Month: October 2016

Growing Up

I recently read a post that stated simply, “The first 50 years are the hardest part of growing up.”

Can I get an amen?

After living over half a century my response is, “Still working on it!”

I used to think that growing up was so complicated.  I took life’s challenges seriously and wore myself out trying to live up to public opinion instead of what God’s Word has to say about it.  My moral compass was skewed by the changing times.  I was more intent on meeting expectations of the world system than I was on finding out what God’s plan was for my life.  Decades passed and after my nest emptied I began to realize that getting an education, raising a family, and making a living was just getting me older.  I did not feel as grown up as my image reflected in the mirror each morning.

Thank God for not giving up on me!

He has not given up our nation, either.  Nations also struggle with growing up.  Our United States is groaning under the stress of moral decline.  It’s time to grow up!  We as believers are part of the problem, but we can be part of God’s solution, too.  I want to be part of God’s plan for my own life and for that of my nation.  I want my nation to turn away from foolishness, repent, and place our government once again under God.  Our loving, faithful Father has delivered us and shown us the way:

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.  ~John 16:33

It starts with me.  It’s time to grow up spiritually.  It’s time for me to be His Voice and spread good cheer in a time of national tribulation.  His promise is that in Me you may have peace.  Praise and thank you, Lord!god-is-good

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Greater Things

A church block party last month was one of the greater things being done for the kids in the neighborhood.  The men of the church are always looking for creative ways to reach out to local kids.  This month they are hosting a Fall Festival for kids and families with lots of games, candy and fun.

We live in a small community of Alaska.  But we can still make a difference in our town.  Lives are touched at any location when God’s love is poured out like a river.

Men of the church, you are God’s grassroots leaders of our nation.  God bless you all and thank you for doing the greater things that many others overlook as insignificant!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ~Matthew 19:14 NIV

 

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What a Beautiful Name

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. ~Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV

 

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If My People

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ~2Chronicles 7:14 NIV

According to this verse of scripture, it is not necessary for unbelievers to repent of evil and turn to God in order for God to forgive their sin and heal their land of drought, locusts, or plagues (read preceding verse 13).

How’s that???

The often quoted biblical If my people verse is not a salvation message for individual unbelievers.  Why would the unsaved bother praying to a God that they do not serve, or repent, or turn from sin?  Truly, 2Chron 7:13-14 is a healing message from Almighty God to His own people – the believers of a nation! Are we American believers praying that others are repenting, praying, turning, or humbling themselves instead of ourselves?

What do you think?

“If my people” =           Old Testament Hebrews                      New Testament Christians

This tells me that if the Christians of a nation repent of their own pride, sin, and hypocrisy, that God will hear, forgive, and heal their land.  The whole population does not have to participate.  However, God calls all nations including the U.S. to righteousness.  I know that thousands of believers are praying for our nation daily.

But what are we praying?

 

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What Pattern Have I Been Weaving?

All day long have I toiled and striven; but now in the stillness of heart and in the clear light of Thine eternity, I would ponder the pattern my life has been weaving.    –John Baillie

Reflection on the past ten months of blogging finds me still toiling and striving.  Hence, the re-posting of this quote.  If my life is a cloth, what pattern have I been weaving?  canstockphoto25752804

What will the clear light of God’s eternity reveal about the threads of my life?

Well, I have been weaving for a long time now, so the entire pattern of my life is just too much for one post.  How about just a swatch?  canstockphoto1496099

Drilling down on last week;  it began with disaster.  I strove to keep pace with shifting circumstances.  I toiled to solve problems in my own strength (being a sucker for challenges).  Not willing to let approaching winter snows cover all the falling leaves in the yard, hours were spent in futile attempts at raking, bagging and shredding every last one for the compost heap.  Within three days I was down with a headache.  canstockphoto5418035God knows how to get my attention.  I was beginning to feel like King Hezekiah in Isaiah 38:12 ~

Like a shepherd’s tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom; day and night you made an end of me.

But, our Father is indeed good all the time.  The wind blew hard and then our first snow dusted the landscape.  Thank you, Lord!  The last of the leaves blew only He knows where and the cares of life eased up a bit.  I came to my senses and gave up wrestling with life’s dilemmas.  I did what I know I should always do and turned it all over to Him.  He is the Master Weaver and His pattern is so perfect, so divinely stunning; my efforts will never stand the clear light of His eternity.

By week’s end, every problem that I viewed as disastrous God transformed into a miracle. Getting the leaves raked was never God’s priority – only mine.  Toiling at chores was not what was needed last week.  Tempers had flared  at the beginning of the week and left me with a sad heart for those involved.  I prayed for an opportunity to encourage someone to do the right thing and God answered my prayer with a miracle.  Family tensions melted into forgiveness.  Broken stuff got fixed.  My pattern swatch for the week was replaced by the one Jesus wove. canstockphoto14841253 Giving Him glory, life with Him at the center brings all the scattered threads together.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the Light of the world. Whosoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” ~John 8:12 NIV

Today I am praising my Father in Heaven for weaving a blanket of pure linen that covers the mistakes and sin in my life.  He doesn’t see my pattern anymore – only the shed blood of His Son, Jesus.  When Jesus sacrificed Himself for me, He made sure that His pattern does not need to be pondered.  It WILL stand in His clear light of eternity.

Photo credits in order of appearance:©Can Stock Photo Inc/promicrostockraw/stevenwilson/michaeldb/mrdoggs

 

 

 

 

God Keep Our Land

Sound familiar? Reblogging what George Goetz wrote three years ago. Christians are praying for godly U.S. leadership daily. Let’s pray for our great Canadian neighbor nation as well.

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God Keep Our Land

Recently, as I heard our Canadian National Anthem being sung while getting settled to watch some of the hockey games on TV, I was overwhelmed by one of the lines that I have heard and sung often, but these two recent times the words brought tears that were much more than patriotism.

This particular line is “God keep our land glorious and free”. Do we really mean that when we think, sing, or say it? If we do, we need to do more than repeat these words whenever the National Anthem is sung. Our country of Canada is slipping further away from Godly principles and truths continually. It is not just the recent Senate scandal, and who knows if the truth will ever be known and the situation rectified, but our government has passed laws that are totally against Biblical principles.
If the majority of elected…

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Operation Magic Carpet

My daughter recently took me to the Alaska Jewish Museum at 1221 E. 35th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska, for my birthday. What a treat! I especially enjoyed the exhibit “On the Wings of Eagles: Alaska’s Contribution to Operation Magic Carpet”.  The exhibit offers an inspiring account of the most dramatic humanitarian effort of all time to airlift over 47,000 Yemenite Jewish refugees to Israel from 1948 to 1950. img_9429I was moved to tears by the powerful personal accounts of heroic Alaska Airlines pilots who, against all odds (including hostile fire and other dangerous flying conditions), performed the Operation Magic Carpet airlift successfully without loss of life, despite one plane crash.

How could I have been a resident of Alaska for over 56 years and not heard of this amazing story? Or of this Jewish Museum, for that matter? I have traveled the skies with Alaska Airlines for decades and never realized the brave sacrifices Alaskan pilots made while flying missions for the mass immigration of God’s chosen people back to their homeland, Israel. Truly, I can only chalk it up to being out of touch with important stuff at the time; residing comfortably in my mother’s womb during the final months of Operation Magic Carpet – that, and it wasn’t taught in history class at public schools I attended back when – OH NO!

History:

In 1948, the isolated Yemenite Jews were very distrustful of leaving their homes to return to their promised land of Israel. They had become assimilated into the country of Yemen, but after the State of Israel was created, Arab persecution of the Jews increased. It soon became necessary for the Yemenite Jews to escape to Israel. But how?

Link to brief history lesson on how Alaska Airlines helped put the project together.

When Yemenite Jews heard they would be flying in airplanes to Israel, most had never seen an airplane and could not imagine flying in one, but the word of this adventure spread fast as thousands gathered to be carried home to Israel on “the wings of eagles” – excitedly proclaiming that Biblical prophesy was to be fulfilled:

On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt – on that very day – they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” ~Exodus 19:1-6 NIV

“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 40:31 NIV

To learn more about Operation Magic Carpet, there are quite a few online articles of this historical Yemenite Jewish aliyah (immigration to Israel). Click here for a great example.

These vintage photos of the airlift are priceless.

Currently:

I have been paying more attention in recent years to ongoing importantstuff like global humanitarian efforts to transport thousands of Jews back to Israel. Check it out at Israel Breaking News “On the Wings of Eagles, Yemen’s Last Jews Arrive in Israel”; plus “The first group of 78 Ethiopian Jews to move to Israel after waiting for three years will arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport on a flight approved by the Interior Ministry in 2013—one that never took off due to lack of budget for their absorption, which includes housing allowances for at least two years.” – Read more …

I highly recommend a visit to the Alaska Jewish Museum if you are traveling to Anchorage, Alaska. If you can’t make the trip, here’s a link to the museum’s online 3D Tour.

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God’s blessings upon you all, my brethren, and, “Thank you, my precious daughter, for the unique gift! I truly enjoyed our visit to the Alaska Jewish Museum.”

Photos credit: C’Les Jensema