Spinning around in circles

“May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 GNT

Eggo is a 10 year old Chihuahua who belongs to our daughter, but we offered to keep her when our daughter moved into a small apartment a few months ago.

Although she is a very vocal, yippy little dog, she does make us smile with some of her antics. Whenever I ask her if she needs to go outside, she scoots around the dining room table several times or dances around in circles until I can get the leash attached to take her out. If we've been gone for a period of time during the day, she will greet us in much the same way with happy little yips and circle spins as we pet and greet her.

Whenever I see her spinning around, I'm reminded of a definition of the word "rejoice" that I heard several years ago. According to the Ancient Hebrew Research Center, the Hebrew word most often translated as "rejoice" refers to spinning around in a circle.

There are times I get excited about the Lord here and now. I can only imagine an excitement so uncontainable that it causes me to spin around in circles when I see him face to face! How about you?

Lord, I rejoice at the thoughts of your coming. Amen!

Reducing spiritual "eye strain"

“I look up to the hills, but where will my help really come from? My help will come from the LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 ERV

As a writer, I spend several hours each day in front of a computer screen. But all this close up work can leave my eyes tired and cause head aches if I'm not careful to take time to rest my eyes every so often.

While working for an optometrist about 18 years ago, I learned a simple trick to relieve some of that eye strain. He suggested that each hour I take off my glasses for a few minutes and look away from the computer screen. It wasn't enough to merely look away, though. He wanted me to find a comfortable chair facing a window. Then he told me to concentrate on looking up at the top of the tallest building, tree or mountain I saw out the window for about 5 minutes!

By changing the focus of my eyes to a distant object out the window, it gave the muscles that control the eye movement a chance to return to their relaxed state instead of the tense, close-up state needed for reading the computer screen. It didn't matter if the object was blurred because it wasn't about seeing it clearly - it was about relaxing the muscles supporting the eyes. Also, by getting away from the computer to a comfortable chair, the whole body had the opportunity to relax after the tension of the typing posture.

Over time, I've noticed this eye muscle-relaxation exercise has other benefits. When I'm writing, it gives me a chance to stop focusing on the words God gives me to write for a few minutes and to focus instead on the God who gives the words. It gives me time to commune with him and to gain his perspective on the story's direction and purpose. If there are other distractions which prevent me from hearing his voice clearly, this mental pause helps me to refocus on him alone.

Like the Psalmist, I look at the far-away mountains, but I'm not necessarily seeing them clearly. They're just directing my eyes toward the God who created them. My help, my ideas and the words I write really come from him - and when I pause to reflect on that, it rests my heart as well as my eyes, giving me the motivation and help I need to keep writing.

Father, help me to pause as often as needed to focus my spiritual eyes on you - for you are the one who gives rest to my soul! Amen.

Caregiving

“I will still be the same when you are old and gray, and I will take care of you. I created you. I will carry you and always keep you safe.” Isaiah 46:4 CEV

My mother started having memory problems when she was in her early 60s. It wasn’t until she was about 66 years old that she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a dreaded disease that slowly stole her memories and her health. Yet as I watched her decline physically and mentally over the next 10 years, I was amazed at God’s loving care for her.

We lived about 200 miles away and I worked full time, which prevented me from being there very often to help care for her. So when my father developed some difficulties that required hospitalization, I had the emotionally difficult job of placing her in a personal care home. God was there, in the process, watching over Mom. He gave us wisdom to place her in a newly built, affordable facility that was just a half block from their home of 50 years. In the home, she quickly won the hearts of the staff with her gentle nature and she received wonderful care.

When she became so ill she needed full time nursing care, I prayed, about where to move her. Once again God gave wisdom and we moved her to a skilled nursing facility where she and my dad had volunteered for years – singing, cheering and helping with the patients. Some of her nurses even remembered her and took exceptional care of her for the week she was there until she died. God was with her carrying her, even through her last days by bringing people who remembered her ministry and cared about her.

This fall, she will be gone for 5 years, but the lessons I learned about God’s loving care from watching her suffering remain fresh in my mind.

Thank you Lord, that we never grow so old, feeble or helpless that you toss us away. I can trust you to care for me and always keep me safe in your loving arms. Amen.

Stewardship

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10 NKJV

Originally, a steward was a servant responsible to bring food and drink to the master of the home.Later, it morphed into a larger occupation - that of managing the domestic affairs of the household including finances in some cases. When people began to travel more extensively in the last two centuries, a steward was the one responsible to see to their comfort, meals and other necessities during their trip by boat, train or plane.

But in 2012, the definition of a steward has expanded to refer to responsible planning and managing of our resources - everything from caring for our environment to our finances, health, property and even information as we communicate on a global level. We see the theme of personal responsibility all the time as we are urged to "go green" to protect our environment.

But for us as Christians, the term "stewardship" has an even deeper meaning - to take responsible care of all these resources because they really belong to God. To God, people have always been more important than material possessions so what is boils down to is that we need to live a life based on giving and serving, using the resources God has given us.

It means becoming attentive to the needs of others around us and serving them out of a willing heart - yes, even giving our very lives away if necessary to serve others in order to bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity." Luke 6:38 The Message

Matthew 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

In the end, it's the job with the best satisfaction / compensation rate!

Father, help me to be a good steward of the resources you've given me. Amen!

Sharing your faith with future generations

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”” Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

Being a writer is important to me. It's a way to share my faith and my story with my family, friends and those I've never met. So when asked to share about my writing with a group of women at a luncheon, I wanted to encourage them to become writers too. No, they may never write a novel, but anyone can leave a legacy of their faith with a few words strategically placed for others to find. Who knows how your words will impact another person and teach them important lessons about Christ?

1. Photos. We all have them. I inherited a large boxful when my parents passed away. Many of them are meaningless to me: nameless faces in unknown places. I'm not sure what to do with them since I feel uncomfortable tossing them out.  

However, the ones I do know, I am in the process of labeling so my children will know who they are and how they fit into their family tree. If I know something about their faith, I'm including that as well - little stories, memories I have of them or quotes that I remember to inspire and encourage my grandchildren in their faith Sticky notes work well so I don't have to write directly on the photos or to create labor intensive scrapbooks.

Another thing I would recommend is to make a list of 50 "facts about me". Or to write out your testimony - when you first met the Lord, how knowing him has changed your life, some examples of answered prayer. Select a personal photo to go along with those writings. It's an ideal way to share your personal faith for your family and place them in a special box or folder.

2. Recipes. I inherited my mom's cookbooks and recipes. Many of those bring back childhood memories and become topics to write about to share about family traditions, about how we celebrated Jesus as a family, etc. Again, including photos with these particular foods or events will help to bring the writing alive and can be a memory maker or teaching tool. connecting one generation to the next or in sharing the gospel.

3. Diaries or letters. Do you keep a diary or journal? Keep one that details the important inspirational or faith-related happenings of your life. This is a great way to share your story of your relationship with Christ. As your children and grandchildren read these, they will learn what made you tick and why Christ was so important to you. If you are into technology, you might keep an online blog to preserve your faith stories for all to read. Include a photo in the front of the diary as well to put a face to the faith stories!

These are just a few ways anyone can become a writer/teacher to share their memories as well as their faith with family and future generations.

Father, help me to impact family, friends and future generations through my words and show me new ways to share those words each day! Amen.

Blue Ribbon Babe

“Follow the pattern of true teachings that you heard from me in faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus. Protect the truth that you were given; protect it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” 2 Timothy 1:13-14 NCV

I'm so proud of my granddaughter - I
 hope you'll forgive me if I brag on her a little today.

At almost 13 years old, Eve is an accomplished seamstress. She enjoys sewing for herself, as well as for her sisters. Eve can even look at things and duplicate them without a pattern. She recently joined 4-H, just in time to enter some things in the local county fair. She won a first place ribbon for an outfit she made for her baby sister as well as a 3rd place ribbon for a skirt she made for herself. Way to go Eve!

I think one of the reasons I feel so proud of Eve and her sewing talents is that I helped to teach her, way back when she was 8 years old. We were visiting her family in Florida and I needed to borrow my daughter's sewing machine to fix an article of clothing. Eve was curious about the machine and wanted to learn how to use it so of course, Grandma had the privilege of introducing her to sewing. After I finished with the machine, I helped her to cut out and sew two aprons - one for herself and one for her sister, Abby. After that, she was hooked!

Once she learned to read, she was able to follow directions on the patterns by herself and now she can make almost anything. When I visited several months ago, we cut out 4 summer sundresses for Eve's new infant sister, Lily, and we spent several hours sewing together to finish them.

It's important to take time with our young people - to teach them skills they'll need to survive in the adult world, and to help them develop their individual talents and abilities. Equally important is to teach them the eternal truths of the Gospel. They need to know how to protect those truths in their hearts, especially today when Christian values and Biblical teachings are being attacked on all sides.

Father, with the help of the holy Spirit, help me to always be ready and willing to teach those around me - not only practical skills, but spiritual lessons as well. Amen!

That happy "snappy" sound

“Bow down and worship the LORD our Creator! The LORD is our God, and we are his people, the sheep he takes care of in his own pasture. Listen to God’s voice today!” Psalm 95:6-7 CEV

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m in canning mode this week. Last week it was 14 jars of relish, 12 jars of beans, 20 quarts of tomatoes and 16 pint bags of corn for the freezer. This week I’ve canned 8 pints of beans, 13 quarts and 8 pints of tomato sauce. I still have more tomatoes, pumpkin, applesauce and sauerkraut to do, but things will definitely slow down now.

Some days I’m not sure why I put myself through all that work because it is an arduous process, but I really do enjoy it – especially seeing the filled jars on the pantry shelves and eating the better-than-store-bought items in the dead of winter.

But what I really love about the canning process are those few moments right after pulling the jars out of the canner. I find myself listening for that little metallic “snap” of each lid that proves the jars have sealed. No matter where I am in the house,, I hear it because I’ve trained myself to listen for it so I can count each ”snap” to be sure all the jars have sealed. Each time I hear that distinct sound, I feel a happy sense of fulfillment. I want to whoop for joy because I know my hard work paid off.

Though life is hard at times, I feel that same sense of fulfillment as I bow down to worship God. When I listen for and hear his voice, I know I am safe, cared-for and full of peace, even during life’s storms. Listening doesn’t come naturally – I have to work at listening for his voice, but when I hear it, it makes my heart glad.

Thank you Lord for caring for me and speaking to my heart. Help me keep my ears tuned to your voice no matter where I am or what I’m doing today. Amen.