Hopscotch and Manna #26

Flee to Hope

“…We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 6:18b-20 HCSB

Photography by Guille Pozzi, unsplash photos.

Do you feel under the oppression of worry and strife in your life? Have you ever wanted to run home for safety, but as it turns out, home has become the source of tremulous frustration? I have a friend whose go-to response to strife is to flee! She wants to run for the hills. Without a clear plan, her sneakers are laced and ready to run like Forest Gump. She can feel the chant in her soul, “Run Forest. Run!”

If this is you, I encourage you to see things a little differently. Instead of fleeing from your troubles, flee from the tempting thoughts of the enemy that steal your hope. Flea from the dialogue in your head that recites the negativity, bitterness, and offenses that breed hopelessness. Flea from stinkin’ thinkin’.

My friend’s motive is to run because she has lost hope. God’s word tells us that those of us who have fled for refuge should seize hope because it’s the anchor in our lives. We can find safety and security when we rely on our high priest, Jesus, instead of our own control or the speed of our feet.

Of course, some situations necessitate distancing yourself physically from someone or someplace in a speedy way. However, today, I’m encouraging you to stay put physically. Stay, even though there may be worry and strife. Instead, I urge you to mentally flee from the destructive thoughts that tempt you away from your home or family to escape trials. Flea to the refuge of Jesus and seize the hope that will anchor you in the storm. It requires a great deal of faith to trust that God has got you, even when the ground is shaking. I promise you, there is nothing so out of control that He can’t provide refuge.

My prayer for you and my friend today: Dear Lord, help them to flee from unhealthy thoughts and the temptation to dwell on worries or recite negativity. Help their minds and hearts to flee to you for refuge and encouragement as they aggressively seize the hope you have set before them. May this hope be an anchor during the quaking and storm they are currently in. Jesus is their hope, and I ask for a heaping dose of faith for them. So that they can cling to the robe of the high priest Jesus, who entered the holy of holies on their behalf. He came so that they may have life and have it in abundance. If the abundance must come through trials, please give them the faith and endurance to remain. I make these important requests in Jesus’ holy name. Amen!

Manna #25

Rainbows   

Photo by Emily Warren

         My Christian friend took a picture of a beautiful rainbow while she was on vacation in Hawaii. She showed me the picture without comment, yet we shared a silent understanding that it was a message from God. Genesis 9 tells the story of God making a covenant with Noah that would extend to all his descendants and everything on the planet. A rainbow symbolizes that God promised never to destroy the earth with a worldwide flood again. God told Noah that He (God) would remember the covenant whenever He (God) saw the rainbow. It should also remind us of God’s promise, and who doesn’t pause to admire a rainbow in the sky? However, twice He states that it will remind Him of His promise. That is significant. I can also see a little humor in it. I wonder if He needs to be reminded of His promise because He is going to want to destroy this sinful world again and again.

            I’ve had and heard many conversations about the symbolization of the rainbow in our culture. I’ve heard people say that the gender movement hijacked it. I suggest the enemy has hijacked it and reassigned a counterfeit meaning.

            The rainbow is a sign of God’s covenant with Noah not to flood the world again. However, reading the whole text is necessary when exegeting the Bible. When studying the surrounding verses (and chapters) we gain further insight into why God made the covenant. In the affiliate scriptures, God blessed Noah and his sons and told them to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” in Genesis 9:1. God actually states it twice. It appears again in v.7 “Be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it.”

            God commands us to reproduce and fill the earth. What does this new gender movement hinder? Reproduction. God assigned a rainbow as a reminder of a covenant He made with the inhabitants of the whole earth in connection to His command to reproduce. To spite God, the enemy hijacked the rainbow to signify approval of the very thing that hinders God’s command.

            A country founded on Christianity is the target of Satan, our true enemy. He infiltrates our cities and entices our citizens away to his underground city of hedonism. One city has become hundreds of cities where autonomy has replaced God, and His commands have been discarded or scoffed at. Therefore, the enemy openly walks the streets with a permit to steal, kill and destroy. Lies are his calling card, and there is no truth in him. In spite of God’s warning, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). Satan twists the truth to deceive many. He does it all in the name of love, a counterfeit love that doesn’t sustain. Because it isn’t actually love.

            In these new cities, Satan steals the notion of love and corrupts its true meaning. We are coerced by the deceived to approve and celebrate things God disapproves of and says are detestable. The enemy and his followers call this new twist love. But true “Love finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). The enemy has a counterfeit love celebrated with the hijacked rainbow.

            It’s time to take back our cities and underpin them in their original foundation of Christian values. We must move forward with Godly motives and love the citizens Satan is trying to steal. They aren’t evil; they’ve been lied to and misled. Division and hatred are the enemy's tactics to steer all parties toward his domain. Christians, we can’t let him gain a foothold. “Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but agains the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12).

            For this reason, God calls us to love others, not some others but all others. It’s our job to be like Christ and help our neighbors escape this despicable battle. And now, there will be a new type of PTSD we have to understand in our brothers and sisters. It will require gentle spirits and kind words to tend and heal. So today, triage requires a fresh anointing of Christ’s disciples so that they may have an abundant outpouring of love and compassion toward those caught in snares.

            It will be tempting for Christians to cast judgments. So, put on your football helmet and pads and block that temptation. There is no need to judge those who are victims of the enemy’s schemes. The Bible warns us to be careful when restoring others because we could also fall into sin. Paul writes to the Galatians about this very thing: “Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).

Furthermore, Peter warns, “Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The Devil doesn’t care if he devours you or the brother that needs your help; he is looking for anyone he can manipulate or deceive.

            I paused while writing this challenging post. Why? Because it confronts an alluring fortress of lies built around valuable people. I want to come against the fortress the enemy encamps on without injuring those behind its walls. It’s not a war but a rescue mission. Jesus already won the war, and now we bring the Gospel so He can set the captives free. Hallelujah!

Manna #24

When your cell is lonely

Photo from Unsplash by Diego San

                  Do you ever feel like you have been locked in a cell and see no escape on the horizon? You may be stuck in an emotional conundrum or depression. Possibly, you feel trapped in a situation or marriage that you can’t fix or control. You may be living in a body unwilling to get well or so damaged that normal life seems impossible. Being trapped can feel hopeless. Being abandoned and alone in whatever cell you find yourself in is also very lonely. Having no control over your life or circumstances is maddening. However, there is something special that can’t be taken from you, and when no one else can join you, there is one person that can.

                  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were trapped in the fiery furnace, and even though they could not get out, Jesus could get in. They were not alone. Daniel was dropped into the lion’s den, and even though he could not escape, Jesus got in. Paul and Silas were in chains in prison with no means of escape, but Jesus was with them. John was imprisoned on Patmos Island, he had no way to escape, but Jesus came to him and gave him a Revelation. When you feel alone, your situation is too difficult, your health is too bad, and you feel trapped in a cell, you are not alone. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can stop Jesus from crossing whatever barrier you feel trapped in to be with you to encourage and teach you.

                  James 1:2 says to consider trials pure joy. Why? Because when you face trials, Jesus will meet you in them. Your trials are the very things that will bring you to perfection. So that you will be complete and lacking in nothing (James 1:4). As someone who has come out of many trials and plenty of suffering, hindsight gives me the advantage of understanding the refinement I underwent during those difficult times. God has equipped me with so much and for so many because of the cells I spent time in. I understand when you are suffering; looking forward is hard. Guess what? You don’t have to. You don’t have to know how long the suffering will last; you don’t even need to know what may be next. Instead, look up. Look for Jesus because He promises to be with you in your suffering. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

                  Brother, I know that your life feels like it is not your own. I know you feel terrible and don’t see an end to your suffering. I know you feel like you are trapped alone in that cell. And the enemy is trying to take everything from you because he has come to steal, kill, and destroy. However,  your enemies cannot take away your faith, joy, and peace because those belong to the Lord, and HE will march into your cell and never leave you. God’s Word will not return empty but will accomplish what it was sent out to do and prosper. Jesus is the Word. He is doing a good work in you, and as I see it, your cell might actually be your own private room with the Lord so that He can work out all things in your life for your good. And your good may be the necessary thing needed to bless someone else.

                  Suffering is hard. There is no denying it. But it doesn’t have to be hopeless, empty, or lonely. Lean into the Lord. Look up. Put your faith in Him and worship Him in your mind and spirit. No one can take that from you. As Good Friday approaches, remember Jesus's abuse on the cross. He is no stranger to suffering or feeling alone. But He endured all of it for you. Move close to the cross of Jesus, He died for you, and after three days in the grave, He rose again so that you can have an abundant life (even from a cell).

                  Hopscotch Heidi

Manna #23

Gossip

              Have you ever found yourself chomping at the bit to wow someone with a little juicy gossip? I am ashamed to say that I have been the herald of news more than I want to admit. I have a feeling you can relate. I don’t think I’m alone in this. Why is it so satisfying to share information commonly demeaning or critical of another? I can only assume that we find it savory to talk about and belittle the sins or circumstances of another because we mentally place ourselves above that individual. We only do this because we have not found ourselves in that particular sin or circumstance, even though we have sins others may not know or see.

            Psalm 141:3-4 is a request for God’s supernatural guidance in how we use our mouths. “Lord, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing or perform wicked acts with men who commit sins. Do not let me feast on their delicacies.”

            Clearly, the scripture asks God to keep us from diving into the sins and wicked acts in which other people partake. However, the section began with a plea to guard the author’s mouth and ended with him asking God to keep him from feasting on the delicacies of another man’s sin. Isn’t that what we do when we gossip? We feast on the delicacies of someone else’s sin and humiliation while savoring the flavor as it drips off our tongues with pride. The middle part of those verses says, “Do not let my heart to turn to any evil thing.” Pride is plenty evil, leading to Satan’s ousting from heaven and the likely culprit for the fall of man.

            I don’t have the secret answer to changing the bad behavior of gossiping about others or how to take control of our mouths. However, if pride is the motivator to gossip, there are a few things we might need to take to heart.

Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”

1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 16:5 “The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

I find it ironic that the wickedness we avoid becomes a new kind of wickedness to us when we condemn others for it with our gossiping mouths. We don’t enjoy it when others grind us to bits with their words. So, let’s stop doing the same to others. It’s like eating a bag of candy; It’s sure sweet on the tongue but does nothing good for our bodies. So, join me in this petition; Dear Lord, do not let me feast on the delicacies of gossip. Amen.

Hopscotch and Manna #22

Makowski Lane

            Summer is flying by, and I feel like I am dangling from a rope out the back of an airplane. I’m wind whipped and choking on exhaust fumes. It’s been an exhilarating ride, but I’m not a fan of feeling out of control. Who is with me? I used to think I was a thrill seeker, but as I come careening into fifty this week, I realize that is false. I enjoy my quiet time on the patio and a relaxing float down the river more than almost anything. Just the other day, I had the pleasure of kayaking on a lazy river with a couple of my favorites. One of them asked if we brought any tunes. Heck no! There isn’t a sound sweeter than the flow of the water and the sounds of nature that chirp and hum on the green banks. My brain is so frazzled that even my favorite songs can put me on edge. Have you ever felt like that? I’ve recently had two friends tell me they felt the same.

            On my way home from a really long day at work this week, I made a mental note to look for a place to vacation in October. My urge to flee was severe that day, but I knew some things were coming up that I couldn’t avoid. My mindset was that I could endure if I knew I could flee soon. I’m sure I’m the only one who does that. Right?

             My go-to response to stressful situations is to flee. However, I think that’s the last thing I need to do right now. What I need to do is sit still. You know that verse, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)? That is what I need to do. Fleeing from all the busyness and stuff just adds more busyness and stuff. It’s hard to deny yourself its usual response to things. So, I needed a free moment of peace to sit back and evaluate my circumstances. Are there things I have heaped on myself that add stress? Are there things that I can remove from the heap? Are there different ways to handle my circumstances that will alleviate the stress? And with all the things I can’t avoid and have no control over, I know the intervention needs to come from God because that Hawaiian vacation I contemplated gave me a whole new pile of grief. Will my bearded brute go? How will we pay for it? What will I wear? I need to lose weight first. Who will watch the dogs? Ugh!

            I need a “but God…” moment. Don’t you just love those? I sure do. Thankfully, He gave me one that day on the drive home. I turned up the country road toward my house, and God’s blessing came in ditches strewn with blooming sunflowers. They are so beautiful. I find immense joy that God is the only one who tends them, and they come up year after year. Some sneak up out of the ditches between cracks in the old asphalt. I anxiously wait for the flowers all summer, even though I know they won’t appear until August. Well, it’s August, and I felt like Dorothy on the yellow brick road. My heart lightened, and I wanted to hop out and skip along the yellow-lined road singing. I’m so blessed that no one mows the ditches on that road.

            Wild sunflowers altered my mood. When I left work, I had been out of sorts, trying to think of a way to escape my life, but God slowed me down and gave me flowers instead. I love the wild sunflowers and know they won’t last long—every day since I lighten my foot on the gas pedal and linger on Makowski Lane. God reminded me to value slowing down and to appreciate the little things. Even when life is fast and feels out of control, we have moments in our day that could ground us if we allow them. Or rather moments in our day when God can ground us if we would only slow down.

            In the winter, it’s easy to hunker down and plan time with God and His Word. It’s less busy and easy to stick with a devotional time. Summer hits me like a freight train, and activities obliterate my devotional time. At first, I tell myself it will only be like that for a week or two. But all of a sudden, it’s the middle of August, and I feel so distant from God that devotional time is all I crave. Time alone with God seems elusive, and I wonder where I will have it. When will I do it? I don’t know why these are even questions to ponder. Take time now, do it wherever you are. God isn’t picky; the time and setting don’t have to be just right. He’s available and willing anytime we come to Him.

            So, let’s lean in and let God ground us in His Spirit and minister to us from His Word. Even if we are in the parking lot at work getting ready to head home, spend some time with Him. Or, find your Makowski Lane and linger there.

            Lastly, don’t flee if you are like me. Instead, look at the flowers, listen for the hummingbird, feel the silky ears of your dog and enjoy his stinky breath. They are all very simple things, but each is a gift from God. I haven’t mastered the upheaval of emotions that has been chasing me this summer, but God has gotten my attention. Thank you, Lord, for the flowers. I’m going to spend some more time with you. You got my attention like the sunflower that pushed its way through the crack in the asphalt. No matter the circumstances, there is always time for God, and it’s always worth it.

  “Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will He do for you—you of little faith? Don’t keep striving for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:27-34

Hopscotch and Manna #21

Montana Sings Praise!

I live on the southeast side of the Continental Divide in Montana. Sometimes people call this area the banana belt because it’s warmer in the winter than the rest of the state, and we get much less precipitation in the way of snow and rain. Spring is often cut short as the summer sun takes the moisture up to the skies to become rain for Minnesota. In the low lands, it can become scorched, and without snow, the landscape becomes a sea of beige. Even then, my eyes find the spruce-covered mountains and the lush foliage of the irrigated fields and waterways. God blessed Montana with wide spaces and a big sky. So, even when the hills are brown, He gives our eyes a place to settle and find respite in the mountains and valleys.

This year it’s been different. The spring rains have continued to fall, and everywhere the eye can see are shades of green. I feel like a winter-worn horse let out into the fresh green pasture. The dew-covered leaves and every blade of grass invigorate my soul and restore my hope. I simply can’t stop looking at the views and breathing in the fresh scents of spring. I don’t want to miss a moment of the show God is putting on for us across this gigantic state. The spring rains and greenery are the stars of the show. But, He also sets a gorgeous stage with blue and grey skies to highlight the snow-capped mountains. While rays of sunshine spotlight the landscape in a symphonic movement as white and periwinkle clouds illuminate the landscape.

I’m in awe of the beauty of our world, and I can’t keep quiet. So, I have to ask everyone around me, do you see it too? Isn’t it so green? Aren’t the skies spectacular? Creation is exulting its Creator; how could anyone miss it? 

“Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice; let the sea and all that fill it resound. Let the fields and everything in them exult. Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth…The heavens proclaim His righteousness; all the peoples see His glory.” (Psalm 96:11-13, 97:6) 

My heart swells with joy as I watch creation rejoice, resound, exult, shout for joy, and proclaim God’s righteousness. We can all see His glory. Some of you experience it the same as me but don’t yet know the Creator. God created this world for you, and He reveals Himself to you in it.

“For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power, divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made” (Romans 1:20).

His grandeur in creation is on display in Montana right now. I can’t help but wonder why? My spirit is so desperate for refreshment that I am drinking it in like a child on a hot day with a garden hose. Our county, state, country, hemisphere, and world are in overwhelming turmoil. God is being swept from every corner of man’s world. Less and less of us are praising Him, so I think Creation must.

The week before Jesus was crucified, He entered Jerusalem on a donkey. As He came into the city, crowds were praising joyfully in loud voices. Some Jewish leaders, called Pharisees, didn’t believe He was the Son of God and wanted Him to tell the crowd to stop. Jesus said to them, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!” (Luke 19:40).

Many people are being lured away from the one true God and fidelity to His Word these days. The desire for self-exultation and self-sufficiency is so alluring that people turn inward and sing praises to themselves. Mankind’s worship for God is so hushed that Creation is praising Him. The earth is heralding God’s glory before the stones must cry out.

“I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth” (Isaiah 6:1-3).

His glory fills the whole earth. From the snow atop the distant mountain to the moth that just flew past my window, God’s creation extols His glory, and everything the eye can see shouts His name!

 *Photo was taken by me. It doesn’t do the real landscape justice.

Hopscotch #20

A Mother’s Heart

         My mom, JoAnne Embler, died in 1979. It was the spring of my first-grade year. In ways, her death defined me. Most people would be quick to acknowledge the influence their mothers had on the person they have become. Similarly, my mother’s absence was an invisible marking on me, which most certainly influenced my life. 

           After the birth of my first child, grief swept into my life as a surprise. I had no idea I would be so profoundly aware of my mother’s absence at that time. But I was, and it was painful. I guess there is something special about becoming a mother that made me incredibly aware of what I had lost. More importantly, I was aware of what she had lost. I simmer on thoughts of how she must have felt as she slipped away from her young children. It frightens me. I’m so thankful that my kids have grown and that my job is done. (Ok, maybe not done, but it’s not the same.)

           Do you know how we rationalize things or makeup scenarios in our heads? We contrive ideas that have no probable basis, but we hang onto them to make sense of our world. My little scenario was a goal to beat death and live beyond 42. Why? My mom died at 42. There were step goals along the way and mile markers to pass. My grandmother died when my mom was three, and my mom died when I was six. So, I had to make it past those points in my daughter’s life. Or was it my youngest son’s life since I was the youngest? Then I realized the math was by 3’s, so I actually had to make it past their 9th birthdays. Then move on to my 42nd birthday. Needless to say, I made it. I’m 49, and my youngest is 21. You know? I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone about this life goal until now. Crazy huh? 

           Whether it was the invisible marking of loss on my life or God’s mark, I can’t be certain, but I LOVE being a mother. Four little humans came into my life and filled it with joy. I thank God for that. Today they are full-grown humans, and my joy is complete. 

           Do you know the story of Job? Job was a man of integrity that walked with God. Satan challenged God on Job’s integrity and faithfulness. God let Satan have his way with Job with the limit of taking his life. Job lost all of his children and possessions. He went through a great time of grief and trial. Skip ahead to the end of the story, and the Lord restored Job’s prosperity and doubled his possessions. God blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the first. He had seven more sons and three daughters. The book of Job is heavy, but the blessing that God poured out on his life after so much loss is pretty encouraging. I’m sure that Job always mourned the losses he endured, but I bet it made him appreciate the blessings all the more.

           I recently had the overwhelming sense that God was blessing me beyond my losses. It wasn’t just the loss of my mother; my dad died in a house fire when I was 22. I lost a young niece and nephew, a couple of brothers-in-law, grandparents, and had a miscarriage. I also went through a dreadfully painful divorce. I’m sure some have endured much more, but my loss has been great. My testimony today is that my blessings have been greater.

           Just when I think my heart can’t hold more, God gives me more to love. I have four beautiful children who love their mom. I have a bearded brute for a husband who would do anything for me and supports my faith and ministry. I have two lovely step-children who welcome me into their lives and share their kids. Siblings I love. Friends? Who can count? I am blessed! I can relate on a small level to Job on the loss and the blessing he experienced in his life. I want to jump, shout, and praise the Lord every day of my life. His goodness endures forever.

Gabe, Oakley, and Berg will probably hate this photo, but it’s not Taylor’s fault they wouldn’t give her a genuine smile.

           You know what’s even better than being loved by my kids? I get to watch them love each other. It always makes my heart happy. This morning, my oldest child (only daughter), Taylor, texted me about her three younger brothers. I have to share it with you. She typed, “I wish I had a picture of the happenings this morning.” She owns a drive-up coffee shop, “I’ve been pretty steady all morning, so amidst the rush, Berg (the baby) came through. Then a little bit later, Gabe (second son) pulled up and was headed to take an exam. Oak and Hailey (oldest brother and fiancé) pull up behind him and begin unloading boxes into the shop. Brian (her boyfriend) drives by and honks at all of them from the intersection.” Taylor said she had to share it with me because I would love the scene just as much as she did. I think I loved it even more. 

Oakley, Taylor, Stella, Hailey, Heidi, Phoebe, Gabe, and Berg

           People have often commented on how nice and out of the ordinary that my kids are so close. They ask me, what’s the secret? If there is a secret, I don’t know the formula. My older sister told me on Saturday that I was the secret. It’s because I was such a good mom. I don’t think that’s it. I know so many great moms and their kids aren’t always close. I have to give credit to God. He has blessed me for no reason. He’s blessed me in ways that I don’t deserve. I give God the glory, and I thank Him every day.

           Don’t miss the blessings in your life. They don’t erase the loss or make the trials disappear, but they still bring a tremendous amount of joy when you thank God for all He does. Allow the tough things to help you grow. The heat in the fires refine you into something beautiful; enjoy who you become.

Hopscotch and Manna #19

Avoid the Pits

        Have you ever watched one of those children’s programs with the obstacle courses and the slime? The contestant is about to take their last move, and out of nowhere, a foam spinner knocks them off balance and down a slide covered in slime. The competitor is not out, but they must climb back up the slimy slide to begin again. Sin is a lot like that. We drag our wretched selves out of a pit of muck (which is not an easy feat), and just when it seems like smooth sailing, we get hit upside the head by something. It sends us right back into that pit of sin. After all the hard work and self-control we mustered to put our flesh in check, we backslid down that slippery slope. Have you found yourself backslidden and wondering how it happened? I almost did it this week. I thank God that I realized what was happening before the final blow.

So, you can find some hope in your situations; I wanted to note that the Apostle Paul also found himself in similar conundrums. “For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, I do what I hate,” Romans 7:15. So, maybe we can break the patterns of sin in our lives when we recognize how they begin.

I certainly don’t highlight myself because of my perfection. Instead, I use my own stories to illustrate how the Holy Spirit of God can teach a sinful woman, like me, a lesson within her ordinary life; if He can teach me, then He can certainly do the same for you.

I had been working on inputting our finances into an online software to fill out our taxes. I should probably hire an accountant for such a job. I’m not a numbers girl. I managed to list an income form in two separate locations, and the software estimated our taxes to be paid at almost three times as much as the year before. WHAT? I was mentally spiraling. I probably should have taken a breather and sent up a prayer. No, my mind was already trying to figure out how to pay the taxes. In my freak-out mode, I told my bearded brute that I could potentially finagle the numbers in my income by deleting the cash that I took in.

Now, I am not pointing the finger at you cash-stashers. This story is about me. Through much thought and prayer, I had concluded that my hiding cash from the government was wrong. I based my decision on Romans 13:1-7. I’m not here to argue this particular point. I just want you to understand my position. I put my faith in God that I would obey His Word and that He would bless me and my finances. I paid tax on my cash for many years now and never thought about doing it any different; until now. That foam block was flying at my head; I was about to slip back into the pit I had climbed out of many years before.

Guess what happened? I overheard someone else telling her tax story. She said that the government had already taken too much money (I’m sure we all agree with that on some level). She said, “I never claim my cash or checks, but it doesn’t feel wrong to me.” That foam spinner whiffed my hair as it flung past my head. My mind stopped dead in its tracks. I silently repeated, “It doesn’t feel wrong,” over and over. It actually seemed like she was trying to convince herself. If it wasn’t wrong, why even make the statement? It was wrong, and she knew it. More importantly, I knew it. What on earth was I about to do? I had come out of that particular pit many years ago, and I almost slid right back into it! In all honesty, her affirmation could have been the icing on the cake. At that exact moment, I think I heard God clearing His throat, like a parent wanting their kid to stop and think before they do or say something stupid.

I’m not writing to convict you about your tax habits. If God wants to convict you, He will. I am just reminding you not to slip back into old pits of sin. You have worked too hard to get out of that muck. So don’t slide back in.

photo from www.unsplash.com photographer Vidar Nordili-Mathisen

Hopscotch #18

Contentment in Brokenness

My bearded brute is a Harley guy, and I discovered I enjoy riding with him. I usually sit behind him on his "geezer-glide" in the comfy seat, and I'm snug as a bug in a rug. He breaks the wind and catches most of the bugs. I get to sit close to my sweetie and take in the beauty of God's world as we ride. It's a win-win for me. He thought I should learn to ride a bike of my own. Several years ago, he found me a smaller road bike, and we bought it so I could learn to ride on my own. Learning to ride the bike on my own didn't go so well. I didn't enjoy curves much, but I was beginning to get the hang of them. However, the hope that I would ever ride along with him on the highway came to a screeching halt when we discovered 35mph was the fastest I was willing to go. Yikes. Sorry, Steve. I prefer four wheels under me when I'm doing the driving.

So, he had a new mission. Find Heidi a convertible. He knows me well and found the perfect little car. He bought me a darling 2005 VW Beetle convertible. It's even the color he knows I love; pearly white with a tan top. I was in love. Ok, I need to be honest with you. I don't think they make these cars to last. There were many little things wrong with it, but it still went down the road, and the radio worked. What else could I need? I was giddy and loved bopping around town in my bug.

I've had it for about four years now, and every year there are a few new glitches, but I'm just dealing with them because it's a fun car, it's good on gas, and it was cheap. It's not worth fixing some of the issues because the car just isn't worth a lot. Well, last year, the trunk quit opening. Hmm. I think there are some jumper cables in there, but not sure what else I may never see again. No problem, I don't use the trunk that often anyway. The passenger door quit opening from the outside but no biggie because I could open it from the inside. The back window on the driver's side got stuck down and wouldn't go up (the other rear window never worked with power, but I could push it up and down by hand). I tried to take it to a glass place to see if they could help me out, but the estimate was like $1200, and I don't think the whole car is worth that much. So I decided I'd try to get my boys to YouTube it and help their Mom out. Well, winter came, and we never fixed the window. Luckily we don't live in blizzard ally, so it was ok.

Spring arrived, and the price of gas had me anxious to get my little car on the road. My bearded brute had to charge the battery and give me a jump, but it started right up and kept starting after it ran for a while. It was a sunny spring day, and I took off for town in my little car. A few miles down the road, I realized that my speedometer wasn't working. I called my mechanic son, and he suggested I disconnect the battery to reset it. My do-it-all friend Lisa found a wrench and gave me a hand. If I had a wrench, it was in the trunk, but obviously, that wouldn't help me. It didn't work; still no speedometer. Steve suggested I not drive faster than anyone else if I wanted to go for it. So, I went for it. I buzzed around, ran some errands, and hopped in and out of my car all day. It was glorious.

My last stop was at a friend's house to drop off some bible study homework. When I got back out to my little bug, the driver's door wouldn't open. What? Oh no! Seriously? What else could go wrong with this car? To my benefit, I could push the passenger side rear window down from the outside by hand, and I could then reach in and use the inside handle to open the passenger door. I then crawled over the stick shift into the driver's seat. I just want to note that I am not young or small. I hope no one was watching the show. I started her up and drove home.

Two days later, I crawled back in the passenger door and headed to my boys' house an hour away to utilize their YouTubing education and get their help with the window (and now the driver's door). I arrived at about 9:30, and they worked on my car for 11 hours. First, we had to remove the back seat, one of the front seats, the door panel, and the backside panel.

I say "we" throughout my story because I was there, but I can't say I actually helped. I did, however, offer a million suggestions, so I will still say 'we.' We managed to get the driver's door open. Yahoo! And then we removed the stuck window from the car. Early evening, we figured out how to make the window a "manual" like the other one and started putting it back in the car. At hour 9 on this job, we celebrated that we were on the homestretch by putting everything back together. Well, the ending wasn't great. Two of us were waiting for the third to grab a tool, and poof (crash?), the window exploded into a million tiny pieces. The only thing I could do was laugh. Oh well. At least the driver's door opens. I didn't have a window last year either; I can live with that.

My darling son, the head of the operation, hung his head low. He's a bit of a perfectionist, and doing the job in such a janky manor and then breaking the window at the end was harder on him. So I said, "close it up," and he made me get the vacuum to clean up all the glass in the fender (I was just going to leave it there); he couldn't leave it like that. He felt bad because now it would actually cost me something to fix the window. And we were so close.

What are the lessons in this? First of all, you really can learn to do almost anything on YouTube. Second, having sons willing to help their Mom out is priceless. So, I recommend having a few. Third, don't tighten a bolt glass too much it will explode. Fourth, sometimes you will work for 11 hours on a project and be further from done than when you started. Four and a half, getting mad doesn't help when things go wrong but laughing them off makes life for everyone better. Fifth, 11 hours spent with your loved ones and dinner at the end of the night are worth more than the project that may or may not have been accomplished. When a mom can step back and watch her grown children working on a project together, laugh together, not kill each other, and then want to enjoy a meal together, she is blessed. Sixth, even though convertible VW Beetles tend to have a lot of stuff break on them, they are still a lot of fun to drive. Who needs all the extras anyway? It's God and me on the open road. I am truly blessed. I endeavor to learn from the Apostle Paul on this. Philippians 4:11-12, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little and how to have a lot. I have learned the secret of being content in any and all circumstances—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Hopscotch and Manna #17

Backstage Life,

Remembering Pete

         Is it just coincidence? Maybe it’s wisdom. Is it my imagination? Perhaps it’s godly insight. God forbid it’s a curse. Could it be a gift? It may not be a spiritual gift but it IS a gift. Sometimes I get a sense that God is blessing me with a glimpse of what He sees. Maybe I’m just seeing what I see and he gives me a glimpse of how he feels. I could be wrong and it may just be my own emotions and experience. What I do know is that sometimes I feel so blessed. Blessed by the emotions that overwhelm my heart as I peer through the window of real life. Sometimes it’s my own life and sometimes it’s another’s.

         It happened to me today and the thought of it now pulls on the corners of my heart and tears spring to my eyes. I had the great honor to sit and witness sisters grieve the loss of their father. I’m sure they thought I was just an onlooker. They never suspected that my heart grieved with them and quite truly it was so much more.

         The setting is ordinary, backstage sort of ordinary. The kind of ordinary that happens in all women’s lives and yet it’s never part of their story. It should be. Today it was beautiful.

         I don’t know how to eloquently say that I stopped into the small salon where I work to file my nails. We are closed on Saturday so I knew it would be quiet. The owner, my friend, is the one who just lost her father. She was doing her sister’s hair. She had stained rubber gloves on and a brush in her hand. Her sister’s hair was full of foils. The scene seriously couldn’t be any less remarkable. Yet, it was one of the most touching things I have seen in such a long time.

         They welcomed me in even though I said I didn’t have to impose. I’m pretty sure my nail shortening could have waited. “No, no, come on in. Would you mind if we sang a song we want at our Dad’s service?” Of course, I didn’t mind. It was an honor to listen.

         As the guitar began to play it’s tune the salon faded away. As they sang the song of their heart I could see two little girls giggling and hugging their father. They loved each other and they loved him. Two grown women singing a country song with lyrics that almost described the love they have for their Dad. They played it over and over. Singing with broken hearts as they prepared to offer it up to him and to God. It was the way they wanted to say goodbye. They want the world to know how special he was; “The kind of man it feels good to be around.”[1]

         I thought of my Dad as they sang their song, a man I lost many years ago. I thought of my husband and knew he would hope that his kids would have this same kind of love for him when he passed. My heart was full. Full for them, and full for me. And then I realized there was so much more going on in the salon.

         I could feel the joy in their parents hearts, having kids who loved each other. Girls that laugh and sing together. Siblings who cry together. Sisters doing each other’s hair. It was such a precious moment. I wanted to sneak a video but decided I should use my words.

         I got a strong sense of how beautiful life is and what a gift it is to feel a loss like theirs. Their loss is deep because their love was deeper still. These are the moments that make life better. The moments that should be remembered. These two ladies were living their everyday life and yet a miracle was happening. God was rejoicing over the love His children had in their hearts. Their tenderness and tears mean so much to Him, he puts their tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8).

         Don’t miss the small moments. It seems like the backstage time is when we are preparing for life. It isn’t. Life is backstage. Life is the everyday moments. It happens in our laughter and our love. It happens in our tears. Life is when your friend texts you from across the room asking for prayer because she is afraid someone will look at her backstage.

         I have more emotion than I can describe and I think that in these moments God gives the gift of eternity in my heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11). I will not let it pass me by and be forgotten. I am so blessed to have witnessed the private moments of two beautiful women sharing their life today. This is the kind of life God calls abundant. Don’t miss it.

       [1] Ashley McBryde, Bible and a .44.

Hopscotch #16

How can we serve you better?   

         I was young when my daughter was born. She was the first of 4 and the only girl. I got married at 18 and had her when I was 20. Even though I was young I took my job as her mother very seriously. Who knew that 28 years later she would be my biggest cheerleader? It’s not surprising that I’m her biggest cheerleader. I have held that position for the full 28 1/2 years. She is also my friend and for that I thank God every day.

            We have discussed ways to use both of our talents in collaboration to bring more of Jesus into our dark world. She is a photographer/artist and I love words and imagery to relay depth of truth. We both love the Lord. We also both love talking to each other. I’d love to pitch out a few ideas and ask that you let us know what sounds interesting.

            The idea of producing a devotional type of book that would highlight her photos and my writing has come up often. We have also talked about putting together a women’s retreat and coming together to provide the materials/journals that would be an overview and a memoir of the retreat. Another idea is to make a podcast to present our talks about different biblical topics or life topics and how the Bible can be a guide.     

            I told her the podcast seems like a fun idea because sometimes the art of conversation enables us to use our tone of voice and rhythm to really convey a message. I am hesitant to commit to something that might require us to produce every week because I already felt a little disappointed in myself that I was not able to write in this blog every week. She laughed at me and told me that I could sometimes write shorter pieces that weren’t so packed with information and scripture. She is probably right but it reminded me a little bit of my last blog post Hopscotch and Spinach. Just like everything else in this world we want everything to come to us in quick easy fashion. We seem to thrive on one-line inspirational quotes and all we need to know about the Bible in a ten-point list. (Ok, done with short rant. I’m taking her advice and today it is going to be short and sweet).

            Back to our regularly scheduled topic. A regular schedule scares the dickens out of me. So, the suggestion came that we could do a topical podcast that we are able to discuss a series of related topics in maybe a couple of short 6-10 week series’ as the only commitment and then see how that goes.  Would you listen to a podcast that we produced? Would you share it with your friends if it was interesting or uplifting? Do you prefer reading, listening, or watching? While I can rant all day about the laziness of our world when it comes to bible learning, we need to meet people where they are so that the light of Christ we bring can be found. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” We want to let our lights shine like a city on a hill we don’t want to busy this message of truth under a bowl. Help us figure out how to be successful.

            We would love to receive your feedback on what you would find interesting and valuable. We also want to know what method of delivery is best for you. I have become aware that if a person can read right on their social media sites they are more apt to read the blog than to click a link and visit the page. I know a lot of people listen to podcasts but I also know that a lot of people don’t even understand how to access them. Do you prefer plugging in your ear pods or listening to an audio message in the car, or do you want to watch a video? We really want to hear from you. Please leave comments below.

Blessings to you,

Hopscotch Heidi

Hopscotch and Manna #15

Hopscotch and Spinach

             “That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more,” Popeye the Sailor Man. Lately I have wanted to pound my fist in the air like Popeye and say that familiar line. I don’t know if you take part on social media sites but if you do I’m sure you have seen many inspirational quotes or memes. Due to my Christian faith, I read these things through a Biblical lens. It is amazing how many Christians share inspirational nuggets that actually contradict what the Bible teaches. I certainly don’t feel angry toward the person who shared the post. I feel seriously grieved that my friend is trying to obtain inspiration from a lie. A lie that sounds good is nonetheless a lie. My question then is how do we combat the lies?

            My suggestion to combat lies of the enemy is to increase knowledge of the Bible. When we know what the word of God says and we believe the claims scripture makes about itself as being the truth, then we will be equipped to discern lies. Only when we are aware of lies we encounter in the world can we resist them. If any of you hang around me in person or in my writing long enough you will hear me repeat this scripture over and over.

Acts 17:11, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

            God’s word extols people who go to the scriptures and study on their own. Because of their habit of examining scripture daily they are able to spot an imposter or a lie. I recently heard that those who deal with money regularly are trained to spot counterfeit by examining real money, not the fake. Christians need to examine the truth of God’s word so that we won’t be deceived.

            It’s good to have Christian leaders and mentors but we need more than a weekly spoon feeding by someone else who has studied the scriptures. We need to pick the book up and know what God’s word says. Like the Bereans we are expected to question the teachers and go to the Bible and make sure what we have been taught is true. As we learn the word of God we will be thoroughly equipped with His wisdom.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

             I have an acquaintance who I follow on social media that is not a Christian. She is a very kind and loving person who is successful in her field and skilled at using her voice and reach into the society around her. A few years ago, she was diagnosed with an illness and decided to write about her journey and her battle with the illness. I followed her and prayed for her healing continually. I even reached out to her with a message of Biblical hope. She always thanked me for my concern but I knew that she did not receive the spiritual sentiments.

            I watched her battle with the illness on her own. There were highs and most certainly lows in her journey but I also recognized her lack of peace. The kind of peace that comes from our Creator. I wanted so much for her to share with me the strength and peace that only Jesus can bring. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid,” John 14:27. She has relied on her own strength and searched for a peace of her own making. The world applauded her for her tenacity and friends cheered for her from the sidelines. Self-reliance is a very worldly way of living.

Do you know what God says about self-reliance?  

Jeremiah 17:5-6, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.”

 What does it say about someone who relies on the Lord? 

Jeremiah 17: 7-8, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots to the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

             You probably want to know if my beautiful friend has crashed and burned in her own strength. To be honest I don’t know her whole story but I’ve read about ups and downs on the many year journey. However, very recently she was asking her social media friends a couple of philosophical questions that lead me to believe she is searching for meaning in life and discovery of the source of courage. I feel sad for her because she is looking internally for the meaning and source but she won’t find it there. She refuses to look up. I believe there has been success in her life because the enemy likes her motto’s and wants more people to think like she does. He gives her a platform. And just like the enemy disguises himself in beauty he crafts lies beautifully and is able to deceive the masses. Just like he does with inspirational memes that seem good on the surface and yet are rooted in lies.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15, “For Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then that his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.”

 John 8:44 “Jesus says this about the enemy: “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

            My friend is not a Christian and that is her excuse. If she is unwilling to receive the Savior then she is also unwilling to receive His truths. My Christian friends, you have no excuse to be ignorant of the truth and God’s Word. Stop making excuses. Get your Bibles out, dust them off and examine them. At your fingertips there are free Bible apps with many translations to make them easier to understand God’s truths. I beg you, don’t miss the truth and believe lies. Hold everything in your world up to the lens of God’s word and see if the things that are taught are true. The whole world is God’s, he created it, so His word can shine light into every arena.   Don’t make me feel like Popeye, “I can’t stands it, I can’t stands no more!” If you don’t know where to start, reach out and ask someone. And for heaven’s sake, don’t be ashamed of your starting point, we begin knowing nothing. Don’t let shame (which is from the enemy, rooted in the sin of pride) keep you from asking questions and letting someone know how very little knowledge you have currently. Own your position and grow, there is no shame in that. Instead, you will be given the commendation from our first scripture above as “Being of more noble character than the Thessalonians.”  Be of noble character and examine the scriptures daily. Don’t be deceived by the enemy and stop relying on yourselves when you have the Creator of the universe on your side.

            Sorry if that seemed a little harsh but I may have had a little too much spinach this morning. I will continue to pray for all of my friends who do not yet know the Lord as their savior, and will be praying that all my Christian friends are inspired to pick up God’s Word and get to know Him better. It really is the best book I’ve ever read.

 Yours Truly,

Hopscotch Heidi

Manna #14

A little manna anyone?

Un-Veiled

            The smoke from forest fires has blown in and out of western Montana for over a month now. There has been a haze in the air since the first fire ignited but some days the smoke is so heavy and foreboding that it makes me feel trapped, almost claustrophobic. Many of us that live through long winter months look forward to the vitamin D that the sunshine produces. It brings refreshment to our bodies and brightens our moods. The smoke covering has brought with it a wave of depression in some of my friends and we all long for the cool fall days and rains that will put the fires out.

            I usually have a spectacular view of the Tobacco Root Mountains out the southern windows and on the deck. They are approximately 5 miles away. Today I can’t see them at all and the nearest fire, producing the smoke we are seeing, is about 60 miles or more away. Even though my view is hindered I saw a way to describe a spiritual truth.

            Without knowledge and true faith in Christ many people live in a world that is somewhat hidden. Today, smoke disguises the view,  just as the veil of unbelief does to spiritual eyes. Things are happening around us but there is a veil that keeps some from seeing. I prayed for the smoke to be lifted and imagined the view return. It’s a beautiful view of the tree covered mountains, blue skies, and a valley that is green and alive. I wish for my unbelieving family and friends to have their veil lifted so they can see the breathtaking truths that are just beyond it.

            2 Corinthians 3:12-18 discusses the veil that once shrouded the glory of God from the Hebrew people because that glory would have been more than they could bear. It goes on to explain that the same veil remained because they refused to see the glory of who Christ was in the scriptures. In verse 15-16 Paul explained, “Even to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.” Paul gives credit to the sovereignty of God in removing the veil for any person that turns to the Lord.

            The scriptures have become a part of my soul and I can’t see the world without seeing it through the lens of God’s word. I have a compassionate heart and when I see people I love struggle with some of the trials in life I can’t help but encourage them with scripture. To me, I am opening a flood gate of life-giving water, but to an unbelieving friend (or maybe one who is still at the early stages of knowledge and lacking faith) it seems like mumbo-jumbo or literary quotes that bring no real relief.

 “We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.” 1 Corinthians 2:13-14

            At times like that I am utterly aware of the veil that keeps them from the truth. It’s like speaking a foreign language to someone and they can see your facial expression to understand the sentiment and yet they can’t make sense of the words you speak.

            The veil lifted gradually for me and now I feel utterly blessed that God chose to reveal Himself and His word to me. How can this happen for you? It says that God removed the veil. Matthew 7:7-8 says, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And everyone who knocks the door will be opened.” Ask, seek, and knock my friend. God wants to reveal Himself to you. Open the scriptures and read, He tells you who He is.

            May I tell you a story?            

            August in Michigan is usually pretty warm. The humidity that makes the air feel heavy also makes the temperature feel warmer than what the thermometer shows. The 1972 summer vacation was coming to a close and kids were using the days to wrap up their adventures before school started. August 18th was an ordinary day and it became the birthday of an ordinary girl. As she began to grow and develop a personality she received the nickname ‘Pigpen’ from her mother because she resembled the peanuts character who always moved in a cloud of dust. The hot summer days turned her into a walking dirt magnet. Pigpen was the youngest in her family and well loved. Her red-headed brother who was 3 years older loved her, but he also thought she was a pest and didn’t want her following him and his friends around.

            Pigpen’s mother and father were both smokers. In those days smoking was fairly common and smoking in the house and restaurants was a lot more normal than it is today. Smoking took its toll on their family. The children and their father suffered a tremendous loss in 1979 as their mother lost a battle with lung cancer at the age of 42. Joe was left as a single parent to 4 children at the age of 46. Cherie, the oldest, was 22 and Holley was 19. They were positioned as automatic mother replacements for their much younger siblings.  Joey was only 9 and Pigpen was 6 when their mother died. Can you imagine being any one of them? They all lost the same person but the effects of that loss on each is so different based on their relation to her, their age, and their new circumstance of life. This could really be five different stories but for now we will focus on Pigpen.

Pigpen and her mom JoAnne

            Pigpen’s family moved to a house on Nazareth Rd. just before her mother passed away. There was a little girl who lived right next door that was Pigpen’s age.  Pigpen and Cynthia became best-est friends (I know best-est isn’t a real word but the two girls decided that their friendship was better than best, so they coined the term best-est). Pigpen and Cynthia spent the whole summer together. They rode bikes, played with their adventure people and Barbies, swam in Cynthia’s pool for hours and hours, played hopscotch, and baked cookies. There was never a dull moment when the two girls were together. Sometimes the whole neighborhood of kids gathered in the spare lot down the road to play kick-the-can, king on the mountain, freeze tag, or a good ole game of kickball. Everyone groaned when the street-lights came on because they were supposed to head home. The summers were like this every year of Pigpen’s childhood. They were fun and mostly spent close to home. There wasn’t a lot of funds or time for vacation with only a single Dad running the house and finances.

            Our dirty little Pigpen ran around all summer barefooted, calloused from the hot pavement. She had long blonde hair that she parted in the middle and held back with a clip barrette on each side to keep it out of her sweaty little face. The consequence for Pigpen being around cigarette smoke her whole life was the stale aroma that accompanied her wherever she went. She was unaware of it at the time, but anyone that didn’t live in a smoking environment would have noticed. She was not a remarkable girl. Even as she grew-up she didn’t stand out in a crowd. She wasn’t musical, not gifted in academics, she wasn’t athletic, she couldn’t even do a cartwheel. She was loved but she certainly didn’t achieve accolades or gain attention, she wasn’t really special at all. Her senior year of high school required a speech class, she was so nervous to speak in front of people that she convinced her advisor to let her substitute that class for a writing class. She was a happy girl but wasn’t exceptional at anything, she wasn’t even good at getting in trouble.

            The summer Pigpen was 8 Cynthia invited her to go to church camp for a week. Pigpen was excited to go and even though she thought it seemed incredibly expensive her Dad wrote the check and sent her on her way. They went to camp together for several years and made lots of memories. The camp they attended was on the beach of Lake Michigan and packed with games, swimming, singing and bible lessons. Pigpen stored a memory from one of the  first nights of music and songs. The leader played the guitar and led the kids in a prayer. Pigpen closed her eyes and imagined herself sitting in the palm of this Jesus she was hearing about; he calmly swayed her back and forth as she prayed the prayer. Pigpen felt like she and Jesus were the only two left in the room and she invited Him into her heart. Pigpen’s life didn’t change much at that time and quite truthfully I don’t think she realized the gravity of the invitation she extended or to whom she was inviting (or why).

            Cynthia’s parents were instrumental in the invitation to summer camp and their Christian lifestyle was a lesson to Pigpen. It was a lesson on faith, kindness, goodness and clean living. Unbeknownst to them they were role-models to the little girl who lived next door and their impact on her life was huge. They welcomed her into their smoke-free home despite her stale odor and never once turned up their nose.

            As Pigpen grew and matured she left the house and got married. It was time to start a family. When Pigpen gave birth her first child, she remembered Cynthia’s family and knew a return to church was the only way to raise that baby girl.  God remembered Pigpen, He remembered when she sat in His palm and asked Him into her heart. She had knocked at His door, she asked Him into relationship with her, and now she began to seek Him. He was delighted in Pigpen. Zephaniah 3:17 says, “He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will bring you quietness with His love. He will delight in you with shouts of joy.” He didn’t see an unremarkable girl. He saw a special girl that He created in her mother’s womb (Psalm 139). God opened the door and grabbed hold of that smelly little girl and called her his own; “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine,” Isaiah 43:1.

             That girl is me! I am that smelly little pigpen. God doesn’t see through a veil. He sees clearly. He knows what and who He created. We are the ones who don’t see clearly. God’s word says that I don’t smell like an ashtray but the “fragrance of Christ.”

“But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Lift your hands to the Lord! Even when you find your start in the dirt!

                         If I could only explain the magnitude of my thanksgiving to God for lifting the veil and letting me see who He is and what He has done. I am humbled before Him, and yet I run to Him daily. I have asked over and over, why me? Why did you choose that smelly little girl who isn’t really good at anything? A little girl that can’t speak in front of people because she’s afraid of being judged. A woman who lives in a tiny town in Montana, for heaven’s sake. A woman who is over-weight and easily persuaded to believe she isn’t beautiful. A woman who was divorced. A woman who doesn’t have it all together. Why did you lift the veil for me? Why me?

            He loves me! And guess what? He loves you too! Ask, knock, seek!  You will not be disappointed. The creator of the universe calls your name. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139, I could quote it for days so just look it up). The power of my emotion comes alive when I listen and sing some of my favorite worship songs. If you want to hear how my story feels look up the songs: “Living Hope” by Phil Wickham, and “Glorious Day” by Passion (and turn them up!).

            Paul encouraged the Corinthian people with these words and I find encouragement from them as well.

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. It is clear that you are Christ’s letter, produced by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God—not on stone tablets but on tablets that are hearts of flesh,” 2 Corinthians 3:2-3.

            Do you understand? The Corinthians were taught by Paul who was taught by Christ. They were letters of flesh and blood. Cynthia’s parents were Christ’s letter and I read them. Now I am Christ’s letter, not written with ink but by the Spirit of the living God.  He lifted the veil for me so that you could see His light in me. Don’t look at me because you will only see the smelly little pigpen, but look for Christ who lives in me! Look for Christ. He will lift the veil. He will blow the smoke away. And you will see clearly.

Un-Veiled

Hopscotch #13

Pennies From Heaven

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11.

Pennies from Heaven  

          Has God ever spoken to you without words or a voice? Has something ever happened and you were just certain God was giving you an ounce of encouragement or a signal that your thoughts were on track? It happens to me every now and again. I have never heard the audible voice of God. Oh yes, I hope that would happen one day but until it does I laud the private whispers that are a spring of discernment to my soul. I exercise caution in looking for signs but find that usually when God is communicating to me it is quiet, and for me alone. No one else may have picked up on His whisper and if I tell them my story they often miss the energy of the Holy Spirit that helped me to recognize God’s message. It’s like a secret language or a look between friends. God knows me so well that His Spirit sparks me awake to tune into His gift for me. He gets my attention differently every time and yet the qualities are kindred in nature. I’m thankful and praise God that He would ever bother to communicate with me! Oh, how I hope that you have also learned to discern the voice of your creator. I feel like my heart gets a hot flash on a cold day. It is irresistibly warm and comforting.

            Yesterday was a busy day out of town and returned home about 10 minutes before I was supposed to be at my bible study group. I almost called and told the hostess that I wasn’t going to make it. The rest of my week is really busy as well and I was trying to figure out how I would get everything done without going coo-coo. I decided I shouldn’t miss it and unloaded my bags and headed back into town.

            It was a beautiful summer evening and the 5 of us gathered our chairs in a semi-circle to keep the sinking sun from shining right in our eyes. It had been a very warm day but the movement of the breeze was lovely. It was a nice reminder that God’s word says, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). We shared our prayer requests and praise reports, we prayed for each other, read our weekly scriptures aloud and then discussed. The blessings abound when you surround yourself with others who are also walking with God and leaning-in to discern His movement in the world. That evening on the lawn sharing of testimonies and experiences became an advanced classroom for me (most likely for each of us).

            At the end of the evening, I was walking away from my friends and toward my car and was pondering some of the things we discussed and trying to reconcile in my mind how I could take the things I had learned and imbibe them into myself. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes have difficulty changing old habits and taking the new and making it become a fresh and renewed part of me. That particular evening there were a few things that ringed like a bell to my conscience. Ding-ding! Heidi, pay attention. One of the ladies just joined the group and was giving her story to another in the group who was a new acquaintance. Her love and excitement for the Lord was like a light with the dimmer switch being turned up as she spoke. There was love and truth in her words and it was missing the legalism that often rears its head. I have realized that the more knowledge of scripture I gain the more legalism emerges. I need to fight back against this over-expression of judgment that comes from the good desire for obedience. She was showing me a picture of how this should look. There was another sparkle of wisdom that God was offering me in the conversation that evening that is kind of personal and probably a little boring so I’ll spare you the details.

            I hopped in the car and headed home. Not out of the norm, I had the 40’s radio station playing. The music of the 40’s takes me to a time of innocence and purity that I long for in our world, it’s light-hearted and clean. I turned right on a country lane and reached over to turn the voice of Bing Crosby down so I could pray out loud about the “ding-dings” my heart heard tonight. My finger-tips hit the knob and I stopped because my heart didn’t hear Bing anymore, but God singing: “Every time it rains it rains Pennies from heaven, don’t you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven”*! I didn’t turn it down. I turned it up and God finished with, “If you want things you love you must have showers, so when you hear the thunder, don’t run under a tree, there’ll be pennies from heaven for you and me.” This was the whisper. My soul ignited as though God actually said “Yes Heidi, the things that are on your heart are from me, I send pennies from heaven for you and you are blessed because of them. Be thankful you didn’t miss them tonight.”

            My friends, I encourage you to keep your heart and mind active when you feel your spirit discerning wisdom. Don’t shut the door on the Holy Spirit. Listen for the whisper. My one caution, if you think you hear it, take the things you hear back to the scriptures to see if what you heard is true. God will never lie to you so the truth will always be His message and if it doesn’t line up with His true word then pay no attention to the thoughts. The enemies voice is usually louder so be careful but keep watch for “Pennies from heaven for You and me!”*

Hopscotch Heidi

*"Pennies from Heaven" was written by Johnny Burke and Arthur Johnston for a 1936 movie by the same name.

Manna #12

A Message to fellow Christians,

              Today I became overtly aware that I do not belong here. I really am a foreigner in a strange land. I don’t know if it snuck up on me or if I have just been setting a blind-eye to it until today. Everywhere I look I see things that should not be normal. I see things accepted as though they are good and worth celebrating instead of acknowledging they are wrong and broken. I am in a land that makes no sense, a land where I love others but am considered hateful. I walk into a movie theatre that should be booming with people to a desolate place waited on by strangers without smiles behind plastic and masks. Where are all the familiar people? How did I get here? I want to go back and yet I’m afraid there is no going-back.

              In chapter 17 of the book of John, Jesus prays for himself and then his disciples. A disciple is someone who follows another and strives to be like the example they follow. Jesus taught the twelve 2000 years ago but He teaches us through His word today. We too are His disciples if we have put our faith in Him and continue to learn and grow to be more like Him. In verse 9 it says, “I pray for them (disciples). I am not praying for the world but those You have given Me, because they are yours.” While we know that Jesus loves the whole world, sinner and saved, He has a special concern for His disciples.

              In verse 11 He says, “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world…Holy Father, protect them.” Jesus knows that there is danger in this world for those who follow Him. He has given us His word for our protection and health of mind, body and spirit. It’s the very thing we must cling to when the world confuses us. But in having that sacred book of life-giving words He notes in verse 14, “I have given them Your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world.” Have you ever noticed that you don’t belong? Has there ever been a time when you felt like a foreigner in your own hometown or even your home?

              I have to be honest; I’ve had glimpses of this truth throughout my life but haven’t actually seen it as clearly as I see it these days. There is some confidence that while we are not of this world, we are sojourners at the right place and at the right time. Next Jesus says in verse 15-18, “I am not praying that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one…Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” We, my friend, have been sent out into a world in which we are foreigners. We are called to bring the light of Christ into a dark and confused world. We are to shed the light of truth on the shadowy things that the enemy tries to pass as good.

              The Old Testament prophet Isaiah called out the confusion and sin in the tribe of Judah and it rings as true for us today as it did back then. He proclaims the Lord’s words: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion.” God is telling us that things He calls good the world now calls evil and things He calls evil the world now calls good. And He follows that all up with woe to those who choose the wisdom of their own opinion over the wisdom of truth. Truth which is declared by God’s word is wholly authoritative and pure. He is warning us of the greatest gaslighting scheme to ever be introduced to our world. The enemy is trading truth for lies and the world is eating it up. The enemy is the father of lies and has been since the beginning.  John 8:44 says, “He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of liars.” As Christians we must look to the Word of Truth and place our confidence in it, lest we be deceived by the enemy just as the world is deceived.

              Yesterday was a dismal day and my boys and I decided to head to the nearest movie theatre that was open and see our first movie on the big screen in over a year, Godzilla vs King Kong. One of my favorite parts of going to the movie theatre is seeing the previews of what is to come. As a movie junkie it’s always fun to plan the next movie I want to see. During the previews they now add in a commercial or two. One of the commercials was for a home improvement store and the premise for the whole commercial was that home/family is whatever you make of it, but the focus wasn’t really on the paint and the product so much as the dimension and diversity of the people combinations in the ad. It was an upbeat and cheery advertisement that was not only meant to sell you on home renovations but it was meant to affirm every kind of diversity in relationships that you could imagine.

              Because I am a disciple of the Lord I wear a pair of spectacles that filter what I see and hear through the truth of His word, it’s my worldview. While looking through those spectacles I saw some true beauty and I also saw some things that according to the word of God are ugly. Our world does such a great job of wrapping it all together in such a lovely package that it’s easy to overlook the evil that is being passed as good. It is hard not to get swept up into the happiness portrayed in the people and the fun they seem to be having together as the music pushes an upbeat vibe of joy. I just warn you that the joy the world offers is nothing compared to the joy of the Lord. John 17:13 is Jesus saying, “I speak these things in the world so that they may have My joy completed in them.” The joy and happiness the world offers is nothing compared to the joy the truth of God brings. The truth of God brings and eternal joy that will be complete, while the joy of the world is fleeting and often only  gift-wrap on a package of pain and brokenness. Christians, don’t fall for the lies of the enemy and succumb to the gaslighting that he is doing to our world.

              I know the enemy I am up against as I speak the truth. Some of you have already fallen prey to his marketing and will hate the things I am saying. But if you are a Christian I urge you to dive into your Bible and see if what I say is true. The apostle Paul was encouraged by the Bereans, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” You don’t have to believe what I say just because I say it but if you claim to be a Christian then examine the word of God and see if what I say is true.

              I also walked away from the movie reminded of a truth in God’s word. In the movie Godzilla and King Kong are set as rivals who fight each other, but at another point in the movie there is another foe who is manmade evil that rises up that needs to be defeated. For a moment, Godzilla and King Kong fight against the real enemy together. Ephesians 6:11-12 state, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil.”  Our battle is not against the people in our world but the enemy who lies to them. It’s so important to remember who the enemy is so that we don’t destroy the people whom we want to share the message of Christ’s love and joy.

              How do we keep moving forward in such a strange world? Paul encourages us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good and pleasing will.” Our transformation of mind comes from God’s most precious word. He offers us truth to nourish our minds and protect us from lies. Paul tells Timothy, his student in ministry, “For a time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn away from truth and turn aside to myths.” My dear friend, don’t let this be you. Don’t look for someone to tell you what you want to hear but instead be transformed by the truth. Lies we want to believe will not bring us life but death. I promise you; love and truth go hand in hand. Love and lies are an oxymoron, they don’t go together and the combination will always be in the shadow and control of the liar.

              We are most certainly foreigners in a strange land and I am afraid the land is going to be more dangerous and stranger every day. Little Hadassah is a foreigner in exile but God raises her to a position of prominence as she becomes Queen Esther and has the opportunity to save her people from destruction. Esther was in the place she needed to be at just the right time, “Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this,” (Esther 4:14). I want to encourage my fellow sojourners that we may be in a foreign place, a place that is not our home, but we are here because God ordained this time for us. Be a people of the word and a people of truth and carry His light into the shadowy places so that others may know the Lord’s complete and perfect joy.

              Hopscotch Heidi

Manna #11

Peace and Joy

            Don’t we all need a little bit of peace or maybe a heaping dose of peace? We are living in a tumultuous time and so many of my friends hearts are uneasy. How do we find peace? Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful,” (John 14:27). This is the kind of peace we all need. It’s a perfect peace that is supernaturally imparted to us by our Savior.

Peace and Joy

Elkhorn, Montana

            Sometimes I understand concepts better when I can imagine a picture or a scene in which the concept takes place. This week an old friend of mine passed away quietly at home in her loving family’s care. I haven’t seen her in years but have watched her family grow over social media as we lived hundreds of miles apart. This past year I have also read updates from her and her loved ones as she battled cancer. I lifted her up in prayer and asked for a miracle but I also asked God to give her peace as she waited on Him. I have seen God heal people in miraculous ways but I have also seen Him heal people as they move from this world to the next. I know God is good all the time and I know that what I think is good is not necessarily what He thinks is good. “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways,’ declares the Lord,” (Isaiah 55:8). My faith in God moves me to into understanding that her passing was God’s good.

            What does that have to do with our understanding of peace? I read the last update written about my friend telling us that she had left this Earth “peacefully”. The picture attached was a beautiful woman waiting patiently in a body that failed her. She was cozied up on her bed with a fuzzy blanket and stocking cap holding hands with the love of her life. She was filled with the peace of the Lord and she trusted Him as she passed. I believe she had peace here but I also believe that she now has a peace that will never be taken from her. It is one of the few times that I have been able to look at death and truly felt jealous. God had rescued her from the things that the rest of us will have to face in the coming days and weeks. There will be no more worry, no frustration, no anger, no sadness, and no more fear. He whisked her away into His loving care.

            So, how do we find that kind of peace? Since it is a supernatural peace imparted to us by Christ then we must find Him. Where? He’s in many places and in the hearts of many people but His word is the best place to start. The gospel of John in the New Testament of the Bible would be a great beginning. Jesus says this about himself, “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep my commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete,” (John 15:9-11). God desires us to have His joy and peace and he tells us to keep His commands. We must know the Bible in order to know what He commands so that we can keep them.

            Do you need peace? Do you want joy? Grab a Bible or download a Bible app and read some of it now. Pray first and ask God to reveal Himself to you as you open His word. “Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives; and the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened,” (Matthew 7:7-8).

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13).

Hopscotch Heidi

Be-Lated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Hopscotch and Manna 2020

Merry Christmas

         It’s been a year! We have experienced a time that will not be lost in the history books, even though we may all wish to forget it. I wanted to wish you blessings this Christmas and in the New Year. I put off shopping for Christmas cards a bit too long. I love cards with old churches, steeples and glitter, but I couldn’t find a single box. I happened to look at this cheap little Christmas card priced $1 a box and set it back down because the words inside struck me as wrong. Then I picked it back up thinking it was a perfect opener for me to offer some encouragement to all of you.

            First, I must remind you that my Christian faith is the lens with which I view the world, so here we go. If I were to wish you a “Christmas filled will all the good things you deserve” it would be a very empty and hallow wish for sure. As sinners you (and I) deserve no good things. According to Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.” That is what we deserve for Christmas. That’s why I passed by this card at first. Instead, I decided to use it to encourage you. The next part of that same verse says, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” For Christmas, God sent a gift we do not deserve. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” (John 3:16). My Christmas wish for you is for all the things you don’t deserve, especially for an unshakable faith in the Lord.

            Equally important, I want to remind you that true faith is not just knowledge about the Savior. James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” In this verse James is reminding us that true faith in the Lord is about a change of mind and heart. It is not just about a knowledge of who he is because even the demons believe in Him. But obviously, they do not receive the gift of salvation that is provided in Christ Jesus. As truly faithful people we are asked to follow the Lord and obey his commands. Proverbs 3:5-6 tell us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him , and he will make straight your paths.” In all ALL your ways acknowledge him.

            We live in a world that is topsy-turvy with political unrest and fighting, the unknown of a virus that is causing tremendous fear, and distrust in the media. These things are dividing families and friends. I want to encourage all of you to be the light in this dark world. “Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:19). I hope that all of you who are reading my letter know the Lord and are living your lives in a way that is pleasing to Him. Don’t keep your faith buried in your heart but share it with those around you. Faith is not something we keep to ourselves but it is meant to be shared with others. “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house,” (Matthew 5:15). If you do not yet know the Lord, or need some help taking steps to grow in your faith please reach out to me because there is nothing I’d rather do than talk to a loved one about Jesus and God’s word (406-438-3343).

            My bearded brute and I are doing well. He has been working his fingers to the bone doing construction in Whitehall, Butte, and now Seeley Lake. I have been bouncing around making coffee and doing nails. That bearded brute puts up with me working on schoolwork with my nose in a book or on the computer.  I am looking forward to graduation this spring as I only have two classes left. I thank God for the opportunity to go to school (with the support of my man) and learn more about Him and lots of other things. Four years ago, I wasn’t sure if I’d make it through or if it was just going to be a semester but here I am. I am anxious to see how I will get to use all the wonderful things I have learned. Our children and grandchildren are busy as ever. We don’t get to see enough of some of them but are so proud of the hardworking people they are and our prayers are always with them. When it comes to telling you about us it seems so boring compared to quoting scripture. So, I want to leave you with one last thing.

            I want to encourage you to read the Bible. God has given us so much of himself in His word, its truly a shame that more people don’t read it regularly. In many homes it sits on a shelf as a relic, something that your grandmother handed down. Open it, read it, look at her highlights, look for the crumpled corners and meet the Holy Spirit on the pages as God shows you who He is and what He commands. The truth of God’s word is indescribably sublime. Once you know it and it becomes a part of who you are then you can make better sense of the world around you. “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made…In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it,” (John 1:1-5). We have no excuse.                                         ~All my Love and Prayers, Hopscotch Heidi~

Manna #10

Search the scriptures

Loyalty Above All Else

Right now, our world is in tremendous uproar politically. We all seem to be standing on a ledge with our breath held as we wait for the events to unfold before us. It’s a precarious place to be no matter which way you lean politically. We average Joe’s can’t do much else. We wait, watch, and wait some more.

However, Christians have another tool in their belt. It’s called prayer. What a wonderful thing when we go into our private places and make petitions to the Lord on behalf of our country and our world. Matthew 6:6 has Jesus instructing his people, “When you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” God takes great pleasure when his people come into his presence. He also knows that people who pray in secret have true faith in Him. Prayer is not a show and it’s not meant to impress others. Prayer is the way we directly communicate with our God, the Creator of the universe. While I do believe that corporate prayer is also important, it’s a tool that can be mishandled and can cause damage. In that same chapter of Matthew, Jesus also says: “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people.” Jesus is reminding us here that prayer is for Him and not for others.

This morning I read an article about (and watched a video) of a Representative, an ordained Christian pastor, who prayed an opening for the first session of the 117th Congress. This might normally be something Christians celebrate. Isn’t it a representation of God in government? It would be exactly that, instead this cherished Christian practice was mishandled and I wonder what God thinks about that. This ordained pastor made pleas to god that would be typical for a government setting. He used Christian language and terminology throughout his prayer and even quoted the book of Numbers. However, the Representative ended his prayer like this: “We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and ‘god’ known by many names by many different faiths, Amen and a-woman.”   

https://www.dailywire.com/news/amen-and-awoman-minister-invokes-hindu-god-offers-gender-lesson-during-opening-prayer-for-117th-congress

The article by Brown linked above clearly explains that the word Amen has nothing to do with gender and is most often translated “so be it.” He also explains that Brahma is a Hindu deity. I would like to show you how seriously our monotheistic God handles those who mishandle requests that should be made in His name alone.

2 Kings chapter one is the story of Ahaziah King of Israel. At that point in history there was division in the Hebrew nation with the ten tribes in the north falling under Ahaziah as Israel and the two tribes in the south under Jehoshaphat King of Judah. The northern tribes were steeped in a pagan culture and turning to pagan gods. This was certainly seen as disloyalty to God according to Exodus 22:20 “Whoever sacrifices to any gods, except the Lord alone, is to be set apart for destruction.” Judah, on the other hand, was not influenced by pagan practices and King Jehoshaphat was a faithful follower of God unlike Ahaziah. According to 1 Kings 22:43, “He (Jehoshaphat) walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them but did what was right in the Lord’s sight.” Ahaziah and Jehoshaphat were both part of God’s chosen people but both also had the choice to obey God and walk in His ways or not. We will see that Ahaziah was not faithful to God in a very similar way as the Representative who prayed in the 117th Congress.

  Ahaziah was injured in a fall. He sent some his messengers to find a pagan prophet that could enquire with a pagan god as to whether or not he would recover. The angel of the Lord brought a message to Elijah the Tishbite, and instructed him to go to Ahaziah’s messengers with a message of his own. King Ahaziah would not recover from his wounds because he was enquiring with other gods. Elijah said this to Ahaziah in their final meeting, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is not God in Israel for you to inquire of His will?—you will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.’ Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.” (2 Kings 1:16-17a). God didn’t mess around. He is not a fan of those who are disloyal to Him.

The prayer in Congress ended prayer in disloyalty to God and I think that Christians should be aware. The prayer was spoken in a place of leadership in our government at a time of serious upheaval and unrest and made pleas to false gods. It shouldn’t matter which party you support, as Christians, we should want to see the will of God play out in this situation whatever that may be. Ahaziah was looking for healing but because of his appeals to pagan gods he got the opposite. The Representative was trying to be ‘inclusive’ but let’s be honest, Christianity is not inclusive, its exclusive to those who believe in the one true God alone and are faithful to Him. Looking back to the instruction of Christ Jesus in Matthew as quoted earlier, prayers are for God not for recognition or show to impress others.  Be careful how you wield words directed toward God.

Manna #9

Lets Fill the Boats

In this time of trial, have you found yourself saying “If only so and so wins the election, then.....”? Well, I caution you (and me) on putting your HOPE in a man.  It’s time to turn our eyes to the only one who our HOPE should be in.  Pastor J.D Farag noted that we should remember that, according to the Bible, we are in a sinking ship and we should be getting as many people in the lifeboats as we can now. 

We need to be telling everyone we know about Him. I know its hard to talk faith, but talking politics is hard too and it seems to be all we talk about anymore. 

Farag also pointed out that way back in the Old Testament Gods people weren’t happy with just having God. They begged for a King. Well they got one and his name was Saul. For those of you who don’t know the history, it didn’t go well for them.  Is that what we are doing? Begging for our man in the White House? Instead we should just turn our eyes to the King who is already seated on the Throne! 

Heidi needs a warning label

She talks louder when she talks about Jesus.

I know, I know, there she goes again thumping her Bible! Doesn’t she take it a little too far? To be honest, I should be ashamed that I am not taking it farther. 

Matthew 28:19-20 says “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

All nations!! I’m told to take the good news to ALL NATIONS! But seriously, I just want to reach some lukewarm Christians and light a fire!! Trust me, I can never take it too far! I’m trying to fill the boats! 

If you haven’t noticed, I love to talk Bible. However, I also know that having little knowledge of the Bible makes people keep questions to themselves, but don’t. Don’t let your questions go unanswered. If you ever have questions, let me help you find the answers. If I don’t have an answer I sure love to research. (Yes, I’m a nerd. My kids have made that known to me.) 

Hopscotch #8

Oh how I want to post this!

Today I saw a friend of mine post something about cleaning up her friend list on Facebook because of political views. I do NOT share her views but have always liked her as a human being. She must be unaware that I don’t agree with her because I’m still on the list. I feel a little bit like a spy, or maybe I’m just wearing a sheep costume! BAAAAA