The Shepherd Soothes

I am a news junkie who enjoys keeping up with happenings in the world. Television broadcasts, the newspaper, and the internet offer news coverage 24/7. As a child, I thought current events were boring, something I had to report on every Friday in Social Studies. Now I find them fascinating.

A professor once said if you never read any part of the newspaper but one, make it the Editorial Page. That is where readers get varying opinions on both sides of an issue, and then make up their own minds. It's called Critical Thinking.

These past couple of weeks, I had to limit my news viewing because I was overdosing on the grim attacks around the world. The ugly threat of terrorism permeated my thoughts. So, I withdrew a little.

What really helped me was a Bible study I attended. It was a video class led by Ray VanderLaan, a Bible teacher at Holland Christian High School in Michigan. He teaches several excellent video Bible studies, filmed in the Holy Land. (Click here for more information.)

This particular video was on Jesus as the Good Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep. The location was the Negev desert. VanderLaan taught standing in the midst of very bleak, hot, dry, dusty conditions--actually the scenery looked much like Arizona. In the background, were young children tending their families' herds of sheep.

With that as a backdrop, this excellent teacher proceeded to educate us on the characteristics of sheep:

• They're helpless without a watchful shepherd.
• If they fall over, they're unable to right themselves. The shepherd must do that. If he/she doesn't, the animal dies.
• They cannot drink from flowing water--it must be "still waters." (See where this is leading?)
• At night, the shepherd of Bible days slept in the gate to the fold (actually he was the gate) so the sheep wouldn't escape and predators could not enter.
• The desert that serves as their buffet table, is not lush green grass. Rather it is very sparse and has just enough foliage for one day. The shepherd moves the herd to other patches daily.  He gives them their "daily bread."
• A few goats will be in the herd but they will not outnumber the sheep. Sheep tend to follow the goats and we all know goats often go rogue. (Life lesson: never follow a "goat.")

Click here to learn about a good book by Phillip Keller called, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. If you read it, the 23rd Psalm will come alive for you.

Back to my being a newsie. When I walked out of that Bible study, I felt soothed. After a week of terrifying news of a world spinning out of control, I needed comfort. And I received it through remembering I have a Shepherd who is watching over all of us. He cares, he loves, and, he wins (I read the Book!).

Take heart. When the current evil overwhelms you, remember God loves all of us and he is in control. Jesus defeated evil on the cross. God's presence can be with us even in the midst of unspeakable atrocities.

Read the Twenty-third Psalm every morning for the next several days and be soothed.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving week. Whether you're alone or with loved ones, take time to let God's presence and love flow over you.

Sounds of the Midwest

I visited the hometown of my youth in Middleburgh Heights, Ohio, last week. Going home triggers a mix of emotions:

joy, nostalgia, longing, and weirdness

Joy because visiting family is the very reason for the trip. I enjoyed quality time with a sister, a brother-in-law, two nieces, a nephew, a nephew in-law, and five great-nieces and nephews. All that in three days!

I felt a little weird because it is strange to drive along previously empty country roads and see them filled with fast food restaurants and retail chain stores. I guess nothing stays the same.

Weird, too, because the Southwest that has been my home the past forty-five years, differs from Ohio. The climate, topography, architecture, and local color are unique--equally beautiful but different.

Another strange phenomenon was the weather. Ohio can be anything the first week of November. My visit was blessed with 70-degree weather, pretty much the whole time. In fact, one day it was cooler in Phoenix than in Ohio. I didn't even wear the light jacket I packed.

Other than visiting with loved ones, what touched my heart most were the sounds and sites of the Midwest I remember and love:

• Falling leaves - I'd forgotten how beautiful they look when they tumble to the ground in a soft breeze. The trees seems to be whispering.
• A muffled train whistle off in the distance - it made me want to write a country western song about riding the rails. A train whistle stirs up a longing in my heart for....? What, I don't know.
• Crunching through fall leaves in a woods - my sister and her husband live on wooded property and walking through the dried leaves reminded me of my childhood. Like most children, my friends and I raked the leaves into huge piles to jump through. I remember vividly the large worms hiding in those piles. Maybe that added to the adventure.
• Deer running through the back yard. Actually, it was a doe trying to get away from two eager young bucks. (I saw 23 deer in the three days of my visit!)
• Squirrels - all 4,000 of them!- crunching peanuts left on the porch. I think squirrels are going to take over the world--at least northern Ohio.
• Squawking blue jays - I saw them as beautiful, my family considers them a nuisance.

Sounds of the Midwest are really sounds of home. I suspect every place has its special noises. My husband was raised in Chicago and he fondly remembers city noises: sirens, car horns, and screeching brakes. He even likes the smell of bus fumes! I can't even imagine.

What sounds bring back your childhood?

 

Think about your youth. What sounds trigger positive memories? Share a memory or two with your family members.

Have fun!

Preserved fall leaves from my childhood neighborhood--they remind me of my roots.

 

AZ Birds

It's that time of year again. Visitors from the chilly north descend upon our sunny state in droves. Snowbirds, we affectionately call them.

Note to Snowbirds: welcome to the sunbelt. We appreciate your fondness for our state and the boost you give our economy. It's fun to meet you and hear you go on and on about the place we call home.

It's time to do a little refresher course on the unique place called Arizona

• Arizona became the 48th state and last of the contiguous states on February 14, 1912. President William Howard Taft was ready to make it official on February 12, but it was Lincoln's birthday. The 13th was considered bad luck, so they waited until the following day. That's how it became known as the Valentine State.
• Even though much of Arizona is desert, it has 3,928 mountain peaks--more mountains than any of the other mountain states in the west (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming). Who counted them? Twenty-six of those peaks are more than 10,000 feet in elevation.
• The Sonoran Desert is the most biologically diverse desert in North America.
• If you're driving from the north, you will pass through incredible scenery. Oraibi, a Hopi village located in Navajo County, dates back to before A.D. 1200 and is the oldest continuously inhabited community in America.
• Four Corners allows you to put your hands and feet in four states all at once: New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, & Arizona. You have to bend a little to do this but it's a great photo op.
• The Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona contains America's largest deposits of petrified wood. It is the official state fossil. (I didn't even know we had a state fossil.)
• The best-preserved meteor crater in the world is located near Winslow, Arizona. No doubt you've heard the song about Winslow. Click here to read about it.
• On the drive from Flagstaff to Phoenix, take a little detour to visit incredible Sedona with its red rock formations. I gasp every time I visit. It's as awe-inspiring at the Grand Canyon (which you won't want to miss). Then slip over to Prescott--a mile high city. It is home to the world's oldest rodeo, as well as the world's largest to-scale collection of miniature airplane models. The collection is housed in the library at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• Speaking of rodeos, Payson, Arizona, is home to the world's oldest continuous rodeo, dating back to he 1880s.

A serenading cowboy on the train from Williams to the Grand Canyon. First the cowboys "rob" you, then they sing.

There you have it--some interesting and some not-so-exciting facts about my state. We residents pay our dues each summer by enduring ridiculously hot days and very warm nights. Now is our time to enjoy our incredible climate and boast a little--or a lot!

Come and enjoy!



Joy

When I'm feeling less than happy--make that sad, very sad--a praise song from my youth just naturally comes to mind:

"The joy of the Lord is my strength"

It comes from an Old Testament Bible verse in Nehemiah. Exiled Jews returned to Jerusalem only to find their beloved city in ruins, specifically the wall that was crucial to their safety. Nehemiah, the king's cupbearer, was granted permission to return to Jerusalem and re-build the wall.

Nehemiah's resume reads well: he went from cupbearer to construction manager to governor. Read the short book bearing his name. It's fascinating. Take note of the leadership skills it took to complete the complex project. It's like Business Management 101.

He was a leader of integrity who insisted the needs of the poor be met. He, himself, declined the food allotted to him as governor so it could be shared. His prayer in chapter 1 demonstrates his reliance on God.

After the wall was completed, Nehemiah gathered the people so Ezra could read them the Law of Moses. They had neglected God and were called to repentance. They were grief-stricken when they realized their sin.

Instead of admonishing them, Governor Nehemiah, Ezra the priest, and the Levites told the people to rejoice and see the day as a joyful, sacred one--the day they returned to their God. Nehemiah even told them to host a party!

"Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV)

I love the praise song that reflects that sentiment voiced by Nehemiah. I've seen it make a difference in my days.

The next time you need joy in your life, sing the song this way:

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

 

 

Joy is sometimes present and sometimes elusive. Days are sunny and days are overcast.

 

The next time you're having a difficult day, repeat this uplifting song. It works.

 

 



Best Reaction is an Under Reaction

"Can't you think of anything new to do? I did that when I was in school." I rolled my eyes and tried to look nonchalant before the group of junior high students. I was their substitute teacher for the day. It was 11:00, the designated time for them to drop their books all at once, hoping to disrupt the teaching. My bored reaction took the wind out of their sails and we went on to complete the day's instructions, much to their dismay.

Remember your junior high years in school when a substitute teacher was in charge of a class? Remember the students trying to unnerve said substitute--trying their best to get him or her to "lose it"? If you could get them to cry, that would be the best.

Hopefully, most of us have matured beyond such childish, mean-spirited antics. Many of us have worked as underappreciated substitute teachers. It's a tough gig.

I learned early on in my teaching career that the best reaction to most (I said most) situations is an under reaction. In fact, two different principals advised me of this while helping me navigate some tough situations.

I saw this under reaction theory work in the church years ago. We were part of a small group of people struggling to keep open a dying church.   The denomination sent a representative to tell us we had one last chance to build the membership or they would shut us down. We were young, passionate, and loved our neighborhood church. After the emotional meeting, complete with angry outbursts, many of us were riled up--some crying, others just plain mad.

Up stepped an elderly gentleman--old Mr. Florian Fink. He smiled and said calmly, "I wonder how God's going to get us out of this mess."

He stopped us in our tracks and I've never forgotten that phrase. Whenever I'm in the midst of a big issue, whether it's professional, personal, or familial, I remember that statement from a very wise man steeped in the faith: "I wonder how God's going to get me out of this mess."

Personal Conviction: God truly is in the midst of our messes.

• He's in the midst of our storms
• He's in the midst of our illnesses
• He's by the hospital bed when a loved one is dying
• He's in the middle of family dissension
• He's present in times of fear

It's not a cliché, but a truth: I don't know what lies ahead for me, but I do know God will be there the whole time, holding my hand. The same is true for you. Old Mr. Fink would agree.

(By the way, the denomination didn't close down that struggling church. In fact, with renewed zeal and a new, young and talented pastor, it turned around and is still going strong today. God certainly did get us out of that mess.)

Junk Drawer or Junque Drawer?

Do you have a junk drawer? You know what I mean:

• that drawer you hope no guest ever opens
• the drawer you keep meaning to clean out but don't have the time or energy
• the drawer that is a handy place to drop in everything you don't know what to do with

I have such a drawer and here it is:

I finally bit the bullet and cleaned the thing out this week. Here is the "After" photo:

 Improvement? I should say so. I wonder how long it will stay like that? What are all those keys for? I know if I toss them, I'll come across the locks they fit. Better hang on to them.

These photos are a real metaphor for life. I can't resist working in a spiritual message here. (You just knew I was going there, right?)

My life gets junked up with a lot of useless odds and ends, worry being the biggest one for me.

• What clutters your brain and keeps you awake at night?
• What junks up your days?
• What messes up important relationships?
• Are you hanging on to useless things from the past? (Like my old keys, grudges are useless.)

In a sermon recently, I heard this comment: "God saw what a mess mankind made of things. He heard mankind crying out to him and he sent his Son to clean up our messes." 

My junk drawer is a good illustration of that concept.

The Bible gives us some beautiful words to help us clean up our acts:

"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (Philippians 4:8) NIV

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22) NIV

Familiar verses to be sure, but oh how they can help us clean out the garbage in our lives.

Do you have a junk drawer that needs cleaning? Do you have some messes in your life that need God's loving, healing touch?

Ten Questions

A magazine reporter interviewed a business woman by asking ten simple questions. It was interesting to read her answers, but even more fun to imagine what my own would be.

Interview yourself. Answer the following questions and see what it reveals about you. It's fun to do.

 Here are my answers:

1. What is your personal style?
• Conservative traditional. Yuck. How boring. I really need to zip it up a notch.
2. What inspires you?
• Leaves. I have a collection of laminated fall leaves from my home in Ohio. My sister picked them from the woods in the neighborhood where I grew up. They're very special and remind me of a terrific childhood. 
3. What are words you live by?
• Honor God.
4. What are you currently reading?
• Anything with words. On road trips I read truck flaps. "If you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you." 
5. What is your obsession?
• Reading. See #4.
6. What is the perfect meal?
• Anything someone else cooks.
7. What is an entertaining tip?
• K-I-S-S. Do as much ahead as you can.
8. What is your favorite decorating advice?
• Every room should have something practical, something attractive, and something meaningful. 
9. What is your hidden talent?
• I have an internal GPS. Give me a map and I'll find my way anywhere. Even navigating Washington D.C. doesn't scare me. It's a family thing. My siblings are the same. Audible GPS systems annoy me.
10. What is your favorite escape?
• A little cabin surrounded by trees. My mansion in Heaven is going to be a log cabin, for sure.

It's your turn. How would you answer these questions?

Let me know in the Comments section if you learned anything new about YOU.