Handling the Heat

With our recent soaring temperatures, I've noticed that my family has been a bit short-tempered lately. Situations that would normally be shrugged off are now matters of contention. The kids are bickering more and cooperating less. It's interesting how a little heat melts our patience and increases our grumpiness.

Why the sudden change in temperament just because the thermometer raised up several notches over the last week? I think primarily it's because our comfort zones have been tampered with. When things are running smoothly (weather and situationally), we are content because our life is flowing along nicely. But add some pressure, from circumstances and/or the weather, and we gripe and complain.

The best way to deal with the situation is to take a moment or two before we respond (Let's face it; we pretty much know when we are going to be grouchy in our responses). Then we need to send out a quick prayer to ask the Lord to help us be patient and kind. If we take the time now to develop good habits in our interactioins, then it will be easier to maintain those attitudes when the heat rises.

Don't let that mercury reach the boiling point in your life. Ask God to help you handle the heat.

An Amazing God

We live in a vast universe that's over 93 billion light years wide. We are but a speck in this gigantic array of stars, suns, and galaxies. To some this would seem to indicate insignificance, but to me it indicates that we have One Awesome and Amazing God.

If we were insignificant then God would have nothing to do with us. Yet He is ever involved in our lives. He knows our needs, wants, and desires. Because of His great love for us, He reached down from the heavens and became a man, Jesus, so that we could have fellowship with Him. Through Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we can live eternally with Him in Heaven.

When you look up into the sky and see the stars, remember you have a God who loves you and cares for you. He is not distant like some far off galaxy. He's in our hearts and in our lives if we let Him.

Why don't you call on our amazing God and ask Him into your heart?

Developing Character

I'm currently researching information for a character in a mystery story I'm writing. The character will have already been dead for over eighty years, but I still have to make him "real" in order to make him believable to my readers. As I dig up more information about the time period he would have lived in, about the occupation he would have engaged in, and the lifestyle he would have led, I'm developing his character. These little bits of information will add up to create what this man was supposed to be, something that will be crucial in the final solutions of my story.



It takes time to develop a character, and it takes time for us to develop character. Circumstances in life mold and shape us into the people we will become. I am very different from the child I was. If I continue to grow and develop as I age, I will be a bit different from who I am now.



God is more interested in our character than our comforts. Have you ever noticed that a trial may be very challenging, but how we handle that trial can develop character within us? Our trials are not accidental. God knew, by the choices we would make or by the situations we put ourselves in, that we would need certain circumstances to be the catalyst for our development. It seems to me that the sooner we accept this developmental growth, the better. When we grumble and moan and complain, it takes us longer to learn from our situation.



God is the author of our lives. He provides ways for us to develop our character. Why resist His efforts? He knows what's best for us anyway.

Honoring THE Father

Yesterday was Father's Day. Some people made phone calls, sent cards, had barbeques, or put flowers on their fathers' graves. A lot of people took the time to acknowledge the man they call father.

Recognizing someone special in our life is important. But we mustn't forget to recognize God, our Heavenly Father. His love far surpasses any an earthly father could ever give. He created us individually, designing us from head to toe and giving us those special attributes that make us who we are. He sacrificed Himself for us in the person of Jesus, who died to pay the punishment of all the sins of the world, and who rose again so that we may go to heaven when it's our turn to leave this earth.

What is the best way to recognize God? By acknowledging He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords; that He is God Almighty, and that there is no one like Him; and by recognizing that it is only through Jesus that we can enter into Heaven.

What's stopping you from acknowledging God?

M.O.S.

In the film industry, when a scene is filmed without any sound, the letters "M.O.S." are written on the slate. It supposedly is an abbreviated term first used by a German film director who had come to Hollywood in the early days and wanted a scene to be filmed "Mit Out Sound."



Well, I can say that about my cell phone now. Family and friends calling me will get a M.O.S. response from me. You see, my cell phone microphone stopped working yesterday. There is nothing but silence even though I'm in the midst of talking and I can hear them perfectly. It's very frustrating being without a voice, especially when I have something to say but no means of communicating my message.



Thankfully God is not "Mit Out Sound." He speaks loud and clear through the Bible, through other believers, through nature, and through our life's circumstances. The problem is that we fail to listen. We don't take the time to see that He is trying to talk to us, or we expect Him to communicate OUR way, not His.



Don't blame God if you can't hear Him. Ask Him to reveal Himself. Then expect Him to answer. He will be faithful to sound off to you.

Not Too Good to be True

Have you seen those commercials where they will give you cash for your gold? All you have to do is send them your pieces of gold and then they'll send you a certified check for its value. I'm sorry; this just seems too good to be true. But I wonder how many people have thought this was a viable way to get some quick cash.

Too many fall for easy schemes that make incredible promises. Yet some of these people are the same ones who refuse to believe in the simplicity of the Gospel. They think there is a "catch" because redemption can't be free. But it is. Jesus died on the cross to redeem us from sin, enabling us to enter into eternal life when our time here on earth is over. There are no hidden fees; no fine print with broken promises. Eternity is free to all who are willing to receive it.

Instead of falling for false hopes, look to the true hope. Look to Jesus and ask Him for the gift of eternal life that is worth more than all the gold in the world.

Always Be Prepared

When I was growing up, my sister and I joined our local Brownie troop. We did some fun things, but overall it wasn't very exciting. I didn't want to sit around and make mats or tie-die shirts all day. I wanted fun adventures like the Boy Scouts had: hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking, etc. They had everything the tomboy in me wanted to try, but unfortunately I wasn't able to join. But I did like their motto: Always Be Prepared.

It's hard to be prepared for what may lie around the corner since we don't know what the future will bring. But God knows, and He did prepare us for certain events that will be coming true in good time: one being the return of Christ for His Church.

Jesus told us that He is coming again and that He was going away to prepare a place for us (see John 14:2). He also said that we would know the time and the seasons of His return even though we would not know the day or the hour (see Matthew 24). Don't you think with all the craziness of this world, the devaluing of faith, and the lawlessness that seems to be increasing, that Jesus' return is imminent? Don't you think, then, that we should be prepared in case He decides to come back, whether it's today, next week, next month, or next year?

What is happening in your life that may be displeasing to God? Confess it to Him and then stay away from that particular temptation. What is He calling you to do that you have so far hesitated to follow through on? Stop stalling and take care of His business. Our time is short here on earth if you look at time through the light of eternity. We need to get ourselves right with God now, because we don't know what tomorrow will bring. We need to "Always Be Prepared."

Summer

Summer’s officially here, at least in the minds of my kids. They are done with school for a few months and they are looking forward to sleeping in, lounging around, and doing nothing constructive. Of course, I have other plans. I’ll have them re-organize their rooms, help with household chores, and I want them to read a book every day for at least 30 minutes. I also want to go on a few field trips to visit some of the local historical areas.

Yes, it’s their summer, but it’s mine, too. And there is nothing wrong with chores to help contribute to the household and with participating in projects that will keep the mind sharp. As for me, I intend to finish a few writing projects, including a middle grade mystery novel and a teacher’s guide for my picture book that’s due out next year.

It’s funny…when I was a kid, summer seemed to last forever. Now that I’m an adult, I know the days will fly by. That’s why I want to make the most of my time, making sure I sit down each day to work. Maybe I should set an official daily time slot: for the kids to read, and for me to work. That way we can all get something accomplished.

In the meantime, I think I’ll make some suntea.

Recognitions

My kids have been honored this week with end-of-the-year school awards. They've worked hard and it's nice that their dedication to their studies have led to some well-deserved recognitions.

Sometimes, though, we don't get recognized for the other things we do, like respecting those around us or being helpful when we see someone in need. But God sees them, and that's what counts. One day we will stand before Him and He will reward us for our outpouring of Christian love to others.

Being recognized for our earthly accomplishments is nice, but I'm looking forward to the heavenly rewards that Jesus Himself will present to His faithful believers.

Snags

Doesn't it seem that whenever you take on an "easy" project, you end up taking hours to finish? That was me yesterday. I forgot my daughter was in need of a sun bonnet for a play she was in, so I did a quick search on the internet to find a simple pattern to sew. I found one that said I would be done in less than two hours. It took me at least five.

Of course I ran into some snags. The paper I used to draw out the pattern curled a lot. I needed to find where I had put my muslin for the brim padding. And then my sewing machine wasn't working quite right. The instructions also weren't the easiest to figure out. I wish there had been more step by step pictures. At one point I had to rip out my stitches because I realized I had sewn something incorrectly.

But the final result was worth all the effort. My daughter will have a sharp looking bonnet for her debut pioneer role.

Life sometimes is full of snags. We try to follow the directions in our rulebook, the Bible, but we sometimes read it wrong or don't quite visualize what the correct step is supposed to be. But unlike my sewing episode where I couldn't ask the author for clarification, we can ask God through the Holy Spirit what He would have us do. In time He will show us and guide us as we trust in Him.

Don't let snags slow your progress. Ask the Lord for His Divine Help.

Cost of Freedom

Here in America we often take our freedoms for granted; mostly because we haven't been used to much else. Yet I had an interesting experience the other morning that made me realize just how blessed I am to be here; and just how little we think about the sacrifices people make when they come here.



I needed a pedicure badly. It had been months since I've walked into a salon, so I decided to treat myself as a belated birthday gift. Choosing a new place not far from home, I walked in and was assigned to a very nice Vietnamese lady. After a bit we engaged in conversation where I found, to my surprise, that she had been a physics teacher back in Vietnam. As I began to hear her story, especially as she shared that sometimes customers come in and treat her disrespectfully, I found myself thinking how much society stereotypes people based on their occupation. Here an obviously intelligent lady is sometimes treated poorly because of her accent and her job. Yet in her country she would have had a very respectable position.



The reason she became a manicurist was because she had come here newly married and needed a job that wouldn't take too long to learn since she also had a little baby. Going back to school to fulfill the requirements to teach in the United States would have taken too much time, so she took the 3 month or so course to do nails. Her job basically is to help support her family. It is not something she does because she likes it (although I'm sure she has both good days and bad), but as a way to earn money to help the eight people that reside in her home.



I find it refreshing to still find people who are not afraid to work; who will do what it takes to provide, even if the pay is below what one normally would expect in salary. This lady does plan on returning to teaching, but it will have to wait until her children are much older. It's their time now. She will have plenty of time for herself later.



Then she told me that she loves this country because of its freedoms. Life here is so different from Vietnam. Here she can dress as she pleases without people looking down on her. We didn't get much time after that to discuss the other freedoms I'm sure she is thankful for. Yes, coming here cost her a career, but it gained her many things that her children will now be able to have and to hold onto.

Try to remember that our freedoms sometimes come at a price. And when you remember, thank God for allowing us to be free.

Quiet, Please!

That seems to be my favorite nighttime phrase of late. My kids are just taking forever to settle down and sleep. It takes a good hour for them to finally be quiet.

Then, after awhile, one of them comes in the room and states, "I can't fall asleep." "Did you pray?" I ask. "No." "Well, try praying for everyone you know. That'll help." And then my child will shuffle back into his room and hop back into bed.

Why is it that we just don't want to settle down? We want to keep going and going like the Energizer Bunny. But our body needs rest. It needs to re-energize. Even Jesus understood the value of taking a break. He often would go into the country with His disciples to get away from the throngs of people who were constantly seeking His help and healing.

If Jesus took time to rest, don't you think it's more crucial for us to do so? Maybe it's time to tell yourself, "Quiet, please!" and take a breather.

Successful Connections

As I was logging on to the internet yesterday, I suddenly thought about my connectivity. There are times when it takes forever to get online, even with DSL. For some reason the signal isn't going through or perhaps there's some interference or I'm in an area that my router can't reach. Or maybe I can only get a local connection, which doesn't allow me to access the internet at all. But then there are other times when it only takes seconds to have the immediate access I need. I like those times because then I can get my work done in a more timely fashion.

What a perfect way to look at our relationship with the Lord. We want that immediate high speed connection to get instant access to Jesus. He has the best tech support, the strongest signals, and lightning fast speeds. So then why do we sometimes have problems hearing him? Since it's obviously not on His end, then it must be on ours. What's causing the signal to falter? Is it unconfessed sin? Is it a habit that will lead to sin in our lives? Is it because we need to learn something from our circumstance? Whatever the cause, we need to seek and work out the problem so we can get that crystal clear connection going once more.

In order to have a productive life, we need to have a successful connection with Jesus. What are you doing to make sure your signals are getting through?