The Best Free Gift Ever

There is sometimes a little letdown when Christmas is over. Family members go home and the house feels somewhat empty. The decorations need to be put away (not nearly as fun as putting them up). There is a possibility that some of the gifts need to be returned - either because they don't work, you can't use them, you already have one just like it or it doesn't fit.

The opposite might also be true. If you have received a gift card or money for a Christmas present, now is the time to be able to choose something you really want or need for free. Redeeming the gift card or spending the money after Christmas often stretches your money because there are many after Christmas sales which are deeply discounted.

Everyone likes something free. The gifts you received didn't cost you anything. You may have gotten something you have been wishing for and because it is something you would not have purchased for yourself, it is a true luxury. Some of my favorite belongings remind me of Christmases past and the thoughtfulness of a loved one.

Regardless of what you received this Christmas or past Christmases there will be a point where you will no longer use it. It will either wear out or you will leave it behind when you die.

The best free gift ever offered and received will never wear out or be left behind when you die. It was the most costly gift ever because it required the Son of God to die on the cross for your sin. Our free gift cost Him everything. His sacrifice enables you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. 

Just like the gifts you got for Christmas, the only thing you have to do is receive this gift. As He offers it to you and you receive it by faith, you are able to have fellowship now with Him on earth and forever with Him in Heaven. If you have not received this most precious gift, why don't you do so today? "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).*

This post is duplicated on my other blog, http://stretchmoney.wordpress.com as well. After the publication of my book, Money: How to Be Rich Without It and How to Stretch It Using Ten Hints from the Past and the Technology of Today, I started that blog to share hints on how to stretch your money. As I try hard to give advice on how to obtain what you need for free, this post was also appropriate for that blog. Jesus Christ offers the best free gift ever!

Butterflies and Roses in December

James M. Barrie began his rectorial address at St. Andrews University on May 3, 1922 with the following statement: "You have had many rectors here in St. Andrews who will continue in bloom long after the lowly ones such as I am are dead and rotten and forgotten. They are the roses in December; you remember someone said that God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December. But I do not envy the great ones. In my experience - and you may find in the end it is yours also - the people I have cared for most and who have seemed most worth caring for - my December roses have been very simple folk." Barrie considered himself simple folk, but left his mark on the world with his stories, most notably Peter Pan.

Barrie's reference to roses in December carries the implication that roses would not be available to view in December - thus the need for the memory of them. I will remember this year as the December where I did not have to use my memory to enjoy roses - they have been blooming in some areas of the south during December. Not only have I seen roses this month, but I have enjoyed watching the monarch butterflies in my backyard in recent days. Even in Texas where you can alternately use the air conditioner and heater in off seasons, roses have usually lost their bloom and butterflies are long gone by December.

Barrie related his December roses to people - those people who are worth caring for. In my life, I also have fond memories of these December roses. I have friends and family that I seldom see, but hear from periodically through cards, Facebook, phone calls or email. Every time I do, it brings a smile, similar to the smile that comes across my face when I see roses and butterflies in December. Their contributions to my life continues to bloom.

Family, friends, roses and butterflies are among many things I am grateful for. The greatest blessing I have ever received is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son. Fellowship with Him makes me aware of the delightful gifts that He gives as well. So, whether I actually see them or I need to exercise my memory to enjoy them, through His grace I can experience roses in December.

I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1).

The True Spirit of Christmas

Many people the world over look forward to Christmas. Time off from work, time spent with family, looking forward to special gifts and an occasion for parties may be the sole reason for the celebration.

Retail stores put out Christmas decorations earlier each year. They suppose - and they may be right - that makes it easier for customers to get in the Christmas spirit and desire to purchase their products.

Of course, merchandisers profit from the Christmas season. Many of us believe that it has, in fact, become way too commercial. On the other hand, generosity is expressed more freely by more people at this time of year than any other.

The signs of Christmas spirit may include

• making Christmas lists and checking off each present as it is purchased, wrapped, mailed or placed under the tree
• preparing eggnog, special candies, cookies and a variety of other traditional family dishes
• making elaborate preparations for parties, trips to see family, gifts for teachers, neighbors and others
• decorating homes in and out
• attending Christmas musicals and plays
• looking for ways to help others through churches and charities

Part of the traditional Christmas celebration includes classic Christmas stories, which are read and reread to children at this time of year.

In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge, a grumpy old miser who preferred his own company, is visited by three Christmas spirits on Christmas Eve. What the spirits of Christmas past, present and future showed him so affected Scrooge that his life was radically changed. The result of their visits was that he became the exact opposite of what he had been before. "He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old City knew, or any other good old city or town in the good old world.... it was said of him ever afterwards that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed that knowledge."

A Christmas Carol is one of the movies that is on my Christmas season watch list, always saved for Christmas Eve. Of course, it is not the original Christmas story, but it does illustrate what happens when the true Spirit of Christmas visits someone. There is a radical change. To truly know how to keep Christmas well, one must be born of the Spirit of the Christ of Christmas.

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Families Adapting to a Changing World

Few families live in close proximity in America any more. In many other countries, the culture is still like America used to be - families and extended families are close enough in location to be available to help out with many different aspects of family life. In the United States, that advantage has pretty much ceased to exist.

Think of the difference it has made in our society because families, on the average, do not live close to one another. Childcare was not an issue because grandparents or aunts and uncles lived down the street or in some cases in the same house. The sting of unemployment was relieved somewhat because family members shared what they had with each other. Planning for retirement meant moving from the downstairs portion of the house to the upstairs portion of the house so that the family members with small children had the larger living area. Traveling long distances for holidays was unknown because it was not necessary.

Rural living has somewhat been replaced by dwelling in large concrete cities. The agrarian lifestyle of our past has been largely overridden by the industrial and then the technological advances of our modern society. Instead of face to face conversation with family, friends and neighbors, people communicate by email and texting - often with their eyes glued to a small screen in their hand instead of a face of flesh before them.

Since this is a present reality, I tend to be thankful for the gifts of modern technology that remind me of the personal touch of yesterday. My family is spread out all over the world. That is the way it is. I continue to long for the closeness of a loved one, catching a smile unnoticed or observing a loved one in a moment of time that cannot be captured by camera or video.

I was able to experience this somewhat, gratefully, on our latest American holiday - even though my husband and I were home alone. My immediate family all have a similar internet service - one where we can call each other using microphones on our computer and see each other utilizing webcams. Not only is the service possible; it is free to other users of the same service.

On that special day, my husband and I were able to talk for several hours to family members - one son who was out of the country and visited with our other son and his family while we were all preparing our meals. It was not exactly the same as having family come home for the holidays, but on that day, it was as close as we could get.

I am grateful that as a child of God, I don't have to wait for a phone call or a visit to be able to talk to Him. I don't have to check a world clock for the time difference between where He is and where I am. I don't have to worry about whether He is busy or He can't answer my call. I can speak to Him at any time and He will hear me. His Spirit, who abides in me, can communicate with me as well. He is always available, ready and delighted to hear from one of His children. No matter what cultural changes will come about in the future, I know that His presence is guaranteed because He never changes.

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our abode with him (John 14:23). By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit (1 John 4:13 NASB).

The Joy of Food, Fellowship and Family

There's something about sitting together around a table full of food that invites conversation - especially with family. When our sons got married, I made a family recipe book for my new daughters.  It occurred to me that many of our best memories were around meals celebrating Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays or traditions we had created for meals on Friday nights, Saturday mornings or Sunday after church. Those memories were of great joy when we were all gathered around the table.

Now the joy is magnified because the family has grown.  On rare occasions when we have mealtimes together again, it is with grandchildren and all the delightful contributions they make to the conversations.

This last week was another reminder of this truth.  I attended two fellowship meals with our church family here in France.  There was a covered dish luncheon on Sunday after church.  So much good food and time to visit with friends around the table is a great treat.  On normal Sundays, people have to be out and about and visiting time is limited.  On covered dish Sundays, people make an effort to stick around, visit and enjoy a meal together.

On Tuesday, our ladies Bible study group got together at a member's lovely home for lunch.  Again, there was time to discover more information about my sisters in Christ.  People I had grown to love I love even more because I know them better now -  they shared their testimonies and experiences with the Lord. It was truly a joyful time.

Jesus had similar experiences.  He never was in a hurry, but it was at mealtimes we see him having the luxury of sharing life with those He loved.  He spent time in fellowship and meals with His friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  Those were times of rest and restoration for Him, just as times of food and fellowship with family are for us.

There was one very special meal where Jesus was able to have a time of very needed fellowship.  It was just before His betrayal and crucifixion.  In the upper room, after Judas left, Jesus had an opportunity to share some special revelations of Himself to eleven of His closest friends. He had come so they might be adopted into His family. As He left His brothers with incredible words of encouragement and promise, He told them that His intended purpose for doing so was that they might share in His joy.

Food, fellowship and family are perfect settings for experiences of joy.

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full (John 15:11). But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves (John 17:13).

This is a repost from June 2011. As we approach Thanksgiving 2012, I am reminded again of how special fellowship time is. One day we will fellowship together with Jesus at His table. That will be the greatest occasion for thanksgiving for me.

Really Seeing the World Around You

I subscribe to a writer's magazine and follow several blogposts submitted by their staff. The motivational tips on writing, information on the latest developments in the publishing industry, what kind of writing is currently attractive to readers, etc. give me much needed facts in an ever changing world. There is practically no way to keep up on all the pertinent information without help. 

Theirs is not the only source I consult. I purchase books on writing, read what others write - both fiction and nonfiction - and notice blogs where successful published authors share their secrets and hints at sticking with their writing, no matter what. Some authors share how they conquer writer's block. Others give helpful knowledge about grammar, word usage, punctuation and formatting.

Recently I read a guest post by Kevin Kaiser on Writer's Digest entitled "What Bestselling Writers Do Differently Than Everyone Else." Of the four points that he made, it was the first one that caught my attention. Kevin said, "They are intent on seeing the world. Most of humanity hurries through the day in a fog, looking only where they need to in order to survive...But prolific and successful artists are students of the world around them. They pay attention because stories worth capturing are happening all the time right next to them. They just see it where others don't. Eyes that look are common, eyes that see are rare."

Kevin's definition of an artist is "anyone who creates something that enriches the lives of others, whether that’s leading a vibrant organization, writing a book or singing a song."

I think Kevin has captured the essence of a rich life - no matter what your occupation is. I also recently heard an extraordinary speech given to military cadets. The speaker showed pictures of men and women he had worked with - some who had given their lives for our country. Along with the pictures, he told their stories. His speech was so moving and inspiring because he actually saw the men and women who served under him. He paid attention to them. Kevin said, "eyes that see are rare." This man's eyes were definitely in that category. Anyone serving in his unit would know that he was not just a number or part of a unit, but that he had value. 

At one point, Jesus' disciples asked Him why He talked to the people in parables. In His reply to them, He said that He spoke in parables because "while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." Kevin Kaiser may not have realized his observation "most of humanity hurries through the day in a fog" had spiritual implications, but it does. He was right. "Eyes that look are common, eyes that see are rare."

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear (Matthew 13:16).

Logistics and Progress in Poland

Logistics in Poland is very well thought out. On a recent road trip from Lwówek Śląski (a small town close to Germany on Poland's western border) to Warsaw, Poland, I passed through the center of Poland and saw a landscape filled with warehouses - distribution centers for many retail stores. 

Central Poland is home to millions of meters of warehouse space. Major cities in Poland will soon add even more warehouses as their economy continues to improve. 

According to an August 2012 issue of The Warsaw Voice, by 2020 Poland will become the main logistics center in Europe. Colliers International, a real estate services company who conducted the research, expects distribution centers to grow the fastest in Gdańsk/Gdynia, Łódź, Katowice and Wrocław. Twice as much warehouse space was constructed in the first half of 2012 as the year before with the largest amount of new space built in the vicinity of Warsaw. The midwestern city of Poznań, central Poland and Upper Silesia also gained a significant amount of warehouse space. 

I have been to most of the cities mentioned in the article I read. I love Poland and the Polish people. Some of my best friends live there. 

It wasn't too long ago that shelves were empty and goods were difficult to obtain in this country. I am thrilled to see progress come to Poland. To me, these warehouses do not mar the beautiful countryside as they are strategically placed simply to make it easier to deliver goods throughout the country. 

As a Christian, I know where everything I need is located. Every material, physical or spiritual need that I have comes from one source. 

Every good and perfect gift is from above...(James 1:17). Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'... for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33).

The Painful Path to Empathy

A Christmas Carol was the first of five Christmas books written by Charles Dickens. The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain, a lesser known work, was the last of that series.

The Haunted Man, Professor Redlaw, is haunted by his sorrowful past. The only redeeming feature of his youth was a sister who died. The memories are continually brought before him by a Phantom who offers him relief. When he allowed the Spectre to cancel his remembrances, Redlaw made a surprising discovery. Not only did his memory of sorrow and wrong leave him, so did any element of softness and caring for others. Even worse, that gift is passed on to others around him with similar consequences.

Unaffected by this desire to forget sorrow and loss is Milly Swidger who had lost her only child. A sweet simple woman, Milly tells her husband, "I am happy in the recollection of it...All through life, it seems by me, to tell me something. For poor neglected children, my little child pleads as if it were alive, and had a voice I knew, with which to speak to me. When I hear of youth in suffering or shame, I think that my child might have come to that, perhaps, and that God took it from me in His mercy...that even when my little child was born and dead but a few days, and I was weak and sorrowful, and could not help grieving a little, the thought arose, that if I tried to lead a good life, I should meet in Heaven a bright creature, who would call me, Mother!"

Observing Milly's unusual application of her sorrow and loss, Redlaw comes to himself, praying, "O Thou who through the teaching of pure love, hast graciously restored me to the memory which was the memory of Christ upon the Cross, and of all the good who perished in His cause, receive my thanks, and bless her!"

At the end of the story, Dickens suggests "that the Ghost was but the representation of his gloomy thoughts, and Milly the embodiment of his better wisdom."

I have seen Dickens' moral carried out in everyday life. Many kind hearted people attempt to sympathize with those in sorrow and pain, but it is those with similar experiences who make the largest contributions to healing. A mother who has had a stillborn child can comfort another mother like no one else can. Military families who have sent their loved ones to war can understand each other's needs - often knowing what to do without being asked. A parent who has a wayward child can sit with another parent with a unique bonding and empathy. Those who have lost their jobs in an economic downturn are able to help each other in a special way. Homeless people can band together to become a community. And on it goes. People who have been there, done that are those who understand the most.

Christians have a Lord who empathizes with our sorrows and pains. His suffering was a choice - so that  we knew that He could understand, empathize and give guidance and comfort when comfort is needed.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV).

Why We Read

One my favorite lines in Shadowlands, a movie about C.S. Lewis and Joy Gresham, is: "We read to know we are not alone."

I'm a writer who loves to read. What I have learned from other people's writing cannot be measured.Their research and insight have enabled me to answer questions, relax or understand more about something that interests me.

A great day is one where I can sit in a comfy chair with a blanket over my lap, a cup of coffee or tea by my side, and what I call a real book in my hands - the kind with printed pages, maybe some illustrations and sometimes, if it is an old book, a certain smell. Those days are luxurious.

In the last few years, some brick and mortar bookstores have disappeared. This has largely been due to the change in the publishing industry. With electronic readers, laptops and phones that connect to the internet, the business of publishing newspapers, magazines and books will never be the same.

Happily, people are reading more - not less - because of these changes. Although I prefer reading a book in print, I travel so much that I seldom carry heavy books with me. Even though I don't have a reader, I download free classics on my laptop and take a library with me. Something to read is always available. 

While reading someone else's writing, I get ideas for my own articles, devotionals or books. If I didn't want someone else to read what I was writing, I would simply keep a private journal, like I used to do. Occasionally, someone will give me feedback about something I wrote and I know that I have connected with my reader. That is gratifying because I write to let others know they are not alone.

It was so important to God we know His love is real that He sent His Son, His living Word, to make that connection between Him and us. His inspired Word, the Bible, lets us know we are not alone. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God....And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-2, 14 NAS).

From Frazzled to Fruitful

When we lived in California, we had many fruit trees in our yard. Some produced better than others. The lemon tree in our front yard had some really strange looking lemons. We were told it was because we were not giving the tree enough water. Neglect had produced a less than superior product.

However, in our back yard, we had the most prolific fig tree I have ever seen. When we moved into our house, that fig tree was practically a stump because it had been pruned so much. I remember wondering if it would produce any fruit at all. Since it was in an area where we planted grass and watered regularly, that particular tree was not neglected. It produced the most amazingly bountiful crop of figs. Attention to that tree brought the desired results.

It is like that in our spiritual lives. As Christians, those of us who desire to produce fruit in our lives must pay attention to how we are living. The fruit of the Spirit, present in every believer, may lie dormant from neglect, but when the Spirit is allowed to nurture what is already there, there is an obvious difference in productivity.

Life is full of stresses - some good, some bad - but we sometimes allow those stresses to rob us of the joy of the Lord and the peace that comes with knowing Him.  Instead we feel frazzled or stressed out.

So often we measure ourselves - or others measure us - by what we do. Our measurement should be God's standards. Paul gives a list of the elements of the fruit of the Spirit of Christ. That fruit is measured not by what we do, but our character, who we are in Christ. God does desire that we produce tangible fruit, but it is His character that will produce good works, not ours.

How is it possible to keep from being frazzled or completely stressed by the cares of life? Act and react in love. An action is something you originate. A reaction is how you respond to other's actions. When we act and react in His love, God will do through us what we cannot accomplish in our own strength.

Paul describes some elements of a frazzled or stressed lifestyle just before he lists the fruit of the Spirit. Immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, etc.  - not one of these deeds of the flesh brings to mind a calm and fruitful person who is trusting in God. They are, in fact, opposites.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul describes the cure for a frazzled and stressed out lifestyle by his next words,which are:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law...If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23, 25 NAS).

Learning as a Choice

I recently attended a class my husband taught on how adults learn. I learned a lot during that session. He defined learning as a change of behavior as a result of experience.

In school, many children learn simply because it is a requirement. The goal is to know the material well enough to pass the test and move on. In that environment, because some subjects are not particularly interesting to the student, the information may be lost after the testing is over. Only those subjects that are of the student's choosing are retained and built upon.

An adult, more often than not, learns because he wants to. When a person is motivated to learn, he will do much more than what is required. He will research on his own and study often in order to increase his knowledge.

As a flight instructor, my husband was also able to give an illustration about those who want to learn to fly. The closer in time the lessons are, the faster the learning. In other words, it is best to fly once or twice a week rather than once a month. The frequency helps set in place the things that have been learned, making it easier to build upon the next principle.

Experiential learning is much better than knowledge of theory of a subject. When you put into practice things you have learned, they become part of you. It is more than temporary knowledge. It is true learning.

Many people know things about God. Some have even gone to religious schools or passed catechism classes. However, some are like the demons who believe that there is one God and shudder. Knowing about God does not mean that someone has experienced His love, truly knowing Him.

Only those who want to experience a relationship with God really do know Him. The test of that knowledge is whether or not God's love, received through His Son Jesus Christ, resides within you.

Those who truly know Him will want to spend time with Him. Just as student pilots retain their desired information better when they fly more often, believers grow in the Lord by spending frequent time with Him - learning from His Word and His nature. Christians are different because of Jesus. Experiencing His love changes their behavior. They want to become like Him.

"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me: and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves (John 5:39-42). The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love... We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:8, 19 NASB).

Is the Grass Really Greener on the Other Side?

Driving down a Texas country road is an interesting experience. You can pass large manicured ranches, trailer homes that have seen better days, old barns that must have been beautiful at one time, oil rigs, hay bales, and much more. The interesting terrain is adorned in a variety of ways, but the land is often occupied by livestock -  horses, sheep, deer or cattle.

On one such drive, I observed an interesting situation. A Texas longhorn - a very large Texas longhorn - had forced his head through a fence in order to eat what seemed to be the greener grass on the other side. Whether he had done this before or not, I don't know, but I wondered how he was going to get his head back through the fence once he was through with his snack. It certainly must have been easier to put his head through the fence than to back it up again.

I guess I will never know his trick as we didn't wait until he was through to see how he did it. I knew that if he had problems, I wouldn't be able to help him. I am not comfortable around a large steer and could possibly get injured in the process. It would have taken someone who knew how to handle such an animal to assist him if he needed help.

People are a lot like that Texas longhorn. We often don't think of the consequences when we see something we want. It appears to be there for the taking. The grass seems greener on the other side.

Like that Texas steer, reaching out to take what we want may lead to complications. Once the decision is made, we may discover that it was not good for us after all. It is possible to get stuck in the fence, having to call on others to help us, possibly injuring ourselves and them in the process.

That is exactly how sin began. Can't you imagine that Adam and Eve wished they had left that forbidden fruit alone? On their own, they could not get back to the place where they had been before they sinned. They lost their place in the Garden of Eden.

God knew how to restore His relationship with man. He sent His Son, who was injured and died in the process of helping us, to bring us back where we need to be - safe and secure on God's side.

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate, and she also gave it to her husband ... and he ate...Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life and live forever" - therefore the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6-22-23)....Then he showed me a river of the water of life...On either side of the river was the tree of life...There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him (Revelation 22:1-3). 

The Privilege and Responsibility of Voting

Everyone knows that voting is a privilege. Not every country allows their citizens to choose their government officials. Even some countries who have elections rig the outcome, so that it is not really the voting of the people that elects an official. It is a charade. 

I am very fortunate to live in a country where I get to have a say - realizing that even though my vote counts, the candidate of my choice may not be elected. I often say that I don't have a right to complain if I don't vote. So, I not only understand the privilege that is mine, but the responsibility that goes along with that privilege. 

Voting is more than a right. My responsibility is not only to cast my vote, but to do so with as much information as possible. Unfortunately, that means filtering out the prejudice of the media and the innuendo of the opponents. In America, this has become more difficult than ever before. It is a shame that politicians don't have enough positive things to say about themselves and their own agenda that they must take up their advertising time with accusations against the other candidate. 

Particularly distasteful are those politicians who are so careful about their stand on an issue that it is really difficult to find out what they believe. Many of them wait to see how the population sways on an issue - then they will go that way. Whatever happened to integrity? Francis Bacon, Sr. (English lawyer and philosopher 1561-1626) said, "It's not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity."

In the end, of course, only God knows whether what we say matches who we are and what we believe.  He does make it clear, however, that He will judge us accordingly.

For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgement. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12: 34b-37).

Yeast Really Does Permeate

I love to bake, but I seldom have to buy yeast. For years, I have made white bread, wheat bread, biscuits, pancakes, cakes, cinnamon rolls, pizza dough and other variations of breads from two different sourdough starters that I obtained years ago. One I have had for over thirty years, the other for over twenty.

Although I have recipes for and a mix for sourdough starter, I have never made one up. I have kept mine around for so long that if my friends and family run out or let theirs go bad, they always know they can come back to me for another one.

I didn't make the starters, but someone had to. The recipe I have for what some people call Herman or a starter for Amish friendship bread calls for flour, water and yeast. To keep it alive, you must add milk, flour and sugar. The other starter I have is maintained with potato flakes, sugar and water, but at some point in the past the starter was made with yeast.

I have often thought of the lasting quality of the yeast that began this somewhat magical process. As long as I continue to feed these sourdough starters every week or so, they will probably last as long as I do. The yeast that helped birth these products still permeates the dough that I mix up so that I can continue to enjoy baking with them. That is amazing to me.

Just as amazing, or really more so, is the realization that the kingdom of heaven will never be destroyed. I know that is true because God created it for His glory and for our enjoyment. What He did so long ago will last forever. His presence permeates all creation. He invites us to join Him in His kingdom by accepting His gift of grace through His Son, Jesus Christ.

He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened" (Matthew 13:33). Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst....I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh" (John 6:35, 51).

Traffic Tension

I have spent a lot of time on the U.S. interstates as well as autobahns in Europe. All of these public highways have something in common - there is a possibility for congestion and danger. Caution should be observed at all times.

Driving on any road demands full attention, but especially in heavy traffic on major highways. Seldom do you find yourself on a highway by yourself. There are times when you are completely surrounded. You must be aware of the speed and position of cars around you. If any one of them makes a sudden unexpected move, you must be prepared. There is literally danger on every side.

Vigilance is the key. Everyone knows accidents are most likely when you are sleepy or otherwise impaired because your concentration level is not at its optimum.

The question we need to pose to ourselves in heavy traffic is what can I do to get out of a dangerous situation if it presents itself? Driving is no time to relax and become preoccupied with other things such as cell phones. I once ran off the road simply because I was placing a blanket on my child in the seat next to me (that was before children's car seats were required to be placed in the back). Thankfully, I did not have an accident, but taking my mind off my driving posed a danger to myself and my children.

Staying in the lane provided for you is a must. I am often tempted to keep my eyes fixed on the car in front of me but have often been surprised by the movement of a car on either side or behind. Using the rear view mirror and the side mirrors should become a habit.

Our spiritual life is a lot like highway driving. As soon as we allow ourselves to become distracted from the path God has set us on, danger lurks all around us. Satan is actually watching for those times when we have relaxed our guard. He knows that if we veer off our path, his job is much easier. God, however, has given us all we need to stay where we need to be.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

The Value of a Smile

There are many good poems, songs and stories with a notation "author unknown." At some point, these artists shared part of themselves but did not think it necessary to leave their signature on their work. I often spend quite a bit of time researching to make sure an anonymous item does not have a name attached to it, but in the following case of a poem which I am sure many of you have read and benefited by, I found no name. So thanks to the unknown author who brightened my day - and hopefully yours as well.

A Smile

A smile costs nothing, but gives much.

It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it.

And none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it.

A smile creates happiness in the home,

fosters good will in business and is the best countersign of friendship.

It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad,

and it is natures' best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, 

for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.

Some people are too tired to give you a smile.

Give them one of yours as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

We touch each other with our smiles. That is the way God made us.

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance (Proverbs 15:13).

Dormant Damage

A few years ago, we purchased a beautiful antique dining table in Germany. It had been obtained from a farmer in southern Germany, transported up to northern Germany where it was completely disassembled and refinished. I had never seen a more beautiful dining table and chairs. It was immediately put in a container headed for the states as we were moving belongings back to the U.S. from a lengthy stay in Germany.

Several years later, I noticed dustings under some of the chairs. I shrugged it off as we had just had all the family - including grandchildren - in our house and thought what I was seeing were crumbs from the table. Upon closer inspection when I was polishing the chairs, however, I discovered holes throughout the wood on several of the chairs. What we had was an infestation of wood bores which had lain dormant all that time and now were making their way through that lovely wood.

After much labor (and cost, I might add), we finally got the problem licked. However, much to my dismay after quite a bit more time passed, I found the remaining chairs with those telltale holes. We are going to have to go through this procedure all over again. What I thought had been resolved now has to be dealt with once more - what a shame.

Irritations, guilt, bitterness and other stress causing situations in our lives can have some very similar effects. Like these wood bores, some things eat at our insides for years without our even realizing it. They may go unrecognized, but they are just as real as my wood bores. By the time they surface, often the damage is done.

I suppose the only remedy is to stay on top of our feelings and give them over to God right at the beginning of the uncomfortable event. God tells us to put away those things that are hurtful. We will certainly deal with them at some point. It is better to deal with them early on than to wait until damage is done and repairs have to be made.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice (Ephesians 4:30-31). Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation (1 Peter 2:1-2).