Rascally Roundabout

By Hally Franz –

Running is all the rage these days. Runs exist for every cause, celebration and group imaginable.
Why, there are breast cancer and autism runs, sunshine and moonlight runs, zombie and Santa Claus runs, freedom, flood and mud runs. If you want to run, there’s a time and place to do it!

So, naturally, the completion of our small town’s latest and most thrilling traffic-easing structure will be commemorated in similar fashion—“Run the Roundabouts!”

Do you remember the first time you encountered a roundabout on the road? It’s overwhelming initially, trying to quickly decide where to get off and who has the right-of-way. Sometimes, we stay a few laps longer just to make sure we’ve accurately accessed the circular situation.

Life can be a bit like a roundabout. There are times when we’re moving in circles, not sure when to start something new or change course. Or, we may recognize needs or opportunities in our lives, but be confused about which direction to choose. Those around us may be urging us to take action or just get out of the way. And, it can leave us feeling dizzy.

I imagine our upcoming community run will have stations at each arm of the roundabout. There will be water or fruit available to keep runners hydrated and energized. Friends and family members will congregate at points along the way to offer cheers of encouragement. There may even be literature available to teach guests about the project and growth in the area.

Why would God do anything less for us as we travel through life? When we face new challenges or simply seem to be going nowhere, He can offer sustenance, encouragement and instruction from His word. So, we need not fear any real or proverbial roundabout. We should just run it!

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being eternally there for me as I travel through life. Whether I am barely moving or at a run, unclear of my direction or confident about where I’m headed, You always provide the perfect guidance and support needed.

“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15 NIV).

No Chisels Needed

By Anne Johnson –

The worship team began to sing. I stood reflecting on our pastor’s sermon. He had preached about developing a deeper relationship with God. The choir members’ voices filled the air, seeming to lift the roof right off the church and carry me into God’s heavenly cathedral. With eyes closed, I sensed in my heart the peaceful whispered words, “You should learn how to carve and whittle like a carpenter.”

In Matthew 13:55 I read that Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, was a carpenter. As Jesus grew, His father would have taught Him this trade. Was God telling me to take up a new hobby? In keeping with family tradition, was I to learn the trade of my distant spiritual relatives?

I know very little about wood. It comes from trees, and can be classified as either hard or soft. My dad worked with wood, and explained to me why he used certain types for each project he was building. But, my ability to carve or whittle or create anything out of wood is nonexistent. Not to mention, I lack the tools needed for such a venture.

I dropped onto the pew as the choir continued their song. What had God’s whispered words meant? Opening my Bible I was drawn to Matthew 14:23. I discovered that Jesus wasn’t only familiar with carving wood, but time, too. Early in the morning and late at night He would seek out a place to be alone with God. Withdrawing from the crowds and His disciples, He carved out private moments to commune with the Creator and Designer of all things. In those times God spoke His plans and desires to His Son.

Whistles. Bells. Shouts of joy. Once again, the Bible made clear in my spirit what God desired from me. He wasn’t expecting me to become a carpenter, rather He wanted me to learn to be a carver and whittler of time. Like Jesus, I’d been asked to carve out time in my hectic life to hear God’s voice and learn of His desire for each day.

It has been said that it takes up to six weeks to start a new habit. So, I have aspired to set my alarm earlier and carve out time each day to read scripture and journal my prayers. I hope this new whittling venture will be a daily experience.

I have enjoyed my new hobby immensely. Some mornings when my children oversleep, I am blessed to sit in the quiet stillness and absorb even more of God’s presence. The best part of carving out this special time is how smoothly my day seems to flow. Even on the most hectic of days, when I recall my morning solitude, a familiar peace calms my spirit and lifts me above the chaos.

I may never carve anything out of wood, but each week the whittled time I spend in solitude with God helps me develop a deeper understanding of His love and character, and gives me the tools to make the most of every day.

Pardon Me

By Cheri Cowell –

The other day I ran across these idioms for the phrase “pardon me.”

Pardon me, what did you say your name was?

I beg your pardon! I didn’t see your foot there!

Pardon me; does this train go to Oakland?

Pardon me, but I think you’ve got it backwards.

In each of these, the word pardon means, “excuse me.” In some of them you can hear the sarcasm dripping from the words. In some you can hear the formality and see the raised chin as the person speaking looks down upon you.

Isaiah used the word pardon when he spoke of God’s willingness to excuse. If you listen, you can also hear the meaning behind the words. Some translations render the word pardon as forgive, but it is the word before pardon or forgive that adds the context and meaning. That word is freely, abundantly, or lavishly. When you and I give up our way and accept God’s, our God doesn’t simply excuse us, nor does He only forgive or pardon (although that is a big deal). No, our God freely excuses, abundantly pardons, and lavishly forgives.

Do you hear the love behind those words?

“Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” (Isaiah 55:7 NIV).

PRAYER: God, thank You for freely excusing, abundantly pardoning, and lavishly forgiving me. Help me hear the real love behind these words today.

Microwave Mastery

By Hally Franz –

The year was 1980, the day a Saturday just prior to Christmas. My dad was excited with the gift he’d bought Mom and eager to get home and try it out. Along with the very first microwave oven our home would have, Dad picked up a couple frozen Fox DeLuxe pizzas.

We sat down for lunch, and Mom served up the pizzas. With anticipation, we bit into our very hot slices, most likely burning the roofs of our mouths with molten cheese. Then, instead of the expected crispy crust, we found ourselves pulling on rubbery, soggy dough.

Microwave pizza hadn’t come along yet, and we had no idea microwaves didn’t just cook the same way traditional ovens did. My eternally-optimistic mother pretended it was great, but we all hoped the new microwave could do better. And, it did; we just needed to learn how to use it.

While the Bible is the exact opposite of a new-fangled gadget in any decade, we do sometimes puzzle about how to best use it. When we read our Bibles we may be discouraged if we don’t understand or know how to accurately interpret the lessons He has provided for us.

Here are a few suggestions. Carefully select the Bible version(s) you will use. Seek opinions from church family, and find those that are both authentic and understandable. A study Bible is a wonderful resource as you dig into the scriptures, as is a timeline chart. Supplement your reading with detailed studies on specific topics or Bible books. Finally, be willing to ask questions of the Bible scholars in your life. They’ll appreciate an opportunity to help.

We learned our way around that microwave, and I wouldn’t live without one now. When we get well-acquainted with His word, we won’t go without that either!

PRAYER: Lord, as I read and study Your word, please help me to use the tools and take the time necessary to gain the wisdom You desire me to have.

“The Lord’s teachings are perfect. They give strength to his people. The Lord’s rules can be trusted. They help even the foolish become wise” (Psalm 19:7 ERV).

Organic Truth

By Cindy Martin –

We live in an age where our focus has shifted to eating organic food to protect us from the harmful effects of GMO (genetically modified organisms) as well as toxic chemicals found in pesticides, growth hormones and food additives. It’s all about eating food in its purest form so that we can maximize its nutritional value in order to experience optimal physical health and healing.

As I pondered this trend in our thinking, I couldn’t help but think of the correlation to the effect God’s Word has on our lives. Organic by its very definition refers to something living. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “the word of God is alive and powerful” (NLT). Psalm 119:9 tells us that the way to stay pure is to follow God’s Word.

The anticipated result of eating organic is that we’d live stronger, healthier lives and experience healing in parts of our body that require it. Psalm 119:50 reminds us, “This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me” (NASB).

I am of the opinion that the transforming power of scripture has been greatly overlooked and underestimated in our culture. Our fast-food drive-thru approach to scripture reading and/or memorization has left us spiritually anemic and empty of things of lasting value much like fast food leaves our bodies devoid of any lasting nutritional value.

Trying to “do life” without the direction, truth and power of scripture is indeed like trying to eat burgers and fries hoping they won’t have any effect on our heart or our health.

A regular steady diet of God’s Word is absolutely essential to having a healthy spiritual heart. When we’re faced with temptation or difficulty, which is inevitable (“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” John 16:33 NLT), we need to follow the example Christ set for us. During His temptation in the desert, His immediate response to every antic of the enemy was “It is written…It is also written…It is written” (Matthew 4:4-10 NIV).

Christ knew the irrefutable power of God’s Word and leaned on its strength when His own was being tested. Friend, in all the moments of our lives, we need the truth, correction, comfort and guidance that God offers us in His Word.

“Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 MSG).

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the power of Your Word. Create an appetite in my spirit for its transforming work in my life.

« Previous Page — Next Page »