In Devastating Times

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Two weeks ago, I sat in front of our television awaiting the nine o'clock hour. That day the company my husband retired from would issue a statement. The company, caught in the economic morass of last fall entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The resulting action of this move could have devastating effects on families in our city and state.

The corporation slowly moved out of our town, leaving behind empty buildings-most to be torn down, a few others to be sold, and yet others to be left standing for the elements to destroy.

Our city has struggled to rebound. But other issues also affect us- lower property taxes, lower budgets, followed by lay-offs (downsizing) of municipal and county workers.

Habakkuk, an Old Testament prophet, speaks of the presence of famine and its effects: the lack of crops in the field, the barrenness of fruit trees, and the lack of animals. However, this passage ends on an uplifting note. God's emissary claims the Lord as his strength. Then, the prayer ends on a positive note-”He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. . .” enabling Habakkuk to go to the heights.

We waited for news about my husband's pension and benefits -what will be affected? How? Will our insurance be altered? What about our prescription drug benefits?

As a Christian, I have to look to the Lord for His guidance and wisdom. I pray that all who are affected by this sad but necessary move look to Him during these very difficult times.

Dad Is Gone

We got word of my father’s death last Friday afternoon. He was in a nursing home for almost nine years. One of his main diagnoses was Alzheimer’s. This seems to be a genetic thing, several of his aunts and one of his cousins had the disease.

Dad was 86 years old. He was nearly the exact same age his dad was when he died in 1980. I find this fact very interesting. I’ll have to ask the Lord about this when I go to meet Him.

Dad was his own boss. He lived his life as he wanted to. He drove race cars from the late 1940’s until 1969. He also promoted races throughout the Midwest. I got to go with him when he traveled . In the 1950’s I got to travel with my dad. I must have liked it because, there have been times my husband and son and I have done our fair share of it.

One of the sidelines Dad got into was the concession business. Selling hot dogs and snow cones, and pop. My mother helped Dad in this endeavor when they were married. She made the snow cone syrup. It was hot messy work. To this day, as an adult, can’t even think of having one. I believe in my adult life, I might have had two. All I can think about is the amount of sugar it took to make a batch.

My parents divorced in the late 1960’s. In the early 1970’s sugar got so expensive that Dad and my stepmother were asking us to save sugar coupons out of the paper for them.

Dad always used the younger generation of kids to help him work his stands at the events. On occasion, I still see one of them. I didn’t know how to get hold of Dennis but one of his brothers also still lives here. I called that brother, Gary. My son and I were leaving to go get some pictures copied yesterday, Dennis pulled into the driveway next door and we talked. This afternoon, I receive a phone call from Dennis’ brother, Terry, who lives in North Carolina. His daughter who lives here had called him and he called his twin and their oldest brother. I felt honored.

All my cousins have been more that gracious to me. Most of them have been through the loss of both parents.

Sometimes, I think I am dreaming. That it is something I will awaken from. But each day we have had to do something that makes this more real to me.

As I said earlier, Dad lived his life as he wanted to. He didn’t have a relationship with the Lord. But the Lord must have kept watch over him. He had several wrecks as I was coming up. He went through heart bypass surgery and Cancer surgery eighteen months apart.

As much as our lives differed and he didn’t understand how I chose to live mine for God, he was still my dad. I know this is different from my usual Blog entry but I hope you understand. This is what is on my heart.

“I Will Forgive Their Sin”

2 Chronicles 7:14

Do you remember the “I have good news and I have bad news” jokes from several years ago? We have good news here. God will forgive our sins, once we have done the preliminary steps. He wants to clear our records with Him.
In our lives we have a ritual we use when we make plans. We sometimes have to consider things , ponder the issues, and say we might be able to do something. We should be thankful God doesn't go through this procedure.

God doesn’t say, “I might. . ..” He doesn’t say, “Maybe. . .”, nor I’ll think about forgiving their sins.” The passage says, “I will forgive.” There is certainty here on which we can rely.

“I Will Hear. . .”

2 Chronicles 7:14

Have we ever felt our prayers weren't getting anywhere? Have we felt God wasn't listening? Or have we prayed and prayed for someone and we see them acting as if they haven't been prayed for?

God has laid a foundation for us: 1)Humble ourselves, 2)Pray, 3) Seek His face, and 4) give up things that displease Him. In philosophy, thinkers use syllogisms as their way of pondering issues. The format is always the same–if this is true, then that would be also. The if phrase, called the premise, set the groundwork for the then phrase, the conclusion.

In our lives we have relationships with others. In order to have a friend, we have to be a friend. In God's world, we have to be His child and live as close as we can in order for Him to hear us.

In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews states “ . . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. . .” We prepare for other activities–grocery shopping, going out to eat, going on a trip, going to work–shouldn't we prepare to talk to God?

“Turn From Your Wicked Ways”

2Chronicles 7:14

We all, in our lifetimes, have performed certain actions or deeds that God didn't like. When we gave our lives to Christ we asked for Him to purify our hearts. Because we are human, we might have kept ‘just a few’ habits–the use of some words, that shortness of temper, the saying of things ‘out of school’ about others.

Guess what? While these habits aren't evil–no one loses his or her life because of them, these tendencies displease God. He tells us here to get rid of them. He has a reason for saying this.

God’s desire is to have us live close to Him. He is so holy, He can’'t look on sin or anything displeasing to Him. While we realize that no one is perfect, He wants us to strive for that state.

Wouldn't It Be Nice?

Wouldn't It Be Nice?
Wouldn't it be nice if people listened to each other? We need to be aware of what others are saying and thinking. Also, we need to know our own thoughts on certain issues of life. We would learn how to get along with each other better and be happier with who we are.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could resolve out differences peacefully.? Family Feuds could be avoided. Dysfunction would be a thing of the past. Families would be closer, the basic unit of society they were meant to be. Friendships would be life–long and truer.

Wouldn't it be nice if people realized they can't control other's lives and sometimes have to give up the control of their own? We can't tell each other what to do because we don't walk in one another's shoes. Besides, the majority of the time, most of us don't like to be told what to do.

Wouldn't it be nice if people had the capacity to understand their place in the scheme of things?

In this world, most of us are little people, our lives ‘but a vapor’ when compared to eternity.

But alas, some people seem only to want to be heard. They do deeds that draw attention to themselves. These individuals come across as being rude to those around them. Some of these crave dysfunction–especially other’s, thriving on other people’s woes while ignoring their own.

When People Hurt People

(Matthew 5:43-48)

From time to time, we find ourselves in the middle of someone else's difference with another person. For some of us this is an almost everyday happening. And we become privy to one party’s thoughts. Some people’s feelings produce thoughts that belie their Christian beliefs.

When things happen that cause us to harbor unkind thoughts about another person, we are guilty of sin. No, Christians aren't to be doormats. But we are to abide by the teachings of the Bible. If we do as we are taught, ultimately we win the argument.

The scripture chosen for this essay is a hard one for some people to comprehend. They look as though they were a deer caught in the headlights. Imagine with me the following conversation.

“You mean I am supposed to pray for HER, after what she said about me?”

“Yes, we have to, because Jesus said to.”

“But she yelled at me.(or)She called me names. (or)She said I wasn't a good mother.”

“But Jesus told us to pray for those that spitefully use us.”

As I see it, we should pray for anyone who is mean or spitefully uses us, no matter what his or her spiritual belief.
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I wrote this because I have a friend who is torn about a situation that keeps happening with someone at church. Also, my husband and I have been used by someone under the guise of helping us.
I was hurt hearing about the situation at church and very hurt by the circumstances directed at us. Please pray for us.