Word Scramble

By Rosemary Flaaten –

What word can you make from these letters – N T S I L E ?

If you figured out the word “silent”, you’re right. If you unscrambled the word “listen”, you are also right. Isn’t it interesting that the same letters spell both “silent” and “listen”?

What do these two words have in common?

In order to truly listen, one must be silent. Silence is a required element of listening. Unfortunately listening is not a guaranteed outcome of silence. You can have silence and still not listen.

Recently my daughter and I were painting her bedroom. In the emptiness of the room, the only sounds were the paint brushes against the walls and the creaking of the ladder. Silence prevailed. But as my daughter embarked on a story that had little interest to me, I quickly tuned her out and allowed my own thoughts to crowd out her tale. Despite the silence, I was not attentive to her.

Conversely, I’m also discovering how often I keep the noise level high enough in my soul so that I am unable to distinguish my heart’s longings and thus am dulled to the Holy Spirit’s movement in my inner being. Busyness and inner turmoil snuff out the quietness that is required for soul care.

Silence is making no noise, being quiet and refraining from speech. Listening is giving attention and paying heed. The inner work that occurs in silence prepares us to be competent listeners, whether it is to our child, friend or the Holy Spirit.

In a world where noise bombards us from every angle, let’s cultivate havens of silence where are hearts can be transformed and our ears will be attuned to hear both God ‘s quiet movement in our lives and the tales of others that deserve our undistracted attention.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to cultivate quietness such that my listening ability is sharpened.

“Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say” (Isaiah 28:23 NIV)

Let’s Get Organized

By Karen O’Connor –

“If only I were as organized as Don,” my friend Dolly declared. “He has all his ducks in a row––shoes, socks, shirts, tools, toys, and tacks! No wonder God put us together. I’m finally learning after forty years of marriage the benefit of keeping things in order—well sort of. It’s not easy, I can tell you that. But I see how little time he spends looking for lost items because he knows where they are.”

Dolly admits she’s another story. Her shoes, socks, and t-shirts are well…she’s not sure where they are. “Around here somewhere,” she said, pointing to the piles of clothing on the ironing board and the sofa. “I look for them when I need them. At least they’re in plain sight.” She chuckled and waved a hand across her forehead.

Don’s tidy ways even spill into the realm of paper. Colored folders hold various documents, neatly labeled and filed in a plastic box that he can retrieve on a moment’s notice if a fire breaks out or an earthquake tremor threatens. He has a neatly typed list of names and phone numbers of friends and family members, as well, ready for the couple to take on the road when they travel. And of course he has a checklist of items they need to take in their motor home.

Dolly talked about their next trip and the chores they need to complete before meeting their friends for the caravan to a state park. While she packs the food, clothing, and personal items, Don assembles the necessary paperwork: checkbook, maps, address and phone list.

Dolly phoned me the morning before they left with the latest development. It was good for a laugh, though I doubt Don found it amusing. While reviewing the page of contact information to be sure it was current, his cell phone rang. Don needed both hands to find some data for the caller so he set down the list he was holding on top of his paper shredder. A corner of the page slipped into the feeder and suddenly the machine started gobbling the sheet before Don realized what he had done.

When he heard the motor humming, he grabbed the page in a frenzy and jerked it upward, lifting the entire shredder off the floor! Quickly, he pushed the ‘reverse’ button and was able to salvage at least part of the page. “The top of his specially-typed list now looks like the Jetson kid’s spiked hair,” said Dolly, laughing.

“Poor Don! He’s been attentive to our papers and possessions for so long,” she added, “keeping every one in perfect condition, this was a blow to his ego. Maybe now he won’t be as quick to tell me he wishes I would learn from his example.”

Signs of the End Times? The World Powers Against Israel

By Dianne E. Butts –

Bible verses like Zechariah 12:6-9, Micah 4:11, and Micah 5:7-15 talk about Israel being attacked but not being defeated. These verses cause some people to watch carefully what is happening with world powers—both what is going on within them and how they are being positioned in regard to Israel.

What do you see going on in countries around the world? What do you think of it? And specifically, what do you think about what is happening with countries around Israel these days? Could what’s happening with countries being in upheaval around the world be a sign of the End Times?

I found these interesting tidbits in the booklet 101 Last Days Prophecies published by Eternal Productions:

• The Bible teaches that in the End Times the nations surrounding Israel will be united against Israel. “This has never happened in history. Yet today, Israel is surrounded by Muslim nations sworn to her destruction” (p. 11-12).
• “Since 1948, tiny Israel has been attacked in three major wars and several lesser wars. Yet despite being vastly outnumbered, they have defeated all attacking foes… An invincible Israel makes no sense—unless you believe God’s Word” (p. 12-13).
• “Israel would be partitioned by all nations (Joel 3:2, Daniel 11:39). This is another unimaginable prophecy! In 1947, UN Resolution 181 planned the partitioning of Israel. Currently, the West Bank and Gaza have been separated into Jewish and Palestinian settlements. Dividing Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria are also being negotiated today in order to create a Palestinian state” (p. 13).
• “Russia (Magog) would rise as a military power and lead an attack on Israel (Ezekiel 38). Today most of the southern states of the former Soviet Union are both military powerhouses and Muslim” (p. 15).
• “Iran (Persia), Sudan (Cush), and Libya (Put) would also partake in this attack (Ezekiel 38)” (p. 15).
• “Turkey (Gomer) would also join in the attack on Israel (Ezekiel 38). In 2002, Turkey elected a pro-Islamic party to govern the country. In 2005, Hitler’s anti-Semitic manifesto Mein Kampf became a best seller in Turkey. In 2007, Turkey elected an Islamist president” (p. 16).
• “Jesus said there would be ‘distress of nations, with perplexity’ in the last days (Luke 21:25). Today, with nuclear proliferation, global terrorism and grave ecological fears, the nations are in a quandary with no apparent way out” (p. 16).
• “Egypt would exist in the last days—but only as a ‘lowly kingdom’ (Ezekiel 29:14-16). Egypt was one of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations. Yet today, as prophesied, Egypt remains—but only as a third world nation—which will, “never again exalt herself above the nations’ (v. 15). And while God’s Word foretold of the demise of many other ancient people groups and kingdoms (which have long since vanished), Egypt remains” (p. 18)!

I hope you find these notes as fascinating as I do. They might give us both something to consider as we watch world news unfold. And they might give us insight into what is happening, where we are on God’s timetable, and what will happen in the near future. That is, if what we are seeing happening in the nations really are signs of the End Times.

Things Are Looking Up!

By Cynthia Ruchti –

My mother was a great diagnostician. As a registered nurse, she put the gift into practice both at work—sometimes upstaging the doctors with her insights—and at home with her five kids and anyone in the community who preferred consulting with Mom before calling the doctor’s office.

She rarely misdiagnosed. Some rare combination of observation, instinct, training, experience, and God-directed wonderment caused her to proclaim, “That’s ringworm, honey.” Or, “Your leg cramps? Try taking more calcium.” Or, “If my guess is right, you have Lyme disease.”

I follow in her footsteps in a lot of ways, though I left the medical field (lab assistant) decades ago. In an effort to self-diagnose my recent headaches, I walked myself through a Mom-like problem-solving routine.

Getting enough sleep? Pretty much.

Too much caffeine? Not enough? I’ll work on that one.

How’s your vision? Needing new glasses can cause headaches. Can’t afford the answer to that one.

Wait a minute.

Sitting at the computer more hours than the day is long. Reading. Hunching over to read fine print on websites and blogs.

I’m suffering from an excess of looking down!

Some of that I can correct with some ergonomic changes, and with neck exercises. But the best cure is to spend more time looking up. Brilliant deduction, Sherlock.

Life is like that, too. The economy is…down. Gravity drags us…down. People are downhearted, downright discouraged, and downtrodden by the insults of life. But real life isn’t in the dust at our feet. It’s not embedded in the carpeting.

“Look up,” Jesus said, “for your redemption draweth nigh.” That’s how I remember it from hearing it as a child.

A current translation adds an element of headache-easing posture. When the world is swirling, reeling, chaotic, confused, Jesus tells me to stand up straight. “Stand up straight and raise your heads because your redemption is near,” Luke 21:28 CEB.

My redemption and my Redeemer are always near. Up.

PRAYER: Lord, I think I’m beginning to understand better what You meant when You told me You were the “lifter” of my head (Psalm 3:3). Help me live with straighter posture, no matter what the news, the bills, or the doctor tells me. Cause me to live aware that You are near. Up.

“Now when these things begin to occur, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near,” Luke 21:28 AMP.

Using What You Have

By Jarrod Spencer –

I love, love, love being able to do things that I am talented in and passionate about. I tend to put a lot of mental time on things that would fall into that category. Sometimes it is my sermon, sometimes an art project, or sometimes it is a speaking project. All these things I love to do and when I get an itch for an idea, I just run with it.

The above areas are some of the things that I have been blessed with talent and competency, to various degrees. One of the running themes in all of the areas are creativity. I like to be creative.

Another thing I like about spending my time doing anything that would fall into those categories is that it generally benefits others. I believe that when we are doing things that will benefit someone, in the end, it is definitely worth the time spent.

On the contrary, if you are doing something that doesn’t benefit others then it may not be worth the time spent. There are very few tasks that cannot be used to benefit others. Helping someone out makes me feel good and think my talents are worthwhile.

We all have things we like to do which can benefit others. What is it that you can do? Can you help someone move, cook/bake, crochet, cross-stitch, draw, paint, carpentry, tutor, etc.?

Whatever you have, use it…so that it may benefit others and glorify God!

PRAYER: Father, thank You for giving me the talents that I have. There have been many open doors to use these talents, especially when I offer them to others rather than keeping them back for myself. You have opened door after door to let me use my talents. I can see how not burying the talents helps to multiply them.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more’” (Matthew 25:19-20 NIV).

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