Have You Thanked God?

There are several verses that speak of thanking God. Psalm 136:26 tells of His mercy. 1 Corinthians of Our victory in Christ. But my favorite is 2 Corinthians 8:15 - thank you, God, for your gift.

His one gift described in John 3:16 gives us all we need, eternally. We should be giving thanks to Him daily for that gift since it encompasses all we do or say once we have accepted His gift.

It allows to see past obstacles and disappointments, placing them into perspective rather than growing them into dramatic proportions. His mercy and grace sustains when those obstacles are gigantic tragedies we cannot bear alone.

Last night I feared for - and prayed for - family and friends in Oklahoma. I lived in Mustang and watched wall clouds, collar clouds and rope tornados form. I sought shelter in a school basement when Gary England's Doppler radar defined a mile-wide rotation. I know the sequence of events, the concern for separated family.

I also know the peace God offers. I don't always accept that wrapping of His comfort. It is human to embrace the fear, instead. My loss when I do. My gain when I understand He knows what I need even when my thoughts run contrary to His.

So, I give thanks this morning that our family and friends are uninjured. Some cannot, having experienced injury and loss. May God comfort them and provide the peace that does pass our understanding. May He then be thanked.

Perspective

Highway 287 has a nice wide median separating it as traffic moves around the posted 75 mph speed limit. I had been watching the different fields we passed, a dust devil in one, a tractor throwing up dust in another, then wondering about the cloud of dust down the road where a field would not be.

Just as I saw it, traffic began stopping. The truck in the right lane ahead of us left burning rubber as we almost as quickly pulled off to the left shoulder. I saw the young lady step out of her pickup in the median and fall to the ground.

In the picture she's sitting on the ground wearing a cowboy hat, beside her pickup. Note that all four corners made contact with the ground - and it's pointed in the opposite direction from which she was headed. She appeared fine, except for a few cuts and scratches - and shock. Police and ambulance were there in just over ten minutes.

Afterwards, as the four of us talked, I was struck by the differences on what we saw that the others didn't, and what we missed the another saw. I woke this morning with that on my mind and the harmony of the gospels.

Four different men with differing attitudes, backgrounds, education, perspectives, writing about the one Man that not only changes their lives but eventually affected ours today through their writings. Yes - I believe they, and those who saved their words, were inspired by God to share that good news for all men. I also believe their perspective, even their personality, gives individual insight.

Detractors point to perceived differences and cry "Foul!! This is error!", but the message of God's loving gift for His creature remains the same. Just as we four would have written our own perspective of this young lady's accident and asked that you consider the whole, please read the gospels seeking the whole counsel of God's message.

We gave thanks we were able to continue our journey, leaving her in capable, professional, hands of first responders. They are a blessing to those they serve.

Trying Again To Post

> Flat land and constant wind. Wheat and wind generators, just north of Vernon, Texas.
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> Made a quick pit stop and purchased sunglasses for my Beloved Husband. So far, his sunglasses were the only thing forgotten. So far!
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> Had an interesting chat with the clerk while checking out. She had just made change for the young man ahead of me. He mentioned that he still had a problem keeping our money straight. Of course I asked about his home and he told me he was from South Africa. He was very friendly, very personable and we had a nice chat.
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> As he left, the clerk told me he was here to work the harvest. For the next months they would harvest wheat here, then move north as the fields ripen. I remember when my male cousins worked harvest, making money in the summer - some paying their college tuition with hard work.
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> The clerk told me that young men in town were too lazy to harvest. The companies had to bring in workers from Europe, even South Africa. She knows her community much better than I do, but I do not doubt her observation.
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> These jobs we cannot ship overseas, and it appears we cannot get Americans to work them, either. I really didn't expect to find such a microcosm of our country's ills within a few hours of starting vacation.
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> Our Lord has fields white unto harvest, too, and few laborers. Will he need to go elsewhere? Take a moment and read John 4:35. Are you one of His laborers? If not, why not? In the meantime, pray to The Lord of the harvest.

On The Road

Not Equal

I’ve been in this situation before – away from a computer on vacation. The iPhone I carry is NOT equal to even a small laptop much less my marvelous desktop with comfortable keyboard. However, the desktop is much too bulky to carry, and on this vacation the laptop is simply over-the-top, too. We are taking our first vacation in more than three years and it’s going to be a long one.

During the week before vacation, we’ve had company and we've had a great time simply visiting, running around (hitting quilt shops in McKinney, Denton, Weatherford - and wishing Decatur had one, too!) and generally not spending time at a desk. I was able to get a few words down, but on vacation, those may be fewer.

You may arrive here and read the same thing for several days straight.  Thus, you – my dear readers – may come to believe that 1) I’m not reading my Bible; 2) I’m not thinking about you.

Perish both thoughts!!  See in the graphic, above the ‘Phone’ icon? It says Bible apps – more than one of them. Never – not even when there isn’t phone connections – without a Bible to read, a commentary to research, a devotional thought available. Next to the Bible Apps icon you’ll find an e-Sword icon, a recent addition to the iPhone Bible app family. I like it well enough to use it first!

Yes, I’ll be thinking of you – I may even get in a small post or two along the way. I will not, however, be able to edit/format them correctly – so some may appear as odd in sight as they do in thought. If one does get posted, at least the mobile version of my blog still allows for Sharing, so you’ll see a post on Google+ or Facebook. Most likely these will not be posted daily – and there won’t be the copied/pasted scripture references, just references. Please take time to look them up yourself, OK?

This trip is going to be a huge test for us. We’ll be leaving Thursday morning. Today is one of Beloved Husband’s plasmapheresis treatments, which is very tiring. He should be able to sleep through the Texas panhandle without missing much. We’ll have wonderful friends with us and be able to stop often along the way, for this will be a long, long journey. Please keep us in your prayers for safe travel and continued health.

When posts are made these coming weeks, they will most likely be accompanied by snapshots of our journey. Please feel free to comment with suggestions or corrections or even directions! We’re headed across the Texas panhandle through Colorado into Wyoming to Yellowstone. Then we’ll head west toward South Dakota before stopping at Mount Rushmore, then back through Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and home again/home again, jiggity jog.

Thank you for your patience, for returning to read and I promise to be back on schedule by the end of June. Until then, may I suggest reading the book of 1 John?

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:3-4 KJV)

Event vs Process

Salvation is an event. It’s a huge simple thing. It is not reached without serious decision making, but it is a single event.

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:30-31 KJV)

What follows is a process, ongoing, never ending upon this earth. Jesus knew that when we prayed for us, for our sanctification.

And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. (John 17:13-18 KJV)

We do not sit and wait for His return any more than He sat and waited for the cross. As He was sent into the world to teach and serve, He sends us in the same process. We have examples throughout the Bible of people who responded to God’s spoken word. Most of the New Testament is history of one man, who is God's Word, and His effect on others.

If He has no effect on our lives, how can we be certain we believe on Him? We’ve been told He was perfection:

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:9 KJV)

We are also told to go toward perfection ourselves:

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, (Hebrews 6:1 KJV)

How can we, when we don’t even practice true religion?

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27 KJV)

Remember, Christ did it without funding. He did it by walking, talking, teaching, attending synagogue, praying, discussing – all of those are active verbs. I must take inventory every once in a while to be certain I’m being active, not listening to the world’s temptations, no matter how good they sound or how much I can justify their need in my life. It is Christ who supplies what I need as I continue moving from the event of my salvation through the process of my Christian life.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:11-13 KJV)

Maasai

I saw the movie “King Solomon’s Mines” as a teen and my imagination was captured by the height of the Maasai tribesmen as well as their culture at the time. Not until the turn of this century did I discover a distant familial connection to the book’s author, H. Rider Haggard, through a distant cousin, Blanche Blick Burnham.

It is a small world, and I was blessed to be given another glimpse into the Maasai community by Pastor John Tino, by his own words:

I am a blood born child of the Maasai community in Kenya.

I was very impressed by this line at the bottom of his home page:

This web site JohnTino.com does not receive donations

Instead of seeking personal gain, his work is funded through About Face Missions. After looking over John’s site, and AFM, I’m reminded of several verses:

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Christ used “teach” in our Great Commission:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19)

But the teaching is just as the preaching:

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:13-14)

There must be a teacher before there can be a student. How can we, so far away, be of help. Our finances are limited, our budgets strained. The needs are many, resources few. Then came the answer, from God’s word:

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. (Matthew 9:36-38)

Pray ye the Lord, that He will send. We can all do that. There is no impact on our budget, no pain in our pocketbook and we’re fulfilling a command Christ gave His disciples. Pray.

Take care, though, and be prepared for your heart to be moved and your budget impacted when you receive a call from God for a specific part of the harvest. Yes, we may be called as part of those laborers. Why not? We’ve given Him our lives, should we not be prepared to respond when He calls? Jesus was, and was sent:

Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. (John 17:7-8)

Why then should we not respond as He and others:

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. (Isaiah 6:8)