Treasure hunt

Treasure hunts are something we love in our household. Birthdays, Christmas, and just because are great reasons for a treasure hunt. In fact today, my son hid my cell phone and strongly encouraged me to go on a treasure hunt to find it. It had clues and all! Treasure hunts are just too much fun. We get to read clues which lead us to more clues, which takes us to places in search of some treasure. And then we find it,  the treasure: a new bike, a new book, new golf clubs, a surprise birthday party, or even my much needed at the time cell phone! How fun!

Recently my son and I were reading the Bible and he wanted to, once again, read the genealogies of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke. He loves reading all those very different names, trying to pronounce them all correctly. We have read those Bible texts so many times that I think he's memorized most of the names. As I listened to him reading the genealogies again, I thought of the treasure hunt. The Bible is the ultimate treasure hunt! It is filled with amazing clues. Some are really easy to understand, others require some thinking and even some growing, but the clues are all there making sure we get to the treasure. And it is quite the treasure: Jesus! He is the best gift, the best end of the treasure hunt. 

I want to encourage you to go on this treasure hunt. Grab your Bible and enjoy learning and finding the most wonderful treasure of all!!!

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"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 

2 Corinthians 4:7

"When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"

Matthew 13:46

When God made a way through the blizzard.

Earlier this week I was reading the story of when Joshua and the Israelites went to fight against the Medianites. God had told Joshua to go and that He would be with them. As the day went by, Joshua noticed he needed more daylight to completely defeat the enemy, so he told the sun and the moon to stay where they were until the Israelite army had achieved victory. And guess what! The sun and the moon did not move for almost another day and the Israelites won the battle.

A few months ago God made it clear that our time in Alaska was coming to an end and that He had a new assignment for us. After a lot of prayer for guidance and wisdom, knowing that to follow God is always the best, we packed our belongings, loaded it all in a trailer, and began our trip from Alaska to Texas. 

This was at the end of November. Temperatures had already been very cold. An ice storm had created a thick heavy layer of ice on top of our trailer. That was only the beginning of our adventure. After a few set backs that delayed the beginning of our journey by a couple of days, but that allowed the ice to melt off the top of the trailer making it a lot lighter, we began our journey. I think every day we had some type of delay. Flat tires, short dark days, snow, an unsure puppy, mountains, among other things made for quite an interesting trip.

We had been on the road for several days when we finally reached Alberta . Tired, but thankful to have traveled the Alaska Hwy with just a few inconveniences, we stopped for the night. There was a big winter storm headed our way and we didn't know how the next day would be. In the morning we struggled with the idea of whether to continue the trip or stay put for the day while a huge blizzard took over that part of Canada. After praying for guidance we decided to continue on our journey. 

The blizzard was so bad that many times we couldn't see the front of the truck, but God was in control and early on He sent a semi-truck that stayed in front of us the whole time, guiding us through several hours of our trip. For the most part we could see through the heavy snow a little bit of the top of its trailer. Because we followed it almost all the way, we were able to stay on the road and avoid a big accident we saw on the passing lane. We like to think it was an angel God sent to help us during the most difficult part of our journey. 

When we stopped to eat in the afternoon we felt that it was wise to stay in that town and not press on, so we found a hotel and stopped earlier than usual. The next morning as we continued the trip, we saw lots of cars and semis off the road. I wonder if we would've been one of them had we not listened to God prompting us to stop earlier for the night.

Thinking back on the story of Joshua, I see he was faced with quite the dilemma. How could he continue the battle if it was getting dark and he couldn't see anymore? Not only could the enemy escape, but it would be also difficult for the Israelite soldiers to defend themselves. Yet Joshua knew it was God's battle, so Joshua was confident that God was going to provide a way for the Israelite army to win.

To follow God does not mean we won't have any problems, face any battles, or go through any storms, but it does mean that He will provide a way for us to follow Him all the way and overcome. For Joshua God stopped the whole rotation of the earth and moon, for us in the middle of a blizzard He provided a semi truck to safely guide us, for you it will be something else.

I don't fully understand why the God of the universe is so interested in us little human beings, but the fact is that He is. He loves us, He enjoys spending time with us and getting to know us. He also wants the best for us and as long as we are following Him, He will always provide a way to help us through our problems. If you are going through a difficult time in your life, hang on and see the deliverance of the Lord...your Lord!

"You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you."

II Chronicles 20:17

"I have loved you with an everlasting love" 

Jeremiah 31:3

Cold love

The first few words of her email opened up a fountain of tears in my eyes. Her marriage was over! After 15 years together, she was done. The insults and daily criticisms had done permanent damage and she couldn't take it any longer. Her spirit was broken and her self confidence gone. She felt like she had no value to the man who was supposed to love her more than anything. If that was love, then she didn't want it anymore. 

I remember our conversations before. Her dreams, her plans. She knew God had a beautiful future for her, but the path had somehow, taken a different direction, and now here she was, about to close a painful chapter in her life. 

I cried because I loved this family. I cried because I thought that maybe I could've done something. I cried because her email gave no glimpse of hope for that marriage. It was over.

This is not what God intended for marriage. His plan for families was, and is, beautiful. But we humans tend to ruin God's plans, and then we hurt. The devil has unleashed a vicious attack on families, an attack with the intent to kill. And the more misery and pain is caused in the process, the better! 50% of marriages, which begin with all kinds of promises of love for life, end in divorce. 50%!

Selfishness is a big problem. We are too focused on ourselves. We want to be comfortable, we want our will to be done. We don't want to get off the couch to save our family. It's never our fault. We believe we know what is right and we make sure others comply, no matter what it takes.

For my friend were the words. From the mouth of the man who promised to love her, came words of criticism and insults. He managed to hurt her with his words almost every day. She was messy, didn't make good decisions, didn't cook well, was not a good mother, ate too much sugar, didn't drink enough water, and the list goes on. If something happened that caused negative effects, it was her fault. She walked on eggshells, doing everything to be perfect so he wouldn't hurt her, but after so many years of this, my friend started believing that she was of no value. So now she was gathering whatever courage she had left to live the rest of her life alone, which was much better than in the company of her husband.

Words are not the only thing that is destroying families. Sometimes is the silence. We spend too much time on the computer or in front of the TV, robbing precious time from our loved ones. Then there's the ongoing competition with the Joneses, taking families to the prison of debt and even poverty. Some spouses are workaholics, spending most of their time outside of the home and leaving the children to grow pretty much on their own. And there's bad temper, stress, poor healthy habits, and so many other things that makes us give to our loved ones the worst of us. 

I think in the end, the reason for it all, is that love has grown cold among so many. You see, love never hurts. Love protects, trusts, is patient, and is kind. As I read that beautiful chapter of love in I Corinthians 13, I'm drawn to ask God to fill my heart with this love. I want to love everyone, but I especially want to show the people whom I share my life with everyday, that they are worthy of my respect, patience, my kindness, forgiveness, trust, and protection. They deserve the best of me.

How is your family life? Are you giving your spouse and your children the best of you? What is the effect of the words that come out of your mouth? Do they build up or tear down? How are you showing kindness and forgiveness? Do you greet your spouse and your children with a smile at the end of the day? Do you send them off on their day with a big hug and heart felt "I love you"? How are you doing at spending time with your children just talking or playing what they want to play? And how are you doing at disconnecting from all the electronic devices to connect fully with your spouse?

God has a beautiful plan for families, and the only way the plan will succeed is if love is present. And for love to be present we need God, for God is love! Ask God to help you always be filled with love for Him and for the family He gave you. I think it's beautiful that I Corinthians 13 states in the end that the greatest of all is love! There's a lot of wisdom in that. A happy family is totally worth it!

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"Love is patient, love is kind."

I Corinthians 13:4

"God is love."

I John 4:16

Family

I listened as she opened up her heart to me at church. The trials, sorrows, the suffering, they were hurting too much and she didn't know what to do. All she could do was cry. Tears freely came down her face as she told me about everything that was going on in her life. As I listened I prayed that God would use me to bring her comfort. We talked, we hugged, and I kept praying.

At potluck I noticed she sat close to a lady who had recently decided to follow Jesus herself. The two talked and I noticed a smile coming on my friend's face. She was encouraging the new disciple in her walk with Christ and in the process was getting encouraged too.

Right before she left, she came to me, gave me a big hug and said: "I feel so much better!"

I smiled, praised God, and thought: This is what church is for!

I think king David knew this because he was all excited when he got to go to God's house. How wonderful to be able to worship God together with a group of people who are there for that same purpose. And we get to encourage one another and mentor one another, and get the strength we need for a new week. There is that saying that the church is a hospital for sinners. A place for recovering sinners like we all are. I know it's not perfect. I've had my share of less than perfect experiences at church and I'm sure more will come. And yes, sometimes there's heartache and miscommunication. People with different ideas. We're a family and families go through interesting things. 

I've learned though, that I don't go to church to receive a blessing. It's really not about me. I go there to be a blessing and to worship my God with my church family. Of course, God's math is amazing and many times, when I'm trying to be a blessing, I end up being the most blessed. And to be a blessing we don't need to do great things. Speaking for myself, I don't think people realize how much a blessing they are just by being there. Sometimes it's just their smile, their hug. Sometimes is praying with me, singing with me, learning their stories or learning about their week. I love that! It warms my heart. And when someone is missing, it hurts.

If you haven't found a church family, I'd like to encourage you to start looking for one. If you haven't gone in a while, for whatever reason, I encourage you to go back to your church family. If you're a regular church goer, remember that you are there to worship and praise God and to be a blessing to your fellow sinners. Whatever your situation, ask God to guide you into that place where you can grow in Him and be a blessing to others.

"I was glad when they said to me,
    'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'”

Psalm 122:1 

"He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom."

Luke 4:16

The Strength of Hope

I'll never forget my first day on that job. While going to college, I was able to get a job as a nurses' assistant in the CCU and ICU units of a large teaching hospital. That first day, my supervisor told me to stay with one nurse only and help her with anything she needed. One of her patients was in very critical condition and the nurse needed extra help. In fact, the patient was so critical that he could die at any moment. The family believed the patient had been cursed by someone, so they expressed to the medical team their desire that no matter what, we were to keep their loved one alive! Now all the tests revealed that the patient had been brain dead for a while, but the heart was still beating. Otherwise he had to be on a ventilator to support his breathing and all kinds of medications to keep alive the rest of the organs. This person was on major life support!

It didn't take long into the day before the patient died. The medical team came quickly and was able to resuscitate him. Not long after, it happened again. Even during my lunch break, the team was working on resuscitating one more time the dying man. I started to think that maybe my supervisor was testing me to make sure I wanted to work there. Talk about an intense first day at a new job! People dying, families crying, ventilators, CPR, medications, and all kinds of things to try to keep this person alive! If I came back the next day, maybe I could work there!

But as intense as everything was, what impressed me the most was the family. They believed their loved one was cursed, and they were doing all they could to break that curse. That involved an onion, special water placed in different parts of the room, and chants. I also remember looking at their faces and seeing no signs of hope. It felt dark, very dark.

After resuscitating that patient several times throughout the day, the family finally decided that it was enough and we were going to let nature take its course. Medically speaking, nothing else could be done. I remember the desperation in the patient's sister's face, knowing that soon her beloved brother could be gone. And it wasn't long before the patient's heart stopped once more, and he died. 

The cries that came out of that hospital room were different from anything I had ever heard. Remembering their sound still brings shivers up my spine and tears to my eyes. It was awful. It was a cry of desperation, a cry of no hope. No hope.

I started to think about my own experience with death. I had lost my father to cancer not many years prior, and even though I was very mad at God, I still had the assurance that I was going to be with him again. A few more fleeting years on this earth and we would be reunited, to never more separate. I cried a lot. Loosing a loved one is probably one of the most difficult things we go through in this world. The sadness of loss hurts a lot. But I had hope. I had hope. I have hope!

And this is the difference between one who relies on God and one who relies on other things for strength. With God there is hope. Yes, we go through difficult times. We all do. That's life in the world. Pain comes to everyone. It doesn't matter if we're rich, if we work for God full time, or even if we are innocent, pain comes to everyone. How we deal with that pain is what's different.

God gives us hope and gives us the tools to endure our painful experiences with courage and strength. Psalm 18 says that God arms us with strength and trains our hands for battle. Yes, because there is a battle going on on this earth. A battle between good and evil. And evil brings pain and suffering. But God gives us the strength we need for this battle. Isn't this a wonderful assurance? God prepares us! He trains us! No one wants to go to battle unprepared. So God makes sure we are ready!

And He fills us with His Spirit. And how wonderful God's Spirit is. With Him we also have love, joy, and peace. Wow! We have patience to endure this crazy life. He gives us kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and gives us self control. That's why Jesus said that the peace He gives is different from the world's. When we have His peace, we can go through life with the confidence that we are under His care and everything will turn out well in the end.

If you are going through difficult times, hold on to God! I know it's tempting to think He doesn't care and is far away from us. I go through that temptation all the time. But I was thinking this week, as I was getting frustrated about all the things I've been going through, that it seemed that king David, every time he had a problem, ran to God for help. David knew that God had what he needed. God is truly ever so near to us and has everything we need to help us go through our difficult time with success. You need Him. You need His strength, His peace, and that amazing joy to live life in this crazy world. If things are difficult, run to Him, not away from Him. 

I love how Psalm 23 ends. When we are under God's care, His goodness and love will chase us down, and then we will dwell in His home forever. Doesn't that just fill you up with hope?

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"It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure."

Psalm 18:32

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

John 14:27

"You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great."

Psalm 18:35

Super clean!

The Bible never ceases to amaze me! It's incredible that after all these years, (well, not that many) I still find new things to learn. It's truly an endless well of treasure! And it's incredible that some things I've read over and over and even have them memorized, but I sill find something I hadn't seen before. Amazing!

And what an incredible treasure I found this morning as I read Psalm 51. How many times have a read this? It's a beautiful Psalm, written by a man with a broken heart in desperate need of God's forgiveness, but also full of hope in His love and mercy.

"Have mercy on me, O God" it says. "According to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion blot out my transgression." Psalm 51:1

As I read these words I just had to say that if God was to cleanse David of his transgression according to God's unfailing love and compassion, than David was going to be super clean! Because God's love and compassion never end. They are bigger than the universe! So if God was going to have mercy on David this way, there is NO WAY possible David was going to continue unclean with sin. NO WAY!

David was a forgiven man, as if he had never sinned. So much that God, several years later, reprimanded another king for not being like David who followed God's commands and did only what was right in God's eyes. (I Kings 14:8) How cool is that?! For God, it was as if David, the one who committed adultery and murder, had never done anything wrong. Actually, had only done right in God's eyes.

How wonderful to know that God's forgiveness is complete! He says He'll forgive and forget and He does! And what we do in God's eyes is the most important.

If you are struggling with sin be confident that you can run to God for forgiveness and restoration. His love for you never ends, and neither does His compassion and mercy. He wants to forgive you and restore you. He wants to cleanse you from sin completely. Blot it all out of your life to be gone forever! God will make you whiter than snow. And then He'll look at you and see that you've only done what was right in His eyes.

" Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (...) Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Psalm 51:10,12

Praising with little birds

It was one of those beautiful summer mornings and the house was calm since everyone was still asleep. The sun was shinning and I felt drawn to outside, so I sat on the deck soaking up the sun and morning breeze. Little birds played on the tall trees, and filled the air with their songs. In fact, there was so much singing that it was as if  I was in a concert hall listening to the most beautiful symphony. The sound was amazing and I couldn't help but smile at God's creation singing praises to their Maker. A new day had begun!

The little birds' music was so beautiful that I wanted to join in, so I just started singing too. As the sound of my voice rose to the air, the songs of the little birds started to quiet down, and soon I noticed I was the only one singing. All of a sudden I realized I had the solo part of this big choir, so I continued to pour my heart to God in song as my feathery friends listened.  In a way it was as if they knew that a princess, a child of the King of kings, the most important part of creation, was singing, and my song had priority over theirs. After several minutes, one little bird started singing with me. It was so cute and so beautiful. The two of us continued singing until soon, other birds joined in for their part as well. Not long after that, a choir of little birds joined us breaking out into the most beautiful song. And so we stayed there, that beautiful summer morning, praising our Creator in song!

A while back I was talking with someone about praise and worship, and they were telling me how some people and some churches truly know how to worship. This friend was referring to worship services with lots of music where people sing with their hands raised up high, who clap during songs, and who shout their praises to God in a nice and audible manner. Now while this is a form of praise, it's not the only one, and it doesn't even mean it's the best one. Having a good time during praise is not the best indication of a good praise service. 

The best praise is the one that comes from the heart, and that can come in many forms. For me, that summer morning, was singing with little birds, but it can happen in so many ways. A heart filled with awe and gratitude towards God is the one who praises the best! I've praised God through my tears, through a smile while watching the sky in wonder, through song, or even by pouring my heart to Him in prayer. Praise can come from the compassion we show to others, the way we talk to our spouses and children, and by being there for our friends. Praise comes in as many forms as there are people in this world.

Praise must come from the heart, and our heart is what God wants. Often He told the Israelites that He didn't want their sacrifices if they kept their hearts away from Him. We could do everything "right", but if we keep our heart far from God, none of those right things have value.

Today I encourage you to give your heart to God and pour your praise and adoration on Him in a way that only you can do it. You know your walk with Him and what experience you are living right now. Either way, right now, it's a great time to praise God. And if you give God your heart, you may be surprised at the way praise will come out of your life. It may be in tears, it may be in prayer, it may be in singing... even in singing with little birds on a sunny summer morning.

Photo by Bill Kasper

"Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare."

Psalm 40: 5

"I will praise the Lord at all times.  I will constantly speak his praises."

Psalm 34:1