The Battle

Belongs to the Lord

 

 

Somewhere in time, this week, I have been listening to the news.  This isn’t always a good idea for me. I like to keep informed, but sometimes, I think evil is winning.  I hear about Christians imprisoned simply for sharing their faith.  I hear of school shootings and other children being hurt. Then I see the rampant rise immorality in this country and many others and it all makes me wonder.

I used to tell my students they were in a battle, a battle for their hearts and minds.  I still believe we are in this battle, but I started to think we were losing the war.

That’s when a portion of verse started to run through my head.  The battle belongs to the Lord.  I found it was tied to one of the favorite Bible stories I’ve taught many a student, the story of David and Goliath.

In the story the Israelites are in a battle they feel they can’t win. The battle they are in is pretty much at a stale mate.  The opposing army keeps taunting them and telling them, the whole thing can be over if their best fighter is willing to fight, one of one, with the opposing army’s champion. 

Their champion is a giant.  He’s feet taller than most men and he’s an experienced fighter.  No one wants to challenge him.

It would seem to be hopeless.

Young David comes to the battle line to deliver lunch to his brothers.  He hears this giant provoking the Israelites and then he hears him say things against the God of Israel. 

David knows he can’t let this alone, so he alone challenges the giant.

1 Samuel 17:47

⁴⁷ “The Lord doesn’t save by using a sword or a spear. And everyone who is here will know it. The battle belongs to the Lord. He will hand all of you over to us.”

 

David knew that God fights for the righteous.  David steps up with no armor, no sword, just five smooth stones and a sling shot.  Goliath is killed.

This reminded me.  Even though the battle today is not against flesh and blood, the battle still belongs to the Lord.

Don’t lose heart, we will win in the end.

Busy

Busy, Busy

 

 

Somewhere in time, this week, I have been busy, busy, busy.  I was on vacation the last few weeks, so I returned to work with a mountain of new e-mails and a ton of open projects.  At the same time, I’m being considered for a promotion, so I had meetings to interview with various managers about it. 

To top it all off, I’m trying to finish my book to get it ready to be published.  I was wondering how to get a great cover when the idea hit me.  I could put my niece and her husband on the cover. They are both young and attractive.  My story is set in California and they live in California.  What I needed was some period clothing, especially for my niece.

I e-mailed to ask them if they could do this and they are so sweet, they agreed.  Then I started driving them crazy with costume ideas and where to go to find things. My niece was slower in responding, but that didn’t deter me from sending ideas.  Finally, she sent me an e-mail that said she was sorry, but she was busy and she would get to it.

My response was – I understand busy.

I think all of us understand busy.  Our lives are so full of things we need to do.  Sometimes finding a minute just to think and plan is hard.

Psalm 46:10

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

God sometimes needs us to be still.  He needs us to be quiet.  He needs us to seek Him out.  Most of all, we need time with Him.  Don’t forget what’s important in the midst of the crazy busy lives.  God is.

I Love My

Family

 

 

Somewhere in time, the week before last, I was able to visit my family.  I don’t think my sister expected it to be such a big deal, but it started with her son graduating from High School.  She really wanted my mother to be there and I didn’t want my mother traveling alone.  She is getting older and she doesn’t fly much, so I thought my presence would help.

I have brothers and sisters in the area so they came to the graduation celebration.  Since my mother was going to be there, other siblings who lived farther away came as well.  All of my brothers and sisters made it to my sister’s house at least one time during the week.  It was really fun seeing everyone.  In addition to my brothers and sisters, there were several nieces and nephews – not all, but a good amount.

It ended up being a very special time and I took many pictures to remember it by. 

Because of my traveling, I haven’t written a blog in a couple of weeks.  That is unusual for me.  I always strive to get something new out every Saturday.  Since I had skipped a couple of weeks, I prayed for something special to put on my blog, but all I could think about is family.

There is not a place in the Bible where God says, this is how you do a family.  He instead gives us snippets. 

The Bible talks about husbands and wives.  It talks about a mother sheltering her children and the love of a mother.  It talks about children being a gift. Out of all the possible options the one that stuck in my head was a verse in Proverbs.

Proverbs 17:17

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for adversity

When I read this, I take it to mean that family is with you through thick and thin.  I would actually revise the last part to read – a mother, father, brother, sister, niece, nephew are born to help you bear adversity.  When I have had tough times in my life, after I cry out to God, I have gone to my family.  We can’t always help each other, but we are there to listen and care.  A little compassion goes a long way sometimes.

Families are funny.  There are good times and bad times.  Times of struggle and times of triumph, but through it all – family is for life.   

I love my family!

The Crabb Family From Bill and Gloria Gaither - Through the Fire [Live] from the-crabb-family on GodTube.

Blessings

Count Your Many Blessings

 

 

Somewhere in time, this last week, I have had a song stuck in my head. Actually it wasn’t the entire song, but the chorus.  I kept having the phrase, “Count your many blessings, name them on by one” run through my head.  I tried to look it up.  Many times these timeless hymns have interesting stories, but all I really found was that the song was written in 1897 by Johnson Oatman and Edwin Excell for a hymnal called “Songs for Young People.”

What surprised me was reading the words.  I always think of this song as a song to sing when you’re happy.  But when you really read the words, this is about counting your blessing when life is hard.  Really that is when we need to count our blessings the most.

It reminds me of the passage in James that tells us to count it all joy. 

^{James 1:2-4 (NKJV)}

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

So the star of the blog today is an old hymn.  I hope you enjoy revisiting it with me.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Refrain

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Refrain

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Refrain

A Best Seller

A Story to tell

 

 

Somewhere in time, this past month, I have been working on one of my stories. I have a few, but some of them are connected, so I didn’t want to work on them until I could find the time to tie them all together.  My other story is a standalone book, set in the early depression. My hero is a young woman that needs to learn to live without all the money she had while growing up.  This change helps her to trust God more and also teaches her how to love and care about people more.  I’ll have it out on amazon pretty soon.

I love to write.  I’ve read books about writing and I’ve taken classes, but I’m still not a perfect writer.  What is interesting about telling a story is that there as to be conflict.  The story is boring without it.  There has to be a situation the hero can overcome.  You can’t have triumph without trials.  The character also needs to change.  Maybe they become more giving, or more understanding or more caring.    

When we think about it, the same things we like to read about in a book, we don’t want happening to us.  Life without conflict or a life without trials – sounds good, but it would be unrealistic.

God created a plan for us when he created us.  He also knew we would go against his plan many times and he would need to redirect us.  Many times the struggles we face are due to God redirecting us to the correct path. 

I wonder what our lives would be like if we allowed the story God wrote to play out in our lives without our intervention?  Honestly, it would be a best seller. 

 

Jeremiah 29:11

King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

 

Happy Mother's Day

Mother’s Day

 

 

When my sister’s and I were little, every mother’s day we were required to sing this song in church:

The original lyrics were written in 1915 and the song is titled Mother:

M Is for the Many things she gave me,
O Means only that she’s growing Old.
T Is for the Tears she shed to save me,
H Is for her Heart of purest gold.
E Is for her Eyes with love light shining,
R Means Right and Right she’ll always be.

Put them all together, They spell MOTHER.
A word that means the world to me.

It is a very sweet song, but I was thinking of this song and I thought it was an interesting contrast to what we think today.  This song was old when I sang it, but it obviously older now.  At almost 100 years old - do the lyrics ring true?

M- Honestly, if you ask any child today about the things their mom gave them – they would think of things.  Computer, cell phone, doll etc.  We don’t think of the fact that our Mom’s gave us life.  Without them we wouldn’t be here. They also give us guidance when we need it. They nurture and help us grow into the people God’s needs us to become.

O- One hundred years ago, people grew old in grace and wisdom. Old was a badge of honor earned from years of living.  We don’t celebrate old anymore.  We nip, tuck color and basically try to slow or hide the process.  I do it, but in a way, it’s a shame.

T -Every mother sheds tears over their children. It doesn’t stop, it continues to their grandchildren and then their great-grandchildren. My mother prays for us and weeps with us when times are hard.

H-A mother’s heart is like no other.  She will sacrifice her own wants and needs to give her child opportunities she never had and do it all because of love. 

E-I can see my mother’s eyes shine when talking to one of her kids on the phone or when she shows me what they’ve sent her as a gift for Mother’s day. 

R-Yes, my mother is right!

I guess, it’s still a pretty good song.  I love you Mom - Happy Mother’s day.

 

 

 

The Keeper of the Key

A Parable

 

 

Somewhere in time – well actually, this is nowhere in time.  Today it’s a parable.  As such, it’s not true, but Jesus told Parables to make a point and I’m going to attempt the same thing.

Once upon a time, in a world far from ours, but not that dissimilar, there lived a great creator.   He created a beautiful and special world and he was happy there for a long time.  After a while, he looked around and determined there was room for more.  He created a small island and on it he created two beings.  At first, it was great.  He would come in the evening and walk and talk with his creation.  One day, while he was away, his creation decided to go their own way.  This caused them to become ashamed.  When the creator arrived, they hid. He knew what they had done and it broke his heart.  The bridge he used to get from his world to theirs had to be closed and locked.  His creation was not yet ready to join him.

Years went and his creation multiplied.  Life was harder and his creation was very sorry at times for turning their back on him. Other times they were convinced they knew better than him.  He sent messengers to teach them his ways. Messengers that would help get through the gate and across the bridge to him.  Even though the messengers spoke the truth, the message was ignored. Some tried to follow and failed, while others didn’t try at all. Some convinced themselves they could make their own bridge.

After several years, he realized the creation needed an easier path. He took a part of himself.  The part he used to fashion his creation and he went back to the island.  Very few people recognized him. When he talked about the creator, they assumed they knew more than him.  Finally, they killed him, but he didn’t die.  He came back briefly and left a very special key with a group of created beings.  This key would automatically open the gate that allowed the creation access to where he was. It was so special because even when you gave the key away, you still had the key yourself. 

His creation proved to be stiff necked and determined to make their own way.  They had started many bridges around the island and some of them look really good, but none of them lead anywhere.  When the keeper of the key would talk and explain about the free gift of the key, people would laugh in disbelief.  It couldn’t be this easy. As some turned to other bridges, others determined to never leave the island, but both options didn’t work.  If his creation didn’t make it to his bridge before their appointed time, they dissolved into a world where no goodness existed.   

But he clearly told them this.  He clearly gave them free passage. Yet the creation rejected it.

 

In this world where we live, I am a keeper of the key.

John 14:6

King James Version (KJV)

⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Romans 10:9

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Jesus is the key who gets us from this world to His world.  I hope you take it.