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How “God Winks” Can Help Us Through Difficult Times

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When I said in my last blog that I’d be taking a break for my husband’s knee replacement surgery, I didn’t expect to be MIA for six weeks. We heard stories of people having this surgery as outpatient or at best coming home the next day. I had no idea the journey that lay before us and we’re still venturing on, but God did. My husband continuously says he doesn’t know how anyone goes through this without God!

Praise God, He was our constant companion, even though I must admit I had a few meltdowns along the way!!!

For those of you who prayed for us, we’re grateful. Please keep praying! If you didn’t know about what we were going through, I’m sure you know someone having a difficult time right now and I encourage you to stop reading for a moment and pray for them. They’ll feel your prayers. They need your prayers.

Back to our story . . .

Dave got off to a rocky start when he had a bad reaction to the meds and anesthesia used during surgery. While he was in the hospital for five days, his oldest daughter Michelle and I were with him all day and evening. Michelle had flown out from Chicago to help us with his transition home.

Then to my shock, the doctors determined he wasn’t home ready and needed to go to a rehab facility where he would be placed in COVID quarantine. We could no longer see him! He had a negative COVID test right before they moved him, and we were all vaccinated, but those were “the rules.”

We walked with him as they wheeled him down the sidewalk to the rehab facility, but when the elevator doors shut, I was shut out of his life. Half of my heart ripped away!

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 2:7-9

I’d been his advocate in the hospital and now I was standing on the outside. I couldn’t stop crying. I’m crying now just remembering. I was one of those people you read about kept from their suffering loved ones. It’s reality to me now. It’s cruel.

I came home alone and Michelle flew home. Our family’s only visible communication with Dave, doctors, therapists, and nurses was FaceTime. Dave was there for eight days where he received physical, occupational, and recreational therapy and excellent care, but this was so beyond what we had anticipated.

I stared blankly when people asked, “Why?” Every time I heard that question, or about people who came home the next day, it only made me feel worse. Sad. Heartsick. Despondent.

There’s a lesson for us all. When someone is going through a traumatic experience, hearing how someone else sailed through it only impounds the hurt and trauma. All I wanted was a hug or a prayer. Compassion.

My worst nightmare became reality when 5’5” 122 lb. me, who had recently had surgery, would be bringing home by myself 6’4” 230 lb. hubby who could barely stand up and move by himself, even with a walker. He would have to stay in our basement “Man Cave.” It would be a long time before he could navigate stairs up to our living level.

And so the journey began even though I felt completely inadequate for what God was asking me to do on my own to successfully help this man I love so much recover well and safely. It seemed overwhelming. It was overwhelming.

But of course, I wasn’t completely alone. That’s when the God Winks started!

God Winks Don’t Miss Them!

Dave and I had prayed before his surgery and during his recovery that we would be a witness and light for God’s goodness to everyone we met, and that they would see Jesus in us, no matter what. Maybe that prayer set us on this trajectory because God wanted to use us for His glory. I can’t say I always represented Him well. My emotions at times overtook me when I couldn’t stop crying or heard myself having an unkind outburst, but there were also some amazing experiences where God’s glory shown through in spite of us.

God Wink #1

I thought daughter Michelle came to help after we got home, but it turned out God wanted to use her to support me while Dave was in the hospital and through the experience of sending him off to rehab. Michelle was my rock, a calm and steady voice, gentle pat on my back, and hug that guided me through the crisis and chaos. When I was too upset to eat, she located a smoothie shop nearby that’s now become my favorite!

We live 1 ½ hours from the hospital and rehab. So our daughter Kim, who lives closer, welcomed Michelle and me to stay as long as we needed, which meant my two granddaughters gave up their bedrooms and slept on the couch. No complaining. That’s what love does.

While I was away from home, neighbors Joni and Mike, who are also part of our Couples Bible Study Group, watered our plants and mowed our lawn. Mike takes our trash to the dump when he’s home. (We live in the rural mountains, no trash service.)

God Wink #2

One of the male nurses in the hospital stopped in Dave’s room, even though Dave wasn’t his patient that day, and said he had looked up my books on my website! He was a Christian too.

When Dave was in rehab, I brought some of his favorite juice to help him get more fluids since his BP kept dropping. The nurse that came to the door began comforting me about not being able to see him and I noticed the cross around her neck. Turns out, she’s a Christian also and Dave was her patient for the day. I knew he was in God’s hands.

She assured me that rehab was right where he needed to be. He wasn’t capable of coming home yet, but they would work to get him ready. Rehab was actually a God-Wink blessing.

God Wink #3

Several days before I brought Dave home, three men from church came over and helped prepare the Man Cave by taking off doors, moving furniture, making repairs, and taking Dave’s recliner downstairs.

God Wink #4

Leanna, a dear friend from our Couple’s Bible Study Group, got up early to leave at 6:30 am to drive down to Boise with me to pick up Dave from rehab. I don’t function well early morning, but with Leanna in the car and Jesus at the wheel, it was a beautiful morning even though it had been a rainstorm the day before.

God Wink #5

Dave’s second night home he had cramps in his calf and shooting pains down his leg. He was wreathing and crying in pain. Hot compresses helped but he couldn’t stand up. Leanna, who called me every day, had said call us no matter what time of night. So I did. She and her husband Bob and muscular son Ty came right over and the men got Dave up out of the chair and into bed. Ty gave me his number to text if I needed him in the middle of the night or next day.

God Wink #6

Friends Cynthia and Tom, who were dropping off food they had bought for us at COSTCO, were here when the doctor’s office called about Dave’s leg cramps and shooting pains. We needed to bring him to ER (1 ½ hours away) for an ultrasound to rule out blood clots. When we got off the phone, Tom said he would drive us and Cynthia said she would sit at our house and wait for UPS to drop off medication that needed a signature.

This was the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, a heavily traveled day in our area and I had been up all night with Dave. This couple was having a family reunion at their home in a few days, but Cynthia said that taking time to help us was confirmation to her that God had the reunion under control! Praise God there were no blood clots.

God Wink #6

The following day, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, daughter Kim and hubby Toby came up to plant our garden, mow our lawn and do other things on my “to-do” list.

God Wink #7

Memorial Day, Barb from our Couple’s Group stopped by to ask where I needed help. She folded all my laundry and vacuumed my whole house! Amazing timing since around 4:30 pm I got a text from long-time friends from Arizona, Debbie and Jerry, that they were about an hour away and what did I need at the store?! I thought they were coming the next day, but thanks to Barb, my house was ready and I had food to feed them because Gene, another friend from church, had brought over a tray of her famous enchiladas the day before!

Debbie and Jerry had planned this trip to visit us before we knew Dave was having surgery and they said they would only still come if they could be of help. I said, “Oh yes! Please come. I need help!”

They were visiting angels as Jerry is an amazing “handyman” and Debbie just pitched in and saw the many things that needed doing while I was tending to Dave downstairs. Together they cut down on the thousands of steps I was taking up and down the stairs. Debbie went with me to Boise to grocery shop and go to a doctor’s appointment with me to take notes when my brain was exhausted.

I was sad to see them go, but we all were aware of God’s timing in bringing them to “visit” when I needed them most. I finally felt a little rested and ready to tackle Dave’s recovery on our own.

God Wink #8

Now for the over-the-top presence of the Lord showing His face in an act of kindness of two strangers, Scott and Donna May. Physical therapy recommended we get a recumbent bike for Dave. I put a request on our local community Facebook page and began getting messages about bikes for sale. One in particular looked perfect but it was pricey even used. Then there appeared a message from a gentleman who said he had one he could loan us that they only use in the winter and he could deliver it?!

I asked for a picture and it was the exact one I had considered buying. I messaged back thanking him for his generosity and he responded, “Christians help Christians!” I wondered how he knew I was a Christian, but I certainly told him he was an answer to prayer.

When Scott and Donna May brought the bike over the next day, I asked how he knew I was a Christian. Scott laughingly admitted he had looked at my profile and website to be sure I was someone he could trust to return the bike LOL!

Donna May said she refers to these serendipity experiences as “God Winks.” I assured them that God had definitely been winking at us.

And He still continues. Neighbors Bob and Theresa, also in our Couples Group, called and said they’d noticed our lawn getting pretty long again. Could they come over the next morning and mow and spray for mosquitoes. Bob also stops by and picks up our bags of trash to take to the dump.

A physical therapist we’ve been working with in town was concerned about Dave using our shower if we moved him upstairs and offered to come over to our house after work and check it out! He did a survey of our home while he was here to give us tips on moving Dave back upstairs, which we did several days later.

What’s the Take Away from Our God Winks?

1. Ask for Help!

Don’t try to go things on your own. Let people know where and when you need help! We also asked for prayer and I know our church was praying for us and for God to watch over us.

Many times people will just say, “Let us know when you need help.” But then we don’t because we don’t know what kind of help they’re prepared to give and we don’t want to be an imposition.

2. Receive Help

It’s a blessing for others to bless you! Let them. Yes, it’s humbling and maybe even embarrassing, but the Bible tells us that “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecc. 4:9-10 NLT

3. Join or Form a Bible Study Group

Our Couples Bible Study Group have been through many things together and as one woman in church put it, “Your group is really tight.” We’re there for each other to celebrate the good times, help each other through the difficult times, pray and learn more together how God wants us to navigate the world through the wisdom in His Word.

4. Be Alert to Who Needs a God Wink

Because people are reticent to ask for help, or impose, let’s try and notice when and where someone needs help and then just do it. I’m sure there’s someone in your life who needs a “God Wink” right now!

Note: There are many issues in the world today that I want to write about, but I’ve been so consumed with our issues that I didn’t have the energy or brain-power to tackle them. For several nights after I returned home alone, I couldn’t even turn on the news to hear the world’s troubles because I was living through troubles in my own little world. It all seemed like more than I could process.

I told a friend that I’ll know when the Lord frees my mind to write again, and today was the first day I’ve actually sat down at the computer to write. I’m not sure how consistent, but I’ll try to be back on Mondays. We’ll find out this week when Dave will have his other knee done. Yes, we’re doing this again in the near future, but I know God’s winking at me right now and assuring me He’ll be right there seeing us through it.

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. 2 Cor. 1:3-4 The Message

Photo by Saad Chaundhry @saadchdhry

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June 21, 2021
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5 Ways to Refocus and Renewal This Easter Season

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Easter is less than a month away! I hope your church will be open to celebrate as a church family the commemoration of the foundation of our Christian faith: Jesus Christ arose from the tomb and lives today in every believer’s heart! The Gospel! The Good News!

I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that if your church is not open, find one that is! Yes, it might take a little effort, but if there was one day out of the year, especially this year, that believers needed to gather together in praise, worship, and fellowship . . . it’s Easter. It’s time for churches to cut the chains on their doors and throw them wide open just like the tomb was wide open on Easter morning! Then stay open.

Covid canceled Easter in churches last year. Don’t let anyone cancel Easter for you this year! Yes, you can watch services online, which is awesome for those who are housebound and I’m so glad it’s available for them. But for those of us who are able to attend church in person, we need to be participating and professing together with our brothers and sisters in Christ as one body in God’s house.

People without a church family desperately need to be with us in church on Easter to experience the hope we have in the living Christ, our Lord and Savior who overcame the grave! Easter is a great outreach when many turn their life over to Christ. An important role of the church is to welcome those seeking the Truth or any who are lonely, depressed, discouraged, fearful. It’s not all about us, it’s about us being there for them!

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Rom. 12:4-5

Easter Reminds Us of Our Hope in a Fallen World

Without Easter, there would be no hope. Easter reminds us, and the world, that there is forgiveness for our sins and the assurance of eternal life. As the Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians:

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

When we ask Jesus into our heart and receive the merciful forgiveness of our sins that nailed Him to the cross, we experience a spiritual rebirth. Hallelujah! Then, as we grow in our faith, we need a daily empty-tomb reawakening not just annually at Easter.

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3

Jesus lives within the heart of every Christian and He wants us to live as if we believe it! The Christian life is one of evolving renewal! We continually cast off old patterns of thinking and behaving as we transition into a richer more fulfilling faith.

But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. Col. 3:8-10

I don’t know about you, but watching the prevalent and even celebrated evil in our culture, I feel like we need an Easter season, not just Easter Sunday. A refocus of our heart and mind. A reminder of who we are in Christ and why we must continue persevering in His name and His purpose!

Store shelves and displays take commercial advantage of Easter to sell their products for over a month prior to Easter; shouldn’t we start NOW sharing the real message of Easter?! The world needs Jesus, let’s remind them of that message and prepare our hearts for sharing loud and clear: Jesus is alive!

5 Ways Scripture Helps Us Refocus and Embrace Renewal This Easter Season

1. Renew Your Mind

What we let enter into our mind—positive or negative—controls our emotions, actions, and beliefs.

What is bothering you right now? What is seeping into your psyche that keeps you up at night or troubles you during the day? Can you identify it? The news. Politics. Social media. Stock market. Cancel culture. COVID.

Whatever is stressing you, try a mental fast! Free your mind from everything that furrows your brow. You may never want to let those things have dominion over your thoughts again.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Personal Renewal: God wants us to rid our mind of worldly ways and saturate our mind with His wisdom. Proverbs is God’s Book of Wisdom, so try reading a proverb everyday and write it on an index card. When your thoughts begin to drift to things of this world, recite the day’s proverb. If you’re ambitious, read an entire chapter in Proverbs daily and in thirty-one days you’ll have read the entire Book of Proverbs. When you finish, start back at Proverbs 1:1. You can never be too wise!

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. Proverbs 18:15

2. Renew Your Heart

God created us uniquely with our mind, heart, and spirit intertwined. A renewal of one affects the other two. A mind change touches our heart and our spirit nudges us to act according to our mind and heart. If our heart fills with compassion for a situation, our mind follows suit and again our spirit reminds us of how God wants us to act. We are to have the mind of Christ and what breaks His heart should break our heart too. Much in our world is surely breaking His heart!

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

Personal Renewal: Who could you invite to Easter services? Maybe you’ve asked them to join you at church before and they’ve declined or it’s someone you’re sure would say no. Perhaps your heart has become a bit hardened toward their spiritual future. Ask God for the courage to ask them anyway. This could be the Easter they say “Yes!” and their life changes forever.

If they say no, then commit to pray for them to say yes to God someday.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

3. Renew Your Commitments

A commitment is a sacred vow, a promise, to honor your word. Commitment often involves a sacrifice of putting others’ needs before your own needs, even when it’s inconvenient or painful.

Our Christian faith hinges on a commitment we make to Christ to follow Him and adhere to His Word, whether it’s easy or difficult. At Easter, we remember the ultimate cost Christ paid on the cross to fulfill His commitment to save a lost world. Now he expects us to honor our commitments to Him and to others.

Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. Ecclesiastes 5:6 NLT

Practical Renewal: Have you committed to something you wish you hadn’t? We’ve all been there. Learn from it and pray next time before you make a decision; but this time, follow through on your commitment. Backing out of a promise damages the credibility of your Christian witness.

All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37

4. Renew Your Testimony

There is no greater witness to God’s goodness than sharing what He has done in your life. No one can question your testimony because it’s your personal experience. The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) isn’t just for disciples and pastors; it’s for every follower and believer of Jesus Christ. You don’t have to be an evangelist to share your story.

As we mature and evolve spiritually, we retell our testimony to benefit others. You and I are Christians today because twelve disciples obediently followed Jesus’ command to tell the world the Good News. They shared their personal experience with the gospel to anyone who would listen and with many who didn’t listen.

When we become Christians, our charge is to tell the world why we love Jesus! Your story becomes your testimony when the focus is on God, not on you.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3-7

Personal Renewal: When you give God the glory for something in your life, you testify to God’s goodness. Your salvation testimony shares your life before Jesus. How He changed your heart and spiritually, maybe literally, saved your life. God has given you a story to share, so seize every opportunity to tell it. Sometimes God redeems your testimony by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past so it doesn’t become their future.

Who needs to hear this Easter what Christ has done for you?

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:11-12

5. Renew Your Soul

Easter is springtime in our souls! God is calling His people into a closer relationship with Him so that we can share Jesus with others who need more of Him in their life . . . or don’t yet know Him.

The world is full of unsaved people stumbling in spiritual darkness and deceit. God calls every Christian to help the lost find their way to the light. When Jesus spoke . . . he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

We need to refresh, renew, and refuel our body, mind, and soul so the illuminating joy of Christ radiates from us!

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:30-31

Personal Renewal: Let the songs you sing on Easter and the messages you hear, revive your spirit and speak directly to your soul. Bask in the glow that Jesus is alive!

If you’re ready to arise and be God’s messenger, start praying now for those divine appointments where God will use you in a hurting and lonely world.

I pray this Easter season finds you refreshed, refocused, and renewed in your relationship with Christ and the purpose He has given each of us to keep the memory of Easter alive and vibrant, every day in our hearts, speech, and actions. Let us never forget:

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. Col. 2:13-14 (NLT)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

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March 8, 2021
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5 Prayers to Experience Peace On Earth Goodwill Toward Men

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If you’ve been listening to Christmas music, which I recommended in last week’s blog, you’re probably familiar with the song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Maybe you’ve even sang along. For copyright reasons, I can’t print all the lyrics, but I encourage you to read them here and listen to Casting Crowns sing them.

The inspiration for this song seems to be Luke 2:14 NKJV, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

“Peace on earth goodwill to men” is repeated throughout the song.

One stanza of the song laments:

And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men

With Covid still running rampant and the unsettling evidence of voter fraud in our elections while mainstream media spews propaganda, we might also cry out to God “How do You still expect that we can live in peace?” How can we have good will to those who spread lies, cheat, and have evil intent?

But later in the song, we’re reminded that God is not dead and He never sleeps. He sees everything and eventually “wrong shall fail and right prevail,” and that’s the truth we must keep in our hearts and prayers.

It’s important to look at the context of Luke 2:14. Who spoke it? To whom? What was it announcing?

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And [c]behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill[e] toward men!” Luke 2:8-14

Those angels were announcing to the Shepherds that Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, was born! Hallelujah!!

Christmas is a time for us to remember this announcement also and open our hearts to hear and believe God’s proclamation. No matter how bleak our earthly circumstances appear, the joy of Jesus Christ must still reside in every believer’s heart.

In unsettling times, we find our peace in the presence of the Lord. He is the only One who can effectively prevent the contagious epidemic of fear and calm our frustrations.

Yet, we live in a fallen world that keeps us fearfully treading from one crisis to the next. It seems like every morning we wake up to a new peril: virus pandemics, new flu strains, recessions, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, floods, fires . . . even the threat of other countries attacking us.

Then there are our own financial, physical, relational, health, and personal crises that often catch us by surprise and strike terror into our heart. We feel helpless as events spin out of our control.

Fear is a powerful human emotion that can cause us to respond inappropriately or motivate us to take positive action.

Fear also has the ability to paralyze us from taking any action.

Fear can even stop us from turning to God, our Rescuer, who knows every personal and world disruption we will face. His timeless Word, the Bible, has all the answers and antidotes to help us remain calm, cool, and collected. He assures us, “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

We want to trust God but there are times when peace and good will eludes us. We’re worried and anxious. We don’t want to be brave this time. Then God challenges, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

In Everyday Brave, I remind us that . . .

Here are five prayers to help us call on God and faithfully transcend from panic to peace.

1. Lay Your Worries Before the Lord

Lord, I know that Satan created the spirit of fear, anxiety, doubt, and worries to torture and entrap my mind and rob me of my joy, peace, and sleep. When what-ifs wake me in the dark of night, please help me to denounce Satan and remember 1 Peter 5:7 where you say internal peace is as simple as casting all my anxiety on you because you care for me. I am comforted that you see into the depths of my heart and the intricacies of my mind where unhealthy fears dwell.

You already know what’s troubling me, but you want to hear me share my concerns with you to release the stronghold grip they have on my thoughts and emotions. Father, I trust that you don’t want me to waste a moment of my life fretting. Please calm my racing heart and fill my troubled mind with hope and my spirit with peace. Assure me that no weapon formed against me will prosper and you have a plan and a purpose for me in this time of turmoil. Show me your ways Lord and grant me the courage to follow where you lead. Amen

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3 NLT

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

2. Trust God’s Timing

Lord, it saddens me that many people don’t understand the power of prayer and even mock me for taking my worries to you in prayer. So I pray first for those who do not believe in you. Where is their hope? I’ll admit that sometimes you seem silent when I so desperately want to hear from you. It’s torture waiting on you and yet I will wait because I know my prayers are not in vain.

I don’t know if the latest crisis will affect my family or me, but you are omniscient Lord, so I pray that you will spare us. But if fallout touches any of my loved ones, please comfort them with your healing balm. Sometimes our own choices can put us at risk. So Lord, I pray that we would all be judicious in our actions and interactions. I can remain in perfect peace because I put my future in your capable hands. Amen

You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” Lamentations 3:57

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. Psalm 91:1-2 (NLT)

3. Don’t Doubt God

Lord, as I pray with confidence and great expectation, I anticipate your gracious answers to my prayers. When I remember your faithfulness to all generations, excitement and eagerness replace concern and discouragement. Please help me to remember that doubt and faith can’t coexist in my heart. If I’m doubting or anxious, my shield of faith has slipped.

God I know that you’re looking at the big picture and I can only see a small glimpse distorted by my confusion and perspective. I realize that having faith doesn’t mean there won’t be setbacks or difficult times, but if I’m going to enlist your mighty powers, then I must prayerfully trust that your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. I pray for a miracle of your design.

Your answer isn’t always what I want to hear, or the option I was hoping for, but whatever it is I will give you the glory because regardless of the outcome, my eternity is with you. Thank you Lord for your Son Jesus Christ coming down to earth as a humble baby and then enduring the brutal cross for victory over our sins and sicknesses. I claim that victory in my life and for my loved ones. Amen

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

4. Seek Wisdom and Discernment

Lord, I want desperately to take your Word to heart, but a tsunami of negativity and fear engulf me. My thoughts wander to worse case scenarios. I need your insight to diligently untangle truthful facts from embellished hysteria. I ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in filtering out what I should avoid listening to or considering.

Infuse me Lord with discernment and wisdom. Give me clarity of mind and heart. Guard my mouth that I don’t spread gossip or hearsay to alarm others. Help me to exhibit love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control even to those who disparage me. Like the apostle Paul, may I learn the secret of being content in all circumstances, knowing that I can do all things through you who gives me strength to fulfill your desires. Praise you Lord, Amen

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. Proverbs 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5

5. Impart Good Will to Others

Lord, we won’t live in a perfect world until we join you in heaven. This current situation won’t be the last crisis for the world or for me. I can’t outrun, outpace, outdo, outsmart, outlive . . . trouble. It has a way of popping up even in the good and prosperous seasons in the culture, my life, and the lives of those around me.

Lord, quiet my raging emotions so that I can be a beacon of healing love and peace to those in my sphere of influence who are overwhelmed by panic, fear, and discouragement. Please help me memorize John 14:1 to share with others who ask me where my peace comes from: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” These are the words that your Son Jesus spoke to His disciples to comfort them and they also give me comfort when I don’t know how the story ends. Use me Lord as your disciple to bring healing to a hurting world. I love you Lord, Amen.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

Peace Be With You!

Sensational media headlines keep us stressed, agitated, and fearful because fear-fueled news sells. Press-induced or politically motivated panic will stoke more pandemic fear and consequences than the source of the crisis. Stay current with pertinent news that might affect you personally, but don’t overwhelm yourself reading everything written on the internet or social media.

Taking recommended and reasonable steps to protect yourself and your loved ones will give you a sense of control that helps to manage uncertainties. Prudently, continue your normal activities this Christmas season that typically bring you joy. Healthy coping mechanisms like exercise, rest, eating properly, reading your Bible, staying connected to friends and family, and listening to praise music can help soothe frazzled nerves. If you have medical anxiety, contact your doctor.

Finally, brothers and sisters, 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

Portions of this article first appeared in my Crosswalk article 5 Powerful Prayers for Peace Amidst Pandemic Fear.

December 14, 2020
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How to Celebrate a Peaceful Post-Election COVID Thanksgiving

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My heart is heavy as Mayors and Governors in some states make mandates to cancel Thanksgiving. Threatening constituents with fines and even imprisonment if they invite anyone besides the immediate family living in the house and encouraging neighbors to report on each other! Setting an arbitrary number of how many people can enjoy Thanksgiving together . . . and on and on the restrictions go.

As if canceling Thanksgiving, a time when we gather together to give gratitude to God for our many blessings, is going to be a way to eradicate COVID?!

First, it was closing our churches and now closing our homes and cancelling holidays.

This does not sound like the America we ask God to bless.

When I hear of these draconian threatening measures treating adults like children or even criminals, a wave of remorse comes over me. Hundreds of people can gather together with strangers in Walmart, Costco, Grocery stores, and casinos, but don’t you dare have extended family and friends in your home for Thanksgiving fellowship!

I appreciate the common sense message from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to her state in a series of tweets. Here are several quotes from her.

In South Dakota, we won’t stop or discourage you from thanking God and spending time together this Thanksgiving.

I’ll continue to encourage each and every one of you to exercise personal responsibility and make smart choices for yourselves and your loved-ones. As you dig in to enjoy that delicious turkey and stuffing, make sure that everyone in your household is practicing good hygiene. Wash your hands. If someone in your family is in the vulnerable population, take extra precautions to keep them safe.

Smaller gatherings may be smarter this year. Let’s make sure to use common sense when we’re planning our celebrations. If you or someone in your family is sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, it may be best to stay home and join your loved-ones over FaceTime, Skype, or another app. As we learn more about COVID symptoms, it can be hard to keep track of them all, so visit the CDC website to refresh your memory.

Let’s all take the time to remember what Thanksgiving is all about – thanking God for everything that he has blessed us with in our lives. During difficult times, it’s important to be extra thankful for what we have.”

I would add to be mindful of anyone we know who is spending Thanksgiving alone. If possible, take them a meal or have one sent to them. We need each other now more than ever!

Tensions Over Turkey

For those of you, like our family, who are still going to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner together, the election could be as contentious around the table as it is around the country.

During our small group prayer request time, a reoccurring request went something like this: Please help us be a light on Thanksgiving among those with differing political and faith beliefs.

In the fragile aftermath of a volatile contested election, I imagine many of you are having similar concerns and conversations. I remember my mom cautioning that if you want to keep the peace, don’t talk about religion or politics. As a kid, I never understood that warning. Believers are supposed to tell everyone about Jesus. Since being a Christian is our first identity . . . how could we not talk about our Savior? And isn’t everyone entitled to his or her own political opinion?

Then I grew up!

If you follow me, you know I’m bold about being a born-again Christian. But as I wrote in Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten: “Bold doesn’t mean obnoxious. It simply means not being afraid to speak the truth, even in the face of adversity: ‘Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold’ (2 Cor. 3:12).” For example, if someone asks what I write, I answer, “Christian nonfiction.” Or I’ll say, “I’m a Christian author and speaker.”

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. Philippians 1:20 NLT

Is Thanksgiving a Religious Holiday?

That could be an awkward question in some circles.

When I mentioned to a group that I hoped people would set their differences aside on Thanksgiving Day, one response was, “It’s just a time for eating a lot of food, watching football, and shopping online anyway.”

Me: “I’m pretty sure the first pilgrims who celebrated Thanksgiving didn’t have TV or Amazon.

Another responded: “Well at least Thanksgiving isn’t a religious holiday.”

I asked: “Who then are we thanking?”

Complete silence.

Of course, God is the answer.

Abraham Lincoln made it an official national holiday “as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe.”

The English colonists we call Pilgrims celebrated days of thanksgiving as part of their religion. But these were days of prayer, not days of feasting.

Yes, Thanksgiving is a time of family and friends gathering, but as we sit around the feast together, we can’t thank each other, or aliens, or the “big bang” for giving us life, the sun, the moon, the trees, the ability to grow the food, the earth, the waters, the sky, sweet babies, and all the blessings we enjoy.

We read in Genesis that God spoke everything into being, and yet, many of us will be sharing turkey and dressing with people who don’t believe or discount the existence of God. They don’t know where they’re going when they die, or where everything we enjoy on earth came from . . . and maybe they don’t even care. They’ll walk out of the room when we pray before the meal, and may try and bait us into an argument over who we voted for and why. Maybe after a few drinks, their conversation will turn ugly, even though innocent young eyes are watching how the “adults” interact.

Yes, my husband and I have been thinking and praying about all of this and beseeching God to prepare us to be a light in the darkness . . . not ignore the darkness because that would be the cowards way out . . . but to help us respond as if Jesus was standing behind us speaking through us.

As I prayed and talked to the Lord, here’s a list I hope will help us, and maybe help you. I’d love to hear your ideas too.

Don’t worry what to say—“Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” Mark 13:11 (Jesus was talking to his disciples if they were arrested, but it could apply to us too if we felt our faith was being tested or put on trial.)

Speak kind words— “Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Pr. 16:24 NLT

For your part, maintain peace—“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18

Don’t ask or answer antagonistic questions— “Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.” Pr. 26:17 NLT

Play with any children present— “We will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.” Ps 78:4 NLT

Don’t drink— “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18 NLT

Smile, Smile, Smile— “Fix my eyes on God— soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.” Psalm 42:5 The Message

Listen— “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” Pr. 12:15 NLT

Take a deep breath and think before you speak—“There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.” Pr. 29:20 NLT

Less is more—“The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they?” Ecc. 6:11 NLT— There’s “A time to be quiet and a time to speak.” Ecc. 3:7 NLT

Say mind prayers continuously.—“Pray continually.” 1 Thess. 5:17

Have a secret sign or word between you and someone else that signals: Let’s change the subject or move into the other room.—“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.” Ecc. 4:9

If you’re hosting—Pray and thank God for each guest. Ask to be a blessing and to share joy. Pray over your home and each chair at the table. Pray before the meal as you normally would; your guests know they’re coming to a Christian home.—“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:9

If you’re a guest—As you walk up to the home pray that you’ll be a blessing and that God will stir up the fruit of the Spirit in your heart. If your hosts don’t pray before the meal, ask if you could say a prayer to bless the food. — “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Gal. 5:22-23

Thanksgiving is a day for harmony and focusing on God and giving Him thanks and praise in whatever way He leads. Fiction writers have a saying: “Show don’t tell.” Which simply means: you don’t always have to speak Jesus with your words; you can show Jesus with your actions!

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4 NLT

Past Thanksgiving Blogs

Here are my past Thanksgiving blogs you might enjoy reading. I give thanks for each of you for following these Monday Morning Blogs and I pray you have a joyful, peaceful, healthy, and God-filled Thanksgiving Day.

Acquiring Overshadows Thanksgiving

What Are You Most Thankful For?

Love Your Body During the Holidays

Thanksgiving Tablecloth Idea

In Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, I share a way to use your tablecloth as a conversation piece and make memories for generations to come. Here is an excerpt from the book. I hope it gives you some ideas. I’ll be taking our memory-making tablecloth with us this Thanksgiving.

When my breast cancer journey started, I became keenly aware of making memories with my family. At times like that, you think seriously about your mortality and the legacy you want to leave with your loved ones. You appreciate each new day of life. The sun rising every morning is an act of God to celebrate.

Holidays like Thanksgiving have new meaning. Typically, Thanksgiving is a celebration where family and friends gather for a feast, and everyone says what they’re thankful for in the past year. But after finishing the dishes and putting away the leftovers, how many really remember what everyone said?

The Thanksgiving following my first breast cancer surgery, I had an idea of a Thankful Tablecloth. I purchased a Thanksgiving themed tablecloth with plenty of white space and a box of wash-resistant colored markers. After Thanksgiving dinner, I brought out the markers and asked everyone—kids included—to find a spot on the tablecloth to write what they were thankful for that year, sign, and date it. We traced handprints for the tiny ones with their name and age.

Today, we have years of thankful messages to read every Thanksgiving and remember the many acts of God’s goodness to us and the people who joined us at the celebration table each year. If we go to someone’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, I ask if I can bring our Thankful Tablecloth and markers.

 When I go to be with the Lord, I pray my family will continue bringing out the Thanksgiving Tablecloth as a reminder through the generations of how good God has been to our family and friends.

I’m taking a blog holiday next Monday, but God willing, I’ll be back the first Monday in December.

If you receive this blog by email, you can leave a comment here.

November 23, 2020
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What Does It Mean to Pray for Your Enemies?

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When I woke up Friday morning to the news that Donald and Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19, like many of you, I immediately started praying.

I heard President Trump in a phone interview with Sean Hannity late Thursday night and I commented to Dave that the President’s voice sounded tired, which is understandable since it was late and he had just spoken at an event. But looming in the interview was the knowledge that senior White House advisor Hope Hicks had been on Airforce One with the President and had just tested positive for COVID.

We prayed that night, “Lord please protect the President and First Lady.” But sadly, they both do have COVID along with some of their staff and Republican senators.

I knew instinctively what was going to happen next after their diagnosis. The vitriol on social media, mainstream media, and many liberals and Democrat politicians would start spewing from the abyss.

City Pages, an alternative weekly covering Minneapolis and St. Paul, published an article Friday headlined, “Let’s laugh at all these very good ‘Trump has COVID’ tweets.” Editor-in-chief Emily Cassel led the piece by writing, “So President Trump and the First Lady have COVID. Man, anyone else just in a really, inexplicably good mood this morning?”

We’re in a cancel, carnal, cruel culture so repulsive that people would wish death to their President and political opponent. Granted there were some politicians from the opposing party, including Biden, who declared a partisan truce and wished well to the president, at least for now.

I don’t know about you, but anticipating the evil attacks on our President and First Lady, I tried to stay off social media and just pray. I knew my friends and followers would be posting about praying, but others might want to post examples of the horrible things said by others. I didn’t want to taint my mind.

I wanted to “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Phil. 4:8 NLT

I needed to focus my thoughts on President and Melania Trump having a quick recovery and healing from this terrible plague and not let my mind be filled with the comments of insensitive and hideous people actually celebrating the possible demise of our President to this unseen enemy.

They wanted him to suffer. Die. Joking about a dreaded illness.

What kind of person does that?!

 “If you find yourself rooting for someone’s death—anyone’s death—it’s time to pause and take stock of how your own souls has rotted.”—Tucker Carlson.

 “If you gloat over other people’s afflictions, you are not worthy of being called a human” is another worthy quote I read.

I would not give this human depravity an audience.

My Personal Epiphany

Then the Lord asked me a question I had to address: How would you react if it was Biden who had contracted COVID?

I am praying that he doesn’t win the election. He and his liberal party represent everything I don’t want for our country, much of it I consider evil and ungodly.

So would I pray as earnestly for his recovery as I’m praying for President Trump?

Wow?!

How I respond would show what resides in my heart. Would I show Christian compassion? My husband says I would pray for Biden. I hope he’s right!

How a Christian reacts to other’s misfortune is telling of their spiritual maturity when someone they don’t like is in distress.

Then the Lord brought to mind the verses on loving and praying for our enemies. Those we don’t agree with or even those we fear or have done us wrong.

The Sermon on the Mount

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus first started with the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:3-11). Then he taught about being salt and light, (13-16). He taught about the Law (17-20), anger (21-26), adultery (27-30), divorce (31-32), vows (33-37), revenge (38-42), and he ended his sermon with the difficult admonition to love your enemies.

Jesus Teaching about Love and Prayer for Enemies

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 

46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48 NLT

Are you convicted like I am when reading this teaching from Jesus? Even on the cross, He prayed for those who were putting Him, an innocent man, to a cruel death.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

Jesus wants us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us when something inside us tells us to not even like them!

It doesn’t mean we accept or agree with their actions, which for purposes of this article we’re talking about those who go against everything we believe spiritually, morally, and politically.

Jesus tells us to be like Him. We must pray for our enemies and be kind to them. I take that to mean we pray for their salvation and what greater “love” could we show for them than to pray they become believers.

Bill O’Reilly commented last week, “If you feel glad that Donald and Melania Trump are ill, then you have a sickness, too. And while most recover from Covid, the disease of enjoying the suffering of others is rarely defeated. That disease is called evil.”

O’Reilly is right that evil is a disease, but there is a cure for it: Jesus Christ.

I think that Matthew 5:45-48 is calling us to pray for those we hear and see vomiting hate and evil. We detest what they’re doing, so we pray that someway, somehow they find salvation in Jesus because He went to the cross for them just like He did for us.

Maybe some of them claim to be believers. Look at their actions and if they’re behaving according to the world or in a hurtful harmful way, we pray that they will return to God and His ways.

What we don’t do is match their behavior in our thoughts, words, or actions because Jesus warns us that then we’re no better than them.

I like this quote from Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family: “I believe strongly in being conservative in my politics–but liberal in my fellowship and in my willingness to pray for others.”

The person I’ve seen in politics who does the best at responding to opposition as a Christian is Vice President Mike Pence. He lets you know when he doesn’t agree with someone, but he does it in a way that is never demeaning or disparaging. He tends to defend his position rather than attack the other person personally. I’m looking forward to his debate with Kamala Harris this week. And I’m praying for him and his health.

Let’s be sure during this very contested political season that our comments and posts reflect the mind and kindness of Christ. That we pray for the hearts and souls of those who persecute us, or persecute the ones we care about, or decry our values.

Pray for those who seem consumed with anger and animosity.

If you remember in last week’s blog, I said the Lord kept giving me a vision of a sudden outpouring of the Holy Spirit over all those who are doing evil in our cities and government. A miracle of mass salvation!

I see all the rioters and haters suddenly dropping their weapons of destruction and their tongues of vileness being stilled. The tyrannical government officials and those trying to tear down our country, having a reawakening about the goodness of God and the greatness of the country He blessed us with—The United States of America!

We have to look for things to praise, even when small, and focus on finding ways to “be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.”

Let’s keep our minds and hearts positive and loving as we pray for the recovery of our President and his beautiful wife, even if he isn’t your preferred candidate. Remember we haven’t reached perfection either.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT

October 5, 2020
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Virtual Grandparents’ Day of Prayer!

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Have you heard about the Virtual Grandparents Day of Prayer? 

Since two of my granddaughters and their friends visited us this past week, I thought it was a perfect time to remind you of National Grandparents Day on September 13, 2020.  

The Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN) wants to make it a Day of Prayer for our grandchildren and their parents! This year they’re adding a virtual element to allow grandparents to pray together.

My friend Lillian Penner has provided information below to explain more about this day and how to participate.

What Is the Need?

The enemy prowls like a lion, infiltrating our culture with lies and deception. He attacks our families at all levels.

Even our Christian faith is under attack. As a result, parents and grandparents find themselves in a tug-of-war for the souls of their children and grandchildren.

Paul warns us, “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Barna Research confirms Paul’s warning. Fifty-eight percent of adults living in the United States agree that “identifying moral truth is up to each individual; there are no moral absolutes that apply to everyone, all the time. Surprisingly, forty-eight percent of adults identified as born-again Christians agreed with the statement.”[1]  

God has given grandparents a sacred trust – an opportunity to imprint another generation with His love and faithfulness. We need to intercede for the hearts, minds, and souls of our grandchildren and their parents, praying they don’t fall captive to the enemy’s deception.

With this in mind, the Prayer Ministry is inviting you and your church families to join us on National Grandparents’ Day (September 13th) for a Virtual Grandparents’ Day of Prayer.

WHAT IS A “VIRTUAL GRANDPARENTS’ DAY OF PRAYER”?

Several years ago, the prayer ministry of Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN) saw the urgency to establish a day for grandparents to unite in prayer. Under the leadership of Lillian Penner, the second Sunday of September was named Grandparents’ Day of Prayer. This day coincided with the National Grandparents’ Day in the United States.

Churches enthusiastically responded by hosting events such as grandparent prayer breakfasts, luncheons and afternoon teas.

The present pandemic has forced many churches to close or limit the amount of available seating. Therefore, instead of the traditional Grandparents’ Day of Prayer, we are inviting you, as grandparents, to observe a Virtual Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 13th. We are encouraging you to pray with at least one other grandparent over the phone, via a conferencing tool such as Zoom, or in-person with careful observance of social distancing guidelines.

To learn more about participation go to https://christiangrandparenting.com/prayer/grandparents-day-of-prayer/ 

May God bless you richly as you pray for your grandchildren,

Lillian Penner, 

GDOP Coordinator, 

Christian Grandparenting Prayer ministry

[email protected]

 [1] The findings are part of the American Worldview Inventory and were released by George Barna, director of research at the cultural research center at Arizona Christian University.

August 17, 2020
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I Only Bend My Knee to Jesus Christ and No Other!

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In the middle of a pandemic and possible recession, we find ourselves also thrust into a racial war. I’m not going to discuss the merits or faults of a peaceful protest, but violent malicious rioting is wrong. Detestable! Evil!

I mentioned in last week’s blog something I’ve been posting all week, “The rioting has nothing to do with the original frustration over an injustice. Doing wrong to justify another wrong still makes your wrong, wrong!”

There are so many things that alarm me, and I’m sure you too, about what is portrayed about the racial division being stoked in our country.

Bad cops made a bad decision and they will pay the price. But why are the rest of us paying the price?

If this is a racial protest, why are black communities and black businesses being destroyed, looted, robbed, and burned? Why are blacks being killed by blacks?

There’s only one answer to these questions and so many more like them: Satan!

God created one race—the human race!

God gave us the color of our skin. We had no control over that and yet today many Caucasians are bowing down before those who are promoting chaos and mayhem and apologizing for the way God made them. Only Satan could create such an atrocity.

Satan wants to destroy God’s creation of all skin colors because we’re all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

When I watch a Black Lives Matter man create a video of him demanding several times that a young white woman bow down before him and repeat after him that she needs to apologize for being “white privilege,” and she does it, I am revolted.*

Or the video of hundreds of people with their hands in the air in a position of worship repeating a renouncement of white privilege mantra led by someone on a stage. Like followers of a false religion. A cult. *

I wonder how many Christians are in that group thinking they are doing something righteous by kneeling to the culture and the world?!

I have another image in mind when I see these videos and it’s not righteous, it’s evil: Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Mussolini, or even King Nebuchadnezzar from the Bible.

 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide[a] and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. 3 So all these officials[b] came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4 Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments,[c] bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. 6 Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

7 So at the sound of the musical instruments,[d] all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

8 But some of the astrologers[e] went to the king and informed on the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! 10 You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. 11 That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted God to protect them when they refused to bow down to the gold statue and if you remember, they walked out of the fiery furnace untouched.

Like these three brave men, we should never take a knee or bow to anything or anyone except our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Otherwise, we’re not only renouncing our heritage, the color of our skin, our country—or whatever else they come up with to try and get us on our knees—we are renouncing our God.

Don’t do it; it’s not worth it. Only Jesus Christ deserves our prostration before Him. Everything else is an idol of power, control, manipulation, intimidation, and evil, yes evil.

Because . . .

And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:8-12

Christians of Every Color, Nation, Tribe, People and Language Are United in Christ!

Many of you know that my family has different “skin colors.” When I look at our family pictures, I see a big happy, handsome, smiling, loving family. I see different hair colors. I do not see different skin colors.

When I see my Christian brothers and sisters, I don’t see skin color, I see the family of God!

It is sadly true that racial injustice is a part of our country’s history, which we should as Christians admit and repudiate the sins of the past. Admission demonstrates humility and acknowledgement that wrongs happened, but it does not have to characterize who we are today. Our job is to make a difference in our generation.

No matter what our skin color or heritage, we aren’t defined by what our ancestors did or experienced. We are defined by what we do and who we are now.

Since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, we’re all born into this world as sinners. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).

Until we learn a new better way to live, we will keep on sinning. That’s why everyone needs a Savior and to be born again out of our unrighteousness into the righteousness of following Jesus. Not followers of any fringe or woke group that wants you to change for their benefit. Your identity is in Christ alone!

22 This righteousness is given through faith in[a] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, [black or white]23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22-24

As Christians, we live counter-culture! We get ourselves right with God and then we can love on others.

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matt. 22:36-40

Today, politicians, anarchists, and agitators want to keep the old wounds open and look for every opportunity to fester them. It is to their advantage to maintain division and unrest. They have no desire to unite us because then they lose their power and control.

Race isn’t a political issue, it’s a sin issue. It’s not a skin problem, it’s a sin problem.

We’re not dealing with systemic racism, we’re dealing with systemic secularism!

Change won’t happen with a policy change, it happens with a heart change. Hearts transformed by Jesus Christ.

We can’t legislate or demand unity. Only God is the Unifier. It’s our responsibility to continue to love our neighbor as ourself, no matter what their skin color. God’s Golden Rule (Matt. 22:36-40); (Mark 12:30-31).

We defy Satan’s schemes for disunity when we live under God’s plan for unity!

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3

I remember the song we sang in Sunday school as a child, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and Yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.

When you don’t embrace your own skin color, you deny who you are in Christ.

When you bow to anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ, you deny God who said I will have no other gods before me.

We must be on our knees in prayer for the civil and spiritual unrest in our world.

Let’s look for ways this week to keep the focus on God and not the works of Satan. That means we need to outshine the divisive voices in the news and many on social media. We need to bring the light of Jesus into the worldly darkness.

Then we will counter evil with good like these pastors who led a praise march singing Waymaker in the streets of Milwaukee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj4IrB3I20s

*You’ll find the woman kneeling and the people reciting the mantra in this news clip.

June 8, 2020
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Preparing Our Hearts for Easter

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Yesterday was Palm Sunday, which ushers in Holy or Passion Week. Yet, the White House Coronavirus Task Force is warning us that this could be a grim and difficult week as we see a “peak” in Americans contracting and succumbing to Covid-19!

It was also a difficult and grim week for Jesus 2020 years ago when He would die a horrific death on a cross out of love for each of us.

But three days later, He arose! Hallelujah!

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NLT

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 1 Cor. 15:3-4

A New Kind of Easter Celebration

Easter is going to be different this year, but I wonder if the meaning of Easter might be more real to us during the stay-at-home restrictions of this Covid-19 crisis. In the past, we might’ve been more concerned with what we were going to do after church rather than what we would do at church.

Typically, family’s discuss who is going to host Easter brunch or dinner or is the family going to fight the crowds trying to get a reservation to eat out. What do the kids want in their Easter baskets and what’s everyone going to wear. Sunrise service or spend the morning hunting Easter eggs and go to church later?

We attend a worship service hearing the traditional Easter message and then out the door on to the activities planned for the rest of the day. We felt spiritual and reverent while we were in church, but now let the fun begin!

Believe me I enjoy having fellowship and fun with our family and I will greatly miss them this year, but I also think quarantined at home, I’ll spend more of the day truly reflecting on the actual meaning and significance of Easter.

President Trump has said he would’ve loved for the pandemic self-distancing to be over and churches filled on Easter Sunday. “What a beautiful thing that would be,” he said. It would for sure since it would’ve taken a miracle for that to happen.

But could it be that God has a bigger miracle in mind for us?! We’ve been forcibly removed from outside distractions and given the opportunity to renew and refresh our faith and commitment to the Lord—individually, as a family, as a church, and as a nation.

Church is a building, but the risen Savior lives in every believer’s heart every moment of every day no matter where we are—in church or in our homes.

Easter commemorates the foundation of our Christian faith. The Gospel! The Good News! Without Easter, there would be no hope.

Easter is the reason we can repent and ask forgiveness for our sins. The assurance of eternal life. People need to hear that message and know salvation is available to everyone. They don’t need to live in fear of the Coronavirus or of death, because for all who believe in Him, Jesus conquered death when He went to the Cross.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[a] this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.[b]
55 O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting? 1 Cor. 15:54-55 NLT

It’s our job as Christians to help others experience the love of Jesus for them. That could be the real miracle of this crisis.

Samaritan’s Purse has setup a temporary hospital in Italy and in New York’s Central Park to treat coronavirus patients. They openly say the volunteer doctors and nurses are there to save lives in the name of Jesus. The Mayor of New York City and others were skeptical and critical that not everyone would receive equal treatment! They needed to hear and understand that Jesus loved us enough to go to the cross while we were still sinners. Their concern underscores the misconception the world has of Jesus and believers.

As the Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians, we need to share with the world:

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.—1 Corinthians 15:1-4

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1 John 1:9-10 NLT

Jesus lives within the heart of every Christian and He wants us to live as if we believe it, no matter what the circumstances!

So don’t let anyone tell you that Easter is cancelled this year. Easter, the commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to offer every sinner forgiveness and eternal life, is NOT cancelled. Jesus cancelled our debt but no one can cancel Him. He is the same today, tomorrow, and yesterday.

What is happening in our world doesn’t affect Jesus. He only cares about what is happening in our heart!

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.—Ezekiel 36:26

What should we do this Holy Week to prepare our hearts for an Easter celebration like none we’ve ever had before?!

1. Fill your mind with words from the Lord and not from the media.

Let’s take a break from the media that wants to scare and alarm us and focus our minds on the reason our Lord and Savior went to the cross—to offer us eternal life regardless of what happens in this life. No one wants to die, but if Jesus is in our heart, we have the assurance that we will be alive with Jesus for eternity. That should calm our hearts.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.—Romans 12:2

I heard Pastor Greg Laurie say in his Palm Sunday message, “There are five gospels . . . you’re the 5th! You are the temple of God.” Read the four Gospels, Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Get to know Jesus up close and personal. Walk with Him in His shoes; listen to His words and stories.

  • What was He trying to get people to understand?
  • What does He want you to understand?
  • Look for His personal message to you in your generation.
  • What would He be doing during this pandemic?
  • What does He want you to do during this crisis?

If you were giving the sermon this Easter, what would you include?

2. Tell people what Jesus means to you. Why you love Him. That even while you were a sinner, He still loved you enough to die for you!

Our church has a Cowboy Breakfast for the community on Easter Sunday, which we’ll all sorely miss this year. It was my privilege to share the gospel message one year, with my granddaughter reciting John 3:16. Other years, members of our church shared their testimony with their friends and neighbors who attend the breakfast. My husband also shared his testimony.

When is the last time you told someone your testimony of surrendering your life to Christ? It’s hands down the most important and meaningful day in your life. Yes, it’s greater than the day you married, gave birth, bought your dream house, or signed that important contract. Your rebirth in Christ should top them all!

And yet, we eagerly tell the story of these less significant events in our life, but often are reticent to tell the story of Jesus coming into our life.

We know He is with us every day, but do we give Him the credit and the glory for the things we know He has done and is doing in our life?

This week ask yourself why you don’t talk more about Jesus!

Then share your story with someone! Reflect back on the day the death and resurrection of Jesus really meant something to you. Tell people why it still does.

There is no greater witness to God’s goodness than sharing what he has done in your life. No one can question your testimony because it’s your personal experience.

Your story becomes your testimony when the focus is on God, not on you.

Your testimony simply shares your life before Jesus. How he changed your heart and spiritually, maybe literally, saved your life.

God has given you a story to share, so seize every opportunity to tell it.

Sometimes God redeems your testimony by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past so it doesn’t become their future.

Who needs to hear this Easter what Christ has done for you and could do for them?

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.—Titus 3:3-7

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.—1 John 5:11-12

“Let’s use this time to reflect on our own relationship to God. And Pray. Pray for the medical workers, they’re really warriors. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones and ask God to comfort them in their grief.” President Donald J Trump

“Pray for God to protect us and release us from this plague. Pray for the patients. There is sin in the world. Ask for God’s forgiveness not to condemn but to save a fallen world.” Franklin Graham

I look forward to hearing how this Easter was your best Easter ever!

You might also enjoy an article I wrote for Crosswalk, 5 Refreshing Ways to Welcome Renewal Beyond Easter.

Have a blessed Easter the way the Lord leads you to celebrate this glorious day!

April 6, 2020
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Conquering the Unseen Enemy

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I think President Trump was the first to start calling the Coronavirus “the unseen enemy” and now many have coined the term.

We can’t see this enemy, yet it could attack us or we could unknowingly pass it onto others. This enemy is treacherous and its sole intent is to do harm and leave carnage in its path.

When I heard “unseen enemy” used to describe coronavirus, I immediately thought what a perfect analogy to the unseen enemy Satan!

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT

Like COVID-19, Satan also creates chaos, carnage, death, heartache, despair, the list is endless, and yet our world and culture considers much of Satan’s evil as normal.

Physical illness brings the world to a standstill, while worldly spiritual illness is acceptable, tolerated, even encouraged.

As Christians, you’ve heard many times that we’re in a spiritual battle for our very souls, but did you ever take it as seriously as you now take the coronavirus?

We take desperate measures to ensure our loved ones or friends don’t get sick. But do we feel the same sense of concern and urgency when their soul is sick? Lost for eternity?

I read an article by Giancarlo Sopo in The Blaze titled, “New York Times op-ed blames Evangelical Christians for paving the road to ‘coronavirus hell.’” What Katherine Stewart, author of the op-ed that Sopo is refering to, The Religious Right’s Hostility to Science Is Crippling Our Coronavirus Response, doesn’t realize, or obviously believe, is that when you don’t believe in Jesus as your Savior, you’re paving the way to eternal hell.

The author went on to claim, what many unbelievers think—that Christians have a “denial of science and critical thinking.”

  • We’re the ones who believe that X and Y chromosomes determine your gender—boy or girl. That’s science.
  • A heartbeat signifies life—even in a mother’s womb. That’s science.

As for critical thinking—

  • We believe the unseen enemy Coronavirus is real.
  • We believe the unseen enemy Satan is real.
  • We believe heaven and hell are real.
  • We believe the unseen Savior Jesus is alive in every believer’s heart.
  • We believe there are two choices in life—to follow Satan the destroyer or Jesus the Savior of the world!

How Do We Fight the War Against the Unseen Enemy?

The enemy Coronavirus—We physically protect ourselves daily by following the guidelines from the government and doctors. Stay home, wash our hands, don’t touch our face.

The enemy Satan—We spiritually protect ourselves daily by following the guidelines from God. Put on the Armor of God.

My husband, Dave, and I have prayed Ephesians 6:10-18, the Armor of God, nearly every morning of our 27 years of marriage. I often say that I might not be alive today if we didn’t. I take it that seriously; I hope you will too.

We share this spiritual discipline of praying the Armor of God with everyone we know. I’ve mentioned it in previous blogs and in many of my books. But I always wonder how many actually understand that these are our marching orders as Christians in the ongoing spiritual battle we’re in everyday! Sometimes, like now, the battle is more visible universally. Other times, we experience it individually, but it’s always there. Satan will never tire or give up until the final battle.

God always has a plan for His people, but His people don’t always follow His plan.

I opened this blog with Ephesians 6:10-12. The remainder of this passage instructs us in how to protect against the spiritual unseen enemy.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[c] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Amen Ephesians 6:13-18 NLT

Notice the call to pray, stand firm in your faith, and take up the “sword of the Spirit,” your Bible, the only offensive weapon.

Conquering the unseen enemy

If we’re not in our Bibles, we’re leaving ourselves wide open to attack from the enemy Satan. It has been said that if we don’t read our Bibles a minimum of four times a week, we don’t act much different than the world! Now this unseen enemy, COVID-19, has given us time to take up our sword and fight the unseen enemy of our souls.

Download a copy of Dr. Charles Stanley’s “Preparing for War” Armor of God prayer that my husband and I personalize and pray each morning.

Dear ones, the battle rages on but praise God we know Who wins the war.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4 NLT

Special Announcement

I receive many messages and emails from women telling me that Everyday Brave: Living Courageously As A Woman of Faith is helping them stay strong during these unprecedented times. So I’m having an Easter Be Brave special of this book for $10.00 on my website through the month of April. I’ll personalize and sign each book for you.

13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

March 30, 2020
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Family, Faith, and Science

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The Coronavirus has imposed restrictions on most of the world. Our normal life abruptly came to a halt. Some people are “sheltering in place” others are quarantined. A few cities are in “lockdown.” Schools and businesses are closed. Many are working from home.

We’re all practicing social distancing.

The goal is to stop the spread of this unseen enemy. For the most part, citizens are cooperating because no one wants to get sick or spread the virus to someone else.

We’re coming together against a common foe by staying apart!

So how does this new crisis in our culture connect family, faith, and science and how can these three segments of our life unify us? Let’s look at each one.

Family

Before this virus disrupted our everyday life, families often started their day with each person going their separate way. The kids were hurriedly hustled off to school, preschool, or daycare, and mom and dad rushed off to work or the day’s activities. Afternoons were filled with chauffeuring kids to sports, quick dinner with whoever happened to be home to eat it, homework, and individually burrowing into electronic devices. Eventually, everyone fell into bed to get up the next morning and start all over again.

Then one day everything came to a screeching halt! The entire family became sequestered at home together all day, everyday! Forced to spend time together talking, eating, entertaining each other . . . maybe taking family relationships and dynamics to a deeper level. Cocooning!

What a perfect time for a Sabbath of the soul for the whole family when there’s no place to go, no outside distractions, just you and your family.

Here are some activities to do together during this family time. . .

  • Play games or start jigsaw puzzles
  • Eat meals
  • Pray
  • Watch church online
  • Do a Bible study
  • Watch family appropriate movies
  • Cook
  • Work on household projects as a family
  • Skype, Facetime, Zoom with extended family
  • Give each other space when needed
  • Make memories
  • Help in your community

Don’t waste this unexpected season. You may never have the opportunity for this kind of uninterrupted family time again.

As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Faith

“The American people want hope!” President Donald Trump

Another word for faith is hope. Heb. 11:1 reminds us “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we trust that God knows and we put our trust in him. He is our hope.

Without hope, the people perish. They lose their will to go on or they act recklessly out of fear.

I know what it feels like to lack hope. I’m typically a very hopeful person, but when I was recovering from kidney surgery, I couldn’t see an end to my pain. It seemed like every day was as bad as the day before. I couldn’t tap into hope that I would ever feel better, even though the doctors said that I would, but it might take a while. Until then, I would have to endure the pain.

I cried! I needed hope! I wanted hope! Now!

How a Word Can Change Your Life, mine for 2017 was hope.

Then one day a church member, whose ministry was sending get-well cards and gifts, gave me a mug with the word “HOPE” on it. She had no idea how much I needed that reassurance, but God did. Every time I drink my morning coffee from that cup, I’m reminded that God is always my source of hope. Things will get better, but I need to be patient and not lose my hope in God.

That’s where our country is today. Our President wants to give us a cup of hope when he speaks to the nation. Where would we be if everyday he told us that nothing was going to get better and there is no medication on the horizon?

We would be a depressed, desperate people. Many have criticized the President for offering the American people hope, but that’s exactly what we need to hear.

For now, we hunker down and go through a difficult time, but hope is on the way and things will get better. President Trump said when he declared March 15, 2020 a day of prayer for the coronavirus that “No problem is too big for God!”

If you haven’t read the entire declaration, please read it now.

That’s faith! That’s hope! That’s the same faith and hope we must have today and everyday!

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Luke 18:27

3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Science

We have scientists in our family and I understand that scientists typically look at results of studies and statistics to project outcomes. When we watch the Coronavirus Task Force press conferences, there can be tension between the members telling us how things could get better and scientists cautioning that we don’t have all the data to prove it.

But I don’t believe we’re seeing faith versus science. It’s faith having confidence in science and scientists appreciating that we have faith in them to find an answer, a solution, to our crisis. We praise God for the knowledge, wisdom, and gifts He’s given them. These scientists are working around the clock to find a cure to help those who have the virus and a vaccine to eradicate it completely.

It is with faith that we pray for the medical personnel and scientists. Faith that God will use these professionals in a mighty way. Without our prayers, their work might take years. But as President Trump said in the 3/21/2020 press conference, regarding the innovative use of medicine available now and being considered by scientists to combat the virus:

“It if works it will be a gift from heaven. A gift from God. Pray to God that it does work!”

So families, while we’re home together bonding, not roaming, let’s unite in prayer for all those in the medical field, researchers, the task force, and those who have Coronavirus or any illness.

Pray to our God who knows all, sees all, and loves all of us.

“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
    and he rescued them from their distress. Psalm 107:6 (NLT)

“He [God] sees the entire timeline of history at once and asks us to see it with the same certainty. He wants us to live with a sense of his timing.

When we reflect and represent the God who does not panic about anything, we prepare hearts to open to his ways and see from a different perspective. Being still in the presence of the Lord makes his presence much more known.” Chris Tiegreen

Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deut. 31:6

March 23, 2020
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