Don't Forget About Me

Out of sight, out of mind? Unfortunately today with so many varying distractions vying for our attention, this can become quite the case. That is why I like to unplug and just get outside in God's creation. These daily visual ques prompt feelings of gratitude, respect and worship in the believer. If a person does not yet have such faith, it should at least cause that person to ask, "What is the purpose of life and why am I here?"

Likewise in times of trouble, we can begin to focus on the problem rather than our Deliverer. We run ourselves ragged, going in circles trying to figure out what WE are going to do. Isn't it so much better to trust our Heavenly Father and His Son to provide all that we need at just the right time? I am a witness of God's perfect timing in my life. Even when I could not see how things would work out, I knew they would work out. Setting my heart on my Redeemer and not my circumstance is so liberating! Yah wants to restore us but we have to look to Him wholeheartedly:

"For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord..." Jeremiah 30:17

This requires patience and an attitude of faith because all of this works out towards our edification. Just as a lump of coal becomes a diamond under immense pressure, so our spiritual character is developed. Just think if we never got into trouble, how could we know and appreciate God's delivering hand in our lives? The goal is not to forget about God by going our own way, especially in times of trouble.

"For my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to false gods ; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, in a way not cast up;" Jeremiah 18:15

Notice this verse says they have been made to stumble in their ways for having forgotten Yahweh. Yes, if we forget our Heavenly Father, we will stumble on our own. That is because our reasoning is not as His is. Even though Yeshua was a son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered, (Hebrews 5:8). Our Heavenly Father waits to offer help and refuge to those humble enough to admit their need. God wants us to come to Him with any and every matter. In fact He makes this very clear:

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

So ASK God and do not forget Him in your future plans and times of trouble. No matter what the situation, HE has the answer and wants to give His children the best of advice.

Give Me the Roses

This being Mother's Day weekend, I will tell you, as a Mom, what we really want on "our day". First of all we want to be remembered. A call, email or even a text message will suffice. Just being thought about on Mother's Day isn't enough. We need to see those thoughts take some form of action so a card or communication from another route is very important to us.

The second thing I like for Mother's Day is not to have to cook! I do most of the cooking on a daily basis. I really don't want to have to plan a Mother's Day meal that day too. I mean what is the point of that? Yeah! I get to knock myself out even more on what is supposed to be a day off. When someone else brings home something already deliciously prepared, it is SO appreciated.

The third thing is loving kindness throughout the year. People often think they can cancel out a year of neglect and ignoring their mother by spending a lot on elaborate gifts, most of which are never delivered in person. I know a lot of us Moms can be difficult and demanding. Still the Bible says honor your father and mother so that your days upon the earth may be long. No one knows Mothers better than God! Perhaps this is why He also said:

Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. Proverbs 23:22

We sometimes get a little more difficult as we get older. Getting old is not for whimps which is why I wish nothing to do with it! Really, we should try to keep healthy as much as we can so that we will not be an unnecessary burden on our children. All the same Ecclesiastes says:

I returned to see under the sun that the swift do not have the race, nor the mighty ones the battle, nor do the wise also have the food, nor do the understanding ones also have the riches, nor do even those having knowledge have the favor; because time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all. Eccl. 9:11

The best laid plans may go awry due to accidents, natural or man made disasters and other events beyond our control. Give us Moms the roses while we are alive. Love and honor us while we are here to appreciate it. Of all the gifts, these are the most precious to a mother's heart.

What's My Focus?

These days it is so easy to focus on the negative, daunting things of this world. Sometime we think that the more time and attention we give such things, the better it will all turn out! Fact is, all the worrying, pondering and plotting in the world can not change the behavior of someone else. Still that is what makes life interesting. We all have free will and the freedom to either obey or disobey our Heavenly Father. This also means that there is a potential to hurt and be hurt by others.

God Almighty, Yahweh of Armies is not a puppeteer! People ask, "Where was God on 9-11?" Really the question should be where were the terrorists' morals on 9-11? Man's inhumanity to mankind has long been documented. The Bible gives the reason why although many people don't wish to believe it:

The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. Genesis 8:21

In Noah's time, many people were being hurt, abused and killed by the Men of Fame or Renown called Nephilim. These were mutant freaks of the ungodly union of fallen angels and women. These evil men forced God to intervene at that time. However as we see in the last sentence, God would never again destroy all life, (except those preserved in the ark of course), to punish evil. Another point is that not everyone at the time was an evil giant! There were human bystanders who never really responded to Noah's preaching enough to get in the ark.

We know now that the ark is symbolic of Yeshua, Ha Messiah. He is the vehicle of Yah's Salvation. In fact that is what his name, Yeshua means! This is how Yeshua is now the captain of our salvation. When we get on board with him, we obey HIM as commander and chief. A parallel is drawn between the fence sitting people then and those doing the same today:

Luke 17:26-27 (NIV) "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all."

This tells us that at Christ's second return, people will be going about their business as usual, focusing and fully involved only on the daily concerns of this world. Doing so will not change one's outcome at the time of Yeshua's arrival to rule. Answering his call now will.