Weathering the Storms of Life

Posted on April 16, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”— Psalm 46:1(NIV).

For my first 16 years, I lived in Louisiana where preparing for a hurricane meant boarding up windows, stockpiling fresh water and non-perishable goods, checking the first-aid kit and having other necessities on hand. Residents were urged to have an evacuation route before the storm hit.

After moving to Oklahoma, it became necessary to prepare for another type of storm—a tornado. With a tornado, the window of opportunity to prepare is not as wide as it is with a hurricane. Therefore, a different plan of action is required. While an emergency kit and a family communications plan are encouraged, one must be constantly alert to changing weather conditions. Tornadoes can spawn rapidly so advance warning is crucial.

While it’s important to be prepared and to know what to do in case of an emergency, unexpected catastrophic events can occur without warning. We think our lives are running smoothly when an unpredictable storm leaves a path of destruction and suffering behind.  Life’s storms can come in the form of a cancer diagnosis, job loss after years of being a faithful employee or unexpectedly losing a loved one in an automobile accident. Living with someone who has a drug or alcohol addiction, the death of an elderly parent, having a child diagnosed with an incurable disease or experiencing the death of a spouse can shake up our world, leaving us grasping for hope.

We have a checklist to prepare for natural disasters. But what about a life storm? Are you spiritually prepared to weather the storms that come your way? Being spiritually grounded means we can face calamity with a peace passing rational understanding. Even in the midst of pain and suffering, having the right resources to guide us through the storm will result in calm.

How do we spiritually prepare? By spending time in conversation with God each day, listening for His voice, we will naturally turn to Him in prayer in the midst of any emergency. Prayer brings comfort and peace, sustaining us when we need it the most.

Second, having knowledge of scripture helps bring solace in times of trouble and can be an important tool during times of darkness in our lives. My favorite is the 23rd Psalm. Another is Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Finally, to be spiritually prepared for the storms of life, we need to participate actively in a community of faith. By worshipping on a regular basis and investing in the church with our financial gifts, time and talents, we have a family of faith to support us in times of trouble.

When we are spiritually prepared, we can say confidently, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

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Do You Believe This?

Posted on April 7, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

Jesus said to her, “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. Do you believe this?”—John 11:25-26 (NIV).

“It’s a big pat on the back for our understanding of the universe.” These words came last week from a physicist, commenting on the news from the European Space Agency’s discovery of the split-second that occurred after the Big Bang. Believing our universe burst in the blink of a second from subatomic size to its now visible expanse, the think tank was celebrating what they believe as evidence of how the world began.

“What a wonderful triumph of the mathematical approach to describing nature,” said another physicist, who was not a part of this new research. “It’s an amazing story of discovery.”

Another amazing story begins with these words: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The first words found in the Bible begin with a story I find easier to believe than a tiny subatomic particle exploding and creating the entire universe and everything in it. I readily admit that math has never been my strong point. I believe it takes more faith to believe in the Big Bang than it does in God.

According to a May 2011 Gallup poll, more than 9 in 10 Americans still say “yes” when asked the basic question “Do you believe in God?”

Christian author, Robert A. Laidlaw, said, “God exists whether or not men may choose to believe in Him. The reason why many people do not believe in God is not so much that it is intellectually impossible to believe in God, but because belief in God forces that thoughtful person to face the fact that he is accountable to such a God.”

As Laidlaw contemplated the perplexity of God, he said, “I have an innate conviction that God exists. No matter how my intellect had tried, in the past, to produce reasons proving He was not, or how much I had wanted to believe that there was no God, that ‘still, small voice’ came to me again and again, just as it comes to you, in the quiet of life’s more sober moments. Yes, I knew that at least for me there was a God.

“True, there are some men who don’t believe in God. But to me the problems of unbelief in God are greater than the problems of belief. To believe that unaided dead matter produced mind, that mind produced conscience, and that the chaos of chance produced the cosmos of order as we see it in nature, seems to call not for faith but for credulity.”

George Gallup, the American statistician, said, “I could prove God statistically. Take the human body alone—the chance that all its functions would just happen is a statistical monstrosity.”

Would you want to base your eternal future on a “statistical monstrosity?” Maybe that’s why David said in Psalm 14:1, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

Need a speaker for your event? Contact the author at carolaround@yahoo.com.

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Are You a Loser?

Posted on March 11, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” Philippians 3:7 (NIV).

“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”

When I read the above quote in “Guideposts” magazine, I was more than surprised at the source. Why? Because I am seeing a trend as more celebrities figure out that fame and fortune is not the answer to a joy-filled life. Actor Jim Carrey, famously known for some distasteful movie roles, is the man behind the quotation. I admit Carrey’s a brilliant actor. His statement gave me hope.

Hope is what we need in a fallen world. The standard dictionary definition of hope is “to feel that something desired may happen.” Those two words, “feel” and “may” are vague. For example, we might say, “I hope it will not rain on Saturday because we have a baseball game,” or “I hope my car will start today because it’s been giving me trouble.” We might also say, “I hope I get that job because it means a bigger paycheck.”

However, in Scripture, the word, “hope,” has a precise meaning for believers. According to the Hebrew and Greek translation of the word, hope is an indication of certainty. “Hope,” according to the scriptural use means “a strong and confident expectation.”

A synonym for expectation is anticipation. Romans 8:24-25 states, “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

What do you await eagerly? Is it the next sporting event? Maybe it’s the release of a highly-publicized movie everyone’s talking about or the next big thing in technology, soon to be replaced with an updated version, leaving that one obsolete?

Many believe that Christianity is on its way to becoming obsolete. A 2012 Pew Report revealed that one in five adults in this country have no religious affiliation. Theories abound with the rise of those claiming “none,” when asked about their association with a religious institution.

Can the church, made up of imperfect people, be one reason for this decline? Many rebel against an institution that does not practice what it preaches. Without attacking any church or group of individuals, I would like to challenge devout churchgoers to examine their lives in light of Christ’s command to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

The philosopher Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Lent is a time for self-reflection, a time to examine your life, and ask questions like, “Where is God on my priority list?” “Am I willing to make sacrifices in order to grow in my relationship with Him?” “Do I attend church out of social duty or do I really want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, losing everything for His sake?”

Will you say, “Yes?” The answer will determine your future.

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Your Love Letter to God

Posted on February 11, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment” Matthew 22:37 (NIV).

 Can you recall the last time you received a handwritten personal letter in your mailbox? I can’t.

Over lunch recently, a friend and I were discussing the lost art of letter writing. My friend commented on a box of letters written by her mother over the years. While the letters were not filled with anything important, they were a chronicle of what was going on in her parents’ lives at the time. “My mother wrote things that were not earth-shattering but a sharing of their lives,” she says. “When I go back and reread them occasionally, the words bring back such wonderful memories.”

Like me, my friend misses going to the mailbox to retrieve something besides a bill or junk mail, and maybe an occasional card. While some might complain about the price of a postage stamp, I think the cost is minimal compared to the thrill of someone taking the time to pen their thoughts on paper, place it an envelope and drop it in the mail. Although first class letters recently increased by a penny to 46 cents, I still think it’s a bargain.

In an age of cell phones, text messaging and e-mails, the longtime practice of writing letters to family and friends is becoming a thing of the past. Then, along came Twitter and those who tweet learned to express themselves in 140 characters—not words—or less.

Before the age of social media, people wrote genuine letters to their loved ones. Think of the history contained on the inked pages that document someone’s life. What of the letters written home to loved ones from the battlefields of war? I am sure the recipients treasured them, especially if their soldier never returned home.

When teaching high school, I would often receive a note, letter or card from one of my students or a fellow teacher. Although I have been retired from education since 2005, I still have those handwritten missives in a yellow file folder.

Deuteronomy 6:5-6 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heartand with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.”

Do you really love God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your strength? If you do, do you spend quality time with Him each day? When we love someone, we seek to spend time with that person as much as possible.

I begin each day reading the Bible and writing a love letter to God in my prayer journal. Since I started journaling 11 years ago, my intimacy with the Lord has grown. I now address Him in my journal as “Dear Abba Father.”

I challenge you to put God first in your life. Spend time with Him each morning. Write a personal love letter to your Heavenly Father. He loves to hear from His children.

Do you spend time with Your Heavenly Father each morning? Have you tried prayer journaling? If so, please feel free to share your experiences with me in the comment section below.
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New Year, New You—Every Day of Our Lives

Posted on January 21, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” Genesis 3:19 (NIV).

Advertising slogans in January tout “New Year, New You.” Usually, the companies behind these campaigns allude to our physical health and outward appearance. I thought about this during a recent house cleaning. As I was wiping a small rocking chair, which is 57-years-old, I reflected on the accumulated dust since the previous tidying only seven days before.

My thoughts turned to that morning’s Bible reading in Genesis. One of my goals—I started January 1—will actually take three years to complete. I purchased an in-depth study Bible with a three-year reading plan. Although I have been through many Bible studies at church, I am choosing to read, study and savor a chapter a day. Cleaning the black rocker, given to me as a two-year-old, made me smile as I thought about my mother wiping its surface when I was a child.

As I continued dusting the chair, I thought about God’s decree when He banished Adam and Eve from the garden. With their sin, humankind lost the promise of immortality. I also reflected on humanity’s striving to stay youthful, trying every new product that comes along to recapture their younger appearances and stave off the ravages of old age. As I cleaned, my thoughts turned to the realization that I will return to dust someday. My somber mood lifted when I thought about haunting my sons if I returned as a dust bunny.

Why did I find that thought so amusing? My sons love to tease me, especially about getting older. I remind them they, too, will continue to age. All of us will. We can’t escape it. However, we can embrace it.

When I began to experience the age-related, “What am I here for” disease, I was frustrated at first. If you haven’t heard of this malady, it happens like this. You get busy doing something in one room of your house. Then, you think of something else that needs to be done and you drop what you’re doing to go do the other thing that needs doing. However, when you arrive at your destination, you have to stop and ask, “What am I here for?”

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Paul encourages the church in Corinth: “Therefore we do not lose heart.Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Like the dust settling around us, many choose to focus on appearances, deciding the exterior is more important than what lies beneath. This year, ask God to renew you each day. Aspire to improve your spiritual life.

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Just For Today

Posted on December 28, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it” –Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

Did you know that 97 percent of New Year’s resolutions are never fulfilled? Oscar Wilde wrote, “A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”

Although 45 percent of us make New Year’s resolutions, many eventually ditch them, with 75 percent making it past the first week and 46 percent making it past the six-month mark.

According to research, most fail at following through because of unrealistic expectations, like “I’m going to lose 30 pounds by February 1.” While there is nothing wrong with making resolutions, when we set the bar too high, we are setting ourselves up for failure. What if we decided, just for today, we would do one thing to improve our physical, emotional or, more importantly, our spiritual health?

Author Jim Liebelt offers the following suggestions in hopes we might incorporate some into our daily lives.

Day 1:  Just for today, resolve to pray.

Day 2:  Just for today, resolve to say, “I love you” to someone.

Day 3:  Just for today, resolve to appreciate the world around you.

Day 4:  Just for today, resolve to save money.

Day 5:  Just for today, resolve to forgive someone.

Day 6:  Just for today, resolve not to compare yourself to anyone else.

Day 7:  Just for today, resolve to create some warmth in your home.

Day 8:  Just for today, resolve to exercise.

Day 9:   Just for today, resolve to read from the Bible.

Day 10:  Just for today, resolve to eat less.

Day 11:   Just for today, resolve to prepare for a future event.

Day 12:  Just for today, resolve not to demand the last word.

Day 13:  Just for today, resolve to make the most of that day.

Day 14:  Just for today, resolve to learn something new.

Day 15:  Just for today, resolve to eat a food you enjoy.

Day 16:  Just for today, resolve to say, “Please.”

Day 17:  Just for today, resolve to laugh.

Day 18:  Just for today, resolve to do something unusually nice for a family member.

Day 19:  Just for today, resolve to forgive yourself.

Day 20:  Just for today, resolve to sleep in.

Day 21:  Just for today, resolve to spend some time with family.

Day 22:  Just for today, resolve to be kind.

Day 23:  Just for today, resolve to give someone a choice. 

Day 24:  Just for today, resolve to make someone laugh. 

Day 25:  Just for today, resolve to do something nice for someone outside of your family. 

Day 26:  Just for today, resolve to say, “thank you.”

Day 27:  Just for today, resolve to pay someone a compliment.

Day 28:  Just for today, resolve to do something relaxing.

Day 29:  Just for today, resolve to do something nice for a complete stranger.

Day 30:  Just for today, resolve to do something out of the ordinary.

I would also add, just for today, let us rejoice and be glad in the day the Lord has made.

Respond to the author at carolaround@yahoo.com.

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If You Count Your Blessings

Posted on November 26, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“God did not spare his own Son. He gave him up for us all. Then won’t he also freely give us everything else?” Romans 8:32 (NIRV).

 While some people are still grumbling about the outcome of the election, many, like me, realize it does no good to complain. Because I was tired of hearing the negative campaign advertisements, I was certainly relieved when the election was over. We may not be happy with the results but if we look through the lens of faith, we can find hope in this lost world.

What if we quit complaining and started counting our blessings? As I write this, I am grateful to celebrate another birthday. I am blessed by the hundreds of birthday wishes I received on my Facebook page. Some of these well-wishers I have never met; however, through our connection in cyber-space, they reached out to help me celebrate the day I was born 59 years ago.

When I read the obituaries each day, I am reminded that there are those who are younger than I am or not much older who have already passed from this world. I am grateful for my health and the ability to do more than some who face serious disabilities and crippling illnesses.

When I survey what God has provided for me since I retired from teaching, I’m not only amazed, I am humbled. Am I rich? Not by man’s standards.  I am rich with a loving family, cherished friendships and a caring church family. Do I want for anything? No, a generous God supplies my needs on a daily basis. He has blessed me beyond measure. My cup overflows so that as Proverbs 11:25 says, “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

Recently, I was returning from an early morning walk when I noticed two teens who had missed their school bus. I knew where they lived but didn’t know them by name. They were walking ahead of me back to their house where I assumed someone would give them a ride. However, I felt God’s nudging to offer them a ride to school. At first, I resisted because I had a full day planned. I gave in to that still, small voice, ran to catch up with them and offered to drive them to school, which is across town. They accepted my offer because they were reluctant to wake their mother who works nights.

On the way, our conversation led to introductions. When the older teen said, “I am Hannah and this is my brother Eli,” I was astonished at the revelation because, as Hannah explained, their mother had chosen the names from the Old Testament. In Hebrew, Hannah means “grace” and Eli means “God on high.”

When I dropped them off at school, the two showered me with thanks. However, as I drove home, I realized I was the one who had received the greater blessing. Refreshed in spirit, I looked forward to the rest of my day.

If you count your blessings, you might realize that complaining is not an option.

Coming soon: Carol’s new book, “Sola Fide: by FAITH alone.”

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To Whom It May Concern

Posted on November 5, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name…’”—Matthew 6:9(NIV).

 Letter writing seems to be a lost art. I can recall writing letters of recommendation for students when I taught high school. I always requested the name of the person to whom I needed to address the letter, if it were available. “To whom it many concern” seemed so impersonal.

I thought about this phrase when we were discussing prayer and its role in our lives during a recent Sunday school discussion. Many people who know of God, but don’t know Him personally, seldom turn to prayer unless it’s an emergency. For those who do know Him personally, they don’t address their prayers, “to whom it may concern.”

In “Committed to Christ: Six Steps to a Generous Life,” author Bob Crossman, says, “To grow toward a deeply devoted prayer life, one must pray.”

We’ve made prayer complicated and difficult and it has somehow become lost, as Crossman says, “in all kinds of theological technicalities, liturgical formalities, and religious language.”

If you have read and studied the Bible, you know that Jesus began each day in prayer. In Mark 1:35, he tells us, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Do you think Jesus’ prayers to His Abba Father were elaborate? I doubt it. In Matthew 6, Jesus goes right to the heart of prayer when He says, “When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. Do not be like them.”

In his book on prayer, Richard Foster says, “What I am trying to say is that God receives us just as we are and accepts our prayers just as they are. In the same way that a small child cannot draw a bad picture so a child of God cannot offer a bad prayer.”

If we can’t offer a bad prayer, why do so many Christians not pray? Here are some reasons (excuses) I came across and my replies:

“I don’t have time.” You must make time. It’s a discipline, just like anything else—if you want it badly enough.

“God never answers my prayers anyway.” God has answered more of my prayers than I ever thought possible. Praying and waiting requires patience and perseverance.

“I don’t know how to pray.” Prayer is simply a conversation with God. You also have to listen more than you speak.

“Why would God want to hear from me anyway?” Because you are His child, He wants to hear from you. He loves you so much He gave His only Son for you.

“If I pray, God might want me to change.” Yes, He does. Prayer does that. It changes the one who prays.

We can come to God in simple prayer, knowing He hears our concerns. We don’t have to pretend to be holy or pure, we just have to be authentic.

Don’t forget to leave me a comment  below. Coming soon: Carol’s new book, “Sola Fide: by FAITH alone.”
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Picked from the Patch

Posted on October 28, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of”—Luke 6:45(NIV).

 Fall means cooler weather, leaves changing colors and the explosion of pumpkin patches. Children, especially, love picking a pumpkin to carve a face into the round fruit and then decorating it with a candle so the scary face glows in the dark.

When someone says, “pumpkin,” the first thought in most people’s minds is Halloween. For me, it’s pumpkin pie. However, I had never considered how a Christian is like a pumpkin until I came across the following story: A woman, recently baptized, was asked by a co-worker what it was like to be a Christian. She replied, “It’s like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in and washes all the dirt off you. Then he cuts the top off and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed and other sinful stuff. Then, He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for the entire world to see.”

While this may be a simplistic explanation of Christian transformation, it can give us pause to consider what it really means to be a Christ follower. First, it starts in the heart. While we can intellectually choose to believe, profess our faith through baptism and clean up our behavior, if we haven’t allowed Jesus to have complete access to our heart, what comes out of us may not be very Godly.

One way to monitor what comes out of us is to track our words. The Apostle Paul said, “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate” (1 Corinthians 13:1 MSG). If anger, criticism, bitterness and hatred spew out of our mouths, what does that say about our heart condition?

In Luke 6:45, Jesus says behavior starts in the heart, so we need cleaning from the inside out. Once our hearts are right, Godly behavior follows. We might try to hide the condition of our hearts by being insincere in what we say or do, but eventually the truth is exposed. God wants to give us a new heart, one scrubbed clean.

King David, confessing the sin in his own heart, invited God to change its condition: “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 HCSB).

In 1967, history was made with the first human heart transplant. Forty-five years later, science has made even more strides in medicine. However, there is only one way to be completely transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Have you allowed God to capture and clean your heart? When you do, He’ll also set a guard around it. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Coming soon: Carol’s new book, “Sola Fide: by FAITH alone.”

Leave a comment for the author below.

 

 

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Where is Your God?

Posted on October 22, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earthis full of His glory”—Isaiah 6:3(NIV).

 “Oh, that little bird just crashed into the glass.”

I turned to see what my friend was talking about and saw a hummingbird lying on the wooden porch of the restaurant where we were dining. Jumping up from my chair, I picked up the wounded bird, praying he could still fly. Cradling him in my cupped hands, I marveled at the intricate details of his body as he fluttered his wings and then climbed onto my index finger. He didn’t seem in a hurry to fly away and I was in no hurry to let him go, but I did. Lifting my finger so he could fly over the partial glass enclosing the porch, I released him. Amazed that I had actually held one of these tiny creatures in my hands, I turned to my lunch companions and said, “I’ve always wanted to hold a hummingbird.”

In Isaiah 6:3, the prophet wrote, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” Cradling that tiny creature in my hand was like holding a gift from God. While we don’t often get that kind of opportunity, how often do we overlook His glory around us every day? In our busy world, we rush from one thing to another. We are a multi-tasking society, trying to cram every hour of the day with activity.

German aviator Dieter F. Uchtdorf once said, “Isn’t it true that we often get so busy, and sad to say, we often even wear our busyness as a badge of honor as though being busy by itself was an accomplishment or a sign of a superior life. Is it? I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I’ve tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished. I can’t see it. Instead, I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day. When He interacted with those around, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time.”

In a world obsessed with speed, being first and having the best, is it any wonder we have lost sight of God and His glorious creation?  While God wants the first fruits of our labor, He also wants our time.

Before I realized that God wanted a personal relationship with me, I wore that badge of honor called busyness. My to-do-list would have put the Pentagon to shame. When I began to give Him the first fruits of my day, spending time in prayer, reading scripture and writing in my prayer journal, I began to see His glory everywhere. When I gave Him my to-do-list, I learned that He doesn’t ask us “to do” as much as He asks us “to be.”

Carol’s new book, “Sola Fide: by FAITH alone,” will be out in November.

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