Just a Reminder

6 Comments / September 8, 2023

One of the things I do over on the Growing4Life Facebook page (and also my personal page, as well) is to share old posts. I have been writing for thirteen years now and so there is much here on the blog that may be worth a revisit. Yesterday, I shared a post about responding to criticism (find it here).

A few hours after I shared it, I was criticized. I responded as I tend to do—with a defensive and argumentative spirit. Even after reading what I wrote earlier in that same day about how God, according to His Word, wants us to respond to criticism, my flesh took over and I failed. Miserably.

A few minutes after that all happened, I thought of the post I had shared earlier that day and my failure in responding as I had encouraged my readers to respond.

And I wanted to share this because I just want to remind you of something that is very important to me as I blog here at Growing4Life.

I want to assure you that I do not believe that I have arrived spiritually. I do not believe that I am somehow way ahead of you in my walk with Christ. And, in fact, I realize with humility and sometimes with humiliation, that I am far behind many of you in lots of areas.

I simply write what God’s Word says and try to live what I write. But I am still faced with challenges and temptations as I endeavor to do this. I don’t deserve (nor do I want) any pedestal. I also do not want anyone to believe I consider myself above any of you, for I do NOT.

One of the things that has caused so much strife in the body of Christ are misperceptions and assumptions about our brothers and sisters in Christ. We believe things that may not be true. And so it was important to me today to just say once more: I do not consider myself anything special because I happen to write at Growing4Life. God has give me this ministry for His good reasons and it is my prayer that He—and you—will find me faithful in sharing His Word here. But He will not find me perfect and sinless in my life and neither will you.

May we grow together, unified in our love for God and His Word and in our abundant grace for one another as we strive to please God while still living in the flesh. Knowing that one day, our battle with sin will be over and we will forever be with the Lord!

It’s All True or None of It Is

Leave a Comment / September 5, 2023

I remember talking to someone once who spent quite a bit of time with rather liberal Christians. The one thing this person told me is how much these people hate Paul. It’s pretty easy to guess why this is. While Paul gives us such encouragement regarding the love of Christ and His personal care for us (Romans 8) and encourages us to love one another (I Corinthians 13, Philippians 2), he also wrote quite a bit of what would be considered controversial in this modern day church era. He wrote about the role of women (I Timothy 2); he wrote about false teachers (Romans 16); he wrote about modesty (I Timothy 2); he told us about how those who practice and live in sin won’t inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5); he wrote about the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4); he wrote about having no fellowship with someone who claims Christ and yet lives in unrepentant sin (I Corinthians 5) and he set down very specific qualifications for church leaders (Titus 1). In fact, it is Paul who was charged by God to give much of the practical outworking of true faith to all believers throughout the ages.

But many of these truths are unwelcome to those who are looking to have their ears tickled. Rather than going to the Bible to find truth and words of life, they go to the Bible out of habit or duty…or perhaps they don’t study the Bible at all. And this lack of love for and trust in God’s inerrant, infallible Word leads to so many problems. One of them being the tendency to pick and choose what we like or don’t like.

As I have started studying I Timothy this week, I came across those unpopular verses about women and their role in the church. In the midst of a culture that has been feminized and crippled by the women’s liberation movement, there has been much effort to figure out a way to render these verses null and void.

Unfortunately, there is no possible way to do this unless we turn our backs on all that Paul has written, and therefore the entire Bible. Paul was either inspired or he wasn’t. We can’t say he was inspired to write the things we like but not inspired to write the things we don’t like. It just doesn’t work that way.

H.A. Ironside gave the account of a woman who was confused about this in his I Timothy commentary–

I remember years ago at a special series of meetings a servant of God was opening up many precious truths in connection with our calling in grace, our place in the body of Christ, our inheritance in Him, and other spiritual themes. One lady who attended the meetings was so stirred that she told how these truths had meant much to her and that she had received great blessing from them. Then in the course of the series of messages the preacher came to a certain passage in 1 Corinthians 14 that had to do with women’s behavior in the church of God. As he was reading—it was an open Bible class where people were free to ask questions—this same lady who had testified to having found such blessing through the precious Word spoke up and said, “I do not believe that. I think this is all nonsense. Paul was an old bachelor who hated women, and that is why he writes the way he does. We can’t depend upon what he says.”

The preacher said, “My dear sister, you have been rejoicing in the truth that nothing ‘shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Rom. 8:39), haven’t you?”

“Yes,” she said, “I do rejoice in that.”

“Well,” said the preacher, “I am pained to have to inform you that Paul said that, and Paul was an old bachelor, so you can’t depend upon what he says! I understand you have been rejoicing in the truth that there is ‘one body of which Christ is the head.’“

“Yes,” she said, “I rejoice in that too.” “Well, I am sorry to have to tell you that that is something made known to us by Paul, and Paul was an old bachelor, so you can’t depend upon what he says.” He went from one Scripture to another, pointing out the truths which were given to us by Paul, until that dear lady burst into tears and said, “May God forgive me. I see now that I have been trifling with the Word of God.”

One part of the Word is as truly inspired as another part. When you come across some things in God’s Word that you may think are perhaps questionable, remember that the Holy Spirit who presented Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit who showed how the way into the Holiest has been opened, is the same Holy Spirit of God who tells our sisters how they ought to behave, and how careful they ought to be to maintain feminine modesty.*

You see, we don’t get to choose. We don’t get to love and embrace what we like and toss away what we don’t. We must accept it all. But the beauty of it is that when we do…when we understand that all of God’s Word is the inspired, inerrant revelation of God to us and we accept it as the glorious gift it is, our hearts start to change. The rebellion in our hearts towards those things we hate starts to dissipate like the mist dissipates in the heat of the sun. When we ask God to change our hearts toward His Word, He does just that.

Does this mean we “like” every truth we read in the Word of God? I don’t think it does. This isn’t about liking or about feelings. But we accept them and we bow our knee to God, acknowledging that He knows best even if we don’t agree or understand.

If we don’t come to the Bible with this attitude then we may as well not come at all. It’s either all true or none of it is. We can’t have this middle ground that so many desire where we can embrace and apply all the comforting promises and words about loving others but then toss out God’s commands regarding women and false teachers and all of that other stuff that isn’t as palatable. We don’t have that right. If the Bible is God’s Word then it is all of His Word. We don’t get to pick and choose.

I am probably writing to the choir here as I know most of my readers would agree with me on this. But I do want to encourage you to be thinking about the conversations you have with others regarding this because much of the false teaching and wrong beliefs held by your family members, friends, and co-workers stem back to this one thing: They will not accept the Bible for what it is…the inspired, inerrant Word of God in its entirety given to us by our loving, holy God.

It’s either all true or none of it is. Oh, how important that we remember this as we read and study God’s Word and have conversations with others regarding what the Bible has to say about…well…everything.

*Ironside, Harry A.. Addresses on the First and Second epistles of Timothy (pp. 41-43). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

The World is Quickly Passing Away

3 Comments / September 1, 2023

Today’s air was crisp and fall-like. This kind of weather makes me anticipate autumn, which is just around the corner now. As I walk around my yard, I see that many of the flowers are done blooming. The ones that remain are starting to look straggly; some have mildew on their leaves. Their time to shine is almost gone. In a few short months, they have brightened our world and then passed out of existence. Like a shooting star that gives sparkling light for a moment and then disappears.

Last night I was scrolling through Instagram for a few minutes. A retro reel came up that was from 1980. It was a promotion video for ABC and across the stage pranced people I hadn’t seen on TV or anywhere else for twenty years or more. They were the beloved stars of the popular sitcoms from that day. As I watched the reel, I realized that those people are just like the flowers and the shooting stars. Here one year and gone the next. No one knows what happened to those TV stars and most people do not care what happened to them. They are on to the next big name. The next big series. The next. The next. The next.

The public’s affection and adoration is so short-lived. We see this across all spectrums. Popularity and adoration are here one day and gone the next.

I was reading an article by Horatius Bonar* today and it fits perfectly with all of this. I want to share a bit of it with you today (you can read it in its entirety here)–

The things that are seen are temporal. Ours is a dying world, and here we have no continuing city. But a few years — it may be less — and all things here are changed. But a few years — it may be less — and the Lord shall have come, and the last trumpet shall have sounded, and the great sentence shall have been pronounced upon each of the sons of men.

There is a world that which does not pass away. It is fair and glorious. It is called “the inheritance in light.” It is bright with the love of God, and with the joy of Heaven. “The Lamb is the light thereof.” Its gates are of pearl — they are always open. And as we tell men of this wondrous city, we invite them to enter in.

How often do you think about that undying world? Jesus warns us about storing up treasures on this earth where they can be destroyed and encourages us to, instead, lay up our treasures in heaven, where nothing can destroy them (Matthew 6:19-21). Paul encourages us to set our minds on things above rather than things of the earth (Colossians 3:1-4). Both Paul and John remind us that this world is passing away (I Corinthians 7:31; I John 2:17). Isaiah tells us that all men are like withering grass and fading flowers. Here for a short season and then gone on to eternity (Isaiah 40:6-7).

Bonar explains the quickly passing world like this–

The world is passing away — like a flower. Beautiful, very beautiful; fragrant, very fragrant, are the summer flowers. But they wither away. So fades the world from before our eyes. While we are looking at it, and admiring it — behold, it is gone! No trace is left of all its loveliness but a little dust! O man, can you feed on flowers? Can you dote on that which is but for an hour? You were made for eternity — and only that which is eternal can be your portion or your resting place. The things that perish with the using only mock your longings. They cannot fill you — and even if they filled, they cannot abide. Mortality is written on all things here — immortality belongs only to the world to come — to that new heavens and new earth wherein dwells righteousness.

Of course! As believers longing to follow hard after God, we know this is true. But, oh, am I the only one who gets so terribly distracted by the things here on this earth?? Why do I find myself still trying to be filled by the temporal things at times?

I guess that’s part of the battle of the flesh we all face. But it’s good every now and again to be reminded that there should be a battle regarding this. We should be intentionally trying to focus on the Lord and on things above, remembering that this life and all things with it are so quickly passing away.

Horatio Bonar reminds us that there is but one thing that should be settled for us all as we journey through this brief life: Where will we spend eternity?

I’d like to share what he wrote here because it’s so important. It’s rather long but I hope you will take the time to read it. And I hope that it is a blessed reminder to you as you consider your own eternal destiny and the eternal destinies of those you come in contact with everyday. Perhaps you will agree wit me that what is written here makes the things of this world pale in comparison. Here’s what he writes–

The world is passing away — what then? This is the question that so deeply concerns man. If the world is to vanish away, and man is to live forever — then of what importance is it to know where and what we are to be forever! A celebrated physician, trying to cheer a desponding patient, said to him, “Treat life as a plaything.” It was wretched counsel. For life is no plaything, and time is no child’s toy, to be flung away. Life here is the beginning of the life which has no end; and time is but the gateway of eternity.

What then? You must, O man, make sure of a home in that world into which you are so soon to pass. You must not pass out of this earthly tent without making sure of the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. When you have done this, you can lie down upon your deathbed in peace.

One who had lived a worldly life at last lay down to die; and when about to pass away he uttered these terrible words, “I am dying, and I don’t know where I am going!”

Another in similar circumstances cried out, “I am within an hour of eternity, and all is dark!”

O man of earth, it is time to awake!

“How can I make sure?” you ask. God has long since answered that question, and His answer is recorded for all ages: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! I have never done anything else,” you say. If that is really true, then, as the Lord lives, you are a saved man. But is it really so? Has your life been the life of a saved man? No, truly. It has been a life wholly given to vanity. Then as the Lord God of Israel lives, and as your soul lives — you have not truly believed, and you are not yet saved.

“Have I then no work to work in this great matter of my pardon?” None! What work can you work? What work of your can buy forgiveness, or make you fit for the Divine favor? What work has God bidden you work in order to obtain salvation? None! His Word is very plain, and easy to be understood: “To him who does not work, but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom 4:5) There is but one work by which a man can be saved. That work is not yours, but the work of the Son of God. That work is finished — neither to be taken from nor added to — perfect through all ages — and presented by Himself to you, that you may avail yourself of it and be saved.

“And is that work available for me just as I am?” It is! God has brought it to your door; and your only way of honoring it is by accepting it for yourself, and taking it as the one basis of your eternal hope. We honor the Father when we consent to be saved entirely by the finished work of His Son. We honor the Son when we consent to take His one finished work in the room of all our works. We honor the Holy Spirit, whose office is to glorify Christ, when we hear what He says to us concerning that work finished “once for all” upon the cross. Forgiveness is through Christ Jesus, who is Son of God as well as Son of man! This is our message.

Forgiveness through the one work of sin-bearing which He accomplished for sinners upon earth. Forgiveness to the worst and wickedest, to the farthest off from God whom this earth contains. Forgiveness of the largest, fullest, completest kind; without stint, or exception, or condition, or the possibility of revocation! Forgiveness free and undeserved — as free as the love of God, as free as the gift of His beloved Son. Forgiveness ungrudged and unrestrained — whole-hearted and joyful — as the forgiveness of the father falling on the neck of the prodigal! Forgiveness simply in believing; for, “by Him, all who believe are justified from all things.”

Could salvation be made more free? Could forgiveness be brought nearer? Could God in any way more fully show His earnest desire that you should not be lost, but saved — that you should not die, but live? In the cross there is salvation — nowhere else. No failure of this world’s hopes can quench the hope which it reveals. It shines brightest in the evil day. In the day of darkening prospects, of thickening sorrows, of heavy burdens, of pressing cares — when friends depart, when riches fly away, when disease oppresses us, when poverty knocks at our door — then the cross shines out, and tells us of a light beyond this world’s darkness, the Light of Him who is the light of the world.

*Horatius Bonar was a Scottish Presbyterian minister who lived during the 1800s. His poems, hymns, and religious tracts were loved by many during that time and since.

A Tale of Two Birds

2 Comments / August 22, 2023

Out on my back porch there are three hanging baskets. A few weeks ago, I noticed a little house finch hanging out by one of the ferns, just chattering angrily away at me whenever I’d sit out there. She’d hop up and down and try to scare me away. When I kept sitting there, she’d eventually fly to the tree close by to keep an eye on me.

And then just a few days ago, I noticed a big brown lump in another basket. What was that thing…? As I drew closer, I saw a brown bird— a dove, I believe— sitting quietly on the basket. No matter how close I got she just set her beady eye on me and wouldn’t move a muscle.

Wow. What a difference in birds. The one was all worked up and tried its best to scare me away from its babies and the other just trusted that I wasn’t going to do anything to hurt her or her babies.

I know that God has designed these two birds very differently, just as He has designed each of His creatures differently (so amazing, isn’t it?!?)

But I couldn’t help but consider the differences in light of our own responses when we encounter something that frightens us.

Do we become filled with angst, as the little house finch? Or do we sit quietly and wait, like the dove?

As believers, our response should be like the dove. Philippians 4:6-7 puts it like this—

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We should be able to give our requests to God and then experience God’s peace, which will “guard our hearts and our minds”.

Unfortunately, I am too often like the little frustrated bird filled with anxiety. I desire to protect my family or my comfort or my stuff and I crazily hop around thinking I can actually accomplish something by my futile efforts. How silly of me!

I have been studying the first four Psalms this month and I have been struck over and over again by how often God has promised to be with those who yield themselves to His will and obey His laws (out of love, not out of duty or for a “ticket” to heaven).

If we are one of those people, then David says we can lie down in peace at night. We can trust that God will hear our cries for help. We can know that He has promised to shield and sustain us. This means that anything that comes our way is part of His loving plan for our lives (Romans 8:28-29) and not just some random thing.

That calm bird sitting so faithfully and quietly on her nest has convicted me. And I can’t help but think of another couple verses from Psalms—

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. (Psalm 46:10-11)

Be still and know that He is God. So much easier said than done— especially for some of us. I am someone who just wants to DO something. To fix situations. To change people or circumstances.

And sometimes we can do something. We can change our own attitude or have a conversation or work on our own sanctification. BUT…when we can’t do a thing…when, like that little bird, we feel threatened and helpless, then…

God says be still and trust in Him. He is the One—and the only One—who can do what we can’t. My hopping angrily up and down, chattering in frustration and fright will accomplish nothing. Absolutely nothing.

And so today, may we respond more like the dove than like the finch. Or at least recognize there may be a problem and ask the Lord help us to work on it… :)

Can I Lose My Salvation?

4 Comments / August 15, 2023

There are a lot of teachers, preachers, authors, and ministries out there these days assuring you that you can lose your salvation. They use a variety of verses to back up this belief. And so–they say– we can never be sure if we are saved or not saved. They tell us we have the responsibility to not lose that golden ticket to heaven. This is a discouraging and disheartening view of Christianity, isn’t it?

Of course, the only question that matters is: Is this biblical? Are these verses being interpreted correctly? Are they in context and consistent with what the rest of scripture says?

I am wading into some deeper theological waters here–waters from which I generally shy away. But I wanted to share with you two reasons why I believe, without a doubt, that we can never lose our salvation.

First, it’s not consistent with God’s character. All through the Old Testament we see God’s faithfulness to Israel, despite their rebellion. All through scripture we read of His faithfulness to all His chosen and beloved children (Lamentations 3:22-23; 2 Timothy 2:13; so many others)

Is this faithfulness dependent upon our goodness? Why, this even goes against the definition of the word faithful. You can’t be fickle and faithful at the same time.

Faithful: steadfast in affection or allegiance; firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty.

Second, it is totally out of character with the nature of salvation. If we can do nothing to win our salvation, why on earth would we be able to do anything to keep our salvation? Technically, this takes us back to a works-based religion; a religion that is based on our own efforts and what we can and must do for God in order to be (and stayed) saved. May it never be!

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

There is nothing we can do to be saved or to keep our salvation. It is the gift of God.

Gift: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation.

It wasn’t until I read and then memorized (and meditated upon) John 10:27-30 that I came to understand this concept more fully and with more confidence–

 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

No one can snatch us from our Father’s hand. And that would include our own selves. We can’t take ourselves out of the Father’s hand. We are literally unable to be removed from His hand once we are His! This should give us such great comfort.

So how do you explain all of those people that walk away from the faith and never come back? What is going on?

I think it’s clear from this passage that they were never saved at all. They, like Judas, were excellent pretenders. John talks about these people in I John 2:19–

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

They were not of us. They were not part of God’s family but just pretending to be for their own selfish reasons. True believers persevere to the end. True believers love God’s Word. True believers may backslide or struggle but they can never be removed from God’s family. God will not turn His back on us! Scripture says He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

I am dismayed at the popular false teaching that you can lose your salvation. I have only touched on this subject. There is so much more that could be said and I am sure theological reasons to cling to the truth that when we are saved we are saved forever of which I am unaware.

If you have been uncertain about this topic, may I encourage you to study your Bible instead of listening to what people say. Get to know Who God really IS through the Word and interpret all verses through what the Word says about God and about salvation. In doing this, we come to quickly understand that the Bible verses that talk about perseverance or works cannot mean that we need these things in order to be saved. Instead, they must mean that we will do these things because we are saved.

There is an enormous and infinite difference between these two beliefs, it there not?

Oh, friends, if you are one of God’s then you are His forever. If you aren’t sure that you are, then seek Him with all your heart.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

God delights in answering our humble prayers to know Him more. So open up the Word and pray for wisdom. Ask Him to show you the truth about yourself with ears willing to hear and a heart willing to obey. He is so very faithful to His Word and He will answer your cry.

Lessons to Learn

5 Comments / August 10, 2023

Last week was hard. This week is no walk in the park, mind you. But last week was hard. In a “temporary, we-will-get-through-this” kind of way. As many of you know already, my husband had major back surgery a week and a half ago. We expected some discomfort and some pain. Our expectations were a little off!

I wrote a personal email sent only to “engaged” subscribers* regarding some of the struggles and lessons I was learning last week. I always process better when I write and so I wrote to them. I wasn’t ready to make my feelings public or open to judgment at that point, but I also realized that I was not alone in what I was feeling and I hoped what I wrote might be an encouragement to someone.

I want to thank my readers who prayed for me and wrote to encourage me. God timed your emails and texts to me perfectly and they were some of His kindest mercies to me when I felt down and discouraged. I want to let you know that God answered our prayers (and your prayers, if you prayed) and we did not need to go back for a second surgery for my husband. The surgeon could give an explanation from the MRI as to what was going on and he confidently told us that it would take care of itself. We were elated. The need for a second surgery–no matter how minor– was weighing heavily on us with my husband’s condition last week.

I have to be honest: I am beyond grateful to the Lord for answered prayer. But I also struggle because I know prayers do not always get answered. How does the Lord decide when He will say yes…or wait…or NO? I have no explanation but we must choose to rest in God’s Sovereignty when things go like we want them to and when they don’t. That’s a very profound and important lesson in the Christian life.

I am reading a book currently by an online pastor friend of mine who walked his wife through cancer and to heaven a few years back. I will share more about this book in a later post but I wanted to share something here that I read in his book yesterday. He shares often about the grace and mercy and peace God gave them both during their journey. But there was one night where something spilled. The night was already frustrating because she couldn’t sleep and kept asking for things and he was tired. And then something spilled. He grew angry and frustrated. And, suddenly, he stopped and thought: Who do you think you are? If God had ordained this night for him then he needed to change his attitude.

This incident struck me profoundly. Who do you think you are? So much of our angst comes from our unwillingness to bow our knee to God and yield to His will. Instead, so often we are like wailing two-year-olds banging our heads against the wall in our anger and frustration at not getting our own way.

I am thankful that sometimes God does give us what we want. That is a true blessing in this life. But we can rest assured that He always gives us what we need. It doesn’t always feel like it, though, does it?

When we don’t get what we want is when we recognize the true state of our hearts. Last week, I did not have what I want. While I love my husband dearly and did what needed to be done, I was not (and never have been) comfortable at all in the role of nurse. I was so anxious that something would happen at night and I wouldn’t know what to do. I was lonely because he wasn’t up for visitors and I couldn’t leave him. I knew this was temporary and yet, even with the knowledge of its brevity, self-pity would worm its way into my heart.

Now…I am grateful for God’s Word hidden in my heart and for the encouragement and prayers of friends and for the sanctification in my life through the past years because I was not who I would have been even fifteen years ago in a situation like this. But as I look back at last week I realize I could have done better. Not so much outwardly but, rather, inwardly with my attitudes.

(NOT in ORIGINAL POST but ADDING THIS IMPORTANT SECTION) So how does God decide how He will answer our prayers? The same pastor friend wrote this to me just this morning in response to my post (read it carefully, it’s so profound!)–

How does God decide when to say yes, or wait, or NO? It’s right there in Romans 8. We disconnect verse 28 from 29, rejoice over and rely on verse 28, and let the theologians argue over a word or two in verse 29. But verse 29 is there for all of us, not just the theological keyboard warriors. It tells us that all things are working together for “good” because He has a plan to conform his children to the image of His dear Son. That both helps us to understand what “good” really means (it’s not what I want or like or is comfortable for me, but what makes me more Christ-like), and it helps us to understand His yes/no/wait. He decides to say yes/no/wait by what fits into His plan to refine me and conform me to my Savior’s image.

I am so thankful he wrote this to me after I originally posted this because I kind of left you all hanging, didn’t I? I knew this and I’ve written about this but it should have been clarified in this post. God is always working in our lives to conform us. And He even protects us from our lapse in judgement when writing a simple blog post. He is so faithful!

Last week gave me an important glimpse into the life of care-taking. I had just never really thought through that before. Some of you have been caring for your child or spouse or parent or someone else you love dearly for months. Perhaps years. I just didn’t realize how sacrificial and selfless that is. And lonely.

With that in mind, may I encourage you to reach out to someone who is taking care of someone full-time right now to let them know you are praying for them or to give them some encouragement from the Word? One week of full-time nursing is easy. Anyone can do that. But week after week, month after month, year after year…these people need our love and support. Too often they are forgotten.

And one final thing I’d like to just mention briefly. When we went to the hospital for the surgery we weren’t sure what to expect. Would the staff be competent? Would they be kind? Or would they be rushed? The medical world was a bit upended with all that happened in 2020 and this was our first real interaction with it since that time. Naturally, we were a bit hesitant.

We needn’t have been. We had the best care we could have possibly asked for. Every single person that we came in contact with was so kind and helpful. They knew what they were doing and they were willing to help when needed. We were there for three shifts of nurses and they were all amazing. I just want to share this because it is so important to remember that there is still so much good in this world.

Yes, there is much that is bad, too. And every day news stories hit our ears that are hard to hear– even if we don’t watch the news. But it’s not all bad. We want to be careful we don’t just focus on the negative. Because there is lots of good, too. We must always stay balanced. ALL negative and we become morose and depressed. ALL positive and we become unrealistic and naive. We must stay balanced.

Well, that’s an update on me. Not quite my normal post but I hope it was encouraging, anyway. And, again, if you are a full-time caretaker or have been at some point in your life, I want you to know that my admiration grew and my empathy deepened considerably for you last week. Our world has heroes all wrong. YOU are the true heroes–serving the one you love week after week, giving up your own dreams and longings. I can’t even imagine doing that long-term and yet there you are, doing it and often smiling while you are (God’s grace, right??). And if you are blessed to not be in that role today, then don’t forget to encourage someone today who is! They need it!

This email was a bit scattered. I learned a lot of lessons and am still learning them through this little hiccup in our normal routine. When a hiccup comes in your routine today, no matter how small or large, stop and think: What lessons is God trying to teach me here? Because there are always lessons to learn!

*My email service was able to choose my “engaged” subscribers (those who open my emails fairly regularly). If you feel like you do open the email but didn’t receive my personal email but would like to, please feel free to reply to this email.

Tiny Seeds Yield Lots of Fruit

2 Comments / August 1, 2023

I noticed an interesting plant springing up in the midst of the impatiens. At the one end of this flower bed next to the garage looked like what would be some type of squash or pumpkin. I remembered that my husband had thrown an old pumpkin there at the end of the season and forgot to remove it until much later. Could it be from that?

Before I could decide what to do, my husband had pulled the plant out. After all, we don’t want a pumpkin growing in the midst of our impatiens!

But when another healthy seedling sprang up, I asked him if we could just leave it grow. I wanted to see what it was and what would happen.

And so this summer we have a giant pumpkin plant at the front corner of our home, growing like…well, “like a weed”. It’s enormous (as you can tell from the photo above). It has a bunch of flowers and early fruit on it and looks like it will yield much.

Isn’t that so amazing when you stop to think about it? A pumpkin was carelessly discarded and spilled out its seeds and then one of those tiny seeds grew into this enormous plant filled with fruit?

What a great reminder! Those little seeds we carelessly toss around will do the same. Whether they be seeds of kindness or seeds of discord; seeds of self-discipline or seeds of laziness or addiction; seeds of anger and grudge-holding or seeds of forgiveness; seeds of doubt or seeds of faith; seeds of gratitude or seeds of complaint; seeds of worldliness or seeds of godliness… whichever seeds we choose to carelessly sow will spring up and turn into a plant that yields lots of fruit.

One of the biggest problems with our current culture is our lackadaisical attitude towards our future. We think only of today. But those seeds we are planting today will yield fruit in our lives and the lives of those we love. It would be best to really examine what seeds we are planting today. If we are going to be stuck with an enormous plant full of fruit, may it be a thriving plant of good fruit.

God tells us in His Word that we will reap what we sow—

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

Our lives and the lives of those around us tell us this truth, don’t they? You can’t escape the sowing of bad fruit. No matter how much we would wish to. Actions always have consequences.

But this principle also works in an opposite and wonderful way. If we sow good seeds, we will reap the fruits of righteousness and blessing.

The time to think about this is when we are young. Oh, we just have no idea how the seeds we sow will affect the rest of our lives and the lives of those we love. Many live with so much regret. But even as we age, it is never too late to start sowing better seed. It is just never too late.

Today is a great day for us to consider the seeds we have been sowing and to make a change. While none of us will ever sow seeds of righteousness always or perfectly, may that be our hope and may we work at this intentionally as we seek to walk with God.

(Update: For those of you who aren’t on Facebook, I just wanted to let you know that my husband’s surgery went very well. We are currently sitting in the hospital and as he sleeps, I decided to take a few moments and write. Thank you so much for your prayers!)

An Exercise in Trust

4 Comments / July 25, 2023

Ironically, I had just read a book that contained the account of a deadly ferry fire. All those on the ferry had perished with the exception of just a few. Granted, this had occurred back in the 1800s, when the safety of passengers was not of the greatest concern. But, still…we do hear of ferry tragedies today…

So while I thought the ferry would be fun, I did have this in the back of my mind. And the ferry to the island was fun. It was a beautiful ride in the summer sunshine. Dousing ourselves in sunscreen, we sat on the front deck, drinking sodas and lemonade as we watched boats of all shapes and sizes pass by us on the water. After a pleasant 45 minutes, we were at our destination.

After enjoying a lovely day on the island, we prepared to go back on the ferry. The first hiccup was the 7:30pm ferry. Our plan was to take this ferry back to the mainland. Unfortunately, we did not realize that the 7:30pm ferry only picked passengers up on the weekends. We had totally missed that fine print (we weren’t the only ones).

Disappointed but not disheartened, we walked to a park to wait for the 8:30pm ferry. Had we known we had that extra hour we certainly wouldn’t have wasted it in a park but such is life. Around 8:10 or so we headed over to the ferry dock.

As we watched the ferry move closer to us, it looked…different. Observing the amount of people that stood in front and back of me in line, I couldn’t imagine how this small boat would hold them all. The smallish cabin of this ferry was at one end, while the back end looked like…a road (photo above was my view as we chugged back to the mainland). I found out later that the regular ferry had broken down and this stand-in was a ferry used to carry tankers.

As we boarded, we quickly realized it was going to be an interesting ride. There were no announcements about life vests or safety or anything else. There were no warnings to stay back from the edge and away from the various holes, both protected only by flimsy, orange plastic fence. And staff were nowhere to be found. I was “unpleasantly” surprised and found myself growing more and more nervous.

We found ourselves on the lower deck (on the “road”), just standing there at the back. A kind couple had left us take a chair out of the back of their pickup for my husband because he is unable to stand for very long due to his bad back (an update regarding his surgery will be at the end of this post) and so we just stood there by him.

Well, that was until the ferry started its engine to move out into the open water. Oh, my, was that loud!! My daughter and I took her boys and moved to the front of the “road”, while my husband and son-in-law remained under those loud engines. As we stood there in disbelief, her oldest son had a look of stark fear on his face and said, “This is the worst thing on this trip!”

I couldn’t agree with you more, buddy! I tried to stay calm, but, all the while, my mind kept going back to that book I had just read. This just didn’t feel at all safe. This was going to be a longgggg forty-five minutes.

It did not help AT ALL that there was a huge NO SMOKING sign on the ferry and about halfway through our trip I saw an arrogant young man skateboarding his way across the deck while smoking a cigar.

That is when my fear reached an all-time high. I started dwelling on the what-ifs and if-onlys. Do you know what I mean? Have you been there? Maybe not on a ferry but in some other place or at some other time that plagues you with these questions.

At some point, I realized that sometimes God’s Sovereignty allows for terrible tragedies. And I asked myself: Would I still believe He is good even if this ferry did not reach its destination?

I know this probably sounds so silly and dramatic to some of you (a vivid imagination is definitely one of the hazards of being a writer!) but these were the thoughts that filled my mind as I found myself in that totally unexpected situation. And I realized that I needed to just trust God, no matter what. Whatever happened, He had not changed. He was still good and kind and sovereign. To live is Christ, to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).

As I thought of these things, I came to a bit of peace. I still was not enjoying it, but my fear settled down. As I hugged my grandson, who was crying, probably both from fear and exhaustion, I could honestly say that we would be alright, believing my own words.

Why did I happen to read that book with the deadly ferry fire right before that ferry ride? I think it was because I needed that exercise in trust. These kinds of situations test us and strengthen us for the moments that it becomes not an exercise but the real thing.

It reminds me of a soldier who will attend boot camp and drill practice to prepare for the real battle. Let us not waste these little, seemingly insignificant, moments in our lives for they are probably given to help prepare us for those inevitable battles that lay ahead of us all as we go through life. May we not waste even one opportunity God gives us to remember His loving Sovereignty in our lives (Romans 8:28-29). And may we not forget to thank Him when we come through a frightening experience safe and protected. :)

…..

Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
 In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?

(Psalm 56:3-4)

…..

TWO QUICK NOTES:

First, I still cannot email from my growing4life email address. I spent a few hours a few weeks back trying to fix this. I will work on it again to try to fix it, although at this point, I am not even sure where to turn… At any rate, I wanted to let you know that I SO appreciate all of you who have taken the time to write and encourage me and to let me know you will be praying for my husband’s upcoming surgery.

And, second, speaking of the surgery… a few of you have asked about the date. The surgery is schedule for this Monday, July 31. We are so grateful for your prayers regarding this. We so appreciate them!!

It’s Temporary

1 Comment / July 22, 2023

Last week I found myself walking through an unfamiliar grocery store. While on vacation, we needed a few things and searched for a grocery store nearby. We found a really nice one but it was totally new to me. I knew where nothing was. Nothing at all.

Having a rather long list of miscellaneous items shelved “who knew where”, I found myself wandering the aisles in search of them. I found most everything because, like most stores, they had category signs in the aisles.

But as I came to my last two items, I simply could not find them. I hunted and hunted. Aaah, there was the one. One item left. Batteries. Where would this grocery store keep batteries??

Finally, I just asked. I was tired of wandering and not finding them. I had wasted enough vacation minutes in this store already and my husband and two of my grandsons were waiting in the truck in the parking lot.

I found a young girl working in an aisle and asked her where they were. She pulled out her phone to look it up and then told me aisle 13. I looked up at the sign for the number of the aisle we were in and, lo and behold, I was in aisle 13. I found it comical that she wasn’t even familiar enough with the store to tell me they were in the aisle we were standing in. Feeling a little stupid, I walked towards the front of the store. Yep…there they were. To my left was a small section of batteries. How did I miss them?

My search in the unfamiliar store would only be temporary should I move to that area of Massachusetts. If I would start shopping there regularly, I would soon become familiar with the aisles and the whereabouts of all the items.

How similar this is to our study of the Bible. When we are unfamiliar with the Bible, we come to it a bit uncomfortable and totally unable to find anything. Sometimes we need to ask someone who knows it better to help us find something. But as we grow more and more familiar with it, our study of it becomes so much easier and we begin to know where things are.

So, if you have wanted to study the Bible but feel overwhelmed, just know that it’s temporary. Before you know it, you, too, will be familiar with God’s precious book. It just takes some intention and time. We don’t want to give up simply because we are unfamiliar with its contents.

Just as I could have left that store in discouragement and without what I needed, so we are often tempted to leave our study of the Bible in discouragement and without what we need. But let’s not give in to that temptation but, rather, be diligent and persevering as we mine the invaluable treasures that are held within its pages.

Can I Survive on Desserts?

2 Comments / July 12, 2023

What do you do for devotions? Do you have a book written by an author who shares a verse or two and then gives a bit of thought and application about that verse? Devotional books are quite popular and can be a big encouragement in our walk with the Lord.

But devotional books should not be considered our “time” with the Lord, for they are not really time spent in the Word. How do we know if the devotional book is solid if we aren’t reading and studying the actual Bible?

We really can’t. Let’s take a look at an example…

The most popular devotional ever, Jesus Calling, is filled with false teaching and error about Jesus. And, yet, this is what so many use as a devotional. I understand why. If we aren’t in the Word, doing the hard work of mining the treasure, then it looks pretty good. It’s filled with comforting words that we like. It is only when we actually study the life of Jesus that we can see that many things said about Jesus in that devotional are in direct opposition to who Jesus actually is.

That’s just one example. But there are many others.

Devotionals are easy to get down. They are like dessert. Full of “yummy” encouragement and sugared words, they build us up. A good devotional also convicts and challenges us. But they are, after every consideration, only dessert.

And just like we would never be able to survive–or at least survive with good health– if we only ate things filled with sugar and fat so, too, we cannot be in good spiritual health if we don’t fill ourselves with the meat of the Word.

Of course, if we are honest with ourselves, we know that a big component of this is time and laziness. Devotionals are easy. They are a quick way for us to check off “quiet time” on our long to-do list. Most of us don’t really desire to do the hard work of digging into God’s Word. And some of us probably don’t really know how and have just never bothered to learn.

The interesting and rewarding thing is this: When we commit to studying the actual Bible and go about doing it despite our feelings of apathy or inadequacy, we will be filled with more and more desire to know God and His Word. As they so often do in all aspects of life, feelings tend to follow along after the choices we make in our minds. As a good friend once told me–feelings should never be the engine of our choices but always the caboose. With our mind, we make the choice to study God’s Word faithfully and then the feelings will come, just like a caboose follows the train.

At any rate, I just wanted to take a few moments this morning and encourage you to eat your spiritual meat and veggies before getting to the dessert. While dessert certainly makes life sweeter, it will not sustain us for the long haul. May we view our devotionals as an “extra” and not the main course of our time spent with God.

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