I Have Moved!

Come fly with me at my new home at http://trudydenhoed.com/. All posts have been transferred. :-)

Change For a Dollar

Someone sent me an awesome video that is especially appropriate for this season of Thanksgiving: "Is he asking for Change, or is he asking for CHANGE? Follow a man as he affects multiple peoples' lives with just one dollar, proving that it doesn't take much to be the change in someone's life. Written and directed by Sharon Wright."

* Change For a Dollar *

 

 

Something to ponder... Whatever our gifts are, how much do we use them towards positive change in others?

Every Household Has Its Hidden Pain

Did you ever look at some families and think: Wow, they really have it together! They are closely knit and so zealous in their faith. Is it really what it looks like? I think if we could peel back the outside layers of every household, we would find some kind of pain or trouble inside.

This has been heavy on my heart since I went to a writing conference this past week. There are people out there who need us. People who are hurting. Some speak up about it and others don't. And that's why I need to write, not just to people who are visibly needing the comfort, but also to those who creep along behind the scenes. People who are afraid of being judged. People who think their thoughts don't count. People who are smiling on the outside but crying on the inside.

Are you one of those people? Do you feel insignificant and alone? Please know that God cares. He cares about every secret tear you shed, every hidden hurt you carry, every unbearable burden you bear.

Here are some nuggets of truth I hope will encourage you today:

• Do you feel burdened? "My soul is weary of sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word." Psalm 119:28
• Jesus invites us - "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28
• God is powerful and always keeps His promises. He has promised - "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deut. 33:27a

There is pain everywhere, some of it revealed, but so much of it hidden behind the scenes. Whoever you are and wherever you live, you matter to God. Whatever pain you're holding inside, whether it's about someone in your family or personal burdens you alone know within yourself, God longs for you to unburden it to Him. Though He doesn't promise there won't be pain in this world, He does promise He will be with you through it.

God already knows your pain, but have you ever talked with Him about it?

What pain will you unburden to God today?

Conquering Self-Doubt and Fear

Self-doubt. The story of my life. I come from a childhood jam-packed with feeling I don't measure up and a legalistic church system where I was not valued as a special person created by God with gifts to offer others.

Growing into my teens, I was super-insecure and felt like no one understood me. As a young adult, depressed and vulnerable and not knowing where else to turn, I went to a minister for counsel. I fell headlong into a trap where I was stripped of my very being and self-worth through spiritual, emotional, and sexual abuse.

Though God has graciously healed me in many ways, those ugly, old feelings of worthlessness can still cling like a leech, sucking out the motivation, the creativity, and the gift of writing God gives me.

Years roll on as I bottle up my ideas inside of me. God has given me so many experiences to share - lessons I learned that would make a difference in other people's lives. And yet I hesitate. Why? What am I really afraid of?

I'm not sure, but I do know I need to step out of my comfort zone and expand my writing horizons. I am planning to go to my first writer's conference this week. While I'm so excited to learn and discover, I'm so nervous - the pacing in a cage type of nervous. Maybe it's because I always feel judged in crowds of people. I don't know. I just know something is triggering this fear inside of me.

Last night I cried, "O God, I feel so afraid." Then I read Isaiah 54, one of my favorite chapters, and verse 4 especially comforted me: "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated."

I need confidence. God confidence. Trusting Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I need to bask in the steadfast sunshine of Jesus' love and claim the everlasting promises He has given and will faithfully fulfill even for me.

Yesterday my little grand-daughter showed me what she made in Sunday school. Held with yarn around her neck, a paper badge said, "I will be brave." Yes, I will be brave. I will take courage in Christ Jesus, because in Him I can do all things. In Him I can conquer a troop, leap over a wall, and level a mountain.

Yes, I will pluck up courage and face the unknown, believing God will be with me. I will tune out what past pain says of my worth, and I will tune into what Jesus says. In Him I am good enough. In Him I am special and precious!

When do you most doubt yourself and the gifts God has given you?

Which of God's promises gives you courage to press on?

Trick-or-Treat

Though it can be interesting to discover historical traditions, I cringe at the haunting, gory, or violent perceptions that have been given to Halloween over the course of history. I don't advocate these things on October 31 or any other day, but I do love handing out candy to children.

As our children grew up, we attended a church that held Reformation Day services and forbade anything to do with Halloween. Since at that time we feared what "the church" said, we religiously followed their dos and don'ts.

While I do believe Reformation Day is a notable day in church history, I don't feel like preaching at kids to tell them they shouldn't go trick-or-treating or have anything to do with Halloween. Perhaps I have backed off because of the legalistic background I came from and have learned how it can hurt people.

Honestly, I think the majority of kids don't even know the history of Halloween and merely love the fun of using their imaginations to dress up and get candy. For this reason, today I will appreciate each child's unique creativity and fill their candy bags.

I highly recommend this children's book:



The Pumpkin Patch Parable

by Liz Curtis Higgs

There are many conflicting opinions among Christians about Halloween.

Do you allow your children to trick-or-treat?

If not, what healthy alternatives do you use?

Not an Insignificant Statistic in God's Eyes

Earth is but a tiny speck in the solar system, only 1 millionth the size of the sun.  Consider that tiny speck holding 6,970,506,689 people (World Population Clock). Can you imagine what size each of us is in comparison to such a vast universe?

In such magnitude, not one of us can be visible to the human eye. Yet to God, each one of us is not only visible but watched over. Not a single thought or feeling of our hearts escapes His attention.

Nearly 7 billion people in this world, and yet God knows each and every one. He knows the life being conceived at this very second, the baby being born, etc. He keeps track of every life and death and yet He does not grow weary. "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom." Isaiah 40:28

Perhaps you have several children and/or grandchildren. You want each to feel loved and cared about. You try to give each one your undivided attention, but don't you sometimes feel weary and oh, so human?

If we think we can be everywhere, meet every child's need, and take care of every situation, we will grow more ragged by the hour, or even by the minute. We will only dig ourselves into desperation.

But wait! Have we forgotten the Almighty God Who has created the immeasurable universe? The all-knowing, everywhere-present God Who watches over all? He knows each of us by name, and He doesn't want us to be self-sufficient and independent. He wants us to lay all our cares at His feet and trust His immeasurable power and love.

In fact, out of nearly 7 billion people, He loves each one of us as if you are or I am the only person on earth. We may be merely statistics to a census bureau, but our Creator counts each one of us worthy of His consideration 24-7.

"How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you."

Psalm 139: 17-18

P.S. Did you know that while I was writing this, the world's population grew by 6,257 more people and probably even more while I write this sentence? Think how many more lives God has to keep track of, and yet He has no problem whatsoever. I can't even begin to fathom the greatness of our God, can you?

What situation in life made you feel insignificant?

 During what situation did God show you how important you are to Him?

Promises of Hope, Riches, and Power

It's sad, but often I read God's Word more out of duty than desire. I lay down my Bible and think, "What did I just read?" I relish the times when my heart craves wholesome spiritual food as much as my body craves sweet or salty junk food.

This week, as I checked out the verses Renee Swopes suggests in Chapter 4 of A Confident Heart, my heart hungered for God's promises in these words:
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same mighty strength..." Ephesians 1:18–19

"Enlighten" means to "to remove the dimness or blindness (usually figurative) from one's eyes or heart." I ache for the blind eyes of my heart to truly open to the promises God sets in front of me and to soak them up like a sponge.

What are the promises He offers here? There are at least three of them. God wants us to know:

1. "The hope to which He has called you..." If I could grasp the HOPE God promises, I could face anything. But wait... He not only wants me to know it, but He personally calls me to it. He wouldn't call me to it if He didn't want me to claim it, right?  He longs for us to believe and to receive this hope. “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
2. "The riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people..." Holy people? I'm so unholy and unclean... But wait, my doubting heart, don't you remember you are holy through Jesus' ultimate sacrifice? Through Him, you do have the right to lay claim to the riches of His glorious inheritance. Amazing!
3. "His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same mighty strength..." This one stumps me the most in life. Why don't I trust more in His power? Is it because of all the trust issues I still carry around like a ball and chain? How could I not trust God's power? I know with my mind He has power, but I don't always believe in my heart that He will use that power towards me.

If we read further in Ephesians, verse 20 continues on about that same mighty strength "He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms…” Now that's power! Can't that same God Who removed the stone from the grave and brought Jesus back to life deposit my doubts into the trash bin of forgetfulness? Yes, I believe He can. He can remove the blindness from the eyes of my heart to truly see, truly believe, and truly receive His hope, His inheritance, and His power.

So what still holds me back? Perhaps it's His willingness I doubt. Why would He exert that power for me? Then I call to mind the leper who came to Jesus. (Luke 5) Jesus didn't run away with disgust and abhorrence. He waited and listened. When the leper fell down with his face to the ground and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean," Jesus replied, "I am willing. Be clean!" And do you know what? Jesus touched the leper who everyone else shunned. Will He not also be willing to touch each one of us, no matter who we are or where we came from? 

Jesus was willing to take upon Himself our sins and pay the price for us, He was willing to touch and heal the leper, and He is willing to give us hope, riches, and power in Him.

What does hope mean to you?

What are God's incomparable riches?

Do you believe God's power and yet struggle with His willingness to use it on you?

Free Stuff

Just a FYI post today. :-) I just started a new page of "Free Stuff." I love to get something for free, so I thought I'd share some I know about. It's only a wee start of a list, but with your help, it will grow. If you know of some valuable resources I can add, please let me know.

On that particular page, I will only add what is always free, but I'd like to share with you an ebook that is free only until Sunday. Zondervan is giving away Max Lucado's ebook - God's Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours. You can download it HERE.

Speaking of free stuff, I can't help but think of the most amazing free gift we could ever receive - eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves,

it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

Ephesians 2:8-9

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost."

Isaiah 55:1 

A Child's Trust

As I walked this morning, a little girl I have never met ran down her driveway straight to me. Bursting with excitement, she rattled on with her news. I guess she just had to tell someone.  :-)

Sadly, I couldn't comprehend a word she said, because her enunciation wasn't too clear yet. So I just nodded and smiled and told her what a pretty dress she had on.

As I walked on, I thought of what abandon this child had towards me, a stranger, and I knew God was teaching me another lesson. My God isn't a total stranger to me, but do I run to Him with such freedom and confidence that He will care what I have to say, or do I still hold Him at arm's length? Are there still reservations in my heart that keep me from opening up to Him as completely as a small child?

This child believed I would listen and understand. When I pray to my Father God, do I really trust He will listen and understand, or is there a part of me that still clings to distrust?

This child told her heart, and she probably is not worrying right now whether or not I understood her. I too often worry my conversations with people are misunderstood. I will worry about it for days, hoping I didn't say something that may have been taken up differently than I meant it.

As I reflect on all this, it amazes me that no matter how we word things, God just knows. We can babble incoherently, but He knows exactly what we're saying. We can say the wrong words, but He understands our intention. He even knows and understands every word we reserve in our heart and are afraid to say. He reaches into our deepest thoughts that we can't even put into words - every sigh, every cry, every fear.

May our Heavenly Father give us the trusting heart of a little child to run to Him with our every need, whether it's a heavy trouble weighing upon us or a bubbling excitement to thank Him for all He gives us. He is waiting for us with open arms.

A Father's Love Letter to You

What can you learn from a child's trust?

What keeps you from trusting God as a tender, loving, welcoming Father?

A Confident Heart

I'm excited to tell you I decided to join an online Bible Study by Melissa Taylor from Proverbs 31 Ministries. We are working on building God-confidence in our lives. This week we read Chapter 1 of Renee Swope's A Confident Heart: How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Live in the Security of God’s Promises and answered her discussion questions at the end of the chapter.

Already I have gleaned so much. Some points Renee discusses in Chapter 1 that especially sparked my reflection are:

• "In the shadow of doubt, insecurity paralyzes us..." So true in my life. I have allowed it to stilt my creativity. I disposed of many dreams and passions because of my lack of confidence.
• "He's led me beyond believing in Him to really believing Him by relying on the power of His words and living like they are true no matter what my feelings tell me." I have struggled with this lately. I believe in God, but do I really believe He has the power? Or do I believe more in my feelings and what internal negative voices tell me? Oh, to have the trust of a child! To fall with abandon into my Father's arms knowing He has the power to catch me and hold me up!
• "Praying God's Word has been one of the most life-changing ways I've learned to live in the security of His promises." This is something I need to practice more.

If you struggle with insecurity, I encourage you to at least read the book. Even if you haven't joined the study, I'm sure you can read the comments or even comment yourself since this is at Melissa's blog and also on Facebook. There are so many women who are suffering in their lives and have taken the risk to share their hearts. You are not alone!

What dreams or passions have you not pursued because of insecurity?

What has confidence in God enabled you to do?

Believe You Can Blossom

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin

How often do we remain tight in a bud, concealing the gifts God has given us because the risk just seems too great? Avoidance of discomfort is far more comfortable than speaking out. Yet thoughts buzz around and build up inside of us. We know we should move forward, but... What if I flub up? What will people think of me? What if people don't like something I say or write?

When we allow the ugly beast of insecurity to reign in us, we will sabotage ourselves from ever blossoming as God intends for each of us.

But, yes, it can be so difficult, because sometimes those negative thoughts are having a heyday in our subconscious. We aren't even aware of how much they influence our actions or lack of action. How do we root them out and replace them with positive thoughts?

Have you ever heard of IALAC? I Am Lovable And Capable. Dr. Sidney B. Simon came up with this acronym to encourage children to value themselves. We adults need this same reminder.

Perhaps you never have felt lovable and capable. I didn't as a child, and I often still struggle with it. It's tough to purge ourselves of negative thoughts that will not allow the buds of our God-given potential to blossom.

In God's eyes, we are special and deserving of dignity. In His image, there is something inborn in us that makes us lovable. In His unique creation of us, each of us is capable of achieving. He has given us gifts, and He wants us to use them.

I recently watched a video of David Ring, a pastor and speaker who has cerebral palsy. It's amazing what he conquers through the power of Christ. What the devil meant for evil in his life, God meant for good.

In this inspirational speech, David stressed that we all have a story that needs to be told. If we don't tell it, it will never be told. If we do tell it, we can make an impact in this world.

How many of us have stories that need to be told, but we're too afraid to tell it? Our insecurities take over and we remain in a tight bud. Sometimes we're comfortable to remain in that position, but other times it hurts so much. Pressing within us is a passionate urge to tell others what God has done for us, and it's begging to blossom to God's glory.

I challenge you and I challenge myself today to blossom. Let's let go of the tight bud of our insecurities and brave the unknown. You have something to offer to this world, and so do I. Let's risk everything to bloom for the glory of God.

Do you believe you are lovable and capable? Why or why not?

What story do you have to share?

9/11 Tribute

Truths About Legalistic Christianity

"The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." I Cor. 3:6

Legalism, the "strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit," can stilt our growth in Christ.  Our lives can be so enslaved with "dos" and "don'ts" that we miss out on the joy and freedom of living in the Spirit.

In Wisdom Hunter: A Novel by Randall Arthur, Jason is a powerful, influential church leader; but tragedy strikes, and he finds himself in a serious crisis of faith. His journey to find his only surviving relative, his little grand-daughter, leads him on a quest for truth and wisdom. Here are some of the truths he learned about the enslaving hypocrisy of legalistic Christianity:

1. God-in-a-box theology is not aligned with what the Bible teaches us about God.
2. Jason had to learn to "think for himself for a while, apart from the predigested ideas and interpretations found in his books." He needed "to cut through everything man teaches and assumes, and learn what God reveals about life."
3. Jason realized that in seminary he was taught what to think, not how to think.
4. He realized how much he had misinterpreted the Bible, because he looked at it through the filter of traditions.
5. He had become more influenced by peer pressure than by Spirit pressure.
6. Sometimes when Christianity has been in a country for so long, it can become more defined by the country's culture than by Bible teachings.
7. Jesus compares evangelism with sowing seeds, not swinging swords.
8. God is full of love and mercy.

This list could go on, but I'll stop here and leave you to savor these morsels of truth.

What is it like to be trapped in a legalistic system?

If you got out of one, what legalistic thoughts do you still struggle with?

What have you experienced of the freedom of the Spirit?

The Muir House by Mary DeMuth

When I first delved into The Muir House by Mary DeMuth, I unexpectedly lost my desire to read it. I wasn’t sure why. I blamed it on Mary’s descriptive language. Her wordsmith power was slowing down the story line, I reasoned. That’s why I can’t get into it. I know now that was just an excuse.

The truth was that something triggered in me that scared me. Willa, the main character, relentlessly pursued the truth in her past. She obsessed over filling the memory gaps of her childhood. Somewhere in my subconscious I connected with Willa, and I became afraid for her – afraid of what she would find out. Would it help her to live a more productive life or would it hinder her happiness? Yet on the other hand, she had to clear the roadblocks that still held her back from allowing Hale’s love into her heart, didn’t she?

For a few days I refused to open the book. Instead I read something that wouldn’t make me wonder about the gaps in my own memory. Then with a sigh in my soul, dreading to find out the truth but needing to know, I again picked up the book and found myself captivated in her quest for truth.

Willa has a chance for unconditional love in Hale, but she refuses it. Instead she decides to go back to her childhood home to sort out her history. Why does her mother dislike her? Why couldn’t she piece together the holes in her memories?

Hale, who often expresses his thoughts in symbolism, believes Willa halfheartedly bats away her crazy, painful life like a buzzing fly, but eventually she captures it to herself. She actually welcomes chaos in her life, because it feels safe and comfortable, but she runs from normalcy and love. Though her rejection of his love stings, he chooses to allow Willa the space and time she needs to find herself and “home.”

The Muir House is an unforgettable journey of trauma, healing, and love. My hesitancy when I first started reading this book testifies to Mary’s ability to get into the mind of her readers. Her characters are so vivid and real that they first shook me up, but they now have found comfortable couches in my heart.

Mary has graciously taken the time to answer some questions I asked her:

• I admired Willa and her courage to relentlessly pursue the truth in her past, no matter what anyone said against it. In an interview about your characters with Bibledude, you mentioned you were frustrated with her to the point that “you had to put up with her for a while.” What most frustrated you about her and why?

Mary: What frustrated me is that I could see from my vantage point that whether she knew the truth or not, she still had a choice to live today. And when she couldn’t realize that truth, I grew annoyed. (I know this sounds crazy, but this is what an author’s brain does.) Which of course reminds me that God can see all our lives and has such a great plan for us to be joyful in the moment, but we get stuck and can’t see out of our heartache.

• According to your personal experience in dealing with the past, when is filling in the memory gaps essential to living a more productive, peaceful life? At what point can it become damaging to oneself and others?

Mary: I still have gaps, so I’ve had to learn to let them be. If I keep pushing to find them, I may be shortchanging or circumventing God’s sovereign plan for my life. Sometimes God blocks our memories. Sometimes He reveals them, all with the intention of healing us. He doesn’t reveal everything at once or we would quit the healing process. The key is to trust His timing and not try to create our own.

• In many ways Hale exemplifies Christ. What Christ-like traits did you specifically desire to portray to your readers?

Mary: A steady, settled love no matter what the other person does. So many of us doubt that aspect of Jesus’ love, so I wanted Hale to personify that stick-with-it-ness of Jesus.

Am I Worth Dying For?

Are we worth dying for?  Yes, believe it!  Jesus has proved it.  I just can't fathom this.  Can you?

Do you feel alone and hopeless today?  Do you think your life has no purpose?  Do you wonder if anyone cares? 

I hope this song will encourage you today!  "You gotta believe you're someone worth dying for!"

"You're Worth Dying For" by Mikes Chair

What message does this song send to your heart today?

Flight of Hope

I had heard about “Flight of Hope” where loved ones are honored in the releasing of butterflies, but I had never experienced it.  On Tuesday morning, Life 96.5 announced it.  On a whim, an hour before it started at 5:30pm, I decided to check it out.  I rejoice that I did.

My daughter-in-law and four grandkids picked me up and we were just going to observe, but I ended up purchasing one of their extra butterflies.

When the gal asked me the names of my loved ones, I told her my parents' names, but in my heart I was also thinking how much I wanted to let go of the bad things in my life.  Let go of all the pain but also the hidden grudges I have in my heart against those who have hurt me in my life, whether through abuse or slander or lack of support, etc.  That deep-seated bitterness I may not even be aware I have.  That sense of betrayal that builds walls against meaningful relationships. That false shame that holds me back from feeling the freedom there is in Jesus.

Inspirational singing, stories, and Bible references resonated under the dome in Sertoma Park. As I held the wax envelope that held my Monarch butterfly, we wondered, “Is it even alive?”  Then music started and the butterfly began to move its wings and its two front legs like it was pleading, “Let me out, let me out, let me out...” 

This twanged a deep yearning in my soul.  Oh Jesus, so often I still feel so trapped by bad things that happened to me in the past.  I believe You want me to write, but so often I’m so afraid to. I worry more about what people might think or say instead of being concerned with what is to Your honor. Please free me, Lord, and let me fly free for YOU!  

I marveled how free my mom and dad are now. Nothing fetters them anymore. Jesus, You have paid the price for them. Help me to let go of any clinging hurts and dwell only on the many precious memories You have given because of their presence in my life.

When their names were called, I carefully opened my envelope and let the butterfly crawl into my hand, but it flew away so quickly that all the photo showed were empty hands and mouthed "ohs."

Then some gals from the sponsors saw us and let my grandkids hold a couple of extra butterflies.  My heart rejoiced to see the awe on their little faces! 

The memories of that day still linger in my heart.  I'm not always comfortable in crowds, but I'm so glad I answered the nudge in my heart to go. My faithful God's blessings to a doubting soul like me just keep on multiplying. 

In what ways have you "let go" of your loved ones and/or released painful memories in your life?

The Butterfly Effect

The "butterfly effect" suggests that the whir of air released by a butterfly's wings can magnify over time to release a power that can affect weather patterns thousands of miles away.  An unnoticed, seemingly insignificant action can intensify to a storm of consequence.

Amazing, isn't it?  One tiny act of kindness can spread and make a difference throughout the world!

The movie - Pay It Forward - is a good example of the impact one person can have on others.  It all started out with an idea Trevor came up with for a seventh-grade assignment.  He would pass on an act of kindness to three people, and each of them in turn would pass on a good deed to three more.  A tiny act stirred up a whirlwind of kindness.

A friend of mine bought two extra copies of Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back to share with others.  I received one copy and shared it with some neighbors whose lives were touched by it.  One neighbor bought a copy and passed it around, and some of those people are buying their own copy to share.  God works in mysterious ways.  A flap of the wings and the power releases.

Do you ever feel like you don't make an impact on the world around you?  Even if you don't hear any positive feedback, you are making a difference. Years ago in a Bible Study using THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE, a woman who washed hospital bedding wondered how what she does could ever have a purpose or be glorifying to God.  She woke me up to how much I take little things for granted.  Those same crisp, white sheets I have laid on in a hospital bed were washed by a woman who thought she wasn't making a difference in the world.  In reality, her quiet flap of wings has made a greater difference than she will ever realize.

What we do not only affects those around us today, but it may ripple on and shape the lives of those who are not yet born.  Awesome, yet scary.  How do we live our lives?  Do we make positive differences?

Let's be the butterflies of love and kindness.  If one pair of wings can intensify into a storm, imagine what we can do together.

*******

“What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” - Mother Teresa

How has an act of kindness affected you?

What are little ways you can make a positive difference?

True Friendship

Several years ago I jotted down some quotes about friendship, and I'd like to share some of my favorites with you.  Just sit in silence for a while and soak up the depths of meaning in each one.

What is a real friend?

"A friend loves at all times..." Proverbs 17:17

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” Walter Winchell

“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.” G. Randolf

How can I be a true friend?

“Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend.” Albert Camus

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” Mother Teresa

 “When you love, you wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve.” Ernest Hemingway

Ultimate Friendship

The quote by Hemingway about sacrifice speaks volumes of what real friendship is, and I can't think of a better example than how Jesus sacrificed His life for us.

Friends on earth will always have flaws and weaknesses and sometimes will even turn their backs on us, but Jesus is a Friend Who always has and always will remain faithful and steadfast.  He knows our deepest secrets, and yet He will never betray us.  He has paid the ultimate sacrifice for us, and He will never, never, never leave us or forsake us.

"What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear..."

Do you have friendship quotes or experiences to share?

What personal experience revealed Jesus as your BEST FRIEND?

Every Life Deserves Respect

This week, as I took a plunge into paper-file overhaul and reorganization, I discovered some thoughts I wrote during the battle over the life of Terri Schiavo in 2005.

I remember her eyes.  She couldn't express her opinion, but to me her eyes cried out, "Please fight for me."  Some pictures I saw at the time indicated a sparkle of understanding, of love received and love given.  I watched those same eyes glaze over as she was forced to slowly die of starvation.

The shock of it resurrects itself in my heart and digs up memories of my time as a nurse's aide in a nursing home.

I remember Edith whose body grew rigid in a fetal position.  She couldn't do anything for herself, and she couldn't even express her needs or wants.  When she tried to speak, unintelligible sounds garbled out.  Her big, beautiful, brown eyes didn't always focus, but behind them was a woman who loved and was loved.

One day as I fed Edith her dinner, I noticed an unopened letter on her bedside table.  Who had tossed it there without reading it to her?  Can you imagine her heart dancing with excitement at the thought of someone remembering her with a letter?  Then spinning a nosedive into frustration and depression, unable to reach it or even open it? 

As I opened the letter and read it, another aide passed the doorway and looked at me like I was a crazy alien.  Too often I worry about what others think of me, but at that moment I chose to respect Edith and her precious life.  I continued to read a message from a loving daughter who couldn't be with her mom.  As I glanced up, Edith's eyes connected to my innermost soul.  Tears of gratitude spilled over onto the sides of her face.  As she tried to say something, all that would come out was, "Aawawuw...," No, I didn't understand her words, but the message behind her eyes still resonates in my heart today.

Edith, just like Terri Schiavo, was a person with feelings, hopes, and dreams.  A person who loved and was loved.  A person who had a purpose in this life no matter how disabled she was.  A person who has every right to be respected.

God has given that right to each of us.  We can read the truth of it in Psalm 8, "What is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?  You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor."   God not only cares for us, but He has crowned us with glory and honor. 

Because of this, it should never come to a battle over whether the Terri Schavios of this world should live or die.  What right do we have to mess with the life God has given?

 How can we fight for those who can't fight for themselves?

Weighed and Found Wanting

The World English Dictionary defines "diagnosis" as a "thorough analysis of facts or problems in order to gain understanding and aid future planning."  Without a correct diagnosis, there can be no understanding as to how best to treat a disease.  Without an adequate understanding, there can be little or no progress forward.

Recently I have been diagnosed with sarcoidosis and sleep apnea.  Now that a diagnosis has been reached through extensive laboratory testing and analysis, I can move forward to a more functional life as proper treatments are administered with God's blessing.

However, this morning I woke not with a physical diagnosis, but with a crucial diagnosis of my heart. I "have been weighed in the scales and found wanting." (Daniel 5:27)
So often I start my morning with "God, please help me through this day."  So often I pray that God will satisfy my needs.  I focus on my comfort.  I want the time to be filled with my agenda.  I even want the day to be filled with my praise as I seek for approval or affirmation from others.

No, I don't have idols of gold and silver clutched in my hands like Belshazzar did in Daniel 5, but I certainly have stinking idols of selfishness in my heart.  Like him, I do "not honor the God who holds in His hand my life and all my ways." (Daniel 5:23)  I fear my life is about me, me, me...

As I search my heart further, I can see how it's my selfishness also that is road-blocking my writing.  Often I am afraid to publish what I write.  Why?  I fear I will say the wrong thing and hurt someone.  Now I really do hate to hurt anyone's feelings and I hate confrontation, but is that really what is deflating my tires, or is it that I'm afraid someone will turn against me if I speak the truth?  Me again...

This diagnosis I received this morning is far more difficult to accept than physical diagnoses, but now I ask myself: What will I do with it?  I can say I wept before God this morning and again asked His forgiveness, but that sounds like me again.  So I will just say God is faithful and forgiving.  He stands firm no matter how much we fail.  In Jesus and His totally unselfish sacrifice, my selfishness can be washed away again and again.  The 100% pure and sure treatment for a correct diagnosis.

In Jesus, I can move forward.  Because of JESUS and HIS LOVE, my wake-up prayer can become, "God, please let YOUR NAME be glorified today. Not my will and way, but YOURS. Not my praise, but YOURS forever!"

Read Daniel 5.

Dig into your heart.  What idols are hidden there?

How has God shown you His complete forgiveness in and through the blood of Jesus?

Troubles Make Us Stronger

"We've been through a lot together, haven't we, Mom?" a young boy said as he was dying from cancer after losing his father. "But we have grown stronger because of it though."  (Highway to Heaven TV program)

Isn't that true for each of us here on earth?  How would we ever grow in knowledge and strength without troubles? 

While we languish in a valley of darkness, we can't see clearly.  But eventually we come to see the light and wisdom of struggling through it.  We become stronger, don't we?

If God chooses to keep us in the same tough situation, whether it's physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, He has a special plan for us.

God has not chosen to give me complete physical health yet.  The final diagnosis is sarcoidosis, an auto-immune inflammatory disease that primarily affects the lungs but can affect other organs also.  I also need to get a sleep study done to test for sleep apnea since my oxygen sats want to plunge too often when I'm sleeping.

God has a reason for it all.  I just need to take a day a time and be thankful for every step in the direction of a better quality of life.  Yes, I'm human, and my inner self pouts like a spoiled child that didn't get her way.  I wanted complete healing here and now, but God is still good!  I have so many undeserved blessings.

Not one of us is exempt from trouble on this earth, and many of us have undergone deep and heavy trials, sometimes one after another.  However, no matter how many we go through or how long each one lasts, God remains faithful and we will grow stronger.

What dark valleys have you gone through?

How have they made you stronger?