Are you homesick yet?

Winter is over here in Alaska! Temperatures have gone up and the snow is pretty much gone. Roads are dry and the roofs of the houses are cleared from snow. I don't need my heavy jacket anymore, and boots for -40F have been put away till next winter. For several weeks now I've been making plans for gardening and landscaping and last week we planted vegetable seeds for the garden.  I'm just so excited about Spring!

And I'm not the only one. It's the conversation in pretty much every one's mouths. We all talk about it and exchange gardening ideas and tips. I've been reading about all the plants that grow successfully in the far north so I won't waste my time on vegetables that don't really grow up here. I'm so excited about the Spring that I can hardly contain myself. I think about it, I dream about it, I learn about it and talk about it. I just can't wait to start getting my hands on the dirt and stay until the late hours of the day playing in it. How wonderful that this far north, in the Summer, the sun pretty much doesn't set. This way I have plenty of daylight to do all I want to do. I may not even sleep this summer! It's going to be wonderful!

Soon there will be flowers and butterflies every where. The trees will be covered with leaves and days will be long and warm. We'll get to ride our bikes, go for long hikes, and explore with freedom the beautiful nature that surrounds us. We'll get to see again the robins, geese and cranes that had migrated away for the winter, and the town will be filled with tourists discovering the mysteries of the north. Love it!

Incredible how God many times uses nature to speak to us and to teach us valuable lessons. If I feel like this about Spring, how should I feel about Heaven? Shouldn't I be so excited about a future life without any problems, without any suffering? Shouldn't I be looking forward to my Heavenly Home so much that I think about it, dream about it, learn more about it, and talk about it?

How sad to think that so many times the cares of this life keep our minds away from what's really important. We are distracted with so many things. Have you noticed how life is just getting busier and busier? We spend our days working and making sure we get things done only to come home at night exhausted from all the toil. Then all we want to do is to veg out in front of the TV until we are so sleepy we go straight to bed. And the next day we do it all over again. And as this goes on day after day, we start loosing focus of God and His eternal reward and the excitement of Heaven goes away. We become comfortable just where we are. Like a friend of mine was telling me this week: Heaven is my Home, but I'm not homesick yet. 

How crazy is that! Life on this earth being good enough that we aren't homesick yet. Maybe we just forgot how wonderful Home truly is.  Why don't we take a limited-by-my imagination trip there?

First of all Jesus! We will be with Jesus! I don't even know how I'm going to react when I first see Him. Heaven is my home because of Him!

We'll get to build our own houses. I'll build mine near the beach by a waterfall. In fact, the waterfall will be inside the house! There will be no walls between the kitchen and the incredible garden and orchard I'm going to plant. Maybe I won't need a kitchen. Can you imagine that you'll get to design, build, and decorate your own home? And plant your own garden? (See Isaiah 65:21) Precious stones and precious metals will adorn the main city. The pavement in Heaven is the purest gold! We'll get to explore the forest and woods and not worry if a bear or lion is going to show up and attack us. In fact, the bear and the lion will explore the forests with us!

We will enjoy trouble free life. Parents will get to enjoy their children without worrying about sickness, bullying, or trips to the ER for broken limbs. Raising children in a perfect world...wow! We will also experience relationships like God intended them to be. If there is marriage in Heaven can you imagine how wonderful it will be? We'll get to experience in its fullness the most intimate relationship God has given to humankind. And we won't have to struggle with having to loose weight, with not having a job and not knowing what to eat. There will always be plenty of the best food ever! I'll get to eat fresh figs to my heart's content! We will have everything we need plus more.

I believe we will be forever learning new things about the infinite universe that surrounds us. We'll get to use to full capacity our perfect minds and perfect bodies. There will be no more wrinkles, no more gray hairs, no more cancer or diabetes nor amputations. No more death! No more sin!!

And we will get to understand even more the amazing plan of salvation and fully comprehend the incredible sacrifice that was made so we could have eternal life. And because of that and because of God's love for us, we will get to praise and love Him throughout eternity!

Talking about it gets me so excited! It's going to be so wonderful. I'll get to be with my daddy again and so many other loved ones who have died, never to separate again. I can't wait!

Of course Heaven is much better than I can imagine. God says in His word that we have no idea about the things He has prepared for us. He's got a surprise for us and He knows we are going to like it! Doesn't that sound wonderful? I really want to be there, what about you?

" What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived - these things God has prepared for those who love Him."

I Corinthians 2:9

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth... God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Revelation 21:1,4

"Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."

Revelation 21: 3

Moving my Mt. McKinley

One of the roads I travel often goes up and down a hill. As I get to the top, if it's a clear day, I can see in the distance the Alaska Range with its beautiful, snow capped tall mountains that extend through the horizon. This morning was one of those clear days. As I was nearing the top of the hill I was wondering if I would be able to see the range. Sure enough, down in the distance, the mountains rose majestically. And then, just to the side, as I started going down the hill I could see it: Mt. McKinley. At more than 20 thousand feet high, it is the highest mountain in North America and it easily rises above all the other mountains of the Alaska Range. It is impressive!

As I contemplated the beautiful scene in front of me, I compared Mt. McKinley to all my problems. At the moment they seem huge and even though God has been giving me peace and strength, I am very well aware of what's going on in my life. But just as I was comparing that huge mountain to my trials, God brought to my mind that Jesus had once said that if I have faith like a mustard seed I can say to a mountain to move and it will move ( Matthew 17:20.) So right there and then I told my big mountain of problems and trials to move out of my way and then I rejoiced in the fact that God had honored my little mustard seed size faith.

Notice how the Bible text doesn't say that the mountain will disappear. It says that it will move from here to there. What I've just learned is that asking God to move the mountain is not asking God to make my trials go away, but asking that my trials won't get on my way. As the big mountain moves, I have a clear path before me with no distractions, no obstacles, no worries. God is in control and taking care of it all for me.

Last night before going to sleep I was telling God that a small part of me really wanted to complain about everything that is going on, but at the same time how could I when He's been so Wonderful in spite of it all? He then led me to read Psalm 29.

"Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name. The voice of the Lord is powerful, majestic. His voice breaks the cedars. The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning and shakes the desert. 

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood. 

The Lord is enthroned as King forever."

As I read these words I didn't quite understand how this was the comfort I was needing, although I did acknowledge that God is all powerful and above everything. Maybe God was helping me understand that He's bigger than my trials?

But then the last verse brought it all home.

" The Lord gives strength to His people; 

the Lord blesses His people with peace." 

Psalm 29:11

This God who is bigger than anything, who is powerful to shake the deserts and make flashes of lightning with His voice; the God who sits in His throne as King forever, is the same God who gives me strength and blesses me with peace.What a wonderful promise God gave me last night.

And this promise is for you too. How's your life? Are your problems becoming too overwhelming?  Maybe there is sickness in your family, or maybe heartache. Maybe your children are not making the wisest decisions. Are you having financial difficulties? Is your marriage in distress? Or maybe you're having a difficult time with school or work. Are there broken relationships or misunderstandings in your life? How big is your mountain? Is it getting bigger and bigger? However big, God wants to remove it out of your way and give you a smooth path in front of you. He also promises you strength and peace. Hold on to those promises. Trouble free eternal life is just around the corner!

Photo by Bill Kasper

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 17:20

" The Lord gives strength to His people; 

the Lord blesses His people with peace." 

Psalm 29:11

A follower

Someone once told me that Alaska is the most exotic place in the world. I had to ponder that for a while as my idea of exotic involves mostly white sandy beaches, palm trees, nice blue ocean water, and tropical fruit. I do have to admit though that Alaska is one of the most beautiful and unexpected places I've seen.

One of the interesting things about Alaska is its seasons. Winters are long, cold and dark. Spring and Summers are bright and full of activity. Falls are gorgeous but short.

As I was driving through town yesterday and admiring the gorgeous sunshine, I started to think about the effects of the sun on people. One more winter is slowly but surely coming to an end here in the lands of the north. The dark and short days are behind, days are getting longer and the sun shines so beautifully that sometimes I forget it's still winter. All of a sudden I have more energy and I wake up happier as the sun shines through the windows. I feel myself more active and I've been dreaming about all the flowers and vegetables I'm going to plant in my garden. I don't feel as sluggish and blah as I felt a couple of months ago when the sun was out for about 3 hours at a time. And with each passing day, as the sun shines more and more, I feel myself getting exited about Spring and all the wonderful things that come with it! This morning I even sat outside, winter gear on, just soaking up the sun. Oh how I love sunshine! It truly warms not only my body but also my soul!

What a beautiful object lesson from nature of God's influence in our lives. The Bible says that God is light and that in Him there is no darkness (I John 1:5). Jesus said that He is the light of the world (John 8:12). And He adds that if we follow Him we will never walk in darkness. God turns our darkness into light (II Samuel 22:29.) If experiencing the light of the sun has such an impact on my day to day, imagine how much more impact will the Son of God have in my life! Without Him my life has no purpose. I'm just living my day to day without any hope for the future. Without God in my life I have to endure my struggles on my own or rely on other unreliable human beings. Without God I have to aimless look for some happiness in my existence which is so conditional on circumstances. 

But with God in my life...

With God I can do all things because He gives me strength! With Him I can have a peace that surpasses all understanding. With God I have hope for the future! I'll still have problems, He did not promise a problem free life in this sinful world, but He's overcome the world. All these problems are temporary and I can have the assurance that in Him I'll come out of trials victorious! With God I have joy in my heart, even when things are going crazy around me. How wonderful!

I was reading Matthew 13 this week and verses 14 and 15 got my attention. As Jesus was explaining to His disciples why He spoke in parables, He also said that if people could see and  understand with their hearts what they were seeing and hearing, then they would turn and Christ would heal them. How incredible is the power of God in our lives! If we give Him a chance to work in us, we can't help but be transformed. Just take for example William Miller, a firm atheist, who decided to read the Bible so he could prove the Christians wrong. What a powerful witness for Christ He became as he learned of God's immense love for him. And what about Paul who went from persecuting to loving. What a champion for the truth he became. And how many more stories in millions of people around the world are written in the hearts as a witness of God's amazing and powerful influence in their lives!

If you haven't become a Christ follower yet I encourage you to give Him a chance. Tell Him that you want to know what it is to have Him in your life. Tell Him you want to know what He can do in you and to help you see what He wants you to see. Allow God to shine on you more and more. I promise you'll be in for THE experience of your life! The transformation in you will be incredible. I know that from my own experience. Being a God follower has been the greatest thing ever! Why don't you experience for yourself what it is to follow God? Starting right now...

" I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 8:12

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned."

Isaiah 9:2

Bragg Liquid Aminos

Love, sometimes, can manifest itself in the most unexpected ways. A beautiful sunset that fills the sky with glorious colors, the smile of your child, the embrace of your spouse, the affirmation of a parent, the rainbow, beautiful flowers, they can all make you know that you are loved by someone. But this week I experienced something different. This week, love manifested itself to me in the form of... soy sauce alternative! Allow me to explain.


If you've been reading my latest posts you'll know that I've been going, or growing, through some difficult times. And trials are never easy. The only things that come easily to me during trials are complaining and stress! I naturally tend to focus on the negative which can be very distressing.


I was noticing the heavy weight on my shoulders and told God that I needed Him to remove this load I had put on myself. So God placed 2 special friends on my path who patiently and lovingly listened as I shared some of the things I was going through. And later that day I was able to continue sharing my thoughts with my husband. Talking really helped me put things into perspective and the next day I felt like a different person. I apologized to God for all my complaining and for focusing on the negative when, in spite of the trials, He's been showering me with blessings every day. Suddenly, I felt the load lift off my shoulders and I just knew Jesus had placed it on His.


Now back to the soy sauce alternative.


I have been busily learning new recipes and many of them call for soy sauce. I've been trying to cook healthier so I bought a low sodium soy sauce. For some reason, the first time I was going to use the new bottle, I decided to read the ingredients. I had never done that before so imagine my surprise when I found out that one of the ingredients was alcohol! Now I know the alcohol evaporates with cooking, but I really prefer not use any of it any where, so I started researching and learned that not all soy sauce contains alcohol. I also read about Bragg Liquid Aminos, a healthy soy sauce alternative. I went to two grocery stores in town, but didn't find any for sale. I'm pretty sure the health food store sells it, but I'll have to leave an arm there as payment. I kind of need my arm so I tried to find a regular soy sauce with no alcohol as an ingredient.


The morning God had taken my heavy load off my shoulders I went grocery shopping. I was feeling content and God and I kept talking about all the amazing things He's been doing in my life. As I was finishing shopping I remembered the soy sauce. I went back to the health food section of the local supermarket and the very first thing I see there, on the bottom shelf, was a big bottle of Bragg Liquid Aminos!


A big, I mean... a HUGE smile installed itself on my face as I happily picked up a bottle to bring home. And I didn't even have to leave any body parts as payment! If someone was watching me, I'm thinking they went back to that shelf to see what was the source of such joy. The thing is that that morning, that bottle of Bragg Liquid Aminos was a little token of God's love for me as He knew I really wanted it. He was telling me, that in spite of all the things I've been going through, in spite of all my complaining, I mattered to Him so much that even the little things, my little things, are important to Him. Isn't that wonderful? I really felt loved by God!


If you have a heavy load on your shoulders I want to encourage you to give it to God. Stop focusing on the negatives of life. Stop looking at the problems and how they may affect your future. Give that all to God. And as you get that load off, I challenge you to start looking at the blessings that God bestows upon you every single day and see how many tokens of God's love you find. And remember that God's love can manifest itself in a very unexpected way. It could even be as a bottle of Bragg Liquid Aminos. 

"So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."

2 Corinthians 4:18

Filthy rags

The entry on my journal for February 14 starts this way: “8:17 a.m. The day has barely started and I already feel like a failure.”

Have you ever felt like a failure? Sometimes I do and it’s a horrible feeling. You look around and realize that things are not going the way they should and it’s pretty much your fault. At least you think so. You realize that you are not all that after all and are able to mess things up quite a bit! And in your mind you just disappointed a bunch of people you care for, even if they don’t think so. Sometimes they don’t even know you’re feeling this way. I so wish I never felt like that, but once in a while it happens, and well, February 14 it happened. And it had nothing to do with being Valentine’s Day. It had everything to do with being another day in this crazy sinful earth.

This morning as I was driving and listening to the radio a lady was sharing an experience she had at a church called Scum of the Earth. She said she was sitting between a drunken man and a homeless man and the smell that was coming from both was enough to make her gag. The mixture of alcohol and body odor was getting unbearable when she realized that to God that’s exactly what we were... and He still came to die for us. That’s what the Bible means when it says that while we were still sinners, filthy, dirty, smelly sinners, Jesus came to die for us. (Romans 5:8)

The thought that I am such a sinner and that God still loves me unconditionally was more than I could bear and tears forced their way out of my eyes. Incredible! How can it be? How? The Bible says that our good works, the good things we do, are like filthy rags. Filthy rags? Do you know what that is? Imagine a dirty rag, with blood, vomit and bodily fluids. That’s what my good works are. (Isaiah 64:6). Are you disgusted yet? And even so God loves me so much that He sent His Son to die for me. I just can’t comprehend such love!

As I poured my heart to God on the pages of my journal I asked God to pick up my broken me and make something beautiful. I didn’t like the way I was feeling and my self value was very, very low. I wanted God to restore me and make me beautiful. But just as I was writing those words, God said: You already are beautiful.

I couldn’t write anymore. I had to stop in wonder at the thought that God thinks I’m beautiful. What? Me? Even though I was feeling like a failure, the God of the universe saw me as beautiful person, because to Him I’m beautiful no matter what. Wow!

After that, all I could write were words of adoration and appreciation because even though everything else in life fails, God never fails and is always there to help us through our difficult times. And this is because to Him we are beautiful. He loves us so much He thinks we are worth dying for. To Him we are more than simply flesh and bone. We are His creation, His children. His all existence right now is focused on us, helping us as we walk with Him to our Heavenly Home. And as we come to Him, He transforms us into His likeness again, we are a new creation. And all the bad things we’ve done, He takes them and throws them into the depths of the sea to be forever gone.

The God who created the universe loves you. Yes, you! Do you know what that means? It means that you are all that matters to Him. That you are precious, beautiful. He wants to spend time with you, He wants you to share your life with Him. It means that because of this love you are a child of the King of kings! Royalty. He wants you to be happy and happiness in God is secure, not dependable on circumstances or people. And this God has plans for you. Does He ever! Not the plans you’re thinking of right now. Better plans. Amazing plans! To give you an abundant life full of hope and a future. A future forever by His side. You... His most treasured possession. His most beautiful creation!

"My servant David... kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes."

I Kings 14:8

"For God so loved the world...you... that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

Beauty from pain

Pain... I don't even need to ask, we've all experienced it. It's uncomfortable, changes things, redirects our path in life and transforms us. For better or for worse...

The new year is barely here and I've already had to grow so much through pain, though I must admit I'm fascinated by what's happening...in me.

When my father passed away several years ago, the pain was so unbearable that I thought life was going to end right there and then. I remember being so angry at God that I asked Him to forget I even existed. I look back at all these years since that extremely difficult time in my life and can see now how God has used that experience to bring me wonderful things and shape me into a different and better person.

So right now I have this fresh wound in my soul that is bleeding and hurts a lot, and even though I naturally want to retaliate, whine, and be angry, there is this greater force giving me peace and strength and helping me know that this is not my battle. Well, sometimes I do whine and complain. Job did. It's only human, but here's what I'm learning about pain: God doesn't waste pain! We live in a bad world that is so far away from its Maker, where pain and suffering are daily occurrences, but God, in His infinite wisdom, longs to transform our pain into something beautiful. If we let Him, He'll do an incredible work in our lives through our difficult experiences. His work of transformation can be so amazing that we won't even recognize ourselves. In the end, we will be even more in love with our Heavenly Father. I know I am, even if it has taken me a few years to get here.

From pain God can make us stronger, our faith increases, and we learn to rest in His arms of love. We become humble and learn to trust in Him. We become more aware of the needs of others, and we can even become an encouragement to those who go through the same experience. Pain can also bring us closer to our friends and loved ones. We learn not to make the same mistakes and become more confident. There is an inner transformation, the gentle work of the Holy Spirit, that makes us better persons. God picks up the broken vessel and creates something even more beautiful than the original.

Isn't it wonderful to know that God has the ability to make something beautiful out of our painful experiences, and we don't have to suffer in vain?

Now think about your own painful experiences. I don't know what they are, but I do know that this world is an expert in pain. I know it hurts and it feels really, really bad. But I want to encourage you to ask God right now to transform your pain into something beautiful, just like He knows how to do so well. Tell Him that you don't want the pain to be in vain and that He has permission to pick up the pieces of your broken soul and recreate a new and even better you. If you must go through this experience, at least the end result can be a good thing.

I know God is already doing beautiful things through my pain.  I also know He's not done yet, so I'm curious at to what else He's going to do in me. But until then I'm going to curl up in His arms, maybe shed a few more tears, and simply wait...

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. "

Ecclesiastes 3:11

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.   

In this world you will have trouble. 

But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

Building up!

It was one of those nights! I had gotten my son in bed and after leaving his room I started doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen, hoping to get it all done quickly enough so I could finally sit down and rest. It had been a long day and I was tired. A few minutes later he called me into his room. He was having growing pains. I sat by his bed and massaged his little legs until he said they didn't hurt anymore. I kissed him again and went back to the kitchen to finish what I was doing. Not even 10 minutes later he called again complaining of more growing pains. I sat on his bed and massaged his legs again until he said they didn't hurt anymore. Another kiss and back to the kitchen. I thought he was sleeping when he called again... he had a busy day and had a lot going on in his mind. I knew he wanted to talk more, but he had asked earlier if he could watch a little TV after supper and I said yes, so we didn't get to chat before bedtime like we usually do.

After calling me a few more times I started to get impatient. I just couldn't finish cleaning the kitchen and I was getting upset. Finally, after calling me 4 or 5 times back into his room he had been in bed for almost 2 hours and was still awake. I was frustrated! I went into his room and scolded him for calling me again and for still being awake. He said he had many things to talk about. I told him he had wanted to watch TV so now we couldn't talk anymore and that he needed to sleep right now! Of course I'm the parent. I should've said no to watching TV and controlled the time a little better.  He watched TV because I allowed him to. But at the moment I put the blame on him and left his room after telling him he could not call me anymore!

I went back to my cleaning, but my mind (or was it God?) started processing the whole thing. I could've said no to the TV and then my son would've gone to bed with plenty of time for us to talk like we usually do. And now he was going to fall asleep and the last words he had heard from his mommy were words of disapproval and blame. And then the what ifs started dancing in my mind. What if this was the last interaction I had with my son? What if I didn't have tomorrow to make sure he knew how much I loved him and admired the little man he was?

I stopped cleaning and decided that him knowing that was more important than a clean kitchen, or some quiet time for me, or even plenty of hours of sleep and an easy morning routine the next day. I wiped my wet hands on the kitchen towel and went one more time to his room. I sat on his bed and he looked at me surprised. "What are you doing mommy?" he asked.

I looked at that little face that I love so much and asked: " Do you know what bedtime song my mommy used to sing to me when I was a little girl?" And then I sang the song that helped me fall asleep so many times years ago. When I finished singing he opened his arms, gave me a big hug, and with the most beautiful smile told me how beautiful the song was. I told him I was sorry for my attitude earlier and then we just sat there talking about all kinds of interesting and fascinating things.

By the time I left his room I knew he was happy and I think he fell asleep before I even got back to the kitchen! As I finished cleaning I was thinking about it all and thanked my Heavenly Father for helping me see what was truly important.

The next morning I went into his room and gently kissed his cheeks to help him wake up. He opened his beautiful eyes, smiled, and asked me to sing the lullaby my mom used to sing to me. He fell asleep thinking about it. :)

How was the last interaction you had with your loved ones? Did you have words of encouragement or did you bring their spirit down? Did you leave your friends and family knowing that they are loved and appreciated? So many times we have words of criticism and judgement. So many times we are impatient just because people are a little different than us. How many times do we leave home in the morning upset with our children because they always make us late? How many times do we have words of criticism to our spouse, the person whom we are supposed to love the most in this world? How many times are we impatient with our elderly parents because they are just too slow and a bother to our fast paced life? How many times do we criticize our pastor because he doesn't lead the church the way we think he should? How many times do we bring down our fellow church members because they don't do what we think a Christian should do? How many times do we leave the people who cross our paths discouraged because of our words or attitude? And who knows if that was the last time, our last chance, to build them up?

The Bible has plenty of counsel on how we should talk with each other. So many times the Bible warns us about controlling our tongue. And the Bible so lovingly encourages us to encourage one another. Can you imagine the difference that would be if we were more loving toward each other? Talk about peace on earth!

But even if you can't get the whole world to be more loving, what about starting in your own little world? Think about the people in your life and make sure that today they know, without a doubt, that you love them and that you are so proud of who they are, just the way they are.

That's what Jesus does to us!

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." 

Proverbs 18:21

"Encourage one another and build each other up!" 

I Thessalonians 5:11