A Thankful Heart

Many hearts will turn to Thanksgiving this coming week. What kind of memories do you have of Thanksgiving? A table laden with good food and lots of family sitting around the table? Little children running around playing with cousins? Your dad carving the turkey while mother mashes potatoes? A scurrying around to get everything on the table hot and delicious? That could be the “Norman Rockwell” picture of Thanksgiving Day. Maybe it is yours as well.

For me as a child, some Thanksgiving days were butcher days. I didn't really enjoy those kind of holidays but it taught me to be thankful for the meat that was provided for the winter. But there were those family times around the table with my aunt and uncle and others. My parents always invited a lonely old man they knew that would be without the blessing of home and family. That taught me a lot and helped me to see not everyone was as blessed as I was.

Then as an adult with a family of my own, we would go to my parents home for many years but occasionally they would come to our home for the holiday. After my dad died, we would bring mother to our home for a few days and also invite a few others to join us. Mother had taught me how to set a pretty table and I loved to do it. Themed napkins and jellied cranberry sauce, beautiful china and traditional pumpkin pie all helped make the meal festive.

But it is our heart attitude that really makes Thanksgiving Day special. We give thanks for our many blessings. Music always speaks to my heart and there are a few Thanksgiving hymns that are my favorites.

We Gather Together was originally a Dutch patriotic song, written around 1600 to celebrate the freedom of the Netherlands from Spanish rule. However, God's kingdom transcends national and ethnic boundaries. When the Church sings this hymn, she is reminded of the words of the apostle Paul: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”, Ephesians 6:12 ESV. In singing this hymn the people of God seek His help and thank Him for His presence in the pursuit of victory over evil, for we know that God “forgets not His own.” (hymnary.org)  Listen HERE

For The Beauty of the Earth was written in 1863 by Folliott S. Pierpoint. He was wondering through the English countryside around the winding Avon River. As he looked on the beauty surrounding him, he was inspired to reflect on God's gifts to his people in creation and in the church. He thought of the sacrifice of Christ, in the greatest of sacrifices, that of his life in return for ours. The hymn was meant not only as a song of thanksgiving but as the only thing we could give Christ in return for his mercy and love; a hymn of praise laid upon the altar as a sacrifice. (hymnary.org)  Listen HERE

Come Ye Thankful People Come, was written by Henry Alford in 1844, in rural England when the life of the village during the winter depended on the bounty of the autumn harvest. While the first stanza of this hymn rejoices over the harvest, the last three expound on the reminder this image gives of the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds in Matthew 13. The hymn concludes with a prayer that the final harvest at His Second Coming would happen soon. (Hymnary.org) Listen HERE

Wonderful, Merciful, Savior* is probably not thought of as a thanksgiving hymn but I love these

words that give praise to a “lamb that could rescue the souls of men” and “offer hope when our hearts have hopelessly lost their way”. And in the chorus it speaks the words of my heart: “You are the One that we praise, You are the One we adore; You give us healing and grace our hearts always hunger for.” My heart is full of praise for my Savior, Jesus Christ. He has given me eternal life by dying on a cross; he has rescued me from a life of sin, he continually offers me hope when life situations cause me to be disheartened. And my heart lifts up praise to Him as the One that I praise and adore. I am so thankful!

*Written in 1989 by Dawn Rodgers and Eric Wyse   

Listen HERE

At Home with My Spiritual Family

It was very unusual for me to be absent from my church for three Sundays.  I walked in and sat down, the worship team was playing and the worship leader was welcoming everyone to the service. Then we began to sing and my spirit quieted down and I became  excited at the same time. I felt at peace and at one with the congregation. I felt like I was home!

Please don't misunderstand me. I really enjoyed visiting other churches. I was able to worship and praise my Savior, I enjoyed the fellowship with other Christians and was edified by the preaching of the Word.

The first church we visited on our vacation was a Baptist church in southern Ohio. This is my bridesmaid's church, nestled in the rolling hills of Ohio. A beautiful white church sitting on a ridge where you can see miles and miles of beautiful country. A former pastor taught the adult Sunday School Class in the sanctuary and he is a very capable Bible teacher. The choir sang beautifully and if you have a birthday, you go up to the front and put an offering in a container for missions. The pastor preached a good message and we were blessed with the friendliness of the people.

The second church we visited was my cousin Mark's church located in Michigan, just across the border from Toledo, Ohio. He is the worship leader, plays the guitar and sings in the contemporary service. This is a Lutheran church. The pastor has a childrens' sermon but it is more of a conversation as he sits on the steps of the platform with them and tells them a Bible story, involving them with questions. An interesting part of the service is when he asks if anyone has a joy to report. This includes answers to prayer or stories of God's goodness; a very relaxed time of community sharing.

When we arrived home a friend asked if I could take his parents to his church because his two daughters were going to be baptized. These grandparents are also friends and I couldn't have them miss this momentous occasion. This church is an Alliance church in Elizabethtown, Pa, about an hour and a half travel time. A guest worship team from a nearby college led us in worship. The pastor gave a short summary of a sermon series that was beginning the next Sunday, and he also gave a scriptural basis for baptism. The girls and two others read their testimonies and while we were singing Amazing Grace, all four girls were baptized. It was a very nice, sweet time of rejoicing with these preteens who are following Jesus. I enjoyed my visit at this church, their warm welcome upon arrival and seeing the family of God working together in community.

If you have been born again, having repented of your sins and have asked Jesus to be Lord of your life, you are a child of God (Ephesians 1:16), a fellow citizen with the saints (Ephesians 2:19), Jesus is your Brother (Matthew 12:48-50, God is your Father (I John 3:1-2), and you are a part of the family of God!  As a part of this family, we are exhorted in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” We can worship anywhere, but there is more to just walking into a church, sitting down and worshiping. We must have relationship with fellow Christians.

This is why I felt like I had come home when I came back from three Sundays away. I have a relationship with many in my church. These brothers and sisters in the Lord have prayed for me over the years. They were there with meals when I had surgeries. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, many offered support, meals and prayer. They came to support us when our house burned to the ground in 2010. In Bible Studies, Sunday School and prayer groups, I have learned to love these people. We have shared many joys and sorrows and have become close as brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are family! And I feel at home.

  

I John 3: 1-2, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are . . .Beloved, we are God's children . . .”

I Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

Ephesians 2:19, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

Ephesians 1:16, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Matthew 12:48-50 ”Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

A Step into Glory

"Just inside the gate a place reserved for me

Book of Life, my name penned there by Calvary

Welcome like no other, tear drops wiped away

And on that day I get to stay inside the gate!"

These words to a song I recently heard blessed me so much as I thought of stepping inside the gates of heaven some day. My first thoughts were not of streets of gold and gates of pearl, but the divine glory that will be there because of Jesus presense! Another thought was the absolute joy of just being there. And I reveled in that glory.

Then I really listened to the first verse of this song and had a completely different emotion:

"In another time and place much more than fate

He took sins weight outside the gate

Love beyond all human thought of dignity

now welcomes me where I shouldn't be"

You see, I am not worthy on my own to go to heaven.  My sins could only be cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus.  So my emotion now includes sorrow for my sins, gratefulness for Jesus' taking my place on the cross and then joy because Jesus has become my Savior.  My Jesus suffered “outside the gate” so I could “step inside the gate”! Let me explain.

Hebrews 13:11-12, “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.” This gives us a picture of the Old Testament sacrifices performed by the priests that was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice Christ made for us “outside the camp” meaning the city of Jerusalem. Leviticus 16:27, “And the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp.”

The Old Testament sacrifices had to be repeated daily and the Day of Atonement took place once a year. Neither could take away our sins. But Jesus died on the cross of Calvary once for all.

Hebrews 10:10,11, “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet. 14, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

Another picture of this is found in Numbers 13:1-25 where we learn about the Israelites' wondering in the land of Canaan for forty years. This was punishment for their lack of faith and God condemned a generation, except Caleb and Joshua, to die in that desert. During this time they carried around a Tabernacle which is a representation of the true heavenly Tabernacle. The priests offered sacrifices during this time also. The Day of Atonement was an event that took place only once a year, but the sin offering was a constant daily reminder of the seriousness of sin. The offense was so grave that the offering was burned outside the camp.
The Most Holy Place was where the priest would offer the blood from the animal sacrifice once a year. The common person couldn't step into this Most Holy Place. Jesus died outside the gate once for all so we can step into Heaven as a redeemed person/soul. On the day Jesus died on the cross, the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the people was torn from top to bottom signifying that we can enter into a relationship with Jesus, one on One!

Hebrews 10:19-23 “Since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great and high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful.”

Because of the shed blood of Jesus, all Christians have the hope of “stepping inside the gate” of heaven someday. What a glorious day that will be! To be able to sit at the feet of Jesus and worship and praise Him for His great sacrifice on the cross will be the ultimate prize. Our human concept of a prize is minimal when compared with what we find in Phillippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

As the songwriter* penned in the chorus of this song, “on that day I get to stay inside the gate!” We will spend an eternity with Jesus in Heaven! Romans 6:22, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”

*Inside the Gate, written by Janene A Dubbeld and recorded by the Mark Dubbeld Family. You can find the CD, Live, Nothing But Praise, at this link: http://www.mjdubbeld.com/resources.  

Trust in the Road Signs

 The GPS or Map Quest tells you to turn right and then turn left. Cross this intersection and bear to the right . . . but it just doesn't seem like the right way to go. With the maze of highways and clover leaves, bridges and intersecting roads, it can be confusing. So you have two choices: trust your instincts or trust the directions being given to you. If you obey the GPS, then as you travel a little distance, you start to see how the highways connect and it begins to make sense.

We recently took a trip and it reinforced a thought I have had in the past about following directions. In the spiritual realm we are to follow a blueprint written in the Bible as to how to live and how our Christian walk should look; what paths we should and should not follow. Proverbs 3:6, tells us, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” And Jesus told us in John 18:2, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Colossians 2:6, “As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Sometimes God leads us into a sweet path. Psalm 23:2-3, “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”

Sometimes God leads us through tough times. Psalm 37:5 tells us, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” When the road gets rough and it looks like there is no way to go, Trust In Jesus.

Joshua 1:9 we have this promise: “Be strong, be courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

As we travel down this road of life we need to obey the signs. Psalm 128:1, “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways!

Sometimes we take a wrong turn as we are traveling and the GPS will say, “Calculating.” Then she tells you how to get back on the right road to your destination. The same is true for the Christian. First of all, we need to acknowledge our sin.

I John 1:9, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Then we need to turn around and get back on the right path. Acts 3:19, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord . . .”

As we obey God's Word, and Trust in Him we continue on this Highway to Heaven and we can experience these words found in Proverbs 4:18,  "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” And we can say with the psalmist, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” Psalm 25:4 

A Pilgrimage Through Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  I posted this poem a
 year ago on Facebook but want to share it on my blog in honor of this month and all those who have walked this journey and for those who will in the future.

“It looks suspicious,” said the doctor.

Minutes later as my husband and I sat in the doctor’s formal office

He details my options if the biopsy reveals cancer.

Mastectomy and chemotherapy, lumpectomy with radiation.

My mind says, “I’d do anything to save the breast.”

Denial and anger wrapped into one.

Next comes fear.

Almost like a vessel filling up with water, I can feel it rising and I swallow to keep it down.

I discipline my mind into another channel and the fear subsides.

Preparing for biopsy, I feel like I am reluctantly walking in a charted pathway.

Every other step is hope, fear, hope, fear.

Nurses and doctors going routinely about their work give an air of calm and assurance.

Kind words and hands help to keep back the panic.

Common sense arrives to lend a hand – “What is, will be, no matter what the frame of my mind.

So it is best to relax, trust and hope for the best.”

I walk into the grocery store and feel like I am a spectator of life.

I feel like shouting, “Hey, I have cancer!”

Everyone goes about in their own world oblivious to my unspoken cry.

Waiting, worrying, hoping, five days of limbo.

Then the phone call from the surgeon.

Cancer.

But then he says, “This is not a death sentence!”

Good chance of fighting this enemy.

More tests to see if the cancer has spread.

Lab for blood tests; x ray for total body bone scan;

Admissions office.   Another wait for results.

Return to work.

A vase with a rose on my desk.

A card with a Bible promise, signed

“I love you daughter, Jesus”

And the tears come.

Jesus really does love me!

Jesus confirms that I am one of the Family!

The tears bring a release and a cleansing.

Others bring support and love

I am reminded that when Jesus faced His cross,

He turned to his friends.  Being God was not enough.

Test results showed no spread of cancer to the bones or lungs.

We celebrate by making love.  I think, “What will it be like when the breast is gone?”

Tears come to my eyes and we fall asleep in each other’s arms.

Day of surgery.  Mundane things like lunch money, school picture day.

Walking resigned steps into the hospital.

Waiting for the operating room stretcher to come.

Feeling so small and helpless as my grown children and husband follow me

To pre-op.  Watching the ceiling as we pass through corridors and elevators.

Hooked up to I.V., nurse comes to prep.  Reality sets in as she shaves the breast

And Steve and I join the nurse who is silently weeping.

Her husband recently died of cancer.  We share each others’ pain.

Wheeled into the O.R., the surgeon comes in and gives assurance.

“We are going to take good care of you.”

As the anesthesiologist places each arm straight out from my body,

I think – “This is how Jesus surrendered on His cross.  I must do the same.”

I return to my room to find flowers everywhere!

And my family surrounds me with love.

I sleep away the pain –

More in the pit of my arm where the lymph nodes were removed

Than across my chest.

Next day – I feel great!  Walk the halls, entertain visitors.

Second day – bandage comes off.  Experience grief like a death.

My breast had died.  The scar was ugly and I cried.

The kind of cry that releases and allows healing.

Third day – good news!  Cancer was contained in the breast.

Lymph nodes free of cancer.  Good prognosis for total recovery.

Chemotherapy prescribed as an added precaution.

Six months – nausea, weakness, slight hair loss.

Now twenty-four years – cancer free.

Scripture promise was true-

“I know the plans I have for you.

They are for good and not for evil that you may have a future and a hope.”

The Middle of the Sandwich

There it sits on a white plate. A sandwich with bacon, lettuce and tomato with mayo leaking out from the edges of the toasted bread. Cut diagonally, it is a treat ready to be consumed. On another plate is a sandwich with egg salad oozing out from between two slices of wheat bread. A leaf of lettuce peeks out from the deliciousness. And then we have the quintessential bacon cheeseburger! The aroma mixes in with the sight of a burger with a slice of cheese on top, graced with a slice of tomato and a leaf of lettuce. Of course there is mayo, mustard and onion too! What a sandwich!

I had a friend recently tell me of a verse in the Bible that speaks of God's kindness. So I looked it up and found it sandwiched between two verses about God's judgment. Whoa! What to do with this? We know that we have a choice whether to serve God or man; whether to become a Christian or not; whether to take advantage of God's kindness or experience God's wrath. So enough said about the “crust” of the sandwich. I want to look at the Middle of the Sandwich!

Romans 2:4 says, “Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” God's kindness is meant to lead you and me to repentance, not necessarily his judgment or fear of His judgment.

Ephesians 2:4-9, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Titus 3:4-6, “When the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Psalm 36:7, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.”

Psalm 69:16, “Answer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me.”

Isaiah 54:8, “ . . . with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you, “Says the Lord your Redeemer.”

Psalm 117:2, “For His lovingkindness is great toward us. And the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 63:3, “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.”

I do praise my Savior that it was His lovingkindness that reached down to my heart as a teenager. I am so thankful that He lovingly showed me His grace and forgiveness and that I said Yes! Because of this, I have enjoyed the middle of the sandwich and I don't have to be concerned with God's judgment because Jesus paid the price for my sin on Calvary and I am set free from judgement.

John 5:24, “Truly, Truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.”

Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

If you haven't already, my prayer is that you will choose the middle of the sandwich and receive LIFE!

The Storms of Life

The meteorologist tells us for days that a category four hurricane is headed our way. We take note but think, perhaps it will turn and go out to sea. But it doesn't and then we get more serious. Even authorities begin to tell us to prepare and as it turns out, many evacuate to safer places. As I write this, Hurricane Matthew is still wreaking havoc on the eastern coast of the United States.

A young mother sits in the doctors office fearing one of the worst diagnosis, the dreaded word; cancer. The doctor comes in and sits down and confirms her fears. But then the words, “You are not going to die from this but . . . Ahead are months of treatments”. It will be a journey.

In John 16:33 we read, “In the world you will have tribulation (trouble). But take heart; I have overcome the world.” In the verse 32 it says, “ . . .in me (Jesus) you may have peace.” Good and bad happens to all of us, the godly and the ungodly. Christians are not exempt. Matthew 5:45, “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

When your world turns upside down and everything seems to be caving in on you, where do you turn? When conflict, chaos and circumstances come in and inundate your life, do you cower in the corner and pull your hair out or stoically plod ahead in your own strength or do you turn to Jesus? Psalm 61:1-3 says, “  Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.” Isaiah 26:4 tells us, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock.”

As we turn to the Rock which is Jesus, we need to turn to His Word too.

Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? And verse 5, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.”

Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Deuteronomy 33:27, “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

All week when thinking of an impending hurricane, I have been thinking of the song, Eye of the Storm. Of course, it is mostly speaking to a storm of the soul and Jesus being our anchor. Here are the words to the chorus: In the eye of the storm You remain in control; And in the middle of the war You guard my soul; You alone are the anchor when my sails are torn; Your love surrounds me in the eye of the storm.” (Ryan Stevenson) (You can listen to the complete song HERE)

I just heard a song by Kari Jobe, Love Came Down. It is a song of

faith and trust in the midst of storms, and remembering all the things God has done for us as individuals because of His Son, Jesus. (You can listen to Love Came Down HERE)

Love Came Down

If my heart is overwhelmed And I cannot hear Your voice
I hold on to what is true Though I cannot see

If the storms of life they come, And the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith I will believe

I'll remind myself Of all that You've done
And the life I have Because of Your son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours,Lord I'm forever Yours
Mountains high or valley low, I sing out and remind my soul
I am Yours, I am forever Yours

When my heart is filled with hope Every promise comes my way
When I feel Your hands of grace Rest upon me

Staying desperate for You, God, Staying humble at Your feet
I will lift these hands in praise, I will believe

I'll remind myself Of all that You've done
And the life I have Because of Your son

Love came down…

So whether you are facing a hurricane, a cancer diagnosis or any other life storm, you can say along with the songwriter, Kristene DiMarco, in her song, It is Well:

So let go my soul and trust in Him, The waves and wind still know His name.

Through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You

Through it all, through it all, It is well.

Through it all, Through it all, My eyes are on You

It is well with me.

(You can listen to this song HERE)