Monday Morning Memo: Our "YES"

Dan and I had the opportunity to attend a banquet last Saturday evening for Forgotten Children Worldwide, which is based in Bluffton, Indiana.  If you are ever looking for a worthwhile organization to donate to or become involved with, this is the one.  They have an amazing ministry to orphans all around the world and I love their approach to making a difference.  On their website at www.forgottenchildren.org they state:   

Forgotten Children Worldwide empowers natives to care for their own children. We do not believe in building American orphan care ministries, but coming alongside those that already exist and helping them do what they do better. We work with ministries around the world, providing practical resources, help and guidance. We partner with ministries who share a similar vision for orphan care. In every situation, FCW comes alongside an established team with physical, financial and human resources, encouragement, prayer and training. At our core, we want our partner ministries to become self-sufficient and self-sustainable. Ultimately, we strive for the day when they will not need our guidance and our support. We believe strongly in holistic care and work on improving the care that all children receive. In the end, we work to:

1. Safeguard and lift children from extreme poverty

2. Prevent child trafficking

3. Give children hope by introducing them to Jesus Christ

This is a ministry making a difference not only in the lives of these children…but in eternity!

The guest speaker at the banquet was George Dennehy.  He was born without any arms and was immediately placed in a Romanian orphanage because his parents just couldn’t handle his disability.  Those working in the orphanage thought he was cursed and so he was grossly neglected.  Fortunately, there was a couple in the United States who felt led to adopt a child who no one else wanted…and that led them to George.  At the age of 2 ½, he weighed nine pounds.  This couple took him in and loved him back to health.

By the age of eight, George learned to play the cello using his feet. He advanced in classical music until he was able to play cello with regional orchestras. With the cello as his launching pad he has taught himself guitar, electric bass and basic piano.  I sat in amazement Saturday night as he sang and played the guitar for us.  What a testimony he has of what God can do regardless of our circumstances.

Since that night, I’ve thought about my “take-aways” from what I heard and witnessed.  First of all, I was reminded of what can be accomplished when we are willing to follow God’s leading and just say “YES”.  Forgotten Children Worldwide began because there was a couple who, in 1999, went to Moscow to adopt a daughter and realized the enormous need there was to help millions of orphans around the world.  They knew they had to do something but had no clue where to begin.  In 2000, Forgotten Children Worldwide began as God Will Make a Way Ministries. They had no idea what they were doing and had no idea where God was going to take them. They didn’t even have a building. The only thing they were armed with was their faith and trust in God and their willingness to say “YES”. 

Now, 17 years later, this ministry is having a huge impact all over the world.  I urge you to check out their website.

Secondly, I was reminded that no matter what we have been dealt in life, God is bigger.  Our limitations are just that…OUR limitations.  But with God, we have no limitations.  He is able to do far more than we can ever imagine with whatever we have been given.  A physical disability, an abusive past, a dysfunctional family, a lack of funds, or a lack of education won’t keep God from being able to work in us and through us for His glory.  Again, all He needs from us is our “YES”, and He will give us everything we need to do whatever He asks of us.

Third, I was reminded that everyone can do something to have an impact on those less fortunate.  Maybe we can’t travel to India to physically touch and help the orphans…but we can financially support those who can.  Maybe our funds are very limited and we can’t give monetarily at this time…but we can donate some of our time to help an organization like Forgotten Children or a local pregnancy center.  Maybe we aren’t able to give some of our time to help locally…but we can spend time in fervent prayer for those who can.  Everyone can do something to make a difference…all God needs is our “YES”.

I don’t know what God is asking you to do today to make a difference in the lives of those in your community, state, country or world…whatever it is…remember that all things are possible.  All He needs is your “YES”!

Monday Morning Memo: Forever Friends

I had the privilege last fall to officiate at the wedding of two dear friends of mine, Shari & Bill.  A couple of weeks ago, Shari told me that she had a picture of the two of us from the wedding and wondered if I would like a copy.  I gave her an immediate, “Yes”!

This week she handed me the picture I have included in this post.  On the frame are the words, “Friends Forever – Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget.”  I was so blessed by this gift.

This got me thinking about friendship and what role it plays in my life.  I have different kinds of friends in my life.  I have people that I know that I rarely see, but I would still introduce them to you as my friend.  I have other people in my life that I see on a much more regular basis, maybe at church every Sunday or throughout the week that I would also consider to be my friends.  All of these individuals have a special place in my life and I feel blessed to know them.

But if I honestly look at my relationship with most of these people, I really don’t know them very well.  I don’t know all of their likes and dislikes, what their favorite foods are, what their favorite hobby is or even what colors they like best.  I don’t have much of a clue as to what the desires of their heart are or what concerns keep them awake at night.  If you asked me questions about them, I’m afraid I probably wouldn’t know very many of the answers.  The truth is that I know them, but I really don’t know them.

However, there are a few people in my life, besides my family, that I would also introduce to you as my friend and I think I would do quite well if you inquired about them.  The reason is that I do really know them.  I’ve spent considerable time with them, through the good and through the bad, and I’ve learned what makes them tick.  They have allowed me to be a part of their life on a much deeper level and in turn, I have allowed them to be a part of mine.

Having this kind of relationship with these close friends didn’t happen overnight.  It took quality time as well as quantity time with them as they got to know me better and I got to know them better.  It sometimes amazes me that these close friends still love me even after they know me with all my faults and failures.  They accept me for who I am and they are such a wonderful support system in the good times and in the bad.

I have another friend who knows absolutely everything about me.  He knows my every thought and every action and yes, He still loves me too.  This friend of mine was also Abraham’s friend.  James 2:23 tells us that Abraham was called God’s friend.  In 2 Chronicles 20:7 we read “O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham?”  Isaiah 41:8 says “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one descended from Abraham my friend.”  What an honor to be called God’s friend!  What really amazes me is that the One who was Abraham’s friend, wants to be my friend too!

John 15:14-15 says “You are my friends if you do what I command.   I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.”

How do we become friends with the One who created us?  Abraham was God’s friend because he was willing to demonstrate his faith in God.  He was willing to be obedient; and we are told to do the same.  We need to be willing to do what He asks us to do and follow Him without hesitation.  But it will be very difficult to do this, unless we intimately know Him.  To have a close friendship with Him and know more about Him and even look more like Him, we have to be willing to spend time with Him.  We need to realize that it will take quality time as well as quantity time with Him for us to mirror His image.  We can’t just put His Word, the Bible, on our nightstand and expect that it will somehow infiltrate our mind while we sleep.  We need to be willing to read it, digest it, and then let Him speak to us so that we can learn His ways.  

Our world today has many lonely people in it…and you may be one of them.  If you are, I recommend that you find a church family to worship with and one with whom you can do life.  Getting to know other brothers and sisters in Christ will eventually bless you with some close friends who will support you in the good times and the bad.

Most importantly, I want to strongly urge you to make sure you are spending quality and quantity time with the One who created you.  God knows everything about you and loves you right where you are today.  He wants to be not only your heavenly Father…but He also wants to be your very best friend.  But that can only happen if you are willing to get to know everything about Him.  Read the Bible every day and if you don’t know where to begin, just start by reading one chapter in Proverbs, the one that corresponds with today’s date.  So since today is the 20^th, begin by reading the 20^th chapter of Proverbs.  There are 31 chapters in this book so you will have one for every day of the month! 

If you are looking for a forever friend…remember that you will need to take action.   You can’t just sit and wait for the relationship to just “happen”.  Get involved…reach out to others…be a good friend to someone else and above all, begin to know God in a deep and personal way.  I can promise you that He will never leave you or disappoint you and He loves you more than you can imagine!

Monday Morning Memo: Life's Videos

We have many, many VHS tapes that we have recorded over the years.  Christmases, birthdays, family gatherings and even a pretzel-making day were captured on videos to remind us of those memory making days as our children were being raised.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband decided to take on the huge project of transferring all of those tapes onto our computer.  Knowing that VHS tapes can sometimes break as they age, he wants to make sure that their contents are preserved for many years to come.  There is no way to recreate all of those priceless moments of our past, so even though it is taking him hours to transfer them, it will be well worth it in the years to come.

He has all of his equipment set up in my library, so it has been fun to check out my computer screen when I’ve entered that room, to see which tape he is currently transferring.  Seeing and hearing our children when they were young just warms my heart.  I know those were exhausting days that sometimes felt like they would never end…but just as I was warned then by older more experienced moms…it now seems like I blinked and they were all grown up.

One thing that has struck me in these tapes is that many of the scenes could have been used in a “Leave it to Beaver” episode.  Most of the people being videoed are on their best behavior, knowing that the tape was rolling.  From what I have watched so far, not once did I tell my husband, “Quick…get the video camera and film me while I lose my temper with the kids.”   The reason is that I don’t want to remember those times that I failed as a mom, a wife, a sister or a daughter.  And I surely don’t want those times on tape for everyone else to see over and over.

But then, I don’t need a recording to remind me of my past failures.  Many of them are permanently cemented in my brain and it often doesn’t take much to bring them into my thoughts.  Oftentimes those memories creep back in when I’m getting ready to do something positive that the Lord is leading me to do.  All of a sudden…WHAM…my mind goes back in time and those past shortcomings make me question whether I am capable or worthy to do His work.  Even those instances where I have known I did wrong and asked the Lord to forgive me, still come back to cause an unsettled spirit as I struggle to forgive myself.

Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m alone in this.  I have talked to many others that can relate to this scenario.  Many of us have times where we dwell on the past and in doing so, we become stagnant in our relationship with Christ and we fail to move forward.  Satan knows that as long as he can keep us reliving our failures over and over, he doesn’t have to worry about us doing the Lord’s will today.

There are also times where it isn’t our past shortcomings that we dwell on…but someone else’s.  I’m confident that all of us have, at some point in our life, been deeply hurt by a friend, a family member or even a stranger…and forgiving that person seems impossible.  As a result, we can easily dwell on the pain from that moment and it causes us to feel like we are on a stationary bike…exerting a lot of emotion but not going anywhere.

If we neglect to deal with our past, it can often make us fear the future and we can be overwhelmed with the “what-ifs”.  What if we say or do the wrong thing and let someone else down?  What if we take a chance and reach out to someone and that person hurts us in return?  What if we step way out of our comfort zone and fall flat on our face and we feel like a total failure?

It is at these moments of our life that we need to remember that there is nothing from our past that the Lord cannot forgive or can stop Him from loving us.  Nor is there any pain from our past that He cannot heal.  AND, there is nothing in our future that He cannot handle. 

If you feel you are in a “holding pattern” right now in your life…I urge you to think about this:  If someone watches a video ten years from now of your day today…what do you want them to see?  Do you want them to see you scared, discouraged and overwhelmed with your past…or do you want them to see you living a life that is prayer-driven and God directed?  Living a life that is fueled with His Spirit is a life that will have an impact on others for many years to come.  Who knows…your choices today just might lead to the most exciting days of your life because life is never boring when HE is in control!

 “I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.”

Psalm 34:4

“I, even I, am the one who wipes out your

 transgressions for My own sake,

And I will not remember your sins.”

Isaiah 43:25

Monday Morning Memo: Stinkin' Thinkin'

I’m back!  For the first time in five years, I took a month off from writing.  I knew I needed to do that…but really didn’t realize how badly I needed it…until I actually did it.

I knew I was tired; more specifically my brain was tired and I needed the opportunity to shut it down for a while.  I know that I only share one devotional a week but even that was beginning to be a chore and I realized that I was in need of somewhat of a respite.  I also sensed that God had a work to do within me, which always makes me a little nervous!

We also had a vacation planned in January and I really wanted to be able to “zone out” during that time and not have any deadlines to meet.  The first week we were blessed to be able to cruise the Western Caribbean and that was amazing.  It was a relaxing time with dear friends, which was just what my weary soul needed.  We laughed and ate…and then laughed and ate some more and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The second week was spent in southern Florida and it didn’t take long for my husband and I to realize that this week wasn’t going to be quite like the cruise week.  The most glaring difference was the attitude of those with whom we came in contact.  Of course we had friends to be with on the ship and it was just the two of us for this week in Florida but we could not believe how unhappy everyone was around us.  We tried our best to be friendly towards those in the area…but even getting them to smile was next to impossible!  At one store, we went to pay for our items and my husband greeted the cashier and asked how she was doing and barely received a grunt in return.  I then walked up and asked her the same thing and her response was priceless…but rather sad.  With no expression she said, “If you want friendly…you have to go farther north.”  With her statement she confirmed what we had been seeing for ourselves…people in this particular area just weren’t very welcoming.

As I’ve thought about this cashier’s statement, I’ve realized that I can easily fall into some of the same “stinkin’ thinkin’”.  As I’ve written about before, for me, it’s often when my health takes another detour that my attitude begins to stink and discouragement can set in and it didn’t take me long to realize during these past weeks that this is what God wanted to speak to me about during my break from writing.

A couple weeks ago, I happened to pick up the book Screwtape Letters.  Dan has read it and had told me that it was a book I should peruse.  If you aren’t familiar with this book, it contains 31 letters written by a senior demon named Screwtape to his nephew, Wormwood, who is a younger and less experienced demon and has been put in charge of securing the damnation of a young man.  Screwtape tries to teach Wormwood how he can best tempt the young Christian man away from Heaven and into Hell.  Screwtape knows where the weaknesses are in this Christian man and guides Wormwood as to how to enter this man’s thoughts to influence his daily choices so that he will walk away from his relationship with the Lord.

Hmmmmm, this got me thinking how I’m sure that Satan knows where my weaknesses are and I’m confident that he knows if he can get me to dwell on my health problems, I’m not much good serving the Lord.  Every day I have the choice to dwell on the negatives in my life or the many blessings in my life and that will determine whether “stinkin’ thinkin’” will take hold of my mind and attitude.

After reading this book, we attended a memorial service for a friend of ours who died of ALS at the age of 59.  He and his wife never expected to have their lives take such a difficult detour which would usher him into Heaven much sooner than they could have imagined.  But his wife and family testified of the Lord’s strength and love that sustained them during his illness and continues to sustain them now.  They shared 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 which are verses I have read many times…but it was as if I was hearing these words for the first time:

 “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away,

yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary

troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,

since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Oh how I needed to hear these verses. I came home and printed off 2 copies and put one on my refrigerator and one on my bathroom mirror, to make sure that these words permeate my mind and soul every single day.

I thought the Lord was done speaking to me on this…but of course I was wrong.  A friend contacted me and asked if I would consider leading a small group for people in our area and she already knew what book she wanted us to use for the study.  The name of the book?  Lord, Change My Attitude Before It’s Too Late by James MacDonald.  Ok Lord…you now have my full and undivided attention!

I’m in the process of reading this book and oh how the Lord is whispering in my ear.  In a Christian’s life, there is NO room for “stinkin’ thinkin’”.  None at all.  Every day I choose what my attitude will be and I am being convicted that any “stinkin’ thinkin’” attitudes I choose to have are sins.  Plain and simple.  Oh how I grieve the Lord when I sin.

I’m not sure I will take another month off from writing for a while…in some ways it is just too painful J  But I’m so thankful that the Lord loves me so much that He is willing to continually prune me and mold me so that I will look more like Him.  He has a huge task ahead dealing with me because my edges are still pretty rough and I still struggle with times of “stinkin’ thinkin’”.  But my prayer is that those times will be less and less and that my attitude will reflect His wisdom and love with those who come into my path.

So today, I will choose to fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  Amen!