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.

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".

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?

A HUGE THANK YOU.

Many many years ago, when I was a young bride in my first year of marriage, I was asked to join a Bible study with some other wives from Young Life who lived somewhat near San Jose.

Of course, I said yes.
Who wouldn't when your husband's boss' wife was leading the study?

That actually turned out to be one of the most critical turning points in my life. What a privilege it was to sit under the teaching and leading of Recie Raley. 
That year Recie turned 50 and I actually said to Scud, "someday I want to be just like Recie, encouraging others".

What I didn't know then was the LASTING IMPACT Recie would have on my life from that point on.
One day I was fortunate to meet with her at her house as she was about to teach me about gardening. But the lesson I learned wasn't about planting flowers or strawberries, which was a Recie phenonemon in and of itself, but it was a lesson about gardening in my spiritual life.
I will never ever forget Recie's words to me.
She said, 
"Missy, ask God to give you a love for His Word".
Simple? Yes.
Profound? Absolutely.

Recie told me to pray this over and over. Not necessarily everyday but to keep praying it until I knew it was true; I knew that I had a love for the word of God. She told me that growing in love with His Word would cause me to grow more in love with Him, and then I would flourish and re-produce a crop that God would use.

Unfortunately for those of us gals who were in that study, Tom and Recie were called to Dallas after four years and I was no longer able to hear the wisdom of Recie.

Fortunately for us, Tom and Rece's son Scott and his wife Sue lived in San Jose, so they came to visit frequently. Each visit, Scud and I had the privilege of sharing a meal with them. And the older I was, the more I realized what a tremendous gift the LORD bestowed on Scud and I with the friendship of the Raley's.

It was probably about ten years of praying this prayer to love the Word of God, that I realized I did! My days weren't complete without being in the Word. I felt and knew something was missing. I remember calling Recie and telling her that it finally happened and she told me, "It probably happened before this, its just that now you are fully aware". Again, wise words from one of the two mentors of my life.

For the next 20-25 years I would read through the Word of God each year. And I wonder why I was always amazed that each year, I thought to myself, "have I read this before?".
Which is why the Bible is new and fresh each day. I can always get new insights, new thoughts, new promises, new commands to obey. It has never gotten old for me.
And I have Recie to thank for this.

About 10-12 years ago, Recie began to exhibit signs of Alzheimer's. This resulted in her and Tom selling their home and re-locating to a retirement community.
Seven years ago after a Young Life All Staff Conference, Tom took a fall, which resulted in him having strokes and the LORD calling him home. I remember at that staff conference having sometime with the Raley's and Recie actually remembered me and asked about our kids by name, and Tom told me, "this doesn't happen much anymore."

Sometime after Tom's homegoing,  Recie was re-located to Virginia to be near her daughter Lisa. Although, through the years Recie didn't know her family anymore, she would still quote Scripture. God's Word still was alive and vital in her mind. What a testimony to me.

Yesterday on March 25, God called Recie home.
Without a doubt, I know the LORD said to her:
" Well done Good and Faithful Servant. Enter into the joy of your Master". With a keen mind again and an ever present, ever faithful love for her Savior.

In six months time, I have lost the two women whose lives influenced me more than any other. But oh the lessons, they ingrained in my life. Recie helped me discover the joy and love of the Word of God, and June helped me know the privilege of prayer.
Blessed is what I am.
I hope now Rece, that I am like you. That I can encourage other younger women to grow in love with Jesus and His Word.
You taught me well.  

Thank you isn't near enough of what I want to convey.
But I look forward to spending eternity with Jesus and you and the others I love and have lost for awhile.

When the Bible is hard to read

Sometimes, it is just so hard to read the Bible.
Because sometimes, life just makes no sense.
No matter how hard you try, no matter what your thoughts and imagination come up with, life is a mystery.

This morning I started reading the Book of Ecclesiastes. In case you are unfamiliar with this book, it is written by Solomon, a king in long ago Israel. He is considered to be the wisest man ever to live. (although I sometimes wonder about that, given the fact that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. How crazy is that?).
In this book, Solomon tries to find the meaning of life amidst the struggles, trials, disappointments we all experience. We have shattered dreams and broken promises. We experience the loss of someone we love. Where is meaning in any of this?

Solomon writes in the second sentence of this book, "Everything is meaningless, completely meaningless".

Is life really meaningless?
I hope not. Actually, I truly believe that life can be very meaningful.
But life is often  not understandable.

Solomon asks the question that so many of us have asked ourselves:
"What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?"
Sure, we receive monetary compensation. Even that seems a bit unfair. There are HUGE discrepancies in our world in how we are paid.  Some people make unbelievable sums of money- for instance some pro sports players, actors, musicians, CEO's of large companies. While there are others who are scantily paid, who literally work their asses of to provide something for their families.
I often contemplate on the fact that I was born in the United States. Why me? Why have I been given countless opportunities and blessings that so many in the world have not? If you have ever travelled to a third world country, you know what I mean.
I am trying to figure out how to pay for new carpet in my home-which mind you is grandiose next to a mud hut in the jungles or a pile of tin put together to house a family in sub-Saharan Africa. Where is there justice in that? And how often do I, or do you, complain that we don't have the latest technology gadget, when 7/8 of the world is struggling to put one meal on the table?

I struggled as I read a few chapters this morning from this small book of Ecclesiastes.
In the second chapter of the book, Solomon decides to seek pleasure to see if that will satisfy him.
How many of us have done that trying to find meaning in life?
Solomon had it all. Wine, women and possessions.
Because of his wealth, he could have anything he wanted-and he did.
But after awhile, pleasure too, had no meaning for him.

Have you felt that way?
We might not have everything that we want, but we might have indulged ourselves with one fun thing after another, and yet we still are seeking happiness and fulfillment. Although we might try to convince ourselves that life is wonderful; if everything was taken away, would we still believe that?
Is life just supposed to be about pleasure and indulging our whims?
I don't think so.
I think we Americans easily can buy into that lie.
We plan vacations to incredible places to experience things we never have. Only to find ourselves needing a vacation from our vacation.

We all know that life isn't fair.
If you don't know that yet, trust me-you will someday.
Solomon's little book produced quite a bit of anguish in me today.
Why do I have it so good? Why don't I continually realize how blessed I have been?
Why do I avoid certain news stories because I don't want to think about it or don't want to feel guilty yet again?

How do I find purpose in my everyday life?
How can I make this world a better place?
What can I do?
These are the questions that we all need to ask ourselves.
These questions are the ones my college age friends are pursuing, trying to make sense out of a life that doesn't seem to make sense. This generation of young people seem to care more about making a difference than making money. A  majority of them are wanting to live like this, thinking this way.

Those types of questions are being asked world wide. Not just here in the United States.
I know that young people in India, in China, Afghanistan, the former Soviet Union, in Uganda and Kenya and South Africa, in Chile and Brazil and San Salvador- young people everywhere are asking about what is the meaning of life?

These are the questions Solomon asked. The wisest man to ever live, pondered this with depth.

We had a dear friend named Bob Martin, who often said, "Life doesn't make sense apart from Jesus."
I think that Solomon came to that same revelation too.

My next few blogs will be some of my own observations from the book of Ecclesiastes. I am so grateful that someone so much smarter than me, struggled with some of the exact same questions that I have had. And that even when the Bible becomes so difficult to read, there always is some deep revelations waiting to become discovered.

DO WHATEVER

Yesterday was Mother's Day.
I used to look forward to this "american greeting card holiday" so much.
Because it was MY ONE DAY OF THE YEAR that was all about me with my family.
If you don't know, Scud and I share the same birthday. So normally, my birthday doesn't mean much because I'm always trying to make it special for him. The "decade year" birthdays felt like they were mine, but shoot that's every 10 years. But boy have they been special.
So Mother's Day was my day and I totally milked it for all it was worth-meaning I did nothing but what I wanted. I remember going to Giants games on mother's day. I wish I had done that yesterday, I really miss those times.
I've been to the beach on mother's day. One year, I actually spent about 4 hours by myself at a Barnes and Noble, which was an amazing treat!!

As I got older, I didn't care as much. And once I became a grandmother, I really understood how much of a gift having children is, not that I didn't know that before.  So now, on Mother's Day, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness that the LORD blessed me with four unique human beings that have allowed me the privilege of being their mom. 
Being a mom is the hardest job any woman will undertake.  I used to think that those toddler years were the hardest. NOPE, they are just tiring-often sheer exhaustion that one might never feel again.   
Then there is the school years, when for the first time, your child leaves the safety of your home and the world around them can begin to bring changes you never expected. 
And the middle school and high school years? Well they are filled with your child's search for independence and autonomy that I truly believe we never expected. Plus all the hormones added to the challenges of what they might be tempted with-seriously we should throw parties when our children graduate from high school for us-that we survived!!
And then comes the empty nest years and you wonder where has the time gone. You miss the noise of your home that sending them off to college brings. Soon after comes college graduation, and you marvel at your child's accomplishment.
But don't think you are done then. I truly believe now, that this being the year my youngest turns 30, you never really are done being a Mom; it just changes. And that's a good thing too. Its fun to become friends with your adult children and be involved in their lives. Those times when you all get together are not as often as before -but so very special when they do occur.

Yesterday at  church, our pastor talked about Mary, the mother of Jesus and what it might have been like for her. Try to even imagine that. Your son, the SON of the Most High God and actually God Himself. Talk about being on your best behavior. Shoot I probably would never ututer a cross word or threat.
Pastor D mentioned what it would look like to have your 30 year old son living with you and then taking off for 3 years. That part I can imagine!!
Did Mary have any idea what would become of her Son? Probably not. I think God might have spared her the anguish of knowing what lay ahead.

What impressed me so very very much yesterday was Mary's last words recorded in the Bible. It was at the wedding in Cana. You know, the story of the wedding that ran out of wine and Jesus performed His first public miracle by turning water into wine (that's one wine I would love to have tasted!!).
Mary asks Jesus to help out and He chides her by saying "My time has not yet come".
Mary then tells the servants at the wedding:
" Do whatever He tells you."

Those were her last recorded words.
What PROFOUND words. 
Scud and I talked about those 5 words most of our way home from church.  

Those are the words I wish I had known earlier in my mothering role
Those 5 words are the BEST advice any mother could tell her children.

Do whatever He tells you.
Obeying God first and foremost.
ANYTIME. EVERYTIME. ALL THE TIME.

Those 5 words are now going to be part of my prayer life. For myself, for my children and husband and for you.        

Do I say only what I should?

If you know me, you know that

.  I Love my family with all my heart. They are the BEST and BIGGEST          Blessings God has given me on this planet.
.  I have the MOST INCREDIBLE friends.
.  I have 2 lovable labs that I am crazy about.
.  I have an absolutely gorgeous view out of front window.
.  I love the ocean-and would rather vacation at a beach than anywhere.
.  I Love to swim (kind of goes with the ocean!!)
.  That Tommy, Kelly and Robby are our other kids
.  That Scud and I have grown to love so many of our kids friends over the 
   years that many of them are like our extra kids.
.  I have had the privilege of having two of the most amazing jobs ever: 
   being an RN for over 30 years and loving on college kids for the past 5.  
.  That number #1 on my bucket list is to go to Ireland.
.  That number #2 on my bucket list is to serve at an AIDS orphanage in 
   Africa.
. That number #3 on my bucket list was crossed out last October when I went    to the World Series and saw my Giants win.

If you knew me really well, you would know that:

.  Ice cream is my favorite food-most especially mint chocolate chip.
.  In college for one week I ate only ice cream and lost 5 lbs!! if only 
   I could do that today!
.  I have a a few friends that I could call on in a heartbeat and they would be 
   there for me-and they have been so many times. THANK YOU.
.  My maiden name was Bluett-yep just like it sounds!
.   I have a bleeding disorder that I inherited from my dad.
.  My secret desire is to write a book, but don't know if I have anything to say
   that anyone would want to read.
.   I LOVE to read-and now have the opportunity given where I live.  
.  Kellen and Jax -my sweet little grandsons are the apple of this Grammy's 
   eyes.
.  I really really LOVE college kids and recent college grads.
.  I gained alot of weight after my hysterectomy 20 years ago that I still 
   struggle to get off.
. And that I am MOST PASSIONATE about THE WORD OF GOD.   


So this morning in my time with God I was in the book of Numbers. When you read thru the Bible every year, sometimes you just have to read Leviticus, Numbers and Ezekiel, which can be hard to read. But if you ask God to give you new insights, HE ALWAYS DOES. And usually for me, He wants to say something to me and teach me or whack me over the head by my stupidity.

In Numbers 22 you have the story of Balak,  the King of  Moab who had heard about the Israelites and summoned a magician named Balaam to call down a curse on the Israelites so that Balak could overtake and rule them. Somehow Balaam knew of God and asked Him what to do. The LORD told Balaam not to go and not to put a curse on the Israelites. As Balak kept asking for Balaam to come, he would inquire of the LORD. One time, Balaam told the LORD he would do as he said but let it be known that he really wanted to go, so the LORD relented and said he could go but only do what God had told him to do.
Meanwhile the LORD was unhappy with Balaam over his real desire to go to Balak (he probably wanted some reward-even tho he said he didn't, but God always knows our heart).  To stop him and get him to think, God used a talking donkey to teach Balaam about the need to obey. You can read about this story in Numbers 22 if you don't believe me.

Eventually Balaam does meet up with Balak, who again asks him to put a curse on the Israelites, which he refuses to do and instead blesses them. 
Balak in turn becomes angry and Balaam's response is found in verse 38

           “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts 
             in my mouth."

WHOA. 
This verse stopped me in my tracks. Spot on.
WHAT IF I ONLY SPOKE WHAT GOD PUT IN MY MOUTH?

How many times reckless words have come out of my mouth in anger and frustration. Words that were spoken without really thinking. Words that had the power to hurt and crush another. Words that should never have been said.

What if in a conversation, I only spoke what God wanted me to say? You know those times when someone is confiding in you or asking for advice and you just don't know what to say. What if we prayed for God's guidance in ALL THOSE TIMES and only spoke what He told us to say?     
In many times with friends, I do pray. I do ask God for His wisdom. I don't want to say ANYTHING that would be against God's will.
But I don't do this all the time. And I should.

I know I am not the only one whose words have pierced another's heart, because words spoken freely and without thinking have hurt me too.
But what if we, as followers of Jesus really prayed and asked Him for the wisdom to say only what "God puts in my mouth"?
What if we just listened more and spoke less. 
What if our silence helped our friend draw into Jesus more to listen to Him too?

I am asking God to help me put this into practice starting this day. You might hear way less more of me as I wait to hear what God wants me to say!!      

GO AHEAD....MARK IT UP!!

Beautiful setting.

This is the place I sit for 1-2 hours everyday from sometime in mid May to hopefully sometime in October.
It truly is my most favorite spot in our yard. I am offered this spectacular view every single day. What you can't see is beyond, which has countless pine trees that scatter the horizon and the sky everyday is so so blue.

I come out in the morning, with my coffee , bible and journal, followed by both my labs, who everyday try and get me to throw their toys, and I tell them "NO, not now".
So off they go exploring our yard-which is about 1 1/2 acres that is fenced in. Then they chase each other for awhile and eventually come and lay by me ( I swear their biggest job in life is to find the best place in that moment to lay down...are all labs this lazy?).

Each day depending on my schedule for the day, I am allowed to enjoy this beauty for quite some time.
It is where God meets with me . Its where I spend time reading His Word, praying, meditating and interceding for dear loved ones and friends.

One day in the summer of 2009, absent-mindly, I left my bible on the table and went down to camp.
Hours later I returned, and I knew something was up. Our son Todd was visiting and he had a sheepish grin on his face.
"I don't know how to tell you this Mom, but Cody (the yellow very mischevious lab) got hold of your bible."

This dog did not just get ahold of my Bible, she ate it. She literally ate the entire leather cover and then managed to strew about700 pages all across our front lawn. Todd had picked up the pieces and put them all in a paper bag.
There was no way this bible could be repaired.

Needless to say, I was upset. LIVID is more like it. I went to our front gate , opened it and told Cody to run away.
I really think this was the most mad I can ever recall being. It wasn't just a bible. It was MY BIBLE- the one I had used for 23 years. The Bible with all my underlining, all my highlighting, all my notes. Oh yeah, I was upset.

The following May, Kristi, Adam and Kellen (Jax wasn't born yet) gave me a new bible for Mother's Day.
This morning I was reminded of this while I sat outside again having time with Jesus. September is the month every year that I spend listening to the LORD as I try and pick verses to pray for each of my family.
Seventeen years ago, the pastor at the church we were then attending, said that he did this for his family and I decided to give it a try. He must have told us about it in September because ever since , this is the month I take to find these verses.

I absolutely love doing this. And yes, it actually does take me about a month to find a verse for each ten family members. And I love that my new bible-about 2 1/2 yrs old now, is marked up ...that it helps me look for verses.
I absolutely treasure the time I have to look over -skim thru, the entire word of God , looking for that specific verse for that specific person in my family. How fun it is to see verses that I have picked in the past for them.
In my old bible, I would write their name or their initials and the year by the verse. It seemed like an arduous task to do that once again; so I now just started from the year 2010.

Fortunately, I had written down each years verses at the back of the bible in my Cody eaten bible and because of Todd's foresight to see I might want whatever could be salvaged, I still have that paper and its now in the back of my bible!!

Another phenomenal thing about picking verses fro my family is that I pray them a couple of times a week for them and eventually I now have 10 memorized Scriptures that I probably wouldn't otherwise have done. Unfortunately, with age, I don't remember all of them word for word, but I do remember the gist of each verse.

So my advise to you is mark up your bible...highlight away, scribble notes....It makes it alot easier to find things later on, and you will be glad you did.

DEHYDRATION

I take my dogs on walks often. Living in the mountains provides trails and jaunts thru unparralled beauty. But Cody and Riley don't see the beauty. They feel the freedom to run and explore; to sniff to their noses content. To try and figure out what kind of animal has been on this particular trail. To go in and out of bushes and water.
Cody is a yellow lab with the personality of "let me enjoy life to the fullest". She is exuberant and can't contain her excitement when I mention the work "walk". Cody literally jumps up to six feet high trying to get me to go faster to our gate. Faster to her freedom.
Riley, my sweet black lab tries to calm the younger Cody down- tackling her as she tries to what seems to Riley-attacking me.
I love our walks. The dogs love to roam and run to and fro all over the place. I am sure that Cody runs 2-3 times more than I walk.
When we get home, both dogs race to the water bowl. Completely dehydrated from the running and roaming that had ensued. I usually have to replace the water bowl immediately as they drink and try to hydrate their cute little lab bodies.

Have you ever been dehydrated? when you are so thirsty that all you want to do is drink glass after glass of water. To quench that extreme thirst you are experiencing.
And our bodies let us know when we don't get enough water.
Our friend Will found out what it was like to be dehydrated this morning.
Will is an athlete. He plays college soccer and is what i consider to be in excellent shape.
But will didn't know how thirsty his thin framed body was today. He told his friends at coffee that he felt a bit weak or faint or maybe his blood sugar was low. He went to get something to eat and then while talking to his friends, turned his head, fell off his chair and then began seizing. Will was rushed to the hospital and after a few hours of tests that included labs, EEG's and a CT scan of his brain, it was determined that he was severely dehydrated.
I mean we are talking severely dehydrated. 2 liters of IV fluids later, they discharged him home to get rest.
Why did Will not know he was so dehydrated? Did he miss the signals? His body certainly didn't.
WE NEED WATER to survive. 80% of our body is water, so YES, we do need to drink 6-8 glasses of water everyday to keep us hydrated.
I for one, don't want to scare my friends with a seizure, because I didn't know I wasn't drinking enough to keep my body flowing fluidly.
And then as I drove home from the hospital and was thinking about dehydration, I wondered how easy it is for us to be spiritually dehydrated and depleted.
When we don't get enough of our intake of GOD. When we let the busyness of life keep us from being replenished spiritually. And then how easy it becomes for God's enemy to come and tempt us with the lies he always does. And then we start believing them. And life begins to unravel, and we wonder what has gone wrong.
WE desperately need to hear from God. Most of us don't hear the voice of God audibly. But God does speak to us-in His Word. And we need to hear from Him each day. To get His perspective. To receive His guidance. To know His peace. To see how faithful and loving He is to us.

Psalm 42:1-2 says:
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

For a deer to pant for water, it has been running and is probably dehydrated.
That's how we are to be : panting after God. Panting to get hydrated. Panting to stay hydrated. So that we can escape dehydration and not let satan throw us into spiritual seizures.
Drink your fill of the Word of God. Allow your spirit to hear His. Allow God to fill you up with every type of food and fluid you need to survive.
Your life literally depends on it.

AND THAT'S THE TRUTH.

I am currently reading thru the Gospel of John. There has been so much talk the past few weeks of who will get in heaven or go to hell (if there is either of those 2 places-and I certainly believe there is) from Rob Bell's newest book, LOVE WINS, that I decided I just wanted to hear JESUS' words. From Him, not from what someone might think he is saying.
Mind you, I have read LOVE WINS and I understand the controversy surrounding it. I don't believe Rob Bell is a heretic. But I'm not sure any of us can speak for JESUS. WE can conjecture what he says into what we believe to be the truth.
In actuality, The Scriptures say "WHO has known the mind of the LORD? Or WHO has been His Counselor? ROMANS 11:34.
From that specific verse, I believe we can guess-sometimes with much accuracy what Christ's words might mean, but ONLY HE knows what He really means. But this isn't about Rob Bell, or his book, or if he is a universalist or not.
This is just about what I've seen JESUS say-in His Words. And by John (the disciple who Jesus loves- now who wouldn't want to have that be their tagline?...missy, the disciple Jesus loves.) Well we can all have that tagline, because we all are loved by Jesus!!
This morning I read from John 8 "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free".
That truth is simply to me saying: the truth is Jesus loves us, loved us so much, He left his heavenly home, came to earth to identify with us as a human, but because He was also God, loved us so much that He Paid the price for our rebellion and sin, by taking our place as He died a horrendous death on the Cross. That truth set my life free. Free from trying to earn God's love and favor. Free from trying to be someone i am not. Free to accept God's love and His Forgiveness and to live by His Grace. To me, JESUS is the truth.

HE later goes on to say in John 10, that HE IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD. The Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep...that's us. And that His Sheep know Him and know His Voice. So that we recognize Him and recognize truth when it hits us right between the eyes.
Ezekiel 34:16 says that this Good Shepherd "will seek for the strays and bring back the lost"
He is searching and seeking for ALL OF US. All of mankind. Because without Him, we are all straying and we are all lost. I love that He keeps on looking for us. EVERY single one of us. None of us are beyond His Reach. And He will keep on searching for us.
Then I got to John 11. This is the story about Jesus raising Lazurus from the dead.
We first here that Lazarus is sick from messengers sent by his 2 sisters, Mary and Martha.
Jesus loves this little family. But He stays 2 more days where He is and then decides to go to Bethany where they live.

The New Living Translation says in John 11:5-6 "So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days."


WHAT?? He didn't go right away??? But He loves them.
IS that why He doesn't answer all my deep felt prayers immediately?? Because HE KNOWS what I don't? That He has greater plans than what I can see? That He knows what will bring GOD the glory?? I have to believe He does. That His purposes and answers are always to bring the Father glory.
The story then goes on to say that as Jesus shows up, He is met by Martha, and then Mary, who both said to Him : "LORD, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died."
Jesus answers Martha with
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die." (verses 25-26)

HE then goes to the tomb, asks people to roll away the tomb (even with Martha telling Him it will really really stink because Lazarus has been in there for 4 days already) and in a voice that is heard, probably with force, in a loud voice calls "Lazarus, come out!"

And out walks the dead man who is now alive.
CAN YOU ONLY IMAGINE?? Try and put yourself into this story. How does someone who has been dead four days come out of the tomb alive?
It must have been mind boggling to say the least. Crazy, unbelievable!!
But I am trying to identify. And I get it a little. I am a bit like Lazarus. Altho not physically dead, I was almost spiritually dead, when the Good News of Jesus rescued me...from a life of drinking and partying in college. From a kind of life I was spiraling towards. He rescued me and let me know that I could live...really live.
And that His Truth would set me free....over and over again, for the past 39+ years and for however long I have left on this earth. His Truth will free me- from my fears, my mistakes,my wanting to have control. His Truth will free me to be who HE envisions me to be.
And that's the Truth.