some sort -- like Jesus feeding the thousands with a few loaves and fishes. Or, maybe you read about Jesus and the disciples on the boat when he quieted the storms. After you read it, picture it in your head. Imagine it. And then, imagine you in the scene. Where would you be? What would you be doing? Would you be right at Jesus's side? Would you be in the thick of action? Would you be asking questions? You know you. You know how you interact with others. What would you be doing? When you put yourself in the scene honestly, Jesus can reveal things to you about yourself you never took notice of or maybe you never knew. Or maybe he will speak to you about himself. Whatever the case, I guarantee you will gain something from this kind of prayer. I took part in this exercise once. I believe I thought about the Feeding of the 5000. I put myself in the scene; I found myself on the fringe of the action. That's where I thought I'd be because all my life I've felt like I was "just Jane." Like, oh, that's just Jane. No biggie. Jesus told me I wasn't "just Jane" to him. None of us are "just ______" to Jesus. None of us. Maybe it's the pictures. Maybe it's the gray day. Maybe I'm reading something into a situation that I shouldn't. But I'm finding again I feel like "just Jane." No biggie. Who cares. Or maybe it's grief. Or maybe it's just a gray cloud flitting through my brain. Or maybe it's just being human. Everyone has gray days. And this is a big reason we don't base our faith on feelings. Feelings come and go. If we base our faith on feelings, we will fall away when things feel bad. Instead, base faith on the Word which doesn't change. It's full of promises that God is just waiting to fulfill in your life! Merry Christmas. I sit at my table, my messy table, and type. An hour ago, I fed my son who then went back to sleep. My husband is sleeping. My pets are sleeping. The furnace just kicked on. My coffee cup needs refilling. It is a quiet Christmas morning -- the kind I have grown to love. I think of my daughter, son-in-law and my two grandchildren. I imagine their home right now is busy! Children so excited to open presents. I love to watch people open presents. Christmas traditions are fun. Wonderful in fact. God too loves to give gifts! He gives us as many gifts as we can handle. He loves to see His children loving Him and enjoying the gifts He gives. It is His delight. James 1:17 reminds us "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights". There are times, though, that it is hard to see the gifts we are given because of tragedy and loss. It is hard in fact, sometimes, to be joyful, to get "into the spirit" of Christmas. Those times are when we need to really remember what it is this day stands for. It is the day set aside to remind us that Christ Jesus came to earth as a helpless baby -- to the world his birth was insignificant and not at all the way the world does things. How can a baby be the answer? Jennifer Kennedy Dean writes this: "Then Christ came. Barely a ripple in the course of human kinds doings, yet one that reverberated through the heavenly realms. With a battle cry that sounded to earthly ears like a newborn baby's whimper. He set in motion our redemption. That sound heard in the heavens that first Christmas moment was a victory shout that rattled the enemy's forces and ensured their defeat." Yes, we will, even on Christmas, feel grief and loss and sadness and pain. But that is not the end of the story. God calls us to believe and wait for Him to come through. His plan is being played out in all the corners of the universe, in your life and in mine. Think about when you were a small child - waiting for something you were eager to receive was HARD! So hard. But you learned how. You knew it would arrive. Our lives from the moment we are conceived, are filled with lesson and lesson of learning to wait. This is by design. Learning to wait in anticipation, in expectation of God coming through has many promises attached to it in the Word of God. D internet search about waiting on God. For those who learn to wait on God treasures abound! If you are grieving right now, let Jesus grieve with you. Ride out the wave. If you are suffering loss, realize that is not the end. If you are in a tight spot, realize God has answers for you. If this Christmas isn't what you had hoped, remember that God comes to us as a tiny helpless baby which seems like a very stupid and risky plan according to world thought. God NEVER works like the world system works. He NEVER does things the way we assume He will. He will come in unexpected and quiet ways that will astound and amaze. Yes, even (and especially) for you. Poet and writer Mary Oliver writes, "To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work." What does it mean to pay attention? It means you are noticing what is around you; you are listening; attentive; on alert. You are, in a sense, on guard duty. Years ago, I was on guard duty a few times while in the Army. The biggest description of guard duty (like 99% of the time) is BORING; 12 hours feels like 22 days. Your main command is to not fall asleep. To keep watch. (It's no surprise that the angels came to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus. They were keeping watch over their sheep through the night to keep them safe. Heck, they might have been the only ones awake.) We are to keep watch in this life. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour." The devil will try to distract you, deceive you, trick you, condemn you. The other part of keeping watch is the best part. Keep watch for God! Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!" If we keep watch; if we are alert and waiting expectantly for God to show up, we will see him. We will see His hand in people's lives. If we aren't watching for God though we will miss out on seeing what he is doing. His work happens deep within people. His work is unseen, but the fruit of it will show itself. The showings may be very tiny -- just a word; a glance. Maybe a question or a statement. Life is in a sense a long night of guard duty. Most of the time the hours are filled with nothing significant. Only if you are watching will you see that tiny movement barely visible to the eye. Only if you are watching will you hear the faint footsteps of someone behind the far-off tree. God came to Elijah in a whisper. God's work might be felt in the light touch of someone's trembling hand. Or maybe through a silent impression within you leading you to quietly put your arm around someone in your family you never would have touched before. God is more powerful than the entire universe. But he is the one who comes to us most gently and quietly. He entered our world in the most helpless state -- a newborn baby. Human babies are more helpless than any other kind of baby. Newborn puppies can find their mother's milk. Newborn horses and cows stand within minutes of birth. A newborn human is dependent on her mama to pick her up and put her on the breast. This is how Jesus came to earth -- that is how he came to save us -- completely helpless! God is the same yesterday, today and forever (that's from Hebrews 13). He still comes in tiny ways, in quiet ways, in nudging ways, in silent ways, in unexpected ways. Keep watch. Be like the shepherds who saw the angels in the skies over Bethlehem. You just might see God today. It is apparent to most people that this world is getting darker by the day. Evil seems to be winning in many places in this world. This is great news for those of us who follow Jesus Christ. Because this darkness gives us a great opportunity! I mean a really incredible amazing opportunity! Romans 5:20 tells us that when sin increases grace increases even more. What does that mean for us Christians? That means that every seed we plant, every little word we say in Jesus's name; every little thing that even remotely points to Jesus will shine brighter than it ever has before. Let me give you a couple of examples: First, see that cross to the left? My husband made it for me; I absolutely love it. It is just a couple of fork tines soldered together. The cool thing is that in this time in history this little cross has power. It stands out a whole lot more than it would have ten years ago. Because when people see it people know it has to do with Jesus.
How do I know? Because how they look at it -- I mean really look at it. Since the world is getting darker this little token gives off the light of Christ! The other example I want to give you is something I encourage you to do. Everywhere I go -- like especially when I check out somewhere or have a brief conversation -- whenever I talk to another human, I end the conversation with "Merry Christmas." When I was young, everyone said that. Heck, when my kids were young, everyone said it. But somewhere along the line in the last 15 or so years people feel awkward saying it because we are told it might offend someone. But this season, the Christmas season is named Christmas because it is about Jesus's birthday. We have every right to say "Merrry Christmas." I tell you this -- most people i say this to love it! They respond back with a huge smile and say, "Merry Christmas" quite enthusiastically. It is like a relief to some that they can say it . . . But not always. Last night I was asked to take a random health survey over the phone. I had nothing better to do so I stuck with her till the end. Before we hung up, I said to the caller, "Merry Christmas." This caught her off guard. She replied, "And happy holidays to you." I could tell the words "Merry Christmas" hit her in the heart. If we had been face-to-face, I really think she would have accepted it. But no matter. She probably is still hearing those words in her head since we quit talking. Do you see? Two simple words that didn't have power 15 years ago carry tons of power now. I urge you to say to everyone you interact with "Merry Christmas" with a big smile on your face. Those are seeds for the kingdom!! It is like the darkness and the sin and the evil are making our job of planting seeds easier! What a great time to be alive! And what a great time to love Jesus and love people. This world needs Jesus's hope and love and Good News! We have what it needs. Just try to commit to saying "Merry Christmas" this season and see what happens. You will be amazed! Oh, I tell you, we had a beautiful Thanksgiving! Thank you, Jesus! We had friends and family celebrate with us. We played Peanuts Bingo (it's a silly little Bingo game, but it was a whole lot of fun, and everyone got a prize). Then we had some great conversation. Friends left. And then -- more friends showed up! It was glorious!
And then came Friday. One of us has come down with some nasty illness; this has changed the plans of all involved. This is not what we planned or wanted for this holiday weekend. Yet, God is good, and God has a plan that continues. Job 42:2 says, "“I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted." Ultimately, this life is about Jesus, not us. Often, we don't know what God is doing, but He always knows what He is doing. Often, we have plans for our lives. And often, those plans fail. Often, we desire certain things or situations; and often, those desires go unmet. Yet, God is good, and God is Love and God knows what is best for all of us. And His purposes will be carried out and His Word never comes back empty. There are things I desire that I know I won't get. There are situations I desire that I know won't happen. But Jesus is here, and He's the reason we are here. And He will triumph in the end. Merry Christmas! God's been saying it before time began.
Surprisingly, world voices say it too: being grateful is the best way to live life. A post on the American Heart Association site says, "“Clinical trials indicate that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects in a person’s life. It can lower blood pressure and improve immune function. ... Grateful people engage in more exercise, have better dietary behaviors, are less likely to smoke and abuse alcohol and have higher rates of medication adherence.” A post on the Mayo Clinic Health care site tells us, " Studies have shown that feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain and risk of disease." Psychology Today gives us seven benefits of living gratefully: Better relationships, better physical health; better psychological health; gratitude increases empathy and lowers aggression; better sleep; increases mental strength and improved self esteem. Thanksgiving week is next week -- an entire National Day to give thanks to God for life and for Him and well, for everything and anything. But don't way till then. Start now. It's easy. Start with what you see. Thank you God for my hot cup of Coffee. Thank you God for my Bible. Thank you God for my sunglasses. Thank you God I can read. Thank you God for the air I'm breathing....you get it. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Ephesians 5:20 says, "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," Philippians 2:14 says, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing," Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 4:2 says, "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 2:7 tells us to abound "in thanksgiving." Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." Even if you have dealt with horrible tragedies this year, even if you feel like you've lost everything -- you can still practice being thankful. And yes, it is a practice because we humans like to grumble. If you catch yourself grumbling/complaining, stop and put that thankful heart on. If you're in the middle of a conversation with a grumbler, stop the conversation and ask them what they are thankful for. Living a thankful life is good for us, but it is also a command from God. He loves his kids to be thankful (and if you're a parent or in anyway deal with people you should understand this -- grateful people are much pleasanter to be around than complainers and grumblers). So, start right now. Make a list of what you are grateful for. Start with just three things. Challenge yourself to be grateful all day and see how you feel at the end of the day. Living gratefully will make everything better -- even lousy situations. And you know that person you dread seeing at work? Make it a point to say hello to that person and give them a huge smile every morning. They very likely need you to do this. Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you Jesus! Hell is real. You don't want to go there. You don't want anyone to go there -- even those you hate. It is much worse than people imagine. It isn't a party place. You won't be with anyone else. You will be isolated with your own soul and devils and demons and fire and torture and pain -- and it goes on forever.
Jesus mentioned hell a lot. He talked of it as a real place. He doesn't want anyone to go there either; if we don't choose him, we choose hell. Jesus died and was raised from the dead to provide us a way into heaven -- it is the door -- one door in. We expect people to enter our house through the door. That is the way in, and everyone finds that reasonable. That is what the door is for. Heaven can be entered by anyone who chooses to enter through the door -- through Jesus. Some who haven't accepted Jesus think it is unfair that we have to accept Christ, to believe in him, to go to heaven, but it isn't unfair at all. It is mercy. We sinners deserve hell. Choosing to live for ourselves, to live contrary to what our Creator created us to be, is a choice we can make. But it is a choice that leads to sin and death and hell. Jesus isn't trying to keep anyone out of heaven. He made the way. And he made that way clear so there is no confusion. He says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6). That is very clear. Prior to that verse he says, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." John 14:1-3 He wants everyone! Yet, each of us has to choose. No conscious choice is a choice. And it isn't a choice for Jesus. Hell is described as "the punishment of eternal destruction" (2 Thessalonians 1:9); "flaming fire" (2 Thessalonians 1:8); "eternal fire" (Matthew 25:41); "a punishment of eternal fire" (Jude 7); "the lake of fire and sulfur" (Revelation 20:10); "the second death, the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14). This is not a place anyone wants to go. It is not "polite" conversation to mention hell, but we must mention it to others if we love them. Heck, even if we don't love them because Jesus loves them. Each of us needs to think about where we will spend eternity --eternity is a whole lot longer than the years we will spend on this earth. Jesus says in Matthew 12:30, "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." Where is your heart? Have you chosen Jesus? I mean, really chosen Jesus? Just saying a prayer once long ago and never giving him another thought is not choosing Jesus. If you aren't sure, ask Jesus. He is right there with you. He knows. And you can be sure where you will be in eternity. And you can have Jesus in your life all the time. Why wouldn't you want to? In him is abundant life. In him you will have the best, most adventurous, most wonderful life. What the world offers doesn't compare to Jesus at all. ,Maybe someone bothered you. Maybe someone hurt you or got a bit too crazy; maybe somebody walked into your personal space and said mean things to you. Whatever happened -- when we decide to guard ourselves against people by putting walls around ourselves emotionally, we hurt everyone. We hurt ourselves. We hurt those who wanted to be part of our lives. We hurt those who really are part of our lives (but can't be truly because of those darn walls keeping our hearts free from real human interaction). We tell ourselves it is our decision, and no one will else will be affected by our aloofness; but everyone notices. And then everyone wonders if they caused our aloofness -- maybe they did something wrong. Maybe they unknowingly said something wrong or did something wrong (because, if we are honest, we all are a bit of a mess inside -- we are saved by Grace and grace alone). Isolating ourselves from others by putting on a polite smile and sharing some polite small talk and then going to do our own thing (who cares about the ones we leave behind) is exactly what the devil wants us to do. He loves to whisper to us Americans (we Americans are very susceptible to this independent isolating spirit which is not Biblically supported by the way) that we don't need people. We don't need our fellow employees. We don't need our church family (I mean we can worship God anywhere, right?....yes, that is right but Christ called us to be part of His Body -- it is hard to function as part of His body when we keep ourselves closed off from the rest of the Body -- in a physical body that amounts to the tourniquet-affect -- that part cut off from the blood supply has to be cut off because it's dead). I think we all fall into this isolation trap. I have myself. Usually this happens to me (or when I want to isolate but God reminds me that that isn't what I'm supposed to do) when I get emotionally down; or when I allow myself to get hurt by someone who had no intention of hurting me (heck, they probably didn't even know they hurt me, but I can be super sensitive in a bad sort of way -- an inward silly Jane sort of way). Christians, we have to guard against the notion of keeping to ourselves. This world is getting closer to when Jesus will return. The closer we get to His return, the more evil this world will become. We need each other. Even if you don't want to need other Christians, you need them. And they need you. Maybe right now you feel okay. Maybe right now you feel like you can go it alone. Resist this thought. Be courageous emotionally. Be vulnerable. In our vulnerability will be our strength together. Christ Jesus is our strength. We find this by acting like a Body. He is the head. We are the rest of it. When I am vulnerable, when you are vulnerable, we give others courage to be vulnerable. Really. Vulnerability will be the church's superpower. It is now -- most of us just haven't tapped into it. We haven't tried it because it sounds so very scary. "if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men." Philippians 2:1-7 It is a wondering kind of afternoon: Why do people resort to violence? What is our place in this violent world when we are half a world away from the killing? What does my nonverbal adult son really think about? And what would make him really happy? Is "dandelions" too silly of a painting to find a home? How can we find joy when there is so much hurt? Should we find joy? How can my husband's shoes and boots be so big and take up so much room on the floor? Should I go pick up that dog that needs a home? Some questions on this earth will never be answered. But a lot of them can be answered if we ask God and read His Word. People resort to violence because people are sinners -- we all are. We can pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We can pray for people to be protected. And we can be open to helping in other ways if we get the opportunity. I don't think I will know what Hawken thinks about or even wants until he talks to me in heaven (unless God heals him here on earth and I am still alive). dandelions might be too silly to find a home -- maybe it is the grandparents in the picture. I mean what was that grandfather thinking sticking his arm up like that? And that grandmother -- has she actually looked in the mirror? That hair is the color of a fire truck! And we can find joy no matter what. We in fact are called to find joy in every stage of our lives -- even when others are hurting. Last Sunday Shannon spoke about seasons in life -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 was the main scripture. It says: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." Solomon isn't justifying war or hate or killing in this passage. He is reminding us life is full of these kinds of seasons. God, who never changes, made our lives to be lived out through seasons. Seasons do not last forever. They will end. In Romans 12:9-13 Paul writes, "9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,[g] serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality." We can start there -- love, serve, rejoice in hope; patient in tribulation, "be constant in prayer." Praying really does make a difference. We often can't see how it is working, but it is. I can't change the size of my husband's feet or shoes or boots, but since they were all over the front porch (it really isn't a porch, but for some reason we call it a porch) and drove me crazy this morning, I actually got the porch and all the boots and shoes organized (at least for me). That meant I even threw some stuff away (no, Honey, I promise I didn't throw away any of your boots or shoes); and I even swept! Even under the bench! And about that dog. I just don't know. Getting another dog is like getting a child. Her eyes are so gentle, but she is a Rez dog and that could mean anything. We shall see. My son has nonverbally told me he needs my attention so I shall close for now. Rejoice! Rejoice in the life God has given you even if it is filled with challenges currently because it is a life that he tailored just for you. You wouldn't be happier in a different life. Truly. Or if you got to change lives, pretty quickly you'd want yours back. My son is insisting I quit typing. Again, he is saying with some noises he needs my attention. So, I gotta go. Thanks for reading! And pray. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. A few mornings ago, just as I was going out to take a walk, Cowboy ran out the door straight to a shadow that looked mangy. Two days prior I had seen a herd of raccoons prancing under the noon sun toward a not-yet-harvested cornfield. I don't like raccoons. They gross me out. I figured it had to be one of those raccoons. And here is Cowboy barking loud at the mangy shadow. I grab a flashlight and rush out to him hoping to get him away from the animal. I don't want him bit (he has a bad or stupid habit of getting into mischief with wildlife -- he's tried to make friends with porcupines twice and once with a rattlesnake -- none went well). I got about ten feet from the shadow. This was no raccoon. It was a Great Horned Owl standing on our driveway. It wasn't afraid of Cowboy in the least. Somehow, I convinced Cowboy to leave (or maybe it was Winston's beak and talons). I figured the guy must be hurt because why was he just sitting there. I told him hello (keeping my distance). And then, I thought, if he's hurt maybe he's hungry. Maybe he wants a hotdog. So, I rush back inside for a pack of hotdogs (quite excited -- I love the thought of helping God's creatures). When I get back, Winston is gone. I was kind of disappointed. There goes my dream of befriending an owl. But then I was happy because it meant he could still fly. About two hours later I look outside my window and there's Winston! He's perched on an old stump that sits in the middle of our yard. I open the window and say hello! It is late morning. He sits there for several minutes. I get a picture -- not a great picture -- which you can see below these words: Isn't he handsome? He could be a she. I have no idea. Anyway, that was thrilling -- a true gift from God I could never have expected. I mean, who gets a Great Horned Owl staring at them through their window? I think it's cool. I figure that is it. Two times talking to an owl is more than most people get! Next morning, he is sitting on my chair in the yard! Just perched there. I think he must have been there for hours. I go ahead and take my walk. He still is perched on my chair when I get back. I say hello again. I thank him for his appearance. I haven't seen him since, but Shannon saw him Wednesday night on the driveway. We believe he is a juvenile because some of his feathers are fuzzy still. Do you notice the unexpected gifts God sends your way? Conversations that bless you; a phone call from an old friend; a sunrise, a sunset; a glimpse of the stars? A good meal? A hot cup of coffee? Our Father loves to give us gifts. Keep your eyes open for them. They're everywhere.
"So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light." James 1:16 MSG God's got it covered. He is in control, has always been in control; and always will be in control. Powerful people of this world can say whatever they want and do whatever they want, but ultimately it is all up to God. Living by faith is and has always been a courageous way to live life. We believe in what we can't see. We trust in what we can't see. Christians are (writes Eugene H. Peterson) "persons who dare to live by the great invisibles of grace, who accept forgiveness, who believe promises, who pray. (We) daily and dangerously decide to live by faith and not by works, in hope and not in despair, by love and not hate. And (we) are daily tempted to quit." Does that describe you? If you are a Christian, it should describe you. If it doesn't, ask Jesus why it doesn't. Cause we all can fall into fear or despair -- those are the things the world and the devil are so good at throwing our way. And as the world continues on its downward descent into evil, our Christian witness will be more and more needed in this world. As the world grows darker our lights will shine brighter. We are in a spiritual war -- not against humans, but against unseen spiritual forces. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12 Peterson says to "believe more recklessly, behave more playfully -- the faith-recklessness and hope-playfulness of children entering into the kingdom of God. How can living more playfully be a great way to fight a spiritual war? Because it is how Jesus tells us we enter the kingdom -- become like children -- the hopeful, believing, childlike-trust of a little girl or boy. (Jesus) said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3 We are living between the beginning and the end -- we know the beginning was good (read Genesis 1) and the ending will be good (Revelation 22). This middle part can be confusing and chaotic and hard and hurtful, but because of the beginning and the end we can know for sure all of this middle living has purpose and is going the right way. Hold onto Jesus! And live abundantly! 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" This is a practice we should do daily to make sure we are living by faith. And if we want to live by faith we should apply it to everything, especially the things we desire. Are the things we are seeking after things that will draw us closer to God or are they things that will make us more like the world? I am 55. The last few years have been kind of rough on my self acceptance. For years the body I inhabit looked the same. It stayed the same weight pretty easily. I never even had to think about it. After menopause, female bodies change. I wasn't embracing that change at all. I didn't like the numbers on the scale. I didn't like how this body looked. I didn't like how it felt. I didn't like the changes it was making. And no matter what I did the changes were here to stay. I could have continued to fight these changes. That is a choice some make. I could have kept criticizing this body (and I did for a long time until I realized that was not from God and I was bad-mouthing his creation and his gift to me. So, I repented and kept my mouth shut). Just this morning as I was getting dressed, I realized my desire to look a different way (it's still hanging on) is not from God at all. It is me wanting to fit a certain image that is embraced by the WORLD!!!! The world says the thinner the better. The world says women must fight age -- stay looking young no matter the cost. Society says age change is bad. Age change shouldn't be embraced. People! This is just another ploy from the enemies of God and our souls to get us off track -- taking us away from doing the work God has called us to do. Yes, yes, and yes. We need to care for the bodies we inhabit, but they aren't meant to be the focus of our lives. They aren't meant to rule our lives. They aren't meant to be abused. They are meant to be embraced and loved and as they age; we are to treat them with respect and compassion and gratefulness. Our desires, our focus on life -- all of it needs to be in worship to Jesus Christ -- loving Hiim and loving people. When we get off track, when we make it about ourselves, our bodies, our images, we are not walking in faith. This world is not our home. We want to bring as many people with us to heaven as possible, and focusing on what our bodies look like is never going to bring people into God's family. I am reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. And it bothers me. I think, what if we were occupied by an enemy and everything we did was monitored and judged and regulated by an Enemy Country? It has never happened on our soil since we've become a country, but the world can change very quickly (as we all know from the last few years). Here in rural South Dakota way out on a reservation where GPS doesn't read our location we probably willl be insulated from things like that, but we could become an occupied country quickly. How would we deal with this? Would we go along just to get along? When we choose this kind of philosophy, we will end up doing all sorts of things we never thought we would do. Things when we are thinking clearly we know are wrong -- even evil. We gotta know where we stand in our beliefs during peace time, so we are ready when we are faced with war. War is coming. War is here spiritually. Be prepared. Be ready. Being preyed upon is no fun. At the very least it makes life inconvenient and irritating. Presently where we live the mosquitoes are thick and predatory. They seem organized -- on the offensive to attack any human flesh they smell out. They even attack flesh that has even been doused in bug spray and covered in clothing. Sitting outside is not happening for us right now. But as bad as mosquitoes are, they are nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the locusts mentioned in Revelation 9: "3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. 7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 8 their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; 9 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.[b]" Revelation 9:3-11 I don't want anyone to have to be tormented by these evil creatures. Yet, Revelation is real. It will happen. We don't know when. Maybe soon. Maybe not. If it doesn't happen in our lifetime it might happen in our grandchildren's lifetime or their children's lifetime -- people we care about. Please, please, please turn to Jesus. He loves you. He is waiting to be in relationship with you. He will help you become you. Hawk and I are sitting outside on this temperate August day. We sit in the shade. We feel a light, cool breeze. We hear birds tweet; doves coo. Cowboy chases bugs thinking he'll catch one for sure. I wonder what Hawken thinks about. I wonder why God is so good to us...well, I know the reasons for that (first, he loves us. And second, he is God! Perfect Love; Perfect understanding; perfect compassion; total and complete wisdom....God is absolutely amazing). We're still here -- still outside. I began this post a few hours ago on my phone but forgot about it. I walked over to our garden, and I saw a hummingbird! Yes, a tiny hummingbird sipping from our gigantic hollyhock. I rushed over to Hawk and wheeled him over. The hummingbird had fled but Hawk's tree, his garden tree beckoned. And so, we sit in his shade. The scriptures say that "The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!" (Isaiah 55:12b). That makes me wonder -- wonder about trees and heaven. Use your imagination -- think of all of creation shouting for joy to King Jesus! Even Jesus said to the pharisees that if no one else spoke (when he rode into Jerusalem a week before he was killed) the rocks would cry out in praise to God. I wonder what we will first see when we go to heaven. Will it be all white like you see in movies? Or will we suddenly be in an incredibly out-of-this-world beautiful meadow where the flowers burst out into butterflies and a bubbling, singing, laughing clear brook dances by while a cool breeze touches our noses and ears and lips with love? Our dog Cowboy I've grown to appreciate. He's a lot like Winnie-the-Pooh's Tigger. He's ridiculous and so distractable and thinks he's helping when he creates chaos, but he means well and is so loyal. When I walk in the house he stays right beside Hawken until I return. He senses Hawken's helplessness and protects him from any potential monsters that might come his way while I am gone. Do you ever wonder how a dog thinks? Not sure if anyone is reading, but I'll give you a tip -- fly spray for horses works on humans too! And prune tomato plants harshly for a good yield. This fall Hawken and I are going to study Imagist poetry hoping I'll get some inspiration. I wrote poems in 2021 -- even put them into a book (I have a few copies if you'd like one) -- the process was used by God to heal me within over the way life happened that year. Throughout our lives we'll need healing over and over. God will always provide it. I told Shannon recently that maybe Hawk hasn't been healed physically yet because God wants him really grounded in Scripture first. Because if Hawk was walking around and functioning like us typical able-bodied people, I'm pretty sure he'd have lots of girls in love with him. He is quite the handsome man! Seek Jesus. He sure loves you! Since spring I knew I was going to have back surgery this year. I was diagnosed with severe spinal stenosis and some disintegrating discs (that isn't a medical term of course). I scheduled the surgery for August 2nd. I wanted to make sure I could see my family in Illinois; take part in Vacation Bible School; and attend my husband's family reunion in Wisconsin. All that happened. Two days ago, I had back surgery at the Black Hills Surgical Hospital. I found out this is the #1 orthepediic surgical hospital in the nation. And the staff definitely earns that recognition. The surgeon who did my back surgery had to be led by God. He did a few fusions; replaced a disc with a titanium cage and bone grafts; fused a loose hip joint; decompressed my spine and removed a cyst on my spinal column. Also, there are some screws and pins in my spine now. And amazingly, I am hardly in any pain!
Did you read that? God is so good. I don't have much pain at all! I didn't even have tons of pain when I woke up from surgery. Thank you, Dr. Wellman, for fixing my back!! I have to behave, like really behave with all my movement for the next 6 weeks until the surgeon sees me again. I was afraid of the surgery, but it needed to be done. I knew God would be there. I knew lots of people were praying and still are. We can do anything through Christ -- even go through things that are scary to us -- because Jesus Christ NEVER leaves us or FORSAKES us. It could have gone a different way -- all sorts of negative things can happen in surgery, but even if something bad had happened Jesus would have helped us deal with it. Philippians 4:13 says, "We can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Psalm 29:11 says, "The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace." You might be facing something a whole lot worse than back surgery. You might be dreading something that you know is going to happen soon in your life. You might just be scared about the unknown. None of it is a surprise to God. He is already there. He is waiting to help you through it. John says in 1 John 4:18, "18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." When we fear, we need to run to Jesus. When we fear, we need to let God Speak to us. When we fear, we need to turn to God and just rest in His presence. His love will cast out all fear. It's been almost a month since I last posted. Life has been so busy and also I've been wondering about the relevance of posting. I burned decades worth of journals this past month. I thought maybe they would be useful to someone so I hung onto them. Instead, after I read a few entries in one I realized all a person would read is my mental illness flaring up every once in a while. There were some good thoughts in some of them, but there is plenty of that kind of stuff all over the internet. We had a dear friend visit. When she left, I grew sad and then eventually cried (while getting ready for another Vacation Bible School Day). And then I thought how precious it is to have a friend to miss. When someone visits and leaves I wonder if I will ever see them again in this life. In the middle of my garden is a 12-foot-tall hollyhock. I don't remember planting it. It doesn't look like any of the hollyhocks near my house. Not sure how it got there. It's beautiful and sways in the wind. Next week I have back surgery. My dear lovely husband says he will care for me (and he will) as I recover, but I think the job will grow tiresome. Some may think that the need for back surgery is because I am a caregiver to my son, but this is not the case. My father had the same kind of back problem as did two of his siblings. All three had back surgery (and all three were thankful for it). I am having a back disc replaced with a titanium cage and my spinal column inflicted with severe spinal stenosis will be cleaned out by a very fine surgeon. I hope to walk two times a day during my recovery so I can be well as soon as possible. I told Hawken tonight that the need for back surgery is not his fault. And it isn't. I remember having issues with it during Army training back in 1991. At the time I thought it was what everyone experienced. Now I know differently. I don't know what Hawk thought when I told him this, but he is very intelligent. I know he is. You can tell from his eyes. I don't know what he thinks or feels about anything really. But I know he is precious to me and Shannon and many others (and especially to Jesus). I am nervous about the surgery, but very thankful. I am excited to see what this back will feel like once it has been fixed. Forever (well, not forever, but since I started reading books in kindergarten) I have wanted to write a novel. I want to write a novel that has characters that I get to know and I get to grow with. I have a great idea for one right now, but honestly, I don't think it will happen. And that is okay. Really, it is. Do you know Jesus yet? All you have to do is talk to him. He is waiting for you to turn to him. He will be your best friend, your encourager; your refiner's fire; your advocate, your Savior, your friend. |
Who is Jane Hinrichs?Jane is a wife, a mom, a writer, an artist, a lover of the Word of God. She has been studying the Bible since 1987 and has been writing about it almost since then. She loves to hear from her readers. Email her at: Categories
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