Worry - the silent killer

Commercials about blood pressure fill the airways announcing "Hypertension is the silent killer".  You don't feel any different - yet your body is overtaxing it's limits.  That may be true....but I wonder if the cause of Hypertension and many other diseases isn't something sneakier and more deadly than high blood pressure.

I have quick verse on my computer and I love it.  It's a program that will look up any word in the Bible, tell you where it's found, how many times it's used in how many scriptures and take you right to those scriptures.

Did you know that the word Afraid is used 211 times in 206 scriptures.  Apparently there was a lot of fear in biblical times as well.  But....the wonderful fact about these verses and other verses I found on fear and worry - is that they are all followed by scriptures that tell the characters in the story - "DON'T be afraid!"  In fact, there are more verses that tell us NOT to be afraid than there are verses that illuminate our fears.  I love the passage in Luke 12:22-34 that not only tells us not to be afraid-  it also tells us "why" we shouldn't be afraid.  It speaks to our entire life not just moments in our lives.

Luke 12: 22-34

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?  "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.


If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!  And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.  But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.


"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.


Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


The real truth is that if all of us would simply put these verses into practice in our own lives....we could illiminate most of our physical and mental problems. 

I deal with this issue myself.  I can get so involved in a situation that fear takes over.  I think it's because I'm old.  What? 

What I mean is that I've lost that reckless motion of my youth.  I've had enough bumps and hit enough pot holes in my life that I now understand that sometimes....sometimes we are required to go through problems.  Sometimes everything doesn't go as planned.  Sometimes we are asked to live through the uncomfortable consequences of our lives.  It's hard to be 100% trusting when you've been let down before.  It's hard to be 100% positive when you have lived through the consequences of failure. 

So...how can we make this verse true in our lives?  We have to change the focus.  Don't focus on getting everything you want.  Don't focus on having an easy victory or winning the prize or having an easy life.  Focus on things that are certain. 

Try to refocus this way....."Do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."  It really doesn't matter what you have and don't have here....if you are a child of God you will have it all  - over there.  Eternity means that you get all the prizes, you wear the crown, tout the ribbons, obtain the respect and your wildest dreams will come true.  Right now you are paying for your trip over there.  Don't skimp.  Sign on for the upgrade to first class.

"For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also."  It doesn't matter what failures you face, if you love your God, your family, your talents - your treasures will be secure.  You will never lose if you concentrate not on circumstances but rather on relationships, love, talent, accomplishment, God's grace.

Whew!  I've got some work to do....how about you?

God loves you,

Debbie

A Saturday funny

Some of my sweetest memories were when the children were young and we enjoyed a slow paced Saturday morning.  Ron worked nights but knew the children would be waiting just inside the door for his morning arrival.  He opened the door to squeals of laughter, "mornin' daddy and searches for the donut box.  After everyone was settled with milk and a fresh donut, we snuggled under blankets and watched Saturday morning funnies. 

I miss those times.

Yesterday a good friend sent me a link to a YouTube production.  Ray Stevens was one of my children's favorite singers.  They laughed at Ahab the Arab, The Streak, and The Mississippi Squirrel.  To find out that Ray Stevens is still doing well and has produced a new song and video brought back all kinds of good feelings.  I hope you can chuckle your way through this and find a little lift for your day.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc_-L4fyLUo


God loves you,

Debbie

Who is your enemy?

Most influencial Christians shy away from talking about Satan.  As a society we have been conditioned to believe that if you rant or talk too much about evil "satanic" powers - that you must be a lunatic.  We are praised for being "spiritual" but only if that word includes all kinds of religions.  We are respected for being a middle of the road Christian who accepts everyone and every action.  We are even liked when we participate in a conservative church, but never take our faith outside the building.

Like a powerful lion that has been reduced to pacing in a cage, we've allowed our enemy to strip us of our power and our mission. 

Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957) wrote... "For those who crucified the Christ - to do them justice - they did not do it because he was a bore.  Quite the contrary.  He was too dynamic to be safe.  It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atomosphere of tedium.  We have effectively pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him meek and mild and made him a housecat for pale curates and pious old ladies."

This is the greatest work of Satan.  If he can reduce the "trust" we have in the "Power" of our faith, he wins!  We become meek and mild.  We become sedated.  We lose our strength and with it our ability to fight for freedom and Godly principles.

If you want to be a powerful Christian who can make a difference in this world, you must know your enemy.  You must recognize when he is at work and when he isn't.  You must realize that once you confess your Christian resolve to the world - you will be tested.  You will be tried in ways that you don't understand.  You will be pushed to the wall and beaten with every tool devised to cause you to surrender your vision and your power. The wounds are not visible to the human eye and yet they are deeper than mere physical incisions.

The last year and especially the last three months have been that kind of testing for me.  I had a stirring spiritual experience and just moments after sharing it with friends the attacks began.  It was as if I had been taken to the very top of a great mountain - shown all that I could be and that God wanted for me and then pushed over the edge.  As I plummeted to the depths below I felt helpless, alone and without the smallest chance for survival. 

Yet....the great hand of God once again kept me safe.  I am a mass of fears huddled against the wall and wondering what's next.  Where do I go from here?  Is it possible to make sense of this?  Is it possible to rise to the top of that mountain again?

"Look!  Look there in the corner.  What's that?"  It can't be explained and yet it brings hope.  It can't be described and yet I feel courage.  It can't be held and yet every pore of my body experiences it's touch.  It has no form and yet it seems to lift this earthly carcass to an upright and proud position.  My ears record silence and yet I hear words and thoughts so encouraging that I feel my mind will burst with joy.  I smell the sweetness of new air - clean air - life giving air - and yet.....nothing has changed."

Ephesians 6:10-13

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Life today is complicated and hard, but the message is clear.  God is on the side of his children.  We have hope and we have strength.  No matter how your enemy is testing you today - remember that if you have a relationship with Jesus Christ and if you are squarely centered in the middle of his hand - you can stand....you can Proudly Stand....You Can Stand!

God loves you,

Debbie

Where does your power come from?

I haven't written a blog in several weeks.  My parents were here for the holidays and at their age, I needed to spend extra time with them.  During that time I had a fantastic spiritual experience and I was convinced that I needed to spend more time with God. 

2009 was a time of great stress as well as a time of God's blessing.  When the miraculous event happened, I was left with one important question......who am I and what does God want from me?  I'm not confused about my talents, abilities or direction as a Christian - but I do wonder if I'm on the same page as God.  For that reason I've spent quiet time alone with God. Time that isn't cluttered by "rushing" to get work done. Quiet time that allowed me to contemplate my goals and to "listen" for His leading.

I've discussed it many times on this site.  We are in a huge fight for our freedoms and our country. This fight is going to take strong people who are led by an even stronger God. This fight is going to take a power that we may not be used to. This fight will take resources that you may feel you don't have. This fight will take you into uncomfortable territority. We need to be focused. We need to feel that power deep within our souls. And that means taking time to "listen" to the source of that power.

I was sure that I was listening to God and obeying his leading - but am I?  Have you ever looked at a a picture your child drew and commented - "That's a nice house" only to have him reply "That's not what I meant!"  I want to be sure that I know exactly what God meant when He gave me directions.
I personally believe that our greatest power is Jesus Christ. Perhaps you find power in a different faith or belief. For me...if I'm not connected to the source of my power, I usually am not successful. I am a devout Christian who has been priviledged to speak before large groups and to be part of organizations that have done great things. But....I know that if I'm not centered and connected to the source of my power, I will not and can not be all that God wants me to be.

About 22 years ago I fell in a neighbors yard. Every hour or so the pointer finger on my left hand trembled. After a month my hand was sore and irritated. When the trembling woke me up during the night, I went to the doctor. He put a splint on it and said it was an inflamed nerve. After one night my hand was swollen and I was in terrible pain. I rushed back to the doctor who sent me to an orthopaedic surgeon. He found a broken bone in my wrist but said something else was going on. He sent me to a neurologist who after several painful tests determined that I had Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.

Apparently nerves located in your blood vessels aid in the blood flow through your body. As the heart pumps blood through your body with pressure, the nerves in your vessels prod it along like little cattle prods. With RSD when a nerve is damaged, it shuts down. But....it tells the nerve next to it to shut down - causing that nerve to pass the word to the next one down the line.

By the time I reached the neurologist, there wasn't any blood from my elbow to my fingers. And without blood, the hand couldn't move without severe pain. The doctor explained that if this continued it would reach my shoulder and without blood I would eventually have to have my arm amputated.
I was rushed to the outpatient surgery room and given a Ganglion Block. (to yucky to share here) After the anestheiologist was through we waited to see what would happen. My arm had been ice cold. I felt warmth. There was a heat vent near the ceiling and I smiled at the doctor. "I'm so glad they turned the heat on." He jumped up and threw the blanket off my arm. "Look, Look at your arm." I looked down and it was as if someone was painting my arm a bright red. When the blood reached the end of my fingers I was moving them wildly - without pain!

My father preached a sermon the following Sunday on the Vine and the Branches.

John 15:5    "Yes I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can't do a thing. If anyone separates from me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with all the others and burned."

I want to encourage you today to stay connected to the Source of your power. Without that source flowing through our veins, we will be cut off and thrown into a pile and burned. Everyone reading this should plug into some type of prayer group. And don't forget the power of time alone with God - to listen - not talk!  Everyone should be concerned about staying connected to "the source". We have all seen pastors and celebrities that boast Christian values only to be exposed later on. Perhaps they did hold to better principles - but they lost their source of power and they were easy targets for evil plans. Each of us has the potential to be targeted if we do not stay connected to the source.

We can do this. We can take back America and we can make a difference in this country. But we all need to be connected to a greater source of power. And....once we are connected to that source, we have to be aware that those around us are watching. My neighbor is watching to see if I pass the word to shut down or if I give her the "all clear" signal to stay busy.

Ephesians 6:10-13

"Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord's mighty power within you. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies - the evil ruler of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world."

So....Where does your power come from?

God loves you,

Debbie

A Difficult Christmas

In talking with many of my friends, they all agree -this has been a difficult Christmas.  Along with economy issues it seems that many people are on edge about the future of this country and worried about how this will all play out in their own lives. 

Businesses are short handed and therefore employees are short tempered.  Families are doing without and therefore parents aren't able to deal with a child's excitement.  Even churches are having financial trouble that leads to sermons less about love and more about sacrifice.  Amid all of this when friends or family relationships are wounded, a person can feel alone and afraid. 

Ron sent this in an e-mail and it broke my heart.  I think if we all keep the following story in our head that this "Difficult Christmas" can turn into something beautiful. 

This made me cry. Life is short – love your family and friends like there is no tomorrow!

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her five year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.

Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and then said, 'This is for you, Momma.'

The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty. She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner. 'Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?'

The child's blond curls shook as tears filled her blue eyes.  'Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full.'

The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the years of her life. Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, have been given a Golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends, pets and GOD. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

God loves you,

Debbie

Parents - our road map to God

My parents are still my best friends. My Dad is 78 and my mom is 81. They both have been in the ministry for their entire marriage of 59 years.

My mother started preaching when she was 8 years old. My grandmother (who was also a minister) and mom built 6 churches in the south. I've heard wonderful stories about revivals, camp meetings and brush arbors. A Brush Arbor was when the town didn't have a large meeting hall and yet knew that an evangelist was coming to town. They cut down several trees to clear a landing. For benches, they split trees in half and set them on top of the stumps. A sturdy tree trunk became the pulpit. Branches from the felled trees were used to build a roof and the sawdust became the floor.

For hours tired and weary people in small little towns sat under star filled skies, sang Amazing Grace and listened to fiery preachers explain the full gospel.  Children fell asleep on homemade quilts nestled in a pile of sawdust while older kids drew pictures in the sand, teased friends with sticky balls of pine sap and received a pinch from mom when their giggles were too loud.

My Dad had a normal life of school and barefoot walks down to the creek. He was around 12 when he gave his heart to God and promised he would do anything God asked. At 17 he thumbed his way to Bible College and became a minister. Just one year later my parents eloped and set out to let America know that Jesus was a Savior they could depend on. Dad built three churches, traveled the globe as a missionary and is a published writer. He was a missionary pilot for two years and dropped gospels into some of the remotest mountain villages of Mexico.

Is it any wonder that at 6 years old I cried for several hours after a Sunday evening service? Mother tenderly cradled me and kept asking why I was crying so. "I just want to be sure all my sins are gone. I want so badly to be a Christian."

My journey has been a wonderful one with Christ walking beside me. He's my best friend and as my favorite Gaither song states -

Jesus, you're the center of my joy
All that's good and perfect comes from you;
You're the heart of my contentment,
Hope for all I do,
Jesus you're the center of my joy.

That's why in 2006 I also become a minister. I found that I couldn't live even one day without praising my God and doing all I could to help other people.

My parents are here for the holidays. Yesterday I was tired and a little worn out. A tear slipped down my face. Dad put his hand on mine and said, "You know dear....no one on earth is as close to God as a loving mom. You have participated in the creation of a human life. Men stand in awe of that process and the love that continues throughout your life. You are amazing creatures!"

I thought of my post about how a child sees the face of God first through the face of a parent. I smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "No Dad, both parents are important. You both provided for my human birth, but you also led me to my spiritual birth. Nothing compares with the creation of a willing heart that will accept Christ."

God loves you,
 
Debbie

God's Perfect Will

I just received a disturbing e-mail from a long time friend. I prayed about it and I felt God leading me to share this with you.

We are all struggling with problems and some of us are wrestle with how we can change America for the better. But I wonder if you realize that everything you do in your daily life either points to the Heavenly Father or it tears down our faith. Every interaction with any other human carries with it the potential for good or the potential for destruction.

My friend owns a cake decorating business. Now unless she's baking a cross cake for Easter, there's not a lot of ministry in her work. She does donate her unsold cupcakes and cookies to the local food bank and she does volunteer work for a homeless shelter.

My friend is a wonderful mother and Christian and...one of the sweetest people I know. You know the kind. She would turn a deep shade of red if anyone raised their voice or was critical of her work.

In her last e-mail she explained that her Sunday school teacher needed work. Her husband had lost his job and they couldn't pay their bills. Being the sweetie that she was, My friend gave her a job. Unfortunately, her Sunday school teacher came in late, didn't keep her area clean and was short with one of her best customers. When she was approached about changing her attitude and work - she lashed out in a vengeful and hateful way. She even tried to get other workers to take her side and stand against my friend.

My friends e-mail was heavy with sorrow. She wondered if she should be understanding. She wondered if she was wrong to approach this worker - even though they had been sited by the health department and found it was directly responsible to this employee. She wondered if as a Christian she had the right to take up for her business. She wondered if she had been a proper Ambassador for Christ.

After we discussed the issue back and forth in several e-mails, it was evident that My friend was trying to "protect the faith" by questioning her own actions. Yet, she was hurt by this other Christian Sunday School teacher who didn't realize that she was NOT being a good Ambassador for Christ. Her actions were divisive and full of revenge. Her actions proved to those in the shop that some Christians do not practice or understand the full gospel. And...her actions proved that she did not understand that our faith must go deeper - it must continue into every area of our lives or it will prevent others from salvation rather than promote Christ. Unfortunately, one of the employees that was a baby Christian was deeply hurt by the actions of this Sunday School Teacher.

The worst thing that's happened to America isn't the rise of Liberals - the worst thing is that Christians have forgotten that they must "be Christ" in every situation. Just as he bowed to Caesar, his Rabbai, his mother and a host of others who had leadership over him - at times - we too must understand those who have leadership over us. We also need to realize that others are watching. How many times have we heard liberals poke fun at someone's faith because they tried to sound perfect yet they were hiding sins. Hippocrites never help our faith. How many times have you lost your influence over someone because you chose to act in an unChristian manner? Christians are not destructive - Satan is.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we should all take a look at our own lives and be sure that we are compassionate and kind. That we wait for the facts before we jump on the bandwagon of critisism. That we strive to be honorable and able to work with and under another person's leadership.

But....and this is not contradictory....we must also take our own leadership seriously. Are we watching out for the work God has called us to do. Are we carefully and prayerfully accepting that as a leader we must make hard decisions that others might not understand? If we don't do that....our work for God can suffer. Too many churches have gone under because a Pastor wasn't willing to stand strong against attacks and instead gave in to demanding people who pushed and shoved the body of Christ into a dark place.

It's a fine balanced line to be in the perfect will of God. We are called to be wise and to be strong. We are called to lead and to follow. We are called to be ambassadors and to be soldiers of the cross. And we are called to be and do all of that just as "Jesus" would do.

Tonight I hope you will all join me in prayer asking for grace to help each of us react to difficult situations with the heart and the mind of Christ. May we continually show others that the only way to a Godly nation and a healed land is through the love and strength of Jesus Christ.

Live in such a manner that when others speak badly of you - no one will believe it!

God loves you,

Debbie