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

December "Droop"

Moms are wonderful creatures.  Most of the time her family can't see the "droopy" shoulders and moist eyes that sprinkle through special days and rushing moments. 

Once a mom is determined to make moments that will be remembered for a lifetime, she goes into a hyper drive of activity.  Perhaps there are scribbled notes in her purse or a list hanging on the fridge.  If she also has a career, maybe there's a recorder that not only lists the activities and corresponding ingredients but also belts a little motivational cheer to keep her moving. 

She may forego sleep imagining the smiles of her family or even refuse to purchase something she needs in order to obtain that special dish that makes everyone groan with pleasure.  She will probably turn into a drill sergeant that could move a platoon into high gear with the slightest raise of her eyebrow and yet her orders can change at a moments notice when someone is sick.

She maintains the mood of her home as well as the janitors, the cooks and the decorators.  She makes sure that every special moment is documented with cameras and recorders. 

So if this Supermom is so wonderful, why the December droop?  After she's put together a lovely Thanksgiving dinner, made sure everyone was well fed and rested, cleaned up the kitchen and rushed out at 3am on Black Friday to purchase a wonderful gift - why the December Droop?  Why does she seem melancholy and sad?  Why isn't she as excited as her family?  Doesn't she realize the wonder of this season?

The December droop is often due to the fact that moms forget their original goals.  She is overworked and exhausted.  She desperately needs a thank you from her family and a confirmation that the day was a success.  When her family forgets to tell her how wonderful she is, she looks for "non-verbal" communication to confirm that she has accomplished her goals.  After several years of seeking the "non-verbal" signs she has convinced herself that the smiles and the laughter and the joy of the holiday decorations and festivities are the only things that matter.  If she continues on this path, she will stress about the need for "SUPER Smiles, wows and compliments. 

After a few years of going for the "non verbal" compliments - she has forgotten that her original goal was to share her love with her family and present Thanksgiving and Christmas as a special day.  She was never in charge of making everyone happy or meeting all their needs. No one can do that. 

Smiles, wows and compliments can't be sustained.  They are short lived and unsatisfying.  Somewhere in all the hyperactivity Mom has forgotten her original goal and she's lost her self-worth.   She begins to dread the holidays because she knows that she will fail no matter what she does.  She bites into her overcooked turkey and droops as one sibling fussed at another.  

So....what's the solution?

The best way to cure the December droop is for the Family to pay attention to all the work Mom does.  Give her a hug.  Tell her you appreciate the fact that you were able to take an afternoon nap.  Tell her how much you love coming home.  Take her face in your hands and say..."You are wonderful!  My life is better because you are here."  Being kind and considerate about her hard work is the best way to cure to December droop.  Your words are her paycheck for a job well done.

The second phase involves Moms thinking.  Mom must resist the need for the immediate gratification of laughter or that "wow" moment.  Instead think of your work in terms of multiple years.  Try to think of holidays as a process.  A journey that builds to an overall memory that will cause your children to "want" to come home year after year.  As long as you provide love, respect and verbal support to your children, they will want to be with you.  As long as your home is cozy and warm with love - your children will want to return to your safe refuge.  As long as your arms are inviting and your smile is wide, your children will find strength in being near you.

It's not about the decorations or the turkey or even the laughter at the table.  It is about giving a lot of love and providing a place that your family will feel accepted and loved.  If you have done that - you are a success!

God loves you,

Debbie