Together in Hope

 Looking at the Covid-19 trend from around mid-July until today, August 29th,  the graft gives a lot of reason for hope. The curve has not just flattened, but in fact shows a decrease in the number of new cases. Granted, this could easily change when we hit the two weeks mark following the reopening of schools and places of business.

While the dread of the infection seems to be going in the right direction,  not so the strife and bitterness toward each other. It's even more pronounced as the respective political parties make their bid for this nation's future.

May I suggest we truly open our eyes? Pull the manifestos or the platforms on which these candidates and incumbents are running from the internet, line it up beside what the Bible says, and determine what you are willing to sacrifice. Neither one will be 100% for Christian values but we should be able to determine which is the lesser evil. This is my simplified definition of voting your faith. 

We need each other; the infighting must stop. A house, any house, divided against itself, falls. It may not look like it but God has not given up his position; there is no need for him to seek re-election. We do not have to destroy ourselves in order to solve our problems.  Let us seek God with all our hearts. He is, and forever will be, in complete control. 

Taking a Stand

 Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk 

Thanks to all of you who diligently follow me here and on other social media platforms. Today I want to borrow this simplified version of the Christian statement of faith from the C.S. Lewis legacy website and ask you not just to like, but share or copy and paste, if this is also what you believe. I love hearts and likes and all the various emoticons but this is way more important. 

The church and Christians are being attacked at every level,  overtly and through subtle exclusions as new rules, laws, and plans of action are presented. Let's not be silent. Today I am calling like Moses, "Who is on the Lord's side?" If you are, then let's send this message.  We believe God. 

"We accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the written Word of God. We believe in the divine inspiration, entire trustworthiness and final authority of the Bible in all matters of faith and practice.

We celebrate:

The triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The incarnate Son: Jesus Christ, fully God, fully man.

The goodness and beauty of the world, created and sustained by the Word

of God’s power.

Salvation by grace received through faith in Jesus Christ, who alone,

through His life, death and bodily resurrection, redeems us from sin and

reconciles us unto God.

The essential unity of all believers, who together form one Church,

diverse in form and expression, of which Christ is the Head.

The continuing ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who empowers the worship,

service and witness of God’s’s people in all their activities.

The ultimate deliverance of the children of God and of all nature from

the destructive consequences of the Fall."

And  I'll add, this means, we believe in the second coming of Christ ; that he'll come with eternal life for those who follow him and eternal separation for those who do not. And so, we share his message of salvation.

God bless you! Maranatha!!

Share Your Faith

Watching his friend die was hardly the preparation he needed to face his own health challenges. And even as he recited the lot of others in his circle who had ended up paralyzed where he had been left unscathed, he could not quell the fear. It furrowed his brow, speeded up his heart, and overflowed in tiny rivulets from the corners of his eyes to the tips of his ear. The tests loomed menacingly closer as the minutes raced by and all he could think of was,  what if I don't make it?  What if this time my luck has finally run out? 

It was then someone took the time   to stop, to listen, and to tell him about the Shepherd. Together they talked about Him, read His letter, and prayed to Him. And suddenly, in the middle of despair hope appeared. 

Somewhere in this brief story is a real life testimony. It makes little difference to whom it happened or when or where. The point is, God gives opportunities to be his voice to a hurting world much more often than we realize. We are putting on masks for safety in this pandemic but we are all being unmasked as isolation, stress, and anxiety drive our fears to the surface. Everyday we are meeting people desperately needing to hear a message of hope. 

We can be the one to point them to Jesus. It could make all the difference in the world. 

Celebrate the Small Things

So August arrived right on schedule and my response was, "Let the birthday celebration begin." When I tell people I celebrate the whole month some are surprised, some say its excessive and a few invariably ask how its done. This year, more than ever, I feel it's fitting to celebrate the small things, starting on day one.
In our present dilemma it's the small things, the ones we never noticed or attached any importance to, we find ourselves missing the most. It feels like aeons since we were able to arrange a  spur of the moment meet up. And ,"Why don't you come over?" is a question systematically disappearing from our conversation. Forget weekend roadtrips to see grands and In's, its just not worth the effort.
Therefore,  on an August like no other, I choose the small things. Comfort food, times of rest, nail polish, lipstick, walks ...you get the idea. I will focus on meditation, prayer, reading, writing, and thanksgiving for life and health. Oh, I can't forget sunflowers - I  will enjoy the beauty of a vase or two of sunflowers.
And, I'll breathe deeply every chance I get as a tribute to those whose life ended too soon and the insensible ones who are even now on their journey.
Life and August - specifically August 11th, what a gift!