What has God done in my life?

Whispering Danny (click on the name to watch video)

Because of vacation, I missed about a week's worth of I am Second video sharing. I watched today's video and thought that I wanted to get back to sharing! It is a good one. You should watch it too!

Whispering Danny, who whisper-talks because of tumors that grow on his larynx, tells the story of seeing the miracle of his buddy surviving a deadly motorcycle accident. The doctors were ready to harvest his organs when his mother asked for one more day. Danny heard someone come in a pray a prayer of healing a salvation over his dying friend, and then wondered what all this crazy "Jesus stuff" was about. He went searching for himself on the internet that evening and ended up praying to Jesus himself. The next morning, his friend woke up. Whispering Danny now puts God first and says that he finds that through Jesus, he gets guidance, support and help in his life. It is a very dramatic story, but one that speaks of the hope and freedom that loving Christ brings to one's life.

My challenge for today from the I am Second email I received this morning was not only to share the video, but to share what I have seen God do in my life. Mine is not a story as dramatic as Whispering Danny, but I can definitely see what a difference putting God first in my life as made. While I was raised in the church and knew about God, Jesus and the Bible, it was not until well into my 30's that I discovered what having a real relationship with God was. I began to study the Bible, pray daily and often, and I began to understand that life was easier with God in it. I still had problems...MANY problems and heartaches...but in my heart I KNEW I could get through those problems and recover from the heartaches and it was easier to move on. I learned to be so very grateful for the grace and forgiveness that God gave me through Jesus and am more able to show grace and forgiveness to others around me. You know, that makes life easier for me! Not letting anger and frustration with other people rule my life and being able to let go of those kind of things does more for ME than it does for the people that I am showing grace to! People notice how I USUALLY don't let things get to me and how I seem pretty "zen" about most things. When appropriate, I share that my ability to be "zen" about things comes from God and not from anything that I am doing. Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love God and love others. I try to live by those commandments each day. Like Whispering Danny, I find that I receive guidance, support and help in my life each day and I am sure it comes from my loving Father God!

I am Second!

I am Second - Day 2 - A Father's love

David McKenna (click on this link to watch the video)

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"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." -- John 15:12

David talks about how he thinks his father is a good illustration of what our Heavenly Father is to us...holding our hand and stroking our head and never giving up on us, even when we have done terrible things. I have always felt that way as well. My dad loved me and showed me that love all the time and always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be if I put my mind to it. He encouraged me and supported me, and forgave me when I did things he didn't approve of.

When we put God, our Heavenly Father, first in our lives, we begin to FEEL that fatherly love, encouragement and support, even if we can't see Him. I can't explain it. I don't understand all of God's mysteries, but I know in my heart and soul He is there and loves me unconditionally. 

David also says in his video that there is not always a later. We think that we can put off our relationship with God until we are in a better place, until we kick the bad habits we have, until we become a better person, until we have time...there is not always a later. If we truly believe that God can love us unconditionally, then there's no reason to wait until we are "better." God loves you RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE! If you reach out to Him, He will reach back and hold your hand and stroke your head and you will feel that fatherly love flow over you. I know this because I have experienced it myself.

If you already know this fatherly love, then you can share it with others. In the video, Dave explained that he needed love when he was weak. His parents showed him that love. However, there are people in the world who don't have loving and supportive people around them. If you see someone hurting in your life, reach out to them today. Or, just do something nice for someone you come in contact with. Buy a cup of coffee for the janitor. Call your mom. Pay for a stranger's lunch. Jesus commanded us to love others the way He loves us. We can show this love in very simple ways. Put God first in your life, and you will discover many ways to show His love to people you meet. I am Second!

I am Second - Day 1

I am Second - Brian "Head" Welch (click on this link to watch the video)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." -- Matthew 11:28

A year or so ago, my pastor did a sermon series based around the "I am Second" concept. This is a movement of all kinds of people who are living their lives for God, instead of for themselves and telling their stories. There is a website where people from all walks of life tell their I am Second stories. They are very powerful. During my pastor's sermon series, he handed out "I am Second" bracelets. I still wear mine every day. Some people have asked me what it means, and that has given me a chance to tell them that I live my life for God and put myself second.

I recently went back to the I am Second website and  started watching some of the videos. They really touched my heart because there are some people who really lay their hearts right out there and tell how God saved them, brought them out of a bad situation, helped them accomplish dreams and made their lives so much better. I decided that I wanted to share these videos with others, so for the next several days, I would like to share an I am Second video here on my blog and hope that someone who really needs to see it will see it.

I am not perfect by a long shot, and I make many mistakes every day, but I KNOW that my life is better and even a little bit easier with God in it and with Jesus walking beside me. That may sound like a lot of bunk to some of my friends, but it is what gets me through the day and enables me to do all the things I do in my life! I am second!

Full of sap at 90!

"They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green," -- Psalm 92:14

"Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent." -- Psalm 71:1

"Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life" -- Proverbs 16:31

Yesterday I wrote about treasured memories of my childhood. I so enjoyed and reveled in those memories and thought about how much better things were then than now. I longed for the simplicity of my youth. Then, last night, I went to dinner with a friend of mine who is celebrating her 90th birthday today. I could not help but think that I want to be HER when I grow up to be 90!

This woman, who may not be as spry as she used to be, is still so full of life!  A born storyteller, my friend loves to share her life with others through her stories. She wrote a book about her stories a year or so and those of us that have read her book adore this woman even more! But, I discovered last night, there are many more stories that didn't make it into the book. She has many life adventures and misadventures to tell about.

There is the story about her flagging down and riding with a trucker when her car broke down on the highway...did I mention she was well into her 60's or 70's at the time? This adventurous woman has driven the Yukon highway, went skydiving, as well as trying other daring escapades in her old age, after teaching in the classroom for 30 years. She knows who she is and is true to that person, not caring with others think about her. She enjoys people so much and people enjoy being with her as well. I would say that even at 90 years old, she is most definitely still full of sap!

She has inspired me to not just look at my wonderful childhood years with longing, but to make the last half of my life wonderful too! I will be 45 next month, so I AM exactly half as old as my friend. I want to remain full of sap for the rest of my life and do daring things and things that excite me every day. I want to spend time with people that I enjoy, tell stories and do things now that I can tell stories about when I am 90!

So, today I say Happy Birthday to my friend Mary Shrader! May she continue to tell stories and inspire people around her for many years to come! May I keep Mary in my heart as I grow older and remember her example the next time I look at my childhood with longing instead of looking at my present and my future with the same kind of excitement and hope!

Treasured Summer Childhood Memories...

"You who are young, make the most of your youth. Relish your youthful vigor. Follow the impulses of your heart. If something looks good to you, pursue it. But know also that not just anything goes; You have to answer to God for every last bit of it. Live footloose and fancy free - You won't be young forever. Youth lasts about as long as smoke" -- Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, The Message Translation

Have you ever had moments when you feel like you could just reach out an touch memories from the past? Lately, I have been in a nostalgic mood, thinking about my childhood. Finding old pictures, like the ones above, just reinforce this mood. I was so lucky and so blessed to have almost an idyllic childhood. I lived in a small little town until I was 16, but I spent most of my weekends and basically every summer on my grandparent's farm. My brother and I were expected to do our part to help out, whether it be pulling weeds in the garden, mowing the yard, helping in the barn, or...my "forever" job...doing the dishes! It wasn't always work we had to do. There was a lot of play time on the farm as well. Those are the moments I remember most.

My cousins, who lived out of state, would come home most summers and spend time on Grandpa's farm with us. Remembering back, there were endless things for us to do, and my cousins had such great imaginations, that I don't think we were ever bored. Sometimes we would put on our long sleeved shirts and go berry pickin'. (You can't say picking...it just isn't the same!) We would take those green and tan woven baskets that Bloomer's candy came in, or if the berry pickin' were a last minute adventure, we just strung the berries on a long stem of timothy hay. The big green "head" of the timothy kept the big, purple berries from falling off. Our fingers were stained purple for days, and we ended up eating more that we took home, but it was so much fun! Of course, we had to be on the lookout for snakes...my Grandpa always said if you smelled cucumbers, a copper head was near! I don't think I ever saw a snake on those trips, but I sure kept my guard up!

We would play a lot of make believe games. We pretended we were the family on the old show "Big Valley." I don't know why it was that show, except I think my cousin had a crush on "Heath" played by Lee Majors. Sometimes those make believe games would take place in the barn, where we made elaborate homes in the hay loft. We moved hay bales around so we had a living room, kitchen and bedrooms. One bale would be the refrigerator, one bale would be the stove. HOURS were spent in those hay houses! I'm not sure my dad and grandpa were pleased with the way we messed up their nicely stacked hay bales, but they never said too much. Being in the barn was also a lovely place to be in a thunderstorm. We would either hide out in our hay house, or sit in the big back window of the barn, watching it rain and listening to the steady rhythm of the rain hitting the old tin roof. 

Hay baling days were also a highlight of the summer! I'm sure for my dad, grandpa and uncles, it was a lot of exhausting work, but for us kids, it was the ride that we loved. We'd sit at the back of the wagon and watch the square bales kajunk, kajunk, kajunk out of the baler. It was a steady rhythm that could very easily lull you to sleep. My uncle would pull the bales out of the baler with his metal hook and stack them, starting at the back of the wagon. As the stack would get higher and higher, us kids would climb up so we were sitting on top. Riding around the hay field on that wagon as it filled up with that sweet smelling hay was such fun! We would sing and chew on a piece of hay and hate for the ride to be over. It was always stifling hot, but we didn't seem to mind so much! There was always a jug of ice cold water on the wagon somewhere, although we always made sure there was enough for the hard working guys!

Big family meals to feed all the workers always followed. So much food! Everyone sitting around the table, eating and telling stories about the day's work. There was always dessert! My favorite was cherry pie made from the sour cherries picked fresh from the tree. Oh, and the special days when we cranked homemade ice cream! It always took SO LONG to crank! We kids got to take turns turning the handle around and around, with our foot on the base to hold it steady. The salt and the ice on the top was cold and gritty, but we knew the sweet goodness that was waiting in that shiny metal can! It would get too hard for us to turn and the men would take over. Scooping out the pure white ice cream was a joy! Oh the headache I would get because I ate the super cold stuff too fast, but it was worth it! Grandma always got to eat the ice cream off the beaters in the middle of the can.

These memories bring joy to my heart and a tear to my eye. I long for the simplicity of those days I spent as a kid growing up on the farm. I wouldn't trade my childhood for anything! I thank my parents and my grandparents for giving me those opportunities and the chance to live free and easy. I also thank God for blessing me so greatly! I treasure those memories and get them out in my mind from time to time. Youth does last about as long as smoke, but the memories of those days will live in my heart forever!

...the kind of worshipers the Father seeks

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” -- John 4:23-24

"...the kind of worshipers the Father seeks" As usual, when I study or think about a certain verse in the Bible, it leads to more questions. We often talk about how we "find" the Lord, but who is HE looking for?  How does one become that kind of worshiper? What is God wanting to hear in my worship?

I have been thinking a lot about worship lately. I have been working with the kids at my church during KidsPraise to help them learn why we sing worship songs and helping them feel free to sing and dance and clap their praises to God during those songs. It is a struggle as many of the kids say they don't like to sing. Some of them don't follow along because they don't want to look silly. Some of my kids are very young and can't read the words to the songs on the screen. Some of the kids are 4th and 5th graders and it is just not "cool." 

Maybe I am just going at it from the wrong angle. Jesus is saying in the verse above that we are true worshipers when we worship the Father in spirit and in truth. There are have been many interpretations as to what this phrase means exactly. But for me today, it hit me that you cannot force or coerce someone into worship. It must be coming from inside and be honest and sincere. God is not looking for a "follow the leader" kind of worship, but praise that comes from the heart.

And who says that true worship has to come from songs? Jesus said that God is spirit, meaning that He is everywhere and all the time. We don't have to wait for the praise music and we don't even have to be in church to praise God in worship! The child that learns to thank God for his food before eating is praising God in worship. The little girl who thanks God for her Mommy and Daddy at bedtime is praising God in worship. The little boy who gets excited at the thunder and lightning in a storm and exclaims that God is powerful is praising God in worship!

Knowing that God is SEEKING those who are true worshipers makes me WANT to praise him more and makes me respect those who worship Him in different ways. A friend recently reminded me that he was one of those quiet worshipers who didn't raise his hands and shout and clap and sing loudly. He felt that perhaps I was thinking that those who didn't do those things weren't truly worshiping. You know, he might have been right. Because music moves me and creates an opening in my heart for the Holy Spirit, I just assumed that God works the same in others. That assumption was wrong. God is looking for people who praise Him and honor Him in worship that is real and true and comes from their heart. Only God knows what is true for each person.

Today, I praise and thank God for teaching me and expanding my heart. I want to be the kind of worshiper that He seeks every day. I know that God is real and very much alive everywhere around me! I praise Him in this moment with all that is in my heart.

Hope springs from our suffering...

"Through [Jesus] we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we glory in our sufferings, because we know suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." -- Romans 5:2-5

I don't want to steal any thunder from my pastor's sermon yesterday, the topic of HOPE has been on my mind a lot for the last 24 hours.

There is a man who goes to our church and I have known him all my life. 27 years ago, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Tragic, frustrating, frightening and disheartening as I am sure that news was to Larry and his family, he kept plugging on. Surgery after surgery, disappointment after disappointment, he refused to give up on his life and relied on God to see him through and he is still alive and kicking YEARS after that original devastating diagnosis. Larry has been an inspiration to many people of the years, but yesterday, he became an even bigger inspiration to me.

This past fall and into December, Larry had yet another bad spell that left him very near death. Although we were all praying for him, most of us thought that this was finally the end to this sweet man's life. But, in typical Larry style, he just refused to give up. With his family and friends rallying around him, he has bounced back! Even though his doctors said he would never get out of the wheelchair, with the help of his walker, he walked across the stage yesterday morning to sing with the men's ensemble, the Plainsmen. And they sang TWICE! All that know Larry and his struggles were amazed and filled with hope for their own lives. Larry is the perfect example of the Roman's verses above.

Larry had expectations for his life. This brain tumor messed up those expectations and caused suffering his life. He and his family have prayed, yelled, cried and yet fully relied on God to help them through this suffering. Because of their faith, God sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and strengthen them and they made it through each step of this pain. It was not easy, but Larry, his wife, children and now grandchildren have all developed strong character. This character helps them look back at the struggle and see how faithful God has been to them. From this springs Hope. They can have hope in any situation that comes into their lives because they can remember the path that they have traveled to this point. I'm sure it is still not easy for them, but if you look at this family, you will see a lot of strength, a lot of smiling, a lot of laughter and and a lot of love flowing out of every one of them...all because of Larry's brain tumor and his amazing God-honoring life.

My life has it's own struggles, not near as dire as a brain tumor. When I am feeling low and wondering where God is during my time of pain, I hope I can picture Larry, up on that stage, singing his heart out. That picture in my mind and in my heart will give me the inspiration and hope I need to know that God is with me and will allow me to keep pushing and moving forward, never giving up. For without those struggles, I would not know the beauty of God's grace. I can stand in God's grace through my faith. I know that I am not alone in this thinking. What an amazing and inspiring legacy for Larry's life!