Promises...

Like a lot of other people, I've had floods on my mind. I know of some who have had to re-start their lives due to flooding. My friend, Lisa, moved to Tennessee after Hurricane Katrina and started a new life.

Our current pastor is from New Orleans and lost everything in those same floods. This past week, his in-laws were displaced again by flooding in Louisiana. They had to be rescued from their home where they moved after Hurricane Katrina. They have again lost everything!

I heard a newscaster say, regarding those whose homes were flooded, "Everything they own is ruined."

The word ruined struck me because I've used this same word a lot in the past several years in regard to things in my own life that I no longer feel the same way about because they were ruined to me.

My younger sister recently used this word to describe her life after her son committed suicide.

Sometimes an "event" in our lives that we don't expect can make us feel ruined.

Just like those living too close to a river that overflows it's banks and ruins everything it comes in contact with, so it is the same, at times, in our own personal lives. Things we loved are washed away and we will never be the same.

This past Saturday, I sat on the deck of our new home reading a book (Little Women) I recently found at a yard sale and I heard something that caught my attention. I realized the sound I heard was rain hitting the trees a little way from our house but the rain hadn't made it's way to me yet.

I found it interesting because I heard the rain and knew it was coming before it was visible in the field next to our house. I waited and eventually saw the shower of rain falling in our yard but the sun was still shining. I thought, I bet there's a rainbow.

Then I turned around and right behind me was a huge double rainbow that looked like it was ending right in the field behind our house.

I could not believe it!

I jumped up and snapped some pictures then took a video with my phone. I banged on the bedroom window close to me to let my son and his friend who was visiting know to come outside and see the rainbow.  They tried to run after the end of the rainbow but it dissipated before they could reach it. :)

It was some excitement, I tell you! You don't see a huge double rainbow like that often. As a matter of fact, I've NEVER seen one like that in my entire life. It felt almost supernatural because it was so close.

Now, I've got floods, rainbows and promises on my mind!

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between Me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on earth."

So, God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between Me and all life on the earth." Genesis 9:12-17 NIV

Yes, it will still flood. Rivers will overflow their banks and homes will be destroyed. But ALL life will never be destroyed again by a flood. God promised.

Yes, we will experience "life floods" where we feel like everything is completely ruined. But we will not be completely destroyed because God is with us through those floods. He will not leave us. He will not forsake us. God says so.

My husband was not with me on the porch when the rainbow appeared. He was driving in the driveway and snapped this picture of our new home with the double rainbow shining behind it.

A beautiful reminder that God keeps His PROMISES.

The Bus...

Last spring, we moved into our new home. Since it was nearly the end of the school year, we made other arrangements for Joseph, our 13 year old, to get home from school instead of riding the school bus.

But with the new school year starting, he wanted to ride the bus home each day. I called the school bus transportation department last Thursday to find out which bus he should ride. The person I spoke with didn't have the answer but promised to find out and call me back on Friday. That phone call never came.

I then asked my husband to call our neighbor, whose kids ride the bus, to find out the bus number. He was unable to get a hold of them to get the answer.

So, the weekend came. My husband made a trip out of town and we busied ourselves with fun weekend activities. 

Before we knew it, Monday was upon us, along with the first day of school. I remembered that I still didn't know the bus number. So, I told Joseph as I drove him to school, that I'd call and find out which bus he should ride home and would let him know.

He then suggested that he would just go to the office and ask.

"Good idea." I was impressed with his Monday morning logic. I'm pretty sure he gets that from me...lol

I dropped him off for his first day of eighth grade at the middle school and headed to work for a busy Monday morning. Which bus he should ride didn't cross my mind again until he sent me a text at the end of the day to tell me that he was in a neighboring county on the wrong school bus!

"What?  Why are you in Davidson County? How did you get on the wrong bus?" I asked confused.
My mind raced wondering how he was going to get home and if I needed to go pick him up somewhere, etc. Then I wondered who told him to get on a bus heading in the wrong direction!

"Someone in the office told you to get on that bus?" I asked.

"No, I asked my friend which bus to ride." He answered.

Oh...

Now it all made sense. Instead of going to the office to ask someone in authority for the answer, he just asked a friend.

He took instruction from someone who thought they knew the answer instead of taking it from someone who actually did know the answer and he ended up in a mess!

I couldn't help but think of us Christians and how often we listen to what people say instead of what God says.

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.               2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

We want someone to tell us what to do (and they may not even be a Christian) instead of going to the source. We can end up in a terrible mess by doing this.

The authority in our lives is God's word. It will lead us in the way that we should go and we won't end up in the wrong county on a bus going the wrong direction!

Thank goodness the bus driver was kind enough to go out of his way to bring him home.

The doughnut...

My recent check up with the doctor revealed that my cholesterol is back up. He advised that I change my diet in order to get it back into normal range. So, I've been watching what I eat and walking.

Today, my co-worker walked by my office headed to the reception area and said, "You gonna get a doughnut?"

"Doughnuts? What doughnuts? I didn't know there were doughnuts in the office..." I responded as I sipped my strawberry flavored diet nutrition drink.

Then the person announcing that there were delicious doughnuts to everyone saw us talking and said to my co-worker, "You getting a doughnut?"

Then I chimed in, "You didn't tell me we have doughnuts... My feelings are hurt."

"I was trying to save you from the temptation. I know you are trying to lose weight." She apologized with a grin.

"Oh, I see. Thanks for thinking of my diet!" I laughed. "Well, I still would have liked the invite even though I wouldn't have eaten one."

They laughed and rushed to the dwindling box of doughnuts to pick out the good ones before they were all gone and I tossed my empty diet drink container into the trash can.

After they left, I finished my filing and pondered my reaction to not being invited to the doughnut party going on in the reception area. My feelings really were slightly hurt. I would have liked to have been invited even though she truly was trying to help me out by keeping me from the temptation.

It was then that I had a bit of a revelation as I realized that what I really wanted wasn't the doughnut but the invitation to temptation.

 I wanted to be invited to be tempted to do something I shouldn't be doing. Plus, it hurt my feelings that I didn't get the invite. How FLESHY is that?

I have faced many temptations in my life but I've never considered the idea that I liked it. That I wanted to be tempted.

This is just a story about a doughnut that I didn't get to eat today and there are much worse temptations but it was very revealing.

Recognizing the reaction of my flesh to 'invitations to temptations' will surely make me more aware of what the issue really is the next time I face a serious temptation in life.

Maybe the issue is...me.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

 

Enjoy the Ride...

My first car was an old Toyota Corolla that you could start with a butter knife!  My dad paid $300.00 for it to teach me a lesson.

Apparently, I told him that he had to spend a certain amount of money on me a vehicle because that's what he spent on my older brother.

He got a strange look on his face and said, "No, I don't."

I worried about that reaction when he left to shop for me a car but didn't think too much of it...until he brought a clunker home, parked it in the driveway and handed me the key with a big smile on his face. (It was later on that I discovered you could start it with a butter knife...)

I'm sure my mouth hung open as I realized the clunker was my car and not at all what I was expecting.

It had a wire coat hanger in place of the antenna and spit black smoke out the tail pipe every time I shifted gears. Many of my friends in high school were embarrassed to ride through town with me!

He taught me a valuable lesson.

Do not expect the same things that your brother or sister got just because you are also my child.

I would definitely say that God is the same way with His children.

Sometimes, we have expectations and are disappointed when we see other's aspirations fulfilled and ours are not. We don't understand why we were overlooked for a position we hoped for or didn't get the raise we felt we deserved or even a pat on the back for a job well done.

We can get very fleshy and sassy about it. We can even have an attitude of "I deserve that just as much as they do!"

But the reality is that we deserve what God sees fit to give to us. It might not be what we expect or what we believe that we deserve.

You might get a $300.00 Toyota Corolla (that you will be slightly embarrassed to drive) when you feel you should be getting something much newer and nicer. But it will get you to where you need to go.

God will 'put us in our place' until our attitude is right and then He will put us in the place He has for us.

In the meantime, put the old clunker in gear and drive around town with smoke boiling out your tailpipe like you mean it! Tune in some good music with that wire coat hanger and enjoy the ride!

Carved in Stone

Some things you can not change. No matter how much you want to.

It's over. Finished.

There's no way to go back to the way things used to be no matter how desperately you wish you could.

Seeing Brandon's name carved in stone is so final. It somehow makes it official that we will never see him again until we see him in Heaven.

There is so much collateral damage from Brandon ending his life too soon. My sister is completely destroyed. Her life will never be the same again. My brother-in-law is crushed along with Brandon's brother and sister. It is nothing less than a tragic loss.

I can't help but wonder if he imagined the pain he was going to cause those who loved him so much. Or if he was so deep in his own depression that it never even crossed his mind.

Like a lot of others, I wish I could turn back the clock and see him again.

I'd make sure I took in one of his college football games. I always meant to make the trip and see one but only caught it on television a couple of times. (One of the downsides of living so far away from family. He was even farther away at college.) But how I WISH I would have made more effort.

I'd be sure and tell him that I loved him because to tell you the truth, I don't remember ever telling him that.

I'd tell him he was beautiful even though he was a man...with a beard...and I'm not sure how he'd take that.  But he would probably think it was funny.

He was beautiful...inside and out.

I'd forewarn him about depression. (As I've now done with my own children because of him.)

I'd somehow show him the countless tears that are still being shed months after his death and beg him to get help.

Unfortunately, we can't turn back time. The loss is real. The pain is deep. The suffering for those who loved him most will not end any time soon. His parents, Janet and Roger, now know what it's like to lose a beloved son. His siblings know the sorrow of losing their brother.

And sadly, it is beautifully carved in stone.

Nailed it!

Last weekend I made a cake from a recipe on Facebook that was a complete disaster.

It was a recipe my (soon to be) daughter-in-law posted to my page and asked me to make for her. So, I made the cake but was a bit embarrassed to even give it to her. It was too heavy, bread-like and doughy. Not to mention, the pan I cooked it in seemed to be too small and so it wasn't quite done in the center. I put it back in the oven for a few minutes but that didn't seem to help much.

As she was tasting the cake, I made a lot of excuses about why it wasn't good. She chewed on a corner piece that was done inside. She smiled and said, "It tastes good!" Then said she'd take it with her. I mentioned I'd like the plastic container back that I put it in as she left but really didn't want her telling anybody that I made that cake! I was horrified anyone who tasted it would think I was a bad cook when I'm not. I'm a good cook, really...I promise.

So, I'd categorize the cake as a "nailed it" fail!

Last night, a thunderstorm rolled through as I was sitting on the back porch. I was in awe as the wind blew through the trees and lightning lit up the dark sky. It reminded me of God's incredible power. I found myself praying in the midst of the storm, asking for forgiveness for my lackluster attitude I've had lately in regard to Him. Have I become complacent?

Later, when I lay down to try to sleep, I still had my bad attitude on my mind. My sin.

Then God gently reminded me of who really "nailed it" and it was NOT a fail.

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2 (NIV)

Jesus took my sins and the sins of the whole world and nailed them to the cross at Calvary.

Lies, cheating, adultery, hatred, murder, lust, jealousy, bad attitudes, selfishness, intentional sins & unintentional sins. The list goes on and on...

Through Jesus Christ they are paid in FULL. He took them all upon Himself for us and suffered a terrible death on our account.  Let me never become complacent or have a lackluster attitude when it comes to what Jesus did for me and the whole world.

I hope the next time you hear someone say, "Nailed it!" You will remember who REALLY nailed it for you!

Hidden

When we were kids, playing hide and seek was one of our favorite games. Especially, if it got to be dusk outside and other neighborhood kids joined in. Everyone wanted to hide! Nobody wanted to seek...it wasn't as fun.

Finding a great hiding spot was key. Sometimes, we had it in the back of our minds even when we weren't playing hide and go seek. If we saw a good place to hide somewhere while we were out playing, we'd remember to go there the next time we played because it was a new spot to hide and we probably wouldn't be found!

Why was hiding well - so fun? I'm not sure but it was, that's for sure.

It's kinda funny because what got me to thinking about hide and go seek was...sin.  Particularly - hidden sin.

I've been reading "The Message" which is the Bible in novel form and am in the book of Deuteronomy at the moment. When I finished Leviticus, I was so very thankful for Jesus. There are so many rules and sins (intentional and unintentional) and offerings to be made for the multitude of sins, etc. It is daunting!

Thank God for showing us our need of a SAVIOR.

But I'm disturbed by those who think the sin made public is worse than their HIDDEN sin. Why do some think that because they don't admit to the sin or if nobody knows about the sin then it's better in some way?

It's NOT.

Your hidden sin is not any better or worse than those who sin in some other way and it becomes public knowledge.

We are ALL sinners. There's NO getting around it.  

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Do we like to hide?  Yep...