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!

A Community of Hope

"It was the worst of times, and the best of times." The quote makes me wonder if this person was a Christian who had quantum leaped forward into 2020! Without question, this can be viewed as the worst of times as Covid-19 rages on cutting wide swathes through all the nations of the world.
Add joblessness , fear, depression,  and the  burden of chronic illnesses that have paled in the glare of this pandemic,  and we are apt to say it is the pits, the worst of times.
On the other hand, its the best of times as we discern the significance of all these occurrences taken as a whole. Jesus did not deny their presence in the world, even in his day. What he stressed was the escalation of trouble, calamity and distress are to be taken as positive markers for his return.
How should we respond? Let us be a community of hope. Acknowledge the brutality of the situations around us but don't let that be the end of the conversation.  Say what Jesus said; and let someone know better is just up ahead for those who follow Christ.
Then gently invite them to "taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed are those who trust in him."

Gratitude

This week I am sharing the compelling story of gratitude told by Acevedo Homestead on Pastors Vega 's page.

A female humpback whale had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth. This is her story of giving gratitude.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Faralon Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so badly off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her…. a very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, nudged them, and pushed gently, thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same. May you be so fortunate …To be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.
"For God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Breathe...

Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk

How ironic that the words, "I can't breathe" continues to echo globally.
No, not politics. Here, let me show you:
I can't breathe tragically whispers from those on ventilators whose bodies have lost the ability to breathe for themselves;
It wheezes from those lying face down attached to a machine tasked with pushing air into occluded air spaces and not quite making it happen;
I can't breathe is a gasp from tired Frontline Workers meaning everyone who bravely suits up to bag groceries,  stock shelves, deliver mail, clean facilities, treat patients, and hold the hand of the dying;
I can't breathe is a tearful whisper on the phone of anxious family members who cannot be at the bedside of someone they love;
I can't breathe is the resigned sigh of a senior, struggling with crooked fingers, falling glasses and the fear of going without it, putting on a mask that just won't stay in place...
Its not a game; its not propaganda; its the reality if where we are.
Don't be the one to be careless or nonchalant or it-can't-happen-to-me
Why make "I can't breathe" the last words you ever say?
"Breath of heaven hold [us] together be forever near [us]; breath of heaven..."