The Fear of the Lord, or the Lack Of

Here is a video from Richard Owen Roberts about the lack of the fear of God in the pulpit and in the church in general. It all boils down to one thing: pride. This one grabs at my heart. I’ve been watching it over and over.

In the beginning of Jeremiah God warns Israel and Judah of their wickedness and begs them to return. All they have to do is acknowledge their sin and repent. He right out tells them the problem: they are stubborn and no longer fear Him. God tells them that He will not overlook sin!

‘But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed. ‘They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest.” … ‘Shall I not punish these [people?]’ declares the LORD, ‘On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?’

Jeremiah 5:23-24, 29

We are no better. We are stubborn, rebellious, and prideful to the point that we no longer fear the Lord. Just as He was faithful and ready to forgive Israel, He is faithful and ready to forgive us as well if we acknowledge our sin and repent. God is so good, even though we are not!

The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor [comes] humility.

Proverbs 15:33

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Consider it Joy

I was reading with Cinderella one day when we heard a loud crash.  It sounded like glass shattering.  We have a cat, so once in a while we do have things come crashing down when she’s not quite as agile as she thinks she is.  We took a quick look around and didn’t see anything, so we assumed the noise came from the family room downstairs.

Later in the day, I went up to my bedroom for something.  I was immediately greeted by a mess.  In a fraction of a second the crashing noise we heard that morning came back to me and the connection was made.  This is what we heard.  I was staring at my medals in a heap on the floor.  Every one of them had come off the pants hanger I had them hung on.  The hanger had fallen, taking everything with it.  My medal from the Christmas Light run had come apart, but it was dutifully blinking.

And that’s how the last several months have been.  Every time I get a glimmer of hope, things come crashing down, and all hope is gone.  Then the cycle starts again.

Everywhere I look lately, I see “suffering.”  Not that I see people suffering, but that I see suffering as the topic of conversation. Our church is going through the book of John, and we are nearing Jesus’ crucifixion.  There is no doubt that Jesus’ suffered physically and spiritually.  Also, our ladies’ Bible study group has recently been focusing on suffering.

I read Lysa Terkeurst’s book Made to Crave a few years ago.  I’ve had the Made to Crave Devotional for quite some time.  I’ve decided to actually use it, and now she is focusing on suffering.

Living in the freest and wealthiest country in the world, I can’t help but wonder if anyone in the U.S. actually knows what true suffering is.  Are we just a bunch of pansies that need to buck up, or do we truly experience suffering?

James 1:2 tells us to “consider it all joy” when we encounter various trials.  That certainly is not usually our first thought.  Our first thought is to consider it misery and suffering.  Instead, we are to “consider it” or ponder, think, turn it over in our minds to joy.  What a task!

Why are we to do this?  Because it will lead to endurance.  You can never have too much endurance.  I have written on this before.  It builds character which then leads to hope.  James 1:12 tells us that “blessed is a man who perseveres under trial;”

If you are in the midst of a trial right now, I want to encourage you to hang on.  Ponder and think about it, try to consider it joy.  Believe me, I know how difficult that can be.  Look ahead to what it will bring:  endurance, perfection, and hope.  And don’t forget that there is a blessing waiting for you in the end.

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

Could You Outrun Goliath?

At “six cubits and a span,” Goliath stood over nine feet tall, using a conservative 18-inch cubit. Scripture demonstrates his strength by cataloging the weight of his armaments, including a 5,000-shekel (125-pound) coat of mail.1 No wonder he was the champion of Gath! He was big and strong, but was he fast?

Source: Could You Outrun Goliath? | The Institute for Creation Research

As a (slow) runner, I found this interesting.  There is no doubt in my mind that I could not outrun Goliath.  Every race I run, there’s the mom pushing the double stroller that passes me somewhere along the way.

As scripture demonstrates time and time again, it’s not always speed or even the biggest, strongest army that wins the battle.  In the end, God wins.  This is what gives me hope and keeps me going day after day.

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;  1 Peter 3:15

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I’m trying to remember that, I really am.

I’m trying to ignore that my stress levels are through the roof, my eating is completely out of control, and I’ve gained a few pounds.

I want to believe that we will find the answers for Cinderella that we’re so desperately looking for.  I want to believe that one day things will be “normal” for us.  A few weeks ago I had completely lost hope.

But now there is a glimmer–a glimmer of hope.  And, after all, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

 

Cinderella’s first 5K.

Barbie ball under the tree.

This is how I ruined Christmas.

May you accept the greatest gift of all this Christmas season–the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Thankful

With Thanksgiving approaching we often take time to pause and think about what we are thankful for.  It’s easy to think of material things such as our home, food, clothing, etc.  We also are thankful for our family, friends, and relationships, but there is so much more to be thankful for.

I am thankful for the free gift of salvation by grace through faith.  I am thankful that salvation is not something that is earned.  I don’t have to worry about whether I’m working hard enough to obtain it and/or keep it.  It is a free gift from God that all I have to do is accept.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  Ephesians 2:8

Jesus will go to great lengths to retrieve His lost sheep.  He knows His sheep and they know His voice.  He will do what it takes to find His lost sheep and carry it home.  He rejoices when He finds the lost sheep and organizes a party once He’s home.

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ Luke 15: 4-6.

He hears my cries.  We know that we will have trials.  It is comforting to know that we have someone to cry out to and that our cries will be heard and acted upon.

In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.  Psalm 18:6

The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.  Psalm 34:17

As for me, I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried to You.  Psalm 31:22

A Song of Ascents. In my trouble I cried to the LORD, And He answered me.  Psalm 120:1

He is my rock and my fortress.  I don’t have to be strong, I don’t have to be anything at all.  All I need is Him.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18:2

But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold And a refuge in the day of my distress.  Psalm 59:16

He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.  Psalm 62:2

What are you thankful for?

 

305 lbs. A Word on Depression

About 10 years ago I was talking with a friend who works with people with addictions She was telling me about the woes of someone she knew.  She finally came around to saying that this friend suffered from depression.  It didn’t sound like depression to me, it just sounded like life.  My remark was, “That’s just life.  Life stinks.”  She got down in my face and told me that she thought I suffered from depression too.

That really was a surprise to me.  I never even entertained the idea of depression.  I just really thought life stunk.  There were many times that I thought it would be a lot easier not to be here, but I had children that relied on me for their daily existence.  I could not let them down.  I used to think that it took a lot of guts to end your own life, but I now believe the opposite.  It takes a lot more guts to stay here on earth.

I had tried talking about it to a friend or two over the years, but it was clear that they didn’t get it.  They dismissed it right away with disgust.  I didn’t expect to ever meet anyone that understood.

I received an urgent phone call from Mr. G. one day asking me if I could take over for him right away.  He was clearly upset and told me that he would be in touch the next day.  I was able to do so, so I did.  Later, he told me that he suffered from depression.  When I told him that I understood, he seemed very relieved.

For the first time in both of our lives, we had a friend we could talk to who understood.  We were our own little support group holding each other up at times.  Depression isn’t something anyone wants or asks for.  It’s just there.  It’s a part of you just like your hands, feet, and nose are a part of you.

I have found, for me anyway, that depression was an iron deficiency.  I’m not talking about the kind you put in your mouth, but the kind you pump.  When I started the Couch to 5K program, I was going to seven workouts a week–sometimes twice a day.  I can remember as the program was nearing its end telling Mr. G. that I never felt better my whole life.  I think this was a part of his decision to join a gym.

It was true.  I was far from being Miss Universe, but I was fitter than I had been for decades.  I had lost a substantial amount of weight and had drastically changed my eating habits.  But the one thing that keeps those dark days away, is exercise.

If you ever have someone try to broach this subject with you, remember that they’re just looking for someone to talk to.  The best thing you can do for them is to listen.  Please don’t dismiss it quickly or make them feel ashamed.  They did not choose this and have nothing to be ashamed of.  Who knows, you might make a new friend.

305 lbs. Raising Someone Up

January 2016 and the new year was here.  I was signed up and ready to go with the Commit to Get Fit program again.  I made sure I got Cole as my trainer, and I now had a new work out partner–my oldest daughter.  By the time Commit to Get Fit started, her daughter was just old enough to go to the childcare, so that made it possible for her to come too.

I had gotten spoiled the year before for having Cole all to myself most of the time.  This year, we had several people in our group–all of varying ages and abilities.  My daughter was definitely the youngest.  There was another young mom, and a few ladies that were older than me.  The program was also shortened to 8 weeks this go around instead of 12, so that was definitely a disappointment.  We were also supposed to weigh in every week, so I felt like we wasted time weighing and using the machine to get our BMI that could’ve been used working out.  Still, we had full access to the community center, so my daughter and I came almost every day to work out.

At the end of January, I attended a meeting for work.  I and all of the drivers were required to be at this meeting about the future of the company we worked for.  I knew something was coming down the pike, but I didn’t know just what yet.  In September, Mr. G. had told me that another company was going to “partner” with us.  Just what that meant or looked like I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to pry.  Also, Mr. G. had made a few trips out of town, so I worked some extra days.  I knew these were business trips and that changes were coming.

What we learned was that there was no future.  The company had filed for bankruptcy the year before, which we all knew, and now had been sold to a larger company.  There were two representatives from the new company at this meeting, Charles and Jeff.  Charles was a down to earth country boy from Oklahoma.  Jeff was a business snob from the midwest.  I soon learned that all these business trips Mr. G. had taken were with Jeff.

We were all told about the new company and that we had 48 hours to fill out a job application online if we were interested in going to work for them.  They fed us lunch, and it was a very pleasant meeting.  Jeff knew an awful lot about each and every one of us which I found a bit creepy.  It was obvious that Mr. G. had spent a substantial about of time with Jeff and telling him about each of us.

As the meeting was winding down, I shook everyone’s hand and thanked them for their time.  Jeff said something to me to the effect that Mr. G. had told him how I had “saved the day” more than once.  I was grateful that he had heard good things about me and was hopeful that this would help in the hiring process.  The next thing he said to  me was, “Put your application in and we’ll see where it goes.”  I knew right then and there that Jeff had no intention of hiring me.

Even though my friend says that my gut is never wrong, when it tells me these things, I hope against hope that I’m wrong.  I went ahead and put in my application and within 24 hours I had a phone call from Jeff saying that they weren’t hiring any part-time people right now but that they might change their mind in 60-90 days–whatever that meant.

I sent a text to Mr. G. that said, “I guess my application didn’t go very far.”  I immediately got a phone call from Mr. G. apologizing profusely.  I told him that it was ok.  I wasn’t looking for a job when I got this one.  It was business, and I understood that.  These were good words for him to hear, as he had been spewed with anger and hate all week from many people in the office that had lost their jobs as well.

At the first of December I felt like God was telling me that he was going to remove Mr. G. from my life.   As I often do when God tells me something I don’t want to hear, I hoped against hope that I had a “hearing” problem–that somehow I got the message wrong.  I spent the month of December begging God to not take Mr. G. out of my life.  He had been a great support to me the last several months, and I in all my selfishness felt like I still needed that support.

Finally, in January I changed my prayer.  I asked God if He was going to remove Mr. G. from my life, for Him to bring someone bigger and better.  It was hard for me to imagine that there was anyone better out there, but I knew God could raise someone up.

 

Suffering Produces Endurance

Thank you Christian for nominating me for a 3-Day Quote Challenge.  Here are three quotes I’d like to share with my readers.

“Donald Trump will be our next president.”  This statement came from my competitive friend, Mr. G.,  in September 2015.  At that point, I wasn’t convinced that Donald Trump still wouldn’t drop out of the presidential race.  I can hear Mr. G. now, “I win, you lose.”  (I guess that makes two quotes?)

“Boring is good,”  Mr. D.  As far as life goes, yes.  The less drama the better.  Ya’ll know what I mean.

“Hurting people hurt people.”  A very wise friend, Mrs. W., said these words to me at a time that I was advising two ladies that had had a conflict.  These words have stuck with me.  I don’t always stop and think about them when I should–when I’m about to or have already lashed out at someone.  Instead of lashing out, I need to stop and think why I’m hurting and solve that problem instead of creating another.

These words come to mind more often when someone else hurts me.  It immediately draws my attention away from myself and the injury I have sustained and back towards the person that inflicted the injury.  They must be hurting.  How?  Why?  I immediately feel sorrowful for that person instead of myself and for the pain they must be experiencing.

Romans 5:3-4 tells us that suffering produces endurance:  “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,  and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”  Let’s not forget that “faithful are the wounds of a friend,” Proverbs 27:6.

When I think of endurance, Hebrews 12:1 always comes to mind, “and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”  After taking up running in 2015, I completely understand that running is all about endurance.  It doesn’t matter what you look like or how much weight you can lift, if you are lacking endurance you won’t get very far.  Of course, this verse is referring to our spiritual endurance.  We need endurance to get through life physically and spiritually.

The next time you are wounded by a friend, try to remember that hurting people hurt people and focus back on your friend and their wounds instead of yours.  But, when you do think of your wounds, remember that suffering produces endurance, which is something we need for survival.  Endurance produces character, and character produces hope which I believe is as important as the air we breathe.

Reflecting on Hope

As the year comes to a close and we are about to embark on a new year, we often take time to reflect on the past year.  I have only done a little reflecting as there is still time left in the current year–so it seems.  I’m sure the new year will be here before I know it.

I know that I am lighter and stronger than I was this time last year.  I have not lost as much weight as I would have liked, but I feel that the part-time job that I worked for six months was a major derailment to my weight loss and my health.  I am glad to be off that crazy train and back on the road to health and well-being.  Getting stronger was not necessarily a goal or something that I intended; it was something that came about with the training that I’ve done.  It’s a good thing, so I’ll take it.

I spent January and February at the gym and was able to start running again in March.  I ran my first 5K of the year in April and ran a 5K every month except for July this year.  I did the Couch to 5K program again this year, but at a much better athletic ability.  I was able to continue to run until the last few weeks, so I’m spending more time at the gym now instead of outdoors.

My biggest fault in diet are the social gatherings.  I do not have a handle yet on portion control or just saying “no” to those yummy foods that pack on the pounds.  I have made some strides simply because I cannot eat as much as I used to.  This is something I really want to focus on next year.  I would like to go on vacation/holiday without putting on several pounds as well.

This time of year we are celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  His birth, death, and resurrection gives us hope.  I have hope of eternal life and one day being the person He intended me to be.  Hope of one day being reunited with family and loved ones that are severely missed.  Hope of never having to step on a scale again or log every morsel that goes into my mouth.  Hope of holding babies that I never had the opportunity to hold.  I pray that you too may share in the hope that the Savior brings.

Book Ends, the Movie

Here’s a short movie (about 15 minutes) made by young man from our church. It has a great ending and is well worth your time.