Tag: blessings from God

Preserving Traditions: Finding Meaning in Christmas Celebrations

On the first Christmas, long ago, Jesus came to earth.  The angels came and sang the joyful news to lowly shepherds who hastened to Bethlehem to see the baby lying in a manger.  (Luke 2:8-16 & 20).  It’s hard for me to imagine what that night must have been like — an amazing announcement by an angel  followed by a choir of angels.  It must have been so surreal, but still so real.  They were blessed when they responded to God’s prompting and returned from Bethlehem “glorifying and praising God”.  Awesome things  happen when we have the courage to go where God leads and then see His blessings when we look in the rear view mirror.

The first Christmas celebrations that I remember where spent with my parents and siblings — and my church family.  The evening our family opened our gifts also included a little program my siblings and I put on for our parents — a few Christmas carols and some readings.  At church, the Sunday school program was attended by most members of the church — a special event separate from the Christmas service.  My parents immigrated from the Netherlands two years before I was born, so our church family was a precious part of our lives.  Our little “family program” and the Sunday school program helped us focus on the reason for the season.  Our gifts were “things”, time and talents.  It’s a blessing to have this foundation that helps me focus through the busyness and noise.

When my children were little, we always had a dinner for “just us” as well as time spent with extended family.  We had lots of turkey some years.  The year after the end of my marriage, my children and I had a dinner for three.  Keeping that tradition was one of the easiest parts of that Christmas–everything else felt very wrong and broken.  For several years after, Christmas remained a difficult time for our family — but we were still blessed by those dinners.  Some people talk about the importance of creating new traditions after changes.  For us, maintaining an old tradition was meaningful.

This year marks a different challenge.  Busyness with many things and several events happening beyond my control.  I’m needed to walk step-by-step, making choices about how to use my time and who to spend time with.  At first I felt disappointed and overwhelmed.  But, as time goes on, I realize that I am using my time and talents for others. If I am still and let God be God over my days, I am more aware of the reason for the season.  Awesome things happen when I have the courage to go where God leads and then see His blessings when I look in the rear view mirror.  May I go forward, “glorifying and praising God”.

May you and yours be richly blessed at Christmas and all through 2018.

P.S. Christmas dinner at our home was delicious again this year.

 

 

The Treasure of Nature

Creation- “…while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy” – Job 38:7
Reading: Genesis 1 & 2

Digging deeper
Genesis 1: 1-2 says that “in the beginning God created … and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” John 1: 1-2 tells us that “in the beginning was the Word (Jesus – John 1:14) …He was with God in the beginning. Then Job 38:7 – “the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy”. This gives me an awesome picture of how exciting an event creation was in heaven.
In Job 38 – 41, God speaks to Job about His creation. When reading these chapters, I become aware that He truly does hold the whole world in His hands and that He lovingly cares for the animals. In chapter 41, there is figurative, poetic imagery which reinforces that God’s purposes are supreme, beyond our ability to control, and sometimes beyond our understanding. In Job 39: 1-4, God talks about the birth of a mountain goat. He is intimately aware of what He created these animals to be like.
When God created man, He put man in charge of His creation. In Genesis 1:28 we read: “God blessed them and said to them, ‘…Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves under the ground.” And in Psalm 8: 6-8: “You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.”
Many verses in the Bible remind us of God’s love and care for us through examples from scripture. The lilies don’t toil (Matthew 6:28). We are more valuable than birds (Luke 12:24). We can find refuge under His wings (Psalm 91:4).

Lessons for Living-
“If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature and will realize that it is holy and sacred. We will see God reaching out to us in every wind that blows, every sunrise and sunset, every cloud in the sky, every flower that blooms and every leaf that fades, if we will only use our blinded thinking to visualize it.” From Oswald Chambers “My Utmost for His Highest” February 10

In our lives where many of us live in cities and our food is bought off of shelves in a store, I feel many have lost the wonder of all God did for us through the works of His fingers (Psalm 8:3) Through this, we have also lost sight of what we must do as people responsible for God’s creation. In Acts 24: 4, when the believers were giving thanks to God, they started their prayer with these words: “Sovereign Lord…you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.” May we always be aware of the great gift we have!

Trusting God’s Word: Light for the Journey


Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path ~ Psalms 119:105. This was the verse in my inbox the other morning.  For some reason, the words made my quirky mind think about camping — about taking a walk to a certain destination  in the dark.  Walking with my trusty flashlight, I could see into the distance to vaguely see where I was heading.  The most important thing, though, was to shine the light down, so I could securely take the next step.  God’s word can be like that.  Some verses give me a vision of where I am going and some verses give me the message I need right here and now.

Several years ago, my father wrote a list of the scripture verses that were special to him.  It’s a list I treasure.  So, today, I am sharing  a list of some of the verses that came to mind as I was writing my story – My Tapestry- Experiencing the Love of the Designer.

This first set of verses are for those times when I needed “light at my feet”.

When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.  ~Psalm 94:18
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. ~Psalm 40:1

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 
He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. ~Psalm 107: 13-14

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~Isaiah 41:10

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. ~ Proverbs 3: 5-6

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” ~ Matthew 11: 28 – 30

 

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This second set of verses help me trust my unknown future.

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. ~ Psalm 62:8

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye upon you.  ~ Psalm 32:8

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 1:6

 

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” ~ Jeremiah 17: 7-8

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

And, finally, my “life verse”:
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. ~Psalm 23:6

My life’s journey has taken me to across the country and over the mountains. Through the years I’ve learned more life lessons and have found more wonderful truths in God’s word.  God’s word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path – a path that leads to a heavenly destination!!

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, shine, shine
Let it shine!

 

 

 

 

Embracing Differences: Lessons of Acceptance and Growth

Last evening I attended a Cake Night event at a local Christian recovery house to support the artist who drew the pencil drawing attached to this blog post.  It was a first time experience for me.  There were many stories of how God changes lives and how a steadfast faith in God is needed in difficult battles in our lives.  It was a blessing to have those truths reaffirmed.

However, there was another aspect that was talked about by many.  The men talked about how their lives had been, and continue to be, affected by those around them.  There were examples of mutual support and examples of wisdom shared.  But for me, the most impressive, and perhaps life-changing, encounters these men had were something I hadn’t expected: learning to accept someone who is different.  Stories were told of conflicts of various kinds and how adapting in these relationships led to gaining a friend and to personal growth.

Sharing my story is something I had to learn.  For years, I hid the reality of my situation by pretending that everything was fine and my life was “normal”.  Attending Divorce Care was a blessing.  I felt a freedom to share there.  Instead of looks of unbelief, there were knowing nods — and acceptance.  There were many ways in which I was different from the others in my Divorce Care group, but by sharing what we had in common those differences didn’t matter. I hope that I can offer acceptance more and more in all situation; that my knowing nods can be about accepting the way the person feels without looks of unbelief.

There are still many layers of “my onion” that need to be removed.  But one thing I am learning: as the layers are removed, I grow.  I allow myself to grow into the person God intends me to be.  There is power in sharing our situations, in working through difficult situations and in extending love and care to those we may not understand.

Matthew 25: 35 – 36 says: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.  There is no mention of “when I understood you or when you are worthy of my attention.  Matthew 10:14 says: If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Sadly, sometimes we are not ready or are unwilling to accept the help that is offered.

Each of us has something to give.  Each of us has lessons we still need to learn. That’s what I heard last evening.  Stories shared about men who gave and who received. May we all open our hearts wide with willingness to give and receive.

 

 

 

 

 

Finding Strength and Hope Through Unexpected Challenges

Do you ever have those days when you feel stuck?  Or you don’t know what to do next?  Or you wonder if you should do something or nothing?  I seem to have days, times, seasons like that. I know that others have walked similar paths.  I have read or heard their stories and been encouraged. Right now, my life has taken an unexpected direction.  I need to remember that “faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.” (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Almost a year ago, I had surgery to correct a condition I had.  I thought that everything would be “normal” after that.  I had complications during surgery, so initially, I thought I was recovering from surgery.  After some time, I thought I had to recover from recovering.  I started to make some lifestyle changes which seemed to make a difference, but I still struggled.

Recently, I’ve realized that my surgery has left me with a “permanent” less serious condition.  However, it is life-changing and adjustments have to be made– physically and emotionally.

Dealing with my physical symptoms and changes has been a challenge.  There have been many prayers by myself and others.  The answer to those prayers hasn’t been total healing — a miraculous transformation of the changes that have been made to my body.  The answers have come in quiet direction in various ways of how to live differently and more effectively with the “new me”.   This is an ongoing process and I thank God for not giving up on me through my tears and frustration.

Looking at my future through a different lens is harder. Sometimes I feel like I’m making a mountain out of a molehill. “Am I depressed?”, I ask myself.  I may be a bit depressed, though I believe it is more like a situational crisis.  The Free Dictionary describes a situational crisis in psychiatry as “an unexpected crisis that arises suddenly in response to an external event or a conflict concerning a specific circumstance. The symptoms are transient, and the episode is usually brief”. I have to recognize that  ignoring a molehill would not be a good idea.

It is taking a bit of time for me to refocus my life .  In the past I have gone through a necessary divorce and a few major moves that I chose to make.  God led me to and through those situations.  I’ll admit that I am a bit blind-sided by what God is doing now. Trusting God and remembering His love for me gives strength and courage for each day.

I know that God knows exactly where I am and that His love for me and His plans for me have not changed. Slowly, I am starting to anticipate the “next steps” in a positive way.  I am starting to recognize deep within that God has prepared me for this time — that different will be OK.

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

 

 

Embracing God’s Plan: The Patient Process of Personal Transformation

A few days ago I read about a girl whose hair became a horribly tangled mess as a result of a deep depression that had lasted for quite a while.  Once she had the energy to care what she looked like, she didn’t have the time, energy or perhaps the ability to get the tangles out.  In her desperation for change, she went to a hairdresser to have her head shaved.   Much to her surprise, rather than shave her head, the hairdresser spent thirteen hours over the next two days detangling her hair and styling it.  It was an amazing transformation!

When I think of that scenario, one mental picture really resonates with me.  The picture of that girl sitting still in that chair while the hairdresser works hour after hour to detangle her hair.  So often I am very impatient.  I want a quick fix.  I don’t want to experience the pulls, and ouches and time involved in detangling.  I want God to fix my life NOW.  I want to see results on a daily basis.  It’s hard for me to sit calmly with head bowed, waiting, trying desperately to trust. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7)

Some days it’s easy to trust that God is in control.   But sometimes, my journey feels too hard and too unfair.  I get so caught up in “what isn’t” that I lose track of “what is”.  My life shouldn’t be about what I can see.  My life should be about what God is doing.  “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (Romans 8:28)

I have seen the transformation God is able to do in people’s lives — how He is able to change them inside and out.  With some people the changes are profound and visibly obvious.  I think that it’s harder for me to recognize changes in myself.  If I believe that God has “plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11), then I need to recognize that He is changing me to make me who I need to be.  “He has made everything beautiful in it’s time…yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

And so, today, I have a different picture of how I wait patiently for God to transform me.  When life seems out of control, I want to remember that I am not the “de-tangler”, God is.  I want to remember that He is working out His plan for me through all the lessons He teaches me in His Word, through all of life’s highs and lows and through all the people He puts in my path.  “For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Trusting God’s Ways: Finding Guidance and Wisdom in Obedience

When we walk with the Lord, our prayer is: Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.  Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

And God response is: I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. (Proverbs 4:11).  Yet, when life takes unexpected twists and turns, we start to doubt the things God has been teaching and showing us.

 

Recently I read this quote by Sinclair Ferguson: Be obedient even when you don’t know where obedience may lead you.  It reminded me of the words from Isaiah 55:8 ~ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

There was a time when I had to make a tough decision about my life, a life-altering decision.  God was very present during that time and I felt Him leading me.  Still, it wasn’t easy to make the necessary changes and sometimes I doubted if I had made the right choices.  It wasn’t until several years later that I discovered that my decision had a huge impact, a life-giving impact, on someone else.  God knew more than I did.

Psalm 138:8 says: The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever — do not abandon the works of your hands.  I had to look up that word “vindicate”.

Vin·di·cate – to clear someone of blame or suspicion; to show or prove to be right, reasonable or justified.

I believe that when I walk in obedience, I can trust God to take care of the parts of my life that I don’t understand.  Do I always trust God?  No, but I am trying more and more to accept the things I don’t understand as being in God’s control. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

 

In Psalm 23, God gives me an awesome picture of His promises for now and eternity.

 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.

 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

 

May He refresh your soul as you walk boldly, in trust, where He leads!

 

Overcoming Life’s Challenges: Finding Strength and Hope in Tough Times

There are many times when life doesn’t happen the way we expect it to. We have a picture in our minds about our future and our dreams are shattered.  We may feel hurt, betrayed or confused.  Sometimes we don’t know who we can blame for the situation, sometimes we have to own up to our own responsibility.  Mostly, we just want the pain to go away and for everything to feel better.
Situations that are beyond our control can be especially difficult.  We ask: “Why did this happen to me?”  “Why did a person that I loved die?” “Why did that accident happen?” “Why did I get this illness?”  “How will I cope with the loss of my job/ my marriage?”  Our lives are thrown into turmoil and our future becomes scary and uncertain.  For a time it is difficult to make any decisions about our future and the situation feels even worse.  In time, we want life to feel better again and we begin to crawl forward.
There are also times when the choices we make have damaging consequences; sometimes those consequences affect us and sometimes they affect others.  We don’t take care of ourselves physically, spiritually and/or emotionally.  We become addicted to drugs, alcohol. gambling, shopping or something else that takes control of our lives.  We have an affair or an abortion.  We mistreat other people or their property.  It is possible to ignore some of these situations for a long time, but then we recognize that change is needed or further destruction is in our future.
Socrates said: What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s supposed to be”. It may be a long time since we looked at that picture, but it is still probably there. No matter the reason for our circumstance, we have to allow ourselves the opportunity to grieve the loss of that picture before we can move forward.  The five stages of grief and loss are: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.  People don’t necessarily go through the stages in the same order or experience all of them. 
 
It’s often difficult for others to watch us go through the process.  They want our lives to be better NOW;they want to be the person who can help us; they don’t want to have to watch us “struggle”.  This can be a confusing time for everyone affected by the situation. A person going through tough times may find support from  different sources than they usually did. This may be  surprising, difficult and/or disappointing for the person going through change.  It may also be difficult for those who normally support the person and now need to “let go”.  We can’t all have the capacity to help our family and friends in every situation.
 
Changing the picture in our head isn’t easy. We may hope to revert back to a former place in our lives where everything felt better, but perhaps as we change, that former place no longer is a good fit for us.  Often it is necessary to get the help of professionals or others who have experienced the same challenges through some sort of group situation.  God can change us in an instant, but often He challenges us to do the hard work of change.
 
 It’s hard to “let go and let God”; to take each day as a gift and look forward to the adventure of the day.    It is necessary to take the next step forward without looking back.  There may be huge consequences of our past mistakes, but after we have grieved them, we have to build our tomorrow with what we’ve learned; the lessons that make us stronger.  
 
When life disappoints, there may be rapid changes and many hard times.  Through it all may we look to the Creator to create the new picture in our head that needs to become our focus.  May our trust in Him grow more and more.
 
Psalm 143:8 ~ Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

The Joy of the Lord

During the past years of my life, God has richly blessed me through His Word, but also through the wise words of others. One evening  in 1998,shortly after the end of my marriage,  I read a quote that greatly blessed me.  “Happiness is elusive and can be wiped out in a minute, but joy from the Lord is like a deep river down in your heart that just keeps flowing.” (Barbara Johnson)(1).  I was overwhelmed when I realized that even though in many ways I felt like my world was falling apart, I was still experiencing the joy of the Lord — that joy was my strength.

It was a number of year later when I read the words of another woman who described that “joy” so well.  Mary Southerland says it better than I can, so I will use her words:”Joy is not the result of outward circumstances. Joy is an inside job, a deeply rooted confidence that God is in control. Every trial or loss, every defeat or victory measured against this confidence can be counted as joy.”(2)

Today it is 2017 and my mind went back ten years to 2007.  In my journal, I decided that my theme for 2007 would be “the joy of the Lord is my strength.”  I had just gone through another difficult time.  While I was still living in Ontario, my children both moved from Ontario to Alberta.  Then my father had a stroke and my parents moved to a long term care facility in a town a two hour drive away.  And I decided to sell my home.  Yet, that confidence remained. I am writing these words to remind myself.

I can decided to take God at His word when He says in Romans 8:28  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Life has many ups and downs.  Sometimes it’s hard to see how God is weaving the threads of my tapestry into anythings that makes sense.  Fears overwhelm and worry keeps me from sleeping. When I face the storm, I can only see the storm, but when I turn to my loving Father, He shelters me in His arms.  He reminds me that He is in control and I can feel that river of joy flow.

Yes, I can choose joy.

 

 

(1) Barbara Johnson, The Joy Journal, Kindle edition, [Nashville, Tennessee:Thomas Nelson Inc.(1996)

(2)Mary Southerland, “Choose Joy”, Girlfriends in God, January 26, 2016, http://girlfriendsingod.com/choose-joy/