History of the 2007 War on Mold and Mildew

History of the 2007 War on Mold and Mildew
by: Alice Maer


In the August heat, on the hottest day of summer, the compressor in the air conditioner broke. The day before, the downstairs neighbors moved out. We were without a cooling system and living in a 3rd floor apartment. The war has begun.

Our first sign of trouble was condensation on the kitchen floor, not just a light mist, but puddles so large that they would soak your entire foot. The children thought this was fun, splashing in puddles in the kitchen, but I knew better, I knew this was a breeding ground for the worst enemies any apartment has ever known, mildew and mold. Oh the kitchen was safe enough; they have windows to help dry the air and floor, but the bathrooms, oh the poor bathrooms! The hall bathroom sustained only minor injury, easily repaired by the maintenance crew, but the master bath, completely enclosed and isolated from any semblance of air circulation; it did not stand a chance against this evil. The maintenance crew came and scrubbed the mold and mildew until the walls were faded to a light pink color… but you could see that the little buggers were still alive and waiting for the next opportunity to strike.

Late in October, the weather became warm again, short sleeves, humid air, everything was perfect for this monster to once again assert itself. The walls, the ceiling, the shower… all covered in a blanket made of mold and mildew after three short days of humidity. They struck for the second time and this time it was personal. I called for reinforcements, Joe, ever ready with a bottle of bleach, a sponge, and gloves approached the bathroom with a warrior’s pride. He strode in with a ladder, scrubbed every possible surface of the bathroom, and managed in 3 hours to remove about a quarter of the offensive scum from the ceiling. The rest remained because our might warrior was tired and needed a much deserved rest.

Time was dragging by, the proud mold and mildew regrouping where the mighty warrior Joe had once devastated their population. We did not concede defeat; never will we allow the mold and mildew bullies to win this war against us! A new plan of attack was formed, and late in November, the mighty Rachel approached for round one with a bottle of chemical warfare in hand. She heartily sprayed every centimeter of mold and mildew infested walls and ceiling with the chemical whose purpose was to remove all signs of their existence. After her first attack, she realized the advantage the mold has over her, they can not smell the chemical warfare, nor can they breathe it in, but it is toxic to them, and soon they will run away, crying for mercy. A few hours later, Rachel the brave enters, armed once again with the chemical weapon for a fresh attack. She sprayed the entire bathroom once more, trying to save the rapidly infected room from total demise. The folly in her plan was soon realized as she started to cough and wheeze, the chemicals were hurting her! She ran for the relief of fresh air, and had to use an inhaler to restore her breathing to normal levels. Upon her retreat she noticed a significant withdrawal in numbers on the mold and mildew side of the war, one or two attacks more and this war will be won, the bathroom saved, and mold and mildew defeated until the next air-conditioning system failure next summer. The call is out, for a mighty warrior to come to the aid of this bathroom, to save Rachel the Brave’s lungs from total ruin during her attempt to decimate the stubborn mold and mildew so ruthlessly attacking her abode. Is there a warrior out there willing to fight this battle and help bring us to victory?

Time is running short, the enemy is approaching, I must send this now and hope for our Knight to come to us and rescue us from this danger. Please, come quickly!

Long anticipated...

Sorry for such a long delay. I've been so weak and tired that I just didn't know which end was up most days. My medications are now working, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) seems like a happy thing in relation to others that this could have been, and I've gotten the new job with the county! I'm being cleared to return to work on the same day the offer to start at the county is effective and all is well.

God has managed to use me through all of this, much to my surprise, and I'm thrilled He has. I just hope it doesn't take a major illness to get my attention next time!

For the past month or so I've been reading what others have been writing about the Bible, their thoughts and ideas, etc... instead of doing my own digging. I do plan to resume my own study and writing but for now am concentrating on getting better, resting when needed, etc... for those who have told me they miss my input, I'm sorry. I will be back though, I promise!

Hugs & Love

Spoons

My friend Mei-Ling sent this to me. It is such an effective way to explain my day to day existence that I felt as if I had to share it with you. I hope you'll read it and get an understanding of what it is to live with an invisible chronic illness that impacts everyday activities.

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/2004/11/the_spoon_theory.php

Hugs & Love

Can't write it...

I don't know why, but no matter how many times I've tried I have NOT been able to write down the thoughts I have about Daniel 4 in a clear and concise way. I think I'm going to shelf it until tomorrow and see what happens. Sorry.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Daniel 3 – October 22, 2007

Daniel 3 – “The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace”

If I gathered everyone I knew to see the “great big shiny thing” I made and told everyone to sing worship songs to the “great big shiny thing” I’m sure at least a few would force me to have my head examined, a few more would slam me in the head with a spiritual baseball bat, and many would laugh at me… good for them! But I know of three people who would blindly do as I told them to because mommy knows what is right. It may seem like an overly simplistic way of looking at this situation, but it is accurate. King N was educated, knowledgeable in things the common man didn’t know he was missing… much like a parent-child relationship.

It’s easy to see the “trust in the Lord” message from this passage… less obvious is that we need to try to learn how to lead those around us away from the tempting “great big shiny things” of life and towards the arms of our loving Savior. I don’t want to encourage my children to sing praise to anything evil, I want them to sing praises to Jesus… they won’t do that unless they see me doing it.

I need to make sure I haven’t been leading them to any “great big shiny things” lately. I pray I never will!

Hugs & Love

Daniel 3

1. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."

7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10 You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."

13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king."

25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Bible Blog: Daniel 2:24-49 – October 12, 2007

Daniel 2:24-49 – “Daniel Interprets the Dream”

24. Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him."

25. Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means."

26. The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?"

27. Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28. but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:

29. "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

31. "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33. its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

36. "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37. You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38. in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

39. "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

44. "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."

46. Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47. The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."

48. Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.

I’m starting to understand why people say, “Dare to be a Daniel.” This is a very impressive young man! When he went to King N to tell him his dream and the interpretation, he first gave all the credit to God. How often do you or I have something to share with someone that we don’t give even a mention of who is responsible let alone do it up front like that? It is such an easy thing to do, give credit where credit is due, yet we all fail to do it time and time again and here Daniel is giving credit before the explanation. Remarkable!

Of course he goes on to save the day by telling and interpreting the dream and assuring the lives of the wise men are protected and in the process finds himself appointed as King N’s new advisor. He doesn’t turn around and rub it in his friends’ faces either, nope; he goes and gets them jobs as his assistant. It makes sense, they share the same faith in God, have had the same training, and he trusts them… sounds like a perfect fit to me! By doing this Daniel once again showed that his actions are not for his own benefit, he found a way for his friends to be in prominent positions and set everyone up for success.

How do I do this for the ones I love and care for? Do I build them up and give them reasons to grow or do I cut them down for my own gain? Do I give credit to God and others when it is due? It is time to Selah on this. Hope you do too!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Daniel 2:1-23 – October 11, 2007

Daniel 2:1-23 – “Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream”

1. In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3. he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means."

4. Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."

5. The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."

7. Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it."

8. Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9. If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."

10. The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11. What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."

12. This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13. So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

14. When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15. He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16. At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

17. Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven

20. and said:
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.

21. He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.

22. He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.

23. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king."

This story is much more amazing to me now than it was when I was a child. We start with power hungry King N (I’m not typing that out more than the one time above) who insists that an interpretation of an undisclosed dream must be provided by the wise men or they will all be executed. YIKES! This is a bit harsh. Understandably the wise men didn’t want to try to interpret a dream they haven’t heard, but the power hungry King N doesn’t care, he wants them to tell him his dream also. When Daniel and his friends were gathered for execution and the reason was explained to them, they didn’t cry or beg, but Daniel requested an audience with King N to reveal and explain his dream to him.

I want faith like that. I don’t know how to get it, but I know I’m going to be praying that my faith increases quite a bit! I know it is a change that needs to take place inside me, that I’m the person at fault for not having that level of faith, but I really don’t know how to change my level of faith… yet.

Anyway, in faith Daniel goes to sleep and King N’s dream and its meaning are revealed to him. When he wakes up he behaves in a rather unnatural way for someone whose life and whose friends’ lives are on the line… he stops and praises God. Isn’t that wonderful? Daniel’s character, which I find inspirational, is revealed in this moment. God is first. There are no exceptions or exclusions that so many of us make “I can do it later” or “He won’t mind if I make sure they live first” no, God is good and God is first. Thank him for the revelation THEN take care of life saving business.

I can’t say that God is always a priority in my life. I think if I were in a similar situation my tendency towards self-preservation would kick in and I’d go make sure I was going to remain alive rather than thank God for the revelation of a dream. But Daniel went and thanked God for the revelation, not knowing if King N was going to actually spare him or his friends. His faith, his quick action, and his devotion to God are examples of things I lack in my own life. I know with God’s help I’ll make it though, and I’m going to work on changing my attitudes and faith.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Daniel 1 – October 9, 2007

In two days, two people have mentioned Daniel to me, specifically, the story of the handwriting on the wall. I’m going to assume there is something for me to learn in the book of Daniel at this time and start from the beginning to find out what it might be. Hope you enjoy!

Daniel 1 – “Daniel’s Training in Babylon”

1. During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.

3. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. 4. “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” 5. The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.

6. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7. The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:

Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.

8. But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. 9. Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. 10. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”

11. Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 12. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.”
14. The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.

15. At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. 16. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
17. God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.

18. When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. 19. The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. 20. Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

21. Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus.

Daniel tried to please God in everything. When Judah was overthrown by the Babylonians and he was forced into the King’s service, he used his intelligence to find a way to maintain his devotion to God by suggesting a “trial period” of vegetables and water instead of foods he felt would displease God. He was rewarded with good health, intelligence, and competence as well a the ability to interpret dreams.

I think the most important thing to learn from this passage is that we need to set ourselves apart in appropriate ways while still living within our culture. We need to know our surroundings, strive for excellence in our work, and do it while maintaining our integrity and identity in Christ. Today our “new cultures” can include anything; a new job or relationship, a move to a new neighborhood, marriage, parenthood, divorce, or even a career change. What we need to try to do is follow Daniel’s example and make those changes while maintaining our identity with God.

It sounds simple… too simple. I know that the things that sound easy are often the hardest but also the most rewarding. I hope and pray I’m preparing myself to stay firm in God when a new culture becomes part of my life.

Hugs & Love

Just a Tuesday afternoon...

What do you get when you put two friends, both female, in a room when one is awaiting a diagnosis that could possibly be cancer?

A. Somber discussion about medical treatments.
B. Prayer session begging God that this isn't going to be cancer.
C. Bible page flipping looking up passages of hope.
D. All the above.

If you answered D, you'd be partially correct... but mostly wrong. Here are some more options to choose from:

E. Abundant laughter.
F. An awesome chuckle inspiring card.
G. Commentary on God's sense of humor.
H. All the above.

H is correct, but still doesn't tell the whole story.

My friend Nancy came over to offer me some support this afternoon because she knows I'm seeing the hematologist tomorrow and she has been through the testing and waiting process in the past and knows how stressful it can be. She showed up with an awesome card, imagine the silly glasses and funny nose attached in card form, I plan to wear this to my doctor appointment tomorrow or at least to dinner if my friends are still taking me. Things became progressively sillier as the afternoon went on.

What I really want to share with you is what had us in stitches and I'm convinced that God was laughing right along with us. Both Nancy and I needed to use the bathroom, fortunately I have two so we parted company. I flushed the toilet, no problem, went to turn on the water and nothing came out. I respond with, "Oh crap, this isn't happening, not now!" to which Nancy comes running thinking her using the water in another room was causing me a problem... soap covering her hands and a concerned look on her face and I realize that she didn't know yet. They had just shut off the water to the building while we were using the toilets. Sure enough we checked every sink, no water to be found anywhere. By now our giggles are filling the whole building as we try to figure out how to get our hands clean. We manage to dry off the soap and find the waterless sanitizer and continue having a good laugh and a discussion about how God made a man pee his pants in the Bible... yeah I'm planning to look that up and it will most likely be a Bible Blog entry.

We decided it was a great time to take pictures, and silly us, we put more soap on our now sanitized hands, held the card in front of our faces (we took turns) and snapped the pictures. We then proceeded to the sink to rinse off the soap... we had forgotten something very important, no water... duh! So another round of giggling and silliness and of course hand cleaning without water (have I mentioned diaper wipes are wonderful things recently?) We then prayed, holding sticky hands, laughing hysterically for God to bring healing and to keep the laughter abundant. And we both felt God's presence, we knew He was laughing right along with us, that He was enjoying that moment with us, the complete silliness and you know what? He loved that we included Him in it! He wants everything from us, not just good, not just bad, He even wants our silly outbursts... isn't that wonderful?

Well, after a round of try to figure out what is wrong with the cell phone (hers, not mine) and finally giving up, she went out the door. I had turned the water faucet in the kitchen on so I would hear when the water started again. Around the time she got to her car, the water started up again. I called her and told her and we continued laughing. God really does have a sense of humor, and this confirms it. He wants us to laugh.

So laugh with me people! If I can get the pictures onto my computer, and get permission from Nancy, I'll post them, otherwise, use your imagination, it's probably just as good.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Obadiah – October 8, 2007

Why did I choose to read Obadiah? I don’t remember ever reading it before, although I know I must have at some point in time since I read the entire Bible in HS. I didn’t know anything about it, so I read it. Since the whole book is only 21 verses long, I’m including all of it at the end of my ramblings so you can read it. I’m using the Message version this time because the language is more modern and lets you “feel” what is being said a bit easier.

I like that writing styles in Bible times included the author’s name and a brief subject right up front makes it easy to know that Obadiah was a prophet foretelling the destruction of Edom… but again, my Bible history isn’t what is should be, so I have to find out, WHY Edom is going to be destroyed.

In verses 2-4 it seems almost as though Obadiah is taunting the people of Edom, but the reality is he’s pointing out that they’re going to be destroyed for their pride and feelings of superiority. Obadiah is telling them that God is going to take them from being in a lofty, well protected city and reduce them to nothing. In verses 10-14 we find out that it’s because they were violent towards Judah, they allowed foreigners to attack Judah and cast lots for Jerusalem, they rejoiced in the destruction of their family… Judah was filled with the descendants of Jacob and Edom the descendants of Esau, they pillaged during times of distress, they wouldn’t allow refugees to leave, and turned over survivors to the enemy.

It seems to me a good warning for today as well. We are called to love those around us, to help those in trouble, but if we rejoice in their sorrow and pain we are no better than the Edomites who turned over their relatives to the enemy. But as with any warning against evil, it seems God sends along hope as well because He tells of the restoration of Israel in verses 17-21. We are certainly going to face evil in this life; we are going to face it from friends and family, co-workers, strangers, and people with different beliefs. He will punish all sin, but because Jesus died for us, our sins will be overlooked and we will be restored to Him as heirs and heiresses. Isn’t that wonderful to think about?

Hugs & Love


Obadiah

1
Obadiah's Message to Edom from God, the Master.
We got the news straight from God by a special messenger sent out to the godless nations:
"On your feet, prepare for battle; get ready to make war on Edom!

2-4
"Listen to this, Edom:
I'm turning you to a no-account, the runt of the godless nations, despised.
You thought you were so great, perched high among the rocks, king of the mountain,
Thinking to yourself, 'Nobody can get to me! Nobody can touch me!
'Think again. Even if, like an eagle, you hang out on a high cliff-face,
Even if you build your nest in the stars, I'll bring you down to earth."
God's sure Word.

5-14
"If thieves crept up on you, they'd rob you blind—isn't that so?
If they mugged you on the streets at night, they'd pick you clean—isn't that so?
Oh, they'll take Esau apart, piece by piece, empty his purse and pockets.
All your old partners will drive you to the edge.
Your old friends will lie to your face.
Your old drinking buddies will stab you in the back.
Your world will collapse. You won't know what hit you.
So don't be surprised"
—it's God's sure Word!—
"when I wipe out all sages from Edom and rid the Esau mountains of its famous wise men.
Your great heroes will desert you, Teman. There'll be nobody left in Esau's mountains.
Because of the murderous history compiled against your brother Jacob,
You will be looked down on by everyone. You'll lose your place in history.
On that day you stood there and didn't do anything.
Strangers took your brother's army into exile.
Godless foreigners invaded and pillaged Jerusalem.
You stood there and watched.
You were as bad as they were.
You shouldn't have gloated over your brother when he was down-and-out.
You shouldn't have laughed and joked at Judah's sons when they were facedown in the mud.
You shouldn't have talked so big when everything was so bad.
You shouldn't have taken advantage of my people when their lives had fallen apart.
You of all people should not have been amused by their troubles, their wrecked nation.
You shouldn't have taken the shirt off their back when they were knocked flat, defenseless.
And you shouldn't have stood waiting at the outskirts and cut off refugees,
And traitorously turned in helpless survivors who had lost everything.

15-18
"God's Judgment Day is near for all the godless nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you.
What you did will boomerang back and hit your own head.
Just as you partied on my holy mountain, all the godless nations will drink God's wrath.
They'll drink and drink and drink—they'll drink themselves to death.
But not so on Mount Zion—there's respite there! a safe and holy place!
The family of Jacob will take back their possessions from those who took them from them.
That's when the family of Jacob will catch fire, the family of Joseph become fierce flame, while the family of Esau will be straw.
Esau will go up in flames, nothing left of Esau but a pile of ashes."
God said it, and it is so.

19-21
People from the south will take over the Esau mountains; people from the foothills will overrun the Philistines.
They'll take the farms of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will take Gilead.
Earlier, Israelite exiles will come back and take Canaanite land to the north at Zarephath.
Jerusalem exiles from the far northwest in Sepharad will come back and take the cities in the south.
The remnant of the saved in Mount Zion will go into the mountains of Esau
And rule justly and fairly, a rule that honors God's kingdom.

Teachers In-Service

I am home with three small children today, not because anyone is sick (other than me) but because the teachers have an in-service day today. School started a month ago, and the children have a day off already? I don't know why but I don't remember nearly as many days off in my school year as a child, snow days when there is a powdering of snow on the ground, in-service days every month, and of course all the holidays that only bankers and government workers get to take off.

At least they are cooperating to some degree here, they've watched the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (for the first time) and Nanny McPhee as well and have been doing kids' level sudoku and word puzzles. They even showered this morning (amazing).

I somehow doubt that I will be able to find the time to have quiet time while they (and I) are awake at the same time (I've been sleeping through the movies, I'm tired of sleeping so much!) and when they are asleep I am pretty sure I'll be asleep also, so please forgive me. So much for my grand plans for having extra quiet time with God during the month of October! Please know I am still reading daily devotionals every day (usually about 4) and that I don't comment on them because they are based on another person's interpretations as well as their readings, not my own.

I will write more soon, perhaps I'll have a friend join me in reading/writing something, that would be fun!

Hugs & Love

Oh well...

I just woke up, again, about 20 mins ago, and I'm just finishing up getting ready for my next interview... I can't believe I dozed through another whole day without writing anything. It's a bit frustrating that I have all this time but no energy with which to accomplish anything!

I'll try this evening to post something, if I don't fall asleep that is!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Hope Wanted – October 2, 2007

Psalm 69:29
I am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

I’m in pain. Physical and emotional turmoil define my existence right now. So as I was trying to figure out where to go next in my Bible Blog journey my thought was “I need help to figure out what I should do next.” Then I realized what I need right now is HOPE. So today, I’m going to list the messages of hope I have read and enjoyed and thought about today along with some of the thoughts, questions, and if I have them, answers I came up with. Mostly questions though, aimed at myself for my less than perfect reaction to circumstances in my life.

Psalm 42:5
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!

Why do we allow ourselves to be so discouraged, so sad when God has offered us life through Christ? Why is it that when something goes wrong I wonder what the point of life is on some level even though deep down I know my purpose is to serve God?

Proverbs 23:18
You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

I live in physical pain on a daily basis. How I long to have strength, to soar free like the birds, to not grow tired anymore. I don’t know when it is going to happen, but God has promised that I will do exactly what I wish for one day. I am looking forward to a pain-free existence, in His timing of course, but I’m not that patient of a person and have to admit, I want it now!

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

This is the exact sentiment I have about my current employment situation. I seriously doubt God has put me where I am right now (top of the candidate list for a really good job) if He has an untimely demise planned for me. He is setting me up for success, and this is just one stop on the journey to get to that success… perhaps so I can learn to lean on others when it’s appropriate instead of trying to be self-sufficient to a fault?

Romans 5:3-4
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials,
for we know that they help us develop endurance.
And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens
our confident hope of salvation.

I need to adopt this attitude of rejoicing when facing problems and trials. Yes, I still believe I should praise God, yes, I still get up and sing with my heart to my Savior, but is it rejoicing when I let the tears fall, when I feel afraid, when I am struggling with my emotions because I am no longer able to control my muscles or voice because of pain and fatigue? What exactly does it mean to rejoice when we have problems? I’m still seeking God, I still talk with Him, and probably more than before, and I’m not upset with Him in any way or blaming Him in any way… what I don’t know is am I doing something wrong by being scared of uncertainty or crying when the pain gets to be too much or is that just part of it?

Romans 15:4
Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us.
And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently
for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

Romans 15:13
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely
with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will
overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I feel confident that whatever this illness is that is attacking my body right now, that I will survive and thrive once we figure out what is going on and how to react to it. I trust that God is going to pull me through this, and my only real concerns are to make sure that everything is in line for my children should I happen to be overly optimistic right now… but despite this confidence, I am still afraid of the unknown, still feel sadness at times. Why am I so afraid?

I Corinthians 15:57
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is why I am not afraid for my well being. I will be alive in one form or another no matter what happens to me. I have no doubt where I will be should I die. I plan to survive, but I don’t fear death because of this promise. Death has lost its grip on me because of Jesus!

II Corinthians 4:16-18
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying,
our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles
are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that
vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the
troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot
be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we
cannot see will last forever.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,
for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen;
it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

I know that God is faithful; I know He is going to keep His promises, and I know He loves everyone that I love more than I am able. I need to allow myself to really rest in His arms right now so I won’t be overburdened with concerns I don’t need to have, and I don’t know how to do it. I know God will take care of everything because everything is His… I just need to let go a bit more and let Him do His work, and I am having trouble doing it. I want to be able to rest like my children rest when I hold them, peaceful, silent, content, and knowing that I will protect them from anything harmful that comes their way… I know God is that type of a parent, I know He has me in His arms, but for some reason I am still a bit restless, and I don’t want to be.

Okay, before I ramble even more I'm going to get going… sorry this is just a list and questions. Hope you don’t mind too much!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 15:23-16:27 – October 1, 2007

How to Behave: Part XIV

I’ve been avoiding trying to finish this “How to Behave” series with the I-don’t-feel-well excuse. My mom didn’t buy it when I was a kid, I don’t let my kids get away with it, and my Daddy God isn’t letting me procrastinate any longer. So, since I have plenty of time, I’m going to finish it now.

Romans 15:23-33

23. But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, 24. I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25. Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. 26. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. 30. I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, 32. so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. 33. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

A few things jumped out at me when I read this:

1. Paul had a longing for Christian companionship and a time of refreshment. I often hear people say that they worship God in their own way, they don’t need to go to church, etc… While there is nothing wrong with worshiping God in solitude and I think all of us should have our ways of worshiping Him on our own, to do so at the exclusion of interaction with our brothers and sisters in Christ is foolish. I know my church is my family. Without the people at BVBC praying for me, offering emotional support, and even the occasional financial support that they offer, I would be alone. But because I don’t isolate myself from fellow believers, I am blessed with the love that they give me because they are happy to share the love that Christ has given them. When we isolate ourselves from other believers, we isolate ourselves from some of the richest and most meaningful relationships we can ever know.
2. Paul had a desire to share Christ with others. Spain was at the edge of the known world at that time, and Paul wanted to take Christ to the edge of the earth. But, when we think of sharing Christ with others, do we only think of overseas missions and short term missionary projects or do we think of the very real need on our own streets? We are surrounded by people who long to know Jesus, they just need someone willing to show them who He is, and we don’t need to go to China to do that.
3. Asking for prayer is important. We are to rely on each other as brothers and sisters in Christ and share each other’s burdens. If we keep our needs and our burdens to ourselves, how can anyone lift us in prayer or encourage us? We need to swallow our pride and let others help with the hurt we feel. When we do that, we will find that our burdens will be easier to bear and our sorrows will turn to joy more quickly.

Romans 16:1-16

1. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant[a] of the church in Cenchrea. 2. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. 3. Greet Priscilla[b] and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5. Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. 6. Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. 7. Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8. Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord. 9. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10. Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11. Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12. Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. 14. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them. 15. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them. 16. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

Obviously, people were important to Paul since he lists friends, family, and other missionaries. One woman in this list stuck out to me though, not because of her achievement, as all that is mentioned is that she worked hard for the Lord, but because Paul calls her “my dear friend Persis”. This is obviously going to be something that is more personal to me than to you, but it is what it is. I have many male friends, and I am a woman. My male friends are closer to me than many of my women friends (and yes, I have quite a few women I consider friends also). But I am often told that men and women shouldn’t be friends, that I should cut all the male friends out of my life and only spend time with women, etc… Here it is, in the Bible, that a man and a woman were not only friends, but they were close friends. They weren’t dating; they weren’t even located near each other! They were FRIENDS! I enjoyed reading this and knowing that the cultural norms of male-female friendships were even breached by Paul. I know, probably not what I should have gotten from this passage, but there you have it.

Romans 16:17-27

17. I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. 20. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. 21. Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives. 22. I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23. Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. 25. Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26. but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— 27. to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Paul is reminding us to keep our eyes open and to avoid deception. It is so easy to just listen to someone else and say “yeah I like that” or “nope, not for me” than it is to look into things and decide for ourselves isn’t it? Yet that is what he is warning us to avoid. If we don’t stay sharp, if we don’t question what we are told, we can easily fall into a trap of deception. I don’t know about you, but I want the glory to go to the only God, who alone is all-wise.

Hugs & Love

October

It's October.

I feel like September was a huge waste of time. I don't want October to be a waste.

I've decided that I will force myself to write a Bible Blog entry every day even if it takes several hours because I keep falling asleep. I have all the time to do this and nothing else to do except when my children are home on the weekends, so why wouldn't I read AND write about God? Yes, I've been reading my Bible and praying, but it's often interrupted by 2-3 hour long naps. I'm really looking forward to this being done!

I'm going to continue with a project I started 2 weeks ago, I'm going to keep looking up passages of scripture that are associated with songs we sing in church or choir or that I have sung in camp as a kid, etc... It's encouraging to realize I really do know more about the content of the Bible than my memory can recall by just mentioning a passage.

I'm going to set small daily goals for attacking my laundry issue. I still have tons of laundry in bags from the fire we had last year this time. It's still in bags because most of it had been sorted by size and time of year, etc... and was about to be donated then all got mixed up. I have the time to sort it, it's not an overly strenuous task, I should really get to it since I'm home anyway.

I'm going to try to rebuild my strength. I am so physically weak that just walking to the car wears me out. But I want to start dancing again, I miss it a lot! I want to have the energy to go an a hike with the kids, or to play at the playground with them. I want to be able to drive myself to church without feeling like I'm going to fall over by the time I get there!

I'm going to sort through all the toys, also all mixed up because of the fire, and get rid of the things that are no longer age appropriate by donating the good-quality toys to the church (or the Charity George garage sale if it happens) and trashing the rest.

I think that's a pretty ambitious to-do list, don't you? I guess we'll see how October goes soon enough. I hope I am not setting myself up for failure with that list, I know how tired I am still!

Hugs & Love

Towels

I've reached a new low... I found myself sitting here contemplating if I have enough bath towels in my house and remembering my mother saying that a woman could never have too many towels in her home if she has children. I think that is probably one of the most practical tidbits my mother has ever shared with me. I have, at least, 20 bath towels, 10 bath sheet/beach towels, 40 wash clothes, 10 bath pouffs (the things you use with liquid soap), 10 hand towels, and 10 dish towels. I find myself regularly scrambling trying to come up with towels for everyone to use, and find that the hand and kitchen towels are the hardest to keep up with, mostly because everyone thinks these should be pretty and gave me ones with appliqued designs which make the towel impractical to use... but that's another issue.

I decided I need intellectual stimulation on a daily basis because of my pondering the proper towel balance in life... I don't want to spiral into a world where towel quantities are all I have to think about. I need intelligent conversation to keep me happy... and find myself looking forward to reading "Jan hugged the pug." with my daughter just so I have SOMETHING better than a towel tally to occupy my time. I need to get better so I can go back to work!

Hugs & Love

My Babies are Home!

If you aren't aware, I've been so sick that the doctor ordered my children away for the past week, they came home last night. I've missed them so much! I'm still quite weak, and struggling to keep up with them, but it is so good to hear their chattering voices, feel their (not so) gentle hugs, and of course cuddling up on the sofa with them while watching a movie or something because I don't have the strength to go to the playground with them (although today is beautiful!)

They are already asking if I'm taking them to church in the morning, and I am hoping and praying that I can! Then in 2 weeks we're doing the hayride with Kairos, and Karl has told me that it's okay to bring them along as long as I don't mind them throwing hay around... what fun is a hayride if we don't include children in a hay war though right? Hope to see you all there!

As for my health, I AM feeling better overall, but like I said, still quite weak. If I'm able to get to church I'm not sure if I'll be singing or if I'll be sitting it out. I'm living moment by moment, and hoping for good news on Monday when I see the doctor again. Please keep in touch!

Hugs & Love

Greetings

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm not going to attempt to blog what I am reading for the next several days to a week because I'm not feeling well. I spent the better part of yesterday in the emergency room because my doctor's office staff is grossly incompetant and wouldn't get me in to be seen so I could save the trip to the ER.

I have some long drawn out word for a non-communicable throat and neck infection that is possibly being caused from being run down and having had mono in the past (once you have mono it never leaves your system... the only times it re-asserts itself is in immuno-suppressed individuals... go figure). Anyway, my throat and neck are swollen, they have me taking prednisone and benedryl to reduce swelling and congestion, etc... both of those make me sleepy, the rain is making my joints and muscles sore, and the regular meds make me a little groggy, so I expect to be zonked on the sofa for most of the weekend and early next week (although I will go to work and church, etc... just not planning to do anything "extra" for a while).

Hope you are all well, please pray for a speedy recovery and the ability to take care of the kids when they return. When this started they called their father for help because I had fallen and was not responding to them. I'm proud of them for calling someone for help, but feel so badly that they were (and possibly still are) worried about mommy dying. I couldn't respond that first evening, but I heard them saying, "Mommy, we're too young for you to die!" My heart near broke. So please pray for them to feel Christ's comfort right now. To be at peace and know that mommy is alright (I plan to call them and talk with them today at some point so they will get to hear my voice).

I'm rambling, happens when I don't' feel well, sorry!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 15:14-22 - September 11, 2007

How to Behave: Part XIII

Romans 15:14-22

Personally, I've been completely satisfied with who you are and what you are doing. You seem to me to be well-motivated and well-instructed, quite capable of guiding and advising one another. So, my dear friends, don't take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It's not criticism. I'm simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God's Holy Spirit.

Looking back over what has been accomplished and what I have observed, I must say I am most pleased—in the context of Jesus, I'd even say proud, but only in that context. I have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a believing response among the outsiders. In such ways I have trailblazed a preaching of the Message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. This has all been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet known and worshiped. My text has been, Those who were never told of him— they'll see him! Those who've never heard of him— they'll get the message!

And that's why it has taken me so long to finally get around to coming to you.

Paul knows how to compliment people… if someone told me that they thought I knew what I was doing when it came to any area of my life my confidence would grow. Telling me I’m able to guide someone else would encourage me to go and guide someone. And being told I’m needed in an endeavor straight from God would make me feel incredible! After hearing Paul tell them how to behave towards each other and strangers they were told that these were just reminders of how important it is that they continue in these things because it is helping Paul reach the Gentiles with the message of Christ.

Did you ever stop to think about your role in your community? If you are a teacher you are taking on a role that frees someone else to go reach those who have never heard of Christ. If you are behind the scenes babysitting, doing construction work, vacuuming… you are allowing people to do what they need to do to serve Christ in the way they are called to serve instead of sitting on the sidelines because children were demanding, a floor needed sanding, or there were too many chores to do anything else. It may not seem like much, but whatever it is you do, give it to God and He will use it for His glory.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 15:7-13 - September 10, 2007

How to Behave: Part XII

Romans 15:7-13

7. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. 8. Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9. He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.”
10. And in another place it is written, “Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.”
11. And yet again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth.”
12. And in another place Isaiah said, “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.”
13. I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Okay, once again I’m getting something from this that is probably not so important to anyone else, but God has this gem for me and I plan to treasure it. God is the source of hope. Didn’t we establish that earlier in this “How to Behave” journey? Didn’t I make a big fuss over it then too? Yeah, I know, I did. But for some reason I can only explain as me having a thick skull and not allowing it to become real, I have managed to allow myself to spiral downward once more, staying busy, thinking I’m okay until I’m so far from okay that what I desperately need (God) seems unobtainable despite how simple His love, mercy, and forgiveness are to find.

When I remember to rest in His love and mercy I am full of peace, contented, happy with life and everything around me, yet for some reason at those moments I feel I don’t need to talk with Him every day, one day “off” turns into two, two turns into four, and eventually I find myself doing my next Bible Blog 11 days later because I was “okay”. Let me tell you just how okay I’ve been. I’ve been so okay that I had to have a friend hold me while I cried my eyes out because I was overwhelmed with everything life had been throwing my way. I’ve been so okay that I’ve started to isolate myself from those I love and care about. I’ve been so okay that I’ve been grumpy, irritable, and generally miserable company. And I’ve been so okay that even though my Savior is holding me in His arms constantly, offering the most perfect and intimate relationship anyone has ever known, I found myself feeling alone and unwanted. That’s how okay I am without God. I’m not happy with it… I’m happy with God! When I live in Him and the hope He gives, my life does fill with joy and peace. No, that doesn’t mean that all life’s problems disappear, it just means that I don’t fret over everything and try to control life. I have no control over this life or anyone else living on this planet, why would I try to take control of it?

Tonight I’m giving it all back to God… I don’t want it. He wants me and I want Him and that’s how it should be. I’ve made amends, again… seems like I do that on a daily basis sometimes, and He has once again welcomed me home with open arms. I’m going to go spend some time with my Daddy now… goodnight.

Hugs & Love

Happy Anniversary!

Okay, so it's a few days late, but no one else is noticing this milestone in my life so I have to notice it myself!

On September 1, 2005, my life was drastically changed. I had gastric bypass surgery. I went into the hospital weighing 365 lbs and today I weigh 175-180 lbs (not sure if I really regained that last 5 or if it's just from the medications yet). Approximately 20-30 of those pounds are from extra skin on my body, and now that I've hit the 2 year mark, I am "clear" to explore skin removal possibilities. I know that there will be tremendous health benefits if I have the skin removed, but there is also the psychological benefit to think about. I don't like looking in a mirror after a shower and seeing traces of who I used to be...

That reminds me of my other huge transformation, becoming a Christian in April 2006. I died with Christ, and He lives in me... but I'm still holding on to remnants of my past. Physically, I want to shed anything that reminds me of my unhealthy past, so why spiritually am I clinging to old behaviors and patterns that are ultimately destructive to my well being and growth as a child of God? Inside & outside, physically & spiritually, I am a different person than I was 2 years ago. I think it's time I shed the skin from my past and moved forward into a completely free and new life.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 15:5-6 - August 30, 2007

How to Behave: Part XI

Romans 15:5-6

God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!

I don’t tend to read The Message version of the Bible alone, nor do I tend to use it when quoting scripture, but today, I really liked how these verses are worded, please feel free to go to http://www.biblegateway.com/ if you want to find a different version to read.

The reason I like this version today is that a relationship with God is put into human terms. He is warm and personal… how often do we forget that God wants us to know Him as well as we know our parents, siblings, spouses, children and friends? But he calls us to himself, reminding us that He wants that same closeness, that same relationship with Him. Just as our relationships with our friends and families gradually mold our personalities, He wants our relationship with Him to mold us so that His character is seen through us. He is dependable, He is always there, and He is personally invested in our lives, even when those around us seem to push us aside for their own agenda, He is right there, 24/7 and He wants us to grow a closer and more personal relationship with Him that will allow us to better be examples of Jesus and able to shine His light through this world.

Paul goes on to say that when we achieve this we will praise Him in one voice… but this version is so beautiful and calls to the musician in me… “Then we’ll be a choir – not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!” When I think about all of God’s children as a choir, I think of a HUGE choral production with so many talented voices that each part is clearly heard and resounding so clearly through the air that no one needs amplification, and I imagine an audience of One, smiling, clapping, and thanking us for the worship filled sounds we are singing to Him… but this says it’s not just our voices, but our very lives that will praise Him. Every word, every action, our interactions with each other, how we show love to each other every day… when we are in fellowship with God, our lives will reflect it, our hearts won’t be able to help passing the love He gives us on to others around us, and we will live harmoniously with those around us, even when it doesn’t seem like it should be possible.

Sounds a bit like a utopia doesn’t it? Yet it is promised to us, right after being told that hope is ours through Christ. Wow, I get to hope for a utopia! Is there any doubt that God loves us if He wants this for each of us?

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 15:1-4 - August 28, 2007

How to Behave: Part X

Romans 15:1-4

1. If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. 2. We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. 3. Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, "The people who insulted you also insulted me." 4. And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope.

I had to stop reading at verse 4. “And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope.” The blunt way the CEV version puts it is why I chose to use it today. Sometimes we just need something to flat out remind us that hope exists, and then to say, “…here it is, in your hands, keep reading!” I’m holding on to my Bible, God’s promises, what better source of hope for my life? Yet so often I look to what my heart desires and allow despair to creep into my mind instead of allowing the hope God offers to permeate my existence.

I often struggle with the word hope… the best definition I found for it is, “to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.” Well, why wouldn’t we look forward to being with Christ with desire and confidence? It is extremely reasonable to have confidence in His promises for us isn’t it? So why do I struggle with feeling hopeless so often? Because I’m weak, it is a stronghold of mine (ladies in my Bible study, I need to break this stronghold!). I’ve had two friends visit China recently, both went to see different areas of the Great Wall, but both areas are examples of the type of stronghold Paul used to illustrate what a stronghold is… they are high places, easy to defend, difficult to attack. They are build with sturdy materials, house weapons and armor, offer protection. This doesn’t sound too bad though does it? Well, not when used as a defense against the enemy it doesn’t, but when the stronghold is created to keep the enemy IN, the results would be disastrous. A wall built around things that destroy you, keeping it with you, impenetrable, inescapable… hopelessness is this type of stronghold, it holds on to sorrows, negativity, and disbelief, it gives Satan an entrance into your life where he can grab hold and pull you farther and farther away from the hope you can have in God… and all it takes is one moment of hopelessness… and here we have the perfect weapon for that, the Bible! It was written to give us hope! All I need to do is read His word to refresh and renew my hope in Him and that stronghold will eventually disappear, but when I neglect God’s word, that foothold returns, the fortress of doom starts to build around me, and I once again find myself being lured into a state of hopelessness.

I have confidence that God has provided me a way to live in hope. Now that I know how to do this, I am going to go pray some more and ask God to help me to live in His hope every day.

Hugs & Love

Today

Today I had a new experience. Today, I WROTE an update to the subdivision regulations for one of the towns I work with. Not only did I write the update, it is a completely new section of the regulations, I got to choose where to put it. My boss agreed with my placement. She agreed with the design guidelines I had concluded were the best for this particular component of residential roadway design. Sure, we went through several rounds of rewording, rearranging, etc... but the information was mine, the guidelines that developers in this town are going to be required to follow for the next 20+ years are ones that I wrote. It's a bit intimidating! Think about it, if this design criteria, when put into practice, turns out to be less effective than anticipated or more of a bother than it is worth it ultimately will reflect on me and my engineering capabilities.

I think too much. I'm really quite happy about this. It is a new undertaking I had not yet experienced, and I really enjoyed doing it. I had to do quite a bit of research for it, and I love doing research. I had to work with someone to get the final wording and arrangement figured out, and I like working with someone instead of it being alone. What's better is that because I had done the research for it, I was confident that I knew my designs criteria were appropriate and was able to make recommendations and feel like I was a peer to my boss instead of a peon that serves as an over glorified secretary at times. We actually discussed the merits and drawbacks of certain components, she took my advice on several things, but had experience that lent to some changes on others, and I was grateful for that. It felt so good to feel as though I was competent and that I did a good job on this. Too bad Monday will bring the same old grind back.

Thanks for letting me share my day with you!

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 14:5-23 - August 24, 2007

How to Behave: Part IX

Romans 14:5-23

5. One person decides that one day is better than another, while another person decides that all days are the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6. The one who observes a special day, observes it to honor the Lord. The one who eats, eats to honor the Lord, since he gives thanks to God. And the one who does not eat, refrains from eating to honor the Lord; yet he, too, gives thanks to God. 7. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8. If we live, we live to honor the Lord; and if we die, we die to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9. For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he might become the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10. Why, then, do you criticize your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? For all of us will stand before the judgment seat of God. 11. For it is written, "As certainly as I live, declares the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will praise God." 12. Consequently, each of us will give an account of himself to God. 13. Therefore, let us no longer criticize each other. Instead, make up your mind not to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in and of itself. But it is unclean to a person who thinks it is unclean. 15. For if your brother is being hurt by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not destroy the person for whom Christ died by what you eat. 16. Do not allow your good to be spoken of as evil. 17. For God's kingdom does not consist of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy produced by the Holy Spirit. 18. For the person who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people. 19. Therefore, let us keep on pursuing those things that bring peace and that lead to building one another up. 20. Do not destroy God's work for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make another person fall because of what you eat. 21. The right thing to do is to avoid eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that makes your brother stumble or become upset or weak. 22. As for the faith you do have, have it as your own conviction before God. How blessed is the person who has no reason to condemn himself because of what he approves! 23. But the person who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not act in faith; and anything that is not done in faith is sin.

This is really an expansion on yesterday’s topic… more of how to avoid conflict and what is right. It also confirms one of my long held beliefs as being something God wants me to do… I had a teacher in high school tell us that our rights end where someone else’s begin. What he meant by that was simple, if a person’s health was in jeopardy because of your actions, your actions are wrong… if someone’s well being would be at risk because of your decisions, you have a responsibility to protect the other person’s interests before your own. I like the GNB version of verse 13 the best “So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make others stumble or fall into sin.” It is the same thing my teacher had been telling us, but with a spiritual emphasis. If you know a friend has trouble with lusting after women, don’t go around swimming pools where women are wearing bikinis… if you know a friend has trouble with overeating, don’t take him to an all you can eat buffet… the practical application of this is endless.

The verse that REALLY caught my eye in all of this was verse 23b, “and anything that is not done in faith is sin.” Anything not done in faith is sin. The Greek word used for faith here is “pistis” which means moral conviction or religious truth. So anything we don’t do because we are convicted that it is what God wants us to do is sin. That’s a lot to digest right there… I’m going to go selah on that one and see if I can’t figure out how to make it mine.

Hugs & Love

Bible Blog: Romans 14:1-4 - August 23, 2007

How to Behave: Part VIII

Romans 14:1-4

Accept the person who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of arguing over differences of opinion. 2. One person believes that he can eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3. The person who eats must not despise the person who does not eat, and the person who does not eat must not criticize the person who eats, for God has accepted him. 4. Who are you to criticize someone else's servant? His own Lord will determine whether he stands or falls. And stand he will, because God is able to make him stand.”

Differences of opinion among believers… who would have imagined it was possible? Yet here Paul is writing about division among believers 2000 years ago, and it’s as applicable today as it was then. In the past month or so, I’ve had debates, some heated, some friendly, with people I don’t doubt are my brothers and sisters in Christ about the issue of dating. Some feel it is frivolous of me to want to date, that I should find the “right” person and jump into that relationship and no other while others think that restricting me to only dating one person at a time isn’t really getting the full effect of dating. Strangely enough, of the views I’ve heard, I’m middle of the road in what I thought was a very conservative outlook on dating… the point is that everyone I spoke with about this has been a Christian, someone who professes to know God. No, dating isn’t an issue of salvation and is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things… but it’s an example of this passage in modern context. How timely God is to put this passage on the day that I return to reading His word and writing about it… I had probably one of the most heated responses to someone’s much more liberal viewpoint on dating than mine about 2 hours ago and when I’m done here will probably seek that person out to make sure that we are on good ground and that I wasn’t offensive with my tone.

Our differences in opinion, our differences in personality, they give us character, they challenge us to grow. We aren’t to look down on anyone because they have a different opinion than ours, nor are we to think ourselves better if they are different; we are to lovingly accept that person, their thoughts, etc… If it is something that can be clearly corrected through the Bible, such as sexual promiscuity or murder, then yes, we need to hold fast and show the person what is right and correct them. But when it comes to the small stuff, if you eat meat or not, if you date or not, if you believe in courtship, if you think women should always wear dresses and heels, whatever it might be, as long as it doesn’t create strife between believers or obviously oppose the Bible there is no problem with holding those beliefs.

I think the real challenge here is how we react to those who hold beliefs different than our own. In a heated debate over a topic are you still being loving or are you being pompous and arrogant? It is possible to do both, you can have a spirited conversation with someone and have diametrically opposed standings and still love each other when it’s done (I do that often with a friend who regularly posts on here for me…) or do you allow the passion you feel for a topic to leave another person feeling belittled, angry, defensive… if it’s the latter, we’re not grasping the point of these verses. God is the judge of what we do. He alone will give us the strength we need to stand. Our job as brothers and sisters in Christ is to support each other in love, encourage each other… debate when necessary of course, but not for the sake of fighting, but for the sake of understanding and loving each other better. As a way of growth and a way to learn about each other, other viewpoints, and possibly even come to a compromise that will benefit everyone involved.

I want to leave you with a quote that is in my Bible on this topic because it is so powerful and true. “Our principle should be: In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in everything, love.” I hope you will be loving towards others if you disagree with them. I hope I will be also!

Hugs & Love

Guilty...

I've been allowing myself to be too busy to read my Bible.

I've allowed myself to become too self-confident to feel a need to pray.

And I've allowed myself to grow distant from the One I need most and it has impacted me in every area of my life these past 2-3 weeks.

This blog, feeling the need to do it, devote time to it, etc... is a wonderful tool for keeping me in touch with God, because unless I feel HE is behind what I'm writing about the Bible, it doesn't get written, it forces me to be in communication with HIM and I need HIM so desperately.

I'm sorry if I let you down. I'm going to try to get back to it and jump back into "how to behave" when I get back from practice tonight.

Hugs & Love

OUCH!!!

I cut up a hot pepper a few minutes ago...

I didn't get all the oils from the pepper off my hands...

I blew my nose and apparently, touched my nose in the process...

My nose is now painfully stinging and in some places numb...

I didn't care for the pepper either...

I don't want to ever experience this again!

I'm really alive... promise...

I'm not sure why exactly but this week has been crazy busy everywhere except at work where it's been slow and dragging... guess that's what happens when half the people are out on vacation or have left the company... but that's a different issue.

Anyway, I'm for the first time posting because I have been reading other things in the Bible, not doing my "how to behave" reading/thinking/musing/pondering/reflecting... okay putting the thesaurus away now. My kids have been making me go up a wall, I'm getting back into the swing of things now that I'm off the steroids, and I'm still kinda sluggish from them, but doing MUCH better than even 3 days ago.

Just wanted to say hi, let you all know I'm alive and let you all know I'm praying for you and love you.

HUGS!

Bible Blog: Romans 13:11-14 – August 9, 2007

How to Behave: Part VII

Romans 13:11-14 (NLT)

11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

A few things really struck me as I read this (and I read it in a few different versions before deciding to post this one). The first was that Paul used night and day as illustrations of good and evil. When I thought about it, I realized how many of the temptations and sinful things of life are done under the cover of darkness. Often sexual sins and behaviors take place in the dark, when we are tired our mind is weakened and less likely to fight off evil desires, darkness hides the reality of a sinful situation because it can’t be clearly seen. But when we live in the light, in the day, we can clearly see what it is we are supposed to do, how we are supposed to behave, and how we are to function. The light illuminates our paths, showing us what it is we are about to get involved in, allowing us to make more intelligent decisions, and most importantly, if we give our bodies proper rest at night, during the day our minds are sharper, prepared for thought and action, ready to evaluate the obstacles we face.

The second thing is that we are warned against quarreling and jealousy in the same way we are warned about wild parties, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, and immorality. On the surface, quarreling and jealousy don’t seem nearly as harmful as the others to our spiritual state, but the reality is, they are probably the most harmful. I’m not saying that the others are good in comparison, because they definitely are not good, but why is it that jealousy and quarreling are important enough to mention? Our attitudes are what others see; our attitudes shape our personalities, our behaviors towards others, and even our actions. If we are jealous because a friend has something we want and know we will never have, we are likely to be less friendly to that person, or worse. If we are lusting after a friend’s spouse, girlfriend, etc… or even if we have genuine feelings for the person, but refuse to keep our jealousy and our attitudes in check, it will put a damper on the relationships involved, no matter how pure those relationships are. The same is true for quarreling. If we allow ourselves to be argumentative, if we always disagree… we aren’t going to be showing love to those around us, and earlier we learned that loving others is the best way to fulfill the law. Our attitudes are who we are. If our attitudes are filled with negativity and sin, we are going to be filled with negativity and sin.

Which brings me to the last point… we are to clothe ourselves with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. What does it look like to put on God? To be His hands, His feet, His arms? We aren’t God. We will never be God. But we are His ambassadors to a world who needs Him desperately. It is against our nature to be like Christ, yet we are to do exactly that. One person once told me that I had to “fake it until I make it”, I needed to go through the motions until it became real to me, until it was really part of me. That has always stuck with me because in a way that’s what this is telling us to do. We’re to show love to those around us when we don’t want to… we’re faking it because it’s what God wants and expects from us. Eventually, if we practice right living, it will become a way of life to us and God will be pleased that we are no longer faking it.

There’s a lot to digest tonight. I hope you find this as interesting as I do!

Hugs & Love

I love my children... really, I mean that!

Okay, that doesn't sound all that great, but it's true. Right now I am going through ANOTHER war against bad behavior, temper tantrums, disobedience, foul language, inappropriate slang... not to mention the blatant disrespect and the over-developed attitudes of my children who are 7½, 6, and 4½. They are picking up some horrible habits and behaviors at daycare, but I'm not wealthy enough to be able to afford to send them to a daycare that isn't an inner-city low income daycare. The staff does care about the children, yet there are so many times I find my kids coming home feeling as though they're picked on for being "pale", hearing my child called a "cracker" by another child's parents is also annoying. When I've mentioned this to the staff it has always been addressed, but the parents will walk by and say "how do you like it?" Like what? When have I EVER, in my entire life, treated someone differently because of how they look? Look at my dating history if you want to see how important looks are to me, I have a thing for geeks, glasses, balding, usually computer related geeks... and typically they look the part also. Then take it a step farther and look at the fact that the men I've dated have included a black man, an Indian man, Chinese... you get the idea... race and appearance do not make the man, woman, or child the person that God wants them to be, so why on earth do people want to make such an issue out of it? What's worse is that these same people are going to complain when they start hearing someone calling their children an unsavory name even though they are calling mine "cracker"!

All this because these attitudes, behaviors, etc... are seeping into my home as a result of the way people around my children act. I now have to try to find a new daycare, one I can afford, where my children will be treated fairly and hopefully learn something too. My kids are already looking forward to the start of the school year because they want to get away from the way they're being treated by other students. My oldest won the "Christian Character" award last year, in 2 short months she's transformed into a little monster! My other two are following her lead.

Pray for me. Pray for them. I don't know how long I can keep up our strict discipline routine that I put into effect tonight, but I know without it they're not going to get out of these bad habits. Thank you for reading this, I'm frustrated, obviously.

Hugs & Love