Category: Tomorrow

Happy Anniversary .... Almost

8/4/2013

Nearly 50,000 of you have been on this particular journey with me now for mere days shy of a full year. And, oh, what a year it has been! As I look back over this span of time, I see that it has been filled with many changes that resulted in adventures, as well as a number of detours to our otherwise normal, day-to-day living.

This last year has brought with it a birth and several deaths; a near-divorce in one quarter and an approaching wedding in another; job and residence changes; thousands of miles of anticipated travel, and another thousand or two of unplanned travel on top of that; both destruction and construction home projects; overall, our household has been bursting with good health, with the exception of one memorable urgent emergency room visit for a ruptured appendix –  always in the middle of the night. Why is that? – that resulted in surgery and a longer-than-normal hospital stay; newly-formed friendships, reaffirmation and strengthening of older friendships, and, sadly, the deterioration of relationships due to challenges that have yet to find an amicable resolution.

All of these occurrences were tucked in between the normal demands and obligations of everyday home- and work-life.   No doubt, if you were to review
the previous twelve months of your life, it, too, would be filled with tales of
similar trials, changes or rough patches.

John 16:33 (NASB) “These things I [Jesus] have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation [trials and distress and frustration], but take courage; I have overcome the world.” [Emphasis mine.]

Through it all – through every one of the ups and downs and sideways movements of life – God’s presence can be clearly seen as He silently wove His way in and out, around and through each and every circumstance, guiding and strengthening so we could successfully navigate these unexpected storms. He stood firm and unchangeable as the one constancy in the midst of the chaos. And He will always stand firm.

While change is a constant and keeps our life in perpetual flux, there is a much better, consistently reliable Constant available to us.

Hebrew 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

He is our strength giver …

Isaiah 40:29 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the
weak.”

and  our wisdom imparter.

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

He is our Rock …

Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

and He is our peace.

Isaiah 26:3 “You [God] will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

None of us know what tomorrow will hold (let alone over the course of the next year),
but God does and He will be with us until the end.

Psalm 48:14 “For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.”

With whom will you place your trust today for the changes to come in all of your
tomorrows? The choice is yours. He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

~~~~~~~

Dear Fellow Travelers,

A known change is ahead. I am being led onto a new path which will result in either less time being spent here on this site, or else may indeed lead me away from it altogether.  Until that is known, I will write pieces as I am able that will continue to show that God truly is present in everyday things each day of our lives. Do please check back for the new postings, or else to re-read postings that have previously been published. They will continue to be available for you to read over the course of the next twelve months.

Thank you again for traveling this particular path with me. I hope to meet each one of you in heaven.  Remember, the choice is yours.

Be blessed,
Robin

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But a Moment

4/18/2013

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When a person receives unforeseen news that is of a devastating nature, the world takes on quite a different look than it had only a moment prior. The darker colors outdoors appear to be abnormally dismal, the still-leafless branches on the trees seem to be in the foreground of any view regardless of where one looks, and the jaggedness of last year’s thistles stand out in stark relief against the background of the pale, new growth of spring. The world looks ‘off’ and seems to match the numbness from the intense pain residing in the heart.

Psalm 31:9-10 “Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.”

Such was the case today for me. Numb from the news of the telephone call, I wandered outside to retreat into the privacy of the garden where my tears could flow freely and I could speak plainly to the Lord of the deep pain in my heart. I sought for some tangible sign of hope to ease the ache that had suddenly taken up residence in my soul. And, as is just like our Father, I found it in quite an unexpected way.

Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

It was not that many days ago that I had been in the yard and saw a lone dandelion standing proud and tall against the edging where it was safe from the blade of the lawnmower. Its bright yellow flower petals had been gleaming in the sunshine and it seemed to live unmindful of its reputation as a weed that people spent so much time and effort trying to eradicate from their perfectly manicured lawns.

During my trip to the garden today, I espied it again, only to find the remnants of that happy-colored flower of yesterday in the form of a perfectly rounded seed head.   Its blooming season had ended and the seeds were poised so as to be caught up by the wind and borne to a new home where they could patiently wait for the next season to show their bright yellow heads to the world once more.

It was in this dandelion that I saw a reminder of the assurance of hope that has been promised to us as God’s children.

Job 14:5 “A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.”

Just like the dandelion, we each have our season on this earth. God alone knows the length of time given to every one of us. For that brief span of time, we grow, bloom and shine brightly in the life He has gifted to us. And when the time allotted to us has been fulfilled, He calls us home to Him.

Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

During our lifetime, we release seeds (figuratively speaking) into other people’s lives that will remain long after we are gone. While an individual may no longer be physically present with us, these seeds will gently remain in us as sweet reminders of the one who released them.

Psalm 112:7 “He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

I thought that after the news of today that I would be full of ‘why’ questions. Why her? Why when she was so young? Yet I could not question the God who knew the length of her life before she was ever born. We were blessed to have her for nineteen years. Instead, with tears streaming from my eyes, I looked heavenward then proclaimed loudly through the sobs caused from the deep ache in my heart, “Even so, I trust in You and in Your timing. And I trust in the promise You gave of everlasting life for all those who believe. I will see her again one day.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Until the time comes for us to begin everlasting life with Him, we have His promises of complete care for all that we need in this life.

Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Truly we are here for but a moment. What will you do with it? What will you do with Him? The choice is yours. He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

                                        Dedicated to Maria Kathleen Elias
                                               February 22, 1994 – April 18, 2013
                            Look for us by the gate. We’ll be there before we know it.

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What to do? What to do?

2/23/2013

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In the busyness of life, have you ever paused long enough to question what you needed to do to make your life truly matter?    Each day is filled with much – most of the time too much! - activity, but what is it all for? In a week (or a month, a year or a decade) will the things that get accomplished in the next 24 hours make any lasting difference?   Will anyone even care tomorrow that so much hard work was accomplished today?

These are some deep questions, I know, yet they are questions that are, if not vocalized, at least felt by many people on the inside.   It’s important to know that our life, our very existence, is not for, well, naught.

For many years of my life, I admired (yet secretly envied) those people I knew who seemed to be born knowing exactly what their purpose or special talent was for this life.   Their yearning, fueled by a deep-seated drive, helped them stay focused while they diligently worked to bring to life the inner vision that they were fully confident was their path to follow.   I longed to be like these ‘born-knowers’ who were sure of their purpose in life.

Each of us has been given at least one talent – a gift, if you will.

I Corinthians 7:7b “But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has
that.”

Many times, a gift can manifest itself during childhood and, if recognized and properly nurtured, will continue to grow as the child matures. It will seem as if he or she has blossomed overnight into their life’s calling once they step into the adult role that they’ve been groomed for over the course of their young life.

There are individuals I know who have specific talents that are obvious to anyone who is around them for any length of time.  One person can sing beautifully while another plays a musical instrument effortlessly; one individual paints incredible life-like pictures while yet another creates intricately designed quilts.

For others of us who aren’t sure what we want to be when we grow up, we also have been endowed with a gift, though sometimes it may be less easy to spot the special talent or gift.
This inability could be for a number of reasons.   Perhaps the special skill was noticed in the child, but never nurtured properly for one reason or another.  Or perhaps it wasn’t an artistic talent at all, but rather a ‘sense’ talent that involved good listening, encouraging words or a gentle, healing touch. Or maybe it was a gift of working with animals, children, or the infirm.

An enduring satisfaction comes to each of us when we use the gift God has instilled in us. If
you aren’t already aware of what your gift is, how do you discover what it is? If you ask God, He will show you. Most of the time, the talent you have been given will come to the forefront of your current activities in some way or other. It’s not uncommon for people to unexpectedly comment about something you do well, such as organizing, or speaking well, or inventing, or any myriads of other things. Or it could be the long-standing dream  that exists deep down inside of you that constantly instills a longing in you to accomplish something specific like learning another language, or traveling, or teaching, or volunteering, or working with a special needs group. Or else it could be the task that brings you the most satisfaction either during the process or else upon the completion of it.

We have all been given at least one special talent, skill, or gift.

Romans 12:6-8 “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.   If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; it if is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

Once you discover your particular gift, what then?   It should be used to serve others.

1 Peter 4:10-11 “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

We do have a purpose.   You have a purpose.   Each of us was endowed with some special ability by God’s design at the time we were knit together in our mother’s womb. Once we put our gift into use, we may not fully realize in this life the extent to which we have impacted another’s life, but we will find out in the next.   And that’s something else wonderful to look forward to.

Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.   It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

What to do? The choice is yours. He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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STUCK NOTES

9/20/2012

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Have you ever had a song stuck in your head?   No matter what else you try to think about, your mind always comes back to the tune and/or the words and you find yourself humming, whistling, or quietly singing it to yourself.

Such was the case for me this morning.   A song from my youth based upon Psalm 25 came to the forefront of my mind and refused to return to the portion of my brain that houses distant memories.   I had to not only sing it in its entirety several times before it was no longer ‘right there,’ but also had to look up the psalm and read it to see how accurate my memory of the words were.

One of the verses in the song that was prominent in my head was from Psalm 25:7 “Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord.”

As Christians, it is often times more difficult to be around people who ‘knew us when;’ to the time prior to when we chose to live a
life pleasing to the Lord. These are the same people who talk of us today as if we were still that person of yesterday. These are the people who cannot accept our changed state into the incredible new creation we become after we accept Christ, nor do they choose to see the areas of growth that have occurred (and continue to occur) as we are daily molded into what Christ would
have us to be tomorrow.

One of the problems with people reminding you of what you used to be is that their words bring to mind the ‘old tunes’ of the past that were made by the consistent, prolonged negativity spoken to us, with - what I call - words of 'not enoughness.’    Perhaps you were told you were not good enough, or attractive enough, or athletic enough, or fast enough, or organized enough, or well-behaved enough, or smart enough. And as a result, you felt as if you were not enough.  Period.

Yet the simple truth is that we have great worth and are loved an unfathomable amount by God, so much so that He willingly sent His son to die in our place for our sins.

     Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We need do only one thing in order to be counted as enough in God's eyes: accept His Son.

    Psalm 25: 3 “No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame.”

When the ‘old tunes’ of negativity arise in your mind, replace it with a new song of praise to the Lord.

     Psalm 13:6 “I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.”

Repeatedly sing your song of praise to Him and soon it will be these notes that will get stuck in your head.  He’s waiting to hear from you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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Happy Anniversary .... Almost

But a Moment

What to do? What to do?

STUCK NOTES

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