I love rocks, the bigger the better. When we travel I look at, comment on, and take pictures of rocks. Rocks are beautiful, heavy, and they represent strength and stability.
This morning for my devotions I read Psalms 61 written by the Psalmist David and it spoke deep to my heart.
“Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer…. when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever. I will trust in the shelter of Your wings…. you have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name….so I will sing praise to Your name forever.” (Selected verses)
My mind pictured a big tall rock, one that if I stood beside I would feel small. A rock that I could climb and sit on the tippy top and see the long view before me. A rock that gives shelter to surrying creatures and soaring eagles.
David spent a lot of time outdoors; on the rugged mountain ranges shepherding his sheep and years of hiding deep in underground caves and seeking refuge on distance mountains from King Saul who wanted to kill him. He was always on the lookout from a rocky craig or seeking shelter under an overhanging ledge.
David was good at writing his feelings, fears, joys, and tribulations. The Psalms are full of his gratitude to God for his protection. He saw God in nature and freely expressed his worship in poetic form.
I am not hiding from an enemy seeking my life but I have my own worries, fears, struggles and challenges in life. I too am reminded of God in nature; his glory in a stuning sunset, his majesty in the night sky, his care in the flowers and birds, his faithfulness in the seasons of life, and his never ending love in the ocean waves.
I love a big rock. When I am overwhelmed and weary, I go to the Rock that is higher than I. It is a place of shelter, refuge, a strong tower, and there I rest and am assured of His eternal care. It helps me see the long-view which is so much bigger than my short-sighted vision. I am so grateful for my godly heritage; ancestors and parents who have passed on to me the stories of their faith and who feared God giving me a solid rock on which to build my faith.
Like David, I will sing praise to Your name forever.
“My soul, wait silently for God, for my expectatin is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense, I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my my refuge is in God.” Psalms 62: 5-7
Sunday a group from church sang this beautiful old gospel hymn and it ministered so deeply to me. Its message spoke to my weary soul.
The lyrics to the song…..
There’s a lighthouse on the hillside That overlooks life’s sea When I’m tossed it sends out a light That I might see
And the light that shines in darkness now Will safely lead us home If it wasn’t for the lighthouse My ship would be no more
It seems that everyone around us says “Tear that old lighthouse down The big ships just don’t pass this way anymore So there’s no use in standing ’round” Then my mind goes back to that one dark stormy night When just in time, I saw the light Yes, it was the light from that old lighthouse That stands there up there on the hill
And I thank God for the lighthouse I owe my life to Him Jesus is the lighthouse And from the rocks of sin He has shown a light around me That I might clearly see If it wasn’t for the lighthouse (Tell me) Where would this ship be?
I thank God for the lighthouse I owe my life to Him Jesus is the lighthouse And from the rocks of sin He has shown the light around me That I mighty clearly see If it wasn’t for the lighthouse (Tell me) Where would this ship be?
Connie Lancaster introduced the song, it is one of her favorites, and she has requested it numerous times through the years. Her words are worth repeating……
“ The first time I heard the song ‘The Old Lighthouse’ I knew it was more than a song, it was a story with many truths.
The people who lived around the lighthouse decided they did not need it anymore. They said the big ships didn’t sail through there any more, there was no use it’s hanging around. Finally one man stood up and said, ‘my mind goes back to a stormy night, a very dark night, when just in time I saw the light. It was the light from this old lighthouse. I owe my life to him. Jesus is that lighthouse. If it was not for that lighthouse, this ship would be no more.’
We at PMC (Powhatan Mennonite Church) are a lighthouse beaming light to our community from this corner of Route 13. Let us faithfully share the light.”
As I soaked up the precious words of the song I was reminded of Jesus’ words to us, “I am the light of the world.” We are only the candle, lighthouse, or lantern from which His light beams. Jesus also said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:14-16…..
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
A burnout candlestick, forsaken lighthouse or discarded lantern does not offer the lifesaving guiding light. It can only stand as a memorial to a has been.
Are you drifting on the sea of life? Are the storms and fogs of life causing you to lose your way? Are you in danger of ship wreck? There is help. There is a guiding light shining bright if you just look and reach out. Jesus is beckoning for you and will navigate you through the sandbars and rocky shoreline to bring you home. Can you trust him today?
If you are searching for the way to Jesus start by reading the New Testament. The book of John is a good starting place.
When I was six years old, my brother and I were playing farmer and horse. Rich was the farmer and I was the run-a-way horse. I was neighing and racing around with farmer Rich close behind. Finally he lunged for me and in the process knocked me to the ground into the gravel at the edge of the driveway. I ended up with a very bloody, scuffed up knee. After the knee healed, mother realized I had a tiny gravel under the skin by the scar close to my kneecap. You could see and feel it with your finger. The “show and tell” made a fun story. It never bothered me but when I had my knee replacement surgery sixty-one years later I asked the doctor to take it out. That accident was my first scar.
I had other scars through the years. Each has a memory. Each has a story. Seemingly insignificant events can became unforgetable memories. Some time during my adolescent years, I was riding my bike and went sailing down the hill through the yard. Just as I reached the road, the chain came off my bike and I was unable to stop. Fortunately, no cars were coming as I careened onto the road. I had on flip flops and in the process of trying to stop I stripped the skin and meat off my left big toe, down to the bone. I went limping and screaming back to the house. The commotion made our neighbors come see what had happened. Another time I was doing acrobatics exercises on my bed and flipped over backwards off the bed busting my knee, requiring stitches. Later in life there were several surgeries; a hysterectomy and a double knee replacement. Both left nice long 6-8 inch scars on my abdomen and legs.
Scars are what is left after a wound has healed. Nasty wounds or injuries can be replaced by a barely noticeable scars. Sometimes the injuries are much more devastating with long-term affects; loss of a limb, burns, crippling diseases, a broken neck, cancer, etc. Some wounds are more insidious and the scars less visible. Sexual and physical abuse, bullying, deformities, lies, broken homes, addictions, tragedies, rejection, broken hearts, war, terrorist attacks, kidnapping and suicide can leave emotional or mental wounds whose roots go much deeper than the surface of the skin and are much harder to heal. We suffer the wounds and bear the scars of a broken and sinful world
I thought about Jesus scars. Isaiah 53:2 gives us a glimpse into Jesus personal appearance. “He had no form or comeliness that when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him.” He would probably had been that child in school that everyone avoided, make fun of and bullied. He would not be the darling, handsome, well-built hunk of a high school quarterback.
But later in life, Jesus also had physical scars; horrific, deep, bloody, and permanent. They were caused by a crown of thorns pressed into his head, 40 lashes with a leaded whip, slaps across the face, his beard being pulled out, and nails hammered into his hands and feet as he was nailed to the cross. Isaiah 53 says he was sticken, smitten, aflicted , oppressed, chastised, wounded, bruised, and killed. He suffered mental abuse from insults, lies, ridicule, being spit on, humiliation and desertion by his closest circle of friends. He was despised and rejected by men and felt forsaken by God himself.
Why? Why did this have to happen? Because of our sins. He took them all onto himself so that we could be saved.
It usually takes weeks for injuries and surgeries to heal. Jesus died and when he rose from the dead three days later he was completely healed. BUT Jesus also had a “show and tell” story with scars. Late Sunday night after Jesus rose from the dead, two men were walking the seven miles from Jersualem to Emmaus when Jesus appeared and walked and talked with them. They didn’t recognize him until they arrived at Emmaus and sat down to eat; Jesus took bread and broke it and gave it to them to eat. Suddenly their eyes were opened and they recognized him. He immediately vanished from their sight. Even though it was dark, they hurried back to Jerusalem, found the disciples and those who had gathered with them, and told them about all the things that had just happened. Suddenly Jesus stood in their midst. They were terrified and frighten and Jesus greeted them with “Peace to you”. Jesus said, “Why are you troubled and why do you doubt? Look at my hands and feet. See my scars. Touch me and, feel them. I am real. Ghost do not have flesh and bones as I have.” (Paraphased Luke 24:39).
Thomas, one of the disciples was not with them at the time and when they told him about Jesus appearing to them he doubted and said, “Unless I see his hands and the holes of the nails and touch them with my finger and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, Jesus appeared to the disciples again and specifically addressed doubting Thomas. “Thomas, look at my hands. Reach out your finger and touch the scars on my hands and side. Feel them and believe.” And Thomas responded with “My Lord and my God.” (Paraphased John 20:20)
In Revelations there is a vision of a future scene in heaven when Jesus appears as the Lamb who was slain to open the scroll. (Revelations 5:1-7). He had the appearance of a sacrificed lamb. That tells me that Jesus’ scars are permanent. When we get to heaven, we will recognize him with his scars. We will be able to tenderly rub our fingers over his scars and fully understand his story. We will join in heartfelt worship with the gazillion other “redeemed by the blood of the lamb” saints praising and worshipping.
There is so much we do not know about heaven, but we do know we will be healed; all our wounds, emotional trauma, broken hearts, diseases, physical pain, sorrow and grief will be made whole. There will be no more tears. But a new wonder crossed my mind. Will we have still have our scars as a testimony and eternal reminder of the healing power of Jesus from the troubles we endured and the brokeness of this sinful world? Will I be able to rub my finger over your scar and say, “Tell me, tell me your story. Tell me what Jesus did for you?”
By his stripes (scars) we are healed. Thank you Jesus.
This year during Holy Week I found myself thinking about Saturday, a day of shock, despair and hopelessness. It was a day when God did not speak and Jesus was silent, sealed away in a tomb, dead. The disciples, mother of Jesus and other women were totally unprepared for the brutal horror that had unfolded before their eyes on Friday. They could hardly fatham the change of events from Sunday when crowds of people had cheered, sang hosanna, waved palm branches and hailed Jesus as a king as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. They thought the political reign of Jesus freeing them from Rome was finally happening. They missed the fact that kings ride in on horses not a poor man’s donkey.
Then came Thursday night. Jesus was arrested and put on trial. The news reverberated through the city and a large crowd of noisy protesters gathered outside Pilates house. Judas, a part of Jesus inner circle of twelve, betrayed him for thirty pieces of silver and then hung himself, dying a gruesome death.
Friday was a day they could not have imagined in their worst nightmare. Their shock and grief was revolting and numbing. The horror they had witnessed was gruesome. The man they had trusted and followed for three years had been horribly killed with the most cruel form of punishment and disfigured beyond recognition. The groans and cries of pain as the hammer nailed him to the cross was more than they could bear. A violent earthquake shook the ground and the darkness created a supernatural demonic eeriness. Then there was this strange supernatural occurrence where the curtain in the temple separating the holy from the ordinary was ripped from top to bottom. What did going on? What would happen next? Some of the disciples had fled and went into hiding. John huddled at a distance with Jesus mother and the other women. There were no words. Just silence and grief. All his blood spilled out on the ground when a sword pierced his side. They watched him die. They had seen his body, a limp, lifeless, bloody corpse. They had watched as Nicodemus and Joseph wrapped the body in cloth and quickly buried it in a rich man’s tomb without the proper burial spices. They could hardly take in all that was happening in the midst of their overwhelming shock and grief. Jesus was dead. Gone. It was all over.
Friday night there was no sleep. The women sat with Jesus mother and sobbed together. Emotions were raw and feelings were tender.
And then came Saturday. The morning dawned with a heavy, hushed stillness over the city and time stood still. The city was eerily quiet and deserted. Only a few ventured outside as most stayed huddled behind locked doors and talked in hushed whispers. The entire city was in a state of shock and fear. It almost seemed as if the earth was holding its breath.
How does one process what had happened the day before? How had they been so misled? They had witnessed the miracles, listened to Jesus profound teaching. They were convinced he was the Son of God, the Messiah. What should they do now? Where should they go? Were they safe? Why had they not noticed what Judas was up to? Where was God? The words of Jesus that in three days he would rise from the dead never entered their minds. They were sad, hurt, discouraged, exhausted, bewildered, angry, scared and numb. It was the sabbath day and no work was allowed but they began to make plans to give Jesus a decent burial with the required spices on Sunday morning without considering the logistics of doing so.
Nothing, nothing, would prepare them for the events of Sunday morning. They went from worrying how they would roll the rock from the tomb entrance to finding the tomb empty and fearing he had been stolen, to chatting with a frightening angel, and then experiencing the presence of the risen Lord. I can only imagine that their hearts burned within them with fear, hope, relief and confusion.
Saturday, a day of silence, fear, despair and hopelessness, dawned into Sunday, a day of many words, relief, joy and hope.
And then an amazing thing began to happen. They began to remember, to recall the things Jesus had taught them and the words he had spoken. Hour by hour and day by day their eyes and hearts were opened until 50 days later at Pentecost they were staunch believers and fearless men and women who were ready to defend the faith and even risk death to spread the good news.
Jesus did die a horrible death. But, he also rose from the dead. He became alive. He was the Son of God who came to earth in a human body with one purpose…. to become the sacrifical lamb to take away our sin so that we can become right with God and have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only beloved son. That whoever believes in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3: 16
“Behold the Lamb” is another blog post that explains the signifiance and meaning of the sacrifical lamb.
The complete story can be read in the Bible: Each reference contains some different perspectives and details.
I love when all the people noise on the farm stills and you can hear the birds, tree frogs, crickets, cows, chickens and other animals singing, mooing, clucking, screeching and twittering their wings.
We have a Carolina Wren that sings every morning and at different times through out the day. But unless you are tuned to it you won’t hear it even though he loudly sings his praises. I think often of the Bible verse, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalms 46:10). It is in the stillness after the morning rush, the quietness when humans aren’t running trucks, cars or tractors or when you dare walk out of your tightly closed up house with the tv and air conditioning running and sit on your porch, that you hear the songs of the happy birds with their heads tilted upwards, praising the God who designed and created them. They are unashamed or timid with sharing their song and it will bless anyone who pauses to listen.
This particular wren I have been trying for weeks to see. He usually sits in the tree by the shop very close to our store. The leaves on the tree hide him from view. Yesterday his song came from a different spot and suddenly I saw him, sitting on top of the stack of shavings on the dock at the warehouse.
As I clicked away on my camera, he lifted his head heavenward and sang his heart out. I had not sung any song of praise to God that morning, but he did. He exalted God with all his being.
I goggled “Carolina Wren” and found some very interesting facts and information on “All About Birds” website….”This shy bird can be hard to see, but it delivers an amazing number of decibels for its size. Follow its teakettle-teakettle! and other piercing exclamations through backyard or forest, and you may be rewarded with glimpses of this bird’s rich cinnamon plumage, white eyebrow stripe, and long, upward-cocked tail”.
Psalms 66:4 All creation, come praise the name of the LORD. Praise his name alone. The glory of God is greater than heaven and earth.
The Carolina Wren is sensitive to cold weather, with the northern populations decreasing markedly after severe winters. The gradually increasing winter temperatures over the last century may have been responsible for the northward range expansion seen in the mid-1900s.
One captive male Carolina Wren sang nearly 3,000 times in a single day.
Unlike other wren species in its genus, only the male Carolina Wren sings the loud song. In other species, such as the Stripe-breasted Wren of Central America, both members of a pair sing together. The male and female sing different parts, and usually interweave their songs such that they sound like a single bird singing.
A pair bond may form between a male and a female at any time of the year, and the pair will stay together for life. Members of a pair stay together on their territory year-round, and forage and move around the territory together.
The oldest recorded Carolina Wren was at least 7 years, 8 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Florida in 2004. It had been banded in the same state in 1997.
I have the “Merlin Bird ID” app on my iphone and really enjoy using it to identify different bird calls. I have currently captured the calls of about 20 different birds (this app is free).
Psalms 148:13 All creation, come praise the name of the LORD. Praise his name alone. The glory of God is greater than heaven and earth.
It was a beautiful evening. Late afternoon storm clouds darkened the sky to the west and north over the James River. The gentle breeze that blew all day became brisk and the yellowing leaves on the birch trees fluttered to the ground. A gentle rain watered the earth.
Just before dusk, the sun burst through the clouds and the sunlight glistened off the still falling raindrops creating a stunning huge, tall, full rainbow in the east. There actually was a double rainbow although the second one was not as brilliant. I didn’t see it at first as I was more focused on the sun reflecting on the roofs of the silos.
If you look closely you can see the faint rainbow to the right of the brilliant one.
I remembered God’s promise and the sign he gave us a reminder. I said aloud, “God I remember”.
Genesis 6-9 tells the story of Noah and the great flood that destroyed every living creature and all humans on earth except for Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives. Why would God do such a drastic, awful thing? It was judgement for the violent, evil, and godless culture that had turned against him. Noah and his family were saved because they were righteous, the only ones in the whole earth. It took them one hundred years, but they built an ark with God’s direction and they along with two of every kind of animal that God brought to the ark were saved. It is a fascinating true story.
One hundred and fifty days later, the flood had subsided and the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat. Noah and his family along with all the animals came out of the ark into the clean, fresh earth bursting with lush green plants and trees. Noah immediately built an alter and worshipped God. God set a brilliant rainbow in the sky-probably the first ever seen. God told Noah that he was establishing a covenant with him and all future generations and living creatures. Never again would the earth be totally destroyed by a flood. God gave the rainbow as a sign of the covenant. And God said, “When I see the bow, I will remember my covenant.” The rainbow is not only a reminder for our benefit but also for God to see and remember.
I turned to walk back into the house and behind me the west was also blazing with God’s glory of a different hue, the stunning beauty of the setting sun.
Several years ago we visited the Ark, a full-scale replica of Noah’s ark in Williamstown, Kentucky. It was an incredible experience to see, feel and think about what it really was like for Noah. I highly recommend this adventure.
Even though this story happened thirty-three years ago, it is as fresh in my mind as if it had happened yesterday. As I share it, it is my desire for the focus to be on the faithfulness of God and the power of His protective hand. It is a story worth sharing.
In the early spring of 1989, Tom, a customer who shopped at our business and I only knew on a name basis, approached me, and asked if we would consider taking a woman from a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Petersburg where he worked into our home. Immediately my brain said no. I did not have to even think. As he began to list reasons our family farm would be the perfect place for this troubled 40-year-old woman, I was mentally composing a list of why it would not be a good idea to take her in. I had no experience with drugs or alcohol addictions and had no desire to take on someone with that kind of problems, plus we had two adolescent children. Tom explained that this woman had twice tried to commit suicide by jumping into the James River and was recovering from a severe drug/alcohol addiction. But then he threw in the clincher. As her counselor, he wanted this special woman to have one more chance at life. He knew we were Christians and hoped we could share our faith with her. That evening at supper I told Gene about the conversation and to my surprise he was open to the idea. With Tom’s support and encouragement, Janet entered our home and lives about a week later.
Janet lived in our small upstairs apartment that we called our “Elisha House” based on the story in II Kings 4. She helped with the outdoor farm chores, milking and in our retail farm supply store. Because we would not allow her to smoke or have her large black poodle dog in the house, she got a small camper that was parked out back which became her smoking room.
For six weeks things went exceptionally well. She seemed to blossom in the warm spring sunshine, took pride in her work and wormed her way into our hearts. She even went to church with us once! Occasionally we learned tidbits about her sordid past, but it was mostly a closed door. It had been years since she had contact with her family and was deeply bitter and resentful about her upbringing in the Mormon faith.
One Sunday while we were at church, she stole our truck and fled. We were stunned. We had guests that Sunday and we didn’t miss her or the truck until about 3 in the afternoon. We called the sheriff. He put out an AP bulletin and within the hour she was stopped near Charlotte, NC for drunk driving. She was arrested for driving without a license and possession of a stolen vehicle. The next morning, she posted bond with the money she had stolen from us and became a “wanted” missing person. Gene and one of the men from church, Bill Schaefer, drove to North Carolina and picked up the truck. We were shocked at the load of stuff that she had stolen from us, and we had not even missed it. Her intentions were to disappear into the wild west and return to a life of homelessness, drifting and self-indulgence. I began to pray and ask God to literally stop her feet, turn them around and bring her back. I began to sort through her belongings she had left behind, looking for a clue to her family, past or where she may be headed. I had no clue. Amazingly, I found her birth certificate, which gave me the names of her parents and the city in which she was born. After a word of prayer, I called information for Pocatello, Idaho and asked if they had a listing for this family. They did. With a pounding heart, I called the number, and a man answered the phone. He affirmed he was Floyd and, yes, (his voice faltered) he had a daughter, Janet. Yes, that was her birth date. This sad father had not heard from his troubled daughter in years. We had a sad but wonderful talk. He was so relieved to know something about his daughter and that she was still alive even though she was in trouble with the law.
Two days later the phone rang, and it was Janet. She didn’t know why she was calling but ….. Gene got on the phone and talked with her, and she agreed to not run and to let us come get her. She gave us the address of a street corner she would be at. The next day, with the local sheriff’s permission, Gene and Tom drove back to North Carolina to pick her up. The sheriff allowed her to stay with us that night before turning herself in the next morning. It was a night of much talking, tears, and laughter. I shared with Janet how I had contacted her parents and their deep concern and love for her. For the first time in years, Janet picked up the phone and tearfully called her mom and dad. It was a night of reconciliation I will never forget. Janet ended up spending three months in jail and then because of our desire to forgive her and to give her another chance, the judge allowed her to come back to us on probation.
Several months later, Janet decided to fly home and spend the Christmas holiday reuniting with her family. But flying back to Virginia, she yielded to the lure of alcoholic beverages being served on the airline. Her breath reeked with a sweet sourness when I picked her up from the airport. That began a tailspin that she could not pull out of. We learned that the bondage of alcohol is an evil taskmaster, even stronger than drugs and caring friends become the enemy. I remember one particular night when Janet was severely depressed, drinking heavily and had totally closed us out. She was breaking all our guidelines, refused to eat supper with us or allow me to enter to camper to talk. Things were not going well, and we did not know what to do. I awoke in the wee hours of the night with a heavy sense of evil foreboding that I was unable to shake. I got up and checked on the children, prayed for them, laid hands on the doors of our house, and asked for protection over our family and home. Janet was still in her camper, so I knelt in prayer, lifting Janet to our Heavenly Father before returning to bed. The next day Janet was much improved, smiling and talking; it seemed that life was returning to a sense of normalcy. With counseling, she seemed to be getting her drinking under control. One evening, several weeks later, while we were playing a game, Janet suddenly paused, looked at me and said, “Do you remember that night when ……. I was going to take your gun, go the back pasture and shoot my dog and then myself. But something would not let me do it.” Stunned I said, “Yes, I remember.” I was then able to share with her my side of the story and how God had protected her because I had prayed! It was a powerful God moment.
Several weeks later on Super Bowl Sunday, the lure of alcohol again ensnared her. We awoke early Monday morning to the sound of our pickup speeding out the driveway. Gene leaped out of bed and called the sheriff. When we contacted our insurance company, we discovered-much to our horror- that the insurance company had accidentally removed the truck from our policy almost a year prior when we added another vehicle. We again began to pray that Janet would stop and call home. After three days, she contacted Tom, who told her to give up the truck immediately. She stopped at an AA Group in Amarillo, Texas and they turned the truck in to authorities while she disappeared into the big wild west. This time Gene flew to Texas and drove the truck home.
Numerous times through the years Janet has called or emailed, but she is always very careful to not reveal her location. She is living the life of a fugitive, hiding from the law, scared she will get caught, and ensnared to the evil taskmaster she has chosen to serve. A year or so after fleeing, she had a powerful, short-lived, conversion at a street church she was drawn into from the street. She called and asked for our forgiveness.
In 2004, Gene and I decided to fly west and drive to Alberta, Canada. After debating between flying into Seattle or Salt Lake City, we chose Salt Lake. It was almost a straight shot north through Utah, Idaho and Montana to Canada. When we were plotting our route on the map, we realized we were going directly through Pocatello, Idaho, Janet’s hometown. We wondered, what would be the chances of connecting with her! It was a week before we were to leave, but I decided to try and make email contact and see if by chance she was in her home area. Each time she had emailed through the years she had a different email address. I decided to use her last contact info from a year previous. I wrote expressing our love for her and our desire to see her again. I assured her this was not a setup but a desire to see “our” Janet. As I sat at the computer I prayed, asking God to miraculously send the email to her. I pushed the send button. I left the internet on as I worked at the computer to see if the email would balance back to me. I was stunned when about 30 minutes later I had a response from Janet!!!! I didn’t expect God to work that fast!!! She sent a newsy letter about herself and a man she was living with from Uganda, but her answer was no, she could not run the risk of seeing us– she was afraid we would betray her. As I continued working at my computer and debating about how to respond, I got the second letter. It very simply said, “My friend says if you are the people, I say you are, I should not be afraid.” And she named the city she was in. I could hardly believe it. It was the other city we had chosen not to fly into. It was too late to change our plans and we did not get to see Janet. Apparently, it was not God’s timing. We did stop along the road at the Pocatello sign and took a picture of the sign and the narrow valley of houses along beside the mountain ridge. I figure probably one of the houses we were looking at was her home. I know that God desires to draw Janet to himself. My email caused her to reflect on and remember her time spent with us. It caused her once again to have to deal with her past and verbally process it with another person.
I have often wondered what has happened to Janet. Is she still alive? She would now be in her mid 70’s. Is she still living as a fugitive, hiding in fear of the law? Was she ever able to make something of her life and have a purpose for living? Was she ever able to overcome the demons of alcohol and drugs? I do know for a while she went back to her home but that did not go well and she again hit the road, living as a tramp.
Janet stretched us, and we had to put our faith into action in a way we had never experienced before. We experienced God’s supernatural protection, faithfulness, and divine intervention. We learned about forgiveness- not once but many times over. God wrapped his arms of peace around us and gave us the opportunity and the grace to continue to open our Elisha house through the years to numerous other persons. Gene would always state that he had just one request, “Just don’t steal my truck!”
Earlier this week (February 23, 2022) Fox News had a very insightful comparison between the military might of Russia and Ukraine. The graph speaks for itself, but I instantly thought, this is like David and Goliath! All week I have been praying with that thought in mind. Today I have heard several news reporters use the same comparison and at church today one of the men shared his concern for the situation and asked for prayer, referring to it as like David and Goliath.
The story of David and Goliath in I Samuel 17 is fascinating. David was anointed king of Israel by Samuel at a very young age, but it would be fifteen years before he was inauguration King of Israel. In the meantime, he tended his father’s sheep and went to Saul’s palace to play the harp whenever an evil spirit came over Saul. The Israelites were preparing for war as the Philistines had surrounded their nation and was threatening to attack.
One day Jesse, David’s father, sent him to check on his three older brothers who were in Saul’s army and deliver a care package from home of dried grain and ten loaves of bread and ten cheeses for the captains of the army. When David arrived, he found the army hyped, shouting, and ready to attack in battle formation with the Philistines on one mountain and the Israelites on another with a valley in between.
The champion of the Philistine army was a tyrant, a giant named Goliath, who stood between 9-10 feet tall. He stood on the Philistine’s side of the mountain dressed in a full body bronze armor yelling taunts and challenging the Israelites to a fight. His spear was approximately 13′ long and weighed about 33 lbs. Whoever lost would be the servants of the other. The Israelites were dreadfully afraid and quaking in their army boots.
The young lad David saw Goliath’s insults as defying the armies of the Living God. David’s words were reported to Saul who asked to speak with David. David presented his case and said, “Let no man’s heart fail because of that giant. I will go and fight him.”
Saul was horrified. He said, “You are a youth and this man has been a warrior since his youth”. I don’t know how David managed to convince King Saul but God was with David and Saul finally let him go. Suddenly the whole future of Israel was squarely on the shoulders of a young lad versus a menacing giant.
David took his shepherd’s bag, staff and sling and on his way stopped by a brook and picked up five smooth stones.
Gebhard Fugel (1863-1939), “David and Goliath” (photo: Public Domain)
When Goliath saw David coming, he was filled with rage and disdain. Goliath yelled, “Am I just a dog that you come to me with a stick. Come on, I will feed your flesh to the birds and wild beasts”. And David said, “I come to you in the name of the Lord of host, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied. This day God will deliver you into my hand and I will strike you.”
I think of the song we sang as children…. “Only A Boy Named David”. David put one little stone in the sling and it went round and round and the giant came tumbling down. It only took one stone!
Is this a David and Goliath situation? I am praying for the people of Ukraine to trust in God and stand even when it seems impossible. I saw a picture of Christians in Ukraine kneeling in front of their capital praying.
I saw a video on fb of Ukrainian Christians in Kiev who sought protection in an underground subway tunnel singing hymns. I read a clip on that said Ukraine sends out more missionaries to other European countries and Eastern Asia than any other country.
The military facts are startling and there seems no way Ukraine can humanly win against the haughty, mighty Russian army unless…. unless they (we) call on the name of the Lord against the one who has defied Him before the whole world.
David versus Goliath. It’s not just a cute children’s story. We know Ukraine is a corrupt country but so is every nation in the world. What if the impossible could happen and the name of God could be lifted high for the world to see. What if the tyrant could fall because of the prayers of Christians? What if….
Some things I ponder:
What is the heart of Jesus in all this conflict and aggression.
How do I respond to and pray for the Russian people who are against the position of their leader and the aggression against the Ukraine?
How would I respond to war in my land, against our home and government?
As a Christian who believes Jesus taught peace respond when a tyrant boldly attacks innocent people and destroys their homes and livelihoods?
These and others are hard questions. We need to seek the heart of Jesus, maybe not so much to seek our answers but to seek his response. I pray especially for the Christians on both sides of the conflict.
I guess it is time to write this post. I just didn’t have it in me to write earlier. Gene has Covid and has been really sick but I am so very grateful he is now improving. Here is our story….. it has been quite a trip.
This past Thursday Gene was admitted to St. Francis Hospital with pneumonia in both lungs and low oxygen levels due to Covid. We knew he had Covid, he was under a doctor’s care and had tested positive, but he just didn’t seem to be getting better. During the ten Covid days, he had two different rounds of antibiotics for the fluid in his lungs which was settling into pneumonia. It turned out he had viral pneumonia and the antibiotics were doing no good. He was running fever, coughing, had congestion, and no energy. They were trying to keep him out of the hospital. He was watching his oxygen levels and on Thursday morning it was 82. Under 90 is danger. It was time to be admitted to the hospital.
We have now experienced the current state of the art health care experience! After checking him in I had to leave. It is hard leaving when your man looks so rough. The staff was really nice and did their best but there were no rooms available. He spent Thursday morning until Saturday evening in his “suite” in the ER. That had its own challenges and was not pleasant but at least he did have medical care. The bed in the ER is not comfortable, there are no personal toilets, you are under the care of emergency care staff not experienced Covid professionals and there was almost no room for your personal belongings. Your personal stuff had to lay on your bed. He was tattered to the bed so trying to use a laptop or keep his phone charged was challenging. The ER is equipped for stabilizing emergencies and getting the patient into the hands of the proper medical professionals. By Thursday evening they had not given him anything to eat. His blood sugar spiked because of the steroids they were giving him and lack of food. I went to Arbys and got him two roast beef sandwiches and curly fries. They don’t normally feed patients in the ER and weren’t in any hurry to find him some! I slipped into the ER and asked the staff to give Gene my care package which they did. I was not allowed into the hospital so I could not stay with or help him. I mostly understand but hate the policy as it is so vital for a family member to help loved ones with their care. They need an advocate, encourager and someone to pick up the Gatorade that just fell off his bed or plug in the lap top to charge.
Finally, on Saturday evening he was given a room on the Covid floor. That was so much better. The nurses actually had answers to questions and were not evasive. They knew the symptoms they were looking for and what to do. They were reassuring and encouraging. His nurse said, “I have never lost a patient that was vaccinated. I have lost some who weren’t.” It was amazing how positive that statement sounded. Gene had his vaccinations.
This afternoon oxygen was delivered to the house and I got to bring him home. He has to quarantine for twenty-one days. We think most of that is to protect him because I do not have to quarantine any more.
Meanwhile, I was at home answering the phone, text messages, emails, and keeping the home fires burning. It is amazing how many extra small things I had to do or think about. Tim is having to adjust his time to feed the cows, Steve took calves to the livestock market and beef to Farmville to be butchered. Daughter Jill came to keep me company and be my moral support. We played “Splendor” and put several puzzles together.
The ironical thing is there are nine people in my immediate family that have Covid right now. None of our three families have been together.
Getting Covid leaves its own set of questions with few answers. All are affected differently, all have different symptoms even within family units. The vaccinated and unvaccinated, masked and unmasked, young and old all get it. Health status, gender or age does not seem to matter. And would you believe, it does not know the difference between a Republican and a Democrat!!! Was Gene’s serious case lessened because he was vaccinated? Why haven’t I gotten it from Gene? Now we wonder if the sinus congestion I had five days before he got sick was Covid. It is very suspicious, especially since I haven’t gotten it from him. If I did, no one else who was around me got it. We wonder why we have been sick more this winter than we have in years and years. Several weeks ago we both had a Covid scare but tested positive for Type A Flu. I was even vaccinated for the flu and pneumonia for the first time this year. Did they make a difference? In September I had Cough Asthma. I have never had Asthma. Why now? The questions are many and the answers are few. Who knows? Who knows?
There is one thing for which I am so grateful and that is a loving supportive family, friends and church family. When we are ill, we pray for one another. There is so much comfort and strength that comes from the care of other people. When Gene was admitted to the hospital our family and church was very concerned. Our church called for a time of prayer at 2 that afternoon for him. I was amazed how quickly that information spread and I heard from friends from all over Virginia and Pennsylvania and beyond who joined the call to pray. God hears, He knows even before we pray. Things don’t always work out the way we wish even when we pray, but that doesn’t mean God has turned a deaf ear. God tells us to bring our petitions, desires and needs to Him. Yahweh God, the great “I Am that I Am” is also the God Who Sees and Hears. (Genesis 16: 11-14)
In my devotions this year I am centering on names and attributes of God, Jesus, and their meaning. This week I have read the following script multiple times, soaking in the truth and reality of who God is. I reaffirmed my trust, faith and praise in the eternal God, my Heavenly Father. I expressed my desire for total healing for Gene. But if that was not to be, I said I would still trust, praise and have faith.
I can not claim authorship of this piece or even give credit to who wrote it, but I can claim its truth. I did find it on the Bible.org website; no author is attributed to it.
God is….
God is Lord Almighty, Omnipotent King, Lion of Judah, Rock of Ages, Prince of Peace, Kings of Kings, Lord of Lords, Provider, Protector, Paternal Leader, Ruling Lord and Reigning King of all the universe.
He is Father, Helper, Guardian, and God. He is the First and Last, the Beginning and the End. He is the keeper of creation and the Creator of all He keeps. The architect of the universe and the Manager of all times.
He always was, is, and will be: Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone. He was bruised and brought healing. He was pierced and eased pain. He was persecuted and brought freedom, He was dead and brought life, He is risen and brings power. he reigns and brings peace.
The world can not understand Him, the armies can not defeat Him, the schools can not explain Him and the leaders can not ignore Him. Herod could not kill Him, the Pharisees could not confuse Him, the people could not hold Him! Negro could not crush Him, Hitler could not silence Him, the New Age can not replace Him and Donahue cannot explain Him away!
He is light, love, longevity, and Lord. He is goodness, kindness, gentleness, and God. He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure. His ways are right, His word is eternal, His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me! He is my Redeemer, He is my Savior, He is my guide, He is my peace, He is my joy, He is my comfort, He is my Lord and He rules my life.
I serve Him because His bond is love, His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life. I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise, the power of the powerful, the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomes, and the sovereign Lord of all that was, is, and is to come.
And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size. His goal is a relationship with ME! He will never leave me, forsake me, mislead me, forget me, overlook me, and never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!
When I fall, He lifts me up. When I fail, He forgives me. When I am weak, He is strong. When I am lost, He is the Way. When I am afraid, He is my courage. When I stumble, He steadies me. When I am hurt, He heals me. When I am broken, He mends me. When I am blind, He leads me. When I am hungry, He feeds me. When I face trials, He is with me. When I face persecution, He stills me. When I face problems, he comforts me. When I face loss, He provides for me. When I face death, he carries me home!
He is everything for everybody, everywhere, every time, and in every way. He is God. He is faithful, I am His, and He is mine. My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world, and so, if you’re wondering why I feel so secure, understand this: He said, I believe it, and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side, and that means all is well with my soul.
Oh, really? Do scientists really believe we are that stupid?
Mindy Weisberger wrote an article, “Could Life Be Lurking Deep Underground” for Live Science that caught my eye as a headliner on a news website. And just to see what she had to say I read the article.
It basically says that since life has not been found on the surface of Mars (how shocking is that?) it must be deep underground. Is she trying to infer that since there is no life on the surface, aliens or humans, whichever you prefer to say, have morphed into rodent-like creatures that have tunneled deep in the interior of Mars and left not a clue on the surface? Now she didn’t say rodent-like creatures but how else could life get there without leaving a trace of infrastructure on the surface. She actually refers to them as “microbial Martians congregating underground”. Maybe this microbial life is still evolving and after all these billions of years is still just microbial. The whole concept would be totally laughable except that it is sad that people actually believe and promote such lies.
Surface of Mars-From pixabay.com
I have no problem believing microbial organisms could be there but she ties it to “a window into our own origins 3.8 billion years ago”.
Depending on your “source” of truth as to how you believe the earth was created. Science interpreted through the lens of the inspired Word of God sees the Creator God actively speaking and forming the world into existence in six days. If you read Genesis with an open heart you will see that there was a beginning to the heavens and earth. You can see the Spirit of God moved over the vast nothingness and then God spoke and it was created. No billions of years of evolution there!!! You can see God created man differently from the rest of creation; God knelt, formed and breathed into man the breathe of life.
God created Mars and all the other planets to be just that, Mars, Pluto, Saturn, Venus and Jupiter. He created the heavenly galaxies to be just that, galaxy after galaxy of stars and planets light years away. This is not too difficult for my God and neither is it to difficult for me to believe. God created earth to be different; it is the only planet created to sustain life with oxygen, forage, trees, tillable fertile soil, animals, marine life, birds and humans. Why would a human in his right mind trade the beauty of earth for the harsh, barren nothingness of another planet? God created earth ready to live in with everything man needed for survival and to thrive. It is to earth that He sent His Son Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice for sin.
The evidence of God’s handiwork is on-going and always presence: the beauty of a sunset, the vastness of the universe, the delicacy of a flower, the minuet detail of an atom, complexity of the human body, the wonder of birth, the vast array of color, detail and variety of plants and animals and the list could go on and on.
You will not physically see the form of God on this earth but by faith you can know, understand and experience the presence of God. Romans 1 says that we can know the unseen attributes of God because they were plainly revealed to us at creation and are clearly seen in observing the amazing creation of God’s hand. It is so clear that it leaves us without excuse and we can not say we did not know.
….for what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have seen clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse…
Romans 1:19-20
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “let there be light” and there was light….
Genesis 1:1-3a
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:3
The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; By His knowledge the depths were broken up and clouds drop down with dew. My son, let them not depart from your eyes, keep sound wisdom and discretion.
Proverbs 3: 19-21
Is there life on Mars? No.
Has there ever been life on Mars? No
Will humans ever populate Mars? Time will tell. They may try for a short period of time but I seriously doubt it will succeed. I can guarantee they will leave their trash behind. Seriously, now tell me, who wants to look at the above picture and say they really want to live there?
I am a country gal who enjoys writing, gardening, baking and my family. My husband and I own a retail feed store and it keeps us active and busy. We love living in the country and on our beef farm. We retail natural, Angus, dry-aged beef in our store and a local "natural" store.
My writings, called "From A Grandma's Perspective" are mostly inspired from our five delightful grandchildren. These along with "Life Perspective" can read on our web page at www.hffinc.com under the "Who We Are" tab.
By the way, I love hearing from people who read my blog!!!
