Faithful love

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1,26 NLT

Central PA has several large caverns which are tourist attractions. In years past, we've visited most of the local ones: Penn's Cave, Indian Caverns, Lincoln Caverns and even the Seldom Seen Valley Mine - a man-made cavern which was once a working coal mine.

One thing that always impresses me is that moment when the guide shuts off the lights, leaving the guests to experience a moment of total darkness. To be in a place that's so dark you can't even see your hand in front of your face is a bit unnerving and I always felt better after the guide turned the lights back on.

But another thing that amazed me were the colors and shapes of the formations in the caverns. Formed by the constant drip of water through the limestone, great stalactites and stalagmites take on various shapes. Underground streams carve out rooms and other formations as in Penn's cave. The fact that God took such care to create so much beauty in a place few people would ever see inspires me!

God's love is faithful. He's constantly at work, sculpting his beauty in the darkest recesses of our hearts. When his light shines into those cavernous places, we can no longer see the darkness of sin, but we see the beauty of God's handiwork in our lives.

Thank you Lord for your faithfulness!

Prayer and praise

““O give thanks to the Lord. Call upon His name. Let the people know what He has done.” 1 Chronicles 16:8 NLV

God has given us some very unlikely weapons to fight the spiritual battles we face each day. On the surface, they don't look like they would accomplish much since they are only made up of words. But God has ordained them - they do work and are very powerful.

Prayer is one. It loosens the power of God so he can fight for and with us against the hard things that come against us.Because of prayer, God is able to do the impossible to save us out of difficult situations. Other times, prayer changes us somehow so that even if the circumstances in our lives don't change, we do. We can bear them and we can trust God to work the situations out for our good.

The other weapon is prayer's twin: praise. Praise is an extremely personal weapon in that it always affects us at the heart level. When we praise, our attitudes change - despair becomes hope; fear turns into trust.

This morning I read the testimony of a trafficking victim who was herded into shipping containers with several other women. She lived this way for three years but she still was able to retain her faith. How? She learned to sing praise songs to God in her darkest hours. And she taught the other women to sing with her.

Another prisoner was kept chained in a tiny, dark cell. He said the only part of his body not in chains was his mouth. Yet, he kept his faith strong by singing songs of praise to God. Somehow, another inmate heard him through a small hole in the stone wall and learned to sing the songs of praise. By the time he was released, 8 inmates had learned to sing praises to the Lord.

What ever kind of "prison" we live in today, we have the weapon of praise to heal, sustain and encourage us. The good news is that as we vocalize our praises, others are healed, sustained and encouraged too.

Thank you Lord for the twin weapons of prayer and praise. Teach us to wield them well! Amen.

Homegoing

“Let the teaching of Christ and His words keep on living in you. These make your lives rich and full of wisdom. Keep on teaching and helping each other. Sing the Songs of David and the church songs and the songs of heaven with hearts full of thanks to God.” Colossians 3:16 NLV

A tribute to my father-in-law, Floyd Winters who passed away on Wednesday, November 21, 2012.



We'll miss you Dad - see you soon in heaven.

Peace - Monday Moments with God

My Dear Child,

Some days, worries fill your mind. You worry about finances, family matters, relationships and all sorts of things. These worries steal away your peace, causing you to be afraid. They damage your ability to trust in me.

Don’t let your heart be troubled or afraid. I’m always with you and I want you to have a peaceful heart. I’m stronger than any enemy that might attack you. I’m bigger than your biggest difficulty. I know what lies ahead and will carry you in my hand through the storms.

The only thing preventing my peace from flooding your heart is your refusal to let me.

Love,

Jesus

Philippians 4:7 CEV Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NLT) Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

John 14:27 (NLT) I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Comfort food

Back in October, the pumpkins were everywhere: the big ones for carving and cooking, the little sweet pie pumpkins, and even my favorites - the long-necked squash pumpkins. I was ecstatic when I found some of my favorite kind right across the street at the stand of a roadside vendor. I bought one at the time, but they were a little pricy for the quantity I wanted.

When I got home, I asked the Lord to provide a couple more pumpkins of any kind for canning since my food budget was a little limited. Nothing happened at that point. Pumpkin season passed and I pretty much forgot I'd even asked my Father for them. But God never forgot.

This past week, my father-in-law passed away. The family had already made plans to come home for the day - partly because we wanted to get together like we did each year and partly hoping they could see dad alive one more time to say their last good-byes. But that's not the way it worked out.

After we got the news of his passing on Wednesday morning, I had an especially difficult time getting things ready for our big family dinner. Thankfully, my children were bringing much of the food because I couldn't focus on cooking. I think God knew I needed a special reminder of his love and care to help me through the holiday family time.

Thursday morning, my daughter and her brood arrived. As they got out of their van, six-year-old Sam struggled over to the porch carrying a large, orange pumpkin. Ten-year-old Jack brought another. Sam proudly proclaimed that his mommy couldn't possibly cook all her pumpkins - she had one for each of her 7 children - so she sent me the two biggest ones to can.

I remembered asking my heavenly Father for some nice big pumpkins to can and suddenly felt hugged by God. At a time when I needed to know his presence and comfort the most, he sent me a tangible reminder that he cares about me and the details of my life.

Thank you Father! Amen.

“Enter his gates with thanks; enter his courtyards with praise! Thank him! Bless his name! Because the LORD is good, his loyal love lasts forever; his faithfulness lasts generation after generation.” Psalm 100:4-5 CEB

Second chance tomato soup

The recipe for tomato soup was typed on a piece of onion-skin typing paper, in the days before we used personal computers. An older pastor's wife had taken the time to type it out for me when we tried out for the youth pastor position at their church, MANY years ago.

The soup she served us was excellent, but when I tried to make it a few years later, I took a shortcut, pureeing the tomatoes in my blender without slipping the skins first. I loved the flavor of the soup, but I kept getting pieces of tough skin in every jar with each bite of the soup. Ewwwww!

Considering it a failure, I tucked the recipe away in my stash. But I kept it because of the memories of the sweet woman who took time to mentor me - both in canning and as a pastor's wife.

I dug that old recipe out last week and tried it again with the frozen tomato juice from this year's garden. This time, I followed the directions - no skin on the tomatoes. Wow! It tastes phenomenal - better than tin-canned tomato soup. I will definitely not forget about this old recipe again.

It reminded me of an important life lesson: Listen to those who take the time to mentor you!



Thank you Lord for being patient with me, even when I try to do things my own way. Help me to eventually get it right and do it your way!

“Come, let’s sing out loud to the LORD! Let’s raise a joyful shout to the rock of our salvation! Let’s come before him with thanks! Let’s shout songs of joy to him!” Psalm 95:1-2 CEB

Home-canned Tomato Soup

by Sister Barriss from Jeanette, PA
Cook and puree:

• 1 Peck of tomatoes (about 15 pounds)
• Or use 6 quarts of home-canned tomatoes
• Or 6 quarts of home-canned tomato juice (use half the recommended salt and sugar if you used them to can the tomato juice)

Cook well and blend, then add pureed veggies to the tomatoes:

• 2 large ribs of celery
• 2 green peppers
• 6-8 onions (small to med)
• 1 Tbsp parsley flakes

Add to mixture and heat until all are well blended:

• 1/2 pound of butter or margarine
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of salt

Make a paste with 1 cup of flour and some of the tomato juice. Blend well then stir slowly into the tomato soup. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes.
Ladel the soup into your jars and process for 20 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure for a pressure canner

Find your strength in the Lord - Monday Moments with God

My Dearest Child,

Are you sad today?

Think about me and our relationship. Think about who I AM and my great power. Think about how much I love you - enough to leave all heaven's splendor to become like a human infant, helpless and dependent on my earthly parents for food and protection.

I know what it's like to feel limited and alone. As I hung on the cross, it felt like my heavenly Father looked the other way and for one awful, eternal moment, I hung there alone, forsaken. That's why I will never leave you or forsake you.

My Child, come to me. Look at me. Cry out to me. Tell me about your dreams, your hopes for the future. Confide your deepest hurts to me. I will listen to you and together we will work toward your future and your hope.

When you do this, I will help you grow strong and tall, like a mighty oak tree that's planted next to a cool refreshing stream of water. You won't lose your hope like the autumn leaves falling from the trees, but your hope will be firmly rooted in me and nothing will shake you.

Love,
Jesus

*Philippians 2:6-9, Jeremiah 11:29, Psalm 1, Psalm 22

Open the eyes of my heart

“Open my eyes so that I can see all the wonderful things in your teachings.” Psalm 119:18 ERV

I am constantly losing my keys or important papers or something else that I need. When that happens, I know exactly what to do. I pray.

Well - ok. I will be truthful here - often I panic, turning the house upside down before I pray. LOL!
God who knows everything, knows exactly where I laid those pesky keys or where I put those important papers. Praying about it helps me calm down so I can hear his voice to find those things.

Sometimes I will remember where I put that thing I seek. Other times, I'll get an idea where to look. But God has never failed to help me find the item I need.

The same thing happens when I'm writing. If I get stuck at a certain point and need some insight on what a character should say or do to move the story forward, I pray about it and sooner or later an idea comes to resolve my dilemma.

You see, God is great at opening up our eyes when we ask him to. And not just about the little things either. When the big things happen, those things that confuse, hurt or alarm me, I ask him to show me the situation through his eyes.

What a difference His perspective makes! When I see situations through his eyes, I can see his protecting hand; I see his help or his grace. Even thought I still may have to go through the difficulty, I'm not so afraid or confused.

Thank you Lord for being an eye-opener to me whenever I need to see things through your eyes. Amen.

Pray WITH Me - Part 2

But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. Luke 22:32 a (NLT)

For almost 80 years, Moses Xie served Jesus in his homeland of China. He became a Christian at age 14 and attended North China Seminary in the 1940s. Soon he became a leader in the Chinese Evangelistic Association and an editor for several Chinese Christian magazines.

However, in 1956, he was imprisoned for his faith. .At one point during his imprisonment, the persecution was so bad, he tried to end his life. But God stopped him, telling him it wasn't his time yet and that His strength was being made perfect in weakness.

For another 23 years, he remained interred at the prison camp, growing in his relationship with God and ministering to all who came to visit him. He often asked his visitors to pray for him because he understood the importance and power of praying with others.

1. Moses Xie knew that when others prayed for him, they were reaping the benefits of prayer in their own lives. As they entered God's presence to pray, they would receive a blessing from that time spent in his presence. In turn, those blessings would encourage deeper personal growth and more time spent in prayer.

2. As people pray for the persecuted church and its members, God is able to speak to them and open doors for them to help in other ways - including through their finances and mission's ministry.

3. As people become dedicated to praying, they become intercessors, willing to do battle together with God to bring about his will in those areas of heavy persecution. They begin to pray WITH those who are being persecuted that God will save their enemies and bring many souls to himself and not just for the safety or personal needs of those being persecuted.

After his release from prison, Pastor Moses Xie continued to preach about Christ, and was arrested several more times. He became a mentor to many young people through his continuing ministry.

He passed away at age 93 on June 30, 2011, leaving a great legacy of faith to the people he served.

Lord may our lives grow strong because of time spent with you - to the point where we are open to your prompting to help others and to pray with them for the salvation of friends and family around them. Amen.

Pray WITH Me

My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people. Ephesians 1:18 (CEV)

What is the difference between praying for people and praying with them? I never really thought much about it until I read an article about a persecuted Christian the other day.

When we pray for them, usually we're praying a personal prayer for that person. We are praying for God to work in their lives - for their health, their safety, and for God to meet their needs. We often ask God to deliver them from the circumstances in which they find themselves. But what we don't realize is that those circumstances might be the very things God is using to complete the bigger picture - to save their family, to bring about a deeper relationship or healing in their lives or to save many others.

When we pray with a person, we are uniting our hearts with theirs and asking God for the same things they are. For example, this persecuted Christian had spent many years in prison for his faith. But he always asked people to pray with him - that God would move in his land and use his persecution to bring many souls to Christ! He never asked people to pray for his personal protection or release from prison!

It's not wrong to pray for a person when they're going through difficult times. We've all been there - struggling and seeking a way out of the painful circumstances. But maybe we're missing the mark a bit because we fail to see what God sees in the situation.

I love Laura Story's song, Blessings. "What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights Are Your mercies in disguise?"

Lord teach me to see things through your eyes and to pray with those who are in difficult circumstances for your will to be accomplished. Amen

Giving from the heart

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. Luke 6:38 (NLT)

When going through difficult circumstances, it's easy for our focus to shift from the Lord to our own feelings, especially if we're experiencing fear. Fear has fangs that easily burst our bubble of faith.

When that happens, we withdraw emotionally from the Lord and others. We tend tighten the hold we have on what we've got - whether it's our finances or our possessions, or even the prayer and emotional support we normally give to others.

You know what I mean. Those days you feel so emotionally drained, you'd rather stay in bed with the covers over your head than doing something for someone else or thinking about the problems of those worse off than you.

Rather than giving to others freely we turn away from them because we're afraid we won't have anything left if we give it all.

It's a lot like the illustration of the monkey with his hand in the narrow-mouthed cookie jar. He could easily slide his hand into the jar, but when he grasped the cookie in his fist, he couldn't remove his hand from the jar. But he still refused to let the cookie go because it belonged to him. Even if he couldn't eat it himself, he still possessed a cookie. But if he let it go, he feared he wouldn't have anything at all.

Yet, the scriptures are filled with stories of those who faced dire circumstances and still shared freely with others. The widow who only had enough oil and flour to make one last meal for herself and her son is a good example. When Elijah came to her and asked her to share her last meal with him, she did it freely and God blessed her with an inexhaustible supply until the famine ended. (1 Kings 17:10-16)

Even in his darkest hours, the Lord only thought of us. In the predawn hours he spent praying in Gethsemane's garden, he loosed his hold on his physical life as he prayed, "Not my will but thine be done." As he hung on the cross dying, he prayed for forgiveness for his enemies because they didn't understand what they were doing. He gave up his life so that we might have eternal life.

To be able to loosen our fists on our possessions or on our mental and emotional resources in order to help others around us who are in need, is at the heart of the Gospel of Christ. Especially when we're going through rough patches in life ourselves, the act of giving to others with a heart of love allows the Lord to give back to us - joy during our discouragement and materially to meet our needs.

We don't give in order to get - we give because we're already been given so much! And when our hands are empty, God refills them again so we can give some more. Amen!

Sin stains

““I, the LORD, am the one speaking to you. Come, let’s discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18 ERV

The new carpet was pristine white, the last thing to be installed before the completion of the renovations. The home owner stood there admiring it and decided to have a party to celebrate the completion of the home renovations.

The guests began to arrive and soon everyone was having a great time, eating and drinking. Then it happened. One guest spilled some dark red wine on the new white carpet.

The hostess declared it was ok since the carpet was that new stain resistant brand as she hurried off to the kitchen to get some towels to blot it up. She grabbed the special spot cleaner that the installers left to complete the job, pitching the product to all the television viewers.

You've gotta love television commercials. In this one, the stain miraculously disappears after treatment, leaving no traces of the dark red wine. Whether the cleaners work as well in real life is debatable, but at least the commercial offers hope. LOL!

Our lives are a lot like that carpet - through everyday wear and tear, they become stained with sin: by the things we do, the things we fail to do or the careless words and actions of others. It's inevitable as we live in a sin-tainted world.

There is only one way to remove those sin stains from our lives - through the shed blood of Jesus. As we ask him for forgiveness for the things we have done or failed to do, his blood cleanses us from every sin and we are as pure as that white wool carpet in his sight.

As we choose to forgive others for those things they have done to us, his blood works to cleanse and heal our hurting hearts - wiping away the stains which could cause us to hurt others down the road.

If you're tired of looking at the dingy carpet of your life, call on Jesus today - he will cleanse and heal you. He's the only product on the market today that can clean your heart 100% - guaranteed!

Bountiful Boxes

This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others! 1 John 3:16 (GNT)

I always love this time of year because it signals our church's Operation Christmas Child shoe box collection week. Everybody seems to get into the spirit of things as they pack shoe boxes full of toys, school supplies personal care items and well...lots of neat stuff!

Besides the joy I see on our students' faces as they pack the boxes, I personally love the stories that come from the children who receive the boxes. Several memorable ones stand out in my mind:

One little orphan boy didn't have much. But he learned in his orphanage Sunday School class that Jesus answered prayer. The only thing he wanted more than anything was a pair of gloves, so he prayed each night for Jesus to give him some gloves. He fully expected to wake up in the morning and find a pair of gloves at the foot of his bed, but it didn't happen.

That didn't dampen this young boy's faith though. He continued to pray. One day the Operation Christmas Child team came to his orphanage and distributed gift boxes. When he opened his box. he found the gloves he prayed for, and also a hat and scarf. Now he wears his hat constantly and proudly tells people that God answers prayer.

Another child received a box filled with nothing but socks. He began to weep when he opened the box. A worker came over to him and told him they could get him another box if he would rather have some different things, but he clutched the box to his chest and refused, still weeping as he told the worker why he was crying. The child had a foot disease and needed to wear socks to keep his feet from becoming infected. Being poor, his parents could not afford to buy the socks. God had answered his prayer for the socks he so desperately needed.

It never ceases to amaze me how God can orchestrate even the contents of a small shoebox, giving it to exactly the right child in answer to a prayer! I can't wait to hear more stories of this year's distribution!

Lord, help us to show our love in the care we take to fill our boxes. Show us other ways we can give our lives for others. Amen.

God has a plan!

“God told us the secret of what He wanted to do. It is this: In loving thought He planned long ago to send Christ into the world. The plan was for Christ to gather us all together at the right time. If we are in heaven or still on earth, He will bring us together and will be head over all.” Ephesians 1:9-10 NLV

Reality TV shows are fun to watch. One of my favorites is "Chopped," a cooking show where four chefs compete for a $10,000 prize.

In each round there are four items in each chef's food basket, some unusual, some crazy and some normal items. They must choose what they will prepare and how to do it almost instantly as the items are revealed. I mean, really..., how can you incorporate gummy bears into a beef main dish? I'd have to think about that for quite awhile before starting to cook!

Then the fun begins as the clock starts ticking and they go to work creating their restaurant quality appetizers, main course and desserts in a short period of time.Usually something will go wrong - something burns, a key ingredient gets prepared, but left off the finished plate or they are working so hard and fast that they forget to season it properly.

At the end of each round, the dishes are judged on taste, creativity and presentation by a panel of three celebrity chefs who chop the least successful contestant from the competition. In the last round, one of the remaining two chefs is selected as the chopped champion.

While I enjoy watching it, I know I could never compete like that because my brain just doesn't work that fast. Whenever I do something, whether it's making a craft, cooking a meal or putting together a lesson for youth church, I have to have a plan. Then I have to plan how to execute my plan. And of course, I have to follow my plan. LOL!

Thankfully, God doesn't make up his plan for the world on the spur of the moment as time whizzes by. He lovingly thought things out and planned every detail of our lives as well as the details of the universe a long time ago. At just the right moment of time, he sent Christ to earth to fulfill that part of his plan. And he's still working to orchestrate the final phases of his plan to bring us together with him, with Christ as the head over all.

It's exciting to watch as God's plans for our lives come to fruition. We may have some nail-biting moments as we watch it all come together, and it may seem like it won't work, but the fact is, he has everything under control Unlike the chefs on "Chopped," every bite of God's plan will work perfectly with no failures or inedible results!

Thank you Lord for being in control of my life and of the world around me. Even when it seems chaotic, help me to trust your wisdom and your plans. Amen.

Our all-seeing God - Monday moments with God

My Dearest Child.

I know you by name. I know where you are going and why. I know you feel like running away because things hurt so bad, you don't feel like you can bear them. But there is no need to run from the difficulties of your life, for I am here with you in the midst of them. I am El Roi, the God who sees you.

No matter how bad things look, I have a plan already in place for you. Go back; meet your struggles head on and rest in me. You may think you are alone in the wilderness of your struggles, but I am there. I see how life buffets you, causing you to run and hide. I see how you weep, alone in the night, ready to give up and die because you hurt so much inside.

Hold my hand and walk through the difficulties with me. I will bless you and hold you up for I am the God who sees you.

Love,
Jesus

* Based on Hagar's story in Genesis 16:13.

Because of the acts of others, we are often bruised and beaten down, finding ourselves in painful circumstances. We may even feel like running away, but El Roi sees and cares for us. He comes to us, offering to help bear the pain we feel, strengthening us and building us up according to his plan. Hold the hand of the God who sees you as you face the most difficult circumstances of your life today.

COWs in the craft room

“But you are God’s chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done. The Scriptures say,” 1 Peter 2:9 CEV

One of my favorite commercials these days are the California Dairy commercials. In one commercial, there is a group of girls having a play date. The moms are sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee and talking. At one point the noise from the upstairs bedroom gets out of hand so the hosting mom calls upstairs, telling them to keep the noise down. The scene flashes to the bedroom where the black and white Holstein cow is the instigator.

That commercial reminded me of an elite group I belonged to several years ago: the C-O-W Sisterhood. I'm not sure what it stood for - maybe "Crafts Or Whatever" - but I proudly wore the stamped "C-O-W" letters to church on my right arm. Whatever the letters stood for, to me, they signified a bonding time together with the young teen girls in our church.

Those girls loved crafting. Since I had a whole room full of card making tools and sewing supplies, I invited the group of giggly girls over to the house to play in my craft room.

 No rules - just be careful with the tools and put one thing back before getting another out so I didn't have a huge mess to deal with later. Every scrap of paper, every tool and every crafting supply was available to use.

What a fun time! The girls quickly busied themselves with projects and just talked all afternoon. Somehow cows became a theme of the day. When suppertime rolled around, we carried the fun into the kitchen and decorated pizzas.

All too soon it was over, but before heading off to church, we each received the "C-O-W" stamps on our right arms and promised to do it again. Of course, the ink smudged and  got on everything else, but to me, it became a symbol of bonding with the girls - a way to impact their lives with the Gospel through an afternoon of fun.

God has stamped his image on our hearts, bringing us into his elite group of chosen people. He has given us each unique gifts and talents to use to shine into the darkness of this world so that others might see his light to follow him.

What unique talents and abilities has God given you? How can you use those abilities to reach the world around you for him?

Prayer warriors needed in the aftermath of Sandy

Never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

As reports of Sandy's destruction begin to pour in, this verse seems appropriate.

Though we didn't suffer drastically from the hurricane, many of our sister churches and their pastors did. Church buildings along the coast suffered flood damage. Many of their members lost their homes and possessions due to the flooding and high winds.

One story in particular stands out - that of a pastor in NYC. Two weeks ago, he lost his father to cancer. Then while cleaning out a halfway house run by his father, the pastor was severely burned as a can of solvent exploded. He was undergoing skin grafts when Sandy hit. Their home was lost to flooding and fire as well as their two cars. Please remember to pray for this pastor, his wife and three children. I'm sure the losses of the past two weeks seem overwhelming. They will need the prayers of God's people to hold them up even though their world seems to be crumbling around them.

All we have to do is listen to the news for many other heartbreaking stories of loss and destruction from this storm to fuel our prayers. The needs seem overwhelming, but we serve a BIG God and prayer is the best weapon we have against these overwhelming circumstances.

Pray for those who've been affected and pray about what you can do to help!

As you hear of the needs in the aftermath of Sandy's destruction, make time to pray today!