Jane Hinrichs - Home

No one ever sees

8/13/2018

God "does great and searchable things, wonders without number." Job 5:9

I'm thinking of the fields and hills covered in wildflowers no one ever sees.

I'm thinking of beautiful sunrises and sunsets that go unnoticed by so many.

I'm thinking of the mysterious ocean depths no human has ever experienced.

I'm thinking of the expanse of space that continues to expand and which God fills with beauty only He sees.

God creates and creates and creates for the pure joy of it. He is Creator and He needs no validation or approval from us. When we do notice His hand and creation in things and thank Him that is a bonus and we can delight along with Him and this brings us and Him joy.

Genesis 1:27 says, "And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

This modern society with all its social media encourages us to seek out the approval of others with all we do, as if what we are doing or taking part in isn't quite complete until we get "likes" and acknowledgement from those we know. This isn't healthy. It isn't how God operates. It can give others and the world influence into our actions and thoughts and decisions where they just don't belong. Some things, a lot of things, need to just be between us and God or us and those who are real parts of our lives.

I know I seem to talk about this a lot but it is a major part of my life -- caregiving. I see so much value in learning to be like God in daily life as a caregiver. As school starts and my days go back to being just me and Hawken most of the time, most of my life is only seen by God. If I believe what is pushed by social media my unseen life is not valuable because it isn't being noticed by anyone walking on this earth.

But this isn't true. The unseen parts of our lives are seen by God. The unseen parts of life we live are precious to God and He notices all things. These unseen times reveal who we really are. When we choose to do what we need to do faithfully and daily God is pleased. It is act of worship.

Romans 12:1-2 says, "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

I don't know what you are dealing with in life, but I do know you live life in unseen places too. I know things you do go unnoticed by others. I know there are times you are misunderstood or judged. I know there are times you wish someone would notice those things you do, those things that tax you physically or emotionally or both. God sees you. He sees your heart. He sees what you do day in and day out. You are being noticed. You are being noticed by God Almighty, the God who loves you so very much.

For 50 cents you can change your life

8/10/2018

I did something this morning while sitting at the picnic table in our yard I haven't done for a while. It was a very good thing and is a life-changer. You can do it too for just 50 cents plus tax.

What can be so cheap but affect your life (and no I get no compensation for this -- just sharing)?

(Actually, it might even be free if you already have something that will work.)

So, what did I do?

I opened up my journal and read a few pages of entries from last spring and early summer. I read my conversations with God. I read my prayer requests. I read about a few things I was struggling with. Those aren't the life-changing effects I'm talking about. It's what comes after reading them.

I read them and was reminded how God answered prayers for me; how He grew me; how He worked in relationships and how He sustained my family and gave us a great summer. That is life changing. To see the effects of a spiritual life and prayer. To see God's faithfulness in the pages of my journal.

You might be a not a writer. That's okay. You don't have to be a writer to keep a notebook of prayers.

This is what I encourage to do:

Get yourself a notebook of any size (now is the perfect time because there are back-to-school sales). Every morning before you leave the house or start your day of chores briefly write prayer requests, a prayer, things you are seeking God for. Just write a couple of sentences and put it away. Or write down your worries and then ask God for help.

Do this for the next month. Once the month is over go back and read what you wrote. I guarantee your faith will increase. I guarantee you will be encouraged.

"And then God answered: “Write this.
    Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
    so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
    pointing to what’s coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
    And it doesn’t lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
    It’s on its way. It will come right on time." Habakkuk 2:2-3

Use it well

8/7/2018

Sometime this summer, I don't remember when, I had a dream of two people I dearly love. I saw Jesus and my daughter Maggie holding hands looking at me. I knew they loved me but I also knew it wasn't time for me to be with them yet. They told me God had more for me to do here on earth. I think Maggie even waved and gave me a big huge smile. I hope I have that dream again!

This morning I was able to sit outside again while reading my Bible. Again, I drank a lot of coffee (the pot is almost empty now -- though Shannon had a large cup of it before he left). I read in Habakkuk. There are some great passages in this very short book. Habakkuk 3:4 says, 'His radiance is likee the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power."

Another one the writer in me loves is Habakkuk 2:2. It says, "Then the LORD answered me and said, 'Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run.'"

As I read I thought of Jesus sitting beside me, His arm around my shoulders. I stopped reading and just pictured that. I pictured me leaning my head against His shoulder. I pictured Him smiling. I thought of the peace that would bring.

And you know what -- it did. It brought peace. It brought joyful tears. It brought a sense of presence.

The first commandment is to "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, your mind and your strength."

Loving God with all our minds means we need to love Him with our imaginations. Our imaginations are gifts from God to enhance this life He's given us. What better way than to think of Him? To picture Him? To imagine being with Him?

Often, people use their imaginations to worry, to fear, to stress. I do this too. But we don't have to! We can choose not to use this incredible gift in a negative way.

Oxford Dictionaries says Imagination is "the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses."

That is a glorious capability God has given each of us. Oh, let's choose to use it well!!

On my third cup of coffee

8/4/2018

It's almost 7 a.m. here in sunny South Dakota and I am on my third cup of coffee. I am sitting outside at the picnic table listening to mourning doves call back and forth. About an hour ago I could hear coyotes yipping and howling. The air is still. Birds twitter. The two dogs run back and forth chasing sounds. Hawk is lying in his bed right inside the back door enjoying the morning air coming through the screen door. The rest of the family is asleep.

I took the picture on the left about 15 minutes ago. It is probably a bit dark (can't tell since everything looks a bit dark on the computer screen when using it outside -- would love someone to invent a paperwhite screen for laptops like kindles have that allow you to use them outside even in the brightest sunlight). I wanted to share this picture so you can see what I see from my yard. I'm so thankful for my life.

That last sentence is full of meaning I want to share. For several months I've been thankful but not wholly content. I prayed and prayed about it. I tried and failed to embrace contentment totally. I've been doing the same thing for 23 years -- been a stay-at-home mom. And for almost 19

years I've been the full-time caregiver for my son Hawk. That's part of my mom job too but being a full-time caregiver is a bit different since it entails doing things you typically don't have to do for children as they age.

I'd see my husband go off to work. I'd see my husband go off to powerlifting practice where he meets with a handful of students and coaches them in their powerlifting. This has been an incredible ministry. God is doing good things there (I know that is a tangent but wanted to share).

And of course my two youngest teenagers have all sorts of stuff going on.

And then, it would be me and Hawk at home. I knew (and know) what I was doing was what God wanted me to do. I knew it was important work, but honestly I was just feeling a bit left out. Feeling like life was happening everywhere but where I was. I knew this wasn't right but it was how part of me felt.

Just this morning I thought of what Jesus said to Paul on the road to Damascus in Acts 9. Saul (who would become Paul) was chasing Believers to imprison them. On this road Jesus appeared to him in a bright light and said (according to Paul account in Acts 26:14), 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'"

This is not a common saying in our day, but I found a great site that explains it. You can read the entire article about it here by Tommy Boland.

Boland says a goad or an oxgoad is "a long pole or stick with a pointed piece of iron fastened to one end. In the strong hands of a loving master, the ox is gently prodded, guided, steered and driven in the desired direction when plowing the fields. When a stubborn ox attempts to kick back against the goad that is causing it discomfort, the ox will actually inflict more pain, driving the pointed end deeper into its flesh."

When Jesus brought this verse up to me this morning it explained exactly what I've been doing for so many months. Part of me has been fighting him in my discontent. I still did what I needed to do, but my feelings weren't being led. My feelings were betraying me, lessening me as a person even.

I continued to pray. I wrote. I wrote over 100,000 words in one document. A bit of it (just a little bit) was good. Most of it wasn't. I threw it away. I kept trying and trying and trying to find something other than what I had to make me content. At this moment I feel like Dorothy from Wizard of Oz when she clicks the heels of her ruby slippers together three times. She says, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

God will bring growth to us if we keep seeking Him. He knows what is best for us. He knows what will make us content. He knows how to transform us and will. I can truly say I am content in this quiet life. Summer vacation is almost over. My husband goes back to teaching. My two youngest go back to high school. And Hawk and I will do what we do here at home.

Paul says he learned to be content in all situations (Philippians 4:11). We each can learn this too. Learning to be content is a great spiritual feat. The world and the enemy want us discontent. God can bring us into contentment without changing anything about our circumstances. That is true power. That is love. That is a mighty spiritual miracle. When we are content Jesus shines out of us. Contentment is a process. And very likely we need to learn and relearn it every time we find ourselves in a new season of life.

Someone else's faith doesn't count

8/2/2018

Have you read the book of Daniel? Full of stories you might not even believe happened (but they did. Click here if you'd like to read a chapter). In the beginning of the fourth chapter World Ruler Nebuchadnezzar says, "It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me." Daniel 4:2

Then, 28 verses later the same guy is full of pride bragging about himself and how he has made himself great. He has forgotten all about God (if Nebuchadnezzar could become full of pride and forget about God we can too).

So God kicks him out of the palace and Nebuchadnezzar lives out in in the fields like an animal for seven years losing his mind and eating grass.

At the end of the seven years, he gets his mind back and acknowledges God's greatness and wonder and God's dominion. He then says, "At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me . . . so I was reestablished in my sovereignty . . . Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just,a nd He is able to humble those who walk in pride." Daniel 4:36-37

You'd think that this experience and story and witnessing it would have a lasting effect on Nebuchadnezzar's son. That maybe he would follow God because of what happened to his father. But he didn't. In Daniel 5 we see Nebby's son Belshazzar being so anti-god that he ends up being killed. Daniel says to him, "Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this (the eating grass story)," Daniel 5:22

This reminded me this morning that each of us has to have a personal faith. Each of us has to decide for ourselves that we will love and serve God. And no matter what we do we can't decide for our own kids. We can faithfully talk to them about the faith, about living for Jesus. We can take them to church every week for their entire growing up years. We can read to them from the Bible. We can make sure they can learn all they can, but none of this will guarantee they will choose Jesus. We can't do it for them. We can't do it for anyone but ourselves.

And we can't use someone else's faith as ours.

It's just you and God. One day each of us will stand before God all by ourselves and then we answer to Him. No one can answer for us.

In heaven

7/30/2018

A partial list of stuff about heaven (which is a place more real, more alive than this earth we walk on):

1. Relationships will be so close in heaven. No walls around hearts. No barriers to sweet sweet fellowship!

2. No callous remarks.

3. No hurtful words.

4. Lots of animals will be in heaven. The Bible mentions horses (a lot), lions, lambs, wolves, oxen (and probably more that I am forgetting.

5. There are trees in heaven.

6. There is a river in heaven which is clear as crystal. It is the water of life!

7. There are people who have believed in Jesus for salvation in heaven.

8. There is complete healing in heaven.

9. There is boundless joy in heaven.

10. There is lots of laughter in heaven.

11. There will be lots of incredible singing and praising in heaven.

12. There is silence in heaven.

13. There is peace, endless incredible joyful contented peace in heaven.

14. There are jobs for us in heaven -- ones that we will LOVE doing.

15. There is all sorts of incredible food in heaven.

16. Heaven is definitely NOT BORING!

17. Jesus is in heaven! We will get to bodily hug him and our loved ones who are already there.

Are you going to heaven when you die? If you aren't sure, you can be sure. Just trust in Jesus. He says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." John 14:6

And Romans 10:9 says, "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;"

It's that simple. You can do it right now! If you do, tell me please in an email! You can email me here.

Triggers and prayer and love

7/27/2018

When I feel the wind I think about God. The wind comes from Him. If it is a gentle breeze I think of Father God gently touching my face telling me He loves me.

All summer I've been hearing the mourning doves call. Yesterday I realized doves can trigger me to remember the Holy Spirit.

"and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove" Luke 3:22a

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "pray without ceasing;"

We can do this by keeping God in our present, in every moment we breathe. We don't have to be talking to Him to be praying. If we remember He is there and let Him be a part of our present moments, that is prayer. Communication is more than talking and listening. It is also living alongside someone. We communicate with those around us with everything we do and don't do; with our attitudes and our thoughts. We do this same thing with God.

People can be the trigger to think about Jesus. Jesus is 100% God, 100% human. One day we will be able to hug Jesus! One day we will be able to look straight into His eyes. When we do this with another human, we are loving Jesus.

"to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine (Jesus), even the least of them, you did it to Me."
Matthew 25:40c

As I wrote a couple of days ago, loving God and others is our purpose (you can read that here). Remembering God, thinking of Him, thinking of others; praying, loving with everything we have, that is a very good thing.

So not cool

7/26/2018

I know this is so not cool, so politically incorrect, even anti-everything-good, but it is how I feel at times and during those times I just don't know how to get over myself.

Sometimes I'm tired of being a mom. How can I say that? I have great kids. I have learned a lot from them and grown as a person. My oldest turns 23 next month and my life would not be my life if it weren't for my kids. But still, it's true.

And I feel lousy about feeling this way because you see all these moms all over the net talking about how wonderful it is to be a mom and how their lives are complete just getting kisses from their kids and doing things with their kids and looking beautiful with their kids. And I think, what's wrong with me? How can I not find fulfillment in being a mom, the role God ordained for me; the role He blessed me with; the role that is more important than most anything else I can do in life?

Maybe it's a phase. Maybe it's a season of life. Maybe it's cause I'm 50.

Honestly, it's probalby none of those things. It's probably because I'm human.

Uggg. I sometimes hate being human. I will never understand how God loves us humans so darn much!

Yet, I remember that "there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

Even when we grow tired of our blessings, God doesn't condemn us. He doesn't kick us and tell us to shape up. He doesn't even get disgusted wtih us.

He just tells us to look up. To look to Him. He's been the Parent for a very, very long time and never grows tired of it. He can give us that love and endurance and encouragement we need when we get weary.

"The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and o him who lacks might He increases power." Isaiah 40:28-29

"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart." 2 Corinthians 4:1

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed." 2 Corinthians 9:8

The concept is simple but doing it can be hard

7/23/2018

The meaning of life -- people search for it. People think about it. People grab hold of causes to try and bring meaning to their lives. Sometimes people choose to make careers or success or monetary gain or politics or power or family the meaning of life.

I personally have questioned my purpose -- what am I here? I think of all the the things I do daily and know they are part of why I'm here, but in of themselves they aren't the reason I'm here.

The meaning of life comes down to a song lyric -- to love and be loved.

Jesus said it like this:

"'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40

Loving God and others with all we do and say and think gets to be pretty difficult when ourselves get in the way. The only way to truly love and be loved is to get past ourselves and love.

That's the great thing about spending time in the Bible. God's word will help us get outside ourselves; help us lay ourselves aside so we can get on with really living. Throughout scripture we are told to look up to God; to love Him; to praise Him; to honor Him; to respect Him. This isn't because God is on some ego trip. This is because He knows if we are looking to Him we can see others and ourselves rightly and we won't get caught up in screwed up perspectives. We can see the bigger picture and just love.

Early this morning after changing Hawk and the bed pad, I covered him up with his blankets, turned on his heating mattress pad and laid down beside him for a few minutes. I held his left hand and spent time in quiet with him. He smiled. I entered his own little space, his bed with rails; his corner of the house.

Often, love is like this -- just a few minutes giving someone your attention. Letting that person know he is loved; he is worth your time; he is more important than any agenda you might have.

We can do with this with Jesus too. Just sit with Him. Listen. Tell Him you love Him. And see what happens.

He's great at singing lullabies

7/19/2018

I was reminded this morning that we are in a war, a spiritual war that never quits. Yet, I'd say the vast majority of Believers (including me) forget this and are lullled to sleep with their routines and entertainments and worries and desires especially in America (while in Russia in 2005 my Russian friend told me that "Americans are spoiled." She'd done some studying in America for a time). And the enemy wants us to be asleep. He knows he can't take us from God. Jesus tells us in John 10:28-29 that, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand."

The enemy also knows he can lull us to sleep with everything our eyes see and everything we experience. He's great at singing lullabies. In fact, I'd say he's probably got the best voice ever. He was created to be the most beautiful angel. But then he rebelled because he wasn't content to be the most beautiful angel. He wanted to be God.

So, he lives to make us Christians ineffective. If we are ineffective, then God's work is at a standstill. God has chosen to work through us.

How do we wake up to the spiritual war?

First, remember you are in a battle. Sometimes this is easy if the fighting is intense. Often, this fact gets lost because we are just coasting a long just doing life.

Second, realize how you live out your faith is part of your fighting power. Are you content? Are you encouraged? Are you living by faith or by sight? Are you purposely choosing to beleive when your flesh just wants to get through the day?

Third, pray. Pray throughout the day. Let Jesus be a part of your ongoing conversation with the day. In prayer we take on the evil forces. In prayer God's power is loosed into situations.

Fourth, remember wherever you go the Spirit goes with you. He lives within you if you are a Believer. When you enter the room, God does too. Think on that for a while.

Fifth, remember the fight isn't with people. It is "against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

The enemy loves it when we see people as the problem. He loves it when we gossip. He loves it when we attack others rather than him and his forces. Read the verse above again. Evil is super organized. Evil has a plan. So, we have to enter God's plan and let Him work it out through us.

Sixth, don't settle for a meaningless existence. Don't pursue things that are going to just burn up in the end. Live for stuff that counts.

That list will get you started fighting today. There are a whole lot more things I could have written. Read the Word -- that is a fighting text! We are in a fight. There's a lot more going on in the unseen realm than there is in this world that we do see. Remember that. And you are important in this fight!

Interaction is necessary

7/17/2018

We visited family in Waverly, Iowa this past weekend. The drive was long and crowded. There were six of us, plus bags, a wheelchair, a walker, a cane, a blanket, pillow and books. Twice we made rush stops to find a bathroom before someone had an accident (after forgetting to tell us after we passed rest stops). Once we rolled the windows down because someone had bad gas. Three times I semi-successfully changed Hawk's diaper while he sat in his seat. But we made it there about 5 p.m. Saturday evening!

And God blessed me with exactly what I needed -- human interaction in the form of good conversation.

I'm thinking of Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4. They have this great conversation about spiritual truths where the woman learns that Jesus is the Messiah and her entire life is changed. When the disciples come back they urge Jesus to eat. He replies, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."

In verse 34 Jesus explains that this food "is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work."

Part of that doing is interacting with people. Actually, most of the doing is just that -- real conversation with others. Connecting with them on a real honest level where we get past the niceties and just talk. What a delight that kind of conversation is. And Jesus was an incredible conversationalist. He knew how to cut throught the surface and get to the real person.

I sometimes get to do this but not often. When I do get to engage in this kind of real conversation what a glorious thing it is!

Do you have this kind of conversation regularly?

How do we show each other our true selves in day-to-day interactions? Maybe smiling big and looking into each other's eyes could be a start. One person I met this weekend is named Shirley. She is an older woman I probably will never see again, but we shared a few words and a few smiles and it was very good.

Our modern society encourages isolation even in the midst of all the connectedness that goes on. Isolation is the enemy's tactic to discourage and distract each of us.

I pray you have good interactions today. I pray you give someone a big smile. I pray you reach out. I pray you know you are loved.

Three Things On My Mind

7/10/2018

There are three things on my mind this morning. It kind of all stems from personal reflection and conversations I've had with others. Maybe we should start with a visit Shannon and I had.

Two evenings ago Shannon and I visited a lovely older couple for a couple of hours. We had great conversation. Talked about all sorts of stuff to include how God is at work. We ended in prayer and then we drove home. As we drove home Shannon says that the visit opened his eyes once again to what mattered in this life. It cut through the junk that seems to accumulate in this fast-paced society. That's the first thing on my mind -- that once again God reminds us that people are what matter: relationships, building relationships; visiting the lonely or the hurting; dispelling loneliness for others (as you hope others will do for you when you're lonely).

And maybe all three things are related.

For the second thing on my mind is that busyness can be an illustration of us sowing in the thorns. In Jeremiah 4:3 God says, "Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns."

Jesus says in Mark 4:19 that thorns are "the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things."

What are we using our time for? There's nothing wrong with entertainment or activity. But have we deceived ourselves into thinking to be important we have to be involved in lots of things? Or, have we believed that to enjoy life we have to be seeking after entertainment? These things can quickly take the place of contentment in Jesus Christ. The world will tell us the busier the life the more important it is. Are we losing who we are in all the stuff we do? Or is the activity fostering relationships with others and God?

The final thing on my mind once again is social media -- the dangers of it. God does use it. I know He does. But we have to guard ourselves against the pitfalls of social media or it will create negative feelings in us about our own lives or families. And this is not from God. A friend and I have each had a similar experience. Individually we read people's posts and saw their pictures of their families and all their accomplishments and all their loving harmony and blessedness (or so it appears). And by doing this we both felt inadequate. We might have even felt we must have done something wrong because our families didn't appear as wonderful as the families we saw and read about online. This is not from God. We aren't to compare ourselves with others. These comparisions aren't based in fact anyway. And comparing one family to another is never a good comparsion. We both quickly knew we were being led down paths that weren't from God.

I think we can help each other and people we "meet" in cyberspace. We should be careful what we share about us, about our kids, about life. And of course it isn't wrong to share how great our kids are doing, but rather than share it with the world maybe we should share it in person or on the phone or in a private message with those we know personally. Maybe sharing personal stuff to put ourselves in a glowy light might be used against others without us knowing it. I think of social media as our own little reality show. Maybe our personal show should point others to God and to blessings in life. Maybe before we share anything we should ask ourselves and God how it will affect those who read it. Just think about it. Pray about it. We have responsibility for what we put out there in the world. Will it help others? Will it lift Jesus Christ up or will it lift us up? Will it cause people to think or cause people to judge themselves or others or even God Himself?

Why don't we take a clue from our beginnings?

7/6/2018

A lot of people crave a neatly packaged life. We want things to go a certain way. We want happy endings. We want our life to resemble a happy family TV show with the pay to match. Sometimes we whine when things get hard. Sometimes we get discouraged when it seems nothing is working out right and then we ask ourselves if God is really there.

Why don't we take a clue from our beginnings?

The beginning where we first came out of the womb.

Birth is messy no matter how neat we want it to be. God could have made birth neat and tidy. He didn't though. He felt the most glorious part of His creation should be introduced to the world through blood, pain, ambiotic fluid and filth.

So if God is birthing something new in us we should expect mess: emotional, mental, physical, logistical or financial mess. And maybe we should prepare for the mess when we can, at least mentally. We should expect delays. We should expect mishaps. We should expect late arrivals. We should expect the results not to look the way we pictured them.

Last week our area experienced some horrendous weather. Lots of people lost lots: parts of houses, trucks, sheds, vehicles, roofs, trees, silos, tractors. It will be months before everything is repaired across the area. But in all this was a miracle -- no one that I have heard of was hurt (and I've asked a lot of people). A lot of the stuff that was destroyed was really big stuff. If any of it had fallen on someone a life might have been taken. All survived unscathed.

I don't know why being human means we are going to deal with messy stuff all our lives. God could take the mess away but He doesn't.

The mess of birth is a good thing. According to mamanatural.com, "Babies receive protective bacteria from the birth canal that helps build their immune system."

Maybe life messes can build up our spiritual immune system.

Where's your focus?

7/2/2018

Where's your focus?

Your focus is what will direct your thoughts. Your focus is what will lead your thought to the next thought and then to the next thought and so on.

When God tells us to praise Him He's trying to help us get the focus of our thoughts going in the right direction. When we are praising Him, focusing on Him this is what will happen. He doesn't tell us to do this for Him, but for us.

For when we focus on something smaller (like ourselves or other people) that person/thing/stresser/situation grows to god-like proportions in our brains. If it is something we wish were different it will discourage us. If it is something we are excited about it will take us over.

This morning I was reading some of the stuff I've written lately -- the writing project that was about memories. It isn't very good. There are a few lines that are pretty good, but that's it. It kind of bummed me out. This led to me focusing on me and the stuff in my life and I started getting more bummed out. If I can't write good stuff, I really don't have another skill I can fall back on. I'm a writer, good or bad, I'm a writer. And then I started thinking about everything in my life -- about how it's all about kids or other people or just existing and I thought what is the point (see how this wrong focus led me?).

God is a God of mercy! He cut through and reminded me it isn't about me. He reminded me to put Him as my focus and everything else in my life would line up the way it all needs to line up. So, that's what I'm going to do today.

What about you?

"Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones: Praise is becoming to the upright." Psalm 33:1

If God says

6/30/2018

If God says to you to do something, just do it. It might make no sense to you. It might seem ridiculous. It might seem like a waste of time. But none of these are true if God tells you to do it.

We don't need to know why because we know He is good and His purpose in our lives is always good.

Presently, I am printing out a 100,748 word document I have written over the last couple of months. I felt led to write down some stories from my life. I didn't want to. I fought it for quite a while telling God it was a dumb idea and a waste of time. But He didn't let up. I would try to write something else and it would always get back to personal stories. I finally gave up and said, "Fine, I'll do it."

This rough draft is now sitting beside me on my piano bench. Over the next few weeks I'm going to read it and edit it and see what I find inside it. What will I find? I do not know.

I've read that our lives take on themes and messages as we live them. Maybe I'll find a theme or two when I read. Maybe I'll see something I would never have seen if I hadn't written this stuff down.

I don't know if my words will ever be read by anyone but me. I don't know if they will be a real book bought and read by others. It doesn't really matter. That's up to God.

Are you doing what God told you to do?

Is there a nagging idea in your mind you haven't followed through on? Maybe that's God.

Take that step. Do it. Do it for God. Do it for you. Do it for this world.

Motivation

6/29/2018

What's your motivation for doing things? Are you trying to earn people's love? Are you trying to get them to notice you and tell you are great you are?

A lot of social media has reverted people back to a childish kind of perspective on stuff. If you fall into the social media trap you might find yourself posting pictures and writing things and liking things and sharing things in hopes of gaining people's approval of you and your life. This is too much pressure. This is not the way life is supposed to be.

I see it in one of my kids. This child does things to get noticed and approval. And when this child doesn't get the popularity this child craves, disappointment and despair and confusion can well up inside this child. In this situation a person will start to question his self-worth, his importance. Some adults do the same thing with their social media posts.

We should be past this kind of behavior because we don't need people's approval. We just need to see to please God -- not because we earn his approval but because he loves us so much.

What is it doing to you?

6/27/2018

I'm visiting family this week. I'm thankful, so very thankful I have family to visit. And when you're visiting family (or friends) you get out of your own routine and get a glimpse of theirs. This is all good. We all have our ways of doing things. Nothing wrong with that. But while visiting you might see or listen to things you don't normally see or listen to. This can be good because you can gauge how things affect you (I am really going somewhere with this).

At our house we only get PBS channels on our TV (along with Netflix and Amazon Prime). The only TV news I get at home is the PBS newshour. I don't often agree with their bent on things but that's okay. I just try to listen with discernment.

Yesterday morning I watched one of the 24 hour news channels. The topic was interesting but how it was handled made me angry. One of the commentators deliberately twisted words and situations and laid blame where there was no blame.
Why can't people just talk plain and tell the truth without trying to manipulate it? After watching this I realized there is no way I could watch this kind of stuff regularly without getting angry toward groups of people and people I do not even know. My perspective would get all wrong about people and life.

This is what is happening to all sorts of people without them realizing it. They spend time watching these news channels and slowly they are hardened to whole groups of people. They will find themselves cynical about life, about people, even about the power of God.

What are you watching? What are you listening to? How is it changing you? For it will change you (for good or bad).

Be very careful what goes into you through your eyes and ears and mind. It is what you will become.

Seven, no, Six Ducks and Counting

6/19/2018

We're living with six ducks right now. See them on the left? This was an unexpected pleasure (yes, I said pleasure. They are cute and it's kind of fun to have babies around since I know they'll be going home Friday).

For the last eight or nine days we've been doing chores for some dear friends. They had found an abandoned nest in their field filled with eggs. They put them in their incubator just to see what would happen. No one knew if they would hatch, and if they would how long it would take.

When I opened the incubator yesterday afternoon the little faces were looking up at me. Some were just sitting in their eggs. A couple had escaped to the bottom of the incubator standing there waiting.

I must admit I was a bit impatient while doing chores last night. A lot of the chickens were out and had to be wrangled back into the chicken house; and these new babies -- I had no idea what to do with them.

One of our friends called. She told us where the feeder and waterer could be found. We grabbed a heat lamp from their chicken house (which was not needed by the chickens).

Okay, we can do this, I thought (but I was dragging. VBS really wore me out last week). We loaded up the seven ducklings in a bucket and placed them in the car while we retrieved the necessary equipment. I left the car door open because it doesn't open from the outside presently. And Tom, the orange tomcat saw his chance and nabbed one of the ducklings for supper (so seven went down to six).

This morning Shannon will probably be bringing more home because some of the eggs hadn't hatched yet.

What have I learned about ducklings?

-- They're quick.

-- They're very alert. They must have good eyesight. I'll have to look that up.

-- They're noisy at night. Had to shut our bedroom door and turn the fan on high.

-- They like to sit in water (duh. They're ducks).

-- Their webbed feet and bills are absolutely adorable at this stage.

-- They move in groups. And here is an interesting fact for you. According to this site, a group of ducks is called rafts or teams.

Whenever I get close to a part of creation I usually don't get to get close to it reminds me so much of God's diversity and creativity and love for all His creatures. God wants these ducklings to survive. That's why they are so alert and they move together and are quick at less than 24 hours old.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? And yet not one of them is forgotten by God." Luke 12:6

If God has equipped these ducklings with necessary survival characteristics, how much more will He give us what we need in our daily lives. He loves the little sparrows and ducklings, but we, His kids, are of far more value to Him. "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows (or ducklings)." Luke 12:7

Is It Worth It?

6/13/2018

Our church family is putting on Vacation Bible School this week (known in Christendom as VBS). It is a lot of work and preparation. You never know what will happen. You never know how many children will show up from day to day. Today, one teacher had to leave unexpectedly but we had an extra adult who was able to step in at the last moment. And then you'll get kids who have a hard time listening or sitting still or keeping their hands to themselves. Some kids don't seem to be paying attention at all and you wonder if anything is making a difference.

VBS is worth it. Sure, it's a lot of work. It takes tons of energy. It takes a lot of time. And very likely you won't see any fruit from the all the seeds you plant.

But someone will. One day someone will harvest those seeds and one day those kids will remember the Bible verses, the songs, the stories and they will be changed.

They will remember the adults who had time for them.

They will remember that there is hope in the world.

They will remember they are loved and matter to us and to God.

And one day they will remember that Jesus is calling them and wants to be part of their lives.

We don't have to see the fruit and the harvest to know that VBS is worth it. God tells us His word always accomplishes what He wants it to accomplish. Every single time!

One of the women who is part of the VBS staff said that she was told about another church that couldn't find enough workers to put on a VBS. I fear that is pretty common in many churches across our country. We all get so busy and it is often easier just not to do a big program.

But I encourage you to take part in a VBS program. Volunteer. Interact with the kids. You matter too.

One study said that most people who are Believers accept Christ by the age of 12. That means these young children are a vital missionary field. A lot of the kids you will work with might have troubled home lives. They might not have adults who have time to give them the attention they need.

If your church isn't doing a program this summer, look into it for next summer. If your church is doing a program see if you can help. Even giving just one day can really encourage the other workers and the kids. You have gifts. Share them. All of us will be grateful.

Do you get it? You're a delight!

6/5/2018

Do you understand?

Do you get it?

Do you realize that you are an absolute delight to God?

Isaiah 62:4d says, "For the LORD delights in you.'

And yes, Isaiah is talking about you! You, the one who is reading this!

Proverbs 5:21 says, "For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He watches all his paths."

Don't read that verse as if God is watching to judge you. Read it realizing He is loving you, loving to watch you!

My oldest son played drums in high school. I loved to watch him play him drums. I loved to hear him play his trap set at home. When we would go to his concerts my eyes went straight to him just so I could watch him play. It seems so silly that I took such delight in seeing him get into those drums, but I did. And I miss it.

This is what I think of when I read that God is watching over my path. He is watching us in love. He's watching us to see what we do next. To see us enjoy this life. To see us delight in him.

If we could grasp how much God loves us I don't think we'd ever worry about anything. He's got us covered. He wants you to rest in him. He wants you to realize he's got your back. He's on your side. Bad things happen because bad things are part of this imperfect life. When sin entered the world, it allowed evil to enter in. And most of the time the bad things in our lives are not our fault. They just are part of life. But even in those bad things, God is there and will help us through them. And He will even bring great good out of those bad time if we let Him.

Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy."

He's crazy about you! Really!

I don't know what you're going through right now, but God does. And He will help you with it if you let Him. He will show His great love for you if you ask Him.

Every once in a while when my son was at the drums during the concert I would catch his gaze and he'd smile at me (usually it was before the song started when I was waving madly at him to show him I was there).

God is waiting for you to catch His gaze. His eyes are on you.

A wee little goose

5/30/2018

Last Thursday I rescued a wee little goose from the jaws of Dog Maggie. I yelled, "Drop it," and Maggie did! The goose took off running, but I was quicker. I picked him up (he was alone and we are nowhere near water) and took him in the house. I said to Megan to Pete, "Look what I got."

And Megan says of course, "Ahhhhh. Can we keep him?"

So we got a box and filled it with grass. Pete told me to give him a bath (bad idea) so I did. Then the poor thing (which we named Clyde) was shivering. I got out the hairdryer and blew him dry. Then the little guy walked around the house.

He wouldn't eat and wouldn't drink. When it was time for bed I put him in his box and gave him a more grass and a bowl of water.

In the morning he was in bad shape. He had fallen into the water and was soaked. His neck was limp but he was alive. So out came the hairdryer again. I blew him dry and wrapped him in a towel. Shannon and I prayed God would heal him.

And he did. As the day went on he was more and more active. He went on walks with the kids. He ate grass. He drank water. He wandered. He made noises. And he sat with us. He seemed to be a very happy goose. That night he even watched a movie with us.

Saturday morning he was ready to get out of his box. Another day of activity for him. Saturday night I was thinking of him migrating in the fall but bringing by his new mate to meet his mom.

Sunday morning he seemed quiet. He sat outside with me before church. He walked a bit but spent most of his time between my feet (except when he was sitting in Shannon's robe pocket while Shannon wrote his sermon). We told him we'd see after church.

Shannon talked about Clyde at church. First time he ever had a goose in his pocket.

When we got home I took him out of his box and he had died.

The family wasn't happy. Megan was pretty sad. She asked why. I said I didn't know.

But I do know that he had a couple of really good days, and he brought joy to us. A life is precious no matter how short or long it is. Every life, even a little gosling's life, brings light into our world.

Where to start?

5/23/2018

I picked these lilacs yesterday in my back yard. Lilac blooming season doesn't last long, but it is a glorious one.

When I picked them the bush sounded like it was alive there were so many honeybees on it. That gives me hope! Will I catch bees this year? Highly improbable but not impossible.

As I looked at these flowers this morning after reading Psalm 135:7c (God "brings forth the win from His treasuries") another verse came to mind, Romans 1:20. It states, "For since the creation of the world (God's) invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made"

Which led me to thinking about another verse, Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

Where is this leading?

Jesus has told all His believers to share the gospel with others, but sometimes we don't know where to start. You're in a conversation with your neighbor about fertilizer and how much rain you got last night. How do you insert the gospel in there? Or, you're at the store comparing prices between two brands of tomatoes and another shopper gives you her opinion on which one to choose. How do you go from tomatoes to the gospel?

The Romans verse tells us that everyone can see God in creation whether they acknowledge Him or not. Why not start with creation? If you're talking about weather why not acknowledge God's hand in it. Say, "God sent us a 1/2 inch of rain last night. Praise God!"

If you're talking about tomatoes maybe that can lead to planting tomatoes which can lead to God's hand in their growth.

Maybe that's all you say about God, but a seed will be planted.

And maybe it will lead to a bit more. You never know.

The time is short to share God's love and words with others. It might be very short for the person you talk to today. The time might be short for you, for me. Life ends suddenly often.

And if you're feeling far from God, spend time in His creation today -- just 15 minutes alone listening to the sounds; smelling the smells; watching the movements. It will revive you. And you could tell about that experience to the next person you talk to. Hope is found in Jesus Christ. Everyone needs that hope.

It's a Big Fat Lie

5/18/2018

I am so thankful not to be depressed! This past winter the depression I was in got very serious. If not for my husband and God it might have been fatal. And now that I am feeling like me again I realize I've been in a mild depression for over a year. Praise God it's gone (now I know in the future it may come again, but God is already there).

I want to tell you a lie that the enemy tells us or tries to tell us all the time that we will completely believe if we're in a vulnerable state. A vulnerable state could mean depression or it could mean you're facing a big challenge or you are hurting some way -- a vulnerable state is any state that isn't you being at peace, confident in who you are.

Here's the lie: You are alone in this. No one understands. You don't have any close friends. No one cares. You're friendless.

This is a lie for all of us! None of us are alone. All of us are loved. Deeply loved. If you don't have eyes to see the people who are loving you, start with Jesus. He is at this very moment sitting beside the Father praying for you (Romans 8:34). And earlier in the chapter it says "the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words" Romans 8:26

So each of us has the Triune God on our side: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If the Son and Spirit are praying for us you know the Father has our back!

Whatever side God is on is a majority.

What about people?

It's God's will for you to have friends, for you to be in relationship with other people. He has placed people in your life who love you. If you don't recognize them ask God to show you who really cares. You'll be amazed.

When I was in the middle of my deep depression I attended the Women's Winter Retreat in Rapid. The second day I sat down in the auditorium. No one sat beside me. The devil used that. I could have moved, but I didn't. I noticed some of the ladies at my church and began to think they didn't care. I was no use to anyone. I was alone. I was believing the lies. There were several women I could have sat by, but my legs and feet were heavy. I couldn't even get out of the chair. I just wept. Finally, one dear friend reached from behind me and asked if I was okay. I said yes. Liar! This dear woman would have prayed with me. This dear woman would have made room for me. But I was believing the lies that I was alone.

Don't believe these lies. The enemy's way is to isolate us from everyone else. A person all alone is easier to attack. And when we're being attacked life gets darker and darker.

Don't believe that you're alone. Many people love you. Many people care. We humans, though, can be dense and not see the hurting right in front of us. Take a chance and ask someone to pray with you.

What you are dealing with someone near you has dealt with something similar. They can help you.

"No temptation (or trouble or depression or trial) has overtaken you but such is common to man;" 1 Corinthians 10:13a

Email me if you need someone to talk to here.

You are a glorious human being. God's got plans for you, plans you will find great joy in.

I'm a writer. That's about all I can do. I'm not the best writer by far. Some might say I'm not even good. But no matter. I'm still a writer at heart. But I wasn't writing and God told me to start writing down stories from my life. I told Him that no one would want to read those. Why bother? But He insisted. My husband agreed with him. So, I've been writing between 2200 and 2500 words daily and I'm up to about 42,000. I'm shooting for 100,000. Once I'm there I'm going to read it all and see if there's anything good in it. If there's nothing good in it, no matter because getting me to write for extended times during my days was the first step that needed to take place. I get in that zone, that zone of creativity where stuff just flows. That is what I needed.

We all need something like that. You might not be a writer, but you are something. There is something in your life now or has been that you can take part in where you can get in that creative zone and just create. You gotta do that whatever it is. It is a gift.

I wish we could sit together at my table and talk about your life and Jesus and drink coffee and laugh and just have fellowship. Coffee's always on (though I make it really strong -- I have tea too and I would even make a whole pot just the way you like coffee. I'll just put mine in a thermos).

If you don't know, start here

5/16/2018

I think we all go through times of rediscovering ourselves. New phases of life bring new things out in us. New challenges cause us to learn new skills. Old battles are resurrected and we deal with them in a new way. Or, we deal with them like we always have and realize something new in the sameness.

And there are seasons in life we question what we've done and where we are going. This is all very human and happens to many of us.

From singlehood to marriage. From marriage to being a parent. From being a parent to seeing your children leave. Staying in the same job for a long time and realizing you want something else. Illnesses and deaths can bring these questions on.

A book I just read said that sometimes to find out who we are now we have to remember what we are not. If you want to try this, get a lined sheet of paper and number the lines at least to ten (you can do as many as you like). I did twelve.

Here's my list:

1. I am not glamorous.
2. I am not exotic.
3. I am not lazy.
4. I am not ugly.
5. I am not famous.
6. I am not evil.
7. I am not a farmer.
8. I am not a superhero.
9. I am not a neat person.
10. I am not greedy.
11. I am not into possessions.
12. I am not going to hell.

After making this list I was a bit disappointed because it didn't tell me anything I didn't know. But what came next was a good thing. I redid the list saying the opposite of those as I am a ______________. Here's what I came up with.

1. I am natural.
2. I am earthy.
3. I am a hard worker.
4. I am pretty.
5. I am loved.
6. I am kind.
7. I am a flower lover.
8. I am a mom.
9. I am casual.
10. I am generous.
11. I love good conversation.
12. I am bound for heaven.

Try it. Both ways. It might encourage you. You are gifted and God is working out His plan in your life. He's using you in ways you don't even notice. He's using you in very good ways!

What has He said to you?

5/11/2018

Reading in Luke 1:45 today where Elizabeth says to Mary, "blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord."

And I thought, do I have that blessing? Am I believing for things that God has told me?

There is a person in my life who has wandered a way from the Lord. I used to worry until God told me to not worry. To let Him deal with this person. One day this person will be back on fire for Jesus. What an incredible day that will be. I sure hope I get to see. I no longer worry.

Another thing God has told me is "not yet" in a situation in my life I want to happen. "Not yet" means there will be a "now" time in my life for this situation. I believe Him. He never goes back on His word.

The third thing I thought of is not really a promise but it is a kind of promise. God has told me to do something (which I am doing every day). I don't quite see the value in it. The promise in this command is that there is value in it because God told me to do it. So I will not quit following this command.

Has God told you something about the future or about a loved one or about your purpose? Do you believe this? It is a whole lot more fulfilling to walk in belief rather than worry. I initially "a whole lot easier" but that is a lie. Sometimes it is so much easier to fall into worrying because worrying gets validated by the world we live in. A lot of people think that is the way to show love and concern. If you're worrying about your child you must be a great parent.

Worrying is not a form of love or concern. Worry is a form of unbelief.

If nothing comes to mind (something you're believing God for) ask Him to give you something. Ask Him to remind you what He has told you. He talks to everyone. We just have to take time to listen. The longer you believe the stronger your belief will be. And that growing belief will cause Jesus's words in John 14:12 to manifest themselves. Jesus says, "he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father."

That is a promise to grab hold of and believe! What if all believers believed that? Wow, this world would be changed!