I started out my day stopping by to see some friends. They wanted to show me a website they found and liked reading. Of course since we are so close to Christmas there were a few articles on the subject. Thus began my thoughts of what might have happened if Jesus were coming today for the first time, ya know as a baby.
My first thought was about the shepherds. We read about them like it’s a happy little story with angels and shepherds, my kids have even been cute little shepherds in Christmas plays. Although my grandsons have portrayed camels, not sure if it’s a step up or not. What was the social status of a shepherd? You may or may not be surprised to find out they were considered the lowest most despised of the social groups.
There’s a story of another Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers and is taken to Egypt and is later reunited with his family, who were all shepherds. Joseph tells his family not to tell anyone what they do for a living. He tells them to say they are in the live stock business. Kinda like today if you are a prostitute you might say you’re in the entertainment business, ya with me. Ok, so it’s the shepherds that the angels tell about Jesus birth.
Luke 2:8 - 11 and there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you He is Christ, the Lord.”
Have you thought about this, if the shepherds spend all their time outside hanging out with smelly sheep, they were probably smelly too?
If we made the story today it could very well be men who clean sewers or garbage men that the angles appeared to. Aren’t these groups considered the lower social groups by the fine upstanding citizens of our communities?
And where was Jesus born? We all know, in a stable. I don’t know if you have ever been in a stable but let me tell you about an experience I had with a barn. I have to first tell you I am not a big pet person. I was at a very dear friend’s house and they built a new barn. Needless to say they had animals, dogs, chickens, horses, cows you get the picture. Any way my friend wants me and my youngest daughter to come out and see the barn and the horses. I walk out stepping carefully, if you get my meaning…. We were about 10 feet or so from the barn and I can smell the barn. I stopped in my tracks and was like, no way am I going any closer, it stinks!!! I did what any good friend and mother would do, I sacrificed my daughter and sent her into the barn and I went back into the house.
So Jesus was not only born in a stable/barn, it was no doubt a smelly barn. So let’s recap, Jesus is born in a smelly place and the angles tell the dregs of society about his birth. They, the dregs of society, hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger (smelly barn). When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what the angel told them and everyone who heard it was amazed. But it doesn’t say everyone ran to the scene to witness it for themselves. They were just amazed at what the low lives told them. Were they amazed that the Messiah was born or were they amazed that the angels spoke to shepherds about something so important?
How often do we know someone and their smelly past and they meet Jesus and their life changes. They start sharing about how great God is and what He’s done in their life and we think, I know this person, did God really speak to them and did they really change?
The next thing that was brought to my attention was what most of these animals the shepherds hung out with were used for. Before Jesus died for us the sacrifices had to be made by man. It was a very sacred ritual done by the high priest in the temples, very holy and very respected. They would kill an animal for this sacrifice to receive forgiveness for their sins. Where did they get the animal? They bought them from the smelly, low life shepherds! The same people, who weren’t even allowed to hang out in the city streets with the rest of the Israelites because they weren’t good enough, were the very people they got the sacred sacrifice from. Isn’t it just like God to do something like that?
Where am I going with this? How do we apply it to today? I believe the story of Christmas would be written the same way today as it was all those years ago. Jesus would still be born amongst people like me with smelly lives. People who want to believe in a future in spite of their lot in life. People that are desperate for hope. Angels would talk to us just like those shepherds. Jesus would be born among common people so he could grow with them and understand all their struggles, and that’s just what He did. Nothing against clean decent people but sometimes it’s the ones who are the stinkiest that appreciate a good bubble bath.
So this Christmas as people get caught up in all the, what I call smelly aspects of Christmas, I pray you will take time to take a long hot bath in the love of Jesus and know He chose to come here and bring hope to all of us. If you haven’t asked Him to be your shepherd I pray you will do that today and then tell everyone you know That Jesus Christ was born!!
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Sunday, December 20, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Jesus Hold'em
In 2004 we were one of the lucky ones that got hit with 3 hurricanes in a row. We were without power for a few days and had a “grace period” between showers if you know what I mean. It was hot and sticky and our house was also one of the new homes that had poor construction and the rain just came right through the walls so we had to use all our towels to soak up the water. The house smelled musty and it was really dark at night. In spite of all of this my youngest daughter will tell you it was one of the happiest times in her life. We were introduced to Texas Hold’em during this time by a neighbor so when we weren’t playing board games we were playing this card game. I’m not much of a game person but I must say I had fun with it. Jessica loved that her family was together playing games and having fun. My youngest son totally got into this game and after we were back to normal life, as normal as ours is, he was still playing Texas Hold’em when ever he got the chance. Jessica was 10 at the time and call it beginners luck but she was really good. She had no fear of calling “all in” which meant she was betting all she had that she would win the hand. This of course drove my son, her big brother, crazy because he wanted the betting to go on for more than one round.
Jessica didn’t remember all the bad stuff. She just remembers getting to play Texas Hold’em with her family.
I got to thinking about our lives and how it would be if we stopped holding out for a better hand and just went all in with Jesus. I mean just totally relied on Him for everything and lived a life where He had to show up because we had no plan B. It sounds risky but the truth is it’s the safest hand.
When I was out of work and we had zero income I had to trust the Lord for everything because I had nothing to bring to the table. The thing about God is He will provide for you it just may not be the way you thought it would be or even want it to be. For instance, for months I got left over food from a restaurant and divided it up between my family and a couple of others and even brought some to the Women’s Shelter where I volunteered. God is a God of more than enough. When my house foreclosed and I finally had to move out I asked the Lord where I was going to go and He said the next house will be provided for you and you won’t need anything.
It’s funny the first time the Lord asked me what I had to have I had a list of things I wanted to bring when I moved. Over time He asked me again and my list was a lot smaller. Later He asked again and I said “I don’t have to have anything but I would like my tiffany lamp and the cedar hope chest that belonged to my mother and the lamp comes apart and can fit in the hope chest. Was I bargaining with God?
Right before I moved out of the house I told the Lord I didn’t have to have anything as long as I was where He wanted me.
I remembered His word that the next house would be provided for me and I trusted Him on it. I thought He was going to give me another house fully furnished. The Realtor in me had all sorts of ideas of the location, amount of bedrooms, bathrooms, you know the drill. Well we ended up moving into a friend’s house. A beautiful house I might add and we didn’t need anything. We had our own bedrooms and bathroom. God did what He said, everything we needed was provided. Did I see that coming? No, did God do it the way I thought He would? NO, but he did exactly what He said He would do.
So now time has passed and I have an apartment that I really love. God is so good because I love trees and there are lots of trees here. We got a lake view without asking for it or paying the higher price. I have a job and things are going well. So why was I not feeling it? Why did I have this restless feeling inside?
I realized I wasn’t waking up every morning wondering what the day was going to bring. Where was I going to be that day, who was I going to minister to and most of all how was God going to provide?
I wasn’t remembering the days of fear when I wasn’t resting in God’s promises or the anxiety of what was going to happen next I just remembered being taken care of miraculously by my sweet Jesus.
I have a job now with a paycheck that covers my expenses. Don’t get me wrong I’m totally grateful for that and I know a lot of people are still looking for work but I don’t “feel” the daily dependency on God and I missed it.
I don’t want to go back to status quo or become complacent. I don’t want to live safe, I want to go all in so I prayed about it and decided to make a change. I told my boss I can only work for him 4 days a week. I want to give God another day to do what He wants with it. I wasn’t sure how my boss would react and I had to prepare myself for him to tell me it was full time or nothing but I was willing to take that chance, I was going all in.
The conversation went well and although I know he doesn’t totally understand he has agreed. I can’t wait to see what God will do next.
I want to live a life where I have an unexpected hand everyday, where I have to take a gamble between worldly things and spirit things.
I want to take those words from Isaiah 6:8 seriously.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me”
I don’t know where you are in your relationship with the Lord. Maybe you’re not ready to say I’m all in, we are all at different places in our walk. I just want you to remember that the best hand is God’s hands. That’s why I’m playing Jesus Hold’em.!
Jessica didn’t remember all the bad stuff. She just remembers getting to play Texas Hold’em with her family.
I got to thinking about our lives and how it would be if we stopped holding out for a better hand and just went all in with Jesus. I mean just totally relied on Him for everything and lived a life where He had to show up because we had no plan B. It sounds risky but the truth is it’s the safest hand.
When I was out of work and we had zero income I had to trust the Lord for everything because I had nothing to bring to the table. The thing about God is He will provide for you it just may not be the way you thought it would be or even want it to be. For instance, for months I got left over food from a restaurant and divided it up between my family and a couple of others and even brought some to the Women’s Shelter where I volunteered. God is a God of more than enough. When my house foreclosed and I finally had to move out I asked the Lord where I was going to go and He said the next house will be provided for you and you won’t need anything.
It’s funny the first time the Lord asked me what I had to have I had a list of things I wanted to bring when I moved. Over time He asked me again and my list was a lot smaller. Later He asked again and I said “I don’t have to have anything but I would like my tiffany lamp and the cedar hope chest that belonged to my mother and the lamp comes apart and can fit in the hope chest. Was I bargaining with God?
Right before I moved out of the house I told the Lord I didn’t have to have anything as long as I was where He wanted me.
I remembered His word that the next house would be provided for me and I trusted Him on it. I thought He was going to give me another house fully furnished. The Realtor in me had all sorts of ideas of the location, amount of bedrooms, bathrooms, you know the drill. Well we ended up moving into a friend’s house. A beautiful house I might add and we didn’t need anything. We had our own bedrooms and bathroom. God did what He said, everything we needed was provided. Did I see that coming? No, did God do it the way I thought He would? NO, but he did exactly what He said He would do.
So now time has passed and I have an apartment that I really love. God is so good because I love trees and there are lots of trees here. We got a lake view without asking for it or paying the higher price. I have a job and things are going well. So why was I not feeling it? Why did I have this restless feeling inside?
I realized I wasn’t waking up every morning wondering what the day was going to bring. Where was I going to be that day, who was I going to minister to and most of all how was God going to provide?
I wasn’t remembering the days of fear when I wasn’t resting in God’s promises or the anxiety of what was going to happen next I just remembered being taken care of miraculously by my sweet Jesus.
I have a job now with a paycheck that covers my expenses. Don’t get me wrong I’m totally grateful for that and I know a lot of people are still looking for work but I don’t “feel” the daily dependency on God and I missed it.
I don’t want to go back to status quo or become complacent. I don’t want to live safe, I want to go all in so I prayed about it and decided to make a change. I told my boss I can only work for him 4 days a week. I want to give God another day to do what He wants with it. I wasn’t sure how my boss would react and I had to prepare myself for him to tell me it was full time or nothing but I was willing to take that chance, I was going all in.
The conversation went well and although I know he doesn’t totally understand he has agreed. I can’t wait to see what God will do next.
I want to live a life where I have an unexpected hand everyday, where I have to take a gamble between worldly things and spirit things.
I want to take those words from Isaiah 6:8 seriously.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me”
I don’t know where you are in your relationship with the Lord. Maybe you’re not ready to say I’m all in, we are all at different places in our walk. I just want you to remember that the best hand is God’s hands. That’s why I’m playing Jesus Hold’em.!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
HURRY UP AND WAIT
My daughter Jessica and I were hanging out on our porch the other night and when we came in a moth flew in with us. I was trying to shoo it back outside but it kept flying into the closed part of the sliding glass door, bouncing off it and flying back into it. I guess because he could see the outside he figured he should be able to get through not realizing it was glass. I was trying to get it to come to the other side, when Jess and I weren’t screaming because it was flying near us. I finally took the rod off the blinds to try and get the moth to land on it or coax it to the opened end of the door. I started talking to the silly moth saying “if you would just listen to me I can get you out.” I figured each time it hit the window so hard it had to be doing some kind of injury to it’s small body. I was getting frustrated that it kept flying around like a crazy moth and not allow me to lead him to the other side where he could fly right out.
I wondered how many times the Lord felt this way about me. Trying to get me somewhere but I wasn’t listening. Instead I was trying to figure it out on my own and bumping into closed doors. I would imagine every hit we make does some damage to us as well, our spirit, our mind and our confidence. Maybe some of these injuries could be avoided if we waited until we knew we heard God’s instructions. Many times things appear to be right but we can’t seem to get to our destination.
I remember when the Lord told me to leave the work place for a season. During this time I met a man that owned a Christian Café. There were no prices on the menu; it was all donations so if you had no money you could still eat. There was a box on the middle of the table you could put your donation in.
Since this was in my budget at the time I would stop in when I was in the area and usually prayed with or for someone that I met there. The owner asked if I wanted to waitress a few days a week and I could pray with people that came in. I figured it was a good idea since it was a Christian place and I could pray for people and make a few dollars. I was sure God would want me to do it so I said yes.
The first day I worked I saw quite a few people I knew and I had an opportunity to pray with them for healing, family issues, whatever they had a need for. When they left they told me they put my money in the box. I didn’t take any of the money and figured I would get paid the end of the week. The next day the same thing happened and again I went home with no money. The third day I walked in already to start playing the “praying waitress” but the owner met me at the door and said “the Health Department came by early this morning and shut us down.” He didn’t understand why as they had been there a few days earlier and everything was OK. As soon as He said it the Holy Spirit said “I never told you to work here.” He reminded me that the last thing the Lord told me was to not take a job.
I thought that since it was a Christian place and I was praying it had to be OK with God but the truth is I never asked God if I was supposed to take the job.
Needless to say I told the owner I would not be able to come back and needless to say he reopened the next day and I never did get paid.
We have to be careful not to help God along with His plan even if it looks like it’s a good idea.
Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
I don’t always understand but I have learned without a shadow of a doubt God does not need my help, even if I think His idea is taking too long.
Most people are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
We like that verse but we have to remember sometimes we have to wait on those plans. It’s easy to trust God when you have clear direction or it appears you have control the test is when we have no control, no plan, no idea what to do next. This is when the rubber meets the road, following God even if it doesn’t seem to make sense to you. It’s in the waiting that character is built and your relationship is strengthened. I think of these times now as boot camp for my next God assignment.
If you find yourself frantically flying into what looks like open doors and people are giving you directions you can’t seem to take you may need to stop trying to help God. His plan will come in His timing.
Habakkuk 2:3 The vision is for a future time. It describes the end and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
These are times we need to hurry up and wait on God. Like the Bible says,
Be still and know I am God. Psalm 46:10
I wondered how many times the Lord felt this way about me. Trying to get me somewhere but I wasn’t listening. Instead I was trying to figure it out on my own and bumping into closed doors. I would imagine every hit we make does some damage to us as well, our spirit, our mind and our confidence. Maybe some of these injuries could be avoided if we waited until we knew we heard God’s instructions. Many times things appear to be right but we can’t seem to get to our destination.
I remember when the Lord told me to leave the work place for a season. During this time I met a man that owned a Christian Café. There were no prices on the menu; it was all donations so if you had no money you could still eat. There was a box on the middle of the table you could put your donation in.
Since this was in my budget at the time I would stop in when I was in the area and usually prayed with or for someone that I met there. The owner asked if I wanted to waitress a few days a week and I could pray with people that came in. I figured it was a good idea since it was a Christian place and I could pray for people and make a few dollars. I was sure God would want me to do it so I said yes.
The first day I worked I saw quite a few people I knew and I had an opportunity to pray with them for healing, family issues, whatever they had a need for. When they left they told me they put my money in the box. I didn’t take any of the money and figured I would get paid the end of the week. The next day the same thing happened and again I went home with no money. The third day I walked in already to start playing the “praying waitress” but the owner met me at the door and said “the Health Department came by early this morning and shut us down.” He didn’t understand why as they had been there a few days earlier and everything was OK. As soon as He said it the Holy Spirit said “I never told you to work here.” He reminded me that the last thing the Lord told me was to not take a job.
I thought that since it was a Christian place and I was praying it had to be OK with God but the truth is I never asked God if I was supposed to take the job.
Needless to say I told the owner I would not be able to come back and needless to say he reopened the next day and I never did get paid.
We have to be careful not to help God along with His plan even if it looks like it’s a good idea.
Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
I don’t always understand but I have learned without a shadow of a doubt God does not need my help, even if I think His idea is taking too long.
Most people are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
We like that verse but we have to remember sometimes we have to wait on those plans. It’s easy to trust God when you have clear direction or it appears you have control the test is when we have no control, no plan, no idea what to do next. This is when the rubber meets the road, following God even if it doesn’t seem to make sense to you. It’s in the waiting that character is built and your relationship is strengthened. I think of these times now as boot camp for my next God assignment.
If you find yourself frantically flying into what looks like open doors and people are giving you directions you can’t seem to take you may need to stop trying to help God. His plan will come in His timing.
Habakkuk 2:3 The vision is for a future time. It describes the end and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
These are times we need to hurry up and wait on God. Like the Bible says,
Be still and know I am God. Psalm 46:10
Thursday, December 3, 2009
FAST FOOD
I don’t know if everyone is familiar with fasting so I‘ll give you the Gena definition. It means to make a commitment to go without food or drink or both for a designated amount of time. During this time you pray for a specific thing you are seeking the Lord for. For me it’s usually a decision that needs to be made.
When the Lord told me to home school my youngest daughter I thought I heard him wrong because I thought home schooling was for “weird” people. Being the queen of weird I should have known better. Anyway, my daughter and I decided to pray about it while she was on a youth group trip and because this was a big decision I decided to fast too. I knew for sure at the end of the fast that I was supposed to home school and when my daughter got home from camp she told me she felt the same way. I don’t think I would have had the guts to make that decision if I didn’t believe it was what God was telling me to do. It was an amazing year and the Lord taught us both many lessons.
In the Bible the people would fast when they were seeking the Lord for something serious. Esther had all the Jews fast when there was a plan to have the people killed. Daniel fasted probably right before he was thrown in the lions den.
Daniel 9:3
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
In Joel the Lord tells the people to return to Him with all their heart with fasting.
Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights, no food or water in the wilderness with satan tempting Him the whole time.
There are many scriptures in the New Testament telling about the times the disciples fasted.
Jesus even gave the do’s and don’ts on fasting.
Matthew 6:16-18
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full but when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
I guess what I’m trying to say here is fasting was and is important to God.
A friend of mine asked me and a few other ladies to fast and pray for a situation she’s dealing with so we did. I was really praying about it before hand and I asked the Lord to show me what He wanted me to know about fasting from the Bible.
I want to tell you something about God, if you ask Him a sincere question He will answer you. Saturday night He put on my heart to read Isaiah. I thought to myself there are 66 chapters in Isaiah can you narrow it down. The next morning I woke up and turned on the TV. I don’t usually watch TV especially in the morning; guess what was written on the TV screen? Isaiah 58! I turned off the TV and got out my Bible. Guess what the heading for that Chapter is? Observances of Fasts!! I can’t make this stuff up. I’ll give you the gist of it but I would encourage you to read the whole chapter.
Message Bible Isaiah 58:6-8
This is the kind of fast day I am after to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the work place, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will be turned around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You will call out for help and I’ll say, “Here I am.”
Wow, that blew me away!
Obviously God isn’t just interested in what we eat or don’t eat or how long we go without food or water, what He’s really interested in is how we treat each other.
If you have never fasted I would encourage you to try it, there is something special about sharing this time with the Lord. It’s a personal time between the two of you. If you are a regular faster (is that a word?) I would encourage you to check your heart and make sure you are following the guidelines God gives us in Isaiah.
Next time you fast food have it God’s way!
When the Lord told me to home school my youngest daughter I thought I heard him wrong because I thought home schooling was for “weird” people. Being the queen of weird I should have known better. Anyway, my daughter and I decided to pray about it while she was on a youth group trip and because this was a big decision I decided to fast too. I knew for sure at the end of the fast that I was supposed to home school and when my daughter got home from camp she told me she felt the same way. I don’t think I would have had the guts to make that decision if I didn’t believe it was what God was telling me to do. It was an amazing year and the Lord taught us both many lessons.
In the Bible the people would fast when they were seeking the Lord for something serious. Esther had all the Jews fast when there was a plan to have the people killed. Daniel fasted probably right before he was thrown in the lions den.
Daniel 9:3
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
In Joel the Lord tells the people to return to Him with all their heart with fasting.
Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights, no food or water in the wilderness with satan tempting Him the whole time.
There are many scriptures in the New Testament telling about the times the disciples fasted.
Jesus even gave the do’s and don’ts on fasting.
Matthew 6:16-18
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full but when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
I guess what I’m trying to say here is fasting was and is important to God.
A friend of mine asked me and a few other ladies to fast and pray for a situation she’s dealing with so we did. I was really praying about it before hand and I asked the Lord to show me what He wanted me to know about fasting from the Bible.
I want to tell you something about God, if you ask Him a sincere question He will answer you. Saturday night He put on my heart to read Isaiah. I thought to myself there are 66 chapters in Isaiah can you narrow it down. The next morning I woke up and turned on the TV. I don’t usually watch TV especially in the morning; guess what was written on the TV screen? Isaiah 58! I turned off the TV and got out my Bible. Guess what the heading for that Chapter is? Observances of Fasts!! I can’t make this stuff up. I’ll give you the gist of it but I would encourage you to read the whole chapter.
Message Bible Isaiah 58:6-8
This is the kind of fast day I am after to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the work place, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will be turned around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You will call out for help and I’ll say, “Here I am.”
Wow, that blew me away!
Obviously God isn’t just interested in what we eat or don’t eat or how long we go without food or water, what He’s really interested in is how we treat each other.
If you have never fasted I would encourage you to try it, there is something special about sharing this time with the Lord. It’s a personal time between the two of you. If you are a regular faster (is that a word?) I would encourage you to check your heart and make sure you are following the guidelines God gives us in Isaiah.
Next time you fast food have it God’s way!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Happy Gratitude Day
I know you were expecting Thanksgiving and you will probably get that, thanks I mean. On Thanksgiving you will either be cooking or eating someone else’s cooking and you will be thankful for your meal. I know I will because I will be doing the eating part and not the cooking part (thank you Linda.).
True story when I first got married I decided to do the whole traditional Thanksgiving meal, so I bought the turkey, got completely nauseous having to take the bag of gook out of the turkey and then read the directions to wash the turkey. I literally washed the turkey with soap. You see now why I let my friend Linda cook.
Some people will go around the table and share what their thankful for or some other family traditions. I like to have baked ziti no matter what holiday it is. Some people will be feeding the less fortunate and helping them to have a good day. Some of you will park in front of the TV with your jeans undone watching all the football games and be thankful that it’s a day you won’t have to explain why you’re watching TV all day. Hopefully we will give thanks to God for all the blessings He has given us and most of all to Jesus for what He did on the cross. There are a lot of things that will happen on Thanksgiving, good things, treasured things, expected things. At the end of the day you will be thankful for it and most likely thank the person or people you shared it with then you’ll go back to your world and Thanksgiving will be just a memory until next year.
I decided to start this Holiday by looking into what the Bible has to say about thanks. I also decided to find the original Greek meaning of the word so I looked it up. Thanks Greek root word yaw-daw’ - especially to revere or worship (with extended hands) intensely to bemoan (by wringing hands)
That has a much more intense meaning than just your common thanks.
For example:
I really don’t like turning left, I don’t know what it is, if I have to pick between going right or left I will always pick right. I know God was messing with me about this the other day, He does that you know. I was going to a store and I had to use my GPS because I’m still learning the roads here and it said turn right at the light. I was actually glad that I was going right and didn’t have to turn left. So I turn right and immediately the GPS says “make a U-Turn” it was going to make me go left anyway. I was like what the heck. The only thing worse than making a left at a light is making a left on a busy road and you are at the mercy of the other crazy drivers to let you out. When a nice person finally does I’m grateful, wave the official “thank you wave” and move on. I’m thankful they let me out but I don’t spend the rest of my day being grateful. Ya know what I mean? I don’t get to work and through out the day stop and think, I am so thankful that guy let me turn left today. I don’t think about it at all.
When I say thank you to someone I know I am not feeling all the emotion the Greek word implies. Wringing hands? You know when someone is so overcome with emotion and they are wringing their hands, that’s the magnitude of this word thanks in the Bible.
Now let’s look at Thanksgiving, Greek root word to-daw’ - adoration specifically a choir of worshipers, confession, sacrifice of praise, thanks.
A choir of worshipers.
So basically if we had a biblical Thanksgiving Day it would be children of God so filled with emotion, gratitude and thanks that we would literally be wringing our hands or lifting them up to the Heavens praising our Lord like a choir of worshipers. WOW!!!
I pray this Thanksgiving with all our traditions we will make a commitment to have gratitude for all God does for us 365 days a year and that we will be truly grateful for the sacrifice God made in order for us to have Jesus Christ. I pray that we will be so grateful that we will follow Christ command to love others, that we will offer a sacrifice of praise by scarifying our time and agenda to bless someone else.
1 Corinthians 8:3 But if one loves God truly [with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing], he is known by God [recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him]. Amplified Bible
I want to be owned by God!!! Happy Gratitude Day gems, and Thanksgiving too :)
Gena’s Jewels
True story when I first got married I decided to do the whole traditional Thanksgiving meal, so I bought the turkey, got completely nauseous having to take the bag of gook out of the turkey and then read the directions to wash the turkey. I literally washed the turkey with soap. You see now why I let my friend Linda cook.
Some people will go around the table and share what their thankful for or some other family traditions. I like to have baked ziti no matter what holiday it is. Some people will be feeding the less fortunate and helping them to have a good day. Some of you will park in front of the TV with your jeans undone watching all the football games and be thankful that it’s a day you won’t have to explain why you’re watching TV all day. Hopefully we will give thanks to God for all the blessings He has given us and most of all to Jesus for what He did on the cross. There are a lot of things that will happen on Thanksgiving, good things, treasured things, expected things. At the end of the day you will be thankful for it and most likely thank the person or people you shared it with then you’ll go back to your world and Thanksgiving will be just a memory until next year.
I decided to start this Holiday by looking into what the Bible has to say about thanks. I also decided to find the original Greek meaning of the word so I looked it up. Thanks Greek root word yaw-daw’ - especially to revere or worship (with extended hands) intensely to bemoan (by wringing hands)
That has a much more intense meaning than just your common thanks.
For example:
I really don’t like turning left, I don’t know what it is, if I have to pick between going right or left I will always pick right. I know God was messing with me about this the other day, He does that you know. I was going to a store and I had to use my GPS because I’m still learning the roads here and it said turn right at the light. I was actually glad that I was going right and didn’t have to turn left. So I turn right and immediately the GPS says “make a U-Turn” it was going to make me go left anyway. I was like what the heck. The only thing worse than making a left at a light is making a left on a busy road and you are at the mercy of the other crazy drivers to let you out. When a nice person finally does I’m grateful, wave the official “thank you wave” and move on. I’m thankful they let me out but I don’t spend the rest of my day being grateful. Ya know what I mean? I don’t get to work and through out the day stop and think, I am so thankful that guy let me turn left today. I don’t think about it at all.
When I say thank you to someone I know I am not feeling all the emotion the Greek word implies. Wringing hands? You know when someone is so overcome with emotion and they are wringing their hands, that’s the magnitude of this word thanks in the Bible.
Now let’s look at Thanksgiving, Greek root word to-daw’ - adoration specifically a choir of worshipers, confession, sacrifice of praise, thanks.
A choir of worshipers.
So basically if we had a biblical Thanksgiving Day it would be children of God so filled with emotion, gratitude and thanks that we would literally be wringing our hands or lifting them up to the Heavens praising our Lord like a choir of worshipers. WOW!!!
I pray this Thanksgiving with all our traditions we will make a commitment to have gratitude for all God does for us 365 days a year and that we will be truly grateful for the sacrifice God made in order for us to have Jesus Christ. I pray that we will be so grateful that we will follow Christ command to love others, that we will offer a sacrifice of praise by scarifying our time and agenda to bless someone else.
1 Corinthians 8:3 But if one loves God truly [with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing], he is known by God [recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him]. Amplified Bible
I want to be owned by God!!! Happy Gratitude Day gems, and Thanksgiving too :)
Gena’s Jewels
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Let's Talk Poop
I talked to my 4 year old grandson on the phone today and he asked if I knew what Holy Ghost wind was and I said no. He said it’s when the Holy Ghost farts, he then laughed hysterically. I had never thought about the Holy Ghost farting…
What is it about kids and bodily functions? They love talking about them, especially poop. Walk up to any group of preschoolers and just say poop and they will all start giggling.
One day I was playing outside with Lucas (he was 3 at the time) and when we were done I told him I was going home to go to the bathroom. It was a really nice day so most neighbors were outside doing their thing and Lucas waits till I get a couple of houses down from his and he yells really loud “NANA WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” mind you I told him where I was going. I yell back, not quite as loud, “home” he responds “WHY?” I respond “cause I have to go to the bathroom” Lucas says “ARE YOU GONNA POOP?” all my neighbors seem to look at me, and I yell back “NO!” but the truth is I was gonna poop. I got embarrassed and lied right there in public, like none of my neighbors poop.
You may be asking yourself where is she going with this. Good question.
Let’s talk poop. Right now the poop is hitting the fan in some people’s lives. They are going through some really tough times, some self induced some not. The thing is we don’t want to talk about it. Like no one else has bad times. Why is that?
One reason is you mention your poop to the wrong person and they’ll start yelling about it to everyone and you get embarrassed or ashamed because you don’t want everyone knowing your poop. So now not only do you stink but everyone knows it.
We don’t have to worry if we’re Christians because you know if you got poop we’re here to help you clean it up right?
Oh how I wish that were true but as you know it’s not.
We have worked hard at becoming who people think we are and we don’t want to ruin that. So we either lie to ourselves or the people around us until one day the poop hits the fan and you have no choice but to deal with it.
Proverbs 12:9 better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
I think people who pretend to be a somebody are people who think their poop doesn’t stink. We all mess up, the more the poop the bigger the clean up. But it’s at the moment that the poop hit’s the fan that our true colors show. Is our talk about love, mercy, forgiveness and grace true or are we full of poop?
I think the only thing the devil loves more than when we screw up is when our so called church family treats us like poop.
Proverbs 12:18 reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
I pray we will be there for each other in times of need. It’s when we stink the most that we need each other the most. We need healing so we can get through a dark time in our life and if we confess and repent than no one but God is allowed to bring up the poop.
Isaiah 43:25 “I even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake and remembers your sins no more.”
Gems, if we’re not part of the healing we’re part of the poop.
Don’t talk poop.
Gena’s Jewels
What is it about kids and bodily functions? They love talking about them, especially poop. Walk up to any group of preschoolers and just say poop and they will all start giggling.
One day I was playing outside with Lucas (he was 3 at the time) and when we were done I told him I was going home to go to the bathroom. It was a really nice day so most neighbors were outside doing their thing and Lucas waits till I get a couple of houses down from his and he yells really loud “NANA WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” mind you I told him where I was going. I yell back, not quite as loud, “home” he responds “WHY?” I respond “cause I have to go to the bathroom” Lucas says “ARE YOU GONNA POOP?” all my neighbors seem to look at me, and I yell back “NO!” but the truth is I was gonna poop. I got embarrassed and lied right there in public, like none of my neighbors poop.
You may be asking yourself where is she going with this. Good question.
Let’s talk poop. Right now the poop is hitting the fan in some people’s lives. They are going through some really tough times, some self induced some not. The thing is we don’t want to talk about it. Like no one else has bad times. Why is that?
One reason is you mention your poop to the wrong person and they’ll start yelling about it to everyone and you get embarrassed or ashamed because you don’t want everyone knowing your poop. So now not only do you stink but everyone knows it.
We don’t have to worry if we’re Christians because you know if you got poop we’re here to help you clean it up right?
Oh how I wish that were true but as you know it’s not.
We have worked hard at becoming who people think we are and we don’t want to ruin that. So we either lie to ourselves or the people around us until one day the poop hits the fan and you have no choice but to deal with it.
Proverbs 12:9 better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
I think people who pretend to be a somebody are people who think their poop doesn’t stink. We all mess up, the more the poop the bigger the clean up. But it’s at the moment that the poop hit’s the fan that our true colors show. Is our talk about love, mercy, forgiveness and grace true or are we full of poop?
I think the only thing the devil loves more than when we screw up is when our so called church family treats us like poop.
Proverbs 12:18 reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
I pray we will be there for each other in times of need. It’s when we stink the most that we need each other the most. We need healing so we can get through a dark time in our life and if we confess and repent than no one but God is allowed to bring up the poop.
Isaiah 43:25 “I even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake and remembers your sins no more.”
Gems, if we’re not part of the healing we’re part of the poop.
Don’t talk poop.
Gena’s Jewels
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Bird Assignment
I started working at a printing company a few weeks ago and things did not begin very well for me. Just the whole getting into the work groove was a bit of an adjustment and the people I was with were not the nicest to put it nicely. I was not used to working in such a hostile environment and I’ll be honest at first I cried out to the Lord ’NOOOOOO! Let’s go back home to you and me again.”
The first few weeks were tough and I really didn’t want to work there. I’m a people person and organization is not my strong suit, ask anyone I have worked for. I like to blab and don’t like being in one spot all day and here I am working in an office as an administrative assistant. It was like putting a square peg in a round hole. I said to the Lord "I appreciate having a job but how can I reach people for you when they don’t seem to like me and I’m stuck at a desk all day?" I know it’s hard to believe that someone might not like me. :)
I was complaining to the Lord one morning on my drive to work and as I was passing an open field I noticed a bunch of white birds eating. As I got closer I realized there were black birds mixed in I just didn’t notice them from a distance because the white ones were so bright. The Lord told me this is how we, His children, are supposed to be. Even if we are working in a hostile environment or among non believers the light should always outshine the darkness. He reminded me that a pitch black room doesn’t stay that way if you light even the smallest candle. Petty much He was telling me to suck it up and go shine.
I apologized to the Lord for being such a wimp and not being more grateful.
I was still feeling bad that I had to, what I felt, waste 8 hours a day doing silly paperwork when there was Kingdom work that needed to be done. God showed me my problem wasn’t the job it was my mindset. He told me I needed to stop thinking of it as a job and start thinking of it as an assignment. Kind of like that old TV show Touched by An Angel, the Angels showed up at an assignment did their work then moved on. This was what God was going to do with me. I know this is not a place I will stay forever but while I’m here I need to help change some peoples forever’s. This was so comforting to me and it really did change my whole attitude. I liked being on an assignment much better than being on a job.
I figured I would start with the kill them with kindness approach and that did start the ball rolling but it was still slow getting opportunities to talk about my sweet Jesus. But God is faithful and eventually opportunities opened here and there and I was beginning to give some testimony. I was happy with this small result and then once again God blew my mind.
Before I tell you how He did that I want to tell you how I got this job. As you know I moved to the Tampa area and when I first got here my youngest daughter and I joined a soup kitchen ministry feeding the homeless once a week. We were living with very dear friends Cathy and Fritz and I mentioned to them that the Lord wanted me to publish Gena’s Jewels and I asked if they knew anyone in the printing industry. Fritz said there was a man at our church who owned a printing company. So for the next few weeks I was trying to figure out who this man was. Finally I asked Fritz to point him out and he said “what are you talking about, you see him every week at the homeless ministry.” I had been driving to the homeless site for weeks with the very man that owned the printing company and had no idea. God just cracks me up. So I ask Bill, the owner of the company, about printing the book. He tells me to call his office for an appt and he would take a look at it. So the next week I head to his office and as I’m driving I ask the Lord how I’m going to pay for the book. I can’t expect this man to work for free and I have been out of work for over a year and had no money to pay for it. I starting praying and asking God to show me what to do, I thought maybe I could clean Bill’s office or something, you know do a barter type thing. The Lord told me not to worry about His job. I met Bill and after we got things settled and I was ready to leave the Holy Spirit prompted me to pray for him so I did. As soon as I finished praying Bill looked at me and said “are you looking for a job by any chance?” He said he hadn’t hired anyone in a long time and business was slow but he felt like he should ask me. I just smiled and said “as a matter of fact I am.” Doesn’t God just blow your mind? When He has a plan all you have to do is go where He tells you and He will do the rest. OK, now back to our story.
So I’m walking to the back of the factory praying and thanking God for the opportunities He has given me to share, even if they were small, and I get to where they put the books together and there’s my book being worked on. I was so excited I about screamed. Once I got myself together I stopped by the ladies who were working on it and they started asking me questions about the book and before you know it I’m doing my favorite thing in the whole world, telling God stories. I gave them my testimony of how God brought me to Tampa and how I got the job and how good God is, it was awesome. The next day I’m in the break room and one of the guys from the back walks in and tells me he’s reading my book and the two other guys in the room start asking what it’s about!
I had once again underestimated my sweet Jesus. He didn’t just send me to this place to have the book printed He sent me there so the people I was working with could read Gena’s Jewels. They would have pages of testimony of our great God and could ask me questions right on the spot. Is God good or what!!!!
Here again was another reason the Lord sent me to Tampa. He moved me here to the very place He wanted His book published and to the very people He wants saved.
Every place God puts us is an opportunity to further the kingdom. You are never somewhere by accident.
So remember wherever you are working or whoever you’re around right now be the white bird. Stand out and know you’re on an assignment.
Gena’s Jewels
The first few weeks were tough and I really didn’t want to work there. I’m a people person and organization is not my strong suit, ask anyone I have worked for. I like to blab and don’t like being in one spot all day and here I am working in an office as an administrative assistant. It was like putting a square peg in a round hole. I said to the Lord "I appreciate having a job but how can I reach people for you when they don’t seem to like me and I’m stuck at a desk all day?" I know it’s hard to believe that someone might not like me. :)
I was complaining to the Lord one morning on my drive to work and as I was passing an open field I noticed a bunch of white birds eating. As I got closer I realized there were black birds mixed in I just didn’t notice them from a distance because the white ones were so bright. The Lord told me this is how we, His children, are supposed to be. Even if we are working in a hostile environment or among non believers the light should always outshine the darkness. He reminded me that a pitch black room doesn’t stay that way if you light even the smallest candle. Petty much He was telling me to suck it up and go shine.
I apologized to the Lord for being such a wimp and not being more grateful.
I was still feeling bad that I had to, what I felt, waste 8 hours a day doing silly paperwork when there was Kingdom work that needed to be done. God showed me my problem wasn’t the job it was my mindset. He told me I needed to stop thinking of it as a job and start thinking of it as an assignment. Kind of like that old TV show Touched by An Angel, the Angels showed up at an assignment did their work then moved on. This was what God was going to do with me. I know this is not a place I will stay forever but while I’m here I need to help change some peoples forever’s. This was so comforting to me and it really did change my whole attitude. I liked being on an assignment much better than being on a job.
I figured I would start with the kill them with kindness approach and that did start the ball rolling but it was still slow getting opportunities to talk about my sweet Jesus. But God is faithful and eventually opportunities opened here and there and I was beginning to give some testimony. I was happy with this small result and then once again God blew my mind.
Before I tell you how He did that I want to tell you how I got this job. As you know I moved to the Tampa area and when I first got here my youngest daughter and I joined a soup kitchen ministry feeding the homeless once a week. We were living with very dear friends Cathy and Fritz and I mentioned to them that the Lord wanted me to publish Gena’s Jewels and I asked if they knew anyone in the printing industry. Fritz said there was a man at our church who owned a printing company. So for the next few weeks I was trying to figure out who this man was. Finally I asked Fritz to point him out and he said “what are you talking about, you see him every week at the homeless ministry.” I had been driving to the homeless site for weeks with the very man that owned the printing company and had no idea. God just cracks me up. So I ask Bill, the owner of the company, about printing the book. He tells me to call his office for an appt and he would take a look at it. So the next week I head to his office and as I’m driving I ask the Lord how I’m going to pay for the book. I can’t expect this man to work for free and I have been out of work for over a year and had no money to pay for it. I starting praying and asking God to show me what to do, I thought maybe I could clean Bill’s office or something, you know do a barter type thing. The Lord told me not to worry about His job. I met Bill and after we got things settled and I was ready to leave the Holy Spirit prompted me to pray for him so I did. As soon as I finished praying Bill looked at me and said “are you looking for a job by any chance?” He said he hadn’t hired anyone in a long time and business was slow but he felt like he should ask me. I just smiled and said “as a matter of fact I am.” Doesn’t God just blow your mind? When He has a plan all you have to do is go where He tells you and He will do the rest. OK, now back to our story.
So I’m walking to the back of the factory praying and thanking God for the opportunities He has given me to share, even if they were small, and I get to where they put the books together and there’s my book being worked on. I was so excited I about screamed. Once I got myself together I stopped by the ladies who were working on it and they started asking me questions about the book and before you know it I’m doing my favorite thing in the whole world, telling God stories. I gave them my testimony of how God brought me to Tampa and how I got the job and how good God is, it was awesome. The next day I’m in the break room and one of the guys from the back walks in and tells me he’s reading my book and the two other guys in the room start asking what it’s about!
I had once again underestimated my sweet Jesus. He didn’t just send me to this place to have the book printed He sent me there so the people I was working with could read Gena’s Jewels. They would have pages of testimony of our great God and could ask me questions right on the spot. Is God good or what!!!!
Here again was another reason the Lord sent me to Tampa. He moved me here to the very place He wanted His book published and to the very people He wants saved.
Every place God puts us is an opportunity to further the kingdom. You are never somewhere by accident.
So remember wherever you are working or whoever you’re around right now be the white bird. Stand out and know you’re on an assignment.
Gena’s Jewels
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