Finding Peace in a Shaky World

Posted on May 5, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”—Romans 15:13 (NIV).

A ringing phone after midnight jolted me from a deep sleep. Expecting to hear one of my sons on the other end, I jumped into action when I heard the recorded voice telling me to take cover immediately. At the same time, I heard the tornado sirens blaring. Grabbing my glasses, my dog and my bed comforter, I headed for the safest place in my house—a long hallway.

My heart raced as adrenaline kicked into survival mode. Lying in the hallway, I could hear the strong wind and blaring sirens as my dog and I huddled under the comforter. For what seemed like an eternity, I lay there praying. After the sirens and wind ceased, I headed back to bed, but could not sleep. Turning on the television, I listened for updates as the storm moved across northeastern Oklahoma. Communication with the outside world via Facebook and texting on my cell phone kept me connected with friends and family who were still in the path of the storm.

Storms of all kinds can keep us from finding peace in a shaky world. Two recent national incidents not only destroyed lives but also rattled our peace. With the Boston Marathon bombing and the explosion of a Texas fertilizer plant, people across the nation have heavy hearts.

It’s hard to comprehend the hideous act in Boston but within hours of the bombing, Internet chatter claimed that a “dark-skinned male” was in custody. The 22-year-old Saudi Arabian student was recovering from the blasts in a Boston hospital while police raided his apartment. Other media followed, raising the alarm and suspicions that the perpetrators were “brown-skinned.”

Premature reports like these led to incidences of insults and beatings heaped on “dark-skinned” foreigners who had no connection to the event. A Palestinian woman in Boston was assaulted by a man who said, “You are terrorists! I hate you! You are involved in the Boston explosions!”

The rush for indictment and revenge is not the answer, nor does it bring peace in a world so desperate for understanding. For some, a prayer vigil or service was a way to gather with others to spiritually support the bombing victims, the city of Boston, and even pray for the perpetrators. For others, it was a way to seek answers—or peace, in the face of unsettling evil.

America has suffered much at the hands of both foreign and domestic terrorists. We have become suspicious and fearful. Being fearful, however, robs us of our peace, a peace only found when we are grounded in our faith through spiritual practices like reading scripture, prayer and being part of a faith family. Our faith should lead us to reach out to the hurting, to the disenfranchised, to the lost, to the poor.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.”

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As Seasons Change, So Do Our Lives

Posted on April 22, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“But God was always there doing the good things that prove He is real. He gives you rain from heaven and good harvests at the right times. He gives you plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy”— Acts 14:17(ERV).

 Across the nation, winter has clung tenaciously, refusing to give in to spring, which officially announced its presence on man’s calendar last month. However, that hasn’t stopped early-blooming flowers, like Phlox and Hyacinths, from revealing their faces. These two plants, growing in my flowerbeds, withstood recent cold snaps, including some light snow several weeks ago.

However, these early spring flowers do not last long. My Hyacinths are already fading. but the Phlox hasn’t yet reached its peak. Other perennial flowers in my beds will begin to reveal their beauty soon and as I add colorful annuals, the blooms of both will provide a harvest of splendor and joy. They also provide nutrition for bees, butterflies and birds, gracing my life with their presence.

Although I appreciate each season, working in my flowerbeds in the spring and summer bring a peace that only those who love getting their hands dirty in God’s good earth can understand. We are the ones who eagerly anticipate the delivery of new flowers, shrubs and trees to local nurseries and home improvement stores. We listen to the weatherman, praying that his forecast will announce the end of winter weather, even if the calendar claims the arrival of spring.

Just as the seasons change in nature, the seasons of our lives change as well. Our marital status may change. Our children will grow up and leave home (hopefully). We’re hired for a job but then laid-off.  Our parents will pass away. We move to a different house or community because of status changes, including job moves, downsizing or divorce. We face critical health issues or lose a loved one unexpectedly. We look in the mirror each morning and see new wrinkles and grey hair, if we still have hair.

Recently, a friend and I were discussing the upcoming move of neighbors with an elementary-aged son who is not looking forward to leaving his friends. We both agreed that it is probably easier on younger students to adjust in a new school system than for older ones. However, I can recall being uprooted at age 16 to move almost 600 miles to a rural area where my mother had been raised. My sister and I adjusted well, even though we had to leave childhood friends behind.

In any aspect of our lives, we will move from a place of security into the unknown. Embracing those changes in our lives can be difficult. However, if we see these changes as opportunities for growth, anticipating what God will do next in our lives, we can adjust, with His help. He will provide whatever we need in any season of life, just as He provides whatever nature needs to flourish.

Find a way to embrace the beauty of each new season of your life. Know that nothing stays the same forever, except our Heavenly Father.

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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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Every Day is a Holiday

Posted on September 17, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”—Psalm 118:24 (ESV).

Have you heard of National Hummingbird Day, National Cheese Pizza Day, Be Late for Something Day, National Iguana Awareness Day, Make Your Bed Day, and one of my favorites, Eat an Extra Dessert Day?

Although most don’t celebrate these unusual days, I was intrigued by the list at the “Holidays for Everyday” website. Some I had never even heard of, but I might implement a few, like an extra dessert on September 4. Oops, I missed that one. Is there such a thing as celebrating belatedly?

I’ll pass on the day to observe awareness of the iguana as I don’t care for lizards. I make my bed each morning so this means I celebrate this holiday daily. I love the hummingbirds who visit my feeder each morning but I don’t know how to make their day special. Be Late for Something Day was celebrated on September 5 but as of this writing, I have two appointments for which I cannot be tardy. I had to skip that one too. That leaves National Cheese Pizza Day, observed on September 4, which has already passed too. However, when I do eat pizza on a rare occasion, I like one loaded with extra veggies.

According to this same website, September 13 is Positive Thinking Day. September 15 has been designated National Thank-You Day. The third Tuesday in September is the International Day of Peace and the 21st is World Gratitude Day. The fourth Sunday in September is a time to observe Good Neighbor Day, while September 28 is Family Health and Fitness Day. What do these six holidays have in common? If you think about it, you will see the connection between these celebrations and scripture.

I located 64 Bible verses about positive thinking, 70 about thankfulness and 54 on gratitude. What about peace? I found 199 passages. I also discovered 90 verses about our neighbors. Looking up the word health, I found 44 verses and 12 about fitness. Verses about the family numbered 116.

Another commonality they share is the relationship between our attitudes and the kind of day we experience when we are living it for God. Consider Psalm 118:24. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

If we would begin each day recognizing, regardless of our circumstances, that it is a gift from God, our outlook on life would change. With a positive attitude, we would be grateful, giving thanks, not only to God but also to those He has placed in our lives, including those neighbors we might consider pesky. Think how peaceful our world would become if we observed these holidays, not just on calendar-specific days, but every day. The result would be healthier relationships within our families, within our communities, within our countries and within the world.

We shouldn’t wait for a special day to celebrate but treat each day as one which the Lord has made. That’s a reason to rejoice.

Email your comments to the author at carolaround@yahoo.com or leave a comment below.

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Who Needs a Hug Today?

Posted on August 27, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”—Colossians 3:12 (NIV).

When I am away from my ten-year-old dog for several hours, he greets me at the door and lavishly covers me with kisses and a hug. Recently, my youngest grandson observed this ritual affection, and said, “Taco sure loves you, Nana.”

I didn’t have to teach my beloved pet to love me. Like God, he loves me unconditionally. Like God, Taco demonstrates his love and devotion in many ways, including the hugs I receive. How does a dog provide a hug when he has no arms to wrap around me? He tucks his head underneath my chin and leans his small body into mine.

An Internet search about the power of hugging turned up the story of a woman who lives in south India. Amma, which means “mother” in her native language, has dedicated her life to helping others through the simple gesture of a hug. At the writing of the article in 2007, Amma is said to have blessed and consoled more than 26 million people throughout the world. Many know her as “the hugging saint.”

When people learn Amma is visiting in the area, they go out of their way to meet her. She seems to have tapped into a deep and essential need that we all have—a need for affection and the human touch.

“Love is not ordinary,” Amma says. “Love is what sustains life. Whatever we do it is only to get love. There are two types of poverty in this world. The first one is, you know, financial. The second is poverty due to lack of love, the second one is more important. If we have compassion, we will automatically help.”

Hugging not only helps the receiver but benefits the giver as well. While we take our mental and physical health seriously, trying to improve our daily lives with exercise, healthy eating and even supplements, we often overlook one simple thing that scientific studies have shown to be effective in keeping our heart and mental outlook healthy. It’s the power of a simple hug.

Scientists have discovered that we are “hard-wired” to thrive as social animals. Further research reveals that daily hugs actually lower the output of cortisol, a stress hormone, and increases the two “feel good” brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine.

A hug has been known to break down barriers when words cannot. We can bond with a hug and find comfort in this simple human interaction. This gesture towards another human being is easy and costs nothing but a simple act of caring and kindness.

My Internet search also revealed the following top ten benefits of hugging: costs nothing, boosts your immune system, builds self-esteem, fosters self-acceptance, alleviates tension, helps curb appetite, saves heat, is portable, requires no special setting or equipment and best of all, it feels great.

Who needs a hug from you today? Give one, get one. It’s that simple.

Take “The 40-Day Challenge.”  Go to www.carolaround.com and download your e-book today, available free until September 9. Email your comments to the author at carolaround@yahoo.com.

 

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Help Me Lord, I Need Some Direction

Posted on July 9, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations”–Psalm 33:11 (NIV).

 Have you ever been lost? I have. I am not only directionally challenged but can get lost with a GPS, especially if I ignore the “voice” giving me orders to go right or turn left. Our relationship with God can be just like that. We can get lost in the cacophony of a noisy world shouting, “Follow me. I’ve got all the answers,” or “If you buy this gadget/book/pill, your life will be transformed in three easy steps.”

 While following God is not always easy, His path is clear. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

 Determining God’s path for my life only came after I surrendered my will to His. I did not invite Him to be the Lord of every breath I take until I was in my late 40s. I can still recall that peaceful fall afternoon in 2001 when I prayed aloud for the first time. My prayer follows:

 “God, please help me. I need some direction in my life.”

 Since that day, more than 10 years ago, I have been seeking His guidance, His plans and His goals for my life. Have I gotten it right every time? No. However, my prayer journal entries reveal a woman who has grown closer to Him, a woman who has learned to trust that “still, small voice,” that is often drowned by the outside world. That is why keeping a prayer journal has helped me to distinguish between the world’s shouts and His quiet whisper, telling me to go this way or that.

 I recall a journal entry in July 2003 when I was considering a job change. Although I had been encouraged by friends to apply for the position, I was uncertain. I was only two years from retirement. However, the new job, if I got it, would mean substantially more money and a heftier retirement check. I was not afraid of change but I had been a part of the faculty for 28 years in the same school system. I didn’t have peace about the change, even if others were encouraging me to apply.

 I did apply. On the morning of my scheduled interview, I read Proverbs 3:5-6 before journaling my prayer to God.

“With all your heart
you must trust the Lord
and not your own judgment.
Always let him lead you,
and he will clear the road
for you to follow.”

Immediately, I felt a peace settle around my soul. Whatever the outcome of my interview, I knew God was in control. I praised God in my journal for making His presence known to me that morning. I didn’t get the job. However, God’s plans for me were much better than I could ever have imagined.

 If you’re struggling with identifying His plans for you, try writing a letter to Him in a journal. Ask Him to show you the way. He will. You just have to trust that “still, small voice.” He won’t lead you astray.

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Are you lost?

Posted on June 11, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).

In my late 40s, I began to keep a prayer journal because I was lost. I began to ask myself, “Who am I?”  My nest was empty. I no longer felt needed by my sons, one of whom had married. The other had just started college. I also went through a divorce after my 28-year marriage ended. I no longer could identify myself as a wife or a mother. Through journaling, I rediscovered the most important part of myself. I was a daughter of the most High God—a God who cares about me, a God who hears my prayers and a God who wants a relationship with me.

Since that time, more than 10 years ago, my life’s journey has become intentional. Instead of allowing my peers and the whims of passing fancies to lead me, my goal has been a deeper relationship with my Heavenly Father, who longs to meet each of us at the heart of who we are and all that we hope to become.

I had no idea the trials I would face after rededicating my life to Him in the fall of 2001. My journal has become a place to record my cries for help as well as the outcome of many of those times of despair. The pages of my journal have helped me to find the beauty of God’s activity in my life and the lives of those I love. When my ink pen flows across the page with words inspired by the Holy Spirit, I find clarity in my life.

Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It is peace I find after spending time with my Heavenly Father each morning, pouring out my heart to Him in praise and supplication on the written page.

If I could choose the most important differences in my life since I began keeping a journal each morning, it would be the following:

  • A peace like no other. When my world and the world around me is in turmoil, I know where my peace comes from.
  • The knowledge of who I am and whose I am. I spent most of my life living up to other people’s expectations. Now, I live for Him.
  • Contentment with who I am and what I have. Many of us live our lives in discontent and seek things outside of God to satisfy that longing that can only be filled in a relationship with Him. Material possessions will never satisfy.

James 4:8 reads, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Do you want to draw closer to God? By expressing your thoughts, your feelings and your insights in a journal, you will be surprised when you discover God in the process. In turn, He will use your journal as an instrument to transform you. Your journal will also become a way of holding yourself accountable to spiritual maturity.

 

 

 

 

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Can You Shout Hosanna?

Posted on April 2, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“So they took branches from palm trees and went out to meet him. They shouted,‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’” —John 12:13(NIRV)

We observed Ash Wednesday last month with the tradition of placing ashes on our foreheads as a sign of repentance to God. Before we began, our pastor reminded us that the ashes were from the burned palm branches waved by the children in the 2011 Palm Sunday service. I was amazed at how the time had flown. Hadn’t my grandchildren just joined with other children in the church to march into the sanctuary, waving their palm fronds and shouting, “Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna!”

In the gospel of John, the apostle tells us that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem when the crowds met Him. As He rode into town on a donkey, the crowds greeted Him with shouts of “Hosanna” and with the waving of palm branches. “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!”

Zechariah 9:9 foretold this day. “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

According to history, the donkey was domesticated in Mesopotamia. Used as a beast of burden and renowned for its strength, the donkey was normally ridden by nonmilitary personnel. However, scripture indicates riding a donkey was not beneath the dignity of Israel’s noblemen and kings. 1 Kings 1:32-40 tells us David indicated His choice of Solomon as king by decreeing  that the young man should ride on the king’s own mule.

Jesus didn’t ride into Jerusalem on a war horse but on a lowly beast of burden. While the people, including the disciples, didn’t realize the significance of this fulfilled prophecy at the time, the symbolism behind His choice of transportation should not be forgotten today. The Prince of Peace, who came so we all might find peace and rest in His sheltering arms, chose a lowly animal to help announce that He is the Messiah.

How many place hope in the next election, praying that a chosen candidate will lead our government and get us out of this mess? Why do we keep looking for a great military leader to ride in on a stallion and save the day? How many look to man to help them escape from the problems we have all helped to create? Things are no different today than they were when Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day over 2,000 years ago.

Our Savior didn’t come just to liberate us from our worldly adversaries, He wants to free us from all our enemies, from the root of all our problems—sin, evil and death itself. He came to challenge our values and our notions of dominion in every way. So, what are we to do with a Messiah who came in peace, humility, and riding on a lowly donkey?

Can you shout, “Hosanna?”

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