Holy Cow! How does half a century blow by in such a seemingly short time? If you haven’t guessed, I turned 50 today. I can remember thinking that 50 was so old when I was a teenager. As I’ve gotten closer to it, 50 had seemed younger and younger. My earliest memories are from when we lived in Sayre, PA, while my dad did his medical residency. We lived in a complex with other families of medical residents. I can remember my sister doing little hand puppet shows from the top bunk of our bed. I also remember my mom pouring boiling water down a rat hole in our backyard. My earliest birthday memory was at the farm in Borie, where my grandparents and many aunts, uncles, and cousins lived. My cousins and siblings made me the peanut queen and hauled me around in a wagon full of peanuts. I remember crying a lot. We moved to Coudersport and lived at the farm for a time the year I turned 7, so we celebrated my birthday there again. Aunt Judy, who lived across the yard, gathered my siblings and cousins for a project at her house. She must have left someone for me to play with, because I don’t remember feeling left out. After a while, my cousin Sandra came to Grandma’s house, and told me I should come and see the strange bug they had caught. When I got to Aunt Judy’s house, there was a surprise party, complete with a bug cake they had all decorated for me. We soon moved from the farm to a house my parents bought on West Hill Street, and I started school at Coudersport Elementary during the second grade. Many of my current friends, I met all the way back there in second grade. About this time, we started attending the CMA church. I became very close to the Thomas family (Jim, Marlene, Jimbo, Traci, and, later, Candice). The following summer, we had a special speaker for Vacation Bible School. One evening he presented the Plan of Salvation, and he asked if anyone wanted to come forward to ask Jesus to be their savior. Traci took me by the hand and asked me if I wanted to go, so we went together. I don’t think I probably understood it all, but I knew something in me had changed. I have some funny remembrances from the rest of Elementary School, like accidentally spelling D-A-M with four letters (if you know what I mean) in fourth grade. In fifth grade, Traci and I couldn’t stop laughing when Ms. Castano read a story about “Jimbo the Elephant” or when Mike Russell pulled his tooth during a spelling test and yelled “I got it!” In sixth grade, my teacher was Mrs. Brown (later Mrs. Baker). I can remember her wearing woven, squeaky clogs and using pink baby lotion on her hands. What I remember most is that she always read “Where the Red Fern Grows” to her sixth grade class, which probably started a little spark for my love of literature. Sometimes, her daughter Beth would have off school in Port Allegany and would visit her mom’s classroom. One time, she and I accidentally knocked over a display of pantyhose in Hamelins 5 and 10 cent store, because we were laughing at the huge bras hanging on the wall. I don’t remember too much that’s remarkable about Junior High. We were still attending the CMA church. Many of my friends and I were active in youth group. I didn’t always follow God the way I should have, but I always still knew that I was His. There are several funny things that I remember from Senior High. One time, several of us were playing cards in study hall. Mr. Jolly told us we weren’t allowed. The next time, we were pretending to play with invisible cards, and he threatened to give us detention. Then there was the time that my favorite teacher, Mr. Fleckenstein, made me write a 1,000 word essay on the dangers of shooting rubber bands. My friend Emily had shot me. When I tried to retaliate, she moved, and the rubber band hit the blackboard where Mr. Fleckenstein and Mr. Gagat were talking. When 12th grade was winding down, our youth group was planning to attend a National CMA Youth Conference. I hadn’t planned to go, but I had participated in all of the fundraisers. One day in church, I felt God speak to me, telling me to go to the conference. My response was, “If that’s You, God, please have someone tell me I can go, even though it’s past the deadline.” As soon as I walked out of the sanctuary, Jim Thomas told me I could still go. I guess I couldn’t argue with that. At the Youth Conference, I rededicated my life to the Lord. I decided to go to a Christian college instead of the State University I had planned to attend. I grew much in my faith in my two years at Nyack, and I’ve never turned back, though I am still far from perfect. In 1992, I married Sean, my high school sweetheart. We had baby Meredith in 1993, baby Tanner in 1995, baby Ethan in 1997, baby Troy in 1998, and baby Evan in 2003. I began homeschooling two months before Troy was born. I enjoyed homeschooling, even though it was never easy. Meredith and Tanner graduated at home, Ethan, Troy, and Evan have done a mixture of homeschooling and attending CHS. Meredith was married in 2014, and we now have a beautiful granddaughter. We’ve had many ups and downs, especially in the last 6 years, since my cancer diagnosis, but we know that God is good, and we can trust him in all circumstances. It’s fun to reflect, and I can share many more stories, but the most important thing for me is to recognize that God has always been faithful.
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 118:1
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
I WILL Praise Him
Matthew 6:10b “your will be done,” Job 13:15a “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him;”
Ever since I first heard the song “So Will I”, I’ve been thinking about the word “will.” I feel like we don’t really ascribe as much weight to that word as we should. My thought is that we use it interchangeably with “can” or “might” when we should see it as something that refers to an act of our will, something we truly intend to do. I mean, what if the pastor said to the bride or groom at their wedding “will you keep these vows?” and the person responded with “I can.” I don’t think that would go over well with the potential spouse. Recently, a friend shared with me a story of a family that is going through many hardships, but have chosen to say “We WILL praise God.” First of all, the husband and father in this family has a progressive, debilitating disease that causes him to be unable to work. They are raising two small grandchildren. The wife has recently been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. Her adult children have problems and recently, one of them passed away. My friend told me that the wife, especially, inspires her because she praises God so openly in church. She also said that she spoke at her child’s funeral, and she said “I WILL praise God.” This woman is making a conscious choice to praise God in the midst of suffering that has to be overwhelming. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” We aren’t told to give thanks for everything, but we can thank God in all of our circumstances, because He promises to be with us in them. Isaiah 43:2 says “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” And in Isaiah 41:10 it says “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” There are many other, similar promises in the Bible. As Christians, God has given us His Holy Spirit to guide and to comfort us. Our circumstances may be very difficult, but we can still make it our will to praise God because we know that he has a plan and a purpose, and He WILL sustain us in all circumstances if we trust Him. I’ve done a pretty good amount of complaining since I’ve been in bed. I’m trying to remember to thank and praise God instead. There is so much we CAN be thankful for. Like the woman, referenced above, let’s say “I WILL praise Him.”
Ever since I first heard the song “So Will I”, I’ve been thinking about the word “will.” I feel like we don’t really ascribe as much weight to that word as we should. My thought is that we use it interchangeably with “can” or “might” when we should see it as something that refers to an act of our will, something we truly intend to do. I mean, what if the pastor said to the bride or groom at their wedding “will you keep these vows?” and the person responded with “I can.” I don’t think that would go over well with the potential spouse. Recently, a friend shared with me a story of a family that is going through many hardships, but have chosen to say “We WILL praise God.” First of all, the husband and father in this family has a progressive, debilitating disease that causes him to be unable to work. They are raising two small grandchildren. The wife has recently been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. Her adult children have problems and recently, one of them passed away. My friend told me that the wife, especially, inspires her because she praises God so openly in church. She also said that she spoke at her child’s funeral, and she said “I WILL praise God.” This woman is making a conscious choice to praise God in the midst of suffering that has to be overwhelming. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” We aren’t told to give thanks for everything, but we can thank God in all of our circumstances, because He promises to be with us in them. Isaiah 43:2 says “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” And in Isaiah 41:10 it says “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” There are many other, similar promises in the Bible. As Christians, God has given us His Holy Spirit to guide and to comfort us. Our circumstances may be very difficult, but we can still make it our will to praise God because we know that he has a plan and a purpose, and He WILL sustain us in all circumstances if we trust Him. I’ve done a pretty good amount of complaining since I’ve been in bed. I’m trying to remember to thank and praise God instead. There is so much we CAN be thankful for. Like the woman, referenced above, let’s say “I WILL praise Him.”
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Words 2
I have to admit that I sometimes use "bad" words. It's a habit I picked up in high school, and is difficult to break. These words usually come out when I'm frustrated or in pain. To tell you the truth, though, I'm not sure that these are really the words that the Bible speaks against. When the Bible talks about swearing, it is referring to taking an oath. The Bible warns against this because breaking an oath is very serious to God. If we make promises, we are to keep them. James 5:12 says "Above all, brothers and sisters, do not swear-not by heaven or by earth. All you need is a simple "yes" or "no." Otherwise you will be condemned." The Bible also warns against gossip. Proverbs 26:20 says "Without wood, a fire goes out; without a gossip, a quarrel dies down." Gossip can be so damaging, but it tends to be something we fall into easily, maybe even making it look like concern for the person. Malice, slander, and other forms of relating to, or speaking to, one another in negative ways show immaturity on our part. 1 Peter 2:1-3 says "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." Many times, people hurt each other with their "joking", making fun of someones flaws, physical or otherwise, or being overly critical. As Christians, we do need to be able to correct one another, but we must make sure that our motives are pure, and we're doing it out of love. We tend to compare ourselves to others, and maybe, unconsciously, compete with them, when what we need to do is recognize our own shortcomings and allow God to work on us. We are called to build one another up, and not tear each other down. I think sometimes we talk simply because we are uncomfortable with silence, and sometimes, the more we talk, the more trouble we get into. Here are a couple of quotes that I like: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt." and "A closed mouth gathers no foot." I've been reminded lately that our struggle is against the Devil, and not other people. We need to stand against him together, instead of fighting against each other. I picture us either standing shoulder to shoulder with our swords drawn against him, or facing each other with our swords drawn, and doing his job for him. Let's not fight and devour one another. We have a common enemy that already wants to do that. 1 Thessalonian 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Words can be used to hurt or heal. Let's choose them wisely.
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