Category: Spiritual Reflections

Anxiety

A friend recently sent me an email that included the following article:

“The Harbour Bridge and nearby Opera House are iconic images of Sydney, Australia. But engineers have recently grown alarmed that the famous bridge is showing serious signs of corrosion. Last year city officials spent $12 million fighting an endless battle with rust.

Anxiety is like rust. It coats and corrodes the mind, weakening the entire structure. Worry dissolves our peace just as rust eats away the strength of a bridge — weakening the metal that was formerly strong.

Sydney’s Harbour Bridge will be fine. Workers have been stripping the structure back to bare metal and starting the rustproofing process all over again with special paints. But how do you rustproof the heart?

You simply add a “t” and turn rust to trust. The writer of Psalm 37 said: “Trust in the LORD … Delight yourself also in the LORD… Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him… Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret… trust in Him” (v. 3, 4, 5, 7, 40).

Don’t rust. Trust.”

When I get anxious, it usually stems from something that I don’t have any control over. I need to learn to stop and trust — perhaps then my rusted mind will turn to a trusted mind.

(The article above was found at www.davidjeremiah.org/site/magazine.aspx)

 

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Old Age

Old age is a blessed time. It gives us leisure to put off our earthly garments one by one and dress ourselves for heaven. —Ray Palmer

I came across this quote not too long ago. It made me feel good. I haven’t yet felt that getting old is a bad thing — although sometimes my body wants to do things it did when it was 30 and the next day my bones say “What did you do that for?”  (laughing)

I’m looking forward to the day when there will be no more tears, no more sweating, no more thorns on roses, no more conflict. I’m looking forward to the day when people won’t feel anger in their hearts or jealousy or lust or bitterness.

I’m looking forward to heaven.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3-5

(Picture courtesy of Microsoft Images)

 

 

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Christmas

Christmas fireplace

December is here. It’s time to mail my Christmas cards. I’ve been told that I’m a little odd as I like to have them mailed by the first of December.

I mail cards to about 150 people and I handwrite each one. So — I like to start early.

Two heroes that stand out this month — Santa Claus and Jesus.

When I was younger, I wanted to be Santa Claus. A strange hero. I didn’t pay much attention to his weight, nor his white beard or the fact that he didn’t really use too many words. (Ho-ho-ho does not a vocabulary make …)

What I liked about the “idea” of Santa Claus is that no one was forgotten. Everyone received a gift. Even if you were naughty, you still received a piece of coal in the fireplace, and coals can glow.

Perhaps my mind was too Pollyanna-ish. (Pollyanna played a game that consisted of finding something to be glad about in every situation. It originated in an incident one Christmas when Pollyanna, who was hoping for a doll in the missionary barrel, found only a pair of crutches inside. Making the game up on the spot, Pollyanna’s father taught her to look at the good side of things—in this case, to be glad about the crutches because “we didn’t need to use them!”)

Growing up, wanting to be Santa Claus didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

Now, I look around and see many people who have been left behind. Children whose parents don’t really care whether they exist or not. Seniors whose families have forgotten them.

It makes me sad.

So I try to do my part such as sending a card to let people know they’re remembered.

Christmas is not only about children. Christmas is about people. And we seem to have a lot of lonely ones in this world.

The next time you’re sitting next to someone who looks grumpy, sad, angry, or distant, say hello. And tell them something you notice about them that’s nice.

“You have a kind face.” In a few years, it could be us.

My belief in Santa Claus as a man who drops in Christmas Day to drop off gifts is gone. It is replaced with a reality. A Man who doesn’t only want to drop in on us once a year. A Man who wants a relationship with us. A Man whose gifts are not only material but emotional and spiritual.

My only hero now? My Friend named Jesus.

 

 

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Thanksgiving

Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Philippians 4:6

This past year, I made many requests to God. And I was not disappointed in His responses. Was I anxious about some things? Yes. I seem to be plagued with anxiety some times. I haven’t quite learned the lesson — you know the one …

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

Yet I have been and am thankful in spite of some anxious times.

Thankful for …

  • A great husband
  • Wonderful children (alright, young adults)
  • Family
  • Friends
  • Good Health
  • Life (the opposite wouldn’t be good)
  • A house
  • Food
I have lacked for nothing this past year.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
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Leaving Our Mark

While leaf blowing recently, I came across these handprints that were left by the previous owners children.

Hands in Cement

The year 2000 is indelibly etched into the cement. Children’s brains were doing something fun and possibly, at the time, naughty. There has been many a time when carvings have been left — sometimes to the dismay of the property owner.

Then there are the markings people make on their bodies — tattoos, ring piercings, etc. I’ve never understood them. They certainly attract my attention — IF that’s what they are meant to do. But not in a good way. I always think “Why would anyone do that to themselves?” For most, it’s optional.

Then I consider a mother whose Son received a mark …

“She saw His hands stretched upon the cross; the hammer and the nails were brought, and as the spikes were driven through the tender flesh, the heart-stricken disciples bore away from the cruel scene the fainting form of the mother of Jesus.” (A Call To Stand Apart, pg 37)

Optional — yes. Jesus never resisted being crucified. That was the only way He could bridge the relationship gap with us.

Love stretched out His arms and for the rest of His life He will bear the scars, the markings, of that love.

It’s time that we as a society stretch out our arms in His love. It’s time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hatred

 

“Hatred corrodes the vessel in which it is stored.” 

This is a Chinese proverb that proves itself true over and over again. And yet this world seems to be filled with so much hate. Where does it all come from? And why do we as humans seem to enjoy being corroded inside?

Oh that we would learn to love each other as Jesus loves each one of us — with the realization that we all have weaknesses and make mistakes.

 

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Geese

Geese

“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?” Matthew 6:26

The geese have gathered to fly south for the winter. And yet, all of them don’t. Some stay behind and brave the cold weather scrounging for whatever food they can find. Are they senseless or do they know something we don’t know?

The Creator sees value in these birds. He sees even more value in us. Yet, somehow, there are quite a few people in this world who can’t see value in themselves.

Made in the image of God, we should be looking up to our Maker with the understanding that “God don’t make junk.”

Every person has value. Now, if only we could take the time to show them.

 

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It Is Well With My Soul

Split Tree

I couldn’t sleep tonight and, reading a fellow bloggers journal, I came across the story of a man, Horatio Spafford, who wrote the hymn It Is Well With My Soul.

His was a tragic life and he wrote the song after losing 4 daughters at sea.

Tragedy has a way of forcing us to dig deep into our lives and looking at who we are straight-on. It shows us our strengths and our weaknesses.

To have been through through this tragedy and still write the words to this song should not be baffling to me for it is Christ, the Creator of our souls, who knows how to soothe us the best.

The words are beautiful …

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

(Refrain:) It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Refrain)

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pain shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
(Refrain)

And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain)

It’s hard to accept but it’s true — we have nothing to fear but fear.

Horatio learned to be content whatever his “lot” happened to be.

To see the video, click here. To read more about Horatio, click here.

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”  Philippians 4:11

I am not always content in my circumstances but I strive for that ideal. May God grant me perseverance to succeed.

 

 

 

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Are The Dead Really Dead?

 

I’ve recently attended many funerals and each time the people say that the person who died is in heaven. It’s a nice thought but when we look at the Scriptures they don’t talk about a person going to heaven when they die.

Instead, death is called a sleep. The Bible study guide below discusses different Bible texts on the state of the dead. It is not all-encompassing so if anyone has any questions, please feel free to send them along.

Are-The-Dead-Really-Dead?.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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