Healing Our Land

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." ~The Lord


You want God to heal our land? Here's what we have to do. If you identify with being one of God's people, if you call yourself by his name then here is what we have to do: Humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face and turn from our wicked ways.  He's never been shy about judgment. Anyone who has read the first five books of the Bible can tell you that.  


 As one of God's people here in America, I need to humble myself. I can be puffed- up and complacent. Complacent especially in prayer. It's easy for me to pray for the people far away whose pain I'm not affected by and I won't be required to get involved with. But what about my neighbor? What about my community? I don't want the accusation of worshiping God with my lips while my heart is far from him. I began to fervently pray for my neighbors, my neighborhood and my community. Since I started praying, I have seen the Lord's hand in my community and have watched in wonder as properties have been cleaned up and people communicating with each other to work together to better our small town. Even the local tavern is getting a facelift!


Seeking God's face. I've come to the conclusion that this means being face-to- face with my fellow believers. He's our Father and just as a child can physically look like his earthly father, each one of us bears a unique resemblance to our Heavenly Father. We are made in God's image. I was never meant to isolate myself. This is not a solo journey. I seek God's face in God's people. Someday, I will see Jesus face-to-face and I know I will recognize him!


Turning from wicked ways is perhaps the biggest stumbling block. Half the time, I don't want to admit that there is any wicked ways in me! Realizing that I'm saved by grace though humbles me enough to be able to face my sinfulness without shame and allows me to confess and be cleansed from all unrighteousness. I don't want to suppress the truth in any way.


If you truly want t God to heal our land, He's told us what we need to do. Let's do it!


"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them." ~Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus

Following the Leader

"Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me." ~David


I've been praying for direction. How does God want me to invest my talents and time to further his Kingdom? I shared this recently and a friend reminded me that everyone wants to know what God's will for their life is. We get the idea that it's this big and fantastic life changing epiphany when in reality it's making the small choices every day to choose that which glorifies the Lord. Whether it's doing dishes, sweeping floors or serving customers it needs to be done with an attitude of gratitude as if you were doing it for the King himself.


"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." ~Paul

Back to Basics

"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." ~Jesus


There are times when I have to be reminded to go back to the basics. The past few weeks have been one of those times. I've been struggling with self control again and didn't want to admit it. I've been reminded of how important God's grace is in my life and how he even uses my failures to mold me into the image he has of me. The perfected me. The me that's abiding in eternity. I'm also reminded that I reap what I sow and this past year, I'm ashamed to say, I've been praying a lot for crop failure!


The sad part is that this spiritual lethargy was self inflicted. My sin had separated me from the love that God has for me. I'd spent days focusing on ways to combat desire only to fail again and again before I realized that I had left my first love. Ways to serve others for Jesus hadn't occupied my thoughts at all. My thoughts were monopolized by guilt and anticipated failure. It was time to put the helmet of salvation back on and repent of my stinkin' thinkin'. Time to fall in love with my savior again. I consumed the book of John with an acute sense of God's presence. How could anyone not love this man? *Sigh*... Then on to the "Song of Solomon"!



"Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first." ~Jesus

Body Parts

"The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family." ~The Lord (Numbers 2:2)


I was honored to get to be a camp councilor at a winter camp recently and I always come away with so many wonderful spiritual lessons from doing so. This time was no exception. The thing that struck me most about camp this year is the unity of God's people. 


The Israelites in the desert for forty years came to mind as I watched the efficiency in which we set up camp and tore it down. God had given them instructions on how to set up and tear down their camp in an orderly fashion. They moved as a unit; a body. They could mobilize quickly with each individual doing their part. Each person belonged to a family which belonged to a tribe which in turn was part of the nation.


Our little band of believers all belong to each other, a local tribe and part of the Kingdom of Heaven. Through the Holy Spirit, I could almost hear the prayers of my fellow citizens for us all weekend. What a joy to be accepted by God and allowed to be a member of the body of Christ!


"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." ~Paul

First to See

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." ~David


While working hospice, I inevitably had to say goodbye to my friends. As they stepped through the door to heaven, the last thing I told them was that I was a tad jealous. "Barring any accidents, they were going to see Jesus first and could they please give him a hug for me." My comment was usually rewarded with a chuckle and has been the last conversation I've had with many. The Lord turned this around on me a couple months ago.


I had trouble sleeping when my husband was going in for surgery, while he was in surgery and during his recovery. During that time, I met a photographer from New York online. Over four years, we developed a friendship while we were both learning about photography. He prayed for my husband every time he went into surgery and kept the conversations light and fun. He'd post pictures of his family, his boys playing soccer, his marbles, ballerinas and other random shots. I was really looking forward to someday meeting him and his wife. A couple of months ago though, he died of a massive heart attack. I was stunned.


Going to the Lord, I prayed, "Jesus... I'm a tad jealous of you right now. You got to see Timothy first!  Will you please give him a hug for me!" See you later my friend, I miss you.


Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" ~John 11:25

Numbered Days

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" ~Moses


I've always wanted a heart of wisdom so I prayed this song. Teach me to number my days aright, oh Lord! My personality is such that I have no concept of the passing of time. Everything is in the "now" and if not, it must've happened last week. Days flow into months and months into years before I catch up. I must admit when I prayed this prayer, I was totally stumped as to how the Lord was going to get the passing of time through to me. I began to watch for his teaching. As usual, he used something totally unexpected. A bag of goo and two pages of instructions for its care.


I was "blessed" with an Amish Friendship bread start. With two pages of how to care for this obnoxious little blob, I decided to name it. It was obviously a boy so I named it Fred. Fred the Bread. After three days of resting, Fred had to be squeezed every day. On the sixth day, he had to be fed. Back to squeezing until the tenth day when he had to be baked. Since it was a yeast bread that called for sugar, he had to be burped every once in awhile to keep him from exploding. I kid you not. This meant that I have to number the days and have a bake day every ten days. I squirmed under the control. Ten days goes by really fast and what if I didn't want to bake that day or something more fun came along to do? It forced me to plan. Do I have every thing I need to bake that day? When was I going to get what was lacking?


You may laugh but the control that little baggy had over my life became extremely irritating! I started to plot Fred's last bake day. After all, I learned the lesson ... Yeah, yeah... number my days. He'd be gone by Father's Day. Well, long story short: my husband had grown quite attached to Fred. It seems they enjoy second breakfast every day and he didn't want to put an end to that. So, my lesson continues as does the adventures of Fred the Bread. I've resigned myself to the routine of taking care of Fred and realized that numbering my days must be very important to the Lord. So important that he's not going to let me squirm out from under the answer to my prayer. Yes, that bag of goo was and still is an answer to prayer. I just wonder how long I have to keep baking before I get that heart of wisdom!


"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." ~James 

Trashy Neighbors

"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord." ~Leviticus 19:18


Every time I drive down the roads in my neighborhood, they are strewn with trash. I'm constantly distracted by the espresso cups floating in the frogs pond and the plastic water bottles riding the streams into the creek that the herd of deer drink from. Even the trees seem resolved to have beer can encrusted roots. They droop sadly towards the creek on the hillside while the ferns struggle to push through plastic bags. Nothing irritates me as much as someone who litters. I began to hold a grudge against the people polluting their own neighborhoods. I began to want revenge against those trashy neighbors who could possibly be that selfish. I began to pray for them: Especially the one that drinks Icehouse beer and eats cup-of-noodle soup. Grrrr....


Revelation struck one day as I was driving and grumbling to the Lord about the garbage. The Lord said, "You do it. Love your neighbor as yourself" It was clear that it was a conviction as in "you've littered too" and a command as in, "show me your love for your neighbors. Pick it up". After stalling a few days I grabbed my walking stick and a trash bag and began picking up all those offensive scraps of plastic and foam on the side of the road. I spent the time praying for the families that live in the houses on the other side of the path of trash.  I realized it truly is a tangible way for me to love my neighbors as myself. Now when I drive down the road, I scope out the next stretch that needs to be freed from the rubbish and praise God for how beautiful it will be!


Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself."'