Country Living -- God in the Midst of Plagues

I can’t take credit for this blog today. This isn’t from a ministry or church. It is an email I received from “Country Living” magazine and it encouraged me to know they know how to lift our spirits and give us the answer to everything -- the promises of God. This is their article, verbatim. Only missing are the plaques that carried the scriptures about God in the midst of plagues:

"When diseases or natural disasters ravage our world, it can be confusing and scary. It can also be hard to understand where God and your faith fits in the midst of grief and uncertainty. You might find yourself wondering if you are experiencing the types of plagues described in the Bible and unsure if this just happened because the world is imperfect. Or you might hear people saying that it’s a form of punishment and find yourself uncertain what to believe. The truth is, we don’t know why these tragic things happen. But we do know that while God allows them, He is a God of comfort, and the plagues found in the Bible are only a small piece of a larger story—a redemptive rescue mission that culminates with Jesus and the gospel. We can take great comfort that we are not alone in any hardships we may face. The Bible is full of reassurances of God’s love, sovereignty, faithfulness, and protection. These are just a small handful of the verses about who God is amidst uncertainty.

--16 Uplifting Bible Verses About God in the Midst of Plagues--
~~ Deuteronomy 31:8 -- “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
~~ John 16:22 -- "So, with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."
~~ Joshua 1:9 -- "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
~~ Psalm 23:4 -- "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
~~ Psalm 4:8 -- "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe."
~~ Psalm 46:1 -- "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!"
~~ Psalm 46:10 -- “Be still, and know that I am God!"
~~ Psalm 56:3 -- "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you."
~~ Psalm 91 -- "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely, he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.'"
~~ Isaiah 41:10 -- "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
~~ Jeremiah 29:11-13 -- " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.' "
~~ Jeremiah 17:14 -- "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise."
~~ Matthew 11:28 -- "Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.' "
~~ 2 Corinthians 1:10 "And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us."
~~ 1 John 5:14 -- "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."

Thank you, Country Living magazine, for giving us exactly what we need to conquer and win during these times and all times!

His Heart Went Out to Her

I scroll through my FB timeline. I see a post that stops me in my tracks. It features a photo of a beautiful, toddler boy. His eyes of an angel draw me in. So does his name. Bryson. The same name as my youngest grandson. I read further. My heart aches. He has been diagnosed with a rare cancer. His life expectancy is no more than 2-1/2 years. Per the medical team. I take time with this one. I look up scriptures which promise God's faithfulness and His miracle-working power. I share them with the family.

I really do want to be an imitator of Christ. He certainly talked the talk AND walked the walk to show us how to live. Take this one as an example: "As He approached the town gate, a dead man was being carried out — the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord SAW HER, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.’” (Luke 7:11-14). HE SAW HER. He didn't just see her. He didn't just give her a "comment" or a "pat on the back" or "I hope you'll get better." He went over to the funeral procession and said "Get up" to the boy and he came back to life. Jesus was a do-something-about-it-kind-of-Savior.

The day before I see this "Bryson" photo, I receive a call from my daughter who is suffering from an extreme migraine headache. One that makes her retreat to her bed in a dark room. Now, please understand this is a powerful woman who just doesn't yield to pain -- not even with natural childbirth two times. I know this calls for a warrior mama's intercessory prayer. I go to my "war room" and am in full-on warfare prayer mode. I'm pleased to say that while we pray, my daughter's pain decreases and eventually goes away! Thanks be to God!

What an intenseness I have for praying for MY child. In that "Jesus" story above, it says "His heart went out to her". His heart joined hers. He felt her grief. He met her emotions with kindness, gentleness and mercy. He went to work to show His power and healing. I desire a heart like His.

What part of this blog speaks to you the most today? Bryson? The death of a child? A grieving widow? Or, the heart of Jesus? Put it altogether, God is there -- right in the middle of our lives. He shows up because His heart goes out to those who need a miracle. He shows up for me today. I want to be more like Him. But, I know there are many who need a miracle today. I can't help but think that I am writing this blog to remind YOU that He is the ONE whose heart goes out to you. Jesus can and will work a miracle in your situation. Why? Because He loves you and His heart goes out to you. You may feel that you are going to drown in your own tears, but hear the voice of our Savior. He is whispering to your heart, “Don’t cry.”

Whatever the circumstances of your life, hear this widow tell you: Jesus has a heart for you and He is ready to perform a miracle in your life today. Dry your tears, hold your head up and trust in the Miracle Maker. For all of us, may our hearts go out to others -- just like Jesus.

Keep On Keeping On

Of course this precious man's photo is my inspiration for today. Heaven is a wonderful place and every time I hear about someone's loved one getting to go there, it seems to get sweeter and sweeter. At least it sure does for me.

I am a team member on a Faith & Grief support group that helps those who have suffered a loss of a loved one and are struggling to move on. In fact we don’t say “move on” because moving on denotes “forgetting the past and getting over the loss”. Better stated is “keep on, keeping on.” I embrace those words because I was given an assignment by God at my birth, and it’s MY assignment until I get to “go home” to heaven.

My best friend, my husband, lover, sweetheart, and my kids' beloved father and papa went to his home in heaven this day nine years ago. I don't take his death anniversary as an opportunity to cry over that moment of departure. Instead, I celebrate his life by living mine. I live his list, my list and everything in between. I've spent the last nine years of my life, evolving and growing. It's my legacy to a man who loved and lived life in his God-given purpose on purpose. He was always KEEPING ON. Most importantly at 9 years post his graduation, I know I'm carrying on his and my legacy. If one person makes a decision to live a beautiful life because I share my journey, then my Ron lives on. That's our collective gift to this world.

I tell you to KEEP ON keeping on living with audacious and relentless faith because Ron would tell you to live like there is no tomorrow. I invite you to live because I know firsthand it's the best choice for anyone who grieves and can’t seem to keep on going. We can't bring them back, but we can honor all they were by being and doing all we can. Go live. You are still here for a reason. Take in the view. Live for others and bring them along with you to heaven. I tell you this because Ron taught me one valuable lesson throughout our forty-nine years together. He taught me to keep on keeping on – no matter the storms or circumstances, no matter the bumps or bruises -- all because of the cross of Jesus that we can keep on, keeping on.

On this day, I ponder: It’s been 9 years since I laid next to him. It’s been 9 years since I kissed him. It’s been 9 years since I've seen him hug our children and grandchildren. It’s been 9 years since I've heard him say, "I love you." Oh, but, because I keep on, keeping on, look what 9 years has done for me: It’s been 9 years of personal growth and living daily with determination and purpose. It’s been 9 years of new adventures – new places I never saw, new people I’ve come to love, and a new mission. It’s been 9 years of rediscovery of learning to love myself alone. I am enough because God is enough.

I've moved forward boldly while honoring my past. I still miss that man as much as I ever have, but that “missing” has changed and evolved as I have. He will forever have a special place in my heart and the hearts of my children and grandchildren. What I can tell you today is that nine years ago I didn’t know what my future would look like without this larger-than-life man in my life. What I didn't know is that my life didn't end. It had just begun.

Everything I am. Everything I've learned. Every part of my heart and soul is better today than it was nine years ago. His leaving was my opportunity to make ME so much better. I didn't die on November 16th, 2010, and I'm thankful that I realized I am still here for a reason. Regardless of what you are going through today, you have a purpose, and you can survive it. Take small daily baby steps, listen to your heart and remember to live. I can’t promise that the pain will ever go away, but I will promise that you are strong, brave and capable of anything. How do I know that? Because you have made it this far. The sun came up on this day so we can face this day with the goal of living and loving this life with all that is in us. Let’s face this day and keep on keeping on for everyone who no longer can.

No Man is an Island....or is He?

As we made our drive to church on Sunday, I asked my two young grandsons random questions. I asked Brennan, "If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three things or people would you want with you?" He quickly replied "My dad, Bryson (his younger brother) and a knife." I loved that he wanted others with him on his island.

I love my independence, and, particularly, this sweet season of life that I'm in – to go and come or go and stay. I may be alone, but I'm never lonely. Though I still miss my sweetheart beyond words, there are still perks to being a widow or being single. No one tells me what to do; I go to bed when I want to; I get up when I want to; I eat what I want to, and spend my time the way I want to – well, except when I’m managed by my grands – like the last couple of weeks. It's okay. I love that management.

English poet John Donne penned the words: "No man is an island", which paved the way for this beautiful song:
"No man is an island, no man stands alone.
Each man's joy is joy to me. Each man's grief is my own.
We need one another, so I will defend
Each man as my brother, each man as my friend."

Independence isn't what God called us to. We need each other. And, bottom line -- I don't want to be so independent that I withdraw from the assignment God called me to, and has for me to do. He didn't call us to live on islands by ourselves. We are here on this earth, at this time, and this place, to touch others, and affect others by our actions and our words. We should be intentional with our daily interactions. Every time we walk out our door to this world, we are carrying the LIGHT to brighten our world and other people's lives with God's love and peace.

We can leave an imprint on every person we meet -- even in a small way -- but, nothing is small in God's sight when we allow His light to shine in and through us. We just might be a difference maker for someone today! So, let's get out of that "island mentality", and get on the "crowded places mentality" -- where we get to rub shoulders with others, and perhaps our "light" will rub off on them and they will start "shining", too!

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:8-10

Choose Life

What helps me pass the time when I'm traveling or on a treadmill or elliptical equipment, is listening to audio books. Since I’m a “romantic” at heart, I enjoy listening to Karen Kingsbury’s Christian inspirational books of intrigue, a tinge of romance and happy endings. The story-line of a recent one I listened to, included God's words to Moses: Deuteronomy 30:15,19 -“See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. Choose life, so that you and your children may live.” I’ve repeated those words to those I’ve been encouraging.

Every day we make all kinds of decisions – from the outfit we’re going to wear, who to meet, what to eat, and what to do. Most important, we choose what to think. I have come to know one thing for sure: today will not be any better than our thoughts. Seriously. LIFE and death are in the power of our thoughts. Choosing life at every thought makes such an incredible difference in who we are to ourselves and to others.

I was compelled to write this blog today because I’ve listened to some dear friends who are still struggling over the loss of a loved one – years after their passing. Instead of choosing life in abundance, they are still consumed with death and are choosing death over life. John 10:10 says “The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I (Jesus) came to give you life and more abundant life.” Don’t we all want ABUNDANT life?

I work with a Faith and Grief Ministry. We share with those who have suffered a loss: "Take as long as you need to heal. Allow yourself to grieve for as long as you need to.” And while it is a soothing way to help someone ease back into living, I’ll admit, I want to get them on a fast-track back to choosing life over death. The sooner we get back to life, the sooner we enjoy living. For all who grieve, I know it is a profoundly personal journey and while I can share my hope with you -- I cannot speak to your time-frame. What I can tell you is that if you are open to true joy, happiness and living life beyond loss, open your heart to welcome the day to live again because Jesus’ abundant life is there waiting with open arms.

I’m not a mind over matter kind-of-gal, but I am a life-giving, Word-of-God living kind-of-girl. That is my “secret sauce”, which is really no secret. God gave us every tool we need to live an over-the-top victorious life and don’t we want to be one of those who we want to hang around with? I know I live with hope and purpose because I’ve chosen LIFE. The ability to choose my thoughts is the difference between pain and freedom. The greatest truth I have learned about LIFE is that LIFE is only ever one thought away. The good news is we are free to change our mind whenever we want. In every situation, we can cultivate the habit of asking ourselves: “What is the LIFE thought here?” Lay aside those dark, sad and depressing thoughts, and make yourself available to the higher ways of the abundant life Jesus came to give us.

Of all the decisions we make – none is greater than to CHOOSE LIFE. To choose thinking life-filled thoughts instead of doubt, unbelief, death, poverty, sadness and fear. When we choose life, we are choosing God thoughts and God actions. I am speaking to those today who have convinced yourselves there is no hope for good things to happen to you; no great expectations for dreams coming true or prayers answered. I am speaking to a parent who has lost a child or a child who has lost a parent or a widow or widower who has lost your beloved spouse. Today is the day to make a choice. I love you too much not to encourage you to CHOOSE LIFE! What a difference it makes in living!

I Missed Widow’s Day

It was National Widow’s Day on May 3rd and I missed it. But, hold on, International Widow’s Day is on June 23rd. I was first amused when I heard about those days, but I found out some great things that were started to honor and care for widows.

I know this. God keeps a watchful eye on widows(ers). He is concerned for them and the fatherless. He protects them for He is “a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows in his holy habitation." (Psalm 68:5). The Son of God is like Him. He cared for His widowed mother (John 19:25). and condemned those who took advantage of widows (Matt 23:24).

Some folks don’t understand how I chose to move forward with my life and out of the survival mode into the thriving mode so quickly. I took on the desire to give empowerment to a word that most everyone doesn't want to think about. Just google "widow" and you'll see dark, evil and spider images. Ugg! But I changed the meaning purposely to show strength, love of life, and fullness of spirit despite tremendous odds. No matter the age of losing our loved ones on this side of heaven, we could choose a long, dismal and painful recovery or we could choose to be full of love, life, and light.

My blog, today, was inspired by facilitator training I received on Monday in the nondenominational Faith and Grief Ministry in the Dallas area. My church is one of the gathering places. I am pleased to help someone go through their grief process and help them to feel safe to express their grief and encourage and offer them comfort, hope, and faith. I was never one of those who felt I needed or wanted a group like this. I thought it was only for widows(ers), and thought it would be a “meet and greet” for lonely people to find a replacement for their loved one. Did I ever get it wrong! It is a beautiful ministry for a parent, a child, sibling, widows(ers), or anyone who is working their way through grief in the loss of their loved one.

Grief comes in all shapes and sizes, and oftentimes, people question God and His goodness for the first time in their lives. A group like this helps people realize they are not alone when they hear others share their own stories of grief and faith and then have the opportunity to engage in honest conversation and feel supported, welcomed, understood and loved. They feel assurance of God's love and care for them.

For many, grief is unbearable at times and I want to give others the "living" perspective God gave me. My perspective is one of living our best life, being able to appreciate that we’re still here on this side of heaven until we complete our "God" assignment. While I was never “a grieving widow”, there were many times, and still are when tears come to my eyes when I hear a favorite song of ours or a story is told about him or I smell his favorite cologne as I pass the Abercrombie store, or I miss him at family gatherings. I know it is the sweet remembrances of the love we shared. I don’t stay in those tears for very long because I know I still have life and living to do, and I determine to enjoy it to the fullest. I want that for others, too!

I've come to realize widows and widowers are perhaps some of the most beautiful people on earth. They are often young, vibrant and full of life while others are seasoned with many years of love and wisdom and are quite willing, like me, to share the abundant life and love that Christ gives us. They know deep love and deep loss, and those of us who determine to live life with gusto, realize we survive and can thrive through tremendous and unthinkable circumstances. I pray if it’s you I’m talking to or to someone you know, be assured that God sees you and wants you to know that life is worth living. Let’s embrace our stories and become faith, hope, and life-givers to others. For information about this ministry, go to: http://www.faithandgrief.org/.