Month: April 2016

THEM

April 7, 2016

What can be done about THEM? You know who I mean, those people over there who are so different from us and are messing up everything. If we can just control them somehow, or get rid of them, then things will be so much better. They don’t think right, dress right, or act right. Something has to be done about THEM!

It’s true the world is in great turmoil. Corruption abounds in a culture where evil is embraced as good and people are afraid to say anything contrary to the practice. Money rules and the recent bombshell called the Panama Papers bring home how corrupt that rule is at this present time. The world is very tolerant of evil morality and practice but highly intolerant toward human beings. The cruelty of the Narco culture seems to be permeating everything along with their mass amounts of money that fuel the world economy and line the pockets of powerful leaders. People are afraid and their fear causes them to identify with the aggressor in hopes of achieving personal safety and gaining control over others they perceive as a threat. Tribes are forming and battle lines being drawn in preparation to find a solution to THEM by many diverse groups of people. Increasingly, those solutions are violent.

The fear of OTHER and the tolerance of evil is tearing us apart and we seem to be utterly, confused as to how to stop evil without destroying each other. The stand we have to make is within. Giving into the pressure of political correctness can’t completely silence our conscience. Basic right and wrong doesn’t change and each of us must listen to that inner voice and change our personal actions. THEM is US and none of us is free from sin. None of us can control the evil in another but all of us can do something about our own evil. Ending any confusion about what is good and evil is as easy as reading the Ten Commandments. Let me assure you, they have stood the test of time and their validity isn’t likely to vanish in a generation. The generation that ignores them is certain to vanish but their truth will remain.

Old habits are hard to change but bad habits are changeable. To find remedy from sin requires that one see themselves as a sinner. God’s Law is the mirror that reveals every human being as a sinner. None of us measure up. We all break at least, one of those Laws on a regular basis; most of us break more than one. Only, Jesus lived by those Laws perfectly because God’s Law is spiritual and fallen human beings aren’t spiritual. Without Jesus we have no hope and the purpose of the Law is to show us our need for Jesus. Without Him, we stand condemned as dead to God and doomed to die a second time after final judgment. Jesus is the only one who can save us from the penalty of our sin and faith in Him is the only way to receive the Holy Spirit’s help in learning to uphold God’s Law from a heart that’s been changed.

The one thing I know for sure about THEM is that Jesus loves THEM, just as He loves me. Because He loves me so much that He was willing to die for me and save me from the second death, I am also required to love THEM. That doesn’t mean that I must go out and develop a deep, emotional bond with all people but I am to strive to treat others as I want to be treated. Everyone is part of the human family, a sinner in need of God’s grace, just like me. My love may not change anyone I encounter, or be the impetus that leads them to faith in Christ, but learning to love THEM is sure to change me. This is my only true avenue of exacting positive change in the world.

I know many people are burdened with worry and fear as to the condition of society today. Those concerns are well founded. The problems are complex but the answer is simple and power lies in the hands of the people. We can turn things around by choosing to do what we know inside is right. It won’t be easy but we have a powerful ally in Jesus. “If God is for us who can stand against us?” We have to begin by ceasing to stand against God out of fear of peer pressure. We have to cease from standing against ourselves by refusing to hear our conscience. We have to cease to deny our need for Jesus as the remedy for our personal sins.

Please, consider Jesus. Don’t deny true love and the power to become the man or woman God intends for you to be. Let’s not waste our time trying to straighten out THEM when the enemy we can do something about is within.

 

 

To My Word Press Angels

April 7, 2016

I’ve been going through a tough time in my life and one of the reasons I started this blog was to remind myself of joy because at that time, I felt very unhappy. It worked. I did retrieve my joy in Jesus but not in the way I expected. I didn’t expect to be ministered to by angels here on Word Press but dear, loving angels are exactly what God has given me. All my angels have common sounding names: Jim, Maria, Wally, BJS, Patrick, Jacqueline, G.W., D. Wallace Peach, Miguel, amoafowaa of Mum C Writes, Lonely Arthur, Pauline, JacobEmet, Kathy, Robert and many others who pray for me and encourage me through this painful time in my life. I have angels from all over the world who have shown me they care. I know Jesus lives because I see Him living in you.

I’ve spent most of my Christian life as a Baptist but God doesn’t care about that and often speaks to me in my dreams, anyway. As some of you know, I’m going to visit Mayo Clinic soon and there in those expert hands I hope to find the right treatment to put my weird disease back into remission. Last night God sent me a very special, very vivid dream. I opened my eyes and all of my Word Press angels were there to see how I was doing and to give me a hug before I go to Mayo. I know I dreamed this because of all the prayers being said for me by all of you. It was a very sweet, very encouraging dream and I’m sharing it because even though, I will probably never get to give any of you a real hug, I love you all. Thank you. Your kindness has helped me survive some very cold, painful days. I am blessed to have such dear angels. You mean the world to me.

Married to Pain

April 6, 2016

There are moments during a rare warm Siesta Moon,

When the pain ebbs and my body sings a softer tune.

Sighs of relief! Pain gone brightens usual Agony Moon,

My cruel lover who won’t let go sings besetting croon,

Beastly howling like a lost coyote during a Dusty Moon!

Our relationship began by accident, a trap by the goon!

I married pain in the greenish light of a Ghoulish Moon…

Day, years, decades pass as I take medicine in a spoon.

Divorcing pain I will joyfully dance under a Fiesta Moon!

Early Spring Wind

April 5, 2016

The spring wind roars over the ever-grey high desert that waits for just the right amount of warmth and moisture to bloom. By gale forces the desert floor is being swept clean to prepare for a new season of life. As long as there is snow on the mountain peaks there will be wind in the warmer valleys below. This old cycle highlights the relationship between the alpine mountains of Colorado and the high desert plateau of New Mexico. This is early spring in the divide between winter-time- grey and the new green that is beginning to fill the river valleys as life-giving snow-pack in the Rockies begins to melt. The rest of the desert remains subdued until the summer monsoon. All animal life of the Northwest Plateau depends on the strength of the Rocky Mountain winter and the snow-pack that fills the rivers and streams.

I am involved in an old romance with New Mexico sunny days beneath a rapidly changing vault of blue sky. I am still enchanted with rosy sun rises and peachy sunsets. I am blessed to watch the Bald Eagle soar over the river, hear the Night-Hawks speak, and be entertained by the bickering drama of the Magpie. As I write, the deer who allow me to share their ancient home-land are just outside my window nibbling on the newly sprouted lilies they believe I planted as tribute to them. They huddle close to the house seeking shelter from the wind, knowing there’s no one here who will harm them. This is home.

I love the Cedar and sage covered hills, the Elm and Cottonwood filled valleys. The ever-changing landscape that undulates from masculine, rugged mesas and cliffs to soft, round mountains and hills that still excite my artistic eye. The utter silence of the desert is the most beautiful sound in the world. Alone in those silent places, it is impossible not to hear God speak. Left with no place to run or hide from self, in the desert one must make peace. This is my Father’s world and in it I’ve been given a place.

Here I am Lord at the foot of your mountains, the source of life giving waters. Here you have hidden me, in the cleft of the Rock, in the midst of a dry thirsty land. Make me ever mindful of your blessings. Help me trust you more, even as the gritty wind roars. As you prepare the desert, prepare my heart for a new season of life.

History

April 5, 2016

While winter still lingers,

In the reminder of icy Rocky Mountain peaks,

White memory fingers,

Warm to melt with acceptance, in truth leaks,

Flow, new life bringers;

Yesterday nourishes today; is dead but speaks!

Into eternity, it lingers!

 

Past hold; pain let go in transformative tweaks;

Learn to value blunders;

Less painful repetitions, useful for future peeks,

As winter again wanders,

In gales of cold death threatening wind shrieks!

Spreading fear as cancers!

Fools forget, to the wise the past forever speaks.

 

The Recluse (Part X)

April 2, 2016

“Do I believe in Jesus?” Estelle asks herself as she gets ready to go to church with the Hernandez family. True to Alisha’s word, Maria called with a warm invitation that Estelle couldn’t refuse and she was surprised to find she didn’t want to turn her down. She very much liked Maria even though she seemed somewhat gullible. Maria seemed to see only the good in others and that unconditional acceptance drew Estelle like a magnet even though, she didn’t understand why she hungered for acceptance. “What do I believe in anyway?” She asks herself out loud. “Life has never given me the luxury of considering such esoteric questions. Life has always been about completing necessary tasks and paying the bills. There must be some force that propels me to do so but I don’t understand it.” Estelle’s inner dialog races in turbulence as she rushes to dress in the fashion she thinks people are supposed to wear for church. If there is anything Estelle doesn’t like, it is standing out in a crowd. She chooses a white blouse with a high collar and a black skirt that hits just below the knees. She brushes her dark hair into a bun and applies her makeup with a light hand. In the back of the closet, she finds a pair of low-heeled shoes, slips into them and inspects herself in the full-length mirror. The very austere woman looking back at her would never be recognized as an artist or as a 47 year old woman from the 21st Century but Estelle feels safer inside this quaint costume that represents her understanding of what church women look like.

Estelle gives herself a last once-over, then rushes to grab her purse, and answer the door bell. She can’t remember the last time anyone picked her up to go anywhere and the excitement of this special moment over-rides any hesitation or lack of understanding she has regarding church or religion. Estelle is starved for relationship and her hunger sends her hurrying toward the door.

Upon opening the door, Maria’s beaming face and kind grey eyes fill Estelle’s visual field and offer nothing but friendship. “Hi Ms. Williams are you ready? We’re so happy to have you with us today!” Estelle’s heart melts by the power of inclusion and she happily replies, “Hi Maria please, call me Estelle. Thank you so much for inviting me. I can’t wait to hear Alisha sing!” Estelle closes and locks the door and the two women walk arm-in-arm to the Hernandez car where Tony waits behind the wheel and Alisha sits in the back-seat.

Tony is a good man but not quite so accepting as Maria and though, Alisha seems to benefit from her time with Ms. Williams he is still suspicious of this reclusive woman. His greeting is friendly but he is also, coldly observant. By now, he’s heard some of the town rumors and knows that Estelle’s mother was an alcoholic and that the family never attended any church. “Good morning, Ms. Williams. We’re happy to have you attend church with us this morning. I hope our services will be a blessing to you.” Estelle catches the sharp tone, so formal in contrast to Maria’s friendly welcome and Alisha’s excited hugs upon entering the back-seat with her. She is caught off guard but then understands when in Tony’s eyes she sees the same suspicion she’s become accustomed to in the eyes of the town’s people. She shivers and wishes she’d brought a sweater to hide under. It’s too late for hiding now though so instead, she hugs herself tight and forces herself to breathe deep to calm her nerves.

As the Hernandez family and guest pull into the parking lot, Estelle is surprised by such a simple building, with no steeple or stained glass. In fact, it is just a building with no architectural feature that would cause her to identify it as a church. She also notices that people are dressed many different ways. Some in traditional ‘Sunday Best’ but others in every day wear. People are greeting and hugging one another and soon, she along with the Hernandez’s are caught up in the excitement of Sunday morning greetings. Estelle is introduced to not a few people and is enamored by the warm welcome. In a flurry of faces and proffered handshakes, she finds herself seated somewhere near the middle of the auditorium. Alisha disappears with the other children and Estelle sits close to Maria on the side opposite Tony. Maria warmly pats Estelle’s hand and gives her a reassuring smile. All chatter comes to a hush as the piano begins to play and the choir enters the room. Estelle is transported by a hymn she’s never heard before carrying the command “Bend the knee!” which she understands as all bowing before Christ but doesn’t understand the concept behind such an event. Still, it sends shivers up her arms and down her spine. Then the congregation joins the choir and sings “This is My Father’s World”. This old hymn appeals to Estelle’s love of nature and she finds it very comforting and beautiful. The children enter the room on cue and sing praise choruses for the congregation. She loves watching Alisha’s chocolate eyes sparkle with delight as she sings “The Joy of the Lord” and Estelle’s heart lifts with the children’s happy voices. When the children finish, Alisha runs to where her family is seated and squeezes herself in between Maria and Estelle. Both women welcome her and share the joy of the moment as their eyes meet in a bonding glance of mutual love for this dear little girl.

The pastor takes his place in front of the congregation as worshipers open their Bibles or use the appropriate App on their phones. Estelle has neither but her momentary awkwardness is relieved when Alisha places her mother’s Bible in her lap where all three of them can share.

“Open your Bibles to Matthew chapter five and let us read verses 1-12 together. Please rise.” Estelle and Maria look down over Alisha’s shoulder and join the public reading of the following:

“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: (Estelle wondered why the following words appeared in red but as she read them, she came to understand that these are the words of Jesus.) Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Estelle finds comfort in these words and the promises made to those who suffer and those who strive to do right. She doesn’t understand everything but she understands about mourning and what it is like to have people ignorant to her situation say bad things about her. She still doesn’t know who she believes Jesus is but she is struck to know that His words are empathetic to her suffering. The rest of the sermon is mostly, above Estelle’s head but near the end the pastor says something that strikes a nerve and rings clear, “It isn’t about religion. It’s about your relationship with God. Jesus gave His life in sacrifice on the cross so you can be forgiven for your sins and be reconciled to God in a parent/child relationship. Today is the day of decision. Either you will choose to accept the sacrifice of Jesus and live or you will reject Jesus and die in your sins. Either you will be reconciled to God and live out your remaining days on earth as a child of God with the future promise of a life free from sin in eternity, or you will remain an orphan and enter eternity with your sin, forever separated from God.” There it is. The choice Alisha told her about. Estelle bowed her head to pray with everyone else but heard nothing from that point on. Her mind was filled with the over-riding question, “Do I believe in Jesus?”

To be continued.

For previous posts in the series go to https://joyindestructible.com/the-recluse-series/

 

 

The Cost

April 1, 2016

I’m not a perfect Christian and I won’t pretend to be. In fact, there is nothing more anti-Christ in spirit than an exclusive, pretentious Christianity that upholds a false holiness. I sin less often than when I first believed but I still struggle with sin and I will continue in this battle with my sin until I pass from this world. The good news is that after I die, my war with sin will be over and I will enter eternity free from sin. None of this is due to my self efforts but to Jesus who bought forgiveness for my sins by giving His life for mine. Any victory I’ve won in self-control has come by surrender and obedience to God and not by my own strength. Before I knew Jesus, I lived to sin but when Jesus became the center of my life, I died to sin and began to live for Him. Jesus put a new desire in my heart, that of wanting to please God and I am no longer driven only, to satisfy myself. The inner conflict this created isn’t pleasant and each victory over my sin requires a death to self. Jesus died to set me free of the penalty of sin (the second death) and I in return, die to my selfish desire daily, in order to live for Him. When I falter and give in to my old ways, He forgives me, heals me, and sends me back into battle. Nothing about this process is appealing to a world driven toward achieving temporal perfection. I’m not a good Jesus sales-person for those seeking to package a more modern Jesus who promises to give people all that their hearts desire in the here and now. Serving the Jesus I know and love, the Jesus of the Bible, comes at a cost and delayed gratification in the world to come is the prize for which I contend.

I regret no sin habit I’ve left behind for Jesus. I’m more than grateful to be free of the drugs I used as a young person. I don’t miss cigarettes or alcohol. I am eternally thankful for all the dysfunctional behaviors God has helped me correct and the inner healing that only the Bible can give. I’m happy that I learned to live within my means, remain faithful to my husband, and live a quiet life. Trading my sin for values that work is the greatest blessing of my life but I know all these blessings will pale in comparison to living in a world free from sin. The thought of my complete transformation into the likeness of Christ is more than my mind can fully comprehend but I do love to try to envision it. The amazing thing is that the more I die to myself the closer I come to being the woman God originally, designed me to be. With each wrong-headed desire I give up, I find greater happiness and increased joy.

I know these words I write seem a bit crazy to those from a Darwinist, secular viewpoint but I’m old enough now that I don’t care about speaking anything but that which I’ve come to know as true. There is no hope in this secular culture, not even for those who are among the fittest. Our world seems to be becoming crueler each day and the most repugnant cruelties are hidden beneath a veneer of politically correct words and outright fear. Children suffer the most in this world because they are the weakest among us. They are murdered in the womb as a means of birth control much more often than to save a mother’s life but abortion is the sanitizing term applied no matter the reason. The more powerful mother has all legal protection and the weaker child has none. Children are abused by parents and bought and sold for sexual pleasure at alarming rates but little of it is even reported. Old people are next in line for abuse in this culture, where equality must be earned. The ageing must remain young for as long as possible to retain viability. Women must become more like men, men have to be more in touch with their feminine side, and children must be more adult-like in a world where equality is gauged in equal outcomes. The more the world tries to make everyone the same the more heartless and dysfunctional it becomes. Everyone is trying to earn status as one of the elite fittest but the reality is all are victims of inequality and abuse. I see insanity in the world and find sanity in Jesus. God loves all of His children despite their sin and all have equal value in Jesus no matter how diverse or lacking in power. Human life matters in God’s economy but in the world, human life is valued less every day.

Accepting Christ into my heart and making Him the Lord of my life was the most important decision I ever made. My faith isn’t magic. Faith is better than magic because it is based upon divine truth and not any sleight of hand. When I opened my mind in belief and Jesus entered, I became a spiritual person, a new creature in Christ. I received new life and a new beginning. My attitude changed and I found the guidance I needed in the Bible to transform my lifestyle from unhealthy to healthy. I received the strength needed to correct my dysfunctional behaviors and world view. Jesus turned my upside down world right side up. Without Him, I would die in my sin and carry that sin with me into eternity. I would never know anything but cruelty. Because of Jesus I know the unconditional love of my Heavenly Father even though I presently, remain in a cruel world. I will not die in my sin. I will die once and be free from sin to live eternally in Christ. What I have received from Jesus is available to all. My hope and prayer for anyone, who reads this testimony and is tired of their sin, will open their hearts in faith to receive Jesus and His gift of eternal life. He doesn’t promise to make you rich, famous, or powerful but He will give you a new desire for God that leads to a future free from your sin.

John 12: 23-26