More pure wisdom...

"You get what you get and don't throw a fit. "

Ava Jo and Violet

I heard my five year old Grand daughter, Ava Jo repeat this quote over and over during our two week visit.  Seems her teacher uses this to teach her students not to whine and complain when they don't get what they want.  Ava loves chocolate milk so I am sure when they run out  and she has to drink white milk she may complain a little.  

We've been taught to believe that contentment is linked to our accomplishments or constantly getting more. Our basic value is that "more is better." We think, "I’ll be happy when I get, or when I have,  and you name the have's and the gets. 
 Since there’s no end to our desire to acquire or do more, we’ll never experience contentment.

The Stoics believed that contentment meant the opposite – the way to have peace and contentment is to have less and less. They would emotionally detach from the things and people they loved, convincing themselves that nothing mattered.

But the truth is getting more and more can never bring contentment, and desiring less and less can’t either. Prosperity doesn't have the power to give us contentment, nor poverty the power to take it away.

The true meaning of contentment is being satisfied with what you have and with who you are - right now. 

In his letter to the church in Philippi, the Apostle Paul shares the secret to being content: "I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me.I know what it’s like not to have what I need. I also know what it’s like to have more than I need. I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough. I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13)

Or you could use the paraphrase from a wise five year old,  you get what you get and don't throw a fit.    

Wisdom comes in all ages.

The fear of death follows from the fear of life.
A man who lives fully, is prepared to die at any time.
- Mark Twain

Our three year old grandson, Austin told me the other day he wanted to die and  go to heaven.  Then he asked,  Grandma are you going to die and go to heaven? I assured him I was.  What amazed me was his lack of fear of dying and heaven.  After reading  the quote above I think I understand.   

He has no fear of life.

He gets up every day knowing his needs will be met even though he understands nothing of what it takes to meet his needs.    Austin is full of life that spills out of him in laughter and giggles with plenty of hugs and words of love.   He is always ready for the next adventure with his Grandpa, whether it be a walk to the park or a new game to play.  

 

Does Austin understand fully what death is...of course not,  but then do I understand it fully?   I think Austin thinks "death" is just part of "life".

Two thousand and fourteen had some great lessons but I think this was the best, taught by a sweet ginger headed three year old. 

What was you favorite lesson of 2014?

Gift That Was Nailed To The Tree

( This is a re-post from a couple of years ago and these two grandchildren have a one and half year old brother to unwrap gifts with them. Should be a joy to watch)

  Nothing like a wrapped present to build excitement in the heart of a child.  Our three and five year old grandchildren , Austin and Emarie, ask us every time they are over if they can open their presents.  Ace and I get excited too for we know what the presents are and we know they will love them.    They did not shop for their gifts or pay for it,  we did, it's theirs, free and clear.  We don't expect them to pay us back, or buy us something in return.  

You know I am still excited over the gift I opened on Oct. 20th,  1980. In fact I want to give this gift to all I meet.  Instead of being under a tree this gift was nailed to a old rugged cross,  it's package of flesh torn and bleeding.  The bow made into a crown of thorns dug into the wrapping.  There was nothing pretty about the package and the way it was presented.  Yet it contain everything to give me eternal life. 

 I believe God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit gets excited when ever this gift is presented to someone.  They wait, hoping it will be accepted.  

There is no plainer truth taught in the Word of God than salvation being a “free gift” (Romans 5:15,18; 6:23). If I were to offer you a Christmas present, but with the stipulation that you must be willing to take a bath, it would not be a gift. Why? Because I have clearly implied that I expect you to take a bath to get the present. A gift is defined as something given voluntarily without any payment in return. 

The thief had nails through both hands, so that he could not work; and a nail through each foot, so that he could not run errands for the Lord; he could not lift a hand or a foot toward his salvation, and yet Christ offered him the gift of God; and he took it. Christ threw him a passport, and took him into Paradise. D.L. Moody (don't you just love this quote?)

One more quote from Mary DeMuth book, Everything. 

We cannot fully satisfy a holy God. Our redemption is an outrageous, initiating act accomplished by God alone. He pursued humanity to such an extent that His feet landed on earth, and He chased after us until He rescued us at the cross. We did not climb onto those wooden beams. We could not receive the nails that pierced those holy hands. We who are not kingly wore no crown. We could not drink the cup of God wrath. "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Rom. 5:6. God did what we could not . He sent His beautifully sinless Son to take our place, to satisfy for all time God's wrath upon sin. "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. II Cor. 5:21

God transforms, He creates, He  thinks otherworldly thoughts,  He dares to redeem an obstinate world. If we camp in that place, remembering the gift we could never, ever pay back, we will live astonished lives, and our growth will be the best kind---the kind that emerges from gratitude, from thinking rightly about God.

What a gift!

.  

Mix Matched

Mix match, shabby chic, hodge podge, a little of this and a little of that, all words that would describe most of how I have lived my life. Growing up there was so little of the mix matched in our house that poor described our life best.  Way back then I was determined  not live with mix matched things when I set my own house up.


 Like most newlyweds we started our life with mostly mixed match things,  a furnished apartment with others cast offs.  There finally came a point when we could  afford to buy our own furniture, all matching in color and style.  Here's the thing though...happiness and contentment does not come with having matching furniture or clothes.



  In the decorating world mixing and matching items can be good.  Mix match faith is whole other thing.   The Bible is full of warnings about mixing our faith in Him with other gods.  Some people take the verse in Deuteronomy 5:7 that states we are not to have any gods "before" God and  think we can worship Allah or Ram or any idol as long as we give our first priority to God.  Verse 8 clarify that thought. In this verse we learn that God forbids the making or the worshipping of any graven images.  So the answer to the question above is a big 'NO'. We are not to worship anything/anyone that we make god by our hands or perhaps by our imaginations or experiences.  God is a jealous God and does not want us mixing Him with our own aims and ambitions, or anything we crave or anyone we long for more than God Himself.  


There is movement that is as old as time, and still making a hard push for the hearts of people and it starts with a lie just as it did when satan told Eve, you will not die if you eat of the forbidden fruit, you will be like God.  I have been doing some studying on this movement to give me tools to witness to those trapped in it.  Below is some of what I have discovered about the NAM, New Age Movement.  


What exactly is the New Age? Impossible to narrow down, the New Age is actually a vast smorgasbord ( mix and match) of beliefs and practices. Each New Ager fills his tray with whatever assortment fits his appetite. All is liberally seasoned with self-centeredness. It's really a Have-It-Your-Way religion – thus its modern appeal.
Although there are many branches of New Age thought –-here are some of the typical beliefs. 

      God is in everything (pantheism) 
      All things are one (monism)
      Man is God
      Mind creates reality
      One’s own experience validates the truth

New Agers do not usually believe in evil. Therefore, they do not accept man's problem as separation by sin from God. Instead, they believe that each of us has forgotten his or her own divinity. Therefore, the New Age solution is to seek "higher consciousness" through meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, diet, crystals, channeling. spirit guides, and more. Each of these diverse practices has the same purpose: to awaken the god in man.


A true understanding of New Age practices makes one thing clear: Eastern practices cannot be blended into Christianity to produce something better. New Agers are Universalists, believing that all paths lead to God. They fault Christians for being intolerant and narrow-minded. But God's word anticipates this: "Enter the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the path that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13, NIV)


Here is a five-step approach to discussing Jesus with new Agers:
1. Whom do you believe Jesus is?
2. Whom did Jesus say He is?

• The Son of God (John 11:4)
• "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).

3. What did Jesus say about other spiritual paths?

• "No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

4. Jesus was either who he said He was or He was a fraud. Given His claims, we can't logically believe he was only a great teacher, for He would have been teaching falsehood rather than truth (this is an argument by C. S. Lewis).
5. Jesus alone is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
New Agers are in a lot of confusion. That's because they haven't found the Truth, but only what fits into the spiritual perspective they have constructed. As in the Garden of Eden, the lie has never changed.
But neither has the Truth.
(the above is from several sermons and articles I read online, all give permission to share)


I have been challenge in my search to understand what the NAM believes.  Challenged to know God's Word better.   Really challenged to not live a mix and match faith before other. To be clear and not confusing about what the bible says.   To love others as Christ loved, to give out this invitation to know the creator of the universe, the one True God.

                                Any thoughts on the New Age Movement?

Everyday Thanksgiving

Perspective was my word for 2014 and God has drove home to me over and over the need to change my outlook on what comes my way.   With Thanksgiving right around the corner I could write about so many things I am thankful for, family, friends, blessings, even heartache that has taught me more of His mercy.  Being thankful is easier knowing that His mercy is new every day.  I don't have to draw from the used up mercy  of yesterday or run ahead and try to use tomorrows.  I can rest knowing He will never run out of mercy. 

My part is to never run out of thankfulness. 



Happy Thanksgiving

The Family of God expanded.

Two families work,  Chris and Maggie Hostetter along with Nate and Elizabeth Claasen work in the remote village of the Pal people in Papua New Guinea.  The family of God has been expanded because of the sacrifice of these two couples along with countless others who give so these people can be reached with the gospel.  I hope their story excites you because it sure does our Lord.  The angels of heaven are rejoicing over these new ones added to the family.  

The last lesson has been taught. On Wednesday we shared with them that Jesus went back to heaven after God raised him from the dead, and that he is going to come back again someday. It was the last in a long line of Gospel lessons we’ve been teaching every day since August, and God has accomplished great things through his word.


Several village leaders have given clear testimonies of salvation through faith, and many others have shared with us that they now understand what Jesus did for them and are putting their faith in him alone to save them. Men and women alike have told us and others about their new faith and freedom from sin with tears in their eyes and joy in their hearts.


Immediately after the last lesson a man and his wife each stood up separately before the group to profess faith in the Gospel, and they were both so overcome that they couldn’t find words to say (which is a very unusual thing in this culture!). Since then we have walked through villages and seen people packed into houses listening to a new believer share his faith and encouraging them to believe it, too.


We have seen people’s hunger for God’s word skyrocket. (As I write this Chris is in the office going through my translation of the book of Acts with some translation helpers who are devouring every word and enthusiastically discussing it among themselves.) We have seen and heard believers stand up in a crowd and preach against clinging to the old beliefs about sacrifice and spirit-worship. We have seen people flock to a neighbor’s house to ask questions and ask us to tell them more about what God says.


Praise God with us for the harvest he has allowed us to reap, and thank you for standing with us in prayer and financial support as we live here as God’s field-laborers. We know that the church has only just been born and that there is much to be done to bring it up to maturity, so please continue to stand with us as you have done.


And please continue to pray for those who have not understood or have chosen not to believe. We know that there are some who still yearn for the material blessings promised to them by those who profess to know the truth. There are some who have gone along with the crowd in saying they believe, but have privately held on to their ancient practices for warding off sickness and transferring power from generation to generation. Pray for us as we partner with the new believers who are their sons and daughters and parents and friends to reach out to them. We believe that God’s spirit is not done with them yet and we look forward to a second harvest, and a third, and a fourth.


Many of you have been praying for a specific Pal person or family and we want you to know that we will let you know as soon as we are able whether or not they have made a clear profession of faith in Christ so that you can know how to continue to pray for them. It may take us a while to be able to talk to each of them because of sheer numbers and because many of them have had to hurry off to the garden to make up for the time spent listening to the teaching! Please continue to pray for them as you wait to hear.


So what now? Everyone will gather again next Wednesday to hear the first lesson of “Phase 2″ in which we tell them that God has lots more to say to his followers and that we want to continue to meet with and teach those who have believed. We will also let them know that we will continue to teach Phase 1 review lessons so that if there are people who need or want to hear it again they will have another opportunity to hear and understand.


We are planning on meeting once a week for formal teaching time, first doing a quick review of the things they have heard so far and then teaching through the book of Acts. Please pray for us as we try to make it clear that there is a distinction between Christians and non-Christians; we don’t want to be giving non-believers false hope that they are entitled to the promises that God only makes to those who trust him for salvation.


We are so excited to be suddenly surrounded by men and women who have received the same spirit of God that we are all given and who will now be able to step in and help us with the work using the spiritual gifts that God has given them. It is an amazing thing to witness someone being born again. I encourage all of you to do anything you can to be able to witness it in others as you wait for Christ’s return.


______________________________________________________________________________
It was this kind of story that challenged our hearts to leave behind the comforts of home so others could hear.  Knowing how hard this kind of ministry is gives us common ground when we meet with couples coming home for a furlough after a few years serving in villages just like this one.  For those of you who get the chance to meet a missionary, listen to their story, they need to tell it and quite frankly we need to hear it.    Christmas is coming, the best gift we can give is telling someone about Jesus and the free gift of salvation. 

What A Waste

A recent visit to Hearst Castle was a bit over whelming.  After a hour or two of walking, climbing stairs, viewing room after room of furniture and listening to stories after stories, we came to one conclusion...."what a waste"!   Before anyone gets up in the air at our conclusion let me explain.  My husband and I did not hear one things or see one thing that would further the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We were reminded of the scripture that says,  For what does it profited a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul, Matthew 16:26. 

I have no idea where Mr. Hearst is at this moment , heaven or hell but I know one thing for sure he took none of what he build for himself with him.   Nothing we have read or heard about him indicates he ever believed in the gospel somewhere in his life.



Mr. Hearst was  rich and had gather so much stuff to himself that he had no idea what he even had in his castle.  There is a story that he sent his trusted friend to buy a certain painting. This man looked all over the world for that one painting.  He returned to Mr. Hearst and told him first the good news, he had found the painting. The bad news was it had been in the basement of the castle all along and Mr. Hearst did not even know it. 


Have you ever laid up an expensive treasure and forgot you had it?  I know I haven't.

It comforts my heart to know anything I use for His glory and furtherance of the gospel will meet me in heaven, including the most expensive treasure on this earth and in heaven, the souls that have been won through our years of ministry. 
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matt. 6:19, 21


It was beautiful though on top of the mountain over looking the great expand of land Mr. Hearst owned and the ocean below.   God's earth is always more beautiful then anything man can build.  Seems Mr. Hearst tried to have heaven here on earth, but it was decaying and rotting daily which was why  there are people there constantly working to keep it up.  The treasures we sent to heaven will never rot and decay.

I was glad our trip  took us through Yosemite Park in which I found beauty beyond anything man can build.  Those majestic mountains that God spoke into being, the forest surrounding the mountains, the streams of water, all there to not only awe us but to produce life giving oxygen to help us breath, water to nourish our bodies.  Below is the place I could have moved to for the rest of my life here on earth.  The park services can keep Mr. Hearst castle with it's ever ending upkeep.  Give me God's creation with out the touch of man's hand to mar it's beauty.
C.S. Lewis says, aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.  

Read more (42 lin

Fifty years and counting.

First thing I think as I look at the pictures to the right is, where did all those years go to? Seem that is a common thought for people our age especially after 50 years of marriage.

On  Oct. 20th  Ace and I  at 17  joined our lives together.  Did we have any idea how hard being married was going to be?  Any idea of the countless sacrifices we would make to struggle through some hard years, (notice I put an 's on the end of year)?   Without Christ in our life for the first 15 years it is nothing short of a miracle we stayed together.  Young love wears off after a few trials. 

In 1980 we took another step of faith and joined our life to Christ and life begin to take on meaning beyond just living the American dream.   Were the hard times gone? Of course not, in this life you shall have tribulations Christ said but with His help and His love motivating us we begin to learn how to over come time and time again.  

Endurance is the word that comes to mind as I look back at 50 years.  We have endured each others petty and not so petty frailties and stayed the course.  With both of us having a common goal of being transform into the image of Christ those struggles God used  to show us our sin and help us repent.   Forgiving one another became a way of life.  After 50 years we still have to forgive each other, which I am sure we will be doing till God takes us home. 

God took our broken lives and begin to use us in ways we could never imagine.   He has not  wasted a thing in our lives and only He can pick up the broken pieces and turn them into something that will glorify Him. 

Do we have any regrets, of course, getting married at 17 is not a wise choice but here we stand on this side of 50 years together.  Now, we know there is not another 50 years ahead for us... lets see, that would make us 115, hummm,  not gonna happen unless God preforms another miracle.  The few years we do have left we want to be used till we are empty so He can fill us up again.  

Funny...this morning as we were packing up the car to head out on our anniversary/ ministry trip my husband said, we did not have this much stuff when we got married and moved into our first apartment.  Amazing the baggage we have accumulated in the past 50 years, the things we think we need to even take a weeks trip.  Back then, there were no computers or bags, no golf clubs, no pill  boxes, I don't  even remembering having a cooler,  nothing by dreams and zeal that says, we can conquer anything. We know now, we cannot conquer anything without Him and He has given us wisdom on what to take as we travel.  One thing for sure traveling is a whole lot easier with a Wal-mart in most towns. 

It's been a wild 50 years of life and we have lived it fully and find ourselves thankful for all those 50 years contain, yeah, even the bad times.   Most people our age have a paid for house, a nice paid for car,  a pension, an RV but God put us on a different path, and we have loved every minute of it, no regret. He has always supplied our needs. 

Thanks for reading our "story".  Of course we would like prayer as we continue to minister. 
 1. for our health
2. for wisdom and understanding as we work with missionaries home for furlough. 
3. prayer for the one thing we don't like to mention but one must have, money,  it  buy gas to put in our car to visit these ones home.  Our support has dropped since we took up a stateside ministry.  And if I could be specific, we are looking to buy an newer car. Our 1992 Buick runs pretty good because my husband works on it a lot.  We have experience a few  breakdowns on the road which are costly so we have taken to renting a car for long trips. 
4.  For our two children, Jared and Tara and their families.   Our son and daughter in the picture are the best of the best and they have given us five grandchildren.   Yeah, we are blessed. 

After Thoughts

   af

Hindsight will turn into insight when God is in the picture.  As I look back to months ago when I first started studying for the ladies retreat then look at the pile of notes taken I am amazed at how God whittled down, changed and brought focus to what He wanted me to say.

For those who prayed for me, it was nothing short of a miracle that as I spoke I did not cough once and my voice according to those ladies did not sound raspy.  I felt the power of everyone praying all through my body...there was strength in my spirit.

After three session on being  wise  hearted God helped me bring it to a close with these three points that keeps us from being courageous wise hearted women of faith.

1. Full garage, empty soul.  Materialism conditions our soul to play life very safe and be  selfish.  By contrast, courage requires us to be thankful and not trust our stuff here on earth.   Jesus warned against materialism...a life comprised of a full garage but with an empty trivial souls.

2. Cynicism drains our lives of hope, optimism and creatively..raw material that help build our foundation of courage.  The ability to always see the worst in people and situations is often a hiding place for fear, timidity and indifference. It allows us to be invulnerable observers rather than participants in stepping out in faith  which could result in sacrificing.  Worse, the cynic often justifies his lack of redemptive and courageous action. Ultimately, cynicism is the language of self preservation, which drains us of courage and shrivels our soul

3.  But the one that robs us most of courage is fear.  Fear is destructive and irrational. For example, some people possess a destructive pre-occupation with what others think about them--what the Bible calls part of the "fear of man", that cause them to betray their values and integrity .  They have the disease to please man instead of God. 

We all face a staggering array of "what if". What if I get cancer, what if my spouse dies, what if my husband never loves me, what if my child never believe in Jesus, and the list could go on and on.

The uncomfortable truth is, any of those things could happen.  No one is free from tragedy and pain. There are no guarantees of an easy life.  For any of us, Ever.

What steal courage from you, materialism, cynicism or just plain fear?

Dancing Deer Retreat

Hello my blog friends, Sending out  a prayer request to those of you who come by my blog.  This weekend...Oct. 10-12 is the date of the Ladies Retreat  I am speaking at.  I am a little over a week into a nasty upper respiratory illness that has caused a cough that grips me till I am short of breathe.  Tomorrow morning I return to the doctor seeking help again so need your prayers for wisdom and direction on how they should treat me.  

Pray also for the group of women who will meeting at this gorgeous retreat center located near the coast in California. 

God has been fine toning my outline as I read and study and read some more.  Now today I am putting to paper all my notes into an outline that will be easy to follow so  I will not get side tracked. 

"Wise Hearted" is the heart of my three session.

  A wise heart is a seeking heart. 

A wise heart is a forgiving heart 

A wise heart is a courageous heart. 

To top that off I get to give the message before we take communion on Sunday which I count a huge honor.

Thank you for your prayers.