Here I Am

I love roses. I love the scent. I love the way they look. I love their color, but one thing I don’t love is their thorns. These thorns can be painful and make you shout out in pain, they can draw blood.  In the Bible there is a story about a thorn that is in Paul’s side. It is not a physical thorn like that on a rose but a metaphorical thorn. The story is found in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. In this story Paul writes about a painful and persistent “thorn” that was given to him by “a messenger of Satan” to torment him. But why was he given this thorn?  Paul’s life was not an easy one. He proclaimed the Gospel through many hardships. His thorn was the shipwreck, the stonings and the constant persecution, but through it all Paul remained strong. Each time he endured one of these thorns his faith grew stronger.  Paul asked God three times to take the thorn from him but he refused. God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”. Because of this Pa...

I remember back in high school when the movie Chariots of Fire came out. I was very inspired by the true story of two British athletes running in the 1924 Olympics. Because of that movie I wanted to start running, so I decided to incorporate it into my daily life. I went outside one day anxious to start and found I could only run a short distance before I had to stop and rest. I was really surprised at how difficult it was and how much time and effort I had to have for the sport. I could only imagine how long and hard athletes in the Olympics had to train.  In the Bible, Paul compares running to our spiritual life with God. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says, “Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it”. Paul wants us to run a race far more important than any physical race, the spiritual race for our Lord Jesus Christ.  Before we run a race we must first condition ourselves to do so. As I found out, runni...

Sometimes when I have extra time in my day I will peruse YouTube and watch funny videos. I ran across one by Mr. Bean called “Mr. Bean Goes to Church”, maybe you’ve seen it, if not, look it up, it’s worth the watch. In this video Mr. Bean is very inattentive at church. His mind is obviously wandering causing him to loose his place in the hymnal, eat a piece of candy and fall asleep. This is an exaggeration of course but it is also a good example of spiritual fatigue.  There is a story in the book of Acts about a young man who was sitting on a window ledge listening to the Apostle Paul preaching. It was well into the night and the young man started to fall asleep. To everyone's horror he fell out of the window and down three flights. (Acts 20:7-12) They thought of course that he was dead but Paul stretched his body out over the boy and he regained consciousness. Was this young man just overly tired or was he experiencing spiritual fatigue?  In this story about Paul’s sermon, th...

When it’s Halloween time we like to dress up as different people. We find it fun to let our friends try to guess who we are; we like to conceal our identity. This is something that Jesus did after his crucifixion and ascension; he hid in plain sight. Jesus would prevent a follower from knowing who he was, but why did he do this? This was true in the story of the resurrection; Mary Magdalene went to the tomb after Jesus was crucified. (John 20:11-18) She looked in the tomb and saw nothing, then she turned around. There in front of her was a man that she thought was the gardener but it was actually Jesus, she did not recognize him. As soon as he said her name, Mary, she knew it was him. Jesus kept his identity secret, but why did he do this? I honestly can’t figure it out.  Jesus’ disciples were fishing on the Sea of Tiberius. (John 21: 1-14) They were catching nothing and then just after daybreak Jesus was standing on the shore but they did not know it was him. He told them to cast ...

“God don’t make no junk” is a popular phrase that has often been used in our society. It was made famous by the African American singer and actress Ethel Waters who penned it in her memoir His Eye is on the Sparrow.  I often read other people’s blogs and find that a great number of people have self-esteem issues and feelings of undesirable self worth. They are facing difficult emotional problems and when reading these posts I find myself saying, “God don’t make no junk”. We are all made in the image of God. What does that mean? It means that we are all specifically crafted to project God’s character. In Genesis 1:27 it states “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them..” We have the characteristics of God and he is not about junk and neither are we.  Because we are like God we are considered very valuable to him. Psalm 139:13-14 says,”For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fea...

I was reading in the Bible today about the Woman at the Well, a story found in John 4:1-42. In this story Jesus was traveling through Samaria, he traveled far and was thirsty. He stopped at a well and found a woman drawing water, he asked her for a drink.  The woman did not understand why Jesus was talking to her because she was a Samaritan and Jesus was a Jew; Samaritans and Jews did not associate with one another. It is also surprising to Jesus’ disciples that he was talking to a woman. Jewish men did not talk publicly to unknown women, especially a Samaritan woman. It is also strange that the woman was drawing water at noon, the hottest part of the day. Most women went to draw water when it was cooler. All of these clues added up to this woman being an outcast, someone others did not want to associate with. She went to the well when others weren’t there, she knows she is undesirable.  Jesus learned that this woman was a great sinner, for she was married five times and the m...

I was reading the Bible and was struck by the story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. When Jesus was thirty years old, the Holy Spirit led him into the desert to be tempted by the devil for 40 days. (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13) When we think of Satan it is common for us first to think of him in the form of a man, maybe wearing a red suit with horns on his head. We all know of course that this is not how the evil one looks but he can take on many forms. In Genesis three he is most famously found in the form of a snake. In the New Testament he is shown several times in the demons that Jesus exorcised. Also in the New Testament Satan confronts Jesus through Judas. In the story of Jesus’ temptation scripture doesn’t say what form Satan takes but I imagine him in human form or as a fallen angel. So with his ability to take on any form we can imagine him alive and well in today’s society. Jesus was tempted by Satan at the beginning of his ministry to prove that Jesus was sin...

Living near a big city you tend to see all sorts of things. Once when a friend of mine and I went into the city we were walking down the street in what my mother would have called “the wrong part of town”. Suddenly we saw someone lying on the sidewalk ahead of us.  Instinctively I said, “We need to help that person” but my friend said, “no, let someone else help him”. So we crossed the street on the other side of the road and continued on. Later that night I couldn’t help but think about that person on the sidewalk. Were they homeless and sleeping? Were they sick and needed a doctor? Was he drunk? I didn’t find out and never knew because we didn't stop.  In the Bible there is a similar story about some people who did not stop to help someone they saw on the side of the road. It is called the Good Samaritan and is found in Luke 10:29-37.  In this story there was a man who was robbed and left for dead on the side of the road. Two people passed by, a priest and a Levite, and...

When I was in school I remember keeping secrets. A friend would tell me something about another person and they would make me pinky swear not to tell another living being. I agreed to this but the message was clear, don’t tell. In the book of Matthew, Jesus healed many people. He was traveling the countryside healing and teaching.  God sent his son to the earth for one reason, to forgive the people of their sin and to establish an everlasting relationship with them through his love. In his quest he succeeded in healing many people and teaching them about God’s love.  Jesus had all kinds of wonderful healing and teaching moments, but through all of this he told those he healed to do something I never understood. He told them not to tell anyone. I’ve always wondered why he did this. Didn’t he want the people to know about the goodness of God? Then why would he instruct people not to tell anyone?  Jesus not only told his followers not to tell anyone but his disciples too. Ma...

I just read the book of Jonah, it’s not long, only a few pages. While reading it I couldn’t help but think about how many life lessons there are in this short book. I read about Jonah’s rejection of God, his running away and his days in the big fish.  Sometimes, like Jonah, we not only try to run away from our problems but God as well. We start by not being in relation with him, not talking to him on a daily basis or saying that you’ll never talk to God again. Basically just being mad at God. Having the attitude that if God loved me why would he let this happen? I’m sure we have all felt that way at one time or another.  Hebrews 13:5b says, “I will never leave you or forsake you”. Contrary to some beliefs, as hard as you try to run from God he will never abandon you. Rather than waiting around for you to come to your senses and cry out to God, he boldly pursues you and wraps you in his never ending love.  In the story of Jonah, while he was running from God he got onto a ...

My husband just called, my father-in-law just died. What do I say, what do I do? I have never been good with death. All I know is that my father-in-law is with God. I know that to be true. Death is just a transition, going from one form of existence to the other.  Jesus died on the cross so that we may be together with him in heaven. There is a beautiful description of physical death in the book of Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things will pass away”. In the book of John when Jesus’ friend Lazarus dies, Jesus says to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live”. (John 11:25) Jesus tells her about the resurrection of the dead and that she will see Lazarus again. Thus it will be with us, our earthly bodies will die but our spiritual bodies will be born. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 26, “for all die in Adam, so all will be ma...

In the book of Joshua, God commissions him to lead the Israelites into the promised land after Moses’ death. In chapter one, and throughout the book of Joshua, God repeatedly tells him to be “strong and courageous”. In fact, “be strong and courageous” is repeated many times in the Bible, not only to Joshua but to others.  When God commissions Joshua to lead the Israelites he repeats “be strong and courageous” three times in chapter one. Why does God repeat these words so many times? Does he feel Joshua may not be up to what God is asking? Does he think Joshua will back out on him? Does he feel Joshua is weak in spirit?  Joshua had big shoes to fill, that was certain. What if he could not live up to being the kind of leader that Moses was? Can you imagine working with someone your whole life and then being asked to be in charge after he left his position? The amount of pressure would be intense; it could bring fear and uncertainty.    In Joshua’s calling, does God cal...

When I was little I was terribly afraid of the dark. In fact, as an adult I tend to be afraid of it sometimes as well. If there is a thunderstorm and the lights go out my pulse goes up and I desperately try to adjust my eyes to see in the dark. In the Bible we learn that God is light. 1 John 1:5 says, “..God is light and in him there is no darkness at all”. Scripture clearly states that if we walk in the light the blood of Jesus will cleanse us of our sin and lead us to spiritual satisfaction. In the Bible, light is represented as absolute truth, holiness and life. Darkness is portrayed as sin, evil and death. As Christians we are taught to seek the light. We can do this through prayer, reading scripture and serving others.  In the Bible, Jesus is described as “the light of the world”. In John 8:12 Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life”. Jesus lights our path so we may walk in spirit and in truth. Wa...

Have you ever participated in a trust fall? We did this one Sunday at church and it was interesting to see just how difficult this was for some people.  In a trust fall you stand in front of someone and cross your arms in front of you. You hold your legs straight, careful not to bend them and, when your partner is ready, you fall straight back. Your partner is in charge of catching you and not letting you fall. You must have a very strong level of trust in your partner to achieve this. Some found this terribly difficult, some would not do it at all and some fell back with little hesitation. How does this compare to our level of trust in God? If he were standing behind you would you “trust fall with God”? The Bible is full of examples of spiritual trust falls. One of my favorites is in the book of Esther. Esther is told by her Uncle Mordecai that the king has declared that all Jewish people shall be put to death. Mordecai tells Esther she must ask the king not to do this but she is ...

I have a favorite Bible story, it is found in three of the New Testament gospels, the story of the woman who bled for twelve years (Luke 8:42-48, Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:24-34).  In this story Jesus has become so popular that a crowd of people surround him, pressing in on him, begging for his healing powers. I liken this today to a popular music star who is trying to get from a building to a car. The people press in on him and the bouncers try to keep the people back. This is much like the disciples in this story, they were trying to protect Jesus by keeping the people from getting too close.  Back to the woman, she is bleeding and has been for twelve years. She does not know what she will do because no doctor can help her or heal her. She has spent much of her time and money on doctors. She is alone, being a social outcast because of her illness. I can imagine her in her home, hearing a commotion outside. She has heard of Jesus and heard about what he can do and she thinks, “...

My daughter is a pet sitter. For a fee she will come to your home and take care of your pet while you are away. When most people think about a pet sitter they think about a cat or dog but my daughter will sit for any animal, this week she is sitting for a bearded dragon.  Bearded dragons are not my favorite animal in the world and I have to be honest in saying that I probably wouldn’t take care of it. Like any other pet they need to be fed daily and taken out of their cage for exercise. They need love and affection and a light to keep them warm. They also need a hiding spot in their cage so they can feel secure when stressed.  Bearded dragons may be disgusting creatures to me but they really have some of the same needs that we have. God cares for us much the same way my daughter cares for the bearded dragon. Philippians 4:19 “And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”.  Bearded dragons of course need to be fed. Unli...

I was reading chapter one in the book of Jeremiah and read about his call to ministry. God spoke to Jeremiah and told him he wanted him to be one of his prophets. Jeremiah was reluctant and made an excuse as to why he couldn’t fulfill this role. “..truly I do not know how to speak for I am only a boy”. Jeremiah was telling God, thanks but no thanks. He didn’t think people would listen to him because he was too young but God told him, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you…” In the book of Exodus, God called Moses. God told Moses that he wanted him to deliver his people out of Egypt, but Moses, like Jeremiah, told God he could not do it. Moses was being stubborn. God told Moses that his brother Aaron would speak for him and Moses obeyed. God repeatedly pursued Moses until he no longer found an excuse not to lead his people.  Both Moses and Jeremiah had their doubts about being able to pursue God’s wishes for them. God however gave his promise that he would be with them and he ...

I was walking in the mall one day when I happened to be behind someone who, as they walked, kept looking at the windows and mirrors of the stores as they passed by. I wondered what they were thinking. Was it about how they looked? About their clothes or hair? Or about their weight? When we look at our reflection it would be honorable if we saw the reflection of God instead. Do we see God in ourselves? I know we cannot physically look like God since he has no form, but we can show God’s image by reflecting his love in all of us, but just how do we do that?  Reflecting God’s image occurs when showing others how much we love them through our character. Have you ever noticed how much a devout Christian smiles? I was flying to Florida once and while on the plane I started a conversation with the person sitting next to me. I noticed that this person smiled even while they were talking. I asked this person what they did for a living and they said they were a pastor, I knew it! God’s love ...

Ever have one of those days when you just feel emotional for no reason? If you are a woman, you know what I’m talking about. When I was going through menopause I experienced mood swings, sadness and anxiety on almost a daily basis.  I was reading about the death of Lazarus in the Bible and started thinking about the emotionality of Jesus. Mary and Martha had notified Jesus that their brother Lazarus was ill. Jesus and the disciples went to Judea but were delayed four days. By the time they got to Bethany, Lazarus had died. John 11:33 says “..he was greatly distressed in spirit and deeply moved.” John 11:35 says “Jesus wept”. These verses show just how deeply disturbed Jesus was, he showed great emotion. Jesus’ emotions are not always visible to us in the Bible, but here, his emotions are clearly felt.  Jesus also shows great anguish when praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:44 says, “In his anguish he prayed more earnestly and his sweat became like great drops of blood...

Koinonia is an ancient Greek word that means fellowship. Fellowship is an integral part of church membership, it transforms believers into a solid supportive community. Today I went out to lunch with a group of ladies from my church. Some I have known for years, others I had just met. I had a great time talking about our everyday lives and our church affiliations. After lunch I started thinking about fellowship, is it really a necessary part of our Christian lives? The answer is yes!  I have a brother-in-law who believes that church is wherever you make it. He does not believe in participating in an active church. He stays at home, reads his Bible on Sunday and watches pastors on TV. That to him is church, but I have to believe that something is missing.   Koinonia is vital to church members, it builds community, provides encouragement and models what Christ would do. Jesus enjoyed Koinonia, he ate with tax collectors and sinners often. I can’t help but wonder what they talked...

I have Hypoxia, a medical condition where my bodies organs do not receive enough oxygen to function properly; because of this I am on oxygen 24/7.    I saw a post on another platform that said, “God is like oxygen, you need him to survive”. I thought, “How right is that!”  I was reading the Bible the other day and I came across a footnote talking about spiritual respiration. I did some research on this and came up with some good information. Just like we need to breathe in oxygen for our physical respiration, we also need to breathe in God for our spiritual respiration.   The great John Wesley used the term “spiritual respiration” to describe the closeness we should have with God, he says we should have a “constant and intimate connection”. Just like we take in oxygen constantly we also need to take in God as much as we can. Most people don’t have time for a constant connection but we can take him in through pauses in our actions throughout the day.  When we fil...

I was reading recently about the thirty three Chilean miners who were trapped underground in a copper-gold mine in 2010. They were underground for a total of 69 days, do you recall the story? For 17 days the rescuers did not know the status of the minors, were they alive or were they dead? Nobody knew.  The rescuers used a drill to go down to the approximate area of the miners to try to find them. They tried day after day but found nothing. After 17 days they drilled down and brought up a note indicating that all thirty three miners were alive and okay. What a glorious feeling that must have been, they had been found! Can you imagine being trapped underground, 2,300 feet, and not knowing if you would ever see your loved ones again? The miners longed to communicate with the rescuers on the surface so they learned to tap on the drill bit to communicate. It must have been excruciating to tap waiting for a response. You would strain to hear, desperate to communicate.  This is the ...

When I was in my 20’s I had a cat named Spunky. Spunky loved to play, in-fact, I was able to teach her how to fetch. Yes, you can teach a cat to fetch, it just takes a little more time and patience than with a dog. I would throw out the little cat ball to Spunky and she would bring it back to me again and again, she loved to play.  When thinking about Spunky fetching I thought about how our spiritual lives are much like playing fetch with God. He throws out his love to us, we catch it and bring it back to him. But just how important is it to show God our love and return it to him? It is very important! God gave us free-will and sometimes we stray from showing God our love and devotion. While deciding whether or not we’ll show God our love, we sometimes hold onto that ball when he throws it out to us. Sometimes for many years we don’t throw our love back to him.  If we don’t return our love to God we may find ourselves straying from him. Daily activities can distract us pulling...

When I was in high school I remember thinking about what would make me a success. I thought that if I married a doctor, lived in a brick house and could put fresh flowers on the dining room table then I would be a success.  When I got older, in my 20’s, I thought that having a new car and a house would make me a success.  When I was in my 30’s I thought that being a success would be having lots of money.  I found throughout the years that my definition of success always changed and involved material things.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes success as “the attainment of wealth, favor or eminence”. This unfortunately is what our society sees as an accurate description of success. Now, some 30 years later I find my definition of success to be much different. Today I find my success resides in God; it is what is most important to me. In the Bible there are many stories that tell of success. In the book of Esther, Queen Esther finds success when she defeats Hamen...

​One of my favorite classic TV shows is “Leave it to Beaver”. This show displays a common theme throughout the show. Wally and/or the Beav cause some sort of trouble then here come Ward and June. They review what Wally and the Beav have done, come up with a solution and they forgive them. This show always ends on a happy note and Wally and the Beav are free to begin their next adventure. While watching the show today I thought about how this show mirrors how God treats us in our lives. We get into trouble, God lets us know he doesn’t like our actions, he tells us he loves us and he forgives us over and over again.  When thinking about getting into trouble, I can’t help but think about 1st and 2nd Kings. In these books the kings are doing wicked things, usually worshipping false idols. In 2nd Kings 17:17 it says, “They made their sons and their daughters pass through fire; they used divination and augury; and they sold themselves to do evil…”   This to me is the epitome of all ...

​I am currently reading from the book of Ezra and the story of God’s people rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Ezra 1:1 through 6:22.  In this story, King Cyrus of Persia declares that the temple of the Lord was going to be rebuilt. God’s people heard this call and went to work. While building, God’s people were finding that not only was the physical temple being restored but their spiritual temple inside of them as well. Rebuilding the temple has many significant meanings to the lives of God’s people in Biblical times as well as in our lives today.  Working on the temple in Biblical times gave the people something to believe in. Today, more than ever, we need to have the same thing; some bit of hope to hang on to. If you’ve fallen away from God, you can easily reestablish your relationship with him by confessing your sins or committing to a prayer life. Nothing life altering, just a few stolen moments each day chatting with our Lord; just talk to him like you would a friend....

​When I was growing up I had an irrational fear that wolves lived under my bed. I was so convinced of this that I never let my legs dangle over the side of the bed. When I woke up I jumped from the end of the bed to the door. I slept with the lights on and I never took my glasses off. If there were wolves under my bed I wanted to see them. I was certain that the wolves wanted to eat me alive. Irrational fear can sometimes incapacitate us. When this happens, what should we do?  Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Make your fears known to God, tell him what it is that is bothering you. I wish I would have known about this when I was younger; I had no one to confide in about my fears. Concentrating on God and praying to him would have made all the difference i...

Recently I went to church and the sermon was on Jesus’ first miracle, changing water into wine. At that moment I thought, “I’ve heard this story a thousand times, what more can I learn?” Then as I was half heartedly listening a light bulb went off in my head.   In the Bible story (John 2:1-13) Jesus, his disciples and his mother, Mary, went to a wedding in Cana. There they were having a good time, or I expect they were, when Jesus’ mother said to Jesus, “The wedding hosts have run out of wine”. Jesus declares to his mother “What concern is that to you and me?” (John 2:4)  Jesus decides to help out anyway and instructs the servants to fill six jars full of water. They did so and served it to the chief steward who couldn’t understand why the hosts had saved the best wine for last. Usually the best wine was served first and the lesser wine was served last after the guests were drunk. At this moment our pastor explained that the wine Jesus supplied was symbolic of Jesus filling th...

We used to have a miniature dachshund named Buzz. Buzz came with us to South Dakota one year when we went on vacation. We had a great time and were getting ready to come back home after a long week. The night before we left I grilled steaks. I gave the steak bones to the dog to chew on as a special treat.  The next day we started for the long drive home, about nine hours. About an hour into our trek we smelled something awful. Being an Iowa farm girl I thought we must be driving by a hog barn. But I started thinking, there aren’t any hog barns in South Dakota. Suddenly I knew what it was…..the dog! It was the bones I gave him the night before making him sick. We had to stop often and smell that horrible smell. Each hour seemed like ten hours.  My husband got very upset, it took a lot of patience on everyone’s part to deal with this situation. Nine hours in the car with a sick dog…..ugh! There are many times in our lives when we need patience. God thought that patience was so i...