Thus Saith the Lord

I’m sure we all get sick of hearing the news every day. Depending on what station you listen to or news broadcast you watch, you get to hear their side of the event for the day, whatever it may be.

CNN, NBC, CBS, Fox News and all the others have their own way of putting a slant on things. Some people follow these networks and shows as if they are the gospel. Whatever is said on the morning or evening news, people repeat it. So and so says. . . Just fill in the blanks.

It used to be I saw it on Oprah, or Dr. Phil or Dr. Oz. Depending on who you followed you would set our thoughts in line with them Undoubtedly one of those people that we follow makes a mistake or goes against our internal thoughts then all of a sudden we don’t like them anymore.

I don’t study God’s word as much as I should, it’s just the simple. I don’t put in the effort to turn off my surroundings that are distracting me to sit in silence and read. 

What would happen if I really did that? Really study what God tells us through the Bible. Really sit down and read what Jesus tells me about living life. 

How would that conversation go? Well NBC – I mean Jesus says. . . Dr. Oz told me to eat such and such for better health, oh wait that was examples I found in the Bible not Dr. Oz.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching all those I have listed, but it does make me think how life would be different if I changed my way of spending time with The Word.

How many times do we use the term “thus says the Lord” except when we are in worship or a Bible class. 

I’m going to really try and make a better effort to spend more time in the word, less time in TV fantasy land. Less time on the computer, less time on Pintrest, less time comparing my life to anyone other than what God wants from me.

Hopefully you will hear more of “the Bible said. . ,” from me. 

May God Bless

The Buddy Bench

Reposted from "Proverbs 31"

Written by Alicia Bruxvoort

"What'd you do at recess today?" I asked my 7-year-old, Magdalene, as we lingered with ice cream cones on the back deck at the end of a hot school day.

My daughter licked a chocolate drizzle from her lips and closed her eyes as if the answer to my question might be painted across the back of her eyelids. She paused for a moment; her cone dangling drippy in mid-air as she gathered her thoughts. Then a toothless grin spread across her face. Her eyes popped open in sync with her smile. "I played a game on the monkey bars,” she said. “And kept an eye on the buddy bench, of course.”

It may not be a timeless staple like the chain-link swings or the classic monkey bars, but the buddy bench is my favorite feature on my daughter’s elementary school playground.

A simple wooden seat planted on the edge of the kid-filled chaos, the buddy bench is a silent summons to be seen instead of overlooked, fortified instead of forgotten, loved instead of lonely.

When a child needs a friend, she sits on the buddy bench. When a child feels left out or left behind, he sits on the buddy bench. When a child longs for a helping hand, a listening ear, an empathetic soul, she sits on the buddy bench.

This precious playground seat carries no stigma nor shame; it merely issues an unspoken invitation:

Will you join me in my time of need?

It’s a question we’ve all asked, isn’t it?

When the discouragement looms large or sadness swells sore, we wonder —

Who will offer hope in our hopelessness?

Who will extend mercy in our mess?

Who will proffer prayer in our pain?

That little buddy bench paints such a poignant picture of childlike friendship that the first time my daughter told me about it, I swallowed down a lump of tears and swiped at a few drizzles of sadness that zig-zagged down my cheeks.

Maybe it was because I was stumbling through a wearisome wilderness of my own, and I longed for a friend to share my steps. Or maybe it was because sometimes, it feels like no one notices my silent struggles. But for whatever reason, on that particular day, I returned my daughter’s smile through a haze of hot tears and whispered, “I wish I had a buddy bench, too.”

Later that evening, as I opened my Bible to the book of Hebrews, God reminded me He’s already granted my wish. I may not have the perfect pal planted on a wooden bench outside of my window, but I have a Faithful Friend seated on Heaven’s throne (Hebrews 12:2). And thanks to Christ’s accomplished work on the cross, I’m invited to sidle up to Him in prayer and find help in my time of need. And so are you!

Hebrews 4:16 puts it like this —

“So … come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

In elementary playground lingo, that sounds like an invitation to Heaven’s Buddy Bench!

So, next time there’s no one to sit with us in our struggles, let’s seek our Savior who stands in the gap. And with childlike faith, let’s ask Him the question that’s burning on our hearts: Will You join me in my time of need?

And I’m guessing that when we lean in and listen, we’ll hear Jesus say, “I’ve been here all along.” 

May God Bless

Parenting

I believe parenting is getting more difficult for this generation of moms and dads. We live in an era where nothing is private. Social media in all forms catches our every moment on video.

We have smart houses, smart cars and smart phones that watch and listen to our every movement, word and deed. We can’t escape the eyes of those around us. If I think about it too much I get rather paranoid. 

Parents must discipline their children and teach them constantly. It is a never ending job. Some days I used to feel like a “correction officer”. All I seemed to say on those days was don’t do this or that, don’t hit your sister, don’t throw things, don’t eat that toy, pick up your toys, put that down it’s not a toy, etc. At night you go to bed and think “that was a rough day”.

Then there are other days that go smoothly. No one fights, everyone shares their toys and no one spills anything. You lay your head on the pillow at night and smile with love for your family.

Both of these examples are typical parenting and both of them wear you out.

God tells us how to parent and no where can I find that it is easy. 

Deuteronomy 6:6-7
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” 

As children get older, it gets harder in a different way. You start to worry who they are spending their time with. Their activities get more involved and it takes a different amount of energy to handle their growing issues. While all this is happening, you are changing too. Men and women going through the change of life, and that can mean a variety of issues. Aging parents, teen hormones, physical changes in everybody and the needs keep coming. 

Through it all we have God’s word that tells us to diligently teach your children. In everything you do, your language, your actions, how you treat others and what you say has an impact on your children – no matter what their age is or yours. 

My children are grown, married, have children, have jobs, run their own homes and they are doing a fine job with all of it. However, my job is still not done. I’m still a parent and God’s words are still my direction.

What I do and how I react to life is still teaching my children. I’m helping them see when they get to where I am in life, their lives will be similar.

So as I go about my business today, I pray for my children and ask God for the guidance of raising adults.

A parent’s job is never done. 

May God Bless

Hiding From God

Psalm 139:23-24 

Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my anxieties, and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

As I read this verse this morning I got a strange feeling – not a good one. My first thought was I don’t want God to know my every thought (heart) or if there is any wicked way in me. However, I do want Him to lead me in the way of everlasting.

Let’s ponder that for a moment. Can we have one without the other? Can we hide things from God? If He knew everything in my heart “the good – the bad – the ugly” then how can He love me enough to lead me to Heaven?

Here are a few verses that tell us how much God loves us.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Romans 5:8 

“but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Ephesians 2:4-5

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved."

Have you ever thought you were hiding something from God? Or how about hiding things from other people? Sometimes we all put on different faces depending on who we are around.

There are faces you use at work, faces you use for fun and faces you use at church. God sees all those faces from the inside of you, not just the ones on the outside that you present to others. 

We all sometimes do things or say things we are not proud of and we know in our hearts that God sees us but sometimes we might just forget and think we “put one over on God”. 

We are silly little children, no matter how old we are to think we can get away with something. That is what makes us human my friends. Just as parents love their children when they make a mistake, God loves us when we make mistakes. 

Just remember you can’t hide from Him.

May God Bless

The Cycle of Life

As I walked up to the front doors of the church a car pulled up. In the car were three of our dearest older women. The youngest was driving – 70 something. Bless their hearts. They are always there at all worship services and leading by their wonderful example. It made my day.

Rounding the corner of the hallway and making my way to the auditorium there were 4 little girls gathered together and talking. Kinley, Hallie, Lauren and Bonnie were chatting away. I believe the oldest of these girls is 4 years old. The youngest isn’t even 2 yet. I was informed that Kinley and Lauren both had the same shoes on and Hallie and Bonny were the same because they were both sparkly. They were the cutest little girls having a most important conversation. It made my day.

Waiting for class to start my mind wandered to the day before when I was at a Memorial Service for a friend of ours who had passed away. He was only 58 years old but had suffered poor health for the last 10 years.

During his Memorial Service someone read the following. 

The Dash 

by Linda Ellis 

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. 

He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time that they spent alive on earth. And now only those who loved them 

know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own, the cars…the house…the cash. What matters is how we live 

and love and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard. Are there things 

you’d like to change? For you never know how much 

time is left that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough to consider what’s 

true and real and always try to understand 

the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more

and love the people in our lives like 

we’ve never loved before. 

If we treat each other with respect and more often 

wear a smile, remembering that this special 

dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s 

actions to rehash…would you be proud of the things 

they say about how you spent YOUR dash? 

I had heard this poem before, and it always makes me think about my life and what they will say about my dash at my funeral.

The Bible instructs us how to live our lives. 

Ephesians 5 

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

So take care of your “dash”. Live like God wants you too. 

May God Bless