Posted on in 2013 Posts

Thankfulness…Even Through the Storms…Can It Be?

The view in our back yard as the sun went down last night.
The view in our back yard as the sun went down last night.

What are you thankful for?  Facebook has a thing where every day in the month of November, people tell what they’re thankful for on their daily status.  My mind always goes first to God, family and friends.  Then I have to work at it the rest of the month to come up with creative things for my page.  I could say, “Today, I’m thankful for ice cream.”  I really am thankful for ice cream.  It makes me happy and tastes good.  However, who wants to hear about that?

A couple of weeks ago, we had our local elections.  Many of you probably did, too.  On Wednesday morning after the elections on Tuesday  as I was on my way to work, one of the local candidates was standing in his suit and tie on the street corner with a huge sign that said, “Thank You!”  Wow.  I was so impressed.  Out of all of the candidates who ran for various offices and others who promoted issues of interest to them; this was the only person that I saw actually taking the time to thank his voters.  I am sure there probably were some thank you’s extended that I didn’t see.  However, it was so abnormal in my mind that this man would be out so early in the morning to thank his voters.  All I could think was, his mother has to be proud!  I’m going to watch for that name to be running for president someday!

Last night, tornados hit the Midwest with force, killing some and robbing many of their homes and businesses. Some of our kids were here visiting while we watched the television to determine whether we were in danger or not.  I was getting texts and calls from out of town family telling us to pay attention…the storms were coming right towards us.  There was even a point in the evening that all of the sirens started going off to tell us to get to our basements and the T.V. started making a horrible emergency noise to alert us of the danger outside.  Luckily we were only inconvenienced and had to eat dinner in the downstairs bathroom—all six of us.  Others weren’t as lucky.  My prayers go out to them.

One thing that kept resonating in my thoughts through all of the evening was something the weather man said.  He kept repeating, “We in this area were much better off than the states west of us because we had rain recently where they didn’t.”

Apparently, the rain stabilizes the atmosphere and was helpful in keeping us safe from the threatening winds on the way.  Without the rain, the atmosphere west of us was volatile and much more susceptible to the dangers ahead. Thus, the winds and storms did way more damage there than here.  Wow.  Doesn’t that sound like another lesson from God?  Some of us who go through tough times—rainy seasons in life so to speak—get mad and turn our backs on God wondering why He would let these bad things happen to us.  Then there are those who have had a pretty quiet life, not much ever going wrong that freak out off of the freak out charts when a trial comes their way.  They haven’t had a lot of practice in dealing with storms in life to have learned how to trust God and stay focused when the rain and winds begin.  However, it’s the trials in life that prepare us for the storms ahead.  They teach us to stay calm, trust God and actually help to stabilize the situation as our faith grows through each circumstance.  Having been through some cloudy days, I can look back now and realize they were situations that God used to strengthen and stabilize my faith as I trusted Him.  Now I can face a storm with confidence, knowing that God will be there with me.

So like the politician, perhaps we should be standing on the street corners with a big Thank You! sign in our hands when the winds rage around us!  God understands where we are, where we’ve been and knows exactly what it’s going to take to get us to where we need to go.  The next time the storms rage and the rain pours, praise God.  In fact, maybe we should go out and dance in the rain with thanks and praise on our lips.  For we know that even though it is raining, the Lord is allowing valuable faith lessons to pour into our lives to prepare us for the days ahead.

Please join me in praying for those hardest hit last night in the storms. I pray that even as horrendous as it all may seem, that God might be glorified in the days ahead.  Let there not be anger from the lips of those affected; rather, thankfulness for the hidden blessings after the winds.  In this month of November, what are you thankful for?  Can you look back at rainy times in your life and understand now how they have helped stabilize your faith? Can you see new insight today that you didn’t understand then?  Please share with us!  In the meantime, have a great week and don’t forget to get out there and be a blessing!

1Peter 1:6-7   In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Posted on in Uncategorized

Experiencing God’s Grace — Even at the Death of a Child

I thought I’d share a blog my pastor wrote a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure he won’t mind. I have shared a little about Erik and Jessica on my Facebook. I thought some of you might be interested in hearing their story. Jim and I were there the night little Ella went to be with Jesus. It was one of the most difficult as well as beautiful experiences I’ve had. There was hope and peace in that room that night. How sweet it is to trust in Jesus! My prayer this week is for God’s Hand to continue to hold Erik and Jess as they move forward to another chapter of their lives.

Chris Russell's avatarSensibleFaith

Baby EllaI’ve been in pastoral ministry for over twenty-five years, and the most difficult experience I’ve had to help people through is the death of a child.  Most of us cannot even conceive of the anguish of a parent who has had to endure such a loss.

Recently, I officiated at a memorial service for a precious baby who passed away just ninety minutes after birth.  While a memorial service like this would normally be filled with indescribable grief, this particular service was filled with a special sort of joy which I have only witnessed a few times in my life.  While this young couple from my church, Erik and Jessica, were grieving over the loss of their beautiful little girl, Ella, they were able to experience God’s grace in a profound way.

This was most clearly demonstrated by the words they each read as a part of the service.  Following…

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Posted on in 2013 Posts

Can A Christian Lose Their Joy?

game showI almost did.  Yes, the woman with a ministry of encouragement to others, almost lost her joy recently.  I’ve heard many preachers and teachers say,  “Joy isn’t the same thing as being happy. It’s a spiritual condition if you’ve lost your joy.”   I would add to that…or…it’s a prescription medicine malfunction…just saying!

Yes, through a calamity of one drug not agreeing with me and then taking another I was allergic to while not taking the one I should be taking…I have been a mess.  It’s a long story.  However, I’m happy to say now that everything has been figured out, I am on the road to recovery…again.  In about 80 days, I should be myself again!  But hey, who’s counting?

The other night I received a call from the game show, “Let’s Ask America.”  They wanted to Skype with me at 8:00 giving me little prep time as it was 6:00 when they called.   Then the next day, they wanted me to Skype with the producer since the casting person liked me.  They also asked to add my daughter into the mix as they were looking for contestants for their Mother’s Day special.  One of the things that attracted them to me was the fact that I was an author and speaker…until I told them what I wrote and spoke about.  LOL.  Being in ministry is never popular.  Anyway, they also thought it was hilarious when I told them my husband says that I was so encouraging I poop rainbows.  I think that simple statement was what got me as far as it did in the process.  However, so far, we haven’t been called back so I suspect we will not be on the Mother’s Day show.

As I was pulling together my thoughts for my blog, I came to this conclusion.  Each one of us naturally desires to be joyful.  We seek others who will encourage us and help us to stay positive. We might also look to material goods, food, self-help books etc., to keep us happy.  As I was dwelling on this, I tried to put some thoughts down as a note on my phone so I didn’t lose my train of thought.  I hit the button for Siri to take notes.

I think I hit the wrong one though and when I spoke the title, “Can someone lose their joy?”

Siri piped up and said, “I don’t know.  I cannot answer that question.”

Then she proceeded to go search the internet for answers.  When she came back with some websites, she provided various viewpoints on joy to peruse.  There are a lot of worldly answers out there for finding joy and it seems everyone is looking for it in their own way.  However, at times, we are all a little “intoxicated” by things in our world.  Wrong prescriptions, entertainment, materialism and other worldly things.  You name it…Satan will use it to keep us preoccupied and miss the joy we are meant to have as believers. The answers Siri gave weren’t necessarily solutions based on God’s Word, either.  However, our society is taught to believe that if Google says it, we should believe it.  Unfortunately, the solutions the world has to offer about joy are only temporary, if they even work at all.

I found this statement by Chuck Swindoll a bit disturbing.  He said, “In vain I have searched the Bible, looking for examples of early believers whose lives were marked by rigidity, predictability, inhibition, dullness, and caution. Fortunately, grim, frowning, joyless saints in Scriptures are conspicuous by their absence. Instead, the examples I find are of adventurous, risk-taking, enthusiastic, and authentic believers whose joy was contagious even in times of full trial. Their vision was broad even when death drew near. Rules were few and changes were welcome. The contrast between then and now is staggering.

I believe, we are living in a world that has lost its joy…even in the church.  Where is the enthusiasm from believers?  Where is the joy in serving the Lord even when it is painful?  Where are the risk-takers for the cause of Christ?  When was the last time you stepped out of your rigid schedule and did something spontaneous for God?  Are others able to recognize the joy in your life and know there is something different because Christ is living in you?  Is your joy contagious?

Winning $50,000 on a game show would make me happy.  Taking the right medicines or not taking the wrong ones, helps me feel better and keep a smile on my face.  However, the one thing in this life that is going to give me true joy that surpasses all understanding is my relationship with God.  He truly is the One that can fill us to overflowing.

My question today is, are you looking for joy in all the wrong places?  Has your spiritual journey become one of such rigidity and legalism that you’ve forgotten to trust God?  Are you so drugged by the things of this world that you no longer see clearly the wonderful gift we have in our relationship with God?  Do you look to the Bible for answers or is Google and/or Siri your source for all information?

Lord, please help us to wake up to see what joy there is in serving You!  Help us to be enthusiastic Christians, just like the first day when we asked you to come into our hearts.  Help us to discern between the things of this world that are temporary and the things of You that will be everlasting…authentic…contagious…full of joy!

Have a great week and don’t forget to get out there and be a blessing!

John 16:23-24 (NKJV)   “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.  Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.