What's That You Say?

Take control of what I say, O Lord,
    and guard my lips.

Psalm 141:3 

Words.  Write them on a page and a story can be told.  Words can generate vivid visions in our imaginations.  Words can bring a smile.  Words can express how we feel, what we are thinking, what we want.  Words can guide.  Words can instill fear.  Words can be hurtful.  Words, if properly used, will encourage and lift up others. Words can destroy a reputation with a lie or restore a reputation with truth.

We are all guilty of using words to hurt others whether intentionally or unintentionally. I once had a supervisor that I dreaded every time I heard anything from them because there was so much negativity and condemnation in their words.  Even reaching the point where I would ask, in my mind, "What have I messed up THIS time?" whenever I would receive any communication from them.  That ought not be!

There was a time when I actually prided myself on the sharpness of my sarcasm.  I would use my words like a rapier.  And then I realized just how hurtful my words had become, and that should not be.  Since, I have prayed daily for God to put a guard on my tongue so that the words of my mouth would be pleasing to Him.  Am I always successful?  No, I'm not.  And to those who have been hurt by my words, please accept my apology.  I may not always be successful, but I am still learning.

Most of the time, it's better to be silent and not respond to the negativity rather than to engage it and create more injuries.  Let us join together in using our words to lift up and encourage!  To bless each other! To show kindness to each other!  Use words for their true intention!

God's Blessing

Then the light of my blessing will shine on you like the rising sun.
    I will heal you quickly.
I will march out ahead of you.
    And my glory will follow behind you and guard you.
    That’s because I always do what is right.

Isaiah 58:8 

 

Can you imagine what it would be like to have God speak His blessing on you?  You know the best part of God blessing?  HE will always make the blessing come to reality!

 

Read this blessing from God very carefully: "Then the light of My blessing will shine on you like the rising sun."  The warmth of the rising sun filling you from the inside out as God pours His blessing into you.

 

"I will heal you quickly."  Whatever bothers you, troubles you, ails you...God will heal QUICKLY!

 

"I will march out ahead of you. And My glory will follow behind you and guard you." What a comfort knowing that God fights for us and protects us!

 

"That's because I always do what is right."  How many of us can say that honestly?  But GOD always does what is right!

Let's Start With A Blessing

‘May the Lord bless you
    and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
    and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
    and give you his peace.’

Numbers 6:24-26 

 

Let's begin with week with a blessing.  It is my prayer for each of you that God will smile on you and show you His favor.  Let's pray this blessing, not only for ourselves, but for each other as well.

 

 

How Will You Start Your Day?

This is the day the Lord has made.
    We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 

 

I will confess, I am not the brightest bulb in the lamp and first thing in the morning my bulb takes a long time to even glow.  But this changed several days ago.  Ever so often, I get a craving to add a packet of hot chocolate mix to at cup of coffee (don't ask).  On this particular morning, I blindly grabbed a packet, poured it into my coffee, and went to the sofa to share the morning with Woody.  It was upon my first sip of this concoction that I realized that the packet I had poured blindly into my coffee was actually Taco Seasoning.  That's when I got the feeling that it was going to be one of "those" days.

 

How did you start your day?  If you're like me, you cringed when the alarm went off and then stumbled sleepily to the coffee maker, then toddle of the the bathroom to begin the ritual cleaning.  I am NOT a morning person!  But I'm learning.  Over the past year, I tend to get up before the alarm, get coffee and sit on the couch to scratch Woody's tummy while I have quiet time.

 

It was during this quiet time that today's verse slapped me in the face.  Let's contemplate this for a minute.   Notice which day is mentioned as being the day God has made.  TODAY!  Yesterday has gone, it's already in the books, can't be changed!  But God has given us TODAY!  Tomorrow is not here yet, nor is it promised, but TODAY is the day God has made!

 

Consider how much time and energy we waste dragging our yesterdays around with us.  Some of us cannot even see today because we are stuck in yesterdays.  And yet God made THIS DAY for us to enjoy and share.  AND remember this as well, because God created today, He is with us throughout this day.  Why?  Because He loves us and has promised to never leave us or turn His back on us.

 

If that's not a good enough reason to rejoice, then perhaps a heart check would be in order. 

Discouraged

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!

Psalm 43:5 

 

In listening to the conversations over the weekend, I gathered that people seem to be getting discouraged because they feel helpless.  Feeling helpless is extremely discouraging, but are we truly helpless?  Remember, God has given us a spirit of POWER, and of LOVE, and of SELF-DISCIPLINE!

 

1.   In this world we WILL have troubles!  Jesus said that in John 16:33, and since we already know that we will have troubles we can prepare ourselves for them.  How?  Jesus went on to remind us that HE overcame the world (and ALL its troubles).

 

2.  We are also reminded that the fight is not ours: "This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s." 2 Chronicles 20:15.  The events we face may appear overwhelming and quite daunting, but God is the one who fights for us.  Ever know God to be defeated?  EVER?  

3.  It's easy to become fearful when we are faced with so much tragedy, but remember that God is WITH us! "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."  Isaiah 41:10.

 

4.  Remember Peter's little stroll upon the water?  What happened when he took his focus off of Christ and became fearful of the turmoil around him?  That's right....he began to sink.  His solution?  He cried out to Christ to save him!  And Jesus did just that.  Perhaps it's time for us to stop focusing on all the turmoil and return to Christ!

 

Each morning, my prayer for all of our officers is that they are kept safe, that Christ will go with them and fight for them, and love them.

Knee Jerk Responses

God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

 

Why are we such a fearful society?  A tragedy occurs and we have marches and rallies  and calls to ban this, that, and the other....but we are somehow fearful of actually DOING something to help prevent a lot of the rampages.  When did we stop teaching our children about respect, courtesy, and the fact that everyone has value?

 

I can remember as a child being taught to respect other people and other people's property.  Why?  Because of the simple verse we call "The Golden Rule."  Yet some seem to have changed the rule to read: Do to others BEFORE they can do to me.  And our Pit Dwelling enemy has taken full advantage of our fear.

 

If we fear, we become ineffective and the Pit Dweller wins.  But look again at today's verse: "God HAS NOT given us a spirit of fear and timidity" our fear to do what is right does not come from God!  It comes from the pungent pit!  God HAS given us the spirit of POWER, LOVE, and SELF-DISCIPLINE!!  God has given us exactly what we need to do what is right, and we must focus on that instead of being fearful!

 

So ask yourself again, is it better to do what is right even though it might be uncomfortable for us and take some effort, or should we just let this world degrade into a free-for-all?

Has The World Gone Mad?

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and he will stand upon the earth at last.

Job 19:25 

 

Watch the news; scroll down Facebook; read the paper and it will appear as if the world has gone mad!  Almost every day someone goes on a rampage!  Every day someone or group protests because they were offended by something or someone!  Almost every day you hear about another Law Enforcement Officer being shot or a school being shot up or some theater or some government building.  It's as if we are beginning to go to war against ourselves!

 

This continuous news is distressing.  It's frustrating!  It's depressing.  It's demoralizing.  And if we let it get to us, we will begin to wonder whether God really is in control.  The Pit Dweller appears to have ramped up his game in his efforts to cause us to fear and doubt.  But I urge you....I urge you with every ounce of my soul....Stay Strong!  Claim the promise that Job did when he was going through the worst time of his life: "I KNOW that my Redeemer lives!"  

 

I'm not saying that everything will be hunky-dory for us because we believe, but we will have the strength to resist the Pit Dwellers tricks!  We can rejoice that God does live and He IS in control even when it seems the world is falling apart around us.  Remember Noah?  The entire world was destroyed by flood but Noah knew his Redeemer lives, and he was saved.  How about you?  Does your Redeemer live or will the Pit Dweller (who stinks of smoke) steal your faith?

 

I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES!

Lent Challenge

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Hebrews 4:16 

 

Lent is, once again, upon us.  It began on Valentine's Day, which I believe is appropriate because God's great Valentine to us was His Son, Jesus Christ.  And with Lent begins a 40 journey to prepare our hearts, lives, and spirits for Easter!

 

People will tell me what they are "giving up" for Lent.  They say they will give up soda, alcohol, fried foods, swearing, sports, Facebook, Twitter, and the list is endless. While the giving up of things which take our focus from Christ is a good thing, I would ask for a different Lent activity.

 

I issue this Lent Challenge for those of stout of heart and fearless in their prayers:  Join me in spending each day of Lent praying for our Nation, that we may focus more on our commonalities than our differences.  Pray that we would learn to work together.  Pray that we would be humbled until we have no alternative except to work together.  Pray that we would get rid of all the pettiness that causes us to believe we are better than anyone else.  Ask God to replace our negativity with His love, encouragement, and desire to be part of each other.

 

Are you up for it?

Second Childhood?

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 18:1-4

We are competitive, aren't we?  We'll turn anything into a competition.  Who can hold their breath the longest?  Who can jump the highest?  Who can eat the most ghost peppers and keep them down?  We all want to be the best at something.

The Disciples weren't any different.  They wanted to know who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Somehow, I can picture the smug, over-confident faces of these who asked Jesus who would be the greatest, feeling as if Jesus would pick one of them. And to their surprise (or dismay) Jesus didn't pick any of them; instead He put a child up as an example of who would be the greatest in Heaven.

Why would Jesus do that?  What's so special about a child that they would be the greatest in Heaven?  Think about it!  Children rely on their parents for everything.  Children trust their parents to love them, care for them, teach them, and provide for them.  Hmmm....isn't that how we are supposed to be with God?  Trusting Him for EVERYTHING?

You see, until we come to the point in our lives that we can set aside our own jaded, cynical, self-serving pride, we are not acting like Children of God!  Until we let God do His job and stop trying to do it in His place, we are not acting like Children of God.

We must become like children with God as our parent. THAT is the example Jesus put before the Disciples....and us.  

Do You Truly Care?

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

1 John 3:11 

 

Today is Valentine's Day (I hope you got something for your Valentine).  Yes, Valentine's Day is all about love, but I contend it's not just about couples rather it's about LOVE, friends included.  Let's face it, friends are friends for a reason.  But here's my question, when was the last time you let them know you appreciate and care about them?  Doesn't have to be in some "mushy" way either, just let them know they are important to you and that you care.

 

After all, Jesus reminded us that we need to love one another (the word He used was the word agapaō which means "to be fond of, to love dearly" and gives the impression of unconditional love and caring).  So.....do you care for those you call "Friend"?  How about those with whom you interact daily?  When was the last time you actually let them know?

How To Hug A Porcupine!

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Romans 12:18

 

Have you ever tried to hug a porcupine?  Yeah, probably not, which is a wise decision.  But have you ever tried to deal with a difficult person?  This discussion came up in Bible study last week.  How do you deal with "prickly" people?  

 

First, don't take their prickliness personally and be quick to forgive.  Try a change of perspective.  Perhaps they are under a lot of stress and pressure.  Perhaps they are having one of "those" days. Perhaps there are issues you aren't aware of.  Perhaps they don't realize that they are being a porcupine.

 

Second, be cordial, courteous, and friendly.  Sometimes people who are having a bad day just need a smile and a "Hi" from someone to let them know you care. Sometimes it's best to do is let them know you care and then give them some space.

 

Third, remind them they have value.  Everyone likes to know their efforts are appreciated.  Matter of fact, everyone likes to know they are appreciated and valuable. We like to know that our contribution to this world matters.

And above all else, put yourself in their shoes if possible.  If you were being a porcupine, how would you want to be treated.  Jesus told us to Love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love others as we love ourselves.  Respond to porcupines with love and respect.  After all, we all have those days where we are porcupines.

When Will We Become United?

And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:27-28 

 

Why do we spend so much time and effort focusing on our differences instead of our commonalities?  

 

Didn't God create all of us in His image?

 

Yet we want to be divisive instead of uniting.  Why?

 

Yes, we do have differences, but we all share things in common.  For example, when the heart stops, we die.  Ever hear of anyone living a regular life with no heartbeat?

 

You see, the truth of Christ is simple: We are all the same in His eyes.  He died for me just like He died for you.  He never said, "I'll hang on this cross only for those who are over 6' tall with green hair" now did He?  

 

I don't care who you are, in Christ we are family (don't look so scared).

I Still Struggle!

Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.

1 John 3:20 

 

This is rather difficult.  Last year I was diagnosed with PTSD and have been getting counseling for it.  The more I talked with my counselor, the more I realized that, while some of the scenes and situations I have encountered throughout life contributed to my PTSD, my main struggle was in how I dealt with everything.  And to be honest, this has been a struggle for quite some time.  You see, I feel guilty almost all the time, even if I haven't done anything to warrant being guilty.

 

My struggle is that my heart has been faced with so many situations where I have felt helpless that the helplessness has grown into guilt.  And I don't like feeling guilty all the time! 

 

God reminds us through the prophet Jeremiah that: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"  What does this mean (I'm still learning this in therapy)?  This means that when we rely strictly on our feelings and emotions, we can be fooled!  Our feelings and emotions are prone to manipulation!  Yet the facts cannot be disputed!  

 

Fact: "God is greater than our hearts and knows all things"  God is faithful to hear our cries and He is always ready to forgive us.  Because of this, we have no need to feel guilty unless we have done something for which we need to seek forgiveness.

What's The Rush?

And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Job 1:21

Believe it or not, I remember being told that computers were going to make like so much easier because we wouldn't have to work so hard and we would have more free time.  And that has turned out to be a lie!  Computers have made work easier and faster, but do we REALLY have more "free time" or do we just rush through life to get to the next task without stopping?  There are those who applaud and reward those who put their nose to the grindstone and work becomes their life while everything else falls by the wayside.

Think about this:  We each are allowed a limited number of sunrises.  We each are allowed a limited number of moments with our loved ones.  We each are allowed a limited number of days to travel this Earth.  So why rush past so many of them?  

Read today's verse again: "I brought nothing into this world and I will take nothing when I leave."  So.....why spend so much time, energy, and effort pursuing what we cannot take with us?  Don't misunderstand me, we are commanded to give our best at work, but we are also commanded to rest and relax as well.  Just food for thought.

My Heart Hurts

Jesus wept.

John 11:35

Every time I attend a funeral or perform a funeral for someone I have known and cared for, it feels as if the pain will never stop.  I remember, as a child, being told that "men don't cry" and I held in the pain and sorrow for YEARS (not a good idea, by the way).  I wondered why it was okay for Jesus to weep, but wrong for me.  It just didn't make sense.

Finally, there came the day when one my best friend from Middle School and High School died....the flood came out along with the avalanche of all those pent up feelings I wasn't supposed to express.  I wish I could say that I felt better afterwards, but I didn't.  I was extremely ticked off that I was expected to hold all that in for so long.  I vowed that very day to do everything possible to appropriately express instead of continually trying to repress.

Has it been completely successful?  Not always.  But it's better.  You see, I found a verse that was an eye-opener for me: "I pour out my heart to Him and tell Him all my troubles" (Psalm 142:2).  And I began writing what was on my heart, the good, the bad, the ugly, the anger, the joy, all of it!

Now.....it's been quite a few years since I experienced the death of my friend, and I've learned a few things as a result but I won't bore you with most of them because they are specific to me.  But here's something I can share:  When we interact with others, we take part of them with us and they take part of us with them.  The closer friends we are, the more we interact and the more we take from each other to incorporate into us (ever noticed that close friends tend to share common traits, speech patterns, gestures, etc.).  Therefore, when one of the friends dies the one left carries on their legacy through their own lives.

We are part of each other!  Like it or not, we are.  So there!  Ya'll are stuck with me. 

I'll Go

Then I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, “Whom can I send? Who will go for us?”So I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8

I have a confession to make....you might want to brace yourself because this will come as quite the shock....I didn't always want to be a Chaplain.  There, I said it!  I apologize if anyone spilled their coffee or were otherwise stunned, but it's true.  Now I knew from age 7 that God wanted me in ministry of some sort, but never thought about Chaplaincy.

I am glad God asked me, through Eric Skidmore, today's verse and even then it took another 2 years to decide.  But think about how many times God asks us, "See that person over there who is hurting? Who can I send to comfort them?"  "Hear that person who has questions? Who can I send to talk with them?"  "See that person who needs a friend? Who can I send to befriend them?"

So when God prompted me with that question, "See that Sheriff's Department?  Who can I send to help care for them?"  I finally got the point and said "I'll go."  And have loved this Department more and more.

If we listen carefully, we will hear God ask for volunteers and He asks us for a reason. WHEN God asks you...."Who can I send?"  What will your answer be?

Life

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:14-18 

 

As a Chaplain, there are some tense situations I encounter and split second decisions must be made and answers to be given that are easy to comprehend and truth!  This is by no means easy when you are "under the gun" so to speak.  I'm willing to wager that many of us have, at one time or another, wished that we had not been born.  Yep, I'm guilty.

The more I pondered my wish, the more I began to wonder: 

• "Why would God go to all the trouble of inserting me into this lineage just so I could leave a blank in the line?"  
• "Why would God choose to write down every day of my life in His book if I was just going to be a blank?"
• "Why would God create me in such a way that I am still here, in spite of my past?"
• "Where in Scripture does it say God created life to be thrown away like trash?"
• "Why would God give me the GIFT of life when He didn't have to?"

Believe it or not, God has a purpose for each and every one of us.  We may not know that purpose until we get to Heaven (and by then it won't matter), but it's true!

If you EVER find yourself thinking this world would be better off without you, stop for a moment and THINK!  God created you to be HIS child!  God brought you into this world for His reasons and His purpose which, by the way, is too awesome for words.  God gave you the GIFT of life, it is not to be taken lightly.

Consider that.

 

 

A Trip To Stuff-Mart

Prideful arrogance leads to conflict; those who heed advice are wise.

Proverbs 13:10

 

We are encouraged to take pride in our appearance, in the work we do, in the way we treat ourselves....but at what point does pride become prideful arrogance?

 

I was strolling around Stuff-Mart the other day when I was approached by a person, shabbily dressed and had a bit of a funk going on, asking if I had any change.  I didn't even bother to check, because I usually don't carry cash, so I brushed her off with a brusque "Sorry no" and kept right on with my mission.  As I wandered through Stuff-Mart, I couldn't shake that image.  Am I better than her?  Had I really become so Pridefully Arrogant that I would look on another human being with disdain?  I was so caught up with this God sent interrogation (I began to understand every so slightly how Job felt when God told him to put on his Big Boy Britches because God was going to ask Job a few questions), that I completely forgot what I had gone to Stuff-Mart to purchase in the first place.

 

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, I ended up getting some food and other supplies.  Then I went back outside and saw this person slowly trudging away.  I caught up and asked if they had a place to stay, and was told "for now" but all the money had been spend on rent and electricity.  I gave the person all that I had purchased and several phone numbers of groups who might be of help.  The tears shed by this person broke my heart all over again.

 

What have we to feel Pridefully Arrogant about?  Are we truly better than any other human being?

I Give Up?

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Galatians 6:9 

I don't know about anyone else, but there have been times in my life when I was ready to just give up.  I was tired of trying.  I was tired of failing.  I was tired of waiting. I was tired of wondering.  I was TIRED!  I was ready to cash it in and say, "I'M DONE!"

But.....that would mean the Pit Dweller was the one in whom I had chosen to believe because it was he who whispered in my spirit that everything was all just pointless, useless, and worthless, and so was I.  Sadly, I began to believe his lies.

But.....God has a way of reminding us who is truly in control of all things.  When I felt my lowest, He was there in the form of one of the most stubborn friends I ever had, who would NOT let me give up!  

Take another look at today's verse: "Let not get tired of doing what is good..."  How can we say that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves if we are not doing what is good?  How can we say we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength if we aren't willing to do what is good?

Then there's the part: "At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up."  Does God say that we will receive a blessing immediately?  Nope!  Does God say that our doing good will be welcomed and well received?  Nope!  Does God say we should only do what is good to those who will appreciate it and reward us?  NOPE!

God tells us that at the right time we WILL reap a harvest of blessing.  An entire harvest of blessing! Not just one or two, but an entire harvest!  And here's the kicker...."IF WE DON'T GIVE UP!"  We must be persistent.  We must be continual (one-and-done doesn't work).  We must be patient!  At JUST THE RIGHT TIME our harvest of blessing with come.