Turn Your Eyes Toward Jesus

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.”

I have had a lot on my mind lately. Life’s decisions are never easy for me. I have a hard time with worrying and wondering what God’s will for me is and why He doesn’t hurry up and reveal it in an easy to understand way. I do understand when there is a ‘no’ and I am grateful for the answer even if I am disappointed.

All of this stress can be remedied very simply. Just look toward Jesus. All of my cares are eased in thoughts of His love for even people like me. If He can love the unlovely, the poor, the tax collectors, the sick, the sad, then I know I qualify too. If I can just personify the Word then I see Him there with open arms saying “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

In His arms with you,

Kathy

Ho Ho Who?

Who were these two jolly souls before their extreme make over?

What would you ask Santa to give you?

Have a Happy Day!

Kathy

Fluffy, Slippy and Too Much Info

I am rarely intimidated by anyone. I may be afraid for my safety if it is dark and I see a bunch of hoodies coming my way, but I am seldom intimidated by people’s personality. Call it living through a junior high full of queen bees that I saw right through. For some reason they all sought counsel with me even through high school and I realized early that everyone is human. The most put together people seem to be the ones that suffer from a disheveled inside.

I love to speak to any size group. Someone told me long ago that it is my chance to have a captive audience and as long as I have the floor, I have control of the situation. Because I prepare extensively, I know that I am delivering to them something that will be beneficial on some level. I also know that God is truly the one in control so I do not have to worry if I am perfect in my delivery. One of the best speakers I know gets nauseously nervous before she speaks because of the intimidation factor. I think she is too modest to use the old everyone is in their underwear trick and if she did she could not stop laughing in order to speak. Everyone shows up anxiously waiting to hear what she has to say. If I could, I would say to her “Speak on, I will listen all night and not fall out of any windows!”

I know not everyone gets to speak in front of big groups, but we all have to be around others that could be intimidating. If you feel this way, think about what triggers will help you level the playing field. Remembering we are all human helps. It is like the story of the uptight, proper, always perfect elder’s wife who fluffs with recognition (James suggests the word gusto) at a party. You may have been afraid to mess up before the incident, but after it happens you ease up and say “Hey, she really is human, I can be me”. (We do ask that you control yourself after this aha moment.)

I am also reminded of a similar elder’s wife that slipped on black ice and feel beneath her car on a small town main street. She was all dressed up to go into the funeral home where a group of friends were waiting for her. She struggled for what seemed like 10 minutes because she was unable to get a grip with her high heels and well fitted suit. Once she told her story, I was able to see how precious, funny and down to earth she was.

One time, James and I were at a dinner party of a very gracious but formal host. Because of the elegant setting, we were all paying extra attention to our manners. For reasons unknown, one of the guests bursts out with the information that her womb had been cauterized because of her first husband’s diseases. Needless to say, the tension was shattered and we quickly all started to enjoy the wonderful meal and extremely interesting conversation.

I am the most easy going, non-assuming person you will ever meet. However, I have been told by several people that my self-confidence and personal strength is intimidating. If I feel unworthy of being called intimidating, then most everyone else that I would regard that way probably does as well.

I would like to hear your stories of how someone leveled the playing field for you or how you deal with intimidation.

Kathy

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Marriage on Mondays - Ephesians 5 Part 2

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:21-23

I think the word ‘submit’ has become offensive to many woman because it has been used negatively. I would like to introduce some synonyms for the word in this context. One synonym for submit is to ‘put forward’. If I am putting James forward of myself, I am thinking of his needs first. I have never been more insulted by someone as when our counselor suggested that maybe the greatest accomplishment in my life was to be a helper to James. How Neanderthal! I know I was created to be his helper, (what ever) but I had already accomplished so much in my life that had nothing to do with him. What he meant, was that in order for James to reach his full potential, he needed his support system to be in place. That meant as head cheerleader, I had to step up and be the help mate that he needed. Not the albatross I had become. How could he succeed in anything, especially ministry, without the Biblical design for marriage that God created? He had to have me be a worker with him for his foundation to be complete. Now, that we are further along, I can see that this is so right on. I will succeed with many things, but the greatest will probably be what I help him succeed with and now I am definitely ok with that. After all, two are stronger than one and I have the example of Priscilla and Aquila as workers together for the Lord. I can not begin to talk about all that he has helped me to be successful in and how he in turn has put me forward.

Another synonym for submit is to ‘offer’. The way I see it, submitting is a two way street that goes no where if both people are not offering themselves up. (21) As a wife, I am to submit to my husband as I do to the Lord. The ways I submit or offer myself to the Lord are by loving Him, trusting Him, spending time with Him, trying to get to know Him and trying to follow His ways. This would apply to how I would submit to James as well.

The last synonym I want to look at is to ‘yield’. I do not think that verse 23 says that James gets to be the boss of me and that I do not have an active role in the decision making in our marriage. It is simply my job to allow him to take the lead and encourage him when he is doing so. Trust me, with my personality this is an on going lesson. When we were first married, I had difficulty in trusting his lead. Taming my strong personality turned into surrendering all of my say to his over assertiveness. We had to gradually figure out this balance. What was once more of an act of passive aggression turned into wanting to yield to him with confidence that he was doing good for both of us. If I am yielding to him, then he is able to be the head of the household that I and God want him to be. Also keep in mind the description of the woman of noble character in Proverbs 31. She was industrious, wise and had strength and dignity. Her husband was able to have full confidence in her because she brought him good and not harm all of the days of her life. She was a go getter but she was still yielding to him.

Do you have an example of submission either to Christ or to your spouse?

What are we doing for Gomorrah?

This is a post I made for an online discussion for a graduate class I am taking. Kathy suggested I post it here and see how different the conversations are from the other site.

In his wonderful new book The Unfinished Soul (Broadman & Holman), Calvin Miller has collected "bits and pieces" from a variety of articles and books he has written over the years. The book is filled with fascinating (and often challenging) insights from the "poet laureate" of the evangelical world.In one vignette, Miller plays off the title of Robert Bork's book Slouching Toward Gomorrah, and wonders if that evil city wouldn't look right at home in today's culture. He closes with these thoughts:

"Gomorrah and its sister city at the end of this tale go up in burning sulfur in a single day. But I believe that sometimes brimstone is gradual. Which of Toynbee's twenty-eight civilizations, rotting from within, woke up and suddenly said, 'Whoa! Look at us! We're post-modern!' None. Neither did Gomorrah. With civilizations, it is always the case of the amphibian in the stewpot. The only way you can cook one is gradually. So when the brimstone fell on Gomorrah, Abraham and God were bargaining over eroded values in a culture which as the culture itself saw it no longer sinned. God's narrow view of things surprised everyone on Nightline.

"The odd thing is that the people in Gomorrah seemed not to have been aware that God was bargaining with Abraham over the death of their culture. But we who follow Christ should be ever aware that God has a requirement of those who haggle over just how many are righteous in any city. His requirement is that we, like Abraham, are responsible for doing our part in Christ's rescue operation."Imagine this: God loves Sodom and Gomorrah! The moment we forget that, it is not just Gomorrah that is dead. We, too, are dead. God holds no glee over the death of cultures. He grieves over urban evil and longs to call sinners back to their lost Edens.

"It's no easy job being God! To stand for holiness and yet love the unholy is almighty stress if not for God, for us. To live in Gomorrah and love it is our calling. But to live in Gomorrah and accept it is to accustom ourselves to gradual brimstone" (The Unfinished Soul).

There are three things I would like us to notice and discuss in this section. Calvin Miller is quoted as saying, “Sometimes brimstone is gradual”. The gradual decline our nation is evident, whether it is the observations of James Dobson and Focus on the Family or secular statistics that report the divorce rate which is around fifty percent as a nation. These numbers come from various statistics and some say as many as sixty-five percent of new marriages end in divorce, but it was concluded by the census bureau this included second and third marriages. And, I have read reports that put the number in evangelical circles as not a lot lower. Observations are made about the things that used to make people blush. The homosexuals coming out of the closet and one studio even making a mainstream movie about two cowboys in a long term relationship are clear examples. The movies my family found acceptable when I was growing up are near impossible to find now. But, the problem is not one specific issue or sin but a prevalent attitude or value system. Miller refers to being “post-modern”. It is a way of thinking that has confused people to the point where good is bad and bad is good.

Miller goes on to note, “We, like Abraham, are responsible to do our part in Christ’s rescue operation.” What is our part? It begins with our holiness. There has been it seems an effort on the other side of the fence to answer those looking for answers to questions. Post-modern thinking says find the answers that work for you. There have been those saying let’s look at finding answers through some old thought. Holiness is a concept many gave to the Pentecostals. And yet there was an effort to reintroduce holiness, discipleship and spiritual disciplines through such men as Richard Foster and Dallas Willard.

Second, our part is our reaching out. Evangelism has become a dirty word. Abraham didn’t just sit there and have nothing to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. Maybe, he tried to be untainted by their ways and would not take their money when he rescued them but he none the less aided them. How often do we get outside our walls and comfort zones and reach out to those in sin.

I left one last responsibility to the end because I see it as most important. Our payers may be the key. Abraham talked with the Lord and pleaded for Him to spare the cities. How strong is our prayer life in this area? I know some whose prayer lives have challenged me over the years. I say this not to draw attention to me but to challenge us. I pray for the people in our community. I have, under their suggestion, done drive by praying. I’m sure you have heard of these kinds of methods.

Miller makes a final declaration saying, “God loves Sodom and Gomorrah”. It is like the cliché I have heard most my life ‘Love the sinner but not the sin’. I saw a cartoon which has more represented our position against sin. A guy is standing at the gates. The caption underneath says, "You were a believer, yes. But you skipped the not being a jerk about it part". The challenge for us is to be holy and love just a fraction of the way God does. This will all preach. I’m using the cartoon illustration tomorrow.

James

Empty Tomb

Josh was sick and so he did not do his reading in Mark. But, he did draw a picture after coming out of his fever induced stupor. Thank you for your prayers. I think an intelligent comment would be pushing it but there was a big stuff animal/ pillow fight this morning so I think he is almost well. Have a great weekend!

Boy Like Me

On my walk yesterday, I started thinking about Jesus as a youngster. Knowing that he was sinless and also believing in an age of accountability, I wonder if He got in trouble as a kid. Did He get made fun of on the playground for being different? Did He get a reward when His baby teeth came out? Rich Mullins has a song that asks, “Were you a boy like me?”

He had siblings, he couldn’t have always gotten along well with all of them all of the time. Did he draw the line on the palate and say “This half is mine.”? Did it not matter to Him that the Son of Man had no place to lay His head because He had to share so much with His brothers? Did He learn His leadership skills by bossing them around. If you go by birth order personality, would you say He was the oldest or the Only Child?

Spare the rod, spoil the child - did Mary thump Him on the ear or spank Him when she gave Him the “what for” after He stayed behind at the temple? Did she tell Him to stop picking His nose in public? What kind of discipline/ punishment did He receive? Did she feel guilty for being angry with Him? Did she really know she was responsible for raising the Son of God?

Also, Joseph is not mentioned during Jesus’ ministry. At what point did Mary become a single mom? How old was Jesus when His Dad died? Why did he not live to see Jesus’ ministry?

Have you ever thought about this and do you have any answers for me?

Kathy

Yokes On You

There was a time when I would have said anything out of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy would have but me to sleep during a sermon. Now, I enjoy reading Leviticus and Deuteronomy (still not so much Numbers although James can find something interesting in it). Although I do not always understand a lot of the Covenant, I appreciate that God has always wanted to be a part to all aspects of our lives. The directions were like His divine advice column. I was looking at Deuteronomy 22 today.

1. “If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to him. If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is, take it home with you and keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back to him. Do the same if you find your brother’s donkey or his cloak or anything he loses. Do not ignore it.
If you see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help him get it to its feet.” Deuteronomy 22:1-4

It has been brought to my attention lately that returning your grocery cart to its corral is a sign of integrity. (By the way, James did this yesterday while I spoke the sermon on it in the car. I’m not sure they caught on.) Since most of us no longer own livestock, I guess this is a good scripture reference to support their claim. The passage protects people’s property, helping them know that it is secure. It reminds us to not ignore what is happening, but to be helpful to other people. Jesus uses an example with an ox after he healed a man of dropsy at a Pharisees’s house on the Sabbath. “Then he asked them, “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” And they had nothing to say.” (Luke 14:5-6) I think they said nothing because they knew they were to not ignore the needs of another person or animal no matter what day it is.

2. “Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.” Deuteronomy 22:10
There is actually quite a bit of wisdom in this. It is referenced to in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (Satan)? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” There are a lot of Christians who struggle because they picked a mate that doesn’t share their faith.

A different way to look at this advice is in a literal since. Two different animals have a harder time working together. The donkey is shorter and when yoked has to bear the principal part of the weight. That makes the burden harder for the donkey. So, we should not expect it to work when we try to force two incompatible things together. Nor should we expect the one who is getting the short end of the stick to willing comply. I think I could apply this to people all day long.

The word for yoke in Hebrew is used figuratively of severe bondage, affliction, subjection or servitude. However, Jesus does not put a yoke on us that makes it too difficult for us to carry. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30) Acts 15:10-11 lets me know that I am not to put burdens on other Christians that God does not intend. “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Although, we can hold them accountable for what they are to be doing.) I am also not to choose a ‘yoke of slavery’ of any sin that will keep me from living the freedom in Christ. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) By choosing sin, we are subjecting ourselves to bondage and affliction.

So, what can we learn from an ox and a donkey? Do not ignore a chance to help someone or something. Be careful of what you bond together, two different things are not always compatible. Also, do not choose to be yoked to something that will prevent you from being free in Christ. Deuteronomy 22 has a few more interesting tidbits that you will have to check out. (For instance 22:5 and a whole section on marriage) What do you find interesting in these books?

Kathy

PS: Trey if I put you to sleep then you can add this to your most boring sermon list.

Priceless

$ 80 Storage Unit Rent
$700 Van repairs
$ 50 Servicing James’ car
$100 New microwave
$100 Deductible for new van window
$ ? Clothes dryer repair

Not having to put any of it on a credit card:
PRICELESS

I often joke (or complain) about our 900 square feet of family love, but the truth is that it blesses us tremendously. We could not be where we are financially if it were not for this house and James’ budgeting skills. James has said for a long time, “The more you have, the more you have to maintain”. The last five years has been a down sizing process of examining what we really need before we buy it.

A friend of mine says that Wal-Mart averages about $100 an hour. That would have been true for us as well and we often spend hours at a time there. This month’s expenses on top of what we would spend to maintain our lifestyle would have done us in. Being debt free is definitely a goal worth accomplishing and we are working hard towards it. I can not tell you the piece of mind I have by not racking up the points on our credit cards. It is truly PRICELESS.

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 5:10

24“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Matthew 6:24-25

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

Kathy

Weaned Her Yet?

I had not weaned Kyli when an unknown man asked me at the gas station if I had “weaned her yet?” Kyli was not even with me. I looked down to see if I was leaking – how did he know? When I didn’t answer, he asked his question again and this time I thought he asked me if I had a wing on my van. I didn’t have an answer for that either. The third time he slowly explained, “Have you weaned your car of gas yet?” I replied quickly that time, “Oh! No.” He smiled and I am sure he wondered if I dyed my hair.

Communication is a two way street and really depends on your point of view.
Do you have a funny communication story?

"Man has been given two ears and only one tongue
that he might listen twice as much as he speaks."
Walter Colton

Marriage on Mondays Eph. 5 Part 1

James and I joke about the time when I started to read Stormie Omartian’s book, “The Power of a Praying Wife”. I could not get through the first chapter. It started off with making sure you are doing what you are suppose to and knowing that it is God that brings about changes in people through their working not yours. Someone once said, “Marriage may be an institution, but it is not a reform school.” We must first come to realize that if we want a better marriage, it is our own heart that needs to be examined and our own attitudes that need to be adjusted. Maybe this is a good time to revisit the Serenity Prayer:
God, give us
grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things which should be changed, and the
wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

The first four parts of this marriage series will be on Ephesians 5. We can see the obvious scriptures about how a marital relationship should be, but look at 5:1-2: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” It is not about what he did or she didn’t do, it is about remembering to just love each other and make a pleasant aroma for God. Turn the ‘fake it till you make it’ into imitating God. Someone told me that Dr. Laura has a new book out which talks about just doing something for the other person out of love and not for the return you receive. I obviously haven’t read her book, but the point is true. When you argue, don’t do it by the book because the counselor told you to, but do it in the right way because of your love for God. If you are having a hard time making your goal pleasing your husband, make your goal pleasing God.

This brings me to the next verses that talk about getting things right with God in your life. “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.” Ephesians 5:3-7 talks about a lot of things that are getting marriages into trouble these days; on-line pornography seems to be many people’s secret sin of choice. My sister has talked about seeing greed in marriages as being a problem. That greed might include the love of money, marrying for money, or for having a trophy wife or husband. For me, greed was more defined by wanting all the rosy marriage on the other side of the fence had. Discovering that all that glitters is not gold has helped, but the love of something unobtainable only leads to ungratefulness. Get real, if you have something that is coming between you and someone else, it likely is coming between you and God, so you need to get it out of your life.

What is not out of place? Thanksgiving. Just saying ‘thank you’. Thanks to God, thanks to your spouse, thanks to who ever. One October, I realized we were just going to bed without talking, just saying good night and rolling over. So for the whole month of November, James and I listed three things we were thankful for on that day. It started lots of conversations, but most importantly, it restarted us talking and celebrating life together. Praising God and edifying each other spiritually is also not out of place.

Before you are anyone else’s bride, you are the bride of Christ and should continue to prepare for you wedding with Him. ”Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity …. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (vs. 15-17) This is the opportunity that you are given to make things right. Today is when you get to be wise and not foolish. Draw upon these scriptures and ask God to help in your life and in you marriage.

I gave the example of our Thanksgiving list. I would like to know how you have made some changes when you have seen your relationship with God or your spouse is not going the way you want it to go.

Kathy

New Wine

“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.” Mark 2:22

When you are a Christian, you need to do what God wants you to do and not the bad stuff you did before.
Josh

Marriage Quotes

On Monday, I am going to post my first in a series of entries on marriage. I know a lot of people that are struggling right now, so I thought I would write a little on it in an effort to encourage. To close out this Valentine’s week and help you to look forward to the first Monday on marriage, here are a few marriage quotes to enjoy and ponder:

A bridegroom is a man who spends a lot of money on a new suit that nobody notices.

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you will become very happy. If you get a bad one, you will become a philosopher.
Socrates

Think of all the squabbles Adam and Eve must have had in the course of their nine hundred years. Eve would say, “You ate the apple,” and Adam would retort, “You gave it to me.”
Martin Luther

Try praising your wife even if it does frighten her at first.
Billy Sunday

Married life is a marathon. . . . It is not enough to make a great start toward long-term marriage. You will need the determination to keep plugging. . . . Only then will you make it to the end.
James C. Dobson

Kathy

My son took this picture on our Route 66 trip.

A Win-Win Love

Yesterday, my kids got to enjoy all of the festivities of Valentine’s Day. I rarely let them have more than one piece of candy a day so they had fun getting a sugar high. What is the point of the holiday if you can’t enjoy a few pieces of chocolate kisses and candy hearts?

Josh bought Kobi a balloon and candy bouquet that arrived in her classroom. It was purchased out of his piggy bank money which is not released very often. Kobi gave Kyli a teddy bear and Kobi’s teacher put a goody bag with a balloon together for Kyli. Brother also shared his more girly cards with Kyli so she wouldn’t feel left out. Kyli gave Josh a bottle of soda. It is a true luxury for him and he shared it kindly. I share all of this to say, we are really trying to teach them to love each other and they do a very good job with it. We want them to know that you don’t have to give elaborate, expensive gifts to someone. They all felt loved by each other and knew that there were thoughts behind the gifts. Watching all of this makes me very happy.

James received candy, a Sinatra CD (think what you will, but we had a lot of fun with it), and a package of underwear. (They were more a necessity than a romantic jester.) He gave me a birdbath. Yes, a birdbath. He had been eyeing it for weeks thinking I would enjoy it. I love spring, and really like having fun in the dirt with my flowers. He thought that it would remind me that the new life was coming and give me something new to look forward to in my garden. He was right. His thoughtfulness was very romantic and was apparently the envy of the ladies at the store where he bought it.

I think God likes Valentine’s Day. It is a time when He gets to look down and see people showing their love for each other. Pagan holiday or not, it is about His favorite thing – love. How much joy He must get watching His children showing love to each other! We are truly blessed when we get to feel warm fuzzies from someone else. He knew we needed and would like this feeling. That is why He gave it to us.

He also gave it to us so we could love Him back. He made it easy for us by giving to us so much, we can’t help but want to love Him. When we pray, He gives us peace and knowledge. When we show others love, we receive pleasure. When we forgive others, we receive understanding. Even in praising Him, we receive encouragement. It is a win-win situation. God is love and God is great all the time.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

Kathy

How Deep the Father's Love For Us

How Deep the Father’s Love

“How deep the Father’s love for us! How vast beyond all measure! That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure! How great the pain of searing loss.
The Father turns His face away as wounds which mar the Chosen One bring many sons to glory.
Behold the Man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders. Ashamed I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held Him there until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life; I know that it is finished.
I will not boast in anything; no gifts, no pow’r, no wisdom, But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. Why should I gain from His reward? I can not give an answer, but this I know with all my heart; His wounds have paid my ransom.”

It has been several years now, since I first sang this song at church. I looked that day at the man standing next to me. He was weeping at the words as they were being put on the screen. He had known God all of His life, but at that moment, He felt the Father’s love come over Him so completely, so wonderfully, so assuredly, that He could not help but just cry. He knew it was at God’s loss that his ransom had been paid. How could he not submit his life after singing this?

It is in these moments that we are in the deepest pain and distress that we feel our Father’s love the most. It is at this time we are humble enough to know we can not boast nor can we do anything without holding His wounded hand. I have been there many times; on my knees with my head down, pleading for God to show me the way. And yet, I am able to gain from His reward because of God’s grace and unending ability of simply taking care of me. I gain simply because of the Father’s love for me.

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:5-8

Happy Valentines Day!

Kathy

Keys to a Loving, Lasting Relationship

These Are the Keys to a Loving, Lasting Relationship
Enjoy!
Love one another with all your hearts.
Give more than you take.
Don’t ever take your relationship for granted.
Have heart to heart talks and really communicate.
Be trusting, playful intimate and kind.
Appreciate all the little, special things.
Recognize that time spent together is a treasure.
Make the most of what each day brings.
Know that nothing is sweeter than the warmth of one hand within another.
Walk together in the direction you want to go.
Be supportive and sharing and open to changes.
Always continue to grow.
Cherish this blessing which so few truly find.
Have dreams to reach out for through the years.
Share one another’s smiles through the good times.
Be everything to one another through the tears.
What your time together lacks in quantity, make up for with quality.
Call to say “I love you” in the middle of the day.
Keep your sense of humor and hold on to your hopes.
Don’t let work or worries get in the way.
Make love a sanctuary and celebration.
Make each moment more precious and each season more glad.
Realize how lucky you are to be two-together.
And make the best memories any two people ever had.
Casey Whilson


This was poem was given to me when we got married and I have been passing it on with wedding gifts ever since. It has been a goal, a reminder and an encouragement to me throughout our 12 ½ years together. The following verse has been as well:

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. … Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29-32

This verse is not only a guideline for marriages but also for friendships as well. Let’s use this week of Valentines as a time to recapture the love we have with everyone in our lives.

Kathy

Dedicated to the Ones I Love

It’s February, and I’m feeling Valentinesy. I am in my happy spot thinking warm fuzzies. There are a lot of people that have come into my life that I just love. I have loved my best friend, Connie since I was in diapers. College friends, Lillie, Randy and Chris, you were great friends to me, and I love you dearly. Ned, I have loved your teddy bearness from the moment I met you. People like Chip in DC, Tx who I just couldn’t help but love as I got to know his personality. Kim in Phoenix, Grace in Shattuck, Crystal in Gage, God sent you to me as special gifts and I love you. If I haven’t mentioned you, but you feel loved by me, you are right – I do love you! Don’t get me wrong, James may be the love of my life, but I have been truly blessed by great characters who have tugged on my heartstrings.

John 21:20 says, “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.” There has been some controversy about this scripture, but I love that he described the disciple as the ‘one who Jesus loved’. Are we not all the one Jesus loves? Do we not all want to be designated as the one Jesus loved? It is being that special one of love.

I like that it was perceived that there was a special relationship between this disciple and Jesus. It is that feeling that you are someone’s favorite. My friend defines herself as “God’s favorite child”. We are all God’s favorite – He loves us all.

This love that I feel for certain people in my life is special. It is a unique feeling, not defined by the usual sentiment of family or of romantic love. It is an unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for the well-being of another. It is a win-win situation if both parties are giving to the relationship.

James has been talking about Ecclesiastes on Sunday nights. As part of his Valentines’ sermon, he spoke on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. It says: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” You will be stronger if you have someone else in your life and even stronger if God is part of that relationship. This verse was in our wedding, and although it is often used in a marital relationship, it applies to any friendship.

God is love. He gave us the best gift of love through His son. Jesus taught us how to love another. He taught us how to be self-less, and concerned for one another. If you have love in your heart, you always have something to give. Who are your friends that you have exchanged love with?

Kathy

By the way, Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

Fishers of Men

Josh is going to be reading through the book of Mark. This week was chapter 1 and he chose to draw about Mark 1:16-17:
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

This passage is about Jesus asking Peter and Andrew to be a disciple so they can bring men to know Jesus. Josh

Goodbye, Vickie Lynn Hogan

I was surprisingly shocked at the death of Anna Nicole. I am not sure why, it is definitely the result someone would have with her lifestyle. Her life mimicked that of Marilyn Monroe. They were both fake blond hair beauties, born in a lower class setting with a rise to fame and no real values. Trauma in early childhood led to drama as an adult. Friends came and went with popularity. Multiple husbands and lovers confused their lives. Everyone wanted to take a piece of them but not give anything to build them up. (Joe Demaggio may be excluded from that) Drugs and alcohol were more consistent than any other influence. I wonder if Anna will be immortalized like Marilyn.

Solomon in his bleakness says, “A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man—even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?” Ecclesiastes 6:3-6 I am not saying that she should never have been born, but she did struggle to find some meaning, some peace in her life.

I would not want to do a wedding or a funeral for her. It is easy for me to say that the real wedding she needed was to Christ. But did I send up a prayer for her during the trial over her late husband? Did I pray that she find God while she was making a fool of herself during the filming of her reality show? Did I pray for her baby to have a better life once it was born? Did I pray for her after her son died? Did I pray for her after the news talked about lawsuits with Trim Spa? Did I pray for her every time I saw her on tv with slurred speech? She’s on the news all the time, which makes her someone in my bedroom. Did I really see her as a soul, or a trouble maker with a tumultuous life? Did anyone try to show her real love? I could have at least prayed for that. The answer to all of the above is: no I didn’t. I just saw a crazy life. I can pray for her baby girl to not mimic her life.

I have become so callused that the people I see on my little box are just fictitious characters. I don’t know their real names and I really don’t care what happens to them as long as they kept their influence outside of my kid’s lives. Neva said recently, “What if we would have prayed for Bin Laden?” I think Accapella had a song about this as well (Everybody needs Jesus). I think I’ll finally start praying for these people and not just think about it. I can also use her real name and say, Goodbye Vickie Lynn. I am sorry we didn't try to really get to know you and love you at all.

Kathy

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut

I am told that Saturday Night Live had a segment entitled, “Deep Thoughts by __?___”. I think it was before my time and I have never watched a lot of SNL. Anyway, James likes to kid me at times by responding to me with, “Deep Thoughts by Kathy Adair.” So I thought I would share one of my deep thoughts today:

I recently opened a jar of almonds that said, “smart eating”. I really like getting compliments from my food. It is reassuring when I know that the choices I make could have the surgeon general saying, “This is hazardous to your health”.

Thanks God for helping me make good choices!

Kathy
Here is the scripture I was thinking about today:
Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever. …
25 and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Cloudless Day

“Oh, the Land of Cloudless Days.
Oh the land of an unclouded sky.
Oh they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise.
Oh they tell me of an unclouded day…..
Oh they tell me that He smiles on His children there…”

The skies were blue as they could be during my walk yesterday. God was smiling on His child and I felt it. There is nothing that can take away worry, anxiety, fear… like a walk with God in the crisp air and beautiful sky.

We have been hit with at least four winter blasts so far and we are expecting more winter mix. I have just now cleaned the four inches of ice off my back porch. I am a warm weather person, so for me to be able to walk outside and feel the sun on my face is a high powered medicine for my soul. Winter is a time of dormancy, and death. I love when God sends the new life, the renewal. Even the glimpses of the spring to come in the midst of winter are reminders of His revival.
Thank you God for restoring my soul!

Kathy

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things.
Who, O God, is like you? Psalm 71:19

Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3

Charley Brown and Barnabas

Hey all you Super-Bowl fans, here is a football entry for you. Unless you want to know about the 56- 0 record of our local four in a row state champ football team, this is about as gridiron as I get.

I love the Peanuts cartoon where Lucy grabs the ball out from under Charley Brown as he is about to kick it. I love how she is consistent with her pull and the determination is profound. I also love how in spite of her record, he tries to kick it anyway. He puts his pessimism aside and goes for it with an erring optimistic thought that she will actually do the right thing.

Has Chuck not heard the expression, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”? Why would he keep giving this black haired girl who sales him bad advice for a quarter another chance.

Why would we give anyone who has a bad track record another chance? Take a look at Mr. Encourager, Barnabas. Let’s start off with Acts 4:36 actually naming him as one of the people who sold land for the helping of the Church. Some would call that gullible. But what applies more, is that he was willing in Acts 9 to speak up for the Lord’s new servant Saul. Saul is a man who did a lot more than fool people. No wonder they did not trust him. Yet there was Barnabas, by his side, paving the way for trust with the Church leaders. Why would it be a surprise that later Barnabas would defend Mark? (Acts 15)

I came across a quote that says, “Some are wise, and some are otherwise.” We would assume first off that Charley Brown would be in the otherwise category. But maybe, he knows a little more than we give him credit for. Most of the time, it is wise to walk away if someone continually tricks you. But what if it happens to work out next time?

Kathy

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20

Dogs!

I have had a problem the last five years that has finally taken me to a new level. The two small towns we live in do nothing to keep dogs where they belong. People here do not have fences so most of them are kept in their yards by chains or just the occasional yell. I love dogs and have been known to take in several strays. These dogs though, belong to people that are not taking care of them.

My kids are terrified of dogs. I have no idea how many encounters they have had when they were playing carefree in the back yard when a dog came up and scared them. Some of the most aggressive dogs have been the little ones so it doesn't matter what size your dog is, or how tame, my kids will be afraid of it. This has been a huge annoyance when we go visit other people and my seven year old is standing on their couch.

There are loose dogs at the school every day. Kobi was apparently snipped at during recess. The other day, someone saw me yelling at Josh to walk on into the school or I would spank him. That was an interesting look I received and I am sure he thought I was a horrible parent. I have had enough of Josh's fear and mostly of people not leaving their dogs at their house.

If you are wondering about the dog catcher, Rooster died about six months ago and the city hasn't found anyone else to do it. However, there was another tragic event where he ran over a dog in front of my house because he couldn't catch it. That didn't work so he shot him. The kids would comment about the blood and guts on the street for weeks afterward. I think they thought that was a pretty good idea.

So what has set me off? Friday, I had to shew three dogs off my porch and front yard in order to bring my kids in the house from school. Two of the dogs did not have tags, but I know who they belong to because of a previous request to their owner to not let them wonder around town. (She doesn't take much better care of her little kids.) The other dog was a brindle colored pit bull mix, I didn't want to look at his tag. But what has me feeling extremely invaded is they have helped themselves to our trash. Our garbage is only picked up here on Wednesdays with curb side service. We keep our metal can on our front porch so it won't be attractive to the dogs. Unfortunately, they have found it and have been putting it all over our porch the last couple of nights.

We are to be stewards over the animals. We are to treat them in a humain way. I do think these dogs would all be better off dead than to be neglected. They are left to roam free in 15 degree temperatures with snow and ice on the ground. If cars are not a bad enough threat, the train has killed several of them. They are thin and hungry enough to need to eat my trash. I am mad, but I do have some compassion for the animals.

I wanted a paint ball gun for Christmas. I was going to put an article in the paper that said, "If your dog has paint on it, I will apologize to you if you will keep your dog in your own yard." James nor Santa gave me a gun. The superintendent keeps a tazer gun at the school because he has been attacked several times while trying to get them off the playground.

What do you do when you have no law enforcement? (You can imagine the drug problem here.) We have talked with the owners, tried to get help from the city, now it is our turn to do something. What legal suggestions do you have?

Walking with a big stick,
Kathy

Super Hero Clothes

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17

As a Christian, I am dressed in truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, and the Spirit. These are my super hero clothes, like Bibleman’s.

Josh

Beer and the Bible

This is an editorial edition of the blog:

Can you believe someone would use alcohol as a way to attract people to church. That was the discussion on a news report here in Oklahoma recently. I made illusion to this situation on a friend's blog. As with all great stories there is more to the story, "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would put it. So what is the rest? follow this link and read for yourself. Drop me a line and tell me what you think. Is what is going on an appropriate methodology? How far do we go?

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/nation/story/1FDE58A96F4DFD38862572700022CCCA?OpenDocument

James

Formerly Known As:

I want to alert you to some name changes. Princess Kobina Lafina previously known as Kobi Grace would like to be known by her new name of Kobi Lafina. She will be using Lafina as both a middle name and last name. As she has reached star status, this seems appropriate to her.

The Princess Kylita Rosita, previously known as Kyli Joy, is still going by the name Kobi. She rarely acknowledges her official name as one of her own, so she will continue to refer to herself as Kobi with the occasional drop of Rosita which is pronounced “Rowita”. However, she has decided she would accept “Cha Cha Cha” as a replacement for being called Kobi.

I thought you all would like to know.

Besides, what is in a name? It is not like we spent months trying to figure out exactly what these children meant to us. We gave Josh the strong name of one of our favorite Bible leaders because we are certain after all the prayers of Hannah that were offered up, that we will be turning him over to God for His service. His middle name Noble, is a character trait that we know he will possess.

After Josh being the miracle baby that he was, and not being able to conceive again, Kobi which means “most beautiful” (at least to us) was destined to be the apple of her father’s eye and the most beautiful gift that God would ever give to us. Thus she personified God’s “Grace” to us.

Then came Kyli. What a surprise! What a joy that filled our hearts! To us, Kyli means strong and adorable. (Actually it is an Aboriginal name for curved stick - a boomerrang.) She was the icing on the cake, the sweetness that made us complete. We thought about names like “Surely”, (Mat 28:20) because God will be with her always. If the girls were boys they were going to be Josiah Delestedies. Josiah for the obvious reason of “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and Delestedies for Matthew 25:40,45. (A story was once told of a Christian school professor who would pass a homeless man each day that would yell “Delestedies”. Finally, the professor addressed him and said, “How are you Deslestedies?” The man responded, “that’s not my name, I just wanted to remind you that I am the least of these.” As in, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”) It would have been a good reminder all of the child’s life. (I must say the grandparents were glad we didn’t get to use it.)

My first name is Billie after my Granny and Dad. I dropped Billie after I got married and started using my maiden name as my middle name. There was a time when I was embarrassed by that name, but I stopped using it out of convenience. There is one name we have as Christians that we should never be ashamed of, or stop using out of convenience. 1 Peter 4:16 says: “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” That name is a privilege to share.

My kids will know one day what their names mean to us. They will know how special they were even before they were born. How their lives had a plan and that they were made just for us and us for them. Until then, we will call them lots of names, some wanted some not. My first name is Billie after my Granny and Dad. How did you get your name? How did you decide on your kid’s name?

Honored Guest

I can see at the Sunset workshop that it is an honor to be in the presence of my father in law. Truitt is held in high regard by so many. It is an honor to be able to visit with presenters like Rick Atchley, Jeff Walling, etc … at workshops like Tulsa. It is even an honor to say that my in laws had connections with Max Lucado because of their mission work in Brazil. However, for my kids to have dinner with Truitt, is just a meal with PaPa. To the people at the congregations of these speakers, they are just regular people. I am sure that even Max Lucado is just a normal guy to the ones in his inner circle.
James often wonders what I get out of his sermons while I am disciplining the children. I am not sure what the entire sermon was about on Sunday, but my thoughts revolved around part of his main passage in Luke 24.

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him….When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?””

Here are two guys, oblivious to who was with them, talking about what was most important on their hearts. They reached out in hospitality to a stranger and then realized whose presence they were in. It went from a stranger being honored by their hospitality, to the men being honored by His appearance, in the second they recognized Him. Did they high five each other after He disappeared? Did they fall to their knees? Did they put on their blogs that they had recognized Jesus? No, they got up immediately and went to others that would want to know about his appearance. Did they talk about Him calling them foolish and the other things He said on the way?

What was I thinking during James’ sermon? I could not think of a more honorable meal companion than Jesus Himself, right after His resurrection. How unbelievable! What timing! We are honored to just be around great people who talk about Him, how would it have been to be with the King Himself at that moment? It was no wonder they were excited to return to the others. They were just first hand witnesses to the most incredible miracle ever! I love having guest at my table but that would be the ultimate!

If you look on in the scripture, He appears to the people while the two were telling about Him. Unbelief, then joy and amazement swept over them. Then He asked for food! “Do you have anything here to eat?” They got to host His eating too! “They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.” He did not need that food as energy for the trip He was about to take. He needed it to prove that He was alive. He ate so that they would know He was God in the flesh. He let them see Him return to the Heavens so they would know He was King of Kings forever. They went in joy afterwards praising God. He may have been their friend, their family, their teacher, but He was the supreme guest that one can’t help but honor.

Kathy
By the way, James’ sermon was on hope; disheartened to celebration.