EVEN THOUGH…

Looking at some “though” passages in the Bible, we get an idea of how to react to bad – even astoundingly horrible – situations. Three examples stand out in my mind. What these men of faith were committed to, and how they handled their “though” situations inspires me every time I read them.

Psalm 46:1-3: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.”

THE PSALMISTS KNEW GOD: “OUR refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” That’s why they confidently declared that whatever happens, (even if bad goes to worse) “we will not fear”! Later in the same Psalm we are encouraged because “The Lord of hosts is with us”, and God Himself quiets our fears even today with some very assuring words of compassion: “Be still and know that I am God.” Do I know God well enough to declare, like the Psalmists that “I will not fear”?

Habakkuk 3:17-19: “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls – yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength…”

HABAKKUK KNEW GOD:  He referred to Him as “The God of my salvation; my strength”, testifying that no matter what the situation and even if everything else is lost, he still has reason to rejoice. Habakkuk committed to rejoicing in that which no one can ever take away: the God of his salvation. He understood that having the God of our salvation living in us, we have it all! Do I really know the God of my salvation and strength, like Habakkuk, to the point that I can say “no matter if I lose everything else, it’s OK, nothing can steal my joy, because I have Him?”

Job 13:15: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

JOB KNEW GOD: he knew that no matter what, God was worthy of his praise, as he immediately declared when he heard of all the catastrophes that fell on his family: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord”. Job also knew that God could be trusted, and was committed to trusting Him even in the worst case scenario. When I face destruction, devastation and death in the magnitude that Job did, will I know Him well enough to say “I’m still going to trust Him, because He is trustworthy”?

These giants of the faith motivate me to want to KNOW GOD more. They lay out the pattern for getting through those “even though” situations…because to KNOW GOD more and more is the key… to “even though”!

GIVING THANKS – AN AFTERTHOUGHT?

While talking about Thanksgiving Day with a co-worker this past week, he mentioned a family tradition that he and his wife have always had. On the way to Grandma’s house for their Thanksgiving Day meal, they engage their 2 children (who are now high school age) in a conversation about what they are thankful for. He chuckled when he remarked that as they mature, the things that they are thankful for have evolved from being “thankful that Christmas and Santa are coming soon” to more important things that reflect a deeper awareness of a correct value system.

That got me thinking. Sometimes we fall into a trap of forgetting what Thanksgiving is all about…it’s about GIVING THANKS! It’s just that simple!…but we complicate it by getting caught up in menus, turkeys, travel, family gatherings, centerpieces, decorations, overeating, football games, and even Black Friday – that starts on Thanksgiving Day! Somehow, GIVING THANKS gets shoved into the background and becomes nothing more than an afterthought, or one more thing to check off our “to do” list.

We still have a few days before Thanksgiving, and that gives us time to reflect and elaborate our own list of things we’re thankful for. Let’s do that! Thanksgiving is the day. GIVING THANKS is the heart attitude that honors God, the Giver of all good gifts!

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
Psalm 103:1,2

TREASURE

Some time ago, I found a short clip titled “Treasure”. I don’t know who wrote it, and can’t even remember where it was published, but I cut it out and have it along with other meaningful clippings. Because it is rich in truth, and provokes reflection, I’ll share it with you. No doubt, you’ll also add a hearty AMEN to the end!

TREASURE
The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose, he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.

AMEN!

2010 in Review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 4,200 times in 2010. That’s about 10 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 88 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 54 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 40mb. That’s about 1 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was March 1st with 98 views. The most popular post that day was GOD ANSWERS PRAYER – IN A BIG WAY!.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were lizsupdate.blogspot.com, mail.live.com, mail.yahoo.com, digg.com, and karen-lifeinparaguay.blogspot.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for eternal encouragement, acrostic for eternal, www.eternalencouragement.wordpress.com, words of encouragement for a niece, and erin dino nemec.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER – IN A BIG WAY! March 2010
4 comments

2

About February 2010
6 comments

3

God Never Says “Oops!” March 2010
8 comments

4

“So…where did you meet?” February 2010
12 comments

5

ACROSTICS March 2010
1 comment

WEEKLY READING PLAN – Sept. 27 – Oct. 2 Knowing God Better (part 3)

Here are some good verses to read to know God better. We don’t want just head-knowledge. We want to experience everything God is, and worship Him for who He is in our lives. If you don’t have a Bible with you as you read this, check out www.biblegateway.com and you can read any version you want.

MONDAY: Jeremiah 23:6. The Lord is our ______________________. Praise Him for that!!

TUESDAY: Judges 6:22-24. Gideon discovered that the Lord is ___________________.

WEDNESDAY: Exodus 15:25. In this verse God reveals Himself as _________________________.

THURSDAY: Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my _________________________. Read the whole Psalm and rejoice in His goodness!

FRIDAY: Psalm 77:14. We praise God because He is the God who _______________________________.

SATURDAY: Psalm 4:8. Only God makes me ________________________________.

BONUS: Genesis 22:1-14. (Take note of verses 8 and 14) Abraham discovered God is the One who __________________________.

WEEKLY BIBLE READING PLAN – Sept. 13-18 Knowing God Better (1)

We’ve started a new series in our Sunday School class that is about knowing God better.  The next few weeks’ reading plans go hand-in-hand with that and will remind us of WHO God is and what He’s like. If you don’t have your Bible nearby, you can always log on to www.biblegateway.com and read the daily verses in any version.

MONDAY: Nehemiah 9:6. We can praise God because He is the ______________________________.

TUESDAY: Isaiah 45:5. God is worthy to be praised because He is the ____________________________.

WEDNESDAY: Daniel 7: 9 and Isaiah 9:6. In these two passages we see He is ______________________.

THURSDAY: Psalm 89:9 points out two of God’s characteristics. He is _____________________________ and __________________________________.

FRIDAY: 1^st John 4:16: It’s reassuring to know that He is a _______________________________ God.

SATURDAY: Romans 3:26 tells us three things about God. Can you find them?  He is ________________;

He is _____________ and He is our ________________________________________.

BONUS!! Deuteronomy 7:9. Because He is a ____________________________ God, we can rest in all of His promises forever… and ever… and ever…. and ever ……PRAISE GOD!

IT’S NOT THE WAFFLE IRON AND IT’S NOT THE IRISES

Mom's Waffle Iron Still Makes Scrumptious Waffles!

This past week we enjoyed some yummy waffles I made with my Mom’s now-antique waffle iron. I nostalgically recalled the many times she made the best waffles with it. I’m fortunate to have that same waffle iron now.

Each time I marveled at the beauty of the huge irises outside my front door a few weeks ago, I remembered how much my Dad loved gardening. These same plants were his: planted and cared for, along with dozens of other varieties of flowers and plants. I’m fortunate to have his irises and other plants in my flower beds now.

Three years ago, both Mom and Dad both passed away. They were 95 and 94 years young. They left other things for me, too: the silverware set he bought her a few days before their wedding in February, 1938 is one of my treasures. I also have Mom’s ancient Betty Crocker Cookbook, yellowed with age and full of her notes, drips, smudges and fingerprints. Dad also had a very extensive arrowhead collection that we siblings divided among ourselves, and my share is dear to me. The list could go on and on.

Thinking of the things they left me, I became increasingly aware that what really matters, and that I’m truly privileged to have is NOT the waffle iron, the silverware set, the irises, the arrowheads or anything else that was theirs. The “stuff” they left behind was just that. It was “stuff”. One day I’ll leave it behind, too.

Dad's Irises in My Front Flower Bed

What I value most cannot be held in my hands. I treasure it in my heart. I value their love for God and commitment to the Truth of His Word. I value their integrity, hard work and thankful outlook that they taught us by example. I value their lives of service, generosity and love they had for their neighbor – next door, or in another continent. I value the love they had for reading and learning, even till their last days. I value their commitment to each other; after 69+ years of marriage, and well into their 90’s, Dad still gave her chocolates on Valentine’s Day. This list could go on and on, too.

No, it’s not the waffle iron, and it’s not the irises. It’s who they were that – by God’s grace – helped make me who I am today. I thank God for having chosen the parents He chose for me, and now that they are gone, for showing me what’s really important to leave behind.

IT WILL BE MOTHER’S DAY FOR THEM, TOO!

For Mother’s Day, our country’s retailers are prodding both children and Dads to buy the very best for that wonderful woman in their life who deserves so much more than anything they could ever wrap up and put a bow on. Flowers, gifts, cards, or family gatherings all show their appreciation for that one most important and influential person: MOM. For most of my life, I assumed that Mother’s Day was an occasion for happy celebration in every family circle as it was in ours…then slowly, I began to realize the real truth: it isn’t always so. Anticipating Mother’s Day, I was thinking about various circumstances other mothers might be living: there are those who will feel loved and honored, and those who wish their Mother’s Day would be different, not having much reason to celebrate.

On This Mother’s Day…

…there are moms who will be anticipating their child’s graduation in the coming weeks. Whether it is from kindergarten or with a doctorate, their hearts will be bursting with pride as their child walks across the stage. They will remember the effort that led up to this moment and know it was all worth it!

…some moms will be celebrating with their child’s new accomplishments; saying his first word, taking his first step, learning to ride a bike, purchasing his first home, getting that well-deserved promotion, or going overseas as a missionary. What could be more fulfilling than being part of that?

…there are moms who will be rejoicing in their child’s wise choices, mature decision making and willingness to hold on to the values she diligently instilled in him.

…there are moms who will thank God for their child’s physical health, spiritual maturity, emotional stability and His blessings on their life.

…there are moms who will feel the richness of their child’s love and appreciation for them, and realize that is one of the most valuable assets they could ever have! These moms are the Proverbs 31 moms whose “children rise up and call her blessed”. 

…These are the moms who will look at their child with awe and think: “What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful child? He far exceeds my expectations! How God has blessed me!”

On this Mother’s Day, there will be another group of moms. Their situation will be different. They won’t receive bouquets, sticky kisses, bear hugs or gifts. No one will take them to their favorite restaurant, or even acknowledge the multitude of sacrifices they made as a mom. But it will be Mother’s Day for them, too!

…some of them will be sitting next to the window in their room at the nursing home, wondering if their child will remember them, at least today. It will be a very long day for them as they wait in vain. It will be Mother’s Day for them, too!

…others will be scanning the horizon for the return of their precious, yet prodigal child. Their hopeful eyes have done this umpteen times already, but their hope is intact, and even with chronic pain in their heart, they continue to wait. It will be Mother’s Day for them, too!

…another group will be visiting their child in prison. It certainly won’t be the Mother’s Day they would have chosen, knowing that their child turned away from the wholesome values they were taught. Even behind razor wire, and within cold prison walls, it will be Mother’s Day for them, too!

…some will be going to a rehab center to visit their child who is on the road to recovery from an addiction. It’s not where they would prefer to be honored as a mother, but it will be Mother’s Day for them, too!

…many women will be carrying the guilt and shame of having chosen to end the miracle of life that began inside them before that child had a chance to call them “Mom”. Others will be mourning the loss of a miscarriage or a stillborn child, and some moms will meet with the funeral directors to make arrangements for the burial of their child.  It will be Mother’s Day for them, too!

…there are those who will be selflessly caring for their chronically sick or permanently disabled child 24/7, just like they do the other 364 days of the year. Their years of selfless sacrifice may or may not be appreciated, but it will be Mother’s Day for them, too!

…some will be sitting at the bedside of their ill child in the hospital, both of them knowing all too well that this will be the last Mother’s Day they will spend as mother and child. Though their lips be silent, their hearts will be screaming out with searing pain. It will be Mother’s Day for them, too!

            God may have blessed you to be a part of that privileged group of moms who are proud, feel honored and loved, grateful that He allowed you to be part of something beautiful that was planned since before time began. It will be a day of celebration for you and your families; but please don’t forget that there are moms who are bearing unspeakable burdens, whose hearts ache, and have no reason to celebrate. Their pain is real, and disappointment permeates the very core of their being. As you enjoy this Mother’s Day, lifting up a prayer of gratitude to God for being dearly loved, please whisper a prayer for those moms who aren’t so fortunate. Reach out to them. Find a way to make them feel loved and appreciated, because IT WILL BE MOTHER’S DAY FOR THEM, TOO!

A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON

In a very small- almost unknown – town in Argentina, on May 2, 1984, a very important person was born. The news of his arrival didn’t make the headlines, and it wasn’t on the evening news. In fact, only a few people knew about him – just our family and friends (and the Doctor, of course!). He may never hold a public office, or get into Guiness Book of Records. He may never be the world’s best at anything, or be the richest. But he is very important. On that day in May, in Caseros, Entre Rios, Argentina, our youngest child was born. We named thim DINO!!

“Important? What’s up with that?” you might ask. “Sure, important!” I would be very quick to reply. “Here’s why.” Then I would tell you that Dino, like each one of us, was important to God even before he was born. He was so important, in fact, that God had a plan for him way back then. The Psalmist David penned a truth that not only can be applied universally to each of us, but in this case it can be applied specifically to Dino. It is found in Psalm 139:13-16, and reads like this:

 ^“You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”

Dino - A Very Important Person!

Not only is Dino important to God, each of us are equally important to Him. We are on God’s mind and in His heart. He loves each one of us with everlasting, unconditional love.  He proved how important we are to Him when He sent Jesus to die in our place. You may not feel important, the world may not consider you important. But YOU are a  Very Important Person.

TAX FREEDOM DAY

I just found out that yesterday was “Tax Freedom Day”.  Here’s what www.taxfoundation.org has to say about it.

“Tax Freedom Day will arrive on April 9 this year, the 99th day of 2010, according to our annual calculation using the latest government data on income and taxes. Americans will work well over three months of the year—from January 1 to April 9—before they have earned enough money to pay this year’s tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels.”

My Mom was a published poet. She had a book of her life’s poetry published when she was 93 years old. Even though she had only an 8^th grade education, in her poetry she expressed the tremendous insight she had on many topics. After she passed away, I found this unpublished – and probably unknown to anyone else – poem among her papers.

Mom's "Tax Freedom Day" Poem

She wrote of her plans to count her blessings until the REAL “Tax Freedom Day”, that day when she would take her final breath. Anyone who knew Mom can testify that she did just that: She often counted her blessings, and expressed her thankfulness to God for His goodness! Let’s follow her example and praise God for all His blessings until our real “Tax Freedom Day”, too!!

“Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord…” Psalm 146:1,2