The Inspiration of a Baked Potato

All it takes is to make myself a baked potato with all the fixin’s to open the memory bank of playing that old game “Hot Potato”! Well, it wasn’t actually playing with a baked potato, but that’s what the game was called when I was a kid. We were in a circle and we tossed around a ball, instead of a potato, but the object was to pretend it was a very HOT potato. It was way too HOT to hold so we wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible. Either music was played and stopped or someone was designated to shout out “HOT” and whoever was holding the “potato”….er…ball would be out of the game. It was great for practicing motor skills involving eye-hand coordination and catching.

Of course, I’m going to parallel that game with another real-life scenario for casting our cares off as quickly as we would toss away that baked potato/ball. It’s time for us to play that hot potato game with our worries, concerns, challenges, fears, and any other taunts and smack talk that the enemy is throwing at us. He plays all kinds of mind games with us that makes us think the worst. I’ve learned the best way to “cast off” his lies is to quickly replace them with God's Word just like Jesus did when the enemy was smack-talking Him. Jesus would always come back with the words from scripture "It is written......" And we come back with God's Word as we say "It is written... "I am more than a conqueror. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. Greater is He Who lives in me than he who lives in the world. I am loved. I am a child of God."

It's time to play offensively against our arch-enemy #1, with the power of God’s Word and His Spirit within us. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxieties on Him (God), because He cares for you.” I love that. Casting is like playing Hot Potato – getting rid of that potato as soon as possible and getting rid of our worries and anxieties by casting them on He Who is our worry-bearer, our care-bearer, and our concerns-bearer.

Anything that causes us anxiety takes a lot of space in our brains. Let’s trade those thoughts for “I am expecting things to turn around for me. I am expecting blessings. I am expecting the answer to my problems. I am expecting God to take over all my concerns. I am expecting good things coming my way. I am a faith-filled, fully devoted follower of Christ, therefore, there is no space in my place for doubt and worry. I can’t help but overcome because the Greater One lives in me and occupies all that space in my brain, in my thoughts, and in my actions. I speak to the enemy “Liar, Liar – pants on fire! I've read the back of the Book and you lose, BIG TIME! I win because I am on the winning team!"

I Found a Special on Storm Shelters!

Oh. My. Goodness. The verbal wrangling and bickering in politics are enough to want to find a storm shelter and stay there until Jesus comes or at least until the storm passes over. Recently, I’ve heard commentators and read articles that declared “America is Facing Another Civil War”. And, others warn “We’re Facing World War III”.

Maybe you're a 50s or 60s child and, like me, you remember the Duck and Cover drills we did for personal protection in case of a nuclear attack which could have come at any time without warning. We’d hear the alarm sounding and then we’d rush to get in the fetal position, face down and covered our heads with our hands. I look at this photo and I wonder how in the world would that position have protected us?

There has ALWAYS been verbal wrangling and bickering and there have always been wars and rumors of wars since the beginning of time. Unfortunately, that hasn't changed. Matthew 24:6, says “you will hear about wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you’re not alarmed….”

Thank God FOR GOD! In reality, there seems to be no certainty in anything anywhere, EXCEPT that our God is stable, secure, and is our ANCHOR that holds in spite of storms, wars and any other force that comes against us. Bottom line. We can live unafraid because God is our rock, our refuge, our shelter in the time of any storm or war or any force that can come against us.
The most dependable, unshakeable HOPE we have during peace times AND perilous times is GOD HAS NOT CHANGED!! As God's children, we do not have to live in fear or defeat. Instead, as His kids, we go to our War/Storm/Crisis Shelter and that place is found in a 9-1-1 call. I call this number regularly.

Psalm 91:1 (911) "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

If ever there was a time to find peace, security, and hope in our Father, it is now. He wants us to prepare and rise above these storms of life whether they are storms within our families, the storms of wars around our world or literal storms. It's time for us to pray passionately for the peace and presence of God in our lives. We need to pray for our world and the uncertainties that face mankind. We need to come back to our CENTER and find our peace in Him. Our peace is an incredible testimony in hard times and will help those around us to find Him as their Prince of Peace. He wants to make Himself known in the middle of the present shaking. I can't think of a better place to go to, and place to be than in God's shelter. This entire chapter is one I've prayed over my family for years. It is still relevant and precisely the "Word" for us today:

Psalm 91:1-16 -- "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. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “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.”

You've Got a Friend in Me

With six grandchildren, I've watch many animated movies and among my favorites was Toy Story. "You've Got a Friend in Me" is the theme song. Maybe we should use it as our own theme song:
You've got a friend in me. You've got a friend in me.
You've got troubles, and I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and can see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me. You've got a friend in me

Yesterday, I heard a speaker say, “Often we look and act like we have it all together, but in reality, we are struggling and hurting and we could sure use a friend that we could like, love, and TRUST." That resonated with me. And, that friend is one we trust so much that we can bear our aching heart to as we cry bucket loads of tears. That friend is so trustworthy that they will cry and laugh with us, and best of all, our friend provides a “safe” place for us, because what is said in our time together, stays there. The speaker went on to say “Look at how Christ modeled His life. In the garden, as the Son of God, He chose to reveal to his three closest friends the anguish that He was in. He didn’t put a brave face on for the disciples. He shared the anguish of His soul as He cried, ‘Let this cup pass from me. ” If Christ could bear His soul – we need that, too.

We do have a trustworthy friend in Jesus. He is always there for us. He truly understands everything about us because He felt the same pains that we do. But, we also need a friend or friends that we love and trust and are able to reach out to them for encouragement. When I lived in Tulsa, I had a precious group of loving and caring women that were in my weekly Life Group. My home was our "safe space”, because we liked, loved and trusted each other. We shared our hearts openly because we knew what we shared was held as sacred. Galatians 6:2 says “Help carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ.”

Monday night was the first team meeting for a beautiful spiritual retreat that will take place in March. This team is a group of 40 women who will grow together throughout the next 16 weeks as we pray and prepare together for the retreat, but the most important facet of our coming together is that we are sisters in Christ and we will feel safe in that place. We covenant together to encourage and support each other. WOW! Forty friends to “safely” share each others joys and sorrows with.

The Christmas season is here and no doubt there will be added stress and pressure because of all the many activities that come along with it for many, and for others who are alone and lonely and long for this season to be over for another year. We need to find a “safe place” and a trustworthy friend, one of God’s kids, who will encourage us and lift us up. They are out there. To find that friend, it's up to us to show ourselves friendly. Maybe YOU and I could be THAT ONE that can offer ourselves as a “safe place” for others to come to for comfort and prayer. Instead of displaying a “Do Not Disturb” sign on our hearts, it’s time to put up an “Open” sign that says “Here’s my shoulder – go ahead and lean on me!” They will know they can come to us for hope, encouragement and support. After all, aren’t we supposed to be the “Good News” carriers? If you haven't heard it from me before, please hear it now "You've got a friend in me, and I love you so much."

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "And so encourage one another and help one another, just as you are now doing."

Where is Your Safe Zone?

With the sun up, I could assess any damages around my place from the violent winds in the thunderstorms and tornadic activity that came through Tulsa on Tuesday night. Except for a lot of petals from my rose bush on the ground, it seemed all was well. Thanks be to God. When I turned on the 6 am news, I was pleased to hear that there were no fatalities but lots of damage around Tulsa and other communities, and power interrupted in a lot of homes.

We Oklahomans are a resilient bunch, even though there has been serious damage and loss of lives many times in the past. We still recover, rebuild and restore. Weather forecasters have certainly helped us prepare and be on alert for those nasty funnels. My father and mother-in-law lost their home years ago from a tornado, yet, as Mom and I discussed yesterday, that damage opened the door for them to move to the home Mom still lives in and loves today. We take the bumps and bruises....and turn it into something good.

In fact, many make light of tornadoes. A friend posted: "What do Oklahomans do when they hear a tornado siren?" "They go outside, set out their lawn chair and watch the show." Another of my friends, who moved from California three years ago, loves everything about Oklahoma. In fact, she takes tornado activity with a grain of salt, or rather a color of her hair. She posted Tuesday night: "Tornado sirens going off...not a good time to be coloring my hair." Another friend replied to her post: "Note to self: 'Next time storms are expected, don't even think about coloring my hair. You're not in California anymore, Toto!" LOL!

My neighbor texted me that she had extra space in her "safe room" in case I'd like to join her. But, with the sirens sounding off for about an hour, I made the closet in my laundry room my "safe room". But who am I kidding? That little spot wouldn't provide safety in the horrendous winds of a tornado except for God's protecting hand. Mom reminded me yesterday that all the roof was gone when the tornado hit their home years ago.....except for the patch where Mom and Dad were holding up in a central shower stall. They were in the "shelter of the Most High".

Whether it's a wild storm outside or a wild storm inside me, here's what I pray and speak: Psalm 91:1 (my 911 emergency number) "I dwell in the secret place of the Most High. I abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of You, Lord, You are my fortress, my deliverer, my God in Whom I trust." I also quote and pray 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.”

What's YOUR safety zone? Mine is the solid rock of Christ. When I need a shelter, when I need a friend....I go to THE ROCK!