Strife in our World

 As I write this today, our country is facing some of the worst times.  There is rioting going on in the nation’s capitol - and a woman was killed in the capitol building.  Why do people turn to violence when they feel angry?  I have seen it over and over this year.  Our hate has boiled over.  

The answer is simple.  We are people.  We have a sin nature.  Read the Old Testament of the Bible.  God placed so much hope in his chosen people, the nation of Israel.  He gave them strict rules to follow and a means to atone for their sins.  As long as they stayed obedient to the Law, God would bless the people abundantly.  However, if the people turned away and started following after idols and other gods, God would allow calamity to fall upon the nation.  Read some of the horrible things the people did.  Fathers gave their daughters to be raped.  Men murdered other men to take their wives.  There are more stories like this in the Bible.  Some of it truly makes my stomach turn.  

This is the sin nature of all people.  The chosen people of Israel knew the laws of God and knew of his goodness and his justice.  If they could fall so low, it stands to reason, so can we.  We do this when we forget who our savior is.  We do this when we forget to pray.  We do this when we stop reading the Bible and thinking about the things of God.  

So, what is the solution?  We turn to Jesus.  We stop what we are doing and we pray.  We pray for our sins and beg for God’s forgiveness.  We ask Jesus to stand in our place and take our sins.  We ask for Jesus to take his place in our lives.  

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” ~John‬ ‭1:4-5‬ ‭(NIV)

‬‬Won’t you let Jesus be the light in this dark world? The more of us to become like Jesus, the better people we can be.  

Practice love.  Be kind.  Change the world.  Jesus did.  

2021 - Time to Write Again?

 It's 2021.  I haven't written a blog post since 2015.  

Why?  Multiple factors led to my desire to walk away from the page.  Let's just say life got in the way, and I never returned.  It would seem 2021 would be a good time to revisit this.  

In 2015, I went through a divorce and this really shattered my world as I knew it.  I had to learn to be independent and to enjoy it.  I am happy to say that I did learn many lessons that year, and wound up becoming friends with a great man who would later become my husband.  We learned to appreciate each other's gifts and talents, and he is now working in ministry and writes books.  Maybe I didn't think we both needed to be writers, so I stepped back.  

I'm ready to write again, but I am lost as to what to write.  I had started a post about a Netflix series, Cobra Kai, but the material wound up so cheesy I deleted it.  Of course, anything about that series would seem a bit cheesy, given the source material, but I will reserve my judgement, in case there are some fans of Johnny Lawrence or Daniel LaRusso.  

So, I just am starting by writing down thoughts and thinking about how life today can line up with Jesus.  That's really the message I want to learn and then convey.  So much of my time is spent just thinking of my own things, and not thinking about heavenly things. I do hope that I can find my way back to thinking of Jesus and learning to see the world through His lens.  

Jesus asked an expert of the Old Law what a man must to do to inherit eternal life.  The man was asking Jesus, but Jesus just turned the question back to the man who did know the answer.

"He answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" ~Luke 10:27

The way is simple in theory.  Love God.  Love People.  This is not so easy to do in life.  It is way more difficult to love people and show mercy when a person deserves punishment, but that is exactly what Jesus taught.  He showed us all mercy in that He died in our place when we deserved to die for our sins.  We must in turn show that kind of mercy to others.  

Read more about Jesus's definition of mercy in Luke 10:25-37.  

Read about Daniel - order the book now for your children’s Easter baskets!

Happy Independence Day!!

Be safe everyone!

Lost in the Trees

I have been thinking about God's purpose in the period of trials. I came across this passage this morning about the early persecution of the church. These two verses captured for me what the results of the persecution became.


"But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." ~‭Acts‬ ‭8‬:‭3-4‬ (NIV)

Think about this for a moment.

The early church was experiencing a local revival in that small area. If they had not been persecuted and caused to scatter, the message may not ever have left that region. God was able to take that horrible time and use it for the purpose of getting His good news all over the wider area. It was an amazing time.

I know it hurts to be in the midst of trials, and I know we often cannot see beyond it from our perspective of the midst of the shadowy trees.  I know how horrible some of these times can be.

Know this, God is there. When you are hurting and cannot see beyond the pain, remember the character of God. Focus on who He is.  He never changes. He is my rock. He is my home base.  He is my safe haven.

Somehow, when I return to home base, my perspective changes, and I feel like my trials are not as looming as maybe they once felt. I know I will be ok.

So will you. 

Depression - A God Thing?

"At that very moment the Spirit of God left Saul and its place, a black mood sent by God settled on him.  He was terrified."  ~1Samuel 16:14 (MSG)

I'm having trouble with this passage.  In one version, the black mood is called a "distressing spirit from the Lord," and in other versions, an "evil spirit from the Lord."  The NLT version calls it a "tormenting spirit from God."

Whatever the malady was, it is clear that it was intentionally sent by God.  I asked why?
I didn't have to read much further to get the answer.

In that same chapter, we read that God created within Saul a need for David.  David was an accomplished musician.  Saul's people hired David to "tend to" Saul, and Saul was very pleased with him.  Whenever David played, the tormenting spirit would go away.  God needed David to be close to Saul to accomplish His purpose.

So, this brings me to my next question.  Does God still operate in this manner?  I do recognize that He allows bad things/evil things to happen, and that He can create good from it for those who ask Him.

My question is God more intentional than that?  Would God purposefully send a "tormenting spirit" to a person to establish a pathway for His divine purpose?  Does that contradict His nature?

This is something I do not have the answer for.  More study is needed.

Forever | Kari Jobe (Lyrics)

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Book Review: The Shack by Wm. Paul Young

I recently finished reading this book for the second time.  I don't know how I missed this book when it was released in 2007, but I am happy I got to read it now.

If you are like me, and had your head in the sand when the book was widely discussed and shared, pick it up now and read it.  It is a very influential work of fiction.

Click below if you want to read more.

God's Not Dead

I just finished watching God's Not Dead.  I have to admit, it was not the first movie on my list of movies to see, due to poor critical reviews (Rotten Tomatoes), but it was on Netflix, so I clicked on it.

I was captivated.

If you haven't seen this, watch this.  I was captivated by the exchange between the student and the professor, even though both were exaggerated characters.  I also enjoyed the exchange of the young pastor with the missionary.  I loved the way the writers loosely tied the characters together.

But I think my favorite scene is depicted here below.  To set the scene, we understand the guy to be a very mean lawyer, who does not think of anyone but himself, and the lady to be his mother, who is riddled in a dementia.

That's pretty neat.  

Take a couple hours, and press "play" on your online Netflix subscription.  It is worth your time.  

Got's Not Dead is still my favorite opening worship song at church.  

Facing the Giants

Average man on left, Anak giant on right

I read this passage this morning:

But the others said, "We can't attack those people; they're way stronger than we are." They spread scary rumors among the People of Israel.  They said, "We scouted out the land from one end to the other - it's a land that swallows people whole.  Everybody we saw was huge.  Why, we even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim).  Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers.  And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers." ~Numbers 13:31-33 (MSG)

Where is Your Eternal Place?

March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015

Thanks to social media, I found out Leonard Nimoy passed away today, as a result of Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Disease.  He played my beloved Mr. Spock in the television and movies series, Star Trek.  His character knew the sacrifices that needed to be made for others.

I am not sure where Mr. Nimoy stood in relationship with God.  Did he have the opportunity to hear the Good News?  Did he know God?  At the time of death, did he think about eternity?  I hope he did, and that he made the choice to believe.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Nimoy (I hope).  

Jail Bird for MDA

Hi Everyone,

Today is the day! I am "locked up" until funds are released to "make bail."  Help me make bail to get out on time to get to a meeting!

Muscular Dystrophy Association is an organization that sponsors research seeking the causes of and effective treatments for neuromuscular diseases.  The funds are also used to pay for kids to attend summer camp.

Muscular Dystrophy is a progressive disease, and often heartbreaking to watch as it progresses.

Consider donating!   Click on my personal page.

Kathy

About 50 Shades of Grey - by Erik Cooper

I came across this post yesterday, and with all the hype about the movie version of the book opening this weekend, I thought his advice was right on.  I had to chuckle when I clicked on his Spotify playlist.

You can find this post originally here.

Her eyes widened then quickly shifted down at the table as she moved uncomfortably in her seat. I had asked one of those awkward dad questions.

“So have you and your friends heard about this new movie ‘Fifty Shades of Grey?'”

She paused, then sheepishly acknowledged.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going where you think I am with this dialog. Relax.”

Revisiting Childhood

A couple weeks ago, I came across an interesting Facebook question: "What was your favorite children's book growing up?"  There was an overwhelming response, with over 100 people who chimed in, all with some cherished book that represented a fond memory.

 This made me reflect a bit about my own childhood experiences, and I found a couple books I remember begging to read over and over.  There was comfort in how the book would always turn out.  Later in life, I found books that my son would enjoy having read to him over and over.

Hope Begins in the Wilderness

There are times in my life that I cannot muster up any feelings.  Nothing makes me happy.  Nothing saddens me.  I feel nothing.  Life has no color.  These are the times that I must walk through each day pretending to care.  These are the times I just want to escape.  These are the times I just want to go "home" (my heavenly home).

I have no reason to feel depressed or down.  Life is good.  I have a home, family, friends, job, necessary material things, and a foundational belief in God.  So, why are there these times of my life that I find myself lost in the dark wilderness?  There's really no excuse for how I feel, and yet, here I stand in the dark.

When I get like this, I go to the writings of David and Solomon in the Bible.  These were two men who could describe this feeling, this despair, with such depth.  Consider this passage:

"So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling.  Everything is meaningless - like chasing the wind." ~Ecclesiastes 2:17 (NLT)

It helps to know I am not alone in my despair.  God is always there.  It is when I am here in the darkness of the wilderness that I find my hope.  He alone is my refuge, my rock, my shelter.  When I focus on Him and who He is, then my despair lessens.  I know I can count on Him.

Then, as I spend time in His presence, He begins to show me the light.  He shows me what is good and what is promised.  As I look at life through His eyes, I see what He cares about.  I see who He loves.  I see His purpose for me.  It is when I live my life in this purpose, then I feel right again.

We put our hope in the Lord.

He is our help and our shield.

In Him our hearts rejoice.

for we trust in His holy name.

Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord,

for our hope is in You alone.

~Psalms 33:20-22 (NLT)

Back to the Future - Reimagined

2015.

Here we begin a new year and one that find myself hopeful for what may be in store for us.  This is the year that Marty McFly time-traveled to in the second Back to the Future movie made in 1989.  What was imagined by the writers has come to fruition.  Well, some of it anyway.

Google Glass is very similar to the device worn by Marty's daughter to answer the phone.  Hover boards do exist (google it).  We use a thumbprint to unlock our screens on the smart phones.  Our world is dominated by flat screen televisions with multiple channels (still nothing on!).  We can make video calls (but who does that anymore?).

But, we still don't have flying cars or power-tying shoes.  We could only imagine so much in 1989.

The Redemption of a Grinch

I wrote this a couple years ago, and found myself needing the message again.  I have felt like Ebenezer Scrooge lately, or even like this Mr. Grinch.  I have allowed external negativity to become my internal state.  If I'm not careful, I may find my heart shrinking as I put my focus on the wrong things, and forget to think about the good things.  I need to put my actions into loving others.

Enjoy this one again.  Merry Christmas!

Every year, I find enjoyment in the classic Christmas movies.   One of my favorite movies is "The Grinch That Stole Christmas."  The vile grinch is described so well in the song.

Longing for a Wonderful Life

This is a central theme for our current adult class on Wednesday nights! Last week, we learned about hope.  This week, we will learn about peace. 

Who doesn't love the classic movie, It's a Wonderful Life? This movie is one we will watch every year as a tremendous reminder for us to appreciate the lives we have.  If you have not seen this, you should make a point to sit down and get lost in the story.

Who Can You Trust?

Yesterday, I got to see the movie, Mockingjay, at my favorite downtown theater.  This is the third movie of The Hunger Games trilogy, and it was only part 1.  As with any movie that does not finish the storyline, we are left hanging for what will happen in the end.

Happy Veteran's Day!

I could imagine some of our veterans experiencing something like Paul experienced.

"I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.

"I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm." ~‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭26-27‬ (NLT)

I want to thank the men and women who suffered on my behalf, fighting for the freedoms I still enjoy here in this country.

Happy Veteran's Day!
~Kathy