This Adventure Called "Life"

First of all, I want to thank all of my friends here who have been praying for me since my last post and during my recent surgery.  I am here to say that your prayers have been answered, and yes, God certainly did have His angels watching over me throughout this whole "adventure".  I like the sound of the word "adventure" better than "ordeal", don't you? If we can view our events in life more as an "adventure" rather than as an "ordeal" to be endured, we can look for all the ways that God has been with us and blessed us throughout the "adventure".  And that is what I want to share with you today. During my hospital stay, God demonstrated His Presence with me over and over again. But here are a few examples that really blessed me.

During the night following surgery, I woke up and noticed this picture on the wall of my room.

The sunrise seemed to just glow, beckoning me to look deeper. If you notice the two people standing on the shore, you will probably just think of them as a couple of lovers standing on the shore enjoying the sunrise together. But when I looked at this picture I saw Jesus standing there beside me, reassuring me that He was indeed with me through all of life's journeys, and especially right now, so I was able to settle down and rest peacefully knowing He was there with me.

When I awoke the next morning, I looked out the window next to my bed, and this was what I saw:

 Do you see the cross in this picture?  Here again was the Lord's message to me..."I am with you always"....

That evening our pastor came by for a visit, and he remarked about the beautiful picture of the butterfly on the wall above my head.  I had not been able to see it as it was above and behind me, and it was actually the next day before I could get a view of it to take its picture while they had me sitting up in a chair for a while.  Here again was a gift from God, a picture of "new life" as the butterfly escapes his cocoon and develops into this beautiful creature and flies off into his new adventure....
This reminds me of our hope in Christ Jesus found here:

2 Corinthians 5:17

 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Going back in time for a few minutes, here are a few picture my hubby took as I was being prepped for surgery:

When we entered the pre-op area, we both noticed this lovely purple and lavender outfit laid out for me to wear to the grand event:

We also noticed the table with the many items and labels and things that would begin this journey:

Here I am all dressed up in my lovely new outfit, ready for the "ball"...

 I think this picture is showing that I am wrapped up in those lovely warm blankets that come directly out of a warming unit and cover you with the most lovely feeling of warmth and comfort you can imagine just prior to surgery...

In this photo the anesthesiology team is preparing for my epidural (nerve block). I did not know I was going to have this procedure until I got there, and once it was explained to me I agreed it sounded wonderful and was all too happy to comply. This epidural stayed in until a couple of days after surgery, giving me the ability to control my pain relief as needed...and it was a wonderful advantage.  I woke up less groggy and much more comfortable than what I've experienced in previous surgeries.

 Thankfully there are no pictures of me in recovery.  I don't think I looked quite this chipper.
This picture was taken as I was waiting for the doctor to come and release me for discharge...ready to go home!

Thankfully, I am now writing to you once again from the safe and comfortable confines of my home. And just as Judy Garland (Dorothy) repeated over and over again in the "Wizard of Oz", "There's no place like home...There's no place like home..." I totally agree.  Although I must admit I had not thought about some things that I would experience when I got home, like my inability to get up and down into low chairs, our bed and other important places.  When you've had any kind of abdominal surgery, which I have, you discover just how hard those tummy muscles work in moving you up and down and all around.  Last night when trying to get into bed it was quite an interesting  and painful "work out"...and I totally now understand why the mechanics of a hospital bed are so important and necessary.

It also became apparent to me how important those support grab bars in bathrooms and showers are. I believe that all homes should be equipped with them regardless of whether or not you think you will ever need them. Trust me, you will need them at some point in your life. 

For now, I am once again relying on "My Father's Cane" to assist me as I get up and down in difficult places. (Please click on that link above for a very special story about this cane).

So now my job is to continue this journey of recovery and healing, one step at a time.  I am so thankful for my sweet hubby, who is nearly worn out with all of my "demands"....Here he is after filling the bird feeder for me so I can watch my birdies come and go.

We have also been blessed by dear folks from our church who have brought by meals for us, even this past week while I was in the hospital they made sure my hubby and son living here at home did not go hungry, which was very thoughtful and kind of them. Yes, they are capable of feeding themselves, but it was the fact that it showed that people care and are willing to help out in time of need. I am so very thankful for how God provides even more than we think we need. He knows how to bless us.

So, thank you, again, dear friends, for your prayers, messages of healing and encouragement...and for just being there. You are a great joy and blessing to me.

In thinking about Dorothy and "The Wizard of Oz" quote, "There's no place like home..." I was reminded of this little ruby slipper pin that I have,

And I thought about the "Adventure" of our lives again, and this journey we are on toward "home"....

We are all on our way "home" to our eternal home with Jesus...and I love that He comes alongside and walks with us, reminds us of His great sacrifice for us, and gives us glimpses of the new life we will one day be enjoying with Him forever.   Yes, Dorothy was right, "There's no place like home...", and our home is heaven...but until Jesus calls me "home", I want to serve Him any way I can right here at this temporary "home" in this "adventure" called life!  How about you?  I hope you are on this journey with me. If not, why not ask Jesus to lead you home with Him today? 

Sermon Notes: "Feast or Famine?"

Our sermon passage came from Luke 5:27-38.  The pictures are from my neighborhood, and I thought in some ways they kind of go along with the scriptures.  Let's see:

27:  "After these things He (Jesus) went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."

28.  So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

29.  Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house.  And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.  
30.  And the scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

31.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
32.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

33.  Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"

34.  And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?

35.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."

Notes:

• Jesus said, "Get up and follow Me" to Levi (who became known as Matthew) the Tax Collector. 
• Levi invited Jesus to a feast.
• The first thing Levi did was introduce others to Jesus.  He didn't wait around, nor did he have to be told to do this.  He wanted others to meet this Man called Jesus.
• John Wesley said "No one person ever went to heaven alone"..You either find friends, and you introduce them to Jesus, and they introduce others to Jesus...and you will take them with you to heaven!
• Jesus came along and came into the lives of lepers, tax collectors and sinners. Then someone called the Pharisees and complained that Jesus was eating and drinking with sinners.
• Jesus told them that "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
• Jesus was saying to treat others as loved ones...we CAN make a difference. 
• Share the love of Jesus with them.
• Jesus' party looked like a bus stop...all kinds of people. He brought everybody in...all sat down together...and that upset the Pharisees who were the "keepers of the law".
• Jesus gives us a Messianic Banquet where everyone is invited.
• When we get involved with Jesus, times are changing...the bus is filled with sinners and He changes them...He makes all things and all hearts new.

In verses 36-38 we see a "New" parable...and I think I finally understand it better than ever before.

• 36.  "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.
• 37.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.
• 38.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

When we accept the free offer of salvation that comes from knowing Jesus Christ, we become a new creature in Christ.  (see II Corinthians 5:17).  Jesus is not a legalist. Christianity is all about GRACE...love, forgiveness...new life springing up out of death.  When we become a New Creature in Christ, we can't go back to the old ways of trying to earn our salvation by keeping the old law. 

When we live our lives for Christ, we can't be gloomy at the "wedding celebration". It is time to celebrate.  We do everything to glorify Christ. We seek God's face and His vision for us as we reflect on our "new life".  What is God about to do?

• The Pharisees tried to fit Jesus into their way of thinking, but He just didn't fit.  
• Jesus is doing NEW things all the time.
• Will we allow ourselves to be changed and renewed every day?
• God is doing new things...are we going to join the "party", or pout because these "Christians" are doing something different?
• Will you allow yourself to be changed, renewed...or will you stick with the old?

Dear Lord, please go before us. Prepare the way. You've called us to the celebration. Invite us in, and help us to welcome others to the feast.

"God prepares the table for us, offering us a feast of abundant love.  Our cups overflow with the bounty of grace for our Shepherd knows us as no one else can...restoring our souls, healing our brokenness, nourishing us with bread and cup for the life of ministry. Come to the table and feast with the Shepherd."  

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given.  I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously.  Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said.  Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear...  That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts.  So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

Sermon Notes from FUMC, Interlachen, FL., 11/11/2018, Pastor A.C. Myers.

Toni's Creative Adventures-The Bridge Across the Bay

It's time for another of Toni's Creative Adventures!  Our friend Toni sets up the outline for the adventure, and we have to fill in the blank with our own adventure.  So, here goes for my adventure this week:

http://toniscreativeadventures.blogspot.com/ The Bridge Across The Bay
1.   Walking slowly on the bridge across the bay I suddenly stopped to watch the sunrise as it slowly lifted its bright and glowing face above the horizon.

2.   A feeling of peaceful serenity came over me as I stood there rejoicing in the beauty of that moment...a new day was dawning...full of promise and possibilities...a day that had never been before and would never be again.

3.   The sun rays in the water captured the sheer beauty of the perfect stillness of the morning and the golden glory of God welcoming me to embrace the joy of this new day.

4.   Reaching the end of the bridge I thought to myself that today is an opportunity to begin anew...old things have passed away...today is a new creation...God has given this precious gift to me to use for His honor and glory.  What I do with this day is my gift back to Him. May I not squander this priceless treasure. 

Amen.

The Secret Garden Chronicles: Surely The Presence of the Lord Is In This Place

Yesterday afternoon I spent some time in the Secret Garden after a busy day of cooking and celebrating my son's birthday.  It was quiet and peaceful and so very comforting to just sit there in the garden and rest for a few minutes at the close of the day.  I was thankful for my son, whose birthday we celebrated, as he was the one who helped to initiate the whole idea of the Secret Garden when he presented me with the beautifully refurbished garden bench for Christmas. 

  (See the finished product HERE)

Also yesterday afternoon I transplanted some azalea bushes from the sunny, hot front side of the house to the Secret Garden, because they weren't surviving in their original location, and I pray the cool shade of the Secret Garden will be a better place for them to grow and thrive. I wanted to give them a second chance at life...because isn't that what Jesus did for us when we accepted Him as our Savior?  We began life anew when we were born again into His family. 

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 

II Corinthians 5:17 KJV

I hope someday when people come to the Secret Garden they will know that there was a lot of love here...and that they will feel the Presence of the Lord in this place.

As I sat there listening to the sounds of the birds singing in the trees above and around me, I just couldn't help but start singing this song (the chorus is all I knew, but this video has the whole song, which is so beautiful)

"Surely The Presence of the Lord Is In This Place"

Psalm 16:11

"You will show me the path of life;

In Your Presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

I pray you will have a blessed and peaceful, glorious 

day in the Presence of the Lord, 

wherever you are!

New Creatures in Christ - recycled

This post is being recycled from its original posting on 12/30/2010...and the message is still the same today...some excellent points to ponder as we prepare for the closing of one year and the beginning of the new.

This Nativity Ornament has been a part of my parent's Christmas tree ever since I can remember.

II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

As I reflect back on this past year and all of its important events in my life, I can't help but think that through all of its trials and tribulations, old frustrations and new beginnings , closed doors and open windows, losses and gains...that God has been busily re-creating, molding and shaping and refining me into the "new creation" He desires me to become.  Every aggravation, new challenge, defeat, and victory are all a part of that bigger picture...the grand scheme...the masterpiece that God is creating in my life.

Looking ahead into the New Year I can't help but wonder what joys and travails are awaiting my discovery...but I can only move forward with faith, trusting in the same God Who brought me through this past year...the God Who never changes...He is the same, Yesterday-Today-and Forever...

In the words of an old A.B. Simpson hymn:

"Oh, how sweet the glorious message simple faith may claim; Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same. Still He loves to save the sinful, heal the sick and lame, cheer the mourner, still the tempest-Glory to His name!"

"Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same; All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!"

"For I am the Lord, I do not change..." Malachi 3:6


We can trust fully in this God, Jesus Christ, that little baby Who was born in a manger...Who came to save us and set us free from all our sins and shame...He is still working in our lives today just as He did when He walked upon this earth... and He is preparing us for His soon return...of that I am certain. 
 
Dear friend, are you ready to meet Jesus face to face?  Do you know this Saviour Who is working behind the scenes of your life, re-creating you into the beautiful image of Himself?  Perhaps this New Year will be full of life-changing events in all of our lives.  My prayer is that we will face each new challenge full of faith and trust in our life-changing God.  May it be a year of truly becoming a "New Creation" in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

I Have a Blank Page Before Me

I have a blank page before me.  This page right here. Of course, by the time you are looking at it, it is no longer blank. It is a finished and published post. I won't let you see it until it is complete, edited, proof-read again, and finally pronounced good enough to publish...in MY mind.

There are times when I have hit the "publish" button too quickly, and then and only then do I spot the very obvious mistakes...the typos, the misspellings, the grammar errors.  However, at that time it is technically too late...I already hit the "publish" button, and the whole world is watching.  Now, fortunately, there is also an "edit" button, and if I am quick enough I can hit the "edit" button and go back and fix the mistakes.  Then I am much more careful before I am tempted to hit that "publish" button again.  I do not like to expose my errors to the world. I prefer to keep them to myself...and erase them before they can do me too much harm and embarrassment.

My life is much like this blank page.  Or, at least is was when I was born.  I started out with a clean page. No big mistakes to fix, no errors to hide, no major issues to correct. And the whole world was watching. Sadly, my page did not stay clean for long. Being human as I am, and not a page in a computer or a notebook, it did not take long to make huge mistakes that could not easily be erased or edited out of my life. Once the unfortunate act was committed, whether by choice or by accident, it was much like hitting that "publish" button too quickly.  It was already "out there" for all the world to see.

Even if no other human saw my folly, God saw.  Even when I tried to hide my mistakes, He already knew. There was no getting around Him. No "edit" button could undo my errors.  There was only one way to fix the problem.

Ask for forgiveness. Tell Him the truth. Tell Him I was sorry.  And what did He do? Did He hide my errors under a rug?  Did He tear up the page of my life and start over? Well not exactly, but then again, yes exactly.

I John 1:8-9 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

I John 1:7 tell us that "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

When we confess our sins, (errors, mistakes, faults...same thing), God forgives us...and cleanses us from all sin!  He gives us a new page...a blank page on which we can start over!

II Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (blank page?); old things have passed away (been edited, deleted, removed!?); behold, all things have become NEW!"

That is great news!  Yes, I can have a new, blank page before me! Christ has covered my sins with His blood, and has cleansed me from ALL my sins.  Not just the itty bitty mistakes, not just some of them, but ALL of them.  I am a new creation.  Brand spanking new!

And the BEST news is, He can do that for YOU too!  All you have to do is ask!

Now, let me spell check and grammar check this before I hit that "publish" button!  I want to make sure I am telling this great news to you correctly, without error, spot or blemish!  This news is too wonderful to hide!


Okay, let's start writing on that new page...

TGIF!

How often have we said, "TGIF" in our lives?  I know I've said it frequently throughout my years of employment...and even during my times of unemployment. There is just something special about Friday.  Today I am particularly giddy because I completed my first full week of my new job and survived.  Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I have Friday afternoons off...that's almost as good as a four day work week! 

So today I celebrated by rushing right home to enjoy an absolutely gorgeous afternoon by dining out on my patio for lunch, surrounded by the joyful melody of so many birds I can't begin to count them! The bright yellow goldfinches are enjoying the thistle seed I put out for them.  Their golden bodies are such a bold contrast twittering back and forth against the spring green background of newly budding trees in the little copse of woods behind my house. Just as beautiful are the brilliant red cardinals and their more subdued colored mates as they chip chip chip away at the safflower seed in the other feeders. 

Earlier I heard the loud cukcukcukcukcukkkk of the tall pileated woodpecker as he flew from one tree to another in search of dead wood to peck away at.  There are several other red-bellied woodpeckers hopping up and down the tree trunks and on the ground in search of bugs, larvae, and acorns. 

A few minutes ago there was a war between the red-tailed hawk and our Barred Owls...apparently the hawk flew into the wrong territory...I am expecting the baby owl(s) to make their debut any day now. We are hearing a lot more owl activity at night....last night the adults were calling back and forth to each other from opposite ends of the woods, then just as I was watching out our back door (it was dark), I saw one of the owls fly pell-mell across our yard, calling "Who Who Cooks for YOU?" very loudly as he flew in the direction of his responding mate.  I think she was letting him (or vice versa) know that she had found some tasty rodent for dinner.  Food becomes a major issue when they are feeding newborn owlets.   

I know, this is a lot of jibberish about birds and stuff...but tomorrow is the first day of Spring...and all of God's beautiful creation is celebrating!  This is just the way He intended it to be right from the start...

Genesis 1:20-22  "Then God said, 'Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens...and God saw that it was good...And God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.'"

And yet even more significant is what Jesus taught His disciples about the sparrow...

Matthew 10:29-31 "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; YOU ARE OF MORE VALUE THAN MANY SPARROWS!"

Yeah, I know, maybe being more valuable than a little sparrow doesn't sound like much to you, but the fact remains that we were created for a noble and unique purpose...not to worship the "creation", but the Creator, and to one day dwell with Him forever...ONE DAY may be sooner than we think...so we may as well start celebrating now!

Revelation 5:13 gives us a bird's eye view of heaven at the end of the age...

"And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

'Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!'"

Amen and Amen!

New Creature or Old? Which are YOU?

2 Corinthians 5:17  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Wouldn't it be nice to wake up some morning and find out that you are a whole new creature...that your body has been totally renewed and your outward appearance is like that of a twenty year old in his/her prime?  Even better, to realize that your inner person, your heart, lungs, bones, muscles, teeth, eyes, brain and nerves are also brand new and in perfect condition; wouldn't that be marvelous? Who among us wouldn't jump at the opportunity to be completely restored to our youthful perfection (if we ever were that perfect)?   I know I would, but only if I could keep the wisdom that I have learned through many years of trial and error. I certainly wouldn't want to have to learn those lessons all over again.

According to what I am reading today in 2 Corinthians 5:17, we can be a new creation, and perhaps many of us already are.  This verse tells me that if I am in Christ, I am a new creation; "old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  So just what does this mean?  I certainly don't look like a new creation...I look more like a worn out old shoe...comfortable, but very well worn.  And even more than that, I definitely don't feel like a new creation, especially today after springing the clocks ahead one hour last night! That always throws me off kilter for about a week!

The key is: "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation..."  When we invite Christ into our hearts, when we accept the free gift of salvation that is only through faith in Christ, He comes to dwell within our hearts, and we become new creatures.  Our old sinful nature passes away, and our hearts and souls become like brand new babies...clean and pure.  He takes away the old and replaces it with the new.  That is better than any botox or plastic surgeon or heart surgeon could ever do.  The new creation within us shines through, giving us a happy, joyful spirit that nothing can ever take away.  Even when difficult things happen in our lives, that new spirit within continues to mature and grow and blossom into the beautiful new creature that is designed specifically by God.

If you are tired of the old creature that is dying within you, why not invite Christ in today?  He is only a prayer away...and He is always ready to create a new person.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to wake up tomorrow a new creature in every way...inside and out?  Think about it.  Better yet, just do it!

John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'"

Closed Doors, Open Windows - The Beginning

Isaiah 43: 18-19 "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Someone once gave me a plaque to put on my wall that said, "When God closes a door, He always opens a window." I kept it on my wall for many years, although it was often moved from one wall to another as we saw one door closed on that particular home and place of employment, and a window opened in a new location. I finally got to the place where I hid that plaque, because it was beginning to feel like we had a perpetual door slamming shut and I got tired of rehanging that plaque on a different wall. However, the truth I need to focus on is the fact that I did have another wall on which to place it...because God had in fact opened another window. In reality, God has always opened another window whenever we heard that proverbial door slam shut on our hopes and dreams. He has never failed to open another window for us, albeit, perhaps not always a window that we had ever thought of before, or even that we would have considered had it not been for God's supernatural guidance and intervention on our behalf.

Lord, right now I am in one of those places between the slammed door and the open window...and I have no clue where or when that window will open. I know I can trust in You, since You have promised in Your word in Isaiah 43:18-19 that You will "do a new thing" (open a window?) and that You will "even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Here I am Lord, ready to travel that road or cross that river, whatever it takes to reach that open window. Thank You for Your message of hope and encouragement today. I can hardly wait to see what window You are going to open next! Amen.