Sensitivity Barometer

The following words come from my friend, Ellen Garst, who posted these on Facebook a few days ago. Ellen served as chairperson of the Math Department at Ironwood High School in Peoria, Arizona, for many years. She taught math at Orme School in Prescott, as well as at Ironwood.

I'll always remember Ellen for her innovative way of teaching her students the strength of the three-point triangle: she performed a handstand right there in class in front of her amazed students. They never forgot that concept.

Ellen is very sensitive to other people and I am touched by the words she shared. Thank you for the reminder, Ellen:

Some thoughts as we enter the holiday season...

It is important to remember that not everyone is surrounded by large wonderful families. Some of us have problems during the holidays and some of us are overcome with great sadness when we remember the loved ones who are not with us.

And many people have no one to spend these times with and are besieged by loneliness. We all need caring, loving thoughts right now....May I ask my friends, wherever you might be,...to give a moment of support for all those who have family problems, health struggles, job issues, worries of any kind and just need to know someone cares.

Do it for all of us, for nobody is immune....

Well, said, Ellen.

A recent "feel good" email circulating around the internet states it like this:  "Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."

Let's keep our sensitivity barometers tuned up and cut everyone some slack, especially during the upcoming holidays.

Kindness Rocks!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

     What can I say? Thank you for reading my words. I appreciate anyone who gives up a few minutes in their busy lives to do me the honor of clicking on my blog site. Encouragement for Christian Living will continue to be the focus of my writing.

    

 Good Food Surrounds Important Events

     Food is so much a part of Thanksgiving, whether it's traditional, ethnic, or take out. Many Bible teachings center around the sharing of meals or feasts. Maybe God wants us to know he can satisfy our souls just as food satisfies and nourishes our bodies.

Esther - feasts play an important part in the entire story of Esther, from the king's feast, Queen Esther's several banquets, to the Feast of Purim, celebrating the triumph of the Jews.

Feast Days - throughout the Old Testament we see the Israelites commemorating important days of remembrance with large feasts--a way to celebrate God's care.

Wedding Feast in Cana - Jesus chose this celebration to perform his first earthly miracle.

Last Supper - the most important feast of all, just before the Messiah's crucifixion and resurrection.

     Enjoy your holiday meal, no matter what it looks like.

     My prayer for you, my electronic friends, is that you're experiencing a happy, restful, fun-filled day with people you cherish. If you're alone, I offer some verses to remind you God cares and knows your heart:

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." (Psalm 90: 14)

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" (Psalm 91: 1-2)

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Philippians 4: 19-20)

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41: 10)

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Beautiful lantana adding fall color to our back yard.

(In case you're wondering, I write and schedule these blog posts ahead of time. I am NOT writing this at 5:00 a.m. Phoenix time on Thanksgiving Day.)

Pre-Holiday Post

Read any of the December magazines or watch the home and garden shows on cable television and you'll come away feeling discouraged, like you don't measure up. I've always loved reading and hearing about lovely holiday celebrations but it can be a bit overwhelming.

Who can wrap the entire inside of their house with garland and tinsel? Who can afford to have 30 fully-lighted, artificial trees in their front yard at 100 bucks a crack, or a life-sized team of reindeer on the roof?

Who can seat 20 or 30 well-dressed, smiling relatives around a huge dining table overloaded with platters of perfect-looking gourmet food? (I think they shellac it for the photo shoot.)

And the turkey is always golden brown, with fluffy little paper things on the end of his drumsticks, gracing the table. Anyone knows he gets carved up and his sorry-looking carcas sits on the kitchen cupboard dripping juice all over the cutting board and perhaps the floor.

And don't even get me started on cookie baking. The tray of ten different kinds of intricately decorated cookies looks so perfect in the magazines. You can almost smell them through the printed page. Trouble is, cookie baking day as I remember it (I don't do that anymore with an empty nest and healthful eating habits...sigh), was extremely tiring and stressful. It's a lot of work! The clean-up is awful.

Those of you in the throes of busy family, home, and career lives are already over-scheduled. Add in all the extras of the holidays, and it gets really tough. There's shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking, school productions, parties, etc. (Journalist friend, Peggy, discourages me from using "etc." But, it's such a lovely catch-all word, and I'm finding it a hard habit to break. Sorry, Peggy. I'll work on it.)

Lighten Up and Edit

The point is: Lighten up on your expectations for yourself and your family. Don't be afraid to edit the events and activities you enjoy. All are good but all may not be necessary for celebrating a very important time of year.

Don't let the marketers influence you to do more or spend more than you are capable of doing or want to do. See it as a contest of you vs. them. And then, win! Do what makes the holiday season meaningful for you, your family, and friends. You can go all out if it makes you happy, or you can slack off. I give you permission even to be a little lazy. Eliminate or add, do or don't. You direct a meaningful season.

It's o.k. if your etcetera (etc.) is imperfect or pared down so you can spend time on:

• personal worship
• connecting with or remembering special people
• perhaps interacting with strangers who need some company

Future posts will consider holiday issues such as:

1. Sensitivity Barometer
2. A Person who Ponders
3. An Angel Party
4. Christmas Alone

God's Holy Name

The ancient Hebrew scholars so revered God that they wouldn't even allow themselves to speak his name. In reading the scriptures, they would pause rather than let the name of the Almighty pass through sinful, human lips.

The scribes who recorded the scriptures used a brand new pen and then discarded it whenever they came to the name Jahweh. That's how sacred God's name was to them.

Compare that to our society. We hear the precious names of God and Jesus blasphemed in our homes, offices, schools, media, sporting events--all around us. How sad that must make God.


Challenge: if you've developed the loose habit of using God's name disrespectfully or flippantly, discipline yourself to eliminate this from your speech. Make a pact with all your family members to make yours a household that honors the name of God. Be aware of opportunities to speak up gently and ask others not to dirty the name of your God.

Today: think Hebrew concerning the holiness of God and reverence his name.

Hebrew Names

If you were an ancient Hebrew and your name described your personality, what would you be called?

• He who argues?
• She who scatters debris?
• He who makes peace?
• She who loves?

Names were important to the Hebrews. A study of the Old Testament is enhanced by knowing what the many characters' names mean. For example, Abraham means "father of a multitude." He was married to Sarah, "princess," and their son was Isaac, "he laughs." Read the story in chapter 18 of Genesis and these names will make sense.

In instructing the Israelites, God identified himself by many names. He was:

Elohim - Strong One
Adonae - Lord, Master
Sabaoth - Lord of Hosts
El Shaddae - Powerful Nourisher
Jahweh - I am

The most important name of all for God is Jesus, which means Savior. God's power is in that name that rescues us from the disaster of sin.

What does this mean for us? The almighty God reveals himslef to us at every milestone of our walk with him. He meets us at our point of need and offers life with him, on earth and for eternity.

Select a Hebrew name for God and pray to him, picturing what this name reveals.

What's Your Name?

• Your formal name given by your mom and dad
• Your nickname
• Your childhood name the family uses (ugh!)
• Your complete formal name used for business or medical purposes
• Your sports name
• Your alias (hope not)
• The name your special sweetie calls you!

Maybe you have a title that identifies you: Mom, Dad, Coach, Teacher, Pastor, Auntie, Grandpa. Or, you could still be someone's parent or someone's spouse. Years ago, my husband and I owned a business together and I bristled when someone referred to me as The Owner's Wife. Grrrr.

A Baby's Name

A lot of thought goes into naming a baby. It often takes months of discussion, thinking, considering, and cajoling to come up with just the right one. It may honor a family member or reflect a special occasion (think Joy Noel).

A child's name has to be one both parents like and it has to sound good with the family surname. It especially can't lend itself to teasing on the school playground. Someone who loved you spent a lot of time coming up with your special name.

Your Name and Your Identity

There are times, however, when you're not feeling too great about yourself or your life. You don't fit in, you're not comfortable, everyone else has got it all together and you're wondering where it's at. Others' lives look perfect while yours is unraveling. You're an adult but still striving to find your true identity. That can be a rough path.

There's a lovely praise song from a decade ago titled, "I Will Change Your Name" and it goes like this:

I will change your name.
You shall no longer be called
Wounded, outcast, lonely, or afraid.

I will change your name.
Your new name shall be
Confidence, joyfulness, overcoming one,
Faithfulness, friend of God,
One who seeks my face.

God Values You

 

The good news is, God knows your name and he values you. Your identity is tied up, not only in your name, but in the fact you are a child of God--royalty for sure--no matter what you're feeling about your life.

If you feel lately like you are:

"Wounded," Outcast," "Lonely," "Afraid," or a host of other negative labels...

then read the words to this song and let them sink into your consciousness. Better still, click on this link and watch a video of the Nebblett Family as they perform the song, "I Will Change Your Name."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liOzd21u5MY

  Let these words wash over you. They validate your worth to God.

TRUST - The Sequel

Sorry, more about birds. This will be the last, I promise.

My son in Corona, California, has an unusual timepiece in his back yard. Early every morning a group (we're talking hundreds) of loud, squawking, obnoxious, caustic, big, black crows flies from the east to the west across a reserve behind their subdivision. Then 5:00 every evening, that same group of crows retraces the route back to their favorite roosting place in a grove of trees. They truly are southern California commuters. You can tell the time of day from this strange, noisy activity.

Isn't God's creation orderly? Dependable? Just think, not only the animal world, but the seasons, climate patterns, rock formations, plant life, and other sciences have God's stamp all over them. All of the "-ologies" we study in school are God-created entities. A good friend taught geology for years at a local high school. He once said, "The more I learn about science, the more I believe in God." I remember that comment whenever anyone tries to lure me into disbelieving God's omnipotence in creation. But...that's for another post.

Back to those crazy birds. Their behavior leads to a familiar Bible passage about God caring for us. It's so familiar it threatens to become a cliche, causing us to overlook the power of its teaching.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6: 26-27)

A rough paraphrase of this verse applied to the daily migration of those crows might be something like this:

if God cares enough to instill survival instinct in these dumb, loud, annoying, stupid birds, surely he will take care of my _____________________ (insert whatever problem is plaguing you today).

Specifically, this passage speaks to:

• God's timetable
• God's dependability
• God's provision

All are things we desperately need and count on. It can be summed up in the word, TRUST. Why all this on trust (2 posts--enough already!)? I think it's because it is something I've struggled with the past several years and I'm trying to nail it in my own walk with God.

Where do you and I need to trust?

1. Family life
2. Relationships
3. Spiritual life
4. Health
5. Work
6. Life's direction
7. Finances

 God will honor your sincere prayer for guidance in any of those areas. It is his promise.

"...neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us [you] from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 38-39)

"I [you] can do everything through him who gives me [you] strength." (Philippians 4: 13)

TRUST

What is it about Arizona quail and Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News? Every evening at 5:30, when my husband and I turn on Nightly News, quail come to our back yard to feast. Not just a family, sometimes as many as 19. Their timing is precise and it almost never fails.

These unique birds must have a time clock embedded in their miniscule brains to know just when to come for juicy bugs and world news. The weather's pleasant and the door is open so I'm sure they're listening. Note to Brian: would you lighten up on world news a bit. There's a covey of little quail listening.

Bible Quail:

This reminds me of the quail story in the Bible. You knew I was going there, didn't you? When the Israelites roamed the desert for forty years, God met all their needs, including sending daily nutrition in the form of manna. There it was, every morning when they walked out of their tents: coriander-like wafers ready for the picking. It was nutritional and sufficient for the day. If they picked too much, it went moldy, emphasizing God's message to trust him for each day's provision.

True to human nature, the Israelites started grumbling. They ate manna in the morning and a little meat from their limited livestock in the evening. Still, they tired of the menu. God must have been exasperated, as he is with us sometimes. He provides but we grumble.

Well, he showed them. He sent quail. Lots and lots of quail. A year later, after a major gripe session, the Bible tells us, "Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction." (Numbers 11:31) Now that's a lot of quail!

We're told the people gathered and ate and while the meat was still between their teeth, the anger of the Lord burned against them and he struck them with a terrible plague.

What is the sin here?

It's grumbling and not appreciating the provisions of God who loves mankind. Period. As I look into my own heart, often I take for granted God's daily provision and forget to rely on his care for me. I am called to trust, even in the middle of life's greatest issues.

The quail who come to hear the evening news (I know, I know. They're not listening. It's a joke.) remind me since God provides for his creatures through their inner clocks and bugs in our yard, then surely he will guide me through life. He just wants my trust.

Can you join me in trusting God for the issues you're facing right now?

(Helpful Hint:  you can put an icon for this blog on your desktop and it will be easier to click on than typing in a web address. It also will remind you to check each Thursday and Sunday for new posts. Just left click on the little gray icon next to my blog address in the upper left corner, hold and drag it to your desktop. You might have to first move the blog window to the right of your screen so you can see the desktop and screen at the same time. It's easy-peasy.)

Comfort

What speaks comfort to you? Is it a:

• Cuppa - cocoa or coffee?
• Quilt made by someone who loves you?
• Down pillow reminiscent of your favorite plush toy as a child?
• Comfortable home waiting for you at the end of a workday?
• Meal with your favorite foods, with no regards to calories?
• Special person?
• Family in harmony?
• Sense of safety when "all the chickies are in the nest"? 

     This photo shows a beautiful sunrise a few Fridays ago when God blessed our Arizona skies with soft clouds and amazing colors. It was as if he threw a multi-hued blanket over our whole valley. A friend who teaches high school shared this photo--her reward for having to get up early for work. By the time I got up, I missed the colors but saw the blanket of clouds.

                                                                        (Photo courtesy Jamie McQueen)

     How does God comfort?

• Through his understanding and care 

In spite of the huge issues going on in the world today, God lets me come to him with my problems. My concerns are valid to him, no matter how small.

• Through the avenue of prayer 

I can pray anytime, anywhere, any place. I can pray out loud, in my head, formally, or informally. The lines of communication are always open.

• Through my reading of the Bible

God's letter of love is there for me to absorb. (See August 4th post) Everything I experience is in that book! It takes a little delving on my part to find answers, but they're available.

• Through the Holy Spirit 

The Spirit is a little mysterious and somewhat puzzling. We don't talk about him as much as we talk about God or Jesus, but the Holy Spirit comforts, counsels, and empowers. I'll save the theological discussion for the preachers and scholars, but I know he exists.

When you need comforting, and who doesn't in today's world, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with a feeling of peace. Life may continue to be turbulent, but you will experience inner calm that comes only from God.

What is the biggest problem causing you stress right now? Imagine a soft, fluffy cloud blanket from God caressing your shoulders.

God blankets you with his love and strength to walk through whatever is in store.

View from the McQueen Backyard