The Heavenly Reunion

     Many of us have lost loved ones. We long to see them again. Hug them. Talk with them. Both my precious parents graduated to heaven- thirteen years apart- by the time I was 32 years old. They died before our children came along. And before most of the major milestones in my life. That feeling of "orphaned" is a tough one to conquer yet being adopted into the Lord's family offers valuable emotional benefits here on earth.
     The eternal benefit though is the one that means the most to me. I am assured in many ways through God's word in the bible that I will experience an unimaginable joy when we have a family reunion in heaven! I hope to encourage my readers today with this uplifting way to look at the death of a loved one. #HeavensHope

GONE FROM MY SIGHT

Prose by Henry Van Dyke, 
19th Century clergyman, educator, poet.

I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails
to the morning breeze and
starts for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says ,
"There, she is gone!"
"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all.

She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of delivering freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says, 
"There, she is gone!"
There are other eyes watching her coming, 
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout; 
"Here she comes!"
And that is dying.

Googling God

     I’m a writer and spend many hours researching source material and quotes to broaden my perspective and get the facts right on a topic. As a Christian who is also searching for inspiration from God, “googling God” is a necessity when I’m facing writer’s block or any kind of personal challenge or problem. That’s why I appreciate this poetic quote!

“The world looks to Google for an answer. When I need an answer, I google God.”  Poet Paul L. Samuels

     Yet, in the process of looking for answers, I often find myself first worrying. Waves of anxiety crash into my thoughts. Fighting the undertow, I’m gasping for air when the light finally turns on; push back the waves and “google God!”  It’s another way of reminding myself to pray. I don’t always need to go on the world wide web. The bible is the best source for my daily life. Its pages, filled with ancient information and inspiration have stood the test of time; information about knowing a loving, redemptive God and following Him as I navigate life.
    It’s a fact that God Himself created wireless communication since the days He set the world and the planets into place and His ultimate creations, humankind. Angels as His Messenger service, Fire and Cloud to communicate directions in the Exodus, Torah scrolls preserved in jars of clay. As we lift our words to the Lord, He hears them; just like our emails collectively go to their trillions of destinations all over the world, our prayers have a destination too.  One destination is enough; the Alpha and Omega, the God of the Universe.
     In the Lord’s friendship with us and His direction to fellowship with others, He’s also the Master of Social Media. In the family of God, He’s given us many guidelines in the bible to develop strong bonds of interpersonal relationships.
     And what about X/Twitter?  After all, He did create the birds! 😊
Isaiah 59:1-2 assures us, “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. “

#WhenYouNeedAnswersGoogleGod

How to Cope

Great Smoky Mountains

     Coping skills are important but we must make sure we choose the healthy ones. When gray clouds   of anxiety are floating over me I sometimes tend to cope by shoving my worries and painful situations into a box of unresolved emotions. I push the box into the far corners of my emotions hoping that the lid will stay on.       
    Yet, in reality, it’s an opportunity for the enemy of my soul to launch a covert operation which undermines  my relationship to the Lord and my general well being.  The unresolved, stuffed emotions float into my mind with negative messages blocking out the truths our Lord provides with His presence and His easily accessible words to me in the Bible.
     Here’s the best way for me to cope: 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)  “Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you.” Cast ALL anxiety on the Lord.  Not just one.  ALL.
     Casting my anxiety on the Lord means authenticity. He already knows my heart but talking with Him about it begins the process of handing over the anxiety or pain.
     Instead of stuffing a box full of unresolved pain and worry and compartmentalizing it, I choose to call out each one and envision myself placing it in a box and handing it over to the Lord. He is the Burden-Bearer. He bore our sins to the cross.  Handing over my troubles to Him releases freedom into my spirit.  I breathe deep, thanking Him for His loving kindness. I breath Jesus in, I breathe worries out.
     Matthew 28:30 is the Lord’s promise to me when I hand over my box! “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” For me, this process is a discipline. I must switch the repository of troubles from me to Him! I hope you are encouraged today to cast your cares on the Lord!

How did I Miss Pavarotti?

     On a recent flight to Israel via New York I watched  a movie on the domestic flight which stirred many emotions in me. The movie, produced by Ron Howard, was a documentary about Luciano Pavarotti, the world famous Italian opera singer. 
     I had certainly heard the Pavarotti name, watched him perform briefly on PBS, yet had, in essence,  paid scant attention to his magnificent voice. Or the performances of the famous Three Tenors, of which he was one when they first performed in Rome.
     I enjoy all kinds of music from Christian to big band to beach music, country, Celtic and classical. I grew up in a fine children’s choir, sang in a traveling college chorus and later sang professionally many years ago. My  genre was folk music thanks to Peter, Paul, and Mary, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie,  and Gordon Lightfoot.
     Yet on the flight, I found myself transfixed by many clips of Pavarotti’s performances included in the film.His four-octave vocal range was so magnificent that I felt connected to what heaven’s songs may await us. Tears  filled my eyes listening to his larger than life voice emanating from his larger than life presence.
     I learned much about his background, his 1935 birth in war- torn Europe, his rise to fame, his captivating personality and warmth, his later generous humanitarian outreach to needy children and yes, his imperfections in his personal life.
     How did I miss Pavarotti? Were my musical interests too narrow? Did I shy away from opera because I didn’t understand the Italian language? Was my curiosity lacking? Boy, I sure missed blessings not listening to him!
     Mixed into my musical questions, other questions presented themselves. What other joys may I have missed, like listening to the soul-moving voice of Pavarotti? Or pausing long enough to listen to the profound words of the Lord in scripture. Or His still voice  in the middle of a personal storm? Or savoring small, yet precious moments woven into everyday life?

Photo-Mariomanias,Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

     Watching the movie on the flight was an unexpected  reminder of beauty. A reminder of songs and voices that God has deposited in world cultures.  The operatic Pavarottis, the Hillsongs, the South African harmonies, the lilting Celtics,  and other genres which lift the soul.
     I’m not certain yet how the Lord will shape my film moments with Pavarotti and his magnificent voice but I’m certain that my connection  is a fine beginning to my time in Israel at the Christian Media Summit and other encounters.  I hope I don’t MISS anything this time!

Ancient Paths & Modern Steps

     For the second year, Israel's Government Press Office (GPO) invited me to their 2019 Christian Media Summit attended by 140 media from across the world. I’m riding-and posting-while on a bus at the invitation of the Druze Community heading up to the Golan Heights in northern Israel.
Before the Summit, I visited the City of David.I’ve been before but this visit held profound moments for me. A friend arranged a VIP tour for us which included King Hezekiah’s 2,700 year old water channel open to the public and walking on The Pilgrim Road not yet open to the public.
     I rolled up my jeans and left on my shoes and stepped into the channel where the ceiling was at times only 5 feet high and the walls 2 feet apart.  The chilly water flowed through the tunnel at 6 inches to a foot deep.  Tears filled my eyes realizing not only the architectural achievement of the ancient chiselers but to connect with the ancient steps of the Jewish people who devised-with God the Architect's intervention-the channel which created a security buffer.  Remarkably, thousands of workmen began chiseling at two different points and met in the middle.  The supernatural directions took the place of modern equipment and lasers.

The Pilgrim Road Podium

      Afterwards, our VIP Guide opened the lock on a steel door.  We stepped onto 2,000 year old pavers-stones- onto The Pilgrim Road still under excavation. Again, I found myself emotionally overcome knowing that Jesus Himself, his Jewish birth family, later His disciples and many thousands of Jews traversed this road for their three annual Jewish festivals in Jerusalem, the ancient and now modern capital of Israel.
     I’m sure Mary and Joseph retraced their steps on The Pilgrim Road to find Jesus- who as a boy was missing - as he sat in The Temple astonishing the religious leaders.  Along the way, my friend and I saw, then sat on a four layer stone podium.  It was easy to think that Jesus in His three year ministry stood on the podium to teach. Our Bible is filled with the ancient paths; teaching, guidance, poetry, praises, stories, history, prophecy, admonition, hope, and so much more. An ancient book of life, a guidebook, a source of life and comfort for modern steps.  Ancient words that are timeless and never grow old. Ancient paths that we must wisely walk with our modern “feet.”

 Jeremiah 6:16 holds a wonderful promise for walking the ancient paths yet the verse is accompanied by a strong warning: “This is what the Lord says,’Stand at the crossroads, stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls. But you said,  ‘We will  not walk in it.’”
     Walking the real ancient paths in Jerusalem gave me a profound perspective to “walk the good way” and a reminder not to disobey and miss the blessing of rest for my soul and walking in the right direction.

   

Will the Roses Bloom Again?

     My husband and I enjoy growing roses, inhaling their fragrance, and beholding their beauty bursting out in rich colors. Just recently, now that winter has made its debut, we went to the toolshed and pulled out the pruning shears. The annual cutting commenced. It’s our habit to prune the wooden branches back deeply. We prune so that we enjoy their beauty, their proliferation once more in the spring after they sink into dormancy during the cold months.

     We are not experts so it’s good to know it’s hard to kill roses with pruning, even when cut back close to the ground. Pruning our roses creates a sense of expectation for us, knowing we have something to look forward to when the buds begin to form again in the spring. In our lives though, pruning can create a sense of frustration, even desperation. Sometimes, when John 15:2 manifests in our lives, we don’t recognize the process as pruning. "…and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” 
     If the Lord allows something to be removed, corrected, or disciplined it’s easy to become frustrated, angry, or somewhat hopeless.

We indulge in a series of questions and challenges. “Why is this happening to me?” “Lord, I don’t like You delaying answers to my questions.”  “Please! Give me who/what I want.” “Haven’t I matured enough?” “Aren’t You pleased with my life?” 
     In my times of questioning and challenge, it’s a good idea to remind myself that God has not forgotten me. He’s not leaving me alone to grow into a wild, untrained rose bush that could eventually become useless. He wants me to be as fruitful as possible in my life here on earth. Yet, the barrenness, the sense of stuck-ness that I perceive as negative, in His hands is what I call a “productive dormancy.” A time to go underground so to speak. To look inward asking the Lord to make use of it. It’s easy to wonder if the Master Gardner has walked away from my life. It’s where life may appear to be meaningless, but much is happening in the spirit often unseen or unrecognized for what it is. A time of pruning. A time of waiting. A time of hope when nothing appears on the horizon.

     Then a time comes when the pruning pain and the outward deadness begins to transform little by little. A sprig of hope here. A tiny bud there. The sun shines brighter, and the warmth creates an unfolding rose. Then I realize once again, that the pruning has a purpose. It’s painful, yet like the rosebushes, the pruning has not killed me. The Lord never let go. I’m embracing a deeper trust. Knowing the strength of endurance. I’m basking in the realization that the Master Gardner was there all along; invisible yet attentive even when I did not sense His presence or His purposes. 

     And like the roses of spring, my life and my time of pruning passes. Song of Solomon 2:11 is now a reality. “See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.”

     Yes, no matter how often the Lord prunes us, the roses bloom again under our Master Gardner’s skillful, wise Hands.

Christmas & the Day of Lambs

     While debate still exists about the actual season of Jesus’ birth, some facts are settled. Jesus’ earthly Jewish parents traveled from their home in Nazareth up to the hill country of Judea to Bethlehem to meet the requirements of Caesar Augustus’ census order. The trip covered around 80 miles and took possibly 4-6 days. The prophet Micah foretold Jesus’ birthplace: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." 
     Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus’ forefather King David. Luke tells us that Joseph, Jesus’ adoptive father, belonged to the house and line of David too, thus the journey to Bethlehem. God is the Master of ancestry and genealogy!
      Bethlehem is significant for other reasons too. Its definition means, “House of Bread.” Our Savior is the Bread of Life. Bethlehem, as the birthplace of King David and Jesus,  scattered throughout the prophets’ writings in the Old Testament.
     Another fact that connects Jesus as the Perfect Lamb of God to His birthplace is rich with meaning. Fast forward to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The day we call Palm Sunday is, in ancient Jewish custom, the Day of Lambs. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on our "Palm Sunday," it occurred on the same day when shepherds annually herded huge flocks of Passover lambs into Jerusalem, the Day of Lambs! Divine context at its finest! The connection has even  more significance....
     The Sadducees, one of the Jewish religious parties, owned the lambs. Not only that, they required the lambs to be born in Bethlehem! Bethlehem…Jesus birthplace! Only Bethlehem lambs could be sacrificed during Passover in The Temple. The Sadducees’ custom was like a “lamb beauty contest” as they stood outside the Sheep Gate and inspected each one making sure none were blemished. Perfection was the rule. When Jesus rode by on a donkey, the priests saw The Perfect Lamb. The Sadducees' jealously and evil intent grew as they heard the shouts and praises of many thousands of overjoyed Passover celebrants. 
     When shepherds herded Bethlehem lambs into Jerusalem for sacrifices in The Temple for annual Passovers, Jesus born in Bethlehem, sacrificed Himself on the cross for our sins at Passover outside Jerusalem. At the same time, priests were slaughtering the lambs in The Temple capturing their blood in vessels and pouring it on the altar. Each lamb was then spread out and hung on sticks in the shape of a cross and skinned.  The symbolism is unmistakable. Unlike the Day of Lambs that took place each year, Jesus’ sacrifice was a one-time sacrificial act enough for all time.
        How fitting that while “SHEPHERDS watched their flocks by night,” a chorus of Angels gloriously serenaded the birth of The Perfect Lamb. The shepherds walked and found their way to His lowly surroundings and celebrated with the angels and Jesus’ parents. I wonder if some of these shepherds who witnessed His birth still lived to see the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem for His last Passover. 
     Jesus, The Good Shepherd, The Perfect Lamb, among the bleating herds on the Day of Lambs; all birthed in the hills of Bethlehem where the Christmas story began. It ended with The Passover Lamb on the tree gasping His last human breath in agony. 
     Three days later, a world-changing crescendo into His glorious Resurrection reset the world’s timeline. Perfect salvation moments in history, designed by our Perfect Father in Heaven in a perfect plan of Redemption though The Perfect Lamb of God.  Merry Christmas to all!