WE NEED HEALING

“ If my people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, than I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”

2 Chronicles 7:14

These are the words, the LORD God spoke to Solomon after the dedication of the temple. These are words that we, the citizens of the United States of America, need to heed now.

All of us need to humble ourselves before God.

One definition of humble says: having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance.

That is exactly what we have done. We have decided what we say, goes. What we do is right. That we can make our own decisions, and all else be damned. That we are the greatest country in the world. 

No. No we are not the greatest country in the world. Maybe to our opinions, yes. Have you wondered what the rest of the world thinks of us after yesterdays events? They see us as self-righteous. They believe we got what we deserved. How on earth did we get this so far wrong?

Many in our country believed most everything that Donald J Trump said. Although in fact checking what he says, we have found evidence after evidence after evidence that he lies. I can’t begin to understand him or his theatrics. Could it be that he has spent his whole life trying to earn the love of his father? And that he bullies anyone he chooses because then he can feel better about himself? I have no idea.

What I do know for sure is that if he was trying to earn his father’s love, he chose the wrong FATHER. The thing is we don’t have to do anything to earn Our Father’s love. He loves us just the way we are, grievous faults and all. We have forgotten that ALL men and women, all girls and boys, have been created in the image of God. It makes absolutely no difference the color of our skin, we ARE ALL made in the image of GOD. No one is better than anyone else. No one. He loves each of us with what I call an indescribable love. We are not capable to love each other as God loves us. Oh, but how different it would be if we could.

No one is exempt from God’s love. NO ONE.

We are all the same as far as He is concerned. Whether we are Black, or Brown, or Yellow or White, as the song says: we are all precious in His sight. It doesn’t matter if we are single or married, gay or straight, conservative or liberal, able bodied or disabled, whether we are rich or poor, whether we acknowledge GOD or not; HE LOVES EACH OF US.

The audacity and pride we have to think we are better than others is what is evil and can make us wicked. We become our own god. And that is where everything goes wrong. Have we made ourselves more important than everyone else? With the attempted coup and storming of the Capitol yesterday, it certainly seems that some of us think we know what is best, and we will do whatever it takes-including the violence and mockery that was shown. We will desecrate things because we don’t get our way. Our guy didn’t win. Seriously this is beyond even childish.

We do need to humble ourselves. We need to acknowledge where we have been wrong. We need to remember that we are just human beings; we are NOT God. But, we NEED GOD, now more than ever. We need to renounce our pride, we need to quit pointing out who is wrong. We need to get the correct estimation of ourselves. We need to move on. We need to heal and we need to forgive. 

Forgiveness is not easy. It comes with a huge price, it means we need to stop being angry or resentful. This requires HARD HARD work in our case. We have put politics above people. We have to let go of hatred and ask how to love without conditions. There are so many of us struggling today saying this is not our country, we don’t behave this way. Guess what? Some of us did. Some of us thought about repaying evil with evil.

One of the things that upset me so much was realizing once again that we are a country who believes its White citizens are more important than anyone else. This is as far from truth and humility as we get. This is what we have done from the beginning to our Native brothers and sisters, to our Black brothers and sisters when we began selling them as our slaves, how we treated descendants of Ireland and Italy with disdain. How Latinos have felt mocked, how Asians moving here are judged. White supremacy needs to end. We must move and achieve justice for ALL-regardless of our skin color.

As 2 Chronicles 14:7 states we MUST humble ourselves, and pray and seek God, so that we can be forgiven and begin to heal our land. We deserve to do this for ourselves and for everyone else in our country.

ENOUGH

Today, I am angry, at a loss and grieving the loss of another Black man who was killed by a  white policeman who was kneeling on this mans  neck while three other officers just stood by and watched.
George Floyd screamed- or did it slowly become a whisper : “I CANT BREATHE”. I  imgaine as the blood flow from his carotid artery blocked blood to his brain, that his voice got quieter and quieter. Bystandarders were shouting at the police to stop, to let him be, that he cant breathe and someone called an ambulance and he was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. In all reality, he was dead soon after he lost consciousness.
Gratefully, the Mayor of Minneapolis fired these 4 policeman. One for sure is a murderer and the other three are accomplices. They do not deserve any special treatment. They are murderers. Period.
If the situation had been reversed, and four Black policeman were involved killing a white man, they would have probably been shot and killed themselves by this point.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
WHY do our Black brothers and sisters have to keep enduring this time and time again? Why is racism still so prevalent in America? It has not stopped since the arrival of the first Black Africans sold as slaves.
WHITE SUPREMACY MUST END.
Having white skin makes me no better or no worse than anyone else in the world. But why do some white people-aptly called racists-have this hatred and maliciousness against really any people of color, whether they are Black or Brown or Yellow.
I am not better. You are no better.
We all belong to the same human family. All created by God in His image. All deeply loved and valued by God. No one is loved anymore or any less in the eyes of the Almighty.

I am done with the hashtags. They show that we care, but that too, is not enough. From now on, I, a white little bit eldery woman, commit to doing whatever I can to STOP white supremacy, to STOP racial profiling, to STOP racial injustice against any person of color and promise to pursue racial justice and racial reconciliation. I am not quite sure how I will do this but I will. I have read books and just beginning to read BE THE BRIDGE. I will reach out to others for suggestions and help. I will keep trying. I will keep being angry and grieved. I will lament over our racism. I wll lament over not doing something sooner.
I refuse to be like the German Christians in WW II, who heard the trains, knew about the atrocities and killings of millions of Jews at the concentration camps and said not a word.
IF you are a TRUE FOLLOWER of JESUS CHRIST, you too, will quit standing by doing nothing. These men and women of color are weary. So so weary. NOTHING has changed. They cant go running or to a store or even be in their own home, without being gunned down. Put yourself in their shoes-this is SO INCREDIBLY terrible and so sad.
We have been told to love one another as Christ loves us. This includes all People of Color. They are not only our neighbor but our family.
White men and women must be held accountable. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED.
PLEASE DO NOT SIT BY AND DO NOTHING.
THIS IS NOT WHO WE WERE MADE TO BE.

LOVE IS THE ANSWER.
Reach out in love. BE a do-er. BE a listener. BE involved. 
Just do anything.

Speaking up

I was 19 years old. A sophmore in college having such a fun and independent time. I met up one weekend when I was home with an old boyfriend. We drank way too much and slept together (altho I have to admit it wasn't the 1st time this happened with him). What I did not expect was to find out 6 weeks later that I was pregnant.
I was lost. I was scared. I told him and he asked me to marry him. I said yes. We told our parents and started to plan a wedding.

What I had never anticipated was that during this time-after I found out and before I told him, I began a relationship with Jesus Christ.
I had been raised a Catholic and knew always that God was real. But somehow it was never communicated to me in ten years of Catholic schools, that God wanted to be involved in my life every single day. This was such amazing and wonderful news to me. I will never get over that astounding fact. I am so thankful that a college crush told me about Jesus. I will forever be grateful to him I for introducing me to Jesus.

Now, how do I tell my parents? WHAT do I do now?
In those days we had "dorm mothers" instead of RA's or she would have been RD now. She told me that Washington was one of the only states that had legalized abortion. This whole concept was completely foreign to me.

I was a complete mess. Couldn't concentrate on my studies, got 3 D's that semester. What made me lean towards ending this baby's life was that the guy-my now fiancee, made fun of me about my relationship with Jesus. He called me a "Jesus freak", the 70's term for a follower of Christ. I knew this was real and that I would never walk away from Jesus-or was pretty sure I wouldn't.
This boy had cheated on me while we were dating when I was in high school and I wondered if he would cheat on me if we were married. I decided to end our engagement. And with much anguish (and even talking to a pastor who didn't dissuade me against the abortion), I decided to terminate this little life.

Believe me I regret that decision to this day. Adoption was never mentioned as an option. I felt I had no way out.

Which is how many women and young gals feel when they go to have an abortion. We can't see beyond our circumstances at that moment. We feel we have no other choice.
It isn't easy at all. You still are a mess afterwards.
I know with me, that I considered this the worst sin I would ever commit, and it was. 
What I do remember was God's immediate forgiveness on that table. I asked Him to forgive me and He immediately did. 
Yes, I have suffered consequences from my decision. The hardest person to ever tell about this was my future husband and then 22 years later, our three children (Ryan wasn't with us yet). My now husband and almost 16 yr old son basically said the same thing: "If God forgives you, how can I do anything but do the same?".

I am pro-life. I detest abortion. I don't like it. But I know what it's like to be in that desperate situation when you see no way out. I imagine most women in my position feel the same way.
But Pro-life to me means more than just abortion. It means end of life care. It means caring for all lives. Not just Americans. It means treating everyone with respect and valuing them-no matter if they are brown or black or yellow in color. It means caring for people with disabilities, whether they are physical or emotional. 

This weeks decisions in Alabama and Missouri has re-surfaced my feelings of desperation. I hope they mean to convey that children should be wanted and loved and that is all they mean. The representative from Missouri who said there is conceptual rape has been wrongly and grossly misinformed. Being pro-life is more than just about babies.

I have to speak up because we tend to judge people by their words.
I don't care if you judge me. But I do care that you judge women who are desperate, for the LGTBQ population who are different than you, for the immigrants who have a different skin color and are separated from their children as they try to enter a country that offers freedom (or so they heard). 
I don't believe we can speak judgement on people when we haven't been in their shoes, when we haven't experienced what they have had to go through. We can have our thoughts but do we have the right or the responsibility to judge others and speak out about it when we can't possibly understand their lives.

I know abortion is something that grieves the heart of God. I also know He forgives. I know treating immigrants as if they didn't matter and we shame them grieves His heart as well. I know how we treat and respond to people who are gay, the LBGTQ community are God's children, and as with all others, we may not agree with them, but each one of us throughout our world are to be respected and loved, because we are all God's children.

My oldest daughter, who I was really afraid to tell about my abortion said something to me that I will never forget. She offered forgiveness and grace when she told me: "Mom that is not who you are, you are a woman who loves God and shows me God".
That is what I hope we can offer all those who have had to experience abortions.

I don't have the mind of Christ in many things, but I do have an everyday relationship with him for the past 47+ years. I know He loves me in spite of the decision I made all those years ago. I know His complete forgiveness. I know He has used my pain to show others how much He loves and delights in us. I know that Jesus doesn't advocate abortion; believe me I KNOW.
But I also know that it isn't my right to judge others, to put my beliefs on them. I know that GOD calls me to love all and respect them as His children.

Matthew 7:1-2 in the New Living Translation says:

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  For you will be treated as you treat others.The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

May we not judge but love.

SO LONG 2018

As we begin a new year, I can honestly say that I am looking forward to it.
2018 was a very different, and often hard year. But there were also many blessings.

2018 brought about an extensive surgery for my 7 1/2 yr old grandson to try and fix his hip. He had been diagnosed with Perthes disease in 2015, but instead of getting better as the doctors had hoped, it progressively got worse, necesitating the surgery. After 3 months, it looked like the surgery had failed, but after 6 months, there was marked improvement and it looks very hopeful.

My sweet mother-in-law, who suffered from severe dementia and Alsheimer’s went home to Jesus on June 5. As we travelled to Texas on June 6, we got word that our son Todd and his wife Katy, had just become parents to a little girl named Maggie Jo. A full circle of life in a mere 24 hours. So many conflicting emotions followed but grateful for the life of Eloise Scudder, because without her, I wouldn’t have met or married Scud, my  partner and love of my life.

Early in the morning of June 30, Scud woke me up to tell me he didn’t feel well. He had never done this in our 42 years of marriage and he reports that I sat up in bed and asked, “Are you having a heart attack?”  Well, it turns out he was. Thankfully we had an ER doctor as the camp doctor that week, and along with our 2 EMT’s, he was life flighted out of Woodleaf at 2:30am. Two very dear friend at camp then drove me to the hospital.
Scud had a 100% blockage of his main coronary artery and some blockage in 3 of the others. The cardiologist placed a stent and told me that he was “glad you took the helicopter and not the ambulance”. I was glad too.
Quite honestly, the next 6 months had me living in fear, that it would happen again. That this time, we  wouldn’t have an MD close by. All sorts of fears besetted me, while Scud changed patterns in his life by getting exercise, losing 20 pounds and being so grateful to be alive.  I purposed that I would not start 2019 with fears and with the LORD’s deliverance, I am anticipating what’s next rather than being afraid that I might lose Scud at a moment’s notice.

2018 was yet another year to watch my daughter who suffers from the debilitating, chronic illness of Ehlers Danlos, to get sicker and sicker. to have 3 procedures of a blood patch to reduce spinal fluid leaks, to other procedures trying to allow her digestive system to work. It is a constant battle to one minute trust God for what He is doing in her life, to agonizing over watching her suffer. I truly believe in a GOD who loves her way more than I ever could and trust HIM with giving her what she needs day to day. But it is struggle.

2018 also brought about some significant losses. Dear friends in Texas lost their son in a terrible car accident, had a dear sweet friend move and lost the best boss I ever had as he took a new position in Young Life. And we are enduring the loss of a family members marriage that has been so hard for all of us.

It is definitely in the hard time of above that I realize God’s faithfulness to me. Begin to understand that HE is ALWAYS with me and that I am never alone. I realize that He loves me and those I love with unconditional love and that His plans are often beyond my comprehension, and YET, He knows what He is doing. I have grown deeper in my love for the LORD because of how HE has held me in supported me this year (and always for that matter!)

But oh there were blessings too. Numerous and wonderful. The picture at the top is the favorite one I took on our “bucket list trip”. In October, we went back east for 2 full weeks visiting dear dear friends and seeing the spectacular fall colors of New York and Vermont. There wan’t a day when we didn’t say to each other: “can you believe this beauty” or God is certainly the brilliant artist”. The colors were incredibly beautiful and you should plan a trip east-especially us Californians because we never see these amazing colors here.
A HUGE THANK YOU to the Hazard’s, Morgan McGhee, YL Saranc Lake and the Kane’s for hosting us.

Even in spite of Scud’s “event” as he refers to his heart attack, we had another incredible year of summer interns who worked tirelessly, one particularly in the middle of the night, without complaining and serving Christ very sacrificially. And another HUGE thanks to the Freemyers for their invaluable service in loving these amazing young adults.
Being an Intern Boss has always been the highlight for me of living at Woodleaf. What a privilege it has been to know and love thee young adults over12 summers. I have learned so much from them and been incredibly blessed being one of their leaders. I truly thank God for the blessings of the college aged kids who have served faithfully over the years. I turned in my resignation by word of mouth in December, that my time has come to an end as one of the leaders. (This time its real WINTERNS). After last summer, I realized how precious life is and I want to be able to see my grandkids more and visit friends too.
One other blessing that brought home the preciousness of ife was achieving 5 years of being cancer free this past September. THANK YOU LORD.

One of the highlights of my year was being chosen to participate in Young Life’s Good Way Cohort. We started in October meeting for 2 days and will meet again for 3 days at the end of January and April. The purpose of this time is to teach us and help us be more contemplative, To listen and not speak as much. To be silent and try to listen very carefully to what God ha to say to us, without us (me) doing all the talking.  This is something I have longed for -for quite some time.

Although 2018 was different, it was also very very good. My two biggest blessings were that God spared Scud’s life and that we have an adorable little girl who actually looks like a Scudder in our family after 3 amazing little boys.
My prayer is that 2019 will draw each of us closer to Jesus Christ and that we will become the person He envisions us to be.

HOPE and ENDURANCE.

The world today is a far different one than what I grew up in.
When I was in college, in order to look up anything, I would go to the library and ask for periodicals to find research, or go to one of the many encyclopedias that were available.
I wonder today, if people in their 20's, or 30's and even those in their 40's have ever heard of periodicals of literature?
Today if you have a question, you just ask Siri or look it up on your phone or whatever device you are using at that moment.
The technology advances we have today are incredible. I am so mystified at what is available with our fingertips.

Yet I wonder if it is all good. Have we lost the art of communicating? How easy it is to text or snap chat or tell your Instagram story. But do we talk-really talk to people? In surveys conducted, it is known that the generations of Millennials and now Gen X'ers would rather talk via text than on the phone or in person.
For the older generations, we can get puzzled by that. So often in texts or emails what we mean to convey is misconstrued by the receiver. Words are misunderstood, and too often what was meant to be said, is now completely read in a different way.

But I digress. My job as Coordinator of Prayer and Resources for Young Life College/University has me praying for our Young Life College staff, that they would become men and women who radiate Jesus to the college students they befriend and the world around them. That by their very lives, they would convey a person who is quite different from others. I pray that they would seek Jesus throughout their days and that they would be the ones who welcome others regardless of their views on life, their religion, their sexual orientation, their politics etc. I pray daily for our staff and consider it a privilege.
I also as the Resource person, read quite a bit, so that I can recommend books to our staff on all types of subjects. (YL website under leader tools, YLC and Build). The more I read, the more I realize that there are many different sides on many different subjects. Which causes me to return again and again to the premise that in our discipling or mentoring, we need to go to the Bible first and foremost.

Romans 15:4 states:
     "For everything was written in the past was written to 
      teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the 
      Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might
      have hope."

In Young Life, we believe that the Scriptures (the Word of God) are paramount to our faith. The words found in the Bible are the inspired words of God. (2 Timothy 3:16). They are TRUTH. So we, those of us in leadership positions must teach God's truth. In order to teach the truth of God from His Word, we too must be reading the Bible on a consistent (hopefully daily) basis. Seeking to know more of God, more of His pursuit of us, more of His love and grace to us, and more of His instructions and commands to us. Because as Romans 15:4 states, the Word of God was written so that in times of trial and testings, the times of doubt or sorrow, we might be encouraged and find the hope that we desperately need.
But what if we don't know the Word? How then can we encourage others to endure through the hard times? We must be in the Bible for it truly gives us the HOPE of JESUS. The hope that we are not alone, the hope that we will endure, the hope that only can come through Jesus Christ.
The Bible is not just some men's different opinions about God, the Bible is the inspired word of God. All of it, not just the parts we like; the Bible is not a smorgasbord where we get to take and choose what we want to believe.  It is all truth-every single word that is written. That is why we, as the leaders of Young Life College must be diligent in pursuing God's truth. Our college friends believe what they read and what others tell them. Everything they look up on the internet is truth to them. And not everything is.
I believe that we need to be spending time with them in God's truth, either directly talking about what we are reading or doing a bible study that is written by a trusted source. We need to be encouraging them to view the Bible as one of the major resources in their lives, because God will never misdirect them. And obviously we need to remind ourselves of this.
Again and again, I will always stress the importance of God's word. I read Psalm 119 a few times in the year to remind myself of what God says about His Word. This entire psalm is about the significance and importance that God puts on His Word. Maybe it is time for all of us to read it today.

NOTE: Although this was intended for YLC/YLU university staff, it is for all of us.

THAT BAD PART OF ME

How many of us have regrets about something we have done? In our teen years, or while in college? Or as we started into the working world? Or in our marriage or raising of our children?
I have to believe that none of us have lives that are perfect; have never hurt anyone, or brought guilt on ourselves.
I , for one, have several of those incidents in my life of 65 years.
WE all have stories of our lives. And we are told our stories need to be told, that no one’s life is meant to be alone. But how many of us in telling our stories only tell the good parts, the parts that make us look favorable to others? The ones that convey the successes and victories in our lives.

In reality, the stories of loss and failure, of shame and guilt, of misunderstanding and regrets are the stories that need to be told. Those of us in ministry need to be vulnerable with our stories to our fellow followers of Jesus.
We need to hear THOSE stories because we need to know that we aren’t the only ones who have failed, who could have done better, who should have known better. But that we have experienced the love and forgiveness and compassion of a GOD who desperately woos us to know that we are His Beloved.
But also, the people who do not know Jesus need to hear our stories that we would rather not tell. They need to hear of the forgiveness and grace of God as much as we do. In fact in the book of Romans it says:
   
     “ For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of           God to be revealed”
        Romans 8:19

How many people are out there living in shame? Not wanting their stories to be told because they live in fear of their consequences? How many of us NEED to hear that there is a God who deeply loves us in spite of what we have done? Who longs to comfort us and heal us of our past and often times our present as well?

I was one of those people. I had plenty of things I was living in shame with. And I often wonder why God would allow these things to be used for His purposes in spite of me and my choices.
Yes, I was a party-er in high school and part of college.
Yes, I was a 19 yr old girl, who in living in fear, chose to have an abortion instead of marrying the guy.
Yes, I was the mom who yelled at my sons, accusing them of ruining our perfect Christian family, and watched them run away and be distanced from me for a number of years.
Yes, I am one who can be quick to speak and hurt deeply others by my words- those who were my dearest of friends.
Yes, I am one who judges others too quickly.

I am also one who has received the endless grace (the favor of God that I never have deserved) and forgiveness of God. I can’t even begin to describe what it has meant to KNOW and EXPERIENCE God’s love and forgiveness of me. But I do know that no matter what I have done, what I might do, God still loves me. Still loves me as much as He loves you-you with the regrets you wish no one knew.

Those are the biggest wrongs of my life that I mentioned above, but believe me there are many more.
Why has God used me with college kids for years? Because I can tell them that there is NOTHING in all of Life that can separate them from how much God loves them. How much He wants them to know this.
And what about you? Doesn't your story need to be told? Don't you have good parts and bad parts that need to be shared? To let God use your story for His purposes, for His Glory?
Remember, all of creation waits expectantly for the children of God to be revealed; so that they might know that we are like them: flawed, mistake making, living with regrets and guilt, but ones who know the love and forgiveness and grace of the GOD who wants to do the same for them.

BEST ADVICE I EVER RECEIVED

I was twenty-five and pregnant with my first child.
I was privileged to be in a Bible Study with what was then called the Divisional Director's (now is called a VP) wife.
Recie was one of a kind. Her eyes always sparkled, her face always welcomed me with a smile so big. She turned fifty the year I met her and it was two years later that she gave me the best advice I ever heard.

I had been a follower of Jesus since my sophmore year of college.  I had been to church, had been in some Bible studies but it wasn't until I met Recie, right after I was married and been invited by her to join a bible study for Young Life wives, that I realized just how important God's Word was.

Recie taught me that God's Word is alive; that it will always be relevant in life-no matter what is going on, whether in my life or in the world.
Recie was a phenomenal gardener. Her yard always was exquisite. Her flowers were incredibly beautiful and full of variety. She worked hard getting the soil ready and discerning the best spot for plants or her flowers. My favorite spot was her strawberry patch. Oh my, those strawberries were amazing. Ripe and so sweet to the taste and there was plenty of them.
I remember going over one Saturday to pick some. I was nine months pregnant and ti was a warm June day. As I picked my way through the patch, I asked Recie what was the best advice she could give me as a new mom.
I was completely surprised when she told me:

"Ask God to give you a LOVE for His WORD".

I was expecting something to the likes of: nap when the baby rests, pray in the middle of the night feedings. So you can imagine my surprise with her advice. Recie then told me to pray frequently this advice. For someone who walked with Jesus for thirty years longer than me (and before I was ever even born), I knew she meant what she said.
So for years I prayed and asked God to give me a LOVE for his Word. Mind you this does not happen overnight and one must put some work into it. One must be in His Word on a regular basis to have this happen; it's not going to happen by osmosis.
Probably ten years went by and I prayed this prayer a few times a week, when all of a sudden, I realized that I truly did have a love for God's Word. My days felt somewhat off if I had not been in the Bible.
Recie Raley was right. Having a love for the Word of God has by far been the best advice I ever received. The Bible comforted me in times of extreme sadness and confusion, gave me HOPE when it looked like there was none. The Bible shows us God's Truth, His path towards righteousness, points out where we are wrong,  and challenges us to inspire to be more like Jesus.
It has stood the test of time, it is always relevant. It always points us to God and convicts us where we need to be convicted. It doesn't change as the times change. It remains the same; like God.
The best advice I could give you or anyone is the same that Recie gave me:
"Ask God to give you a LOVE for His WORD".

NOTES TO MYSELF- Goals Goals Goals

2018. Already 8 days old.
This is a year we need to :


PURSUE GOD. First and Foremost

Be Kind to ourselves- we tend to be our worst enemy
Be Humble- it is NOT always about you.
Be Gracious- people need our grace to them, as much as we need God’s Grace to us.
Be Gentle- we don’t know what everyone is going through.
Be Forgiving- because we ALL need forgiveness.
Be Vulnerable- don’t hide behind what you think others think you should be.
Be Honest- then you never have to wonder “what did I say before”
Be Brave- we all just need to be brave
Be Loving- always. To all that we meet
Be a Listener- people have their story to tell us.
Be Patient-Because we all need to practice that.
Be Resourceful- find what you need and go after it.
Be A Dreamer- keep following your dreams.
Be a Reader- there is so much we need to know and experience through books.
Be a Giver-whether its your time, or your money or your skills.
Be a Helper-who of us doesn’t need help at some point.
Be an Encourager- lift someone up who needs it.
Be Thorough- do your best each and every time.
Be Joyful-even in the worst of times, we still can have joy.
Be Truth- tell your story, even the hardest and worst parts. Someone needs to hear it.
Be Grateful- Each of us has so much to be thankfulf for.



DON’T :
Be judgemental- you judge others often for what we see of ourselves in them.
Be a gossip- because it ALWAYS HURTS.
Be Bored- LIFE is anything but boring.
Be Proud- being boastful is unbecoming.
Be a Grumbler- It doessn’t help anything.
Be a Cheater-Sometimes it might get you ahead now, but our actions always catch up with us.
Be a Miser- give to those who are in need-there are so many around.
Be Self absorbing or Selfish- it is never attractive.
Be Lazy- There are others who would love to have your gifts.
Be Someone you aren’t- be yourself
Be Complacent- Use your skills and gifts to benefit others.
Be Stagnant- we all need to keep moving forward.
Be Negligent- do what Needs to be done.
Be a Stranger- People need you.
Be Racisit- Hate never wins, we are ALL equal in God’s eyes.
Be a Hater- it will just make you miserable.


I wrote these in less than 10 minutes. As time goes on, I will add to them. But I am encouraged to start this new year with a fresh start and this goal list.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

Do you remember the childhood game of Telephone? One person would say something, could be a phrase or a joke or possibly an abstract sentence and they would whisper it in the ear to a person, who would then whisper it in the ear of another person, and down a line of people. When the last person hears the phrase or whatever it was that was whispered, they say it out loud. I would venture that 99% of the time, it was NOT the same as what the first person said.
We would crack up that this sentence could get so muddled over a short period of time and yet in ways not always understandable to us, we do this often throughout our days and lives.

How often when you are in a conversation with someone, that they say something and you completely misinterpret what they mean?
Or if there is more than two people in a conversation, there can be multiple versions of what was said.
This seems to happen frequently in my marriage or with my children; I will say something and they will take it in a way that it was not meant. Communication skill takes quite a bit of effort and we often don't speak what we intended to say.
Why is that? Why do we hear things differently? Is it because as we listen, we are trying to conjure up a response? Why do we have two ears and one mouth, and we tend to use our mouth more than our ears? Often I am so guilty of this.

Having been an RN for 31 years, I often would tell patients to have someone with them when a doctor is talking to them, because too often, as in the case of a cancer diagnosis, you HEAR the word 
"cancer" and your mind tunes out and you become so quiet because all you hear is cancer, and your mind goes in overdrive. To have a family member or friend present, who will take notes, so that nothing is missed is invaluable.

How often do we read God's Word to us and misinterpret it? His Word is most often the way God talks to us. I have read the Bible through each year for so many years but how many times do I read something and think to myself: "wow, I have never seen this before". And I know I have read it because I read the Bible each year, but this time a word or sentence or paragraph leaps out of the page and touches my heart and mind.

How often do we disagree on the Bible's interpretation? Churches have split, people have left their faith because of something they heard. The biggest example of that today is the LGBTQ issue. Many have attempted to discern what God is saying and there are two huge differences of opinion. This post is not about that, it just is such a prevalent topic nowadays and ways we interpret what we read that God says.

But do WE REALLY SEEK TO HEAR WHAT GOD IS SAYING TO US?
Genesis 3 is the familiar story of the account of the first sin on our earth. God had told Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil but that they may eat of any other tree.  He also instructed them that if they ate it "they would die".
Along comes the devil, disguised as a serpent, and described as "more crafty than any of the wild animals God had made". And he questions Eve by saying:
     "Did God really say, "you must not eat from any tree in the              garden?'
      Eve responded by saying:"We may eat from any tree in the 
      garden, but GOD did say "You must not eat fruit from the tree 
      that is in the middle of the garden and you must not touch it or
      you will die."

Right then and there is the first communication misinterpretation in our world. God specifically mentioned the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And He never said anything about not touching the tree.
So Satan, the enemy of God, being so crafty asks the question: "Did God really say?". His tactic to make her question what God said, was unfortunately for all of us, a tactic that worked. The serpent then proceeds to tell Eve that surely she would not die, because if she ate the fruit, her eyes would be opened, "and you will be like God, knowing good and evil".
Most of us know what happened next.  Eve ate the fruit and then gave some of it to Adam.
      "Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized 
        they were naked,...and made coverings for themselves."
How wonderful it must have been not knowing you were naked, and having no shame in that.

How often are we lured by satan's lies of "Did God really say?"
We won't know what God has said if we don't spend time reading His words to us. How can we know what God is saying if we aren't in the Bible? How often do we misinterpret the Word of God because we want to believe it says what we want it to say?

Again I bring up the LGBTQ issue. I have searched mightily for God's answer on what He means. I have read commentaries and many books. I have looked up words in the original Hebrew or Greek. I have prayed and prayed that God would show me His truth. What I have come up with is that God wants me to love ALL of His children, regardless of race, sex, sexual preference. Is it OK for gay people to be married in God's eyes? I don't know. For some reasons known only to God, He has not chosen to reveal to me what His answer to that question is. I know both sides of how people feel, but do I know God's thoughts? I know some of them but do I have His final say? I do not. And I am not sure any of us do, although many seem to think they do.

Being in my mid-sixties and having followed Jesus for 46 years, I still know I have barely scratched the surface of knowing God completely. But what I do know is that the most reliable way for me to hear His thoughts and words the majority of the time, is to be in His Word-reading the Bible daily if at all possible.
Because if His enemy (and ours) tries to trip me up by saying : 
" did God really say?", I want to go to His Word to see what He really said. I know I may interpret it wrong in my mind and heart, that is why I begin each time of reading the bible praying:
" Guide me in your truth LORD and teach me" (from Ps 25:5) and 
 "Open my eyes LORD that I may see the wonder and beauty of your law" (Ps 119:18).

I continually ask God to reveal His truth to me and I hope that you will to. We need to hear what God says and not others view of what He says.

A WEEK OF MILESTONES,MISERY AND MEDICARE

Oh September. You are month of milestones and memories for me. But you also have caused untold mishaps and misery for millions of our human family in Houston, Florida and Mexico. And today is only the tenth of the month.

Today marks a milestone for me. Four years ago today I had the first of two surgeries that were six days apart for Medullary Thyroid Cancer. Anyone who is told " You have Cancer", has a multitude of emotions. I was like the countless millions who have heard this diagnosis; scared, confused, anxious for a time and then coming to a time of acceptance and the fight that fuels from inside you to fight this however you can.

I used to think that having thyroid cancer was the easy one of the cancers. UNTIL three days post op, my surgeon called and informed me that I had the type of thyroid cancer that could metastasize and I would need a much more extensive surgery. The second one took 4 1/2 hours and took part of my hypothalmus along with a sizable amount of tissue. Not to mention, the "J" scar I have from the top of my ear to midway around my neck.
Four years later, I still need two pillows to sleep. I still get occasional nerve pain and am still mostly numb around my scar.  I also have had my thyroid replacement hormones switched multiple times trying to get a range that will keep me in a normal rythum. That still has not happened. I have suffered so much insomnia and have gained weight. But as I reflected this morning, I AM ALIVE.

I am so grateful that God has given me these extra four years. I have seen both of my sons marry and became a grandmother for the 3rd time. I also got to celebrate my 2 other children (from another mother) get married and one even had a baby.
I have continued in my job in Young Life College; and now I get to work for national and international YLC as the Coordinator of Prayer and Resources.
I have gotten to witness hundreds of kids stand up and say they began a relationship with Jesus each summer.
I indeed have been blessed by being given more years to live!!

One more milestone this week is I turn, what I have come to call " Medicare" age. How the he** can I be 65 years old? What the What? That really makes me a senior citizen. (well the one plus is all the discounts of these so called "seniors"). Why don't I feel 65? Do I look 65? This is way more weird than turning 60, which I absolutely hated. Now I have two insurances, so in case I get hospitalized, I wont pay a cent. Sheesh.  This is crazy. Can I still be a contributor to society? to Young Life? This Medicare card has caught me in a conundrum of thoughts. Well, lets face it. I can do nothing about this milestone. Just try and embrace the facts. And also be thankful. Sixty Five years is twenty more than my mom had. And its been a good life. Ups and downs. Joys and Sorrows. But I have been sustained by a Faithful, merciful and loving God. That is what I must reflect and meditate on.

Oh but September, you have created havoc on our world. Between the end of August and today, you have had two Category 5 hurricanes hit our soil and do incomprehensible damage to the city of Houston and surrounding areas, and today your Irma tore through Florida to major cities and we don't know the extent yet, of the damage but the estimates in Florida already are over 200 Billion dollars.
My heart has ached for the devastation in our country and then there was an 8.1 earthquake in Mexico, where hundreds have died and destruction  looks catastrophic.

The incredible meleé caused by the horrific 185 mile per hour winds is almost hard to really comprehend.

Where are you GOD?
Do YOU care? 
Do YOU see?
WHY?

How many of us have asked any of those questions?
I truly believe these "forces of nature" have grieved God's heart too.

What is the purpose? Why do these things happen?
I am no meteorologist. I don't understand much about seismic activity. So I have no answers to these questions.
But I am almost sure that God didn't "cause" these disasters because Trump was elected president or that being gay caused this.
I don't believe with all that is in me, that the God I love and serve, works like this.
YES, HE did in the Old Testament.

But we are two thousand years past the death and resurrection of Jesus who loved us so much, He was willing to suffer and die so that we might be reconciled to God.
Today, I believe that as always, God welcomes all of us, ALL OF US, to His Table. All can come and feel loved and accepted no matter what their nationality, no matter what their race, no matter their sexual orientation, no matter their color, no matter their financial position-the poorest of poor and the richest of the wealthy, male or female-WE ALL ARE WELCOME!!

Our world is a HOT MESS.
Natural Disasters, wars, poverty, racism, exploitation of many in the sex trade, sickness and disease, mental illness-which often results in people taking their own lives, drug and alcohol addiction, marriages in trouble, parents abandoning their children and spouses, families not speaking. Not to mention despicable evil rulers around the world, and people in America having the least regard and trust in the president than any previous president in our nations history.
YES, our world is a mess. 
Obviously I have a faith in God and I often wonder if this is the beginning of the times when soon we will see JESUS return to earth as He promised?
I don't have the answer to that.

What I do know is that in the midst of turbulent times, I believe that God, the Sovereign ruler of the Universe, is still in control. That ALL of our times are in His Hands, not man's, not nature.
The peace that brings me is indescribable.
I am praying that you know this peace as well.
If you don't , I would be happy to talk with you.

Keep your prayers and thoughts on Florida, Houston and Mexico, no matter what you believe. We are all brothers and sisters in the human family.

GETTING RID OF THOSE PESKY WEEDS, In your garden and your life.

Spring is finally here in the mountains!
For most of you, spring has been here for quite awhile now. Not where I live. Oh, we've had occasional days of sun and warmth, maybe for 3 days at a time.
For one week now the weather has been glorious, and the temperature slowly warms, making for one happy gal.

I absolutely love to garden. Getting my hands dirty, pulling the weeds, preparing the soil, and  then heading to the nursery to buy the annuals, the vegetables, the fertilizer and plant food. It's my idea of creativity.

For the ten years I have lived in the mountains of northern California, my goal is to have everything done by Mother's Day weekend. Except for the one year our youngest daughter was married ( 7 years ago yesterday). We were done planting at the beginning of May so that things would be blooming by her wedding.

This year though, we had 96 inches of rain. Yes, I mean 96 as in four less than one hundred. So picture in your mind the amount of weeds that that amount of rain could produce. LOTS. Well, way more than lots. I have more weeds than I have seen in the past few years combined. That would be due to the extreme drought California has endured, but thankfully this years over abundance of the wet moisture, ended our drought!! I can take longer than 5 minute showers.

Back to my gardening escapades. Because we had such a wet fall, winter and spring, I am just now beginning my gardening for this year. Today was my day to tackle the weeds. A few weeks ago I asked my dear husband to spray the weeds where I typically plant all my flowers. He is so sweet and did that almost immediately. 
Unfortunately, he sprayed many of my perennial flowers as well. Seriously I cannot blame him; I don't think I would have seen the difference. So this morning I began the process of getting rid of the weeds and the plants that had been doomed to death with the weed killer.

Silly of me to think it would take a couple of hours. I started at 8am and worked until about 10:15, until the sun was completely shining on the place I was working. Due to an unusual type of thyroid cancer, during my second surgery, half of my hypothalmus was also removed. This organ regulates your body temperature, and having only half of mine, I have become much less tolerant of heat and I tend to get overheated sometimes rather quickly. (this doesn't bode well for our Kauai vacation in September). So because of this pesky complication, I can only garden now in the early mornings and evenings. Given the amount of rain we have had, the mosquitos are also in overabundance, so the evenings are pretty much out as those pests love to get to my blood.

But the WEEDS. They are EVERYWHERE. I was overwhelmed before I pulled a one. There is this one type that lives here in the mountains that I never saw living in a city. This one is actually always low to the ground, but grows underground with roots that you pull up sometimes almost a yard long. They flourished in my flower area. Maybe I weeded half of the space today before I got too warm.

Weeds always remind me of the many flaws and sin I have in my life. Those areas where I think I have made progress ridding myself of my problem attitudes, but before I know it,  they reveal their heads again and cause me to further stumble. Just like the weeds I began to pull up today, I know those suckers will return and I will try and stomp them out again.

Extreme weaknesses that I have seen repeatedly in my life are judging others and jealousy. Oh I can't even tell you how often I have confessed my sin of judgmentalism. Why do I think I can cast judgement on others and what they say or what they do? It is the sin I would love to eliminate more than any other. And I can admit, that I have gotten much better as the years have gone by- for crying out loud, it should,  I mean seriously, I am now in my 60's. 

Jealousy keeps popping up its ugly head from time to time, just like those damn weeds. 
"why can't I have that house?"
"why does she always look so good?'
"why do they get to go there?"
"why can't I write like she does?"
"why can't I have the money she has?"
"why are they so successful in their ministry?'

Blah blah blah. Always wishing I could have what others have. Why can't I be so grateful for what I do have?
A husband who loves me and is faithful to me.
Four kids who have turned out well and have amazing spouses.
Three amazing little boys I get to be Grammy to.
Friends that I wouldn't trade the world for.
Involved in a ministry, working with a boss and team that is beyond fantastic.

God has enriched my life with so many blessings and gifts. I need to cherish them as much as I get enjoyment over the flowers that will eventually be planted and bloom.

Life is like a garden. We all need the pulling of our weeds in order for God to have us bloom where we are planted. It is never easy work. We will always get stretched and might feel the sting of the pulling; but HE knows this is what needs to happen for us to produce a garden that aligns with His character.

Next time you go to pull the weeds in your garden, maybe ask God what weeds He needs to pull out of your life to make His garden of your life as beautiful as He always envisioned you to be.

TIME TO WITHDRAW

I realized this morning, that it is time to withdraw.

Are you at all like me, and the news that has transpired in the past week, has perhaps traumatized you? That you get sad and angry, frustrated and confused?

Five days into the Trump presidency and I am upended. I don't know what to do. The mostly repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act (aka: Obamacare) was the first thing that got me reeling. I was an RN for 31 years. It wasn't until I became a home health nurse that  I saw the huge disparity in the care of patients. When you had good healthcare coverage, you were allowed extra visits. When you were on Medicaid, you got one visit. I was horrified. People who need Medicaid (Medi-Cal for us in California) do not have the money for health insurance, are living in the below poverty level; they barely have enough money for food and clothing and shelter. It was in the early 1990's when I began to consider that universal health care or national health insurance was something we needed. I learned that most of the world's countries all provided health coverage to each citizen. I wondered why we didn't.

I know that in the early stages of the Clinton administration, that they tried for this and failed. 

Then came Obamacare and I was grateful that then, everyone could get insurance. And yes, it was very confusing and the computer servers crashed, but the outcome gave millions of Americans the access to healthcare that they needed. President Trump's repeal of most of that was the starting point of my frustrations.

The thing that has upset me terribly is the news that today he will order that there are to be no refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan allowed into the United States. These countries have been known to have people enter the country, and some are ISIS proponents here to recruit.
The President also tweeted that "we will build the wall"

Yes, I know that there are HUGE numbers of people that have entered our country illegally at the borders between Mexico and the United States. I know it has caused a tremendous financial cost to us the US taxpayers. I admit that I have no idea of why the people of Mexico cannot enter our country legally; perhaps there is a yearly quota.
What bothers me is that there is NOT any ONE of us who live in the United States that is here because someone in our family tree came here to better their lives. To be free from oppression, whether it be for religious reasons, to escape the taxes of their countries, to try and give their families a better start in life. Do we not profess that: We are the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave?
Trump wants to use money from the Homeland Security Department to fund the building of the wall.
As I sat on the edge of our bed this morning with tears streaming down my face lamenting to my husband on the unfairness of all of this, he reminded me that this is why our country has checks and balances. Donald Trump is the President of the United States but HE IS NOT THE CEO. He cannot sign things into law without Congress's approval, and even then if someone files a lawsuit, it could be overturned by the Supreme Court or appellate courts.

I have been a follower of Jesus Christ for 45 years now. HE will always be the ONE I have my allegiance to. Way ahead of my allegiance and love for the United States of America, is my love and devotion to Jesus.
I have a friend and some of my family who I asked if they wanted to join me in reading the Words of Jesus this year in the four Gospels. (you can read about it here:http://missyscud.blogspot.com/2016/12/join-me-with-jesus.html) and this morning I was reading in the 4th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. This is the chapter where Jesus is led into the wilderness and tempted by the devil. In the first temptation, the devil tells Jesus to make some stones become bread.
Jesus answered: It is written: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of the LORD". (Matt 4:4). From the very start, Jesus emphasizes how the WORD of GOD is of primary importance. Which once again confirmed to me, that I must be in the Bible, that my choice to just read the Gospels this year so that I can see the Words of Jesus is of upmost importance.

Later on in the chapter in verse 12, it is said that Jesus withdrew to Galilee after hearing the news that John the Baptist was imprisoned. There are many instances in the four Gospels that Jesus withdrew by Himself to be with His Father. I have to surmise it was to get His Father's instructions, His Voice, to confer with Him on the big decisions that were coming, when his ministry depleted Him and He needed spiritual refreshment on His human side.

If Jesus needed to withdraw when things were taxing on him, why wouldn't I also need to withdraw?
To be with Him. To hear His Words. To seek His advice. To listen to Him, and be able to pour out my heart to Him in things where I need clarity, or wisdom, or just to be with Him and tell Him why I am confused or frightened; to bear my heart and soul to the Only One who fully knows me and still loves me in spite of who I am.
So I am withdrawing to be with Jesus. From the news, from Facebook. I need to pray for our President. I need to pray for our country and the world. I just need to be with Jesus.
Don't you?

JOIN ME WITH JESUS

Over and over and over again for the past month, GOD has been getting my attention.
Instead of focusing on the election (yet again) or being fearful of what a Trump presidency means, or getting so frustrated that my husband has limited my time to watching the news, I am being reminded that it is JESUS who I am to follow. Who I am to obey. Who I am to serve.

It has never been about me. 
It has been and always will be, ALL ABOUT JESUS.

There is so much going on in the world that breaks my heart.
So much that can terrify me.
Between the refugees from Syria (now over six million have been displaced from their homes), the sex trafficking all over and the atrocities being committed against women and girls and young boys, to the heinous dictators (or leaders) in Syria and North Korea and Russia, and the so many I don't know about, I can become totally paralyzed with fear.

I choose not to be. 
Instead I choose each day to pray and ask God to intervene, to protect His children. And although I do not see the answers to my prayers right now; I know that the ONE who created life, who created us, will one day soon, have HIS way.

I am choosing the word "FAITHFUL"  for my word this year. It has been on my heart and spinning through my mind for a month now. I had been planning to write this blog all day and just now read a blog by Sarah Bessey, a much younger follower of Jesus who has challenged me over the past several years and she too chose the word, FAITHFUL (http://sarahbessey.com/my-oneword365-for-2017/). I guess great minds think alike!!

FAITHFUL to GOD and what He has called me to be: His servant in this world, to be obedient to what He has asked me to do. To pray for what He has put on my heart. To give to where He leads me to give. To be a LIGHT that shows others the reality of living a life following CHRIST. To TRUST Him in the midst of my uncertainties. To be mindful again and again of the HOPE He gives. To CLING to Him, no matter what.

NO MATTER WHAT I hear on the news or what I read online. No matter what happens to those I love. No matter who is president. I am called to be FAITHFUL  to my GOD.

One way that I can be faithful is to listen to His Words, to let sink in His way of life. So for the year of 2017 I am going to read the Gospels each day. I did this a few years ago and it was incredible to hear and soak in just Jesus' words. Because they are always TRUTH.
I will read one chapter a day. It takes about 3 months then to read through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
This way I will read through the Gospels four times this year. Each time I will read it in a different version. Most likely I will use the NIV, the Message, the NLT and ESV.
The gleanings I will receive each day will be immeasurable. I remember when I did this last, that I was so surprised each day that the LORD would speak to my heart in a new way and remind me of His truths.
I have tried to follow Jesus for 45 years now. I have read through the Bible over 25 times. I know the Gospels. I know the stories and the miracles. I have heard them since attending parochial school as a child. 
But when I come with an expectant heart each day, Jesus reveals Himself to me anew.
I would love to have you join me in this endeavor. To soak up the words of Jesus each and everyday in 2017. I think I can guarantee that you will be surprised and grateful at the end of the year.
When we get our perspective from JESUS, our fears will lessen. We will be more focused on Him, on what He wants and His will.
And as I've said before, "Its all about Him and not us".
It will change how I (we) think, how we pray and hopefully how we think and how we act. 
I for one, NEED to do this.
What about you?

Trying to Turn over a New Attitude.

Oh this month. What a ride! Not necessarily a fun ride, but one that has had more downs then ups, and one that won't be forgotten soon.

The presidential election has left half the country so disheartened, questioning everything that has transpired.
I am one of them.

I could not, would not, vote for Donald Trump if he had given me all his money. More than anything, I am absolutely confused and baffled by those who say they are followers of Christ and voted for him. 
How do you vote for a man who wants to build a wall across the border of Mexico and the United States? Who wants to throw out anyone who is a Muslim? Who says he wants to change the immigration Laws? ( mind you, he has had 2 wives who are immigrants). Who changes his mind on issues like women change their clothes? Who tweets unbelievable things? Who has groped women and boasted of it?

This man is definitely someone who does not resemble Jesus Christ to me. As I have pondered for a month now, I have wondered if those who proclaim to be a follower of Christ, and voted for Mr Trump, actually have an american worldview of Christianity?  The kind of view that believes we are superior to the rest of the world and that we don't need to be concerned about "them".  I do not believe that 81% of white evangelical Christians voted for Trump; they didn't poll me or so many of my friends.

I have to admit, a Trump presidency scares the heck out of me. He is so irrational at times, speaks without thinking often, and bullies so many people. I thoroughly believe that God remains in control and that many times I often do not understand His ways. This may be the end of the US as a world power and that may be part of God's plan, but I have chosen to trust Him in spite of my fears.

Today I read the book of Nehemiah from the Old Testament. It is the story of how one man took a risk and asked a king for a favor so he could re-build the wall in Jerusalem. The reason the wall needed to be rebuilt is that the Jewish people had continuously disobeyed God, discarded His commands and pridefully thought they could run their lives better without Him. 
Sounds so much like us in the United States today. We were founded as a country granting religious freedom. We included God when our country began and today, we are much like the Jews of old; we think we know better than God, we discard His views on loving one another and we wonder why His favor does not rest on our country anymore.

In Nehemiah 1, he writes:
     "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I
     mourned and fasted and prayed to the God of Heaven"

Is that what we need to be doing?  Can the answer to our anger and grief most likely can be found in prayer and fasting? I am beginning to think it is. 
Not so that we could change the results of the election (but maybe we could change the electoral college-oh sorry, I could only wish), but maybe in prayer and fasting, in trusting God with our questions, our fears, our extreme disappointment, we might gain His perspective. And I for one, need it.
What if each of us who almost despaired in the days following the election, set aside a day or two to fast and seek God and His will, and to hear His Word. Because if you are anything like me, you have heard too much from what the world is saying, getting riled up reading the news, looking at social media and being disgusted. What I need to hear, and most likely you too, is the TRUTH. And God's Word has always been and will always be the truth. We need to hear from the ONE who created life, created us and who holds all of us together.

Further on in Nehemiah 1, the prophet writes:
     "I confess the sins we the Israelites (or us americans),            including myself...have committed against You. We have
   acted wickedly toward You. We have not obeyed the commands, 

   decrees and laws..."

This stopped me this morning. Why do we think we God would bless America, when we don't listen to Him or follow Him? I am like Nehemiah, just as guilty. I have disobeyed, have acted wickedly, and now is the time to repent. For myself and for my country.
2 Chronicles 7:14 states:
     "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble them-
    selves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked
    ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their
    sin and heal their land."

This is what we, as followers of Christ need to do. WE need to humble ourselves. We need to pray and seek God's face. We need to turn from our sin-our pride, our anger,our holier than thou attitudes, our judgmental thoughts, and ask God to forgive us.
Then and maybe then, He will begin to heal our land.
Because we NEED HIS HEALING. We have said things we should not have said, we have been angry and NOW is the time for us to start the process. WE, who profess our faith, who say Jesus is our Lord, need to begin the healing process. To release our frustrations and our fears and to TRUST God, that He is the ONE who does the healing.

NOW is the time for us to be humble. To drop the accusations and to just do what He requires of us. To love others, regardless if we agree with them or not. To show kindness-to EVERYONE. To be respectful because this is exactly how Jesus is to each of us. And to be forgiving, because WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO ACT LIKE WE ARE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST.

AVERY HEAVY HEART and a REQUEST that you SHARE this.

I was born in the 1950's and grew up in the 60's when the Civil Rights movement really became a focus once again.

I was never aware that I had so many advantages being born white in America.
I have never been looked down on because of the color of my skin. I have never been pulled over because I am a white woman who "looks suspicious".

I grew up where Negroes (as the African-Americans were called then) were a part of my life.
The foreman on my father's construction company was to a young girl, the biggest man she had ever seen with the largest hands imaginable. I didn't know he was different. We had a Black housekeeper, who when my mother died, we had to beg her to quit working and sit down and be with us.

I remember watching the news when James Meredith wanted to enroll at the University of Mississippi and had to have the US Marshall accompany him, so that he would be the first Black admitted to a university in the south-ever. I remember last year being at Ole Miss, requesting my friends to take me to the administration building where it all started, and saw with pride the statue of James Meredith on the Ole Miss campus.

I remember being at my grandmother's beach house when the Watts Riots started. I remember asking why this was happening. I just didn't understand as a ten year old what would cause this.
I remember when Martin Luther King Jr was murdered. I was a sopohmore in high school and I marched in downtown Palo Alto with my friend Nancy. I was devastated that a man who wanted to promote racial reconciliation was gunned down by a white man.

I remember my father building two apartment complexes in East Palo Alto for the Black people at an affordable price in the 1960's.

I imagine I have always been a civil rights advocate in my own life.

As a follower of Christ, I believe firmly that God has created all men (and women) equal. That we have no color in His eyes; that He sees us just as His children. And yet for the past year, my soul- the deepest part of me that is true, has been at unrest at the racism in our country.
For the past 3 months I have been with such a heavy heart of what has transpired in our country.
I began praying everyday for racism to be obliterated. I have been asking God what I could do. What can I, a white woman in my 60's who lives in the middle of nowhere (seriously, I live one hour away from the 3 closest towns) can do.

I came to the realization that politics won't fix our problem. That communities can do what they can, but will it only be for their particular city.
Only the Church of Jesus Christ can begin the process of reconciliation in our country.
Do you know that as of today (September 26th) that 703 people have been documented deaths by police in this year alone? and that 173 Deaths have been Black Americans.
Believe me, I am not condemning our policemen. I like the police; they protect me. I realize that there are good cops who deeply care about the people they protect (they are the overwhelming majority) and there are bad cops as well.

But it TIME WE DO SOMETHING. It is time for the Church in America to lead the change.
This morning I read in a book by Tony Evans, a Black pastor in Dallas, about fasting.
When our prayers don't seem to work or produce the change we need, we need to consider fasting.

I am not famous. I will never be one of the bloggers who has thousands of followers. But I am a woman who follows Christ with all that is me and I want to be obedient. Today, I feel like God has begun to answer my prayer for racial reconciliation.

I am asking you who follow Jesus, to share this post.
I am asking that on Sunday October 9, 2016, Followers of JESUS across the country to fast and pray for the racial tensions to end.
Fasting, according to Evans "is the abstinence from some form of physical gratification, for a period of time, in order to achieve a greater spiritual goal." Tony Evans goes on to say that in fasting, "you deliberately show God that you are serious about getting His attention and that you are intently listening for his voice". When we choose to fast, we choose God and His word over our own physical appetite. We see things with greater clarity when we fast because we are seeking God and His answers , instead of our own. When we fast, we choose intentionally, to come into God's presence for His wisdom.

What if on October 9th, The Black Faith Community joins with the White Faith Community across our country, and we fast together, pleading with God to change the course of what is happening in our country in regards to race. What if we ask heaven to move mountains so that God's purpose is carried out on earth.

What if 53 years later, the end of Martin Luther King's " I have a Dream" speech spoken at our nations capital can begin to come true.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream that we, the followers of Christ can make a difference.

Will you join me On October 9th please?

AWAITING NEW PROMISES

I was almost horrified this morning when while talking to a dear friend, I realized that tomorrow is September 1st.
Not that September 1 is a bad day, it is just that it crept up on me without even thinking about what that day signifies for me.

Twenty years ago ( or maybe it was 19 and this will be my 20th year), the pastor of the church we attended, informed us that he prays a particular verse for each of his family members.
I was so impressed with this idea, that I began searching for a verse for each different family member. I believe he told us about this endeavor the first weekend in September.

So now for the 20th time, I will begin to look for verses for our family members. When I started it was just the six of us. Now with spouses for each child and three adorable grandsons, I will be finding 13 different verses for each member of my immediate family.

I can almost guarantee you that it will take me the entire month to find them; unless by some "miracle", the LORD gives me these verses more quickly.
Truly it is an amazing time searching through the Bible looking, wondering, deciding (with the Holy Spirit's guidance) which verse is for which person. This allows me to see Scripture in a whole new light as I get to review verses from the past that have ministered to me when I deeply needed them, see verses that I had chosen for family members at different times in their lives, and be grateful again that the Word of God is still so relevant for today.


I often have wondered why the LORD would lead me to a specific verse for someone, but have believed that this indeed was THE right verse, even when I didn't understand; only to be amazed and grateful as the year went on and the reason was made clear.  

This year will be the 20th year I have prayed verses for my family; specific verses for each particular member. It has been an honor and a joy to do this. It has helped me memorize Scripture; although I must admit that I can't always tell you where it came from (book and verse), I do remember the actual words of the verse.

Yes, I was taken aback this morning that today was the last day of August. On the other hand, I am totally excited and looking forward to the month of September ( I always love this month because it is my birthday month!) because I am awaiting the new promises God will give me to pray for my family members.

When my kids were in school, they always started in September, that doesn't happen much these days, when so many schools begin in August, which is why I always pick my verses in September. It was the beginning of a new school year and a perfect time for me to reflect on challenges they might face, milestones that could occur, and wait for God to reveal His particular word, for each of those that I love the most in this world.

It is a beautiful thing to see how God works through the years. It is an even more splendid thing to see God work in the lives of your family and watch them become who He has envisioned them to be.

My encouragement for you today is to find verses for your family. It may take awhile. You may not be able to do it now for the season of life you are in. But if you can do this, not only will your family be blessed, you will be blessed as you watch God's Word come alive.

A  very special thank you to Dave Sawkins for this wonderful idea!!