Luck Has Nothing To Do With It

By Cindy Martin –

Luck has nothing to do with it. That was the theme of my son’s recent high school graduation class. I hadn’t heard the theme until the evening of the cap and gown ceremony and nothing could have been truer about that night. Unbeknownst to everyone except myself and a select few at the school, our son had been working on some big plans for that night. He’d spent months preparing to do something his teachers and his classmates had never seen him do before – walk independently across the stage to receive his certificate. To most this may not be that lofty of a goal, but to our son, Randy, who has cerebral palsy, this would be significant! His over 200 able-bodied classmates had only seen him in his wheelchair or occasionally with his walker or canes.

That night Randy’s aide helped him negotiate the stairs onto the stage and then right on cue Randy began to take one wobbly step after another. My heart was pounding with pride and nervous excitement in anticipation of the realization of Randy’s dream. Then the unexpected happened. His entire graduating class spontaneously erupted to their feet and began clapping and cheering, chanting “Ran-dy, Ran-dy, Ran-dy” with each unsteady but determined step.

His unsuspecting and clearly overwhelmed principal temporarily abandoned the formality of the evening as she stepped away from her appointed position on stage to receive Randy with open arms and wet eyes. Drawn into the moment, the crowd rose to its feet, applauding and wiping away tears.

As I sat down in my seat, my heart was brimming with gratitude. Earlier that day I had been repeatedly asking God to not let Randy fall but to let him experience success for all his hard work. I had called other godly women and asked them to pray as well. As the ceremonies continued, Ephesians 3:20 flooded my mind. God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (NIV). We had just experienced a taste of the lavish extravagance of God’s goodness and grace and it was way beyond our wildest dreams. Only God could orchestrate something so powerful. The precious memories of that night will linger long in our hearts and minds and as the 2013 graduating class theme reminds us, luck had nothing to do with it!

Prayer: Thank You Lord that You do not limit Your answers to the size of our requests.

Verse: “Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does” (Psalm 96:3 NLT).

Playing Grown Up

By Cheri Cowell –

I can remember laughter-filled summer days playing “grown-up” with my sister under a tree in the front yard or in a make believe schoolhouse in our bedroom. With just a sheet or a cardboard box we would turn any cozy spot into an imaginary scene of what we thought our world would be like as adults. In our game we would take turns being the grown-up, which of course was the prized role in our drama. Sometimes the interpretation of that role would cause arguments that our mother needed to referee. All of us have played some form of this childhood game whether it was dress-up, cowboys and Indians, or tea party with our stuffed animals as guests. Still, many of us know adults who have never grown up. If we have to admit it, sometimes our own behavior would not qualify as very grown up. So how do we know when we have reached the goal of finally growing up? The writer of Hebrews has a few suggestions.

The Jewish Christians were beginning to question whether following Christ was worth the persecution they were receiving. The writer of Hebrews answered their questions by defining maturity. He told them that mature Christians eat the solid food of the Word of God, not just the baby milk or easy stuff. He challenged the Jews who were looking for an easier way, one with fewer restraints, to continue to taste of the Holy Spirit and trained them through repetition to distinguish good from evil. You and I are maturing if we are going beyond the easy Scriptures to the ones that make us squirm, ponder, and grow.

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:11-14 NIV).

PRAYER: God, help me become a more mature Christian, able to eat the meat and potatoes of Your Word. I am hungry for the solid food and am willing to hear the things that may be difficult but will allow me to grow up in You.

Oooo, Ahhhh

By Cheri Cowell –

I love fireworks! One Fourth of July I had the privilege of viewing them from the bow of a boat anchored in the river. With each burst of color the water surrounding me reflected the beauty that filled the sky. As I watched the dazzling show above and around me I became as a little child, filled with awe and emotion. I beamed from ear to ear, and spontaneously commented with each boom on the majesty displayed in the sky. On the return home after the fireworks I thought about how glorious it will be when Christ comes again to take His throne. It will be more glorious than any fireworks show can ever be, and my heart will soar more than it ever could while viewing anything manmade. For such a time as this we were created: to fall in adoration at the spectacle of our Lord taking His rightful place as the sovereign power ruling over all the earth. Won’t that be a magnificent day?

Some scholars believe Daniel’s visions prophesy the fall of the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Still others label this as a second coming prophesy. Either way, the clear message is that God (the Ancient of Days) sits on the throne, overseeing a judgment (court) with books that detail the sins of those who oppose Him. At His will He will destroy these men and women with their own boastfulness. Then the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will take His place as ruler over all. Then all the people of every tribe and nation will worship our Lord forever! Amen!

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14 NIV).

PRAYER: Lord, I ask You to penetrate me deeply today with the vision and reality of Your great return. Help me be prepared for Your second and final coming. To God be the glory, forever and ever.

Limited Time Offer

By Cynthia Ruchti –

A coupon came in the mail today. A limited time offer. The problem was it hadn’t been delivered until after the offer expired. Big sale. Big, big sale. Yesterday.

The satellite TV offer looked good…until we read the fine print that revealed the discount was temporary and would bump up significantly after two months of the two-year contract.

The medication worked great. But the recommendation from the doctor, confirmed by the pharmacist, limited its use to no more than ten days. The ailment lasted far longer.

The limited warranty for the riding mower covered everything except the part that failed. Limited warranty sounds a little like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?

I’m bound by a 24-hour day, a seven-day week, by the limits of my artificial knee’s range of motion and by the boundaries of my checking account.

One of the church songs I remember from my youth rang out with this truth taken from the pages of Scripture:

His love has no limit.
His grace has no measure.
His power, no boundaries known unto men.

No limits. His love and grace carry no expiration dates. He’s not bound by the things that limit us.

Another truth has brought immeasurable comfort in recent days in light of horrifying headlines and personal tragedies and grief shared with friends who are slogging through unbearable crises.

His understanding has no limit. Even His understanding is infinite!

How often are we confronted with disappointing news? Or hear a tragic story? Or wonder what someone was thinking when they made an unwise decision (Notice how I avoided using the word dumb)?

When the heart cries out, “Lord, I don’t understand!” He answers, “But I do.”

He understands the hows and whys that sometimes cripple us. He understands the whens that we think have no end. He understands what is at the heart of our fears and addictions, our anger and pain, our knee-jerk responses and nonsensical grudges.

He gets it that we cry when we’re happy and laugh when we’re nervous. When no one else understands, He does.

It’s a truth we can count on. Where human understanding fails us, His is not threatened in the least. His understanding is unlimited, boundless, infinite.

PRAYER: Father God, how have I overlooked this wonder for so long? You can’t be befuddled or mystified. You never wonder. You KNOW! Thank You, Lord God, for always and unfailingly understanding me even when I don’t.

“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit” (Psalm 147:5 NIV).

America, Land we Love

By Judy Davis –

If there were ever a time in history, now is the time for our beloved America to be healed.
Our founding fathers knew the value of the Bible as the foundation of morality.

George Washington: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

Abraham Lincoln: “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man.”

Patrick Henry: “The Bible is worth all books that have ever been printed.”

Our current leaders need to wake up and move forward ruling under the admonition of the Lord. America is beautiful, but has many problems. What can we do? We can start where we are by taking it back to basics, back to truth, back to honor, back to character, back to integrity, back to morality, back to work ethics, and back to the Bible.

A mother wrote the following letter to our soldiers and had it printed in the newspaper: “My sons are my world. I want you to know that they are two of the many you are fighting for. They are too young to fully understand, but one day they will know. I will do my best to make sure they know what you have sacrificed for their future. You should know that I am so very grateful for your loyalty, pride and love for America. I can only pray that my children never have to face such evils as you have to face. I’m sure your mothers prayed the same. But if my children do have to face evil, I hope they will walk with their shoulders square, their heads held high and their hearts filled with the same determination that you have. You are in my thoughts and prayers each day. I am praying for your safe return and a great victory over our foes. God bless you all. From, a mother.”

PRAYER: Father, as we look at our nation today may our leaders wake up and move forward ruling under the admonition of the Lord. Help our country to come back to morality, back to work ethics, and back to the Bible.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).

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