This time of year you see a lot of green. Lawns that had been blanketed with snow all winter begin to acquire a hint of that refreshing color. Stores are decorating their windows with displays of shamrocks, along with promotions for corned beef and cabbage. Even McDonalds has gotten into the act by offering mint green milkshakes.
Like many parents, my husband and I would have fun on St. Patrick's Day with our kids, by fixing green food. While not appetizing to look at, it was priceless to see their faces when they awoke first thing in the morning to green scrambled eggs and green milk. And of course many people wear something green today, too, even though they may not be Irish.
Interestingly enough, Saint Patrick wasn’t even Irish. He was actually born in Roman Britain in the 4th century. At the age of sixteen he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. He was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. That dream must have had a huge impact on him, because upon his return to Britain he studied to be a priest. In the year 432, Patrick sensed the Lord calling him back to Ireland, but this time as a bishop, to help spread Christianity to the Irish. Legend has it that he used the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. Patrick died on March 17, 461, after nearly thirty years of evangelism.
Over the centuries the celebration of his life has become more of a pagan holiday. St. Patrick’s Day, in this country, is commemorated with parades and parties, along with getting pinched if you don’t wear green. The original celebration seems to have lost its original Christian meaning.
On this day, too, we often hear a lot about “the luck of the Irish”, although I doubt Saint Patrick originated that term. To be lucky means to have something happen by chance. A person can be lucky or unlucky, depending on the way things come to pass. Some people believe tangible items can bring them luck, such as a rabbit’s foot or four-leaf clover. Believing in luck has its roots in superstition and magic.
Blessings, on the other hand, come from Almighty God, our Creator, our helper, and our divine protector. To bless someone means to ask God to bestow good upon them; to be divinely or supremely favored.
Most Christians don’t believe in luck. We don’t believe that things randomly happen to us, causing us to be lucky or unlucky. Rather we believe in the sovereign hand of God. We know that, if we don’t get the blessing that we may long for, we can rest in the knowledge that it is for our own good; that God has a better plan. We stand on God’s word, especially Romans 8:28: “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose for them”.
Being truly blessed can only come from having a relationship with God. He is calling us to know Him…are you answering His call?
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).
God Bless You,
Connie
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Role Reversal
If you are a married woman, you probably made lots of assumptions about your husband from the day you married; such as, he would be alongside you through thick and thin, taking care of you and your children. Besides maintaining the house, yard, and cars, he would be your helpmate and would be there for you physically and emotionally. Maybe you assumed your spouse would be the main breadwinner so you could stay home with the children. Regardless of your original plans, you counted on him to be your support system and available to help you through life 24/7. You never planned on becoming the sole financial breadwinner, the full-time parent, or bearing the burden of home responsibilities all on your shoulders alone. But now (and maybe through no fault of your own), your mate is out of the picture.
Or maybe it is your child who has veered from the path that you assumed he would walk, and has become entangled with people who make poor choices. Ever since he came into this world you may have had a vision that one day he would be there for you, in your time of need, to help you with life as you aged. However, due to his bad decisions, not only do you continue to have to be there for him, you may even have to care for his children in the process. This certainly isn’t how you envisioned your golden years.
When Jesus was talking with his disciples about His kingdom that was to come (Mark 10: 35-45), the disciples assumed Jesus meant that He was about to take control of an earthly throne, the throne of David. And they probably speculated, too, that this new kingdom would be complete with a palace and an army and lots of important positions. James and John even asked to be His left and right hand men. Their vision of the future included Jesus becoming something that He never did become. They saw Jesus fulfilling a role that He never intended to fill.
Oftentimes our loved ones’ lives do not match up to our vision of what we had for them. Dreams are dashed, hopes are crushed, and our loved one makes a terrible choice that affects our life forever. And on top of everything else, we may end up having to be both mother and father (or parent and grandparent), to the innocent children involved.
Life is unpredictable and oftentimes not fair, but with God’s help we can perform a role that was not of our choosing. No matter what our situation, God’s will for us right now is to be satisfied in Him and to trust His plan for us at this time in our life. We need to learn to let God be our helpmate through this journey; and to believe that He will take care of us into our future. After all, He sees tomorrow; we can’t.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).
In His Service,
Connie
Or maybe it is your child who has veered from the path that you assumed he would walk, and has become entangled with people who make poor choices. Ever since he came into this world you may have had a vision that one day he would be there for you, in your time of need, to help you with life as you aged. However, due to his bad decisions, not only do you continue to have to be there for him, you may even have to care for his children in the process. This certainly isn’t how you envisioned your golden years.
When Jesus was talking with his disciples about His kingdom that was to come (Mark 10: 35-45), the disciples assumed Jesus meant that He was about to take control of an earthly throne, the throne of David. And they probably speculated, too, that this new kingdom would be complete with a palace and an army and lots of important positions. James and John even asked to be His left and right hand men. Their vision of the future included Jesus becoming something that He never did become. They saw Jesus fulfilling a role that He never intended to fill.
Oftentimes our loved ones’ lives do not match up to our vision of what we had for them. Dreams are dashed, hopes are crushed, and our loved one makes a terrible choice that affects our life forever. And on top of everything else, we may end up having to be both mother and father (or parent and grandparent), to the innocent children involved.
Life is unpredictable and oftentimes not fair, but with God’s help we can perform a role that was not of our choosing. No matter what our situation, God’s will for us right now is to be satisfied in Him and to trust His plan for us at this time in our life. We need to learn to let God be our helpmate through this journey; and to believe that He will take care of us into our future. After all, He sees tomorrow; we can’t.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).
In His Service,
Connie
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Our Secure Identity
Identity theft, in today’s world, is all too common. Usually due to greed, someone takes the good name of another and uses it for selfish, materialistic desires. For the victim, getting your name cleared can be time consuming and expensive.
A person’s identity consists of a lot of different aspects, including our titles. When a woman marries she becomes known as “Mrs.”, not “Miss”. Her last name will oftentimes change, too. When we have children and become a parent our identity changes again. We are now so-and-so’s mom or dad. And yet a third aspect can be found in our career; our vocation is a big part of who we are.
Depending upon our life choices, along with circumstances beyond our control, we can have many different titles. Our titles will even change throughout our lives, affecting who we are for better or for worse.
For instance, maybe you have recently retired or lost your job. For decades you defined yourself by your career. It was part of who you were; part of your identity. Or maybe you’ve suffered through an unwanted divorce, or become suddenly widowed. Or maybe you have not obeyed the laws of the land and now your identity is your last name and a number.
If we have a title taken from us (especially if we didn’t want it taken), it can leave us feeling jolted and displaced. It can be a painful, constant reminder of our loss. If we aren’t careful, we can focus on our loss to the extent that it consumes our every thought and hinders us from living in the moment.
During those times when we are unexpectedly reminded of our loss, we need to take comfort in, and concentrate on, the one identity that we have that can never change. If we have accepted Christ as our personal savior, no one can take away our identity as a Christian—a child of God. No matter what title society wants to place upon us or strip from us, we are still God’s precious son or daughter. As born again believers we know who we are in Christ. As God’s child, we have inherited His promises; and one of those promises is: He will never leave us. Unlike our spouse, God will never divorce us or die. Unlike our boss, He will never lay us off or let us go. Our identity with God is secure.
“Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:11).
Forever His,
Connie
A person’s identity consists of a lot of different aspects, including our titles. When a woman marries she becomes known as “Mrs.”, not “Miss”. Her last name will oftentimes change, too. When we have children and become a parent our identity changes again. We are now so-and-so’s mom or dad. And yet a third aspect can be found in our career; our vocation is a big part of who we are.
Depending upon our life choices, along with circumstances beyond our control, we can have many different titles. Our titles will even change throughout our lives, affecting who we are for better or for worse.
For instance, maybe you have recently retired or lost your job. For decades you defined yourself by your career. It was part of who you were; part of your identity. Or maybe you’ve suffered through an unwanted divorce, or become suddenly widowed. Or maybe you have not obeyed the laws of the land and now your identity is your last name and a number.
If we have a title taken from us (especially if we didn’t want it taken), it can leave us feeling jolted and displaced. It can be a painful, constant reminder of our loss. If we aren’t careful, we can focus on our loss to the extent that it consumes our every thought and hinders us from living in the moment.
During those times when we are unexpectedly reminded of our loss, we need to take comfort in, and concentrate on, the one identity that we have that can never change. If we have accepted Christ as our personal savior, no one can take away our identity as a Christian—a child of God. No matter what title society wants to place upon us or strip from us, we are still God’s precious son or daughter. As born again believers we know who we are in Christ. As God’s child, we have inherited His promises; and one of those promises is: He will never leave us. Unlike our spouse, God will never divorce us or die. Unlike our boss, He will never lay us off or let us go. Our identity with God is secure.
“Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:11).
Forever His,
Connie
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
All for Love
Valentine’s Day is that wonderful holiday where we express our love to someone near and dear to our heart. It is (thankfully) not a controversial holiday; it’s simply a day when we tell and show our loved ones that we love them. Whether it’s with chocolate, jewelry, a card, a nice dinner, or something that costs us nothing but our time, we devote this day to honoring someone special to us.
There were several Christian martyrs who were known as Valentine centuries ago, but none of them are the author of love; God is. As a matter of fact, love is such a big deal to God that the word “love” is found 686 times in the Bible (New International Version). Many Bible scholars agree that the most powerful usage of that word is found in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Love began with God. He loved us first, and then to express that love He subsequently “gave”. He gave His only son as a gift to mankind – and all out of love for us. God’s gift of His son to bear our sins was the ultimate act of love; nothing has, or ever will, top that.
I don’t know about you, but I still find it hard to believe that the God of all creation loves us. With all of our sins, faults, and failures, the fact that our heavenly Father would still woo and pursue His people is amazing to me. It’s not enough for God (and it shouldn’t be enough for us) to be saved from an eternity in hell, rather the God of the universe wants to hear from us, and speak to us – regularly – and all because He loves us.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He could have responded with, “Obedience. Obey your Heavenly Father.” Or, He could have said, “Honesty. Be honest with God and those you encounter.” Instead, Jesus responded with, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
In other words, Jesus said to give Him first place in your life. Be sold out to Him every day of the week, all day, and not just Sunday morning.
Our Lord is the epitome of true love. Jesus loved children, He loved the poor, and He loved those whom society loathed, such as the lepers and prostitutes. He even loved those who killed Him, telling His father to “forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).
Jesus loved the unlovable, and that is exactly what He expects Christians to do, too, through Him. God’s grace enables us to reach out to the down and out. When we give Him first place in our life, He gives us mercy and grace to love others.
Jesus loves you, this I know…the question is, do you love Him?
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14:21).
In His Love,
Connie
There were several Christian martyrs who were known as Valentine centuries ago, but none of them are the author of love; God is. As a matter of fact, love is such a big deal to God that the word “love” is found 686 times in the Bible (New International Version). Many Bible scholars agree that the most powerful usage of that word is found in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Love began with God. He loved us first, and then to express that love He subsequently “gave”. He gave His only son as a gift to mankind – and all out of love for us. God’s gift of His son to bear our sins was the ultimate act of love; nothing has, or ever will, top that.
I don’t know about you, but I still find it hard to believe that the God of all creation loves us. With all of our sins, faults, and failures, the fact that our heavenly Father would still woo and pursue His people is amazing to me. It’s not enough for God (and it shouldn’t be enough for us) to be saved from an eternity in hell, rather the God of the universe wants to hear from us, and speak to us – regularly – and all because He loves us.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He could have responded with, “Obedience. Obey your Heavenly Father.” Or, He could have said, “Honesty. Be honest with God and those you encounter.” Instead, Jesus responded with, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
In other words, Jesus said to give Him first place in your life. Be sold out to Him every day of the week, all day, and not just Sunday morning.
Our Lord is the epitome of true love. Jesus loved children, He loved the poor, and He loved those whom society loathed, such as the lepers and prostitutes. He even loved those who killed Him, telling His father to “forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).
Jesus loved the unlovable, and that is exactly what He expects Christians to do, too, through Him. God’s grace enables us to reach out to the down and out. When we give Him first place in our life, He gives us mercy and grace to love others.
Jesus loves you, this I know…the question is, do you love Him?
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14:21).
In His Love,
Connie
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Who Is Your Hero?
Hopefully you have at least one hero. A hero is someone (living or dead) who you look up to and admire for their brave deeds and noble qualities. Pilots become heroes for safely landing airplanes in rough conditions. Doctors and firefighters are considered heroes when they save a life. Those who serve in the military, especially in a time of war, are also deemed heroes by most citizens.
Many Americans consider Abraham Lincoln to be a hero. President Lincoln battled many obstacles in his life, including: the loss of his mother at a young age, a lack of a college education, falling in love with a woman who married another, fighting for the presidency, struggling to keep a divided nation together, struggling to keep his unhappy marriage together, burying two young sons, and battling depression most of his adult life.
It is remarkable that with all the pain and despair he endured, President Lincoln could still have such a keen sense of humor. Once, when he was accused of being two-faced, he responded by saying, “If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?”
Mr. Lincoln knew that it was our outlook on life that would make us or break us. As someone who read the Bible regularly he was probably aware of the verse, “…the joy of the Lord is your strength,” (Nehemiah 8: 10). Those who have researched Abraham Lincoln’s life say that, as the Civil War raged on, Abraham Lincoln turned toward his faith in God more. He knew that in order to have any level of inner peace, he would need to keep his faith and trust in God. With the weight of the nation on his shoulders, and feeling somewhat alone with the many huge decisions he had to make, President Lincoln was wise enough to know he needed Divine help. President Lincoln gave homage to the One true Hero, God.
We need to remember that the Lord is no respecter of persons. The same God who listened to a President’s plea for wisdom as to how to govern a divided nation, also hears the desperate cries of the one who battles drug addiction, and the heartfelt remorse of a convicted criminal.
Who is your Hero today? There is only One worthy of the title; only One who can truly “rescue” us. Turn to Jesus and make Him your hero. Not only will Jesus rescue you in this life, comforting you when you hurt and giving you wisdom when you don’t know the way, but He can save you from an eternity in hell, too. Don’t delay. Make Him your Lord, today.
... “at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow …and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” (Phil. 2: 10-11).
In Him,
Connie
Many Americans consider Abraham Lincoln to be a hero. President Lincoln battled many obstacles in his life, including: the loss of his mother at a young age, a lack of a college education, falling in love with a woman who married another, fighting for the presidency, struggling to keep a divided nation together, struggling to keep his unhappy marriage together, burying two young sons, and battling depression most of his adult life.
It is remarkable that with all the pain and despair he endured, President Lincoln could still have such a keen sense of humor. Once, when he was accused of being two-faced, he responded by saying, “If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?”
Mr. Lincoln knew that it was our outlook on life that would make us or break us. As someone who read the Bible regularly he was probably aware of the verse, “…the joy of the Lord is your strength,” (Nehemiah 8: 10). Those who have researched Abraham Lincoln’s life say that, as the Civil War raged on, Abraham Lincoln turned toward his faith in God more. He knew that in order to have any level of inner peace, he would need to keep his faith and trust in God. With the weight of the nation on his shoulders, and feeling somewhat alone with the many huge decisions he had to make, President Lincoln was wise enough to know he needed Divine help. President Lincoln gave homage to the One true Hero, God.
We need to remember that the Lord is no respecter of persons. The same God who listened to a President’s plea for wisdom as to how to govern a divided nation, also hears the desperate cries of the one who battles drug addiction, and the heartfelt remorse of a convicted criminal.
Who is your Hero today? There is only One worthy of the title; only One who can truly “rescue” us. Turn to Jesus and make Him your hero. Not only will Jesus rescue you in this life, comforting you when you hurt and giving you wisdom when you don’t know the way, but He can save you from an eternity in hell, too. Don’t delay. Make Him your Lord, today.
... “at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow …and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” (Phil. 2: 10-11).
In Him,
Connie
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