Deception

While in Paris on our honeymoon back in 1980, Harold and I walked by a bakery window and saw some delicious-looking pastries. So we went inside and picked out a couple of them along with some hot coffee, but…

We were so disappointed. They didn’t taste anything like they looked. They looked so good but they tasted awful.

I had a similar experience in 2011, once again while in a foreign country. It was at the Bolshoi Ballet and Opera Theatre in Moscow, Russia. It was intermission time and I decided to buy a dessert. I picked out a cute little cake that looked yummy, but as soon as I paid for it I realized it was way too expensive. I wondered why this dessert was so expensive. As I cut into the first slice I suddenly realized that the cake was topped with caviar. I discreetly set it down and left it there for anyone else who might be brave enough to eat it.

So the French pastries just didn’t taste very good, and the Russian cake was an expensive mistake on my part, but in both cases, my eyes deceived me. And now,

Living in today’s world, I think it’s safe to say that many of us have been noticing an increase in deception, and I’m not referring to French pastries or Russian desserts. No, I’m talking about…

Deception involving worldwide mainstream media in their silence and suppression of the truth concerning COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine.

Deception involving world organizations such as the WEF, IMF, and the WHO, individual politicians, regardless of political party affiliation, and several of our three-letter government agencies, regarding privacy issues, misinformation, and questionable practices.

Deception involving the health and well-being of our entire nation concerning food contamination issues, the recommended childhood vaccination schedules, and questionable medical practices that promote profit over health. We also have widespread misappropriation of federal funds involving outright theft of U.S. tax dollars in programs that produced COVID-19 relief fraud, healthcare fraud, disability fraud, child feeding program fraud, and childcare fraud, to mention just a few.

Deception concerning our God-given gender and sexuality in the current worldwide indoctrination of young children into the transgender and homosexual agenda.

Deception involving the whereabouts of thousands of children that have gone missing in the past few years.

Deception concerning our climate and the so-called “climate change” initiative.

Worst of all, we have deception in progressive mainline churches throughout America; churches that declare that homosexuality is not a sin and that abortion is perfectly fine. These churches also allow women to preach to men, which is in direct defiance of God’s Word. These churches are full of progressive pastors who defile their Sunday-morning pulpits by drawing more attention to themselves than God. They seem to march in lockstep as they promote their social justice issues to a higher level of importance than the gospel itself as they simultaneously attempt to redefine what they believe it means to be a Christian. And this is all while they entertain their congregation with popular contemporary “Christian” music and stage productions as opposed to teaching and preaching the inerrant, infallible word of God.

Charles Spurgeon warned us about this very thing.

“A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, a church will have clowns entertaining the goats.”

The Bible talks quite a bit about deception in the Last Days. Do I think we’re there yet? No, not just yet, but based on the deception we’ve been seeing, we’re probably getting pretty close to it. Look what the Bible says:

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1

“Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” Matthew 24:11

“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:24

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

The more corruption, falsehoods, and deception I see going on in the world today, the more I am reminded that this world is not my home.

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20

So in the meantime,

“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.” Proverbs 3:5-6

And,

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Heart Surgery

First came the dress. Was it white and gold or was it blue and black?!

Then came the audio recording. Was it Laurel or was it Yanny?!

They were both quite the internet buzz when they first came out and I found them quite fascinating.

The “dress” was a viral internet phenomenon in 2015, and the “audio recording,” which was just as popular, was in 2018.

While I saw white and gold, it turns out the dress was actually blue and black.

And,

While I heard “Laurel,” others heard “Yanny.”

I wondered….

How can two people look at the same photo but see something different?

And….

How can two people hear the same audio recording and hear something different?

Apparently, there were scientific explanations for both phenomenons, but I still found them fascinating.

On a more serious note, I believe there is a phenomenon that relates to the hearing of the gospel message.

How can two people hear the same gospel message but only one actually listens, receives the message, and takes steps toward Christ?

Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction. Jeremiah 17:23

Likewise, a similar phenomenon that relates to seeing Christ in the gospel message.

How can two people see Jesus in the gospel message but only one receive Him as Savior?

The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4

So the problem is not really our ears and eyes, the problem is our hearts.

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.”’ Acts 28:27

And people like their sins,

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. John 3:19-20

Keeping in mind,

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” John 6:44

And knowing that,

The root of our heart problem is sin.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

And,

The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23

But God made a way,

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

Why do we need a new heart?

It’s like a heart patient who’s in need of heart surgery. Not someone who just needs some medicine, but someone who’s in desperate need of heart surgery; someone who must have surgery in order to live.

So how do we get a new heart?

By turning away from sin, and turning toward Christ, in repentance and faith.

By faith believing He is God’s only Son, who died a sacrificial death on the cross, taking the punishment that we deserve. Believing Christ died and rose again three days later, according to the scriptures.

Trusting in Christ alone.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Hearing,

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

And seeing,

To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Acts 23:18

With thanksgiving,

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1

Being born again,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

So,

Are you in need of heart surgery?

Don’t wait.

Your very life depends on it.

Book your appointment with the Great Physician.

Call out to Him in repentance and faith today.

Tomorrow may be too late.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Matthew 9:12

Martin Luther and The Man on the Middle Cross

It was on October 31, 1517, that Martin Luther, nailed his 95 Theses to the church doors in Wittenberg, Germany and began what is known today as the Protestant Reformation, or simply, the Reformation.

During this time, the nailing of notices on the church door was a way of public communication and proclamation. As a devout Augustinian Catholic Monk, he was inspired to write his 95 Thesis in protest to the various corruptions and injustices he witnessed in the Pope and in the Catholic Church. One of which was the Pope’s solicitation and collection of money from the poorest of the poor to build St Basilica’s Cathedral, all while the Pope was one of the wealthiest men alive. The foremost corruptions included the “selling of indulgences” as a means of forgiving people of their sins, and the preaching of good works as a necessary means of salvation.

To further clarify “indulgences,” it was a corrupt means in which the priests profited from the rich by inferring that they could “buy their way into heaven” and provide “absolution for their sins” by the giving of large sums of money to the Catholic Church. Simultaneously, these “indulgences” inferred a condemnation of the poor as they couldn’t possibly have enough money to “buy their way into heaven.”

No doubt, Martin Luther’s 95 Theses caused quite a stir, as speaking publicly in this way against the Catholic Church was very much frowned upon at this time in history. Luther was subsequently excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1521 and went into hiding. Now during this time it’s interesting to note that the Bible was primarily only available in Latin. While in hiding, Martin Luther paved the way for the people of Germany to understand what the Bible actually said by translating the New Testament from Latin into German, which took him approximately 10 years to complete. For the first time in history, the Bible was made available for people to read in their own language. At this same in history, the printing press was created which made it possible for many copies of the Bible to be made available. Thanks to John Wycliffe and William Tyndale, the Bible was translated into English and spread during this period as well.

Simply put, Martin Luther’s original intention was to reform the Catholic Church however instead of reforming the Catholic Church, the church divided. Those who agreed with Martin Luther became known as Protestants. Those who disagreed with him remained as Catholics.

As an adult I find Martin Luther and the facts about the Reformation quite interesting. I actually don’t recall hearing or learning about him or the Reformation when I was young. Nor did I realize that Martin Luther was of Calvinist persuasion until I became an adult. I also didn’t know about the differences in Calvinism and Arminianism when I was young. Basically Calvinism teaches that God is sovereign and in control of our salvation, also known as election. Whereas, Arminianism teaches that we choose our salvation, also known as free will. Perhaps more importantly I also believe that we’re not saved by our precise understanding of how this great salvation comes to us (Martyn Lloyd Jones.) There are many great theologians on both sides of the Calvinism and Arminianism school of thought.

In the past few years however, I find myself more drawn to Calvinism or Reformed Theology, as it’s more commonly called today. I believe that God is sovereign over everything and is in ultimate control, including our salvation. I also prefer Baptist churches that are not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as I have found the liberal, progressive, and corrupt leadership in the SBC to be intolerable. Perhaps the subject of a future writing.

So, I’m thankful for Martin Luther, and for his brave writing and posting of the 95 Theses. I’m thankful for his diligence in translating the Bible, and for the birthing of the Reformation; the foundation of Protestantism. Martin Luther established the fact that the Bible is to be the central source of authority for Christ followers, and that salvation is reached through faith, not deeds.

Martin Luther’s teachings also birthed the beginning of what we know today as the 5 Solas: sola fide, sola scriptura, solus christus, sola gratia and soli deo Gloria!

By Scripture alone.

By Faith alone.

By Grace alone.

Through Christ alone.

To the Glory of God alone!

So, I agree with Martin Luther; I am a Protestant.

I believe we are saved by grace through faith, and that,

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them. John 6:44

And,

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

I repeat,

Ye must be born again. John 3:7

And that,

Salvation cannot, nor could it ever, be obtained through indulgences, sacraments, or good works.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8

Salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, and by the grace of God alone. It is a gift of God.

We are saved as a result of what Christ achieved on the cross, as it was on the cross that He paid the penalty for both my sin and yours. On the cross He made a way of salvation for all who turn to him in repentance and faith.

It was over 2000 years ago, on a hill called Calvary, that Jesus and two thieves were each nailed to a cross. One thief turned toward Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

And Jesus, the Man on the middle cross, replied,

“…Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

I repeat, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8

Hot!

Hot coffee! My love for it first began when I was a little girl. It was the aroma. My mom drank hers black, hot, and in a small White Castle coffee cup. The first time I actually tasted it was not until I was a teenager. I was surprised it didn’t taste as good as it smelled. But by the time I was old enough to live on my own, I was an official coffee lover, as I had discovered that instant coffee with a little milk and sugar made the perfect cup of coffee.

Nowadays my requirements for a good cup of coffee are pretty simple. I prefer Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee Crystals, with a little skim milk, monk fruit sweetener, and most importantly, it must be hot! Lukewarm coffee will not do.

So, you can imagine how excited I was to own my first microwave oven back in 1980. It was a wedding gift from my mom, and it wasn’t just any microwave; it was a Sharp Carousel Microwave. I actually didn’t cook much in it, but I found it perfect for making a cup of coffee and keeping it hot.

Fast forward to May of 2021, our youngest daughter, Mackenzie, got me an Ember Temperature Control Smart Coffee Mug for Mother’s Day. I love it! When used properly, it keeps my coffee a perfect 140 degrees.

Three things I’ve learned about using the Ember mug:

1. You need to start out with hot coffee. For example, you can’t pour cool or lukewarm coffee in the mug and expect it to work properly.

2. You need to start out with a full cup. It doesn’t work well if you only pour in half a cup. It needs to start out full.

3. You need to keep it charged. While it will work off of its charging base, it doesn’t work for long periods of time. It needs to be connected to its base often in order to keep a good charge.

Thinking about my love of hot coffee reminded me of this verse:

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!” Revelation 3:15

In this Bible verse, Jesus was referring to the church at Laodicea. It was a dead church; their hearts were lukewarm and their deeds were hypocritical, done for show and not with the heart or the love of God. Basically, the church was full of unconverted, pretend Christians who saw themselves as “rich” believers, but in reality they were self-sufficient hypocrites who relied on their own prosperity and their own good deeds. The Lord saw them as wretched, pitiful and “poor” unbelievers, whom he chastised using the analogy of the temperature of their water.

Interestingly,

Their drinking water was disgustingly lukewarm. It came from a viaduct via a nearby spring, but it was practically worthless. It wasn’t hot like a hot spring that people could bathe in, nor was it refreshingly cold for drinking: it was lukewarm, basically good for nothing, and nauseating to drink. Thus, the analogy is of the Lord’s response to the Laodiceans, who sickened Him like the lukewarm water.

So here’s a stern warning,

And a simple analogy.

1. Lukewarm won’t do: First and foremost you must be born again. Have you turned to Jesus in repentance and faith, and placed your trust in His sacrificial death on the cross for the penalty of your sins? If so, be passionate about matters concerning the Lord! Allow the Holy Spirit to transform your desires to line up with God’s will for your life.

2. You need to be full: There are no halfhearted Christians. To be a “lukewarm Christian” is the equivalent of being an unbeliever. You’re either saved or you’re not saved.

3. Stay close to God: Christians grow in their relationship with God through prayer, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and by growing in the truth of God’s word through meaningful Bible study. It’s the process of santification. And just as a reminder, attending or being a member of a church doesn’t make you a Christian. Nor is there any value in trusting in church traditions, your status, or your possessions. Good works are not a substitute for salvation. Good works are a result of salvation, not a means of salvation.

Something to think about the next time you enjoy a delicious cup of hot coffee.

More importantly,

Something to pray about.

Talents And Spiritual Gifts

My dad was bi-vocational, working for White Castle in the Indianapolis office as supervisor by day, and playing guitar by night (mostly weekends) at VFW’s (Veterans of Foreign Wars) and various venues. He also played guitar on a local TV show called Midwestern Hayride.

So, his day job was necessary to put a roof over our heads and food on the table, but his night job was simply because he loved playing the guitar. He was self-taught and quite talented, and more than just a guitar player, he strived to be an entertainer, and that he was. He would often point out other musicians that he believed were good entertainers, and although we had different taste in music, he was right about entertainers. There was something different about them; entertainers seem to instinctively know how to entertain.

As for me, I never went into the entertainment industry and rightly so; I don’t have an ounce of theatrical or musical talent! Although I do remember daydreaming when I was young about becoming a famous singer one day. Ha! Don’t we all?

Actually, it’s human nature to want something that someone else has. Unfortunately our human nature tends to cause us to envy a talent that we find attractive in others, all while ignoring a talent that we may have but are totally unaware of.

In reality, not everyone is supposed to be on stage. There are many wonderful talents that are in the background and not meant to be front stage and center.

Do you know what your natural talents or abilities are? It’s probably something that you enjoy doing; something that you’re good at; something creative; and something that stands out about you to other people.

While most everyone has some natural talents and abilities, spiritual gifts are different. Spiritual gifts are only given to believers and shouldn’t be confused with a natural talent or ability.

Spiritual gifts are given to believers by the grace of God for the purpose of doing the ministry that God has planned for His followers to do. Spiritual gifts are also known as gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual gifts include, but are not limited to:

• The gift of teaching others about God.

• The gift of exhorting or encouraging others in the faith.

• The gift of showing generosity to others.

• The gift of Christian leadership.

• The gift of showing mercy to others.

• The gift of administrative or organizational skills.

• The gift of helping in some way, service, etc.,

Spiritual gifts are to be exercised in the life of a believer for the glory of God, in service to Him, to further His Kingdom, and ultimately to point others to Him.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

In actuality, God calls us to obediently serve Him in all things, not just in one particular area of ministry. He equips believers with whatever gifts we need at the time to accomplish any task that He’s called us to do.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” I Corinthians 12:4-7

So, do you know what your spiritual gifts are? You can have more than one. It’s also OK if you don’t know what your spiritual gifts are. It’s really more important just to be serving God in some way. Ask God where he wants you to go and/or what He wants you to do. You’ll likely discover your spiritual gifts as you are “going” and “doing” for the Lord.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received.” 1 Peter 4:10

And,

As believers we should ask ourselves questions from time to time, such as…

“Am I using my spiritual gifts in the way that God intended?”

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. Psalm 115:1

And,

“Am I glorifying God with my life, with my natural talents, and with the spiritual gifts that he’s blessed me with?

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Imagine

Morning TV has taken a backseat in my daily routine, but I still catch the occasional morning news story as my husband still likes to watch morning TV shows. One morning in July of 2021 the TV news coverage was on the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. This was the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics that was originally scheduled to be in July of 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic, and was rescheduled for July 2021. It wasn’t the Olympic ceremony that caught my attention but it was the song they sang, Imagine; nearly 50 years after it was first released by John Lennon in September of 1971.

Fifty years earlier, I was just entering my senior year of high school. Imagine got a lot of air play and eventually became one of John Lennon’s biggest hits after the breakup of Beatles in 1970. I didn’t think much about the lyrics back then but remember thinking the words seemed a little odd. I wondered what did he mean by saying, Imagine there’s no heaven? Now, 50 years later I realize his lyrics were more than just a little odd.

Imagine there’s no heaven

It’s easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today

Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you’ll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you’ll join us

And the world will live as one.

#JohnLennon

I admit I used to be a big Beatle’s fan. I was 9 years old in February, 1964 when the Beatles first invaded America. Some of my favorite early Beatle songs were, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” I Saw Her Standing There,” She Loves You,” and “Yesterday.” By the time they broke up in 1970 their music had changed quite a bit, as did they, but they were still extremely popular.

Now concerning the lyrics to Imagine, I find them quite troubling.

⁃ Imagine there’s no heaven: Why would we do that? The Bible clearly tells us that, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

⁃ It’s easy if you try: Really?! “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.” Psalm 19:1-4

⁃ No hell below us: Wishful thinking, at best, for the unsaved. Denying the existence of something does not make it go away, “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” 2 Thessalonians 1:9

⁃ Imagine all the people living life in peace: The Bible warns about those who silence legitimate fears and complaints with soothing words that speak of peace; “They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.” Jeremiah 8:11

⁃ Imagine no possessions: This is eerily similar to a statement out of the World Economic Forum; a huge proponent of The Great Reset, in which Klaus Schwab states, “You’ll own nothing, and you’ll be happy.”

⁃ Imagine all the people sharing all the world: Sounds great but I fear the methodology in which the world is leaning toward in their execution to obtain this; Open Borders, Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, Marxism, Socialism, Stakeholder Capitalism, etc.

⁃ And the world will live as one: While “the Bible does not use the phrase “one-world government” or “one-world currency” in referring to the end times. It does, however, provide ample evidence to enable us to draw the conclusion that both will exist under the rule of the Antichrist in the last days.” #GotQuestions

So we live in a secular world. Entertainment is secular by nature. The majority of TV shows are secular. Olympic Games and professional sports are secular. Pop music is secular.

To be clear, entertainment and music has its place. My preference is wholesome family entertainment and Christian music. I, like most of us, have some favorite TV shows. I have some favorite movies. I also like to listen to the oldies, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s music on occasion.

However, there’s a line that is crossed when entertainment ceases to be wholesome. When entertainment becomes heretical. When entertainment becomes apostasy. When entertainment diametrically opposes the word of God. When entertainment ceases to be entertainment. Such as John Lennon’s Imagine.

Imagine there’s no heaven? No way!

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Ephesians 5:11

In Everything By Prayer

I retired from Delta Air Lines in 2009 and am still grateful for having worked for Delta a little over 20 years in four different locations: Tampa, Los Angeles, Jacksonville, and Dallas. Interestingly Delta was first company that I worked for that only allowed a 30 minute lunch break. No big deal though. I just got used to bringing my lunch every day.

Except,

One day, while working in the Dallas office, I forgot my lunch. Normally when this happened I’d just get something from the vending machines but on this particular day I didn’t have any money with me either. Oops! I was hungry but was too embarrassed to ask someone for money, so I just sat down alone in the break room like everything was fine.

Before long, thoughts of a recent sermon from my pastor came to mind. In it he was reminding us that God wants to meet our needs and that He knows our needs even before we ask (Matthew 6:8). The pastor reminded us that God wants us to pray about everything, big or small. So, I prayed a short prayer and asked God to provide something for me to eat and to help me to not be so embarrassed to ask people for lunch money.

Before long my lunch break was over and I went back to work with an empty stomach.

A couple of hours later, still hungry and feeling a little down, I took my afternoon break and stepped outside of the customer service area to a guarded exit area to make a phone call. Out of the blue, the guard said, “Hello!” and offered me a slice of her pizza that she had just gotten delivered! Of course I accepted it and I was so grateful! It was delicious!! I told her that both she and the slice of pizza were an answer to prayer. It brought a smile to both of our faces.

God answered my prayers that day in such a tangible and timely way, and I made a new friend too.

I came away with an important reminder about prayer and also some reflection on my “feelings” of embarrassment.

For one,

I was more in the habit of praying about the bigger, more important issues in life, not the little things. I was reminded that I was not to limit my prayers to just the big things, but to bring everything to God in prayer, even something as small and insignificant as a forgotten lunch.

And two,

Why was I embarrassed to ask someone for lunch money? Was my embarrassment actually pride? Was I afraid of rejection? Was I overly concerned about how asking for money would look to others? Was I being too self-sufficient? I think the short answer to all of the above was yes. On the surface I was feeling embarrassed, but down deep I believe I was experiencing some of the negative effects of pride.

Pride is a sin.

Pride comes in all shapes and sizes, in actions and in lack of action. It gets in the way of healthy relationships. It also separates us from God.

If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Galatians 6:3

So I was reminded that day that it’s ok to ask others for help. It’s not a sign that there’s something wrong with you. It’s a sign that you’re human and that you need help of some kind. Asking others for help connects us and helps us relate to each other.

It’s even more OK to ask God for His help. In fact, we’re told to do so throughout the Bible:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Prayer, or lack there of, reflects our current relationship with God.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re failing to trust God for our needs.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re relying on ourselves instead of God.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re denying the sovereignty of God.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re acting as if we know better than Him.

When we fail to pray about everything, we’re saying that we’re in control, not God.

God’s help is actually exactly what we all need, but we have to first be willing to humble ourselves toward God and then toward one another.

….Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

Humility leads us to ask in prayer for His help,

In the little things.

In the big things.

In everything.

So,

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Green Acres

In 1993, we made our final major move involving my time with Delta Air Lines. Hello Texas! We moved into a nice apartment in Lewisville. Ever since Harold and I married in 1980, we had always rented. We first lived in an apartment for a couple of years, and then rented a double (duplex) for several years. We continued renting various apartments and homes for the first 15 years of our marriage. Actually renting was convenient for us during those years as we moved around quite a bit: from Indianapolis we moved to Tampa, Florida; from Tampa we moved to Los Angeles, California; from Los Angeles we moved to Jacksonville, Florida; and from Jacksonville we moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area. Amazingly, the last four moves were done within a five-year period! However, in 1994 we decided it was time for a change. While still renting an apartment in Lewisville, Texas, we took the plunge and bought 10 acres of undeveloped land in Krum, Texas. It was pure country and it was absolutely beautiful!

I could just sit and stare at the land for hours. In every direction we looked, it was green, it was big, it was peaceful, and the sunsets were amazing.

Harold dove in immediately and began putting up fencing. Within a few days, we made a trip to the local ER after he busted his hand and broke his thumb with a post hole digger. Ouch!

A few weeks later we began the next chapter in our lives and moved out of our Lewisville apartment and on to our new land, and into a little travel trailer.

It was a really old travel trailer.

And did I mention it was little?

And that there were four of us!

It was so small, when the girls were sleeping, we had to climb over their bed (couch/hideaway-bed) to get to the kitchen. We didn’t even own it; we rented it.

While living in the travel trailer we built a 12-stall drive-through barn and made 4 of the stalls into living quarters:

⁃ one stall for the kitchen/bathroom

⁃ one stall for the living room

⁃ one stall for our daughters’ bedrooms

⁃ and one stall for our bedroom.

It was kind of like a log cabin except instead of logs the walls were made of untreated 2 x 4s. Our bedroom was located next to the horse stall and on many an occasion the horse would wake us up by kicking the walls. Ha! We also had a few roosters 🐓 but that was very short lived because they “cock-a-doodled-do” way too early in the morning (I’m talking, like, 4:00 a.m.) so we gave them away to the first neighbor who would take them!

When the living quarters were finished we moved out of the travel trailer and into the barn. Actually our neighbor to the east of us needed a travel trailer so he took it and used it while he was having his home built.

Michelle wasn’t very fond of living out in the country, and was even less fond of living in a barn, although she did like the horses.

Megan was just the opposite. She absolutely loved living on the farm and loved all the animals. In addition to the horses and a dog, we managed to acquire a few cats, rabbits, donkeys, goats, sheep, and cows too.

We also had some emus but suffice it to say that didn’t turn out very well. They were not very friendly.

So having lived my entire life in the suburbs up until this time, living in the country was quite the culture shock for me. Living in a barn was very different than what I’d ever experienced before, but I decided to treat it like an adventure. It started reminding me of the old TV show, Green Acres, staring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor. It wasn’t long before I found myself walking around singing the theme song to Green Acres:

Green acres is the place to be!

Farm livin’ is the life for me!

Land spreadin’ out so far and wide.

Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside. (As sung by Eddie Albert)

New York is where I’d rather stay!

I get allergic smelling hay.

I just adore a penthouse view.

Dahling I love you but give me Park Avenue! (As sung by Eva Gabor)

The chores! (Eddie Albert)

The stores! (Eva Gabor)

Fresh air! (Eddie Albert)

Times Square! (Eva Gabor)

You are my wife! (Eddie Albert)

Good bye, city life! (Eva Gabor)

Green acres we are there! (In unison!)

Not surprisingly Harold absolutely loved everything about living in the country, and he was just fine with living in a barn. So much so that I was a little concerned that we were never going to get around to building that new house that he’d promised me when we first bought the 10 acres.

So I prayed about it.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

When we were first married back in 1980, I remember thinking about our future and about having children; I daydreamed of having three children one day. God blessed us with Michelle in 1981 and Megan in 1986. But during this time, I also suffered several miscarriages. So, by 1996, and in my early 40s, I had long given up on my hope of having three children, but God had other plans.

Then, while living in the barn we had a little surprise; I became pregnant and gave birth at age 42 to our third daughter, Mackenzie!

He completed our family, in His perfect timing, on December 23, 1996. Here’s our newborn, Mackenzie Anne Crandell, held by her sisters, Megan and Michelle, on December 25, 1996.

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Now our address was in Krum, but we actually lived closer to Ponder; so that’s where the girls went to school and where we attended Ponder Baptist Church.

Michelle and Megan came to faith in Christ at First Baptist Ponder and were baptized, and my faith grew as well. I was involved in several ministries: visitation, VBS, Kid’s Hope, choir, and teaching high school girls’ Sunday School. It was during this time that I began increasing my offering at church and was also convicted to tithe for the first time. I believe God was supplying the resources as I was doing more and giving more.

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

So in 1997, after 17 years of marriage, and after approximately a year of living in that little trailer, and a year of living in the barn, we moved into the first home that we could call our own. Harold was 48, I was 42, Michelle was 15, Megan was 11, and Mackenzie was just a few months old.

We also added a pond (aka a “tank,” as they call them in Texas) in the front yard and a pool in the back yard.

It was all so very beautiful, but eventually we found that the 10 acres required a lot more work and time than we were willing to do.

So, in 2003 we sold the 10 acres and moved to a new home in the suburbs, in a two-story 2,900+ square foot corner lot home, within walking distance to several restaurants, doctors’ offices, a movie theater, a gym, and several small shops and stores.

I look back on those years spent on those 10 acres with a smile and recall the many sweet memories we made there together as a family, including having my mom live nearby for several months in 1994. God is faithful.

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” Psalm 36:5

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1

Back To The Future

I was a big fan of the Back to the Future movies from the 1980s and early 1990s. The movies starred Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown. The first movie, which was my favorite, came out in July of 1985. Parts II and III came out in 1989 and 1990, respectively. They featured a time-traveling car (a DeLorean), a memorable quote from Doc Brown, “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads,” and my favorite quote from Marty McFly, “Eastwood, Clint Eastwood.”

The movies were so popular that Universal Studios Florida created a Back to the Future theme ride in 1991, which I rode on sometime in the early 1990s. The DeLorean sat near the entrance to the Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios Florida for many years. The ride has long since been replaced with another ride, and the DeLorean was purchased by a car museum and relocated to Los Angeles.

Now the DeLorean was a pretty cool car in and of itself, but this particular DeLorean DMC-12 was a one-of-a-kind Space-Time Continuum DeLorean equipped with a flux capacitor. Ha!

Actually, I like a variety of movies, lighthearted comedies, action adventures, and well-written dramas that tell a story, but a lot of my favorite movies are those that make me think about the past. Movies such as, Back to the Future, Going on 30, Forever Young, The Family Man, and Groundhog Day, to name a few.

It’s movies like these that make us all ponder and think back on the events in our past. We think, wouldn’t it be interesting to go back in time and relive some of our most memorable moments with our family and friends? Or, what would it be like to go back and change something I did or didn’t do in the past? Or, what if I’d done this instead of that? Or, why did I choose to do certain things or not to do certain things? The list is endless.

In actuality, no amount of daydreaming about time travel, or escaping into the world of movies, can erase or change the events or choices we’ve made in the past; even events that weren’t in our control, but wish we could have changed in some way.

In reality, we all have a past, and very likely have some things we’d like to go back and change, but that’s not possible.

What is possible, however, is having a relationship with the only One who has the power to forgive our past, know us in the present, and that we can trust into the future, Jesus Christ.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

So while it’s good to remember the past, we shouldn’t spend time worrying about it. What’s done is done. Nor should we worry about the future. Don’t worry about what life will be like next year, or in 5 or 10 years.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

What we should do is take care of what we need to take care of today. Is there something God is prompting you to do? Then do it. Tomorrow may be too late. Don’t let the cares and distractions of this world keep you from being the person that He made you to be or in doing the things that He prepared in advance for you to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

And,

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7