More on Motorcycle Clubs

Let me rerun a blog from last August that piggybacks nicely on the previous one about the organization, Bikers Against Child Abuse. It just shows there are motorcycle lovers out their doing good work, even sharing the Gospel! Enjoy.

 A happy encounter in Banff, Alberta, Canada:

It was our last morning in this magnificent town in the National Park and we were waiting for the airport shuttle to drive us to Calgary Airport for our return to Arizona. I took one last walk to soak up the cool, crisp, clean mountain air and view the magnificent mountains surrounding the town.

Towards the end of my walk I saw a group of motorcycle dudes standing around a gas station. There were six of them, three men and three women, all wearing the characteristic leather jackets, bandanas, boots, etc. The men were big and burly, some with bushy beards (aka Duck Dynasty) or pony tails. The women looked competent as they gassed up the bikes and adjusted their helmets.

What intrigued me was the insignia on the backs of their jackets:  a cross with Tribe of Judah Motorcycle Ministries. I just had to stop.

I introduced myself as a fellow Christian and asked about their ministry. There were other Christian symbols on their jackets. One guy even had the date he was "born again" stitched on his leather vest and they all had "Jesus is Lord" on their backs. We enjoyed a delightful 20-minute visit right there at the gas station.

I told them they were living my husband's dream, as he would love for the two of us to ride around the country on a fancy motorcycle. Sadly, he's married to a wimp who doesn't relish speeding along the highway just inches from asphalt and hanging on for dear life. 

The three couples were traveling from Montana to Banff and on to Lake Louise to see the grandeur of the area and to be open to opportunities to share the gospel with hurting people. They insisted they are not a motorcycle club (or gang) but a Motorcycle Ministry looking for God appointments.

They often go into bars (because they can) to be available to anyone who wants to talk or share a need for prayer. They're not pushy and keep things low key. They're approachable because everyone loves to talk to a biker guy and a motorcycle mama, right?

Prayer Meeting at the Gas Station 

 

After a while they asked if I would join them in prayer before they headed off to Lake Louise. There I stood in a circle of prayer with my new biker friends right on the main street in Banff, the one that runs from the TransCanada Highway to the remote terrain of the Canadian Rockies.

They prayed for me and I prayed for them. They closed by asking God for, "Safe travels and no critters on the road!" I left with hugs all around as they roared off and I returned to finish packing for my trip home.

So, yes. God lives in the beauty of the Canadian Rockies and he lives in the people I encountered on our visit--especially the six bikers who are earnest about sharing God's love with anyone they meet.

* * * * *

I'd like to echo the prayer of my new biker friends for everyone kind enough to read this post:

May God give you safe travels (through life) with no critters on the road!   

 

(Won't my Grandkids be impressed to hear I'm hangin' with the bikers!)

I've since learned Tribe of Judah, is a national--no, make that international--organization that aims to share the gospel with outlaw motorcycle riders. And...grandmas going out for their morning stroll.

A Unique Organization

Through an article in the Arizona Republic, I came across a fascinating organization. It is BACA--Bikers Against Child Abuse.

If a young victim of abuse feels frightened or unsafe, he or she can call on members of this organization to provide reassurance in their home or neighborhood. With permission from the child's parent, several members will ride their motorcycles to the child's home and park in their driveway as a show of force. If needed, they will escort them to school.

They give the child a denim vest, complete with biker badges, as well as other gifts. Officers in the group in Phoenix have such names as, Rembrandt, Uno, Fat Daddy, Squirrel, and Smiles. Now what kid wouldn't feel safe knowing those men (and women) were watching out for them?

I can't do the story justice so I urge you to click on this link and read their mission statement. By the way, they collect new and used denim jackets that can be cut down into vests for the children. The Republic article showed a photo of one of the women bikers with her sewing machine set up in a driveway right next to her Harley. She was stitching on the badges.

Visit the website of this international organization, read their story, and be amazed.

http://bacaworld.org/mission/

To read the story in the Arizona Republic and see a great photo, go to:

azcentral.com/news/azliving/20120713bikers-against-child-abuse-make-abuse-victims-feel-safe.html

The Pink Sweater

There's a scene in my novel, Route to Survival, that features a pink, hand-knit sweater. I won't give away the details here for those who've not read the story, but I will tell you a little about the background.

Years ago, I owned a pink sweater that looked hand-knit, but wasn't. I loved it. The color was flattering, it fit comfortably, and it got softer and softer after each washing. I wore it many years, even after it began fading. That's when the sweater started fulfilling its purpose.

I discovered when I wore it, I felt comforted. How could a piece of clothing do that? I don't know, but I do know I found myself reaching for it on days I felt sad, lonely, or insecure.

When I began writing seriously, I slipped on that favorite sweater before heading to the computer. It helped a lot. Since I felt comforted, I was free to be creative with whatever project was in the hopper. It became my go-to writing uniform. Quite an accomplishment for a ratty, old, faded piece of clothing.

It warms my heart to include my favorite sweater in the story of Kate Mitchell in Route to Survival. Somehow, Kate needed what it was able to give. It served me well and it served her well.

What about you?

I bet each of my electronic readers has a favorite piece of clothing or jewelry that comforts.

• Is it an old flannel shirt?
• A pair of torn jeans?
• Slippers that hug your feet?
• A necklace given to you by someone special?
• Grandpa's old watch?

My daughter wears a ring my grandmother gave my mother for her sixteenth birthday. My mom treasured it and she let me wear it on special occasions when I was a teenager. When she died, I requested that silver filigree ring with the blue sapphires. It is special to my daughter and, if I remember correctly, she may have worn it on her wedding day. It gives her comfort knowing she's connected to four generations.

The special ring.

Let me know what items give you peace...or perhaps they remind you to relax and seek God's peace that doesn't come from a thing but comes from a relationship with him.

If you're not comfortable using the "Comment" section below, just email me directly. I'd love to hear what strange but comforting items are lurking deep within your closets!

My email:  suefarisraatjes@gmail.com

New Normal

Years ago, I was in a situation that caused a change in my life. In talking with a very special person, she used the term "new normal." It helped minimize my fear and assured me I could handle whatever life had in store for me.

Change is frightening, to say the least. Think about the most stressful times in your life and you'll notice it probably involved some sort of change.

We love to pattern our lives. Routines and sameness, though often boring, are safe. We love predictability because it means we can count on something in a world that is totally unpredictable. Wow....how philosophical!

When change hits, and it will, it helps greatly if you can label it with a term that is reassuring. That's when the phrase, new normal, enters.

What changes cause us consternation? Try these on for size:

• geography
• relationships
• employment
• health
• status

Let's consider the biggy: a change in relationships. When that happens, it rocks our boat and causes extreme angst. However, if we can rename the event (whether it's a positive or negative change) it becomes doable. New Normal can be very soothing. Though the word new is a bit scary, the term normal denotes something comfortable and familiar.

Think of a time you were stressed by some change in your life. Perhaps it's now. Mentally label your situation and the changes you made as the new normal. Does that encourage you to approach the problem with strength?

God continually puts change before us to grow us closer to him and to strengthen us. It's life. Without it, we would be bored and boring. How we handle it determines our level of happiness.

Take these verses to heart to help you keep perspective:

Psalm 118:6-7 New International Version (NIV)

⁶The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?
⁷ The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
    I look in triumph on my enemies.

 Philippians 4:13New International Version (NIV)
¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.


Next time a surprise causes you stress think, "This is my new normal."

"I can handle this, I just need to adjust my thinking and acting."

It works--I promise! 

Respond:  When major change threw you for a loop, how did you handle it? How did you survive? Other readers will benefit from your advice. Use the Comments section below. Thank you for participating.

 

God's Personal Fingerprint

More about fingerprints: I look at my life and see God’s fingerprints placed on me in a very personal way. As I look back I am astonished and reassured he was with me always. His timing was perfect, though I often questioned it when waiting for answered prayers. Opportunities and closed doors gently guided me to his plan for my life.

I remember certain people God placed in my life at the exact time I needed their support or instruction. Churches, Bible studies or small groups were all part of God’s loving hand directing me--no, tugging me--toward him.

Even tragedies served to let me know God’s touch was upon me. My mother died when I was 28 years old. She was the emotional rock of our family and we all were devastated. It took me a full painful year to come to terms with losing her, but in the healing process I learned how to comfort others who lose loved ones.

Tragedies hit all families and ours has not escaped. In spite of it all, I have learned to walk with God moment by moment, even sometimes breath by breath. He can be trusted because his fingerprints are on me and I am comforted.

Make it a practice to look for God’s touches in nature and in art and then look back on your life to see his fingerprints on you personally. Nothing is more reassuring than this promise:  “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;…” (Isaiah 49: 16)

If you know someone who needs to hear that God's fingerprints are on their lives, share this with them using the social media icons below.
 

God's Fingerprints

Fingerprints are a part of my life. When my children were toddlers, our glass-topped coffee table always was smudged with their little handprints, as was the sliding glass door leading to the patio. As they grew older, they targeted walls, light switches, and bathroom mirrors. And how about those archways leading from one room to the next? We even discovered them on my kitchen ceiling. (I have very tall children.)

As Grandma I don’t mind fingerprints so much. I received many gifts with imprints of the grandkids’ hands or feet. I have necklaces with thumbprints of newborns, Christmas ornaments of little hands, and my favorite, ten garden stepping stones with the hands and feet of all the grandchildren when they were little.

God has his fingerprints all over us and often we don’t realize it. When I look, really look, for the fingerprint of God, the first thing that comes to mind is Creation. The magnificence of the earth points me toward God who created beauty, science, and order.

I am awed when I consider the animals instinctively know how to survive and care for their young:

•  How do the salmon know to swim upstream to the spot of their conception?
• How does the mother bear learn to protect her cubs from predators and train them in the art of finding food?
• Who teaches the penguins to keep their eggs tucked underneath their warm fur to avoid freezing? And isn’t it great that both Mama and Papa Penguin share in this difficult task!

Another divine fingerprint is watching a child learn new things. A developing brain is an affirmation of the God of the Universe. So are art and music. Beautiful music is composed and performed by those gifted by God with a love for harmony and with abilities unknown to most of us. The artist who combines color and form into unbelievable pieces also is a reflection of God.

As you go about your day, look for the fingerprints of God. They're all around you. Call them divine smudges!

         

From Chaos to Calm

(Dear Electronic Friends: My apologies, but it's been a busy week. I am recycling a blog post from September, 2014. I hope it encourages you who are new readers or you who have bad memories!)


Who depends on you? What are your responsibilities? How many items are on your to-do list for the week?

Overwhelmed yet? The jumble that makes up your daily life can cause incredible chaos. This doesn't even factor in the biggies that occur:  loss of health, relationships, job, or home; fear, either real or imagined; worry about, well, everything.

How can we manage an overloaded life so there are pockets of calm?

Proactive Steps:

• Pare down
• Simplify
• Just say no

No, no, no! That's insulting if you are in the throes of life right now because often you can't eliminate anything. It would be like asking

• Which meal can my family do without?
• Which kid do I neglect today?
• How do I tell my boss I can't do the work she assigned?

So, how can we manage all we must do and stay upright? Try this:

1. Work diligently and efficiently. Focus 100% on the task at hand and then REMOVE YOURSELF FROM IT. (see a previous post, Formula for Busy People, about setting priorities and working through goals.)
2. Take care of yourself physically. Eat healthy (try eliminating one not-so-good item from your diet), exercise (each week move around a little more than the previous week), and get good sleep (work on your before bed sleep routines and allow enough time for proper sleep). Even Elijah took a God-ordered nap when he was depressed and overwhelmed. (see I Kings 19: 3-9)
3. Work on improving your relationships. Schedule time for fun and social engagements.
4. Be sure to spend time alone with God.

Now...

Invert that list so it looks something like this:

1. Spend time alone with God
2. Work to improve your relationships ("People are more important than things")
3. Take care of your physical well-being
4. Work responsibly and productively

Do you see the difference? Allowing God to be first in your daily priorities enables everything else to fall into place. The busier you are the more you need to place God first.

Wonder of all wonders, privately communicating with God makes me more energetic, it clears my thinking, it minimizes stress, and increases my productivity.I don't know how, but it works every time.

Too Busy not to Spend Time with God!

 

My Prayer Chair in a former backyard

Old Testament David, a man with many responsibilities as king of God's people and a man who frequently found his life in chaos, said it best:  "I seek you with all my heart;...I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees....I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways....I will not neglect your word." (Psalm 119: 10-12, 15-16)

"The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." (Psalm 145: 18)

David learned to go from chaos to calm by spending time with his God.

 

Easter Blessings!

He is risen, he is risen indeed!

Passover & Easter (cont'd)

Please read my previous blog post for this to make sense!

Here's what I learned about celebrating Passover, with apologies to my Jewish friends if I get anything wrong:

• The first two and last two days are the most important of this eight-day festival. The last two signify the splitting of the Red Sea when the Israelites escaped Pharoah's armies.
• Holiday candles are lit each night and sumptuous holiday meals are enjoyed.
• Very dedicated Jews don't go to work, drive, write, or switch on electric devices the first and last two days (One rabbi calls it a "digital Sabbath").
• The other days are intermediate and work is permitted.
• Matzah is a flat unleavened bread that is an important part of the meals, for obvious reasons (see previous bog post).
• Seder, a special meal, is enjoyed each of the first two nights of Passover. It is a 15-step, family-oriented, ritual-packed feast. It is designed to commemorate the salvation of the Israelites and to teach children an important concept of the faith.
• In addition to matzah, bitter herbs are eaten to represent the bitterness of slavery.
• Four cups of wine or grape juice are served as a royal drink representing freedom. For more on the significance of the four cups of wine, refer to Ray Vander Laan's article mentioned in the previous blog post: http://oneinjesus.info/2010/02/faith-lessons-by-ray-vander-laan-the-fifth-cup/.
• The Haggadah is recited. It is a liturgy that recounts the story of the exodus from Egypt.

Here's how Christians celebrate the Easter season--some call it Passion Week:

• Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) is a day to remember the Last Supper--the Passover celebration Jesus held with his disciples. He gave it new meaning by teaching that he would become the Passover Lamb, the sacrifice for our salvation. Communion is a part of the remembrance. This was also when Jesus washed the disciples' feet, showing them what true love and servitude looked like.
• The most meaningful Maundy Thursday service I ever attended was a re-enactment of the Last Supper with actors forming still shots of the famous da Vinci painting while the Bible passage was read.
• Some churches institute foot-washing ceremonies as well as Communion on Maundy Thursday. ("Maundy"comes from a Latin term meaning "command"--reflecting Jesus' command to practice communion and serve others.)
• Good Friday remembers the tragic day of Jesus' crucifixion. In former times, many businesses closed at noon so workers could attend noon church services. Today many churches hold somber Good Friday services. (For information on Tenebrae services, see http://www.gotquestions.org/Tenebrae-service.html).
• Resurrection Sunday (Easter) finds many worshipers taking part in early sunrise services to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the third day. This is a very uplifting, hopeful way to begin the day that is the most important one of the Christian faith.
• Later church services are held, often with worshipers dressed in new garments, representing the new life in Christ. Easter eggs hunts for the children are meant to teach new birth through Jesus' sacrifice. (Some churches prefer the term Resurrection Sunday instead of Easter since the term Easter stems from a pagan spring celebration. Sorry, but bunnies come from that pagan event.)

I love how God works everything out with logic and meaning. It all makes sense as we tie in Passover (freedom from slavery) with the Resurrection (freedom from the slavery of our sin).

Here are some links to special Passover and Easter recipes that might enhance your holidays. Enjoy.

PASSOVER RECIPES:
 www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2160734/jewish/Applesauce-Cranberry-Ice.htm
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2160748/jewish/Banana-Pops.htm
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2157117/jewish/Avocado-and-Mango-Salsa.htm


EASTER RECIPES:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/skillet-almond-shortbread-recipe.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/ham-and-cheese-in-puff-pastry-recipe.html