JULY 2020 OUR HOME SWEET HOME

July!

Flags fly as we celebrate the birth of our nation, our Home Sweet Home.

Picnics in parks continue, well- spaced, masks on.

Parades and fireworks have been sparse.

For the most part, July festivities remain in our imagination as we continue to sequester.

Tunes and slogans come to mind as I see flags wave from neighbors’ homes.

“God bless America, land that I love. . . .” 

I recall fond memories of Kate Smith in her long sleeved, beautifully draped black dress singing this simple hymn.  She was an American icon, anticipated at the annual July 4th celebration at our nation’s capitol.  Why did we expect the annual appearance of Kate Smith?   It seemed almost corny because it is the only song we remember from her.  Yet, we DO remember her.  We do remember the song . . .  and the words.

“Stand beside her and guide her, through the night with the Light from above.  From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam; God bless America, my home sweet home. . . . God Bless America, my Home Sweet Home!”

If, indeed, we read every inscription on our national monuments, we find that, indeed, America is Home to millions who seek God is our guide.  

Our ancestors fled to this nation with empty pockets yet they were filled full with hope.

They sought the same freedom, under God, that our founders sought.  

They eventually tore free of crippling taxes, massive food shortages or oppressive demands across the sea and forged a new life in this incredible Land filled with opportunity.

Only through hard work, assimilating with American culture, learning our common language and persevering through daily challenges, would we, as a nation, thrive.  

Coming to America is no utopia. 

We are all a wonderful mish-mash of immigrants unless we come from a native American tribe.  Our families share memories of harsh lives in other countries that forced our ancestors to flee.  These stories have become a dim recollection to current generations.  

Only by learning world history over the centuries could anyone truly stand in awe of the wealth of opportunity, free education, the freedom to worship along with many other benefits this nation offers.

“God Bless America” . . . even though we do not deserve God’s blessing.  We have turned our back on God in the same way the Israelites turned their back on Him as they wandered in the desert.  Moses, time and again, called upon God’s grace to ‘rescue’ His wayward sheep.  

We are no different today.  

We’ve wandered from God’s loving grace and turned away from God’s gaze as we seek our own path to ‘fulfillment.’  

We’ve become so myopic regarding our own needs, wants and expectations that we’ve forgotten to give thanks, to the One who provides us with our many blessings.

Yet, God continues to bless us beyond measure.  

“Land that I love” . . . that we all love enough to remain here.  No one keeps us within these parameters of the United States of America.  We could live in Mexico or Canada.  

We could cross the sea in any direction and live in another country.  

Yet, with all our complaining, we must love this land more than any other.  

We’ve roots here.  

We have generations of memories.  

We have the opportunity to honor our Lord with praise and thanksgiving.  

Because of God’s blessings over this land that we love, we remain here.  

We should love where we live, warts and all.  

This land is far from perfect and has much that needs to be reconciled but God gave us the ability to draw upon our mind and soul and wisdom to keep moving forward with focus and perseverance.

We, who call ourselves Christians, are called to be a channel of God’s love.

We can talk to God, daily, and ask God to provide the healing needed for this nation.

We are called to listen to God and share God’s loving word with others.

In doing so, we become channels of God’s love.

“Stand beside her and guide her through the night, with the light from above!” 

As we stand beside one person at a time and guide one person at a time into the loving arms of the Lord, we stand beside our nation and guide our nation.

 Yet, are we praying daily?  

Are we beseeching the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to guide us?  

Are we, as Christians, aware of the Light of Christ that leads us through the dark nights?

Or, are we like spoiled brats who have been given far too many sweets before dinner so that we no longer choose to digest that which may be bitter but which may also fortify us to remain strong?  

We think we deserve sweetness and all things beautiful to remain permanently within our reach at all times.  

After all, we work hard to have the ‘good’ life.  

We forget to ask the question that should haunt us, “How many have given their lives to make our current life as comfortable as it is?”  

What other nation provides so much freedom while asking so little in return?

We are the ones to guide this nation, right where we are, by encouraging those in our sphere of influence.

Listening, praying together, asking God to come into the midst of every challenge should be the common process for each of us.

We are the ones to invite grumblers into conversation and listen to all sides of each quandary. We are the ones to be encouragers, even with the most negative people.

We are called to give our concerns to God in prayer and then listen for direction.

We are called to stand beside one another through the darkest and roughest moments as God’s Light shines into our hearts and souls to direct our path.  

We should be proud to be called Americans.  

Our pride is not selfish but a result of giving our ‘all’ as citizens of this One-Nation-Under-God.  

We are called to be ‘ONE’, a team, with a sense of purpose, focused on the path that enables each of us to be the best according to our abilities. 

Unless a path leads directly away from God’s best for us, each has its value.  

“From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam, God bless America my Home sweet home!”   

Just think of this vast land with the grand variety of tundra and climate and population and beauty it provides for all of us within it’s parameter.  

We can move anywhere in this great nation that we wish.  

We can live in a bustling city or in the vast desert or the endless farmland available to any who choose.  

Determination, hard work, creativity or whatever it takes to find a place called ‘home’ is up to us.  

Generations have moved from a comfortable life to harsh surroundings in order to feel ‘free’ to live the way we choose.

Generations have worked hard and sacrificed much so that the next generation can be a little more comfortable.

Are we too comfortable?

As a whole we may be.  

Yet, God has so BLESSED this fine country that, even if we must struggle here and there, we are far more free, far more able to seek our dreams than ever before.

I know I have been deeply blessed even during challenging moments in my life.

I pray that all who seek God know this.

After all, it is God who has provided so many blessings.

God Bless America, OUR Home Sweet Home!

LUNY JUNE 2020

Luny June, Loony June, Blue Moon June, Moody June.

Sleepless, tossing and turning, I create titles for this month's blog that I write almost a month late.

There is nothing to say.

Not that I cannot find words but there are not enough words to try to explain this crazy month.  

Yet, I try to verbalize the crazy chaos swirling about me.

We visited a restaurant a couple decades ago, the name I will never forget.

Matzaluna.  I have no clue what we ate but the catchy name still lingers in my soul.

My personal translation would be “unleavened bread-moon.”  

How crazy is that?

That’s the whole point.  

We were told that it actually translates as crazy lunatic.  

I’ll accept that.

It’s a crazy name that is meant to be unforgettable.

Luny June is the name I give to a culmination of decades of self-indulgence that is also unforgettable. 

The world today is “matzaluna”!  

It’s a crazy, lunatic world.  

It’s not what is happening because we feel like we’ve been caged for months and now, in the process of un-caging, act out in a myriad of ways.  

It’s not because some rightfully have unresolved grievances that have passed from generation to generation and are called to make their voices heard.  

It’s not because we are moving into those ‘sticky’ months where we physically feel hot and bothered.

It’s because we human beings have been pampered far beyond what we deserve.  

Our expectations exceed what we have earned mentally, emotionally and physically.  Economically, the entire world, even the most poor nations, far exceed expectations of past eras.  We have more so we want and expect more.

I decided to study self-indulgence by watching documentaries of human behavior over the past few decades.  At the same time I continue to study the life of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who are in ‘covenant relationship’ with God.  The grace of God and the blessings bestowed on an indulgent people of the old covenant are no different than today.  

The people who came to be know as ‘Israelites’ sought the God who made Covenant with Abraham each time they needed help.  

God obliged in abundance and pampered His Chosen People.  

As they prospered, God’s people forgot about the ‘Source’ of their blessings, turned to other gods and then wondered why they had nothing, felt empty and suffered great loss.  

They learned, over and over, from generation to generation, that only by honoring the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob could they survive and even thrive abundantly.

This scenario has never changed.

There is only one source from which the well of abundance never runs dry.

“God, our Creator, created creation to be creative and create in God’s image.”

This is a saying I ‘created’ early in my search for understanding of who I am.

As I studied the only book I could trust, the only book that has outlasted the shelf life of all other books for over two thousand years, I learned that I am NOT the center of the universe.

I canNOT do all things in my own strength.

I canNOT have the abundance I desire from other sources without consequences.

The only Source who will never forsake my dreams, assuming my dreams correspond with His dreams for me, is God . . . 

One far beyond my understanding . . . 

One who can provide far beyond what my tiny brain can comprehend.  

Only one problem.

I must find out what His dreams [plans] are that He already planted deep in my soul while I was still in my mother’s womb.  

God knew me before I ‘was.’

God created me to be all I am suppose to be.

Yet, it is for me to find out who I am according to His will.

After all, I was created as a ‘being’ . . .  not as a ‘doing.’

I was created with all the tools, all the parts I need, to become the ‘image’, the representation, the example of human life that God created me to be.

I am a human ‘being.’

If, indeed, so many call themselves human ‘beings,’ why do so many act like Matzaluna . . .  crazy people . . . spinning out of control . . .  ‘doing’ everything they can to feel better, do better, have better, indulge better?  

Why do so many overstep the logical process of learning about God and, by taking the necessary steps, become content to learn about themselves as made in the ‘image’ of God?  

Why do so many want to skip steps of self-awareness and move right into self-indulgence?  

Why do so many not think through reasonable steps to become who they are called to be and then move forward one step at a time?

If asked their ‘religious preference,’ The average person on the street may respond with a variety of answers.  

One person says “I am Jewish” yet has not entered a synagogue in decades.  Indeed, by heritage, that person may be Jewish and will remain so in heritage.  

Same for Muslims.  

Yet, this is not the same for Christians.  

Many who say they are ‘Christians’ only say so because their parents made them attend a Christian church when they were younger.  

Since leaving home, they have ignored regular attendance in a church community and, if asked, may not be able to tell you what it means to be ‘Christian.’  

The name “Christian” may be attached to a person but that person is not attached to Christ as a ‘Christ-follower.’  

Recently a new name has popped up. 

NONE. 

Those who say, ‘I am a None,’ seem to be intelligent, reflective and honest.  

They take questions of religious preference seriously and seem to be more self-aware than many ‘Christians.’ 

They are non, nothing, no-one, nadda, niet, NONE.  

I give them a gold star for honesty but my heart grieves deeply.

So many have so much, are able to attain so much, have been so overindulged, pampered and protected that they are NONE, nothing, non, 0.   

I watched several documentaries on economics and how nations that have expanded in wealth have also expanded in personal self-indulgence.

One documentary tracks self indulgence of the past twenty-five years, all over the world.  The ability to attain wealth is at our fingertips.  

Wealth seems to define us but it’s more than money.

It’s opulence in every degree.

More is better.  

More of anything is best.  

The belief system of the NONE is MORE?

The ideology is, “If I work harder and more hours each day I will make more money.  If I make more money I will be able to purchase my dream . . . ?  If I am able to purchase, in abundance, anything I want I will . . . ..

Fill in the blanks.

If that were not enough, this body which God created, this body which is a miracle of function and beauty, because God made us in His image of perfection and beauty and so much more, seems not to be enough.

Our body can be desecrated by the decisions we make about our own value.

Because those who are NONE do not realize the ‘Source’ of beauty in their body, they may abuse it or overindulge it.  

To ignore and not take care of this ‘temple of God’s creation’ is just as bad as trying to ‘fix’ it.  

Yet, this body we live in is not just flesh and bones.

God gave us an incredibly complex brain that, when tapped into God’s plan, can draw us into exponential opportunities for creativity, growth and change.

God gave us a will that can be focused inward toward self-indulgence or can be focused outward to seeking God’s will.

God gave us emotions that can be expanded upon in joy or sorrow when we focus on specific events that move those emotions into action.  

We are invited to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.  

Emotions, when used appropriately, are good for our

health.  Yet, too often we project our own anger and jealousy onto others.  

The NONE cannot cry out to God because they have declared themselves to be ‘nothing.’  God is everything.  

To seek everything through God is not possible according to the NONE philosophy.

The only other option is to share their self-indulgent need beyond their own space and into others’ space.

It’s as if the majority of the world has discarded any reliance on a ‘higher being’, GOD, and swapped a life of abundant treasure in the Almighty for MORE of NONE. 

This is what I mean by Luny June . . . Matzaluna . . .  Loony . . . 

If one seeks MORE but is NONE, how can one BE?

As Shakespeare, who believed in God, said,”To BE or NOT to BE, that is the question.”   

Has humanity ceased to exist?  

A NONE can BE but in order to BE, a NONE has to become ONE with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  But, if this is the case, the NONE must disappear and simply BE.

The Apostle Paul said, “It is not I who live but Christ lives in me and the life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for ME.”  I choose to follow these words of Paul.

I continue to seek answers about my Being.

I seek to take one step at a time to greater self-awareness through God-awareness.

So far I have gained much treasure in my heart.

I feel full to overflowing with the abundance given to hubby and me.

We give thanks every single day we wake and feel our limbs and stand up and walk and work and talk and exchange thoughts and marvel at wonders around us.

Yet, each day I am on this earth I will continue to seek,

to know more, to be more, to enjoy more, as I learn more of who I am as one made in the image of God.

LUNY JUNE, a crazy month, unlike months past and months ahead.

It’s all Good for one who is NOT a NONE.

MAY MATTERS

May Matters 

May matters because each day we live matters.

It matters what we think, say, do.

It matters that we can simply sit, gaze out the window and feel content right where we are.

It matters that the world is spinning out of control with fires in big cities. 

It matters that professional looters and torchers are running rampant and COVID19 still lingers in plain sight.

It matters that we have a God who sees all, knows all and is present with those whose lives have been unfairly swallowed up by death.

It matters that life is a gift for as long as we are to live.

It matters that we embrace each and every day as if it were our last.

It matters that God is waiting for us to say ‘yes’ to His loving embrace.

It matters that, once we say ‘yes’ we will seek to be who God wants us to be and live according to His plan and not our own.

It matters that this day, the day of Pentecost, the last day of May, is a powerful reminder that the power of the Holy Spirit is available to all who have said ‘yes’ to the words of Jesus, the one resurrected from the dead, the one who ascended into heaven forty days after his resurrection and sent the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Him on the fiftieth day.

It matters to God.

It should matter to us who choose to believe.

I read a book decades ago that has remained in my soul ever since.

The title, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,  focused on a life far different than mine.  Yet the title has remained with me for nearly half a century.  

It matters that God never promised us a Rose Garden, but we were promised life eternal.  

It matters that we were not promised life without death but life with God, through belief in His son, which means we will not feel the sting of death.

It matters that God never promised us a long life or a life

of happiness with few bumps in the road. Even those whose lives are totally focused on God, may have a shortened life through no fault of their own.  

We read of ‘Saints’ who were given this title because they remained steadfast in their Christian faith as they were persecuted or torchered to death.

Life is not easy for many.

Yet, there is always the hope in our hearts that tomorrow will be a better day.

There is always the Hope that was and is and is to come, Jesus Christ, who will lead us through rough patches and hold us high during those extraordinary high points that mark the path of our lives.

Because of the Holy Spirit, sent to us on the feast of Pentecost, we have hope.

It matters that the Pentecost Power within us who are baptized can help us fly high through the best days, whirl through mundane days and breathe deep on the very hard days.

Life may not be a Rose Garden but we can imagine that the same beauty of that garden is within us to be savored, embraced and drawn upon during dark days.

We, as a nation, are going through a rough patch right now.

We’ve been there before.

God has never left us.

The Holy Spirit is a powerful presence to lead and guide us.

Jesus, the Christ, still took all our sin upon Himself, was crucified and rose again so that we might live just one day with Him.

It matters that we can live one day at a time.

It matters that we can smell the roses until the scent is gone.

Life matters.

We matter.

Each of us matters to God.

APRIL ABUNDANCE

I linger longer than I should as I mull over words to express God’s presence in my life this month of April.

COVID19 has been front and center.

Each night we hear a new report on the news.

We sift through words as we seek actual facts.

The best doctors inch forward to figure out what is happening.

The virus affects each individual differently.

No two immune systems are alike.

Some are strong enough to carry the virus yet feel nothing.

Some immune systems are so compromised that their few good cells attack each other.

In almost all cases, the auto-immune system is changed.

Those who survive a deep viral attack may have to live with a ‘compromised immune system’ for the rest of their lives.

This virus will never go away but will linger at arm’s reach . . .  forever?

That’s exactly what happens when we are attacked by and consumed with our ‘sin nature.’  

We have this ‘virus’, called sin, floating about.

Some of us are fragile, divided in our walk with God, walking the thin line that can, at any time, lead us into the dis-ease that can consume our immunity to sin.

Are we immune to sin?

Is there an antidote that will protect us from being devoured by the dis-ease of sin?

Of course there is.

But the antidote is not easy to swallow.

The antidote need only be consumed once but we need to take a daily booster to keep our dis-ease at bay.

We can say, ‘Yes’ to Jesus, the One whom God sent to us to consume our sin, devour it forever.

 BUT there is always a caveat.

We can say, “YES” but we have to die.

We have to die not only through the action of baptism, the symbol of drowning all our sins and rising again to new life, but we have to die to our old ways through daily remembrance of what it means to say “yes” to following Jesus, the Christ.

The only way we can keep the virus at bay is through daily due diligence.

Six feet apart.

Thick mask in public places.

Washing hands until they are chafed red.

The only antidote to this deathly disease is prevention . . . keeping the disease away.

The only antidote to death of our soul is through giving our life to Jesus.

There is no quick shot, no ‘fix’, no ‘once and done.’

Once we say yes and know in our soul that the Holy Spirit is directing our path, we must continue to give a ‘boost’ to our vulnerable soul.

Daily due diligence will keep our soul healthy and happy.

Daily due diligence can become as simple as putting on that mask.

Daily due diligence can be as easy as washing our hands every time we touch anything that might carry germs.

Daily due diligence with Jesus is just as simple as saying

‘good morning Lord,’ each morning we wake.

Daily, read words from Jesus that draw us closer to Him.

Daily, pray to the Lord that your day is His day, your plans are His plans, your path is His path.

Daily, invite our Lord to protect and direct your path.

Being firmly connected with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit is so daily.

So is battling the virus.

Let’s do both.
. . . . . . . . . . 
The words below were created by some diligent soul who had enough time to muse regarding COVID19 and our sequester.  I send this to you to linger over and enjoy.

GOD’S OFFICIAL LOCKDOWN

The official lock down started March 23 and will likely end May 1st. 

That is EXACTLY 40 days.

The Latin root of the word "quarantine" is "forty".

So what does the Bible say about 40?

The flood lasted 40 days.

40 years Moses fled Egypt.

40 days Moses stayed on Mount Sinai to receive the Commandments.

Exodus lasted 40 years.

Jesus fasted for 40 days.

40 days for a woman to rest after giving birth.

Optimum number of weeks for human gestation is 40.

A group of theologians thinks the number 40 represents "change”. It is the time of preparing a person, or people, to make a fundamental change.

Something will happen after these 40 days. 

Just believe and pray. 

Remember, whenever the number 40 appears in the Bible, there is a "change".

Please know that during this "quarantine" rivers are cleaning up, vegetation is growing, the air is becoming cleaner because of less pollution, there is less theft and murder, healing is happening, and most importantly, people are turning to Christ. 

The Earth is at rest for the first time in many years and hearts are truly transforming.

Remember we are in the year 2020, and 20 + 20 = 40.

Also, 2020 is the year of the United States Census. Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, was born during a census.

Lastly, 2020 is perfect vision. May our sight focus on the Lord and living according to His perfect vision for us knowing He holds us in the palm of His hand.

May these days of "quarantine" bring spiritual liberation to our souls, our nation, and our world.