Death

Yesterday, I learned from my aunt that my grandfather, the man who helped raise me, died at midnight Tuesday. He had been bedridden for years, which must have tormented him because he was always a very independent man. Thank the Lord, he was a Christian (in fact, he was a minister) and is now with the Lord and my grandmother. I remember so much about him. He LOVED coffee and wouldn't stop drinking it even when it effected his trimmers. At the house, he'd almost always have a piece of fruit and a paring knife. He'd cut slices, giving one to grandma, one to mom, one to me, himself and the dog. When he went to get gas for the car, he almost always brought me back a candy bar--3 Musketeers was a favorite. He went on three or four coffee breaks a day to McDonald's or the like and met up with other old men. It seemed he knew everyone is our large suburban town. Heaven Scent donut shop became a favorite of his. He'd go there daily and bring me back a donut when I was home during college. When my cousins and I were young, he'd tell us imaginative bedtime stories that would make us laugh (they hardly worked to get us settled for bed). He had his strict streak too. If he heard us talking and giggling during bedtime, he'd come in with a flyswatter. Ouch! He was truly a man of God. If I had a biblical question, I went to him for answers.
I wasn't expecting to write this much. I mainly wanted to express how great God is because when I went to his Word for comfort, my Bible opened right up to Ecclesiastes 7. These are the first four verses:

"A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. 

And the day you die is better than the day you were born. 

Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. 

After all, everyone dies--so the living should take this to heart. 

Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. 

A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time."

God is amazing!!!

Be Thankful

My husband and I have a good car, a decent car and a crap car. The crap car is so bad that it won't pass the safety inspection this year. Thus, we had to give the decent car, which had been sitting in our garage for over a year, a new alternator. We tried to get the decent car working before my husband left for three months, but right before he left, the decent car's windows stopped working--in the down position (grr). During the next week, I tried to get the windows fixed so I could travel to St. Louis and spend time with my husband. The mechanic pulled the window up, but the problem was electrical, which meant that the cost just to find the solution was going to be super expensive. Scratch that. Instead, I asked the mechanic to work on the AC (I figured if I was stuck with non-moving windows, at least I could be comfortable). Well, praise God, the mechanic found the short for the windows while fixing the AC and worked on both! I made it to St. Louis and the car ran wonderfully all week. Then...on the way home, at the gas station, my car quit. It didn't even try to start. I found someone to jump my car, and I didn't stop the car again until I got to my driveway. And, of course, it didn't start after I'd turned it off. My friend came over and tried to jump it, but this time it didn't work.
I should have been thankful. I even told myself this. God provided me with a comfortable car so I could spend time with my husband. God kept me safe the whole time I was there. He provided me with help at the gas station, and he brought me safely home. But all I could think about was that I might have just spent five hundred dollars (including the alternator) just to use my car for a week.
When we choose to dwell on the negative and not the positive, we are being selfish and lacking in trust. It really is common sense: If God was gracious enough to provide all he did, obviously he's going to continue to take care of me. Now if only my heart could believe what my mind knows...
When I was child, this was easier. My dad and I were in a small car accident when I was in elementary school. I had recently learned 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus," at church. I remember bowing my head and thanking God for keeping us safe. I told God I was scared and worried about Dad's van, but the Bible says to be thankful always, so that's what I was going to do.
The rules haven't changed since my elementary days. 1 Thes. 5:18 still applies. Being thankful is a command, not an suggestion. Galatians 5:20 tells us we should be "always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." And why not?? Look around you and tell me truthfully you have nothing to be thankful for. I didn't think so... Everything we have is a gift from the Lord. Let's not take the pleasures we have for granted. In fact, God deserves our thankful hearts just for being God. 1 Chronicles 16:34 says, "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Not only does he provide stuff, friends, family, etc., he gives love, mercy and grace. He gives us his Spirit, so that we can walk with him and do what's right (Gal. 5:16-18). Be thankful, readers, because God is AWESOME!!

The Battle Against Temptation

I've broken my wrist twice. Both times I had to wear a cast for several weeks. When the cast finally came off, my arm looked like it belonged to a mutant. It was small and very weak. Eventually, my arm regained its strength, but until then I had limitations. I had to be careful of how I moved and to what I exposed my arm, always aware of how vulnerable it was.
We all have spiritually weak limbs. Areas in our lives that are more vulnerable to temptation than others. For some of us, lying comes naturally. Others struggle with anger. The list goes on and on. Don't think you're alone in your battle against the flesh. 1 Corinthians 10:13a states that "the temptations in your life are no different from what others experience." Also, know where temptation comes from. James 1:14 says that "temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away."
When it rains and there are puddles in the sand on the playground, we tell the children not to play in the water. Some of the best behaved boys and girls will stand looking at the puddles. I can almost see their fight against the desire to splash in them. I usually tell them to stay away from the puddles because I know when I turn my head to supervise the other children, the ones nearest the water will make their move.
The good news is that God gives us the grace necessary to stand up against temptation (James 4:6). James 4:7b says that if we resist the devil, he'll leave us alone. Keep in mind that a command comes before this promise: "So humble yourselves before God (verse 7a)." We can't for one minute think that we have the power on our own to fight temptation. When we're tempted, God provides our escape (1 Cor. 10:13b). All we can do by our own effort is run for the hills as soon as we see the door.
Don't be misled. I'm by no means saying that we're defenseless. God gives us some powerful weapons against temptation if we're wise enough to use them. For starters, we can take the passive aggressive approach and avoid the temptation altogether. The children that choose to swing and climb the monkey bars can't get in trouble for splashing in the puddles because they're nowhere near them. Another resource is God's Holy Word. This was Jesus' offensive strategy in the wilderness. He countered every piece of garbage from Satan with Scripture. We don't always have a Bible with us when being tempted, so the best thing to do is memorize as much as possible and spend daily time reading it. Psalms 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Another powerful tool is prayer. Jesus told his disciples to pray while he prayed in the garden so they would “not give in to temptation. For the Spirit is willing but the body is weak.” The prayer he taught his disciples included asking for help against temptation: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13).”
We will fail sometimes; it’s inevitable. However, using these tools will keep us from failing as often.

He is always there

I hate moving! In order to pack and be able to find what you need later, you have to put certain things in certain boxes. This process seems to take forever. In addition, when you move, you find out how much useless junk you own. Then comes the decision of what to keep and what to pitch. For some items, the argument can extend to hours and/or days. If you pack yourself and use newspaper to cushion the fragile pieces, your hands turn black and mark everything you touch. Moving makes you think about all you're leaving behind. You have to say goodbye to all the people you've grown close to in the time you've been at your present location. I have family and friends who married men in the military. They move A LOT. I don't envy them one bit. Some of them have told me how they've struggled to stay in the same place. Nobody loves the idea of leaving friends or family.
But here is some good news. There is one person we never have to leave behind: God. He went with Abraham when Abraham left all he knew to go to Canaan. When Jacob ran away to escape from Esau and claim a wife, God said these words: "What's more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go...I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you (Genesis 28:15)" Later, when Jacob reunited with his son, Joseph, and went to live in Egypt with him, the Lord said, "I am God, the God of your father...Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt...I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring you back again... (Genesis 46:3-4)" When Moses protested against being sent to Egypt to lead God's people, God said, "I will be with you...(Exodus 3:12)" Some of Jesus' last works were, "...I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20)"

My husband and I are separated Mon-Fri for the next three months, but I know God is with him as much as He is with me. Whether life takes you to a new job, a new house, a new status (single to married for example), or allows you to stay in one place, He is always there.