Dancing in the Light

I Had To Stop For Jesus Today

2011-04-22T20:06:00.000-05:00

After working all week and a late friday hair appointment I was thinking about what to have for dinner--when for some reason, I realized I had been stopped at the same stoplight for what seemd like an inordinate length of time. I craned my neck to see around the car in front of me. I saw a procession--a local denomination had staged a parade in honor of "holy week" and in front of me marched their jesus carrying his cross, followed by a large group of roman soldiers and a crowd of mourners all marching toward their church building. I thought about Ned's smile when I told him I would have been home sooner but I "had to stop for jesus".
I'd had a busy day and as I thought about it, I realized that the "celebration procession" was the only time I had thought about Jesus since breakfast. I felt ashamed. I know that every day goes better when we start it with some prayer and some quiet time with God and I know that how we act toward others is a testimony of our faith but I felt incredibly sad that His name hadn't been on my lips or in my mind for the past 9 hours. It was an indictment on my soul! I wondered how many days have been like that? and if I could get the denomination to march their procession through my office several times a day.
I had an epiphany. I believe that Jesus is often relegated to the "formal" places in our lives and left out of the rest. By formal places I mean more than our Sunday and Wednesday night worship, I also mean our asking for blessings at meals, our bedtime prayers and our scheduled quiet times with Him---those hours or minutes that we have set aside in our lives--that we have allotted God! When I read the scripture, I learn that He really wants more than that---He wants it to be in my mind throughout the day not just at the beginning and ending as if He were spiritual bookends of my life. He wants to live in my heart, to be what motivates every action, what decides every decision and what defines me as a person, a wife, a mother, a sister, an employee. He wants me to think Him, love Him, LIVE Him~all day everyday. To do so will change my life---it is preparation for my life with Him in Heaven-- preparation for eternity~
Wow! I am so glad I had to stop for Jesus today!

Peace and prayers,
Neva

Retrospections, Resolutions and Reasons Why-

2010-01-17T23:14:00.002-06:00

This is the time of year when many of us make statements of our hopes, dreams, promises and commitments for the coming year. As you can see by the date, I am late. I am however, still in the first month. sigh---

I don't typically make new year's resolutions but thought I might this year. Nothing special about this year---just seemed like a good idea. But before I decided what I might do differently this year, I had to think about what needed changed from last year. This was was tedious because there was so much---so many words I should or should not have said, so many deeds I should or should not have left undone, so many thoughts I wish I hadn't thought. The retrospection was so very good for me spiritually. It was a time of truthful, honest measuring. Not measuring my faith against the faith of others nor of measuring my faith by my deeds--but a time of putting my life, all of it, up against the standard by which my Creator calls me to live. The way HE wants me to be is not the way I am. I just don't measure up. He calls me to be merciful and I am cruel (but sometimes I call it humor). He calls me to forgive and I am bitter. He calls me to love and instead I judge. He calls me to be hopeful and yet I find myself the cynic. Why is it I cannot be what He calls me to be? Have I forgotten what price He paid for me? Am I lazy and just don't put forth the effort? Or am I proud and try to earn my salvation on my own?

Maybe I just don't know my own heart? I mean I think I want to do better, to be better, to live better but maybe my heart deceives itself. Maybe I don't want to change----I mean sometimes we don't we get into the habit of justification and stretching the truth and protecting ourselves, "marketing our image" so that we, even we, aren't sure? (now you know why the retrospection part of this took me so long--)

So this year--this is my whole year's resolution: I want to open my eyes and my heart--to see what HE would have me see so that I can be who HE would have me be.

Peace,

Neva

Shame

2009-11-28T23:43:00.002-06:00

I have been thinking about this post for quite some time. I remember growing up and how heavy shame was. Everytime I did something I knew was wrong, it ate me alive inside, no matter how hard I tried to cover it up. A lie did not assuage my guilt. A manipulation did not make my palms any less sweaty. Flat out denial did not make it easier for me to stand for the invitation song on Sunday morning and NOT go forward. Shame was so heavy! It made looking in my parent's eyes almost impossible. It made breathing difficult and sleeping a chore. It became so stifling that I finally had to confess just so I could survive. Most of us can identify with this. But it seems to me that we have changed. Our society and its shame response is so different than it was even twenty years ago.
First of all, it takes a lot more to make us feel ashamed. Nothing is private, nothing is embarrassing, nothing is off limits. Is it because society has shaped our consciences? There was a time when there were public topics and private topics and everyone respected that, or at least most people did. We behaved in public decently and respectably and we never ever talked about certain subjects--we would have been too ashamed. There was a time when our clothing was important. We were ashamed if our clothing was dirty, ill fitting or showed our underwear.
There was a time when we cared about our reputations. We protected our family name and our image as well as that of our children. We didn't lie, we didn't cheat and we didn't steal. We paid our bills and our taxes. We worked hard and we didn't cohabitate outside of marriage. We would have been ashamed to live otherwise.
So I see us doing all the things that twenty years ago were considered shameful. We do them without a second thought and they have become commonplace. And so I wonder what does it take to shame us now? Maybe we have become so adept at taking grace for granted that we no longer feel shame. Perhaps we have convinced ourselves that our God is a God of love (and that He is) and that as a God of love, He only wants us to be happy and He understands how important it is to . . . . (fill in the blank) and that He will be merciful and gracious and we will not be punished. Once we convince ourselves of this, it becomes pretty easy to continue in our shameful behaviors. And since the church has become so "pc" we know that our brothers and sisters will not interfere in our lives.
Am I the only one who is disturbed about this? Am I seeing too much negative and not enough positive? There are times when I feel I can relate to the prophets of old----seeing a dangerous trend in God's chosen people. I am concerned for us----I worry about us when we begin to cover or stifle our shame until that feeling is gone. Shame is a good thing--unpleasant yes, but it is shame, a guilty conscience that is the catalyst to repentance. So one must wonder if we become a people who feel no shame will we become an unrepentant nation?
Ephesians tells us that we are children of light and should walk as children of light. We are told that there are secret shameful things that are done in darkness and that they are so shameful they should not even be spoken of in the light. We are the chosen ones--the ones picked by God to be different--to live by different standards------standards that are higher than those of the world. We are the ones who are shamed by sin and because of that shame, we try to stay as far away from it as possible. We are the ones whose lives are filled with gratitude for the grace and mercy of our Father. We no longer take grace for granted.
Once we have lost the ability to blush, we are no longer different from the world. We are living below our calling. Shame on us!

blessings
neva

LOST

2009-11-01T13:35:00.002-06:00

So I was driving home from work the other day--in a hurry to get home, as usual--tired from the day, as usual, and pretty inpatient, also as usual. I am behind a blue minivan that is driving very slowly. The driver waits at the green light, looking both ways, looking again, and then has the passenger look both ways and look again--I yell, "the light is green, goofball"--(as if they can hear me). Finally the blue minivan signals right and heads down my street! Great--now I get to follow them even further. "I am never going to get home", I think in my best "drama queen" voice. I notice as they drive down my street, that they slow and speed up, slow and speed up, both the passenger and the driver looking and looking out the windows at the house numbers. "What are you? Lost?" I shout!

Almost immediately, I am saddened at my loss of patience for those so obviously lost! I began to wonder how that translates into my emotions toward those who are lost spiritually. If I get so upset with someone who can't find their way, simply because it makes me a few minutes later getting home---then just maybe I think my time is way too precious! Perhaps my values are skewed. I mean honestly folks, its not like I was late for an appointment to do emergency brain surgery on a woman pregnant with quadruplets who had been hit in the head by a taco bell sign blown down by the wind! I was in a hurry to get home, change clothes, feed my face and look at facebook! Pretty important stuff don't you think? I was ashamed and began thinking about my attitude and asking God to change it----until . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I noticed that the minivan had 15 county plates---ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Y'all--that's North Platte--that's where I live. They were not lost at all--they just acted like it--the nerve of some people. I felt my ire rising again and frustration oozing out of every pore. Then all of the sudden, the God of the universe, the One who saved me, loves me and whom I worship, reached down, slapped me upside the head and said,, "Indeed" (now in case I have to clarify, I didn't literally see His hand reach down from heaven and hear His voice, but I did feel a heavy feeling in my stomach and my heart sinking and my conscience began to hurt). I mean here I was getting all upset, being frustrated, judging someone else, and being indignant that everything just wasn't going my way. Oh what a sight I must have been--what a picture I must have painted. Why I bet I looked just like someone who was . . . .lost!

peace and prayers,

Tomorrow

2009-08-11T19:12:00.002-05:00

My dear friends, thank you all for your prayers, notes and cards. I am doing better--each day God works in my life and I am very grateful. My cancer marker proved to be a false marker as a result of some bleeding in my abdomen. That has been taken care of and like a well behaved little marker, it returned to normal levels. Praise God, there is no sign of cancer!
I currently have a blood clot in my arm and one in my leg. While they are painful, they are pretty small and pretty superficial and along with the IVC filter in my vena cava, they are not too big a worry. The doctors are having a difficult time regulating my blood, it is always either too thin or too thick, so that remains an issue. However, I am sleeping at night--all night, and I am keeping food down a little over half the time. This is such an improvement! I take about 28 meds and doc is working on reducing some of those. (my wallet and my stomach would appreciate that--grin).
On the work front, I prayed that God would protect my job and my health insurance but He did even better! I start my NEW job on Monday! I am very excited! It is in the nicest nursing home in town and I will not be doing marketing or admissions---only social work! I will get to minister to people without worrying about whether they have money or not! I am thrilled and so grateful!
Tomorrow is my 49th birthday and I am so happy! I know it is not a big milestone like 21, 40 or even 50, but twice this year, I was told I probably would not make it to this birthday. When those medical professionals I trust and to whom I have entrusted my life, are concerned that I might not make it through the night, it makes me take time to think seriously about this life of mine. All the memories of a glorious life came to mind and today they are joined by other memories. I will not forget the look in my husband's eyes as he tried to remain strong for me, all the while preparing himself to be without me. I will not forget the tear in the eye of my family doctor while we talked about my close call with death. I will not forget the joy I felt when my son, my daughter in law and my grandkids drove all the way from Florida to see me. I will not forget the outpouring of love and concern from my friends, the church family, and co-workers. You called, you visited, you twittered and blogged but most of all, you prayed and I can never thank you enough--God heard your prayers.
I do not know what the future holds, like the past I am sure it will be filled with ups and downs. But for now, I am "bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord my God." I Sam. 25:29 and I am thankful for every day. And so tomorrow--Happy Birthday to me!

blessings,
neva

New Post--same request :(

2009-06-11T21:00:00.003-05:00

I know it has been ages since I have posted! I feel guilty even posting now--it has been so long and once again, I come to you, my blogfriends, with a prayer request.
I have not posted because I have been very ill. In March I collapsed at home, was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where they found seven bloodclots in my heart and lungs. I was not expected to make it but with the prayers of my friends and the healing touch of the Master, I recovered. They thought the clots came from my spleen which was very enlarged--so they did all kinds of tests, including a bone marrow biopsy (not too much fun) and finally in April, they removed my spleen. It was not cancerous, but was so large, they had to cut two abdominal muscles, peel it from around my pancreas and re -inflate a lung it had collapsed. I immediately got pneumonia and had a tap that removed the fluid. I began to recuperate, again thanks to the prayers of my friends and the care of the Father. I was home four days, had a follow up appt and was immediately put back in the hospital. My blood was so thin, I had to have 6 units of fresh frozen plasma and 3 of whole blood. Once again, they were not sure I would make it but God knew differently, He'd heard your prayers.
Tuesday of this week, I went in for follow up appt. My labs were skewed, my BP was only 100/42 and my blood was too thin again. So back into the hospital I went for two days. I received more blood products and had an upper and lower gi scope. They found nothing except that my ovarian cancer marker (C125) is high. So next week I go to see yet another doctor.

I have been unable to keep anything on my stomach and have lost a total of 51 lbs since the end of February. I am tired of feeling bad and being unable to know what is wrong! I am tired of having to have someone else cover my ladies classes and my support groups, not to mention my job. And today my boss told me that my job is in jeopardy. She said it was a verbal warning and while "she understands" I can't help it, "the company needs someone who is there to do the job". -----------Y'all, MY job pays our health insurance. That is why I work, too! I am more anxious now about not being well!

So once again, my friends, like a street beggar, I am pleading with you for prayers. I want to be well and useful in the Kingdom again. I don't want my husband to be worried and concerned for my health all the time and I don't want him to have the added burden of no insurance. It is late and I am tired and perhaps later I will look back at this post and delete it for being the selfish worries of a faithless woman, but for tonight, for right now, I covet your prayers.

n

The Non-Proverbs 31 Woman

2009-04-12T00:42:00.001-05:00

The wife with little character is easy to find. She values herself more than she values those around her.
She drives her husband away with her constant wanting of more and her dissatisfaction with the lifestyle he can provide.
She regales friends and family with his faults and he is easily replaced.
Her house is always a mess, dishes in the sink, dirty laundry on the floor, and beds unmade.
She picks up takeout or makes reservations for meals.
She hits the snooze bar until she must yell and fuss at her children, hurrying them to get ready for school, wearing wrinkled clothes that do not match and without breakfast.
She has a job but spends her money on pedicures and manicures, nights out with the girls and new clothes and diet coke.
She is a lazy worker, taking long lunches, playing on the computer and watching the clock.
She whines and complains about the things she lacks. She sees only her own plight, uncaring and unseeing the needs of others.
She destroys her husbands reputation, talking to anyone who will listen, even embellishing his misdeeds in order to make her point. She shows no discretion is airing her problems.
She uses any and every medium to share her "story" and her "struggles" playing on the sympathy of all she meets, elevating herself and diminishing others.
Her wisdom is worldly and distorted. She values not her relationships, readily discarding others when they are no longer of use to her.
She leaves the raising of her children to anyone who will watch them and fleaves them with a sitter or family members often.
Her children defend her now but they will not call her when they are grown. (They learned about relationships from her)
Her husband looks back and thinks of her as the "greatest mistake of his life".
Many women do ignoble things but you surpass them all.
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting but true character cannot be hidden.
God is not fooled. She will have her reward and her works will be talked about at the city gate.

I got this the other day. It was supposedly written after watching that U-Tube video and hearing the report about the socialite Patricia-Walsh Smith. But I thought it was very telling, don't you?
Neva

Intentional Healing, Deliberate Growth

2009-01-20T21:43:00.003-06:00

I have been thinking about this post for a long long time--or at least the concept of it. There are few if any, people in the world who have not been wounded or hurt at one time or another. Onc can scarcely make it into adulthood without the typical teenage woes and wounds. And as adults, we have family baggage, work conflicts, marriage issues, and general life struggles. Each have the potential to harm us and stunt our spiritual or emotional growth. Most of us encounter daily struggles of a minimal sort--the vacuum cleaner broke, we had a flat tire, we were volunteered for a bake sale that starts at 6 am tomorrow!!!! You know the struggles, I am talking about--the ones that make up this crazy thing we call "LIFE". The minimal and daily trials are not the ones that derail us---we are most often able to just deal with the problem and get on with life. Growing and maturing in spite of the trouble, almost as if growing by accident.
And then there are the big things, the ones that are mountains in the road rather than rocks. These are more than stumbling blocks, they are backbreaking, relationship ruining, esteem destroying, life changing crises! They leave us battered and scarred and worse for the wear, tired and fatigued, emotionally drained and empty. They are the unfaithful spouse, the loss of a child, the ravaged mind of a parent with dementia, the tornado, hurricane, flood and fire. They are the events that bankrupt our spirits and our very souls. We don't bounce back from these as easily or accidentally as we do from the little day-to-day trials. These struggles call for us to do some emotional and spiritual work. It is during this dark time that we hit our knees and as we wipe the tears from our eyes, we cry out in anguish to the God of heaven, begging for reprieve, comfort and strength. As the weeping subsides, we dust off our pantlegs and stand, albeit on shaky legs, we stand. And right there, we decide to move on. We resolve to heal and grow in spite of the circumstances. We begin to plan the course of action that will help us heal. That plan may include counseling, prayer, medications or even work. The plan requires action and determination. The epiphany made so clear in the darkest of times is that this healing will not just happen. We will not be able to glide into wholeness. We will have to work at it if we are to find our way out of despair. And find our way out, we do. And years later when the sun is once again visible in our lives, we look back in amazement--marvelling at where we were and how far we've come.
It seems this same thing would apply to churches that have undergone some serious spiritual struggles, like the adultery of the preacher, a split, loss of an eldership or any other major crisis that can wound and threaten to destroy a congregation. The congregation has to make a conscious decision to heal through their disappointment and shame, or rather in spite of it. Licking our wounds might feel good but it does not help us grow. It moves us no further down the road. I know, as I am sure you do, of many congregations who suffer a loss and then never grow again, the life of the church is like a body on life support, no reactions, no responses and no interactions and therefore little hope. And the brethren dwindle away and gradually die or move until they are taken off life support to die, (this is when the last little old man turns off the lights for the final time and locks the door, leaving the community with no congregation of the Lord's body).
Whether individually or congregationally, wounds and trials can stunt our growth and when we do not grow, we die. We must decide to heal, and resolve to grow. There is no other option if we are to survive. God is good and once our healing becomes intentional and our growth deliberate, He will breath life into our tired body, He will bind up our wounds, carry our burdens, and comfort our souls. With His touch, we will survive and we will live.

Blessings,
Neva

What's The Deal With Procrastination?

2009-01-12T18:22:00.002-06:00

I just have to ask----"what is the deal with procrastination?" There are very few characteristics I find as annoying as this one! Truly! Does this frustrate anyone else? It frustrates me for several reasons:

Procrastination takes away one's choices. If we have three choices and we can't make up our minds so we put it off and put if off and put if off until one by one the other two choices are no longer available, leaving us with only one---and therefore no choice really. (Does that make sense?)
Procrastination causes stress. When we put off a task until the very last minute, we have to rush around to complete it and stress is not good for us. It causes us to age and gain weight (watch Dr Phil if you don't believe me.) :)
Procrastination results in us giving us less than our very best. Very few of us produce our best product when we hurry to get it done.
Procrastination causes us to lie. We promise not to wait until the last minute again, we promise to not put things off and then we put off following through with our promise.

These are just a few reasons I hate procrastination! You got any more? Anybody have any scripture about this? Or am I the only one who doesn't like it?

Blessings

Neva

PS. I was going to post this earlier but . . . . . . (grin)

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

2009-01-07T21:08:00.000-06:00

A few years ago, I met the mother of a friend. She was a very nice lady and we had a very enjoyable visit. The visit was not a deep, bare my soul, become lifelong friends type visit, (after all, I just met her) but it was nice all the same. As she left, she said goodbye and hugged me, telling me she would say a prayer for me. Thinking that was just a nice thing Christians say to one another, I thanked her. She said, "no, I mean it! I really am going to pray for you. I see in you great sadness and grief." I remember looking at her in disbelief. Sure, I'd had some rough times, multiple miscarriages, death of husband, a few weeks living in our car with an ill husband, a 3 month old and a two year old, death of my sister and her child, divorce of my parents to name a few, but I really thought I had dealt with each of those as a child of faith would. I felt I had grieved appropriately and had worked through that grief. Seeing my disbelief and perhaps even a bit of anger, she started asking me about what colors were in my house (blue--dark, deep blue) and what color I preferred in clothing , (again the same blue or black) and she launched into some long explanation about the color of grief and the soothing calm of deep blue waters and my need for that calm. I really didn't pay much attention to her, nor did I put much stock in her words. I mention it only to say that recently an old friend came to visit me and after staying for a week, she said it was nice to see me so calm and happy. Then she said, "there isn't even any blue in your house anymore--it is much more welcoming and warm". What? I knew I hadn't told her about that conversation. And yet . . . strange isn't it?
I began thinking about what has changed in my life. I began to realize that just as the children of Israel went through their time in the desert, so I'd had mine. And just as they'd relied totally on God, helpless on their own, so had I been. Realizing and accepting the fact that I was helpless in my grief and that the only lasting comfort came from Him, made me stronger, made me more joyful in the end. I realized that total dependence on Him results in total comfort and strength. And just as He is perfect, so is His comfort and His peace and His joy.
Everyday, I come across people with obvious sadness and grief. How I long to share with them the tidings of comfort and joy that comes with knowing and relying on God. I cannot imagine bearing my burdens on my own. I know my weaknesses and I have not the strength to withstand the trials life throws at me. But with God. . . . well to coin that old phrase... "Ain't no mountain high enough ....yeah I know I am taking the words to the song out of context but you know what I mean. Nothing too big, nothing too tall, nothing too dark, nothing to hard---not for my God. My God is my Rock, my Fortress, my Rescuer and my Sustainer. And my God promises to never leave me. I am happy and my comfort and joy are complete.---just had to share them with you.

Blessings
Neva

Ostracizing the Holy Spirit from the Godhead

2008-12-20T02:04:00.002-06:00

We had the most incredible gospel meeting. Our speaker was wonderful! I know I am not the only one still chewing on and mulling over the things that he said. He spoke one evening about the Holy Spirit and the way we relate to Him. He said that for years we have been so afraid we might seem charismatic or pentecostal that we have ostracized the Holy Spirit from the Godhead and have replaced Him with the Bible. Wow! I am thinking about this and wanted to know what you, my few faithful readers, think of this?

Comments?

Blessings
Neva

Whaddya call it when . . .

2008-12-16T23:05:00.002-06:00

You interview, hire and train a new assistant,
then fly across several states to spend time with an ailing parent,
then fly back across several states,
then have a death in the congregation,
then fall and shred your kneecap in a well known discount store,
then have surgery,
then have another death in the congregation,
then get a bacterial infection,
then go back to the hospital,
then get on medications,
then go to physical therapy,
then have fellowship dinner and the start of a gospel meeting?
You call it a very very good reason to have not blogged for an entire month.

I am however on the mend, life is settling down, therapy is almost over and the crutches will soon be gone. I have several blogposts on the brain and will be back soon. Thank you all for your prayers for my dad. He had his first and second chemos around Thanksgiving and was supposed to have more this week but his white blood count has dropped dangerously low and they are deciding what is the best course of action! Please keep praying! I miss you all!
Blessings
Neva

What I Learned From Divorce

2008-11-16T16:32:00.002-06:00

No, I have not been divorced, nor am I planning to be (as if anyone does that). But, I have suffered the effects of divorce being on the children of divorced parents side, as well as the parents of divorced children side. And there are some things I have learned. First of all I learned, that divorce has a far reaching impact. While it is the death of a marriage between two people, it wounds and scars the entire family. Parents, children, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles all hurt for the loss of this union. I have also learned that not thinking about it doesn't make it go away. Avoiding painful thoughts only avoids the thoughts--not the pain! I've learned there is really no such thing as a "no-fault" divorce. And . . . deciding who is at fault is not my place. Over the past few years, I have discovered that a divorce in the family changes everything! Planning family get togethers becomes much more difficult. No more holidays together as a family, no more family pictures, no more sharing in each celebration. "Stopping by to see the kids" means making two stops and dividing your time between them. Worshipping together as a family becomes nothing more than a dream. Relationships change not just the obvious changes between the couple, but also between mothers and daughters, fathers in law and sons in law. The conversations become guarded and often painful. The same two people who laughed and visited before, both securely at home in their role, now struggle for words to say and avoid certain topics. Divorce does that! Then there is the analyzing and over analyzing of the situation, the futile search to understand just what happened. This seems to last forever and feels more than strange, it is painful. I've learned that the truth is hidden somewhere in all the pain and hurt and that perhaps no one but God really truly knows it.
No doubt divorce is a cruel teacher! The lessons she insists we learn cause us incredible pain and as we suffer through the syllabus, we come away with a knowledge we wish we'd never needed. And yet, we learn that time and faith heal, that the love of God the Father transcends the relationship caverns left by divorce. We come away knowing that He knows our pain and His heart bleeds with ours. And one day, we realize that the hurt, the hard feelings and the shame have all been replaced by love and that the past is no longer that embarrassing piece of toilet paper dragging around on the bottom of our shoe. We have moved on and while our relationships are different, they are still good. The feelings have changed just as everyone involved has changed. But God, He is still God and He has not changed. Once again, He has carried us through yet another storm and set us upright in a brand new day!

Blessings
Neva

I Prayed Today!

2008-11-05T21:36:00.002-06:00

Today, I prayed! I prayed because it is Wednesday--and I have a very long list of friends on my Wednesday prayer list. I prayed today because today my friend, John Dobbs, is hurting once again. I prayed today because my mind is thinking about my Dad and the struggles ahead of him and the faith he and my brother and I are placing in the hands of his physicians. I prayed today because while I am not sure what the future holds for six of the most wonderful grandchildren in the world, I prayed they would know how loved they are, every hour, every minute, everyday. I prayed today for our country and the struggles that we as a nation will face as everyone adjusts to the new president. I prayed today because work has been extremely taxing, working an extra 28-35 hours every two weeks is hard on an old woman! I prayed today because tonight I got to be with my church family, I thanked God for them and the encouragement they give me. I prayed today thanking God for the love and patience of my friends in the blog world.

I prayed today because God says its okay for me to talk to Him about everything and anything!

Blessings
Neva

Prayers please!

2008-10-20T20:33:00.002-05:00

I know it has been several weeks since my last post--so much has been going on. Mostly, my father has been struggling with some health issues and some recent surgeries. He just called to tell me that he has been diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. He currently has a blood clot in his leg but once that issue has been resolved, he will begin chemo. Please keep him in your prayers. His name is Richard Thomas and he lives in the Seattle Washington area. He is only 68 years old and I love him!

WHY?

2008-10-04T09:12:00.002-05:00

You know how you get occasional reports from your stat counter? I have sitemeter--I seldom go to the thing--I put it here because someone told me it was cool. And it was at first, but then I sorta forgot about it. I remember it every time I am sent the little report that tells me how many hits etc. And then I go look at it and think "this is cool". Well, I just got my report and apparently someone hacked into my sitemeter--they linked to places I don't go to. No, not porn sites or anything like that, just blogs that I have made a conscious decision not to visit and sites I had decided to avoid. I am not sure where this person is from or how they got onto my sitementer. I have it narrowed down to someone in either LaVista, NE (not sure where exactly that is) or Denver CO. Not being computer brilliant, that is far as my feeble detective work can go.
I have nothing to hide and as AW says my blog is pretty "innocuous" so why? What could a middle America, old preacher's wife possibly have that would be worth hacking into? Why?
Instead of thinking how cool this is, all I can say is "WHY?"

Just askin
n

Staking my Claim

2008-10-02T00:49:00.002-05:00

I have a very dear friend. We are as different as night and day, from upbringing, to theology, to appearance, and yet we get along so very well. I have only known her a little over a year but it seems like longer. We talk on the phone at least once a week and she blesses me with every conversation. Like I said, we are different, especially in our faith--although we both believe in God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, she believes mostly in the Holy Spirit (if you get my drift). We often talk about God and His workings in our lives and in the history of the world. She is forever throwing out little sayings, some of them too charismatic for me and others just hit me in the heart. We were talking last night about the beauty of the season, the changing of the colors on the trees, the replacing of hot, dry air with crisp, cool air, the shortening of the days and the promise of winter. My friend was telling me how everyday on her walk, she is awestruck by some creation of the Father's. She said, "I look around me and I think, "I'll claim that blessing and that one too." (Don't you just love that?)
It caused me to think about just how much the Father wants to bless us and how He continually surrounds us with blessings, waiting and hoping for us to claim them as our own. Don't you think we would see more of our blessings if our spiritual awareness were heightened? Imagine sitting in worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ and claiming each and everyone of them as your blessing! And that sink of dirty dishes would seem less like an unending task if we remembered that not having to eat off the ground is a blessing. Praise God for the dirty laundry that piles up because the blessing of clothing is ours. There are blessings everywhere, we are surrounded by tokens of His love and caring for us---we just have to claim them as our own.
I often behave like I am at the airport and I stand next to the baggage carousel, so busily engaged in just the act of living, that my own luggage goes around and around and around. Sometimes life keeps me so busy that I forget to claim my blessings--
A wonderful christian husband who desires me, who works to help me get to heaven, who helps me be a better person, who protects, comforts and fights for me--well, I'll claim that blessing!
A church family who treat me like blood, who love me and are happy to see me, I'll claim that blessing too!
Faithful readers of my blog, who pray for me and with me, who offer encouragement and challenge my mind----well I am staking my claim on y'all, too!
My friends, open your eyes, look around you--see how much the Father loves you--He was just dying to bless you---stake your claim---the blessing is waiting!

Blessings
Neva

How to tell you've spent "too much time in prayer"

2008-09-19T21:43:00.002-05:00

When you are documenting in the progress note of a medical record and instead of signing your name with your credentials, you write "In Jesus name, amen".

While the title is definitely tongue-in-cheek---the experience today was enough to give everyone of my co-workers a chuckle and since you can't use whiteout in a medical record, you simply have to draw one thin line through it and then write, "Neva Cooper, Social Service Director, CSW"------oh well!

Blessings
neva

Live Like You're Loved

2008-09-14T19:48:00.003-05:00

Lately, I have been reading lots of blogs (including my own) that talk about the way Christians act or behave. They talk about us, God's Church, The Bride of the Redeemer, being unloving and meanspirited. They talk about us being judgemental and entitled and hypocritical. Maybe I am reading more into them that what is written but it seems that there are lots of problems and few solutions. I am not refuting any of the charges made against us (me). Nor am I making excuses. I merely wish to offer a solution.

Being a mental health professional, I believe that there are reasons behind actions. The way we respond to others, the way we manage crisis, the way we see the world and ourselves all relate, right or wrong, to our belief system. The anorexic believes herself/himself to be fat. The consummate con artist who takes advantage of everyone around him/her, believes himself/herself to be smarter than everyone else and thus more deserving. The beggar sees himself/herself as the ultimate victim thrust into situations not of their choosing and daily punished by the coldheartedness of others. Each in turn develops a response based on their beliefs about themselves. These responses, rooted so very deeply in their belief system, dictate what others see in them and the way they respond.
Simplistic maybe--simple--hardly. We treat others harshly because of something in our belief system that tells us, teaches us, that harsh treatment is the right choice. If this is true--and I personally believe it is, then we cannot change the way we behave until we change what we believe.
I love being Ned's wife. He provides for me and protects me. He loves me! Because I know that and believe it with all my heart, I am able to behave in a certain manner with him. I am not afraid to let him see my weaknesses, I know he loves me anyway. I am not afraid to confess my sins to him, he loves me anyway. I am not afraid to lean on him because I know he loves me. That confidence, that belief allows me to treat him with love and respect and loyalty. It is what makes my life absolutely wonderful!
And so, I have been thinking about what would happen if Christians truly, truly began to believe they were loved. If we were confident in the love God has for us, don't you think we would live differently? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all lived like we are loved? Imagine for a moment, what that would look like.
Living like we are loved means that we live freely. We are not bound by legalistic traditions but by the words, the Word of God. We are according to Galatians, freed for freedom. We are free from death, set free by the blood of the Lamb. I've heard it said that from the moment we are born, we begin dying. And while that is true of the physical body, it is not true for the spiritual. Once we die and are reborn, we have just barely begun living. We are freed from death's sting. We would be driven to please Him, our every action rooted in what would give our God the most pleasure. Those who believe they are loved are able to give freely---time, money, mercy and love--all gifts, all belonging to God already and simply on loan to us---for the purpose of sharing them with others. Loved people love freely--without conditions, in spite of lostness, because of redemption--love others.
Living like we are loved also means that we live intentionally. A haphazard christian is no christian. Accidentally being obedient is of no avail. God calls us to purpose to be His. He gave us minds to think and learn and decide. We have wills with which we can choose to submit or rebel, but the choice has to be a conscious one. Every day, every hour, every minute, we decide whether to please Him or break His heart. Loved people who truly believe they are loved, live to worship their Creator, their Father, the One who loved them enough to die.
Living like we are loved also means that we live gratefully. God showers us with blessings each and everyday. The sunrise and the sunset testify of His love for us. His concern is drizzled over our lives in the gentle rainshower and the confidence we can have in His power exhibited in the mighty ocean. He is God and He loves us--James says He is the giver of every good and perfect gift! It was His love for us that drove the nails into the hands and feet of His Beloved. How could we believe in His love and our hearts not be filled with gratitude?
The Bible tells us of His great love, a love so magnificent our feeble minds cannot grasp it. The world He created to house us, to feed us, to clothe and provide for us are more witnesses to His love for us, His children. The community of Church that He makes us a part of serves as a reminder that He is still here, still caring, still protecting and still loving us. We don't understand how He could love us so---and yet we say we believe it to be true.
I read a book recently that carried this statement, "for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation." That is so true isn't it? We are limited only by what we believe. Perhaps it is time we truly started believing in His love. Maybe our faith will be strengthened as our belief system begins to embrace the idea and maybe, just maybe we will change the way we respond and react to those around us. The possibilities are limitless--- once we start living like we are loved!

Blessings
Neva

Tender of Hearts

2008-09-08T21:00:00.002-05:00

If you know me at all, you know that I almost always rise to the defense of the underdog. It is for the unlovable, the beat up upon, that I find myself most often fighting. One of my own personal pet peeves is watching someone struggle to do one right thing, all the while listening to others retell how good this one is at doing the wrong things. I find myself becoming so angry that I struggle with my temper. I fight down the urge to lash out and to condemn. Sometimes I fight harder than I do at others. And then, like all of us, I find myself penitent and pained, grateful for grace once again. If you have lived in this world longer than fifteen minutes, you have most likely been both the deliverer and the recipient of spirit bashing. And so I wonder, what makes it such a natural response to harm others? What makes the faults so much easier to see? What is it that makes us such willing participants in this bad behavior?

I was reading the book of Matthew and I came across the parable of the wheat and the tares. (Matthew 13:24-30) You remember this parable? The master sows good seed in his field and while he is sleeping, the enemy sows weeds (tares). They both sprout and grow producing a mixture of good and bad, a mixture of wheat and tares. The owners helpers want to rip out the weeds but the owner won't allow it. Out of concern for the tender stalks of wheat, he tells them to leave the weeds alone until harvest. Remember this one? Some parables are left to us to decide the intended application, while Jesus gives us the explanation for others. This is one that is interpreted by the Messiah, Himself. He tells us that the good seed is the church and the bad seed the world and the enemy the devil and the harvesters, the angels. It is a very cool parable about God's people living surrounded by satan's people and the end results at judgement or harvest.

I would never disagree with Jesus or make a different analogy other that what He intended. The appeal to parables like this is that they speak to the very basic of common sense. One need not be a farmer to understand that in ripping out the weeds, wheat could possibly be harmed. Easy, easy concept, right?

That same common sense applies to hearts. When we see someone with "weeds" in their heart, our gut response is to get rid of them, to purge that heart of those choking, water guzzling, food hoarding, growth inhibiting weeds. That is what we really want to do. And we just know if we pull out those massive weeds, the tender little shoots of wheat will have the nutrients and the water and the sunshine they need to grow and mature and bear fruit. Right? However, in our zeal to make this heart "weed-free", we can damage the wheat, destroy the good right along with the bad, yanking them both out by the very roots. (The roots of the weeds are usually deeper than those of the wheat).

Does it make sense that some of that weeding might be done after we have nurtured and fed and nourished the wheat? After we have helped it's root system grow and spread? Would it stand to reason that in feeding the good, the bad would begin to starve? Is it possible that in encouraging the growth of the wheat, we could at the very same time be thwarting the growth of the tares?

The age old question (almost always taken out of context), "Am I my brother's keeper" has only one answer--yes! We have responsibility for our brethren--otherwise all those "one-another" passages would be pretty silly. We are to care for, protect and nourish their hearts just as they are to do the same for ours. We are called to tend to one another, to help, encourage and mature one another. We are commanded to be kind and peaceful and treat each other with honor and respect. Just as we would tend to a garden, helping it to bloom and grow and bear fruit, so are we to tend the hearts of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are not just seed sowers, we are also tenders of hearts. Don't you think?

Blessings

Neva

On Catching Flies

2008-09-04T19:43:00.004-05:00

I know it has been a long time between posts--frankly I have been unsure exactly how to post what is on my mind. Having read lots of other blogs that are blatantly honest to the point of bluntness, I have decided to do the same. I will not however, name names. Please feel free to stop reading anytime you find the content offensive and if it is like watching a car wreck and you just can't tear yourself away, repent afterwards and purge your mind of the horrible thoughts. (Just kidding)!

Several things have happened recently that have threatened my christian spirit. There are the regular things like moving abruptly, changes at work and multiple deaths in the congregation, but those things are all a part of regular life on this earth. However the other things have really caused me to ask questions.

For instance---a woman was recently baptized. She has been worshipping with us for quite some time and decided she could not wait to be forgiven. Another lady was baptized after worshipping with us for several years, finally convinced that baptism is necessary, she put on her Lord and Savior. These are the comments made --re: the young woman: "some women will do whatever it takes to catch a man" and re: the older woman: "she probably did it because she is having health problems and is afraid"---seriously folks--I am not making this stuff up! Can you even imagine someone, anyone, having the nerve and the elevated opinion of themselves enough to question a baptism?

Then--a coworker was talking about her pregnant teen age daughter, the girl is fourteen. The girl wanted to go on a Labor Day campout with her boyfriend and his three high school age guy friends. Her mother said she was going to let her because "after all, it's not like she can get pregnant". Are you kidding me?

Then on Saturday, I received an email, from someone who does not know me, disguised as a caring and Christian email, but scathing, judgemental, condemning and manipulative, attempting to guilt me into doing something--judging me not for what I have done in the past, because that obviously accounts for nothing but for what I haven't done recently because I had not the wherewithall to do. The assumption that I would see a need and ignore or neglect it, that I would not help where I could was insulting and demeaning. Throwing in Bible verses to try and prove how horrible I am didn't help and virtually spitting on the gift of prayer was equally offensive.

Lastly, a very good friend and her husband are adopting twins from Romania. The twins are special needs children and are now three years old. My friends are going to Romania next week to pick them up. Her eyes light up as she tells about these newest additions to their family. Most of her family and friends have not been supportive. They cite all kinds of instances when adoptions fail, they talk about the "hidden" medical needs of foreign children and tell my friend that she "has no idea what she is getting herself into" and "that these children will be nothing more than a money pit and once they are grown will return to their country with an American education and amnesia regarding their American parents." How hateful can you be?

I am not sure where in scripture it tells us that it is okay to: 1) judge and condemn anothers motives, 2) label others as less and 3) use God's Word to humiliate and assault each other. Does anyone know where it says this? And are there addendum's to the "Let NO unwholesome word come out of your mouth but only what is profitable for building one another up according to their needs" passage? Am I confused? Does it really mean NO unwholesome word? I am so grateful neither of my two new sisters in Christ heard these remarks for I know those words have injured their infant faith.

The old cliche that one can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar is certainly true. Imagine these babes in Christ, ten years from now, after receiving years of encouragement. How many souls might they bring to the Lord? Imagine this fourteen year old girl with some real parenting and some guidance, learning self-respect and self-restraint and being supported to do the right thing for her baby. Personally, I am more apt to do something, even if it is a struggle, if I am approached with love and a sincere Christian need. And my friend isn't asking for money or clothing or plane tickets only for her friends and family to share her joy.

Why do we have to be so ugly to each other. When we are kind and considerate and supportive, others respond in turn. There is so much I do not know--but this I believe--It is indeed easier to catch a fly with honey than to beat it to death with a baseball bat.

Blessings

Neva

Gone---A Time To Heal

2008-08-20T21:20:00.002-05:00

Y'all, I am out of town for the next few days. I was blessed enough to receive a scholarship to become a facilitator for a national cancer survivors program. I am excited for yet another way to minister to others. Please pray for me in this endeavor that as I may use this opportunity to serve our Lord.
Be back soon.
Blessings
neva

Death Spiral

2008-08-19T01:36:00.001-05:00

I have been thinking about what causes people to fall away from the Lord. And why is it so difficult to as Jude says, "snatch them from the fire? And so, I have this new theory.

We all have dear friends and loved ones who started out filled with zeal and purpose, "chomping at the bits" to just serve the Lord. They were ready with a smile and a word of encouragement, anxious to share hope and compassion with everyone the met, eager to spend time in the Word, study with others, pray with others, and generally fill their lives with all things spiritual. Then it seems their light was a little dimmer and we were able to justify their absence with a multitude of excuses, but before long, the light was so dim, we couldn't see to find them. We became desperate to bring them back to the Lord, concerned that they were headed for spiritual shipwreck and yet unable to reconnect with them. Why? What happened that put them so far out of reach?
I think that falling away has some sort of spiralling movement. You see, it is almost as if each soul begins in the very middle of the spiral, out of reach from those outside their circle and yet as prayers go up and seeds are sown, the tight little circle begins expanding and before long, that soul is within reach, just waiting for the arm, the heart, to extend into their series of circles and pull them out. (This makes more sense when you look at the picture--:0)
So of course, the exact opposite happens when one falls away. On the outer ring of the spiral, their lives are intersecting and touching the lives of others in the body and any curves and changes begin very subtly and are very slow in coming. But as the soul gradually makes its way back to the tight and closed center, they move farther and farther from those who love them, and the changes become more frequent and more noticeable and before long, they are out of reach, quickly making decisions that suck them into the vortex of death--spiritual death. They are so far away and we struggle to reach them and encourage them, praying for the day we see them moving to the outer rings of their spiral--back out where their lives and souls are intersecting and interacting with others in the body. As long as Christ is their center, their circle becomes bigger and bigger and intersects and touches more and more lives, but once that center is replaced with self, they begin spiralling out of control. And, the only way to reach them seems to be the way we reached them in the first place, praying and seed sowing.
I have a couple of friends, friends whom I love dearly, friends who are being sucked into the vortex of spiritual shipwreck----I will never give up on them. I pray for them and strive to encourage them and yet at times . . . they seem so far away, so out of reach. I fear for their very souls, praying that God will do whatever it takes to bring them back to Him and praying that He will ready those around them to love them through whatever happens. Today, I am dedicating my prayers to all those who are spiralling farther and farther from away from God and His people. Today, I am remembering the ones I know and love and praying for those on your list. Today, I am asking Him to lengthen our arms to reach them, to strengthen our resolve to save them and to prick their hearts to want to come home. Won't you pray with me -----today?

Blessings
Neva

ps--Thanks AW for the graphic! :)

48 Birthday Reasons

2008-08-12T09:26:00.003-05:00

Today is my 48th birthday--I know--most women don't tell their age but I am pretty proud to have been one of God's favorite children for 48 years. I like the lists bloggers post-- so today, I am asking for 48 reasons blogging is a good thing.
I will begin with the first one:
1. It allows me yet another way to share God's word.

So now, can you, my e-friends, come up with 47 more?

Blessings
neva

And He Tells Me I Am His Own

2008-08-06T21:21:00.002-05:00

Tonight was our singing night at church. As usual everyone picked their favorite songs. We sang some really beautiful hymns as well as some uplifting praise songs. It was wonderful! As we sang "I Come To The Garden" tonight, I was moved by the words, especially "and He tells me I am His own". What a beautiful and powerful statement! I began thinking about just how He conveys that I belong to Him and this is the list I came up with:

When I am walking in unfamiliar ground, stepping out in faith on a new venture, He reminds me that He will never leave me or forsake me and that though I stumble, I will not fall, and I know I am His.
When I feel lost and alone, unsure of my purpose and doubting my worth, He reminds me that He gave His Son to die for me and in doing so made me spotlessly clean, and then I know that I belong to Him.
When I rush headlong into dangerous waters, careless and oblivious to all the danger signs, and when I begin to drown and I cry out to Him, He reaches down and rescues me and reminds me that I am His own.
When I am afraid and timid, unsure of my faith, wobbly in my mission and easily distracted by the world, He shows His love and care for me by sending another of His own to lovingly lead me, allow me to rely on their strength and their courage, and once again I know I am His possession.
When the world seems to stack the cards of life against me and satan wages war on my spirit, when everything that can go wrong does and I am homeless, helpless, pained and poor, He provides more than what I lost, more that I deserve, even more than I need. He does that because I am His.
When my earth eyes look at my troubles and wonder what purpose could the struggle have served, He gently guides my eyes to one who needs the wisdom of my experience, who needs the courage of another struggler and He tells me that I am not the only one who belongs to Him.
When I become cocky and arrogant, believing in my words rather than living His, He gently, (or sometimes less than gently) allows me to fall so that I can look up to Him and call out to Him, longing for Him and that reassurance that I am His.

I look back on my life from yesterday to years and years ago and I see God's hand working. I remember His people loving me, His word teaching me and His peace filling up my heart and I am ever grateful that He has been so faithful in His telling me that I am His own!

What about you? What spiritual reminders has He given you?

Blessings

Neva

Shelf Life

2008-07-14T21:45:00.000-05:00

We are moving---yes, I know, we just moved.

Our landlord has decided to sell our house--yes, we had a one year lease and have only been here eight months.

He listed the house on Wednesday---yes, the housing market is really bad, so many houses are on the market for a long, long time.

It sold on Saturday and he got more than he asked for it----yes, we did do lots of work to fix it up.

And so we are moving---and yes, I hate moving!

As we begin the process of looking for a place to live, a place with a living room large enough to have home bible studies and a place that allows dogs, I have started going through cabinets, deciding what to take and what to throw away. During this process, I have found myself reading the labels---labels on toothpaste, sunscreen, ketchup and baking soda. Listed along with the ingredients is a date--the "best if used by" date. That date tells us what the shelf life is.

Wikipedia defines shelf life as the length of time perishable items are given before they are considered unsuitable.

I began thinking about Christians, and how many of us are content to simply sit on the pew (shelf) doing nothing. I recently asked a woman if she would be interested in teaching or co-teaching a Sunday school class---her response was "No, I did that before and I don't think I want to put that much preparation into Sunday morning." I was a little bit shocked at that response. I asked another woman who said she had taught when her children were young but had "grown beyond that kind of service". Amazing! I know those are not unique responses. I am sure you have heard similar excuses from men and women alike, who explain why they would rather not serve.

I am concerned that congregations are filled with members who prefer to sit on the shelf, (in the pew), unused and unwilling to be used. We know that we are indeed perishable---that we will all die and return to dust. We also know that God commands us and yes, even expects us, to be useful. We are to be a community of servants. That is our calling and our duty. We also believe that if we do not use our gifts, they will be taken from us and given to another.

And so, as I pack ---again, I wonder, "What is the shelf life of a Christian?"

Blessings

Neva

She's Amazing!

2008-06-21T11:36:00.003-05:00

We never get too old to learn from others. Over the past few months, I have been privileged to learn from a very amazing young woman! She is struggling with some things in her life, things that would devastate and have devastated many of us, and yet, she remains faithful, loyal and genuine. Don't get me wrong, she has her ups and downs, but in bad times and good, she behaves like God's woman. She has been abandoned by the one she loves and the past four months have been difficult. Yet, throughout this time, she has not once said bad or negative things about her husband. When most would become "historical", (remembering every single bad thing he'd ever done), she has remained in the present, focusing on the good in him, praying for him to be the man she needs and the father her children need. While others might shirk their responsibilities, she has done the opposite. She has found a job and an apartment. She has made sure her boys know that she loves them and she will not leave them also. She has renewed her commitment to parenting them for the Lord. When others might question God and fall away, she has become even more focused on Him and His promises. She searches the Word for hope and strength and she finds it. When others might become single minded, entrenched in their own pain, believing it to be bigger than that of those around them, she has spoken with compassion and concern about those who are struggling. When told she should not forgive her husband until he comes to her and asks for forgiveness, she forgave him anyway, knowing that forgiveness was between her and God. She is determined to work on becoming a better wife and a better mother, rather than a "bitter" one.

Yes, she cries, and yes she gets angry and confused and tired and frustrated, but when you speak with her she quickly processes those emotions and begins speaking of hope and endurance and forgiveness and grace. Yesterday, she started a new job, 2nd shift so her mother could help with the children. Today, she is moving from a home she loves but can no longer afford to an apartment. She is moving without her big strong husband's help. And tomorrow she will take her boys to worship, all by herself, weary, exhausted and worn out. She will rise to the occasion and will flourish in spite of satan's attempts to crush her spirit and derail her purpose. I have faith in her because she has faith in God.

So tomorrow morning as you worship with God's family, say a little prayer for this family. Tonight as you lie next to the one you love, think about this wife who sleeps alone in her big bed and ask God to giver her restful night.And Monday as you begin your work week, pray again for the single mother, amid moving boxes, loving her young sons and preparing for another week alone. Your prayers will mean so much to her!

I wish you could meet her--she is truly an amazing Christian woman---I am so proud of her. You would be too.

Blessings

Neva

The Conversation

2008-06-17T17:53:00.001-05:00

The following is a true story. It really happened to some people you may or may not know. It is shared here simply to say, sometimes things really are what they seem! hahahahaha
Mr husband hands wife a bottle containing an herbal supplement. Wife looks at the price and is shocked.
Wife: "I am not taking this, it costs $35 for 30 tablets."
Husband (with a slight tremor in his voice) : "Pppppplease take it, honey. It is supposed to help menopause symptoms."
Wife: "We don't even know if I am going through menopause."
Husband: "I think you are---one of the symptoms is irritability."
Wife: "Am I irritable?"
Husband (with fear and trembling) : "Um hmm."
Wife: "Really? I didn't think I was. I just thought you were trying to make me mad all the time."

2 months later--wife goes to the doctor, lab work says no menopause.

Wife: "I knew it---Ned, I mean Mr. husband WAS trying to make me mad ALL the time!" (grin)

Blessings
Neva

Attention Seeking

2008-06-09T22:24:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking alot about God's people and their history of behavior. Actually, not just God's people but all people. I have been wondering just how far God will go to get our attention. Would He perhaps evict us from a safe place and set a celestial being at guard to keep us from returning? Do you think He might have one of His own people work for years on some giant monstrosity, all the while preaching repentance? Might He cause us to live in a temporary state of confusion, unable to understand one another? Could He possibly cause us to suffer war and pestilence and disease? If we suffered at the hands of our brothers, if we were lied about, abused and cheated, would He allow that if it meant getting our attention? Would He?

In the story of the ten plagues, was God trying to get Pharaoh's attention? The attention of the Israelites? The Egyptians? Why did it take the blood, the gnats, the hail, the flies, the frogs, the darkness, the locusts, the death of the livestock, boils, and even the death of the firstborn to make them notice . . .and believe? Why?

Perhaps people in biblical times were more stubborn than modern humans. Surely it wouldn't take such drastic events to make us focus on Him. Or perhaps we believe that God no longer allows or even causes such things. Perhaps we believe that He isn't really working in our lives or that He somehow has decided against making such an effort for our attention. We know and believe, or at least I hope we do, that God the Father, does indeed seek our attention. He wants us to love Him with all our being. He wants us to think about Him, meditate on His word, love His laws, worship Him, right? All of those require attention! But, being human, we often take our attention off Him. So how far will God go to get our attention now? When He sees us praying less, studying less, neglecting worship, filling our lives with worldly things, behaving ungodly, lying, etc. does it bother Him? How much? Do you think He would allow us to have health problems? Or experience financial struggles? Would He allow us to know the pain of grief or the burden of shame? Could He let us feel betrayed and abused? Would He ?

I guess I really have two questions: Does God desire our attention enough that He will allow us to experience drastic events to get it? And . . .

Why isn't one drastic event enough?

Perhaps . . . the sacrifice of an innocent Son for our redemption?

Just wondering . . . . . . . . . . . .

Blessings

Neva

Choking

2008-06-02T00:28:00.002-05:00

There was a time, not too awful long ago that I thought in blog posts, I thought in scripture references, I thought in application lessons. Not a day passed that I didn't think of some new blog post or some great theme for a ladies day or often even a great sermon, the outline of which I shared with my husband. Many nights, I would wake him up in the middle of the night, to tell him what "new" glimpse or perspective I'd discovered. (Usually he very sweetly asked if I could write it down and tell him in the morning) (grin). But the point is that my mind was constantly thinking about ways to encourage, uplift, inspire or challenge my fellow man with God's Word. I was a faithful blogger and wrote several magazine and newspaper articles, several devotionals and numerous ladies day speeches. I loved it!

Lately though, I feel like one of the seeds sown among the thorns that Luke 8 talks about. In the text, Jesus is talking about the word being planted, or shared, sometimes with good results, others with less than acceptable. As He was prone to do, He spoke in a parable and then explained the meaning. In the explanation, Jesus says "the seed that fell among the thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures. . . " (Luke 8:14) While I know the parable is talking about Christian growth and the process of maturing, I truly believe that no matter how long we have been in the church and no matter how mature or immature we are, LIFE can choke us. It can rob us of our zeal, cloud our focus and weaken our spirits.

It seems that lately, I haven't been able to focus. I read my Bible but can't seem to hold on to what it says. In fact, if you would ask me an hour later what my study was about, I probably couldn't tell you. I could sit in front of my blog page for hours and be unable to think of something to blog about. I don't seem to have ideas for lessons or applications or blog posts. I sit to pray and can't think of how to do it. Oh, I always begin talking to my Father, just like I've done in the past, but after the spiritual greeting, I don't know what to say! It is so weird!
Because I am a Christian counselor, I of course, tried to analyze exactly what the problem was. Am I concerned about my sons? Do I miss my grandchildren? Is my physical health playing a role? (You see, seven weeks into my recovery, I want to be feeling 100%) Am I grieving with friends who are hurting? Am I a busy preacher's wife/social worker/counselor/etc.? Well, of course the answer to all of those things are yes, but those things are not on my mind all the time either. I think about them in passing but they are not the focus of my day. That is the problem---there seems to be no focus, no sustainable focus in my day. I can't seem to remember what I am supposed to be doing half the time! And I don't like it one little bit! I am not depressed. I am not worried. I am not sad or lonely. I am not unhappy or in pain. I am just feeling like life has a chokehold on me.

I was talking to my mom about this very thing today. She said she'd been through times like that also---times when it took every ounce of her being to stay focused and when merely thinking required monumental effort. We talked about the cares, the pleasures and worries of the world choking us. We talked about the frustration that comes with being choked and how to get out of the chokehold life has us in. I was relieved to know that I am not the only one this happens to and that this is simply a dry time in my life and a very busy one. I don't believe it will last forever and before long I will be back ---thinking in blogposts and lessons, focusing on spiritual things and praying with power. But right now, I will hang on to the Lord's hand. I will continue reading His word, trying to absorb it. I will keep right on praying those long prayers of silence, banking on the promise that He knows already and that the Spirit is saying the words in the Father's ear. I believe my roots are deep and with God's hand, it will not be long before I am no longer choking.

Have any of you ever been there? Do you know what I am talking about? Have any of you ever felt like you were in life's chokehold? What did you do to break free of life's grasp?

Blessings,

Neva

Day of Tears

2008-05-23T06:58:00.003-05:00

We woke up today to rainy overcast skies. It is okay, because it is a very sad day. Today, John and Maggy will go through all the emotions that accompany saying goodbye to one they love. I cannot begin to imagine the pain of losing a child. Their hearts must be so broken. So today, please pray for them, pray for all those who loved this young man. Ask God to give them comfort and peace. Ask Him to surround them with hope and love as they face this day of tears.

PRAYER REQUEST !!!

2008-05-21T21:08:00.004-05:00

John Robert Dobbs, 18 lost his life Tuesday night when he was hit by an 18 wheeler. Please pray for John and Maggy as they grieve for their son.

n

Battered and bruised and left for dead

2008-05-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

I was talking to a young woman, a friend of mine, someone I love dearly, on the phone the other night. She was telling me about her husband and how the behaviors he is exhibiting are so counter to who she knows and who everyone else knows that he is. This is not the man she married! We talked for some time, wondering what it was that changes someone from a loving, caring husband and father, to one who walks away, abandoning not only his family but all that he once held dear. What does it take to make someone turn his back on every important relationship in his life? What causes a heart to change so?

I wish I knew the answers. This same scenario is played out every minute, probably every second in our country. A heart that is once loving and full of compassion and empathy and concern, a heart that longs to nurture and protect, a heart that overflows with love suddenly stops. No, it doesn't stop beating, it just stops loving! And each and every person that once had a place in this heart, now feels lost, like they have no place at all. And every heart that loved this one, although they still love, those feelings of love have partnered up with and entangled with feelings of hurt and anger and betrayal and fear. Each and every relationship is battered and bruised and left for dead. As the relationship fights against the impending death, the heart fights for the life of the relationship, torn between the desire to love and the desire and need for closure. And hope . . . well hope seems to be but a small, smoldering ash left to slowly burn out, gasping for the air to sustain it.

My heart hurts as I too, search for words of hope, words of encouragement. I struggle to rid my mind of anger and doubt and pray to be merciful and kind, pray to keep no record of wrong, to hope, to believe, to endure. I pray to be strong and to help those who are hurting be strong also. I speak with my friend frequently and while I try to encourage her, she always ends up encouraging me. We both believe God's word and hang our hearts on His love. As we cling to our Father, we find solace in the truth that He sees, He knows and He cares and that He, and only He, can restore life, can rebuild relationships, can make the heart beat strong and even again. He can rekindle the fire, even after there is no more flickering ash. After all------He is God!

Blessings

Neva

COMMUNITY

2008-05-14T08:16:00.002-05:00

Frequently our local paper runs an article that lists the "10 Best Communities". I always look and try really hard not to be surprised that none of the communities I have ever lived in are listed. They (someone, not sure who THEY are) rate the communities based on crime rates, unemployment rates, availability of housing, school scores and business opportunities. To "them" this is what makes a community a good place to be.
As most of you know, a couple of weeks ago, I was blessed to get to speak in Worland, Wyoming. And while there were some people there I knew and some I knew only through email, I felt like I was part of their community! They made me feel like I was home---with family and friends. And it was wonderful! Last weekend I was with church family and old friends in Grand Island, Nebraska, and again I felt like part of their community! And then, Sunday night we had 26 people at our house for bible study and fellowship! I almost cried as I sat and listened to my brothers and sisters in Christ sing and praise God! I cannot think of any group of people I would rather be a part of than these. What a blessing!
If I had to make a list of the "10 Best Communities" to live in, work with, be with, I would have only one--the church, the community of believers. It is in this community, that one can thrive and grow and live.
Blessings
Neva

Intermission

2008-05-07T21:20:00.001-05:00

I am currently working on a speaking engagement for this weekend. So I will not be posting---feel free to talk among yourselves until I return. :)

Blessings
Neva

A Stingy Grace

2008-04-30T21:05:00.002-05:00

If you look up the word, "stingy" (stinjee) in the dictionary, you will find the following definitions: "miserly, stressing a pathological pleasure in acquiring and hoarding", "mean, ungiving, penurious", "scanty, meager", and "a small minded, ignoble way that leads to miserable, cheerless living." There are several other definitions but you get the jist of the word.

Recently, Ned and I have been forced to deal with several situations wherein one or both parties are very stingy with their grace. I am amazed that we so readily forget just how much God has done for us. When we find ourselves withholding our gifts because someone has offended us, withdrawing our participation because we are not getting our way, or disengaging ourselves from our Christian family because we simply don't agree with everyone, I believe we are exhibiting all of the negative words that define the word "stingy".

In the past few weeks I have personally heard discussions about whether or not the church should be benevolent and offer help to those who are not a part of the body. I have heard conversations about whether or not we should give the same recognition to members who are very involved as we do those on the fringe. I have been privy to an argument about how much we should actually reach out to an unwed mother in our congregation, because our help to her might be misconstrued as approval of her situation. Where is grace? Have we forgotten that we were lost in sin and wallowing in unrighteousness and Someone (God) had compassion on us? Is our memory so short that we have forgotten how He loved us anyway and loved us enough to die for us? He was generous with His grace and yet we tend to hold on to ours, saving it for only those we deem "worthy". How sad is that? It seems that too often we behave as if we only have a limited supply of grace and must therefore hoard it or be very selective about who receives it. Don't we know that grace never runs out? That so long as we walk in the light, His grace and mercy continually makes us clean and whole? Have we never read Luke 6:38? "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." In the context, Jesus is speaking to His disciples about judging and condemning, giving and forgiving. He is telling them how to act like His disciples and He talks about generosity.

Maybe I am just incredibly naive but I believe the things, the money, the time, the possessions, we have do not belong to us--they belong to God and He, out of His generosity gives them to us. He expects us to share these gifts with others, to use them to further the message of redemption and saving love. I truly believe, and I believe scripture teaches that when we give graciously and generously, we receive in abundance and will not be in want. Grace will not run dry---but will constantly be renewed and refilled by the blessed Giver. Why then do we hoard our grace?Why do we base our giving on whether or not the person deserves it or what their response will be? If they misuse our gift, that is between them and God. We are accountable to Him only for our response to their need!

I want to be kind and gracious, full of compassion and mercy. I want to be a good steward of what God gives me, but I want to be a true giver. I realize that as long as we are stingy with our grace, we will live "a miserable and cheerless" life. Let's live this week, this month, this year, this life as people who are known for our generous grace! What do you say?

Blessings

Neva

Wonderful Wyoming

2008-04-28T18:10:00.002-05:00

I was born in Wyoming and raised just over the state line in Northern Colorado. I got used to living in the mountains, seeing wildlife in my front yard and falling asleep to the peaceful sounds of the river. This past weekend, I was blessed enough to relive those childhood experiences. I was honored to be the speaker for a retreat sponsored by the Worland Church of Christ. Resting on the Western slope of the Big Horn Mountains, Worland is everything beautiful I remember from my childhood. The retreat was held at nearby Circle J camp in tiny Ten Sleep. (The circle J is a reminder that Jesus is to be the center of all that happens there.) With the red rock cliffs on one side and the rambunctious Platte river on the other, the camp is surrounded by the majesty of creation. While we were there, the snow came--someone said there was a total of 8 inches. All I know is that it was white and pure and very beautiful, the perfect setting for the deer that boldly ambled into camp. It was so peaceful and awe-inspiring and the scenery alone would have been enough to make it a great weekend!

But my God gives me more than enough! I am always, always impressed that Father God takes just the right mixture of relationship and setting to inspire and encourage. The women came from Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska. They represented every age group, lifestage and marital status. Some were friends of my parents when they attended Bear Valley School of Preaching, some had lived in North Platte and worshipped with us there, some had heard me speak at the Casper retreat a few years earlier and some I had never met before. They were so very beautiful, these sisters of mine. They each encouraged and inspired me---from the prayers to the songs, to the fellowship and fun, I left the retreat wanting to do better at being a woman of God---wanting to be more bold in proclaiming His love, desiring more compassion and praying for a gentler spirit and gracious attitude. I left there grateful that God made me part of a community of believers and that He had allowed me to be the recipient of such an outpouring of Christian love and community.

The retreat was over just after lunch on Saturday and we returned to Worland. Ned and I were given the blessing of staying with our good friends, the Mayas. We laughed and ate and prayed and sang! It was so wonderful---I knew that this was just a taste of what Heaven would surely be like---all of the very best things God has, just for our pleasure! Sunday morning we were able to worship with the Worland congregation. What a gift this body is---to each other and to those who visit. The love and concern, the feeling of family is tangible and truly wonderful!

Goodbyes and tears and we began the ten hour journey home. The time passed quickly because we travelled with a godly Christian couple who love and mentor us and who always seek out the spiritual best of those they love. We arrived home just before midnight--excited, tired and inspired. What a great weekend!

When I was a child, the signs at the border of Wyoming said, "Wonderful Wyoming" and that is exactly how I found it to still be. God is so good to me and the blessing of this past weekend just reiterates what I know to be true---I am His favorite child! I am His favorite child! :)

Blessings

Neva

Born Hungry

2008-04-16T08:53:00.003-05:00

This is the time of year when the birds are building nests and laying eggs. I love Spring! Our church building serves as home to mother robin. She returns every year to build a nest in the windowsill of one of our classrooms. It is wonderful for our children to watch as this mother diligently builds and shapes and builds and shapes her nest. The kids can hardly wait to see how many eggs she will lay this year. And then before long, there are babies! (One year, we were excited to watch the babies hatching DURING our Sunday School class) There are so many lessons our children and adults alike, learn from watching these creatures. We talk about what an amazing God who could create something like this. We talk about how He cares for these birds, providing just what they need, and how He loves us even more. We talk about the way the momma bird feeds and protects her babies until they are mature and then they are pushed out of the nest to fly on their own. Each year, we look forward to the arrival of this momma bird --it is something we never tire of.

One of the things that strikes me about these birds (besides the fact that they are born really ugly) is that they are always born hungry. It is a matter of mere seconds after their birth before they begin squawking, little mouths open, begging for their mother to provide some sustenance. It seems that most creatures are born that way--it is usually not long after birth that puppies and kittens are nuzzling up their mothers and before long human children are put to the breast, cradled in mother's arms, needing sustenance. Even we are born hungry!

I believe we are born hungry---I believe we want mother's milk. I believe we are created with an appetite for that which we need---food, water, love! But, I also know that appetite can be changed--substitutions can be introduced, a taste can be developed and that which we crave can be changed. Isn't that exactly what happens to us spiritually?

I suppose one could read yesterday's post along with todays and be able to tell what is on my mind. They are similar---but I can't seem to help myself. I am concerned about the changing appetites of our society. Think about our seeming insatiable hunger for reality television? How could that be healthy? Not only do we all watch it but we set our schedules around it so we won't miss it, and we pay more of our hard earned money so we can afford to tivo that which we cannot schedule around. We can't seem to get enough scandal, enough gossip or enough of other's dirty little secrets. (Whatever happened to that obscure little verse that says love keeps no record of wrong and does not rejoice in evil?) Why is it evil that whets our appetites? Why is is sin we are hungry for?

I believe satan molds and shapes our appetites as much as we allow him to do so. He will convince us that a day without television is a bad day. He will convince us that we need to know what is going on in the life of Britney Spears and Barak Obama. He will tell us that informed intelligent people need to be acquainted with all the skeletons in everyone's closet. And then, he will give us a taste--just enough to make us hungry for more. And taa-daaa, we have a new hunger, a learned hunger!

Just as babies can develop a taste for cokes and cookies, so can Christians develop a taste for sin and smut. But the only way it happens is with constant exposure. My husband and I were talking about beer one time. I told him I didn't understand what the appeal was. I have never tried beer because I can't get past the horrible smell. Ned said very few people become alcoholics because they like the taste of alcohol. He says most people think the first taste is awful but the more they taste, the more they like. (So, you have to deaden your senses completely in order to enjoy a bad habit?) Please don't hear me say if you drink beer you are going to hell---that is not what I am saying! I am saying that if Ned is right---it is an acquired taste. I would think cigarettes would be the same way, since most people hack and cough and almost get physically ill the first time they try one. We have to develop the appetite.

Don't you think sin is the same way? I would bet that most of us would be repulsed by our first foray into the porn world and yet there is a huge percentage of Christians who are addicted to pornography. Most sinful behaviors are uncomfortable if not down right repulsive the first time and then whether it is the thrill of the adrenalin rush that accompanies being naughty or the after effects of the sin itself---most of us are able to squelch our conscience and embrace our new hunger.

I have a friend who suffered some pretty severe cardio problems. After surgery and rehab, the entire family changed their eating habits. They eat low fat, low salt and low cholesterol foods. At first they didn't like the taste, because their taste buds had grown accustomed to french fries and potato chips. But now, they like it? They say they do--and they don't seem to notice that their food all tastes like cardboard--really! Now, I know that they are doing the right thing--and they feel so much better since they started eating tofu and other things that even ketchup doesn't make yummy! The point is, they were able to change their appetites--instead of craving barbecued chips, they can hardly wait to get home and eat some carrots! They learned to hunger for something wholesome!

Spiritually we can do the same thing! Our minds have only so much room! We choose what goes in and in essence then choose what comes out! We have allowed the world and its evil king to decide what we have an appetite for! David in the Psalms talks often about his hunger for the words and laws of God. He talks about his desire to absorb God's goodness through His statutes and precepts. David had obviously developed quite an appetite! Perhaps it is time we put some effort into shaping and reshaping our appetites. We must crave Him and His word! It is time we got really hungry----and developed wholesome spiritual appetites. After all, right out of the waters of baptism, most of us couldn't get enough of God, His people or His word! We were simply born hungry! As our appetites changed so did our spiritual health. Poor spiritual nutrition means we are prey to more and more spiritual diseases and we are less able to fight off evil. We need to feed ourselves better--and more often than three times a week! Let's work together to change our appetites, to become a hungry, hungry nation!

Blessings

Neva

". . .your heart's desire."

2008-04-14T19:41:00.000-05:00

Psalm 37:4 "Delight in the Lord and He will give you your heart's desire." This has long been my favorite verse. I find myself singing it throughout the day, reminding myself to focus on delighting in Him and occasionally, I must admit, checking and re-checking what exactly is on the "HD List". The older I get the more changes I notice in my heart's desire list and to be honest, the fewer items there are on the list. I think about the verse, the list and mostly the delighting--often. In fact, most of today was spent in revelling in the joy that comes from belonging to Him and being one of His! Not a day goes by that I am not blessed far, far beyond that which I deserve and yet, He keeps giving and blessing and loving me all the more.

As I was thinking about this today, I had a phone call from a very old friend. She is not a member of the church, much to my sadness, but our friendship has remained true. As is her custom, her phone call began with the new car she'd purchased, then progressed to the house they are building once they return from their cruise. Over and over again, intermingled with lists of more and more new purchases, she told me just how busy and how very happy she was. She said that for once in her life, she "had almost everything she wanted" and she said "it must be Karma".

It was interesting that like me, she also had her heart's desire. It made me think. I wondered if perhaps everyone gets what is on their list. Okay, I didn't wonder it for long--after all, I am a social worker. Well, perhaps she'd simply adjusted her list to match what she already had----nah! That is the secret to contentment and I didn't mention that she still had some things on her wishlist. So, how could it be, that both of us, living entirely different lives, could both be content and both feel we had received our heart's desire?

I remembered that we'd had similar conversations in the past----and her list five years ago had many of the very same items on it. She was in love (different husband, that time), they had just purchased a new Escalade. had moved into a new house and were planning a trip to Vegas. If I remember correctly, even then, she thought she'd received "almost everything she ever wanted". And she sounded very very happy--truly she did--both times.
And so I wondered, if she wasn't ever really happy---or if she just became unhappy? Or if her tastes changed? If the joy she felt just went away and her heart no longer desired the same things. No, I think what happened was the things she delighted in, the things that brought her joy were earthly things. Earthly things, according to scripture, are disposable and corruptible. So it would make sense that should it be corruptible things that delight our hearts, the feeling of joy and contentment would be transient and sort of up for renegotiation, if you know what I mean. I believe we can convince ourselves to be happy--that we can talk ourselves into believing our life is good when it is really not and that we can be convicted that a new car, a new dress, a new attitude, a new man, a new address, whatever, will be just what we need to get just what we want. And as we continue to delight in worldly things, it is the worldly desires that get fulfilled-----and then fade away.

Notice the part of the text that tells us just who to delight in--"Delight in the Lord"---and when we do--our heart's desires change---when we focus on the spiritual--it is the spiritual things that make us happy! And as we continue delighting in Him, He delights in giving us our heart's desires. The desires of a spiritual person--the desires that never fade and never die--for they are eternal, redemptive and beautiful.

Blessings,
Neva

PS--Thank you for your prayers--I am doing well--unless this post makes absolutely no sense to anyone and then . . . I am still on pain meds! :)

Update on Neva...

2008-04-10T21:15:00.002-05:00

Hi, this is Traci, Neva's daughter in law and I just got off the phone with her. She is doing really well. They got the entire cyst out and it was fast growing so it was a good thing that they got it so quickly. They tested it and it was benign, so praise God for that!

She is in some pain from the surgery but nothing like the pain she's had so she's feeling good. She may not get out of the hospital until Saturday and they are having really bad weather so pray that they can get home safe and sound once they are on their way.

Thanks again from all of us for all of your prayers.

Urgent Prayer Request--Update

2008-04-07T19:20:00.003-05:00

I have been suffering with some back pain for the past month. Physical therapy and medications are not helping. Saturday was a very tough day, spent in the local urgent care center. I was sent to the hospital for an MRI. The results were in at 1:30 pm today. It seems I have a 9cm mass on the my L4-L5 nerve root. I was sent to my internist who made a referral and am scheduled for neurosurgery at 10:30 tomorrow morning in Kearney NE. I would appreciate all your prayers. I want to heal quickly so I can be about the Lord's work with little interruption.

Thanks
Neva
**********UPDATE
We have returned from the preop stuff--I am scheduled for surgery Thursday morning at 6am. I will be in the hospital for a couple of days depending on how difficult it is to extricate the cyst from the nerve roots. We are praying it is a synovial cyst--we have been assured that is the best kind to have--almost always benign and seldom return. However, there is much he does not know until he gets in there. He says the odds are good there will be no paralysis or permanent nerve damage. He recommends 6 weeks down time--I am praying for much less. Thank you all for your prayers---please continue to remember us.
Blessings
Neva

When the devil gives you lemons . . .

2008-04-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

. . . God gives you flowers! I just have to share with you the most amazing blessing! It seems that a local supercenter type store has very specific rules regarding their floral shipments. If the truck is more than 30 minutes late, the flowers are considered unusable and are disposed of. This very thing happened yesterday---but rather than dispose of the flowers, 12-14 cases were brought to the facility where I work. After vases of spring bouquets were delivered throughout the facility and placed in every nook and cranny, there were still several cases left over. Four cases were given to me and so last night, as soon as I got off work, Ned and I spent over three hours delivering beautiful spring bouquets to all the church ladies. It was so wonderful to walk up to the door and hand each beautiful woman a beautiful bouquet. They were thrilled and so were we. Ain't God cool?

Blessings
Neva

Didya Ever Notice?

2008-04-02T21:26:00.004-05:00

Didya ever notice that sometimes when people you love are really really hurting that your heart hurts too? And didya notice that although your spirit longs to know that others are praying for you and your loved ones, somehow you just can't seem to find the words to ask?

The Fashionable Fanatic

2008-03-25T20:10:00.000-05:00

I was listening to the radio the other day and I happened to hear an interview with a famous pop icon. Having known about this man since I was very young, I was interested to hear what he was doing now. The interview became boring as the man touted his own accomplishments and praised himself over and over again. I was only halfway listening when I heard the interviewer ask a question about religion. I heard the man say, he'd "always been religious, just never talked about it until it became trendy". Are you kidding me?
I really couldn't believe that someone could make the claim to be "religious" and then make an excuse why no one knew it. Ned told me that when he worked in the factory, he worked with several elders of the Lord's church for many years. It wasn't until he, (Ned) became a Christian that he even knew they were Christians. Is that not one of the saddest indictments you've ever heard? I mean, its not like we live in a country where being a Christian is punishable by death. We don't have to hide our faith in order to preserve our very lives so why hide it at all?
It is true that "spirituality" is becoming very "fashionable"---movie stars, politicians and newscasters talk about their "faith". Politicians use it to beat each other up and build up their own reputations. Criminals use it as a get of jail free card. Anti-war militants use it to promote their political views. Tabloids twist it to sell magazines. I think I think it is wonderful that so many are thinking about "spiritual things." The problem I have with a fashionable faith is that it comes from society. Faith is "in" simply because society says so. And a faith that is recognized by society is usually a faith that is shaped by society--and therefore flawed. This flawed faith then becomes trendy. It is the tool, the filter if you will, through which we view the entire world, including our obligations, our duties and even our worship.
So now I guess what I want to know is what happens to their faith when spirituality goes out of style?

Blessings,
Neva

BAD BLOGGER, BAD, BAD BLOGGER!!!!!!!!!

2008-03-24T18:16:00.002-05:00

I have not been posting lately. I have no less than 18 posts in my queue, all in various stages of completion. I have little notes with titles for blogs all over my desk---and I absolutely love blogging. So why haven't I been here? I only have one excuse----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------LIFE !
Between family concerns, health problems and plain old busyness, I have neglected my blog. But, now I have repented--so look for a new post tomorrow and thank you all for being so faithful.

Blessings
Neva

Showers and Shadows

2008-03-09T20:26:00.001-05:00

It is not like me to go so long between postings. To my loyal readers, I apologize. It has been a rollercoaster ten days. There were so many blessings, it was truly more like a deluge than a shower. Just when I thought, things could not be better, they got better. I felt like I was walking on air with a perpetual smile and a song that burst forth at every breath. I am excited to share these things with my friends.

We have been very very busy! We have Bible studies three nights a week and Ned has several during the daytime. It has been truly wonderful to watch as the power of the Word becomes evident in the lives of those who are in it.
Two weeks ago Sunday, one of the dear sisters we have prayed for over the past ten years came forward, tearfully requesting to be welcomed home!
Then my new Christian sister, Staci and her boys were here for the weekend. A youth activity had been scheduled and so we all went bowling with the teens. Then 20 of the group came over to the house for pizza, cokes and Wii games. The last one left just after midnight! Love, laughter and fun flowed freely throughout the day.
Sunday afternoon, we had two baptisms. One was a college girl whose parents and Christian family had spent many hours praying for her commitment to Christ. She returned to Harding a saved young woman--a woman with a future. The other baptism was her brother, now in high school. This young man had been thinking and talking about giving his life to Christ for some time and after listening to the discussions with his sister about the decision she was making, he decided he was ready to make the same commitment.
Later in the afternoon, we received a text message from one of our kids at York. He texted to tell us he was getting married. He has always been such a special kid and we have watched him grow and mature in the Lord. He will make a wonderful Christian husband.
That evening at church, we were excited that one of our former teens was at church. This young lady has been walking a pretty rough path and has made some very poor decisions. She has not been coming to worship even though her parents have been bringing her little daughter. Both mother and daughter are precious souls. I was so happy to see this lost sheep--I have prayed for her fervently. She has agreed to have dinner with me and I am looking forward to a chance to minister to her and encourage her.
The next day, it was announced that another of our young couples is expecting a child. Both his parents and his grandparents worship with us. They are all very excited as is the entire church.
Our elder's wife got the results of her biopsy to find that her breast cancer had not returned.
This Thursday, an old friend of mine and her daughter came to spend the weekend with us. We have been friends for about 19 years. I was the caregiver for this girl and her twin brother for the first year or so of their lives. While he could not come, I enjoyed visiting with his mother and sister. I was so proud of them as I looked over their Sr pictures. They are beautiful and I am ever grateful to be their "other mother."
The deluge continued with another friend telling us he is going to propose to his girlfriend and one of our studies telling us he is thinking seriously about being baptized.

Can you imagine how busily blessed the past two weeks have been? We have been overjoyed. Everytime we thought it could not be better, God showed us that it could indeed. We waited with joyful expectation. However, that robber of joy, satan, could not stand God's people being so happy and grateful. Friday evening, we were given the news that a family is under attack. A father, a mother, and three beautiful boys, are all being bombarded by the devil. He is working in their lives, trying to destroy their family, the marriage and the hearts of all who love them. My heart breaks for this family. I cry for the husband, he knows his place in my heart. I cry for the wife and the hurt she feels. I weep for the for those precious little boys and the confusion that surrounds them. How I would love to be able to comfort them all.

And so tonight, I ask you, my blogging friends, to share the shower of blessing with me. Rejoice over these blessings, praise God for His care and guidance. Weep with me over this shadow. Pray for this family, for strength and comfort and guidance. Pray that God will build a hedge around them and that they will safely make it to the other side of this storm. Thank you for being such wonderful and understanding friends. I love you all.

Blessings

Neva

Unaffiliated

2008-02-26T18:25:00.000-06:00

"Religious landscape in flux---unaffiliated ranks growing" so says the tease on MSNBC news. Everyone seems to be talking about this "new phenomenon". I read the articles and listened to the news. What the world is talking about is what we, in the Church, have been talking about for several years: our kids, kids who have grown up in the Church, are not remaining faithful into adulthood. We knew this and have been discussing what we need to do to keep our kids in the faith. It doesn't seem that we have been able to come up with any foolproof formulas, so I was very interested to see what "advice" the world had to offer-----they had none. Nor were they able to single out a cause for this "new phenomenon". They really didn't seem to care about the issue but merely the newsworthy fact that it is happening. However in reading and listening, I think they may have unwittingly shed some light on the subject.

Notice the title? UNAFFILIATED--the word means "not associated with", or "having no relationship with" or "without intimacy, association or connection as in illegitimate". Hmm.....

Perhaps the reason "religion" is in flux or fluid or ebbing and flowing, has to do with the fact that many "religious" people are not associated with Christ or God. They have no relationship with Him, and no connection. They are as illegitimate children-children without knowledge of their Father.

The world does not know God. In fact, His very name is used as often as an expletive as it is in praise. The beauty of His world is frequently lost in the ingratitude of its inhabitants. His power is ignored, His promises denied and His commands refused. Oh how His heart must break! How He must long for His children to come home. The Bible tells us that He wants nothing more than for us to be associated with Him. In fact, He worked out all eternity soliciting our affiliation. He loves us and desires our love and our lives. HE wants to be affiliated with us. HE wants an intimate relationship with us. And yet, we remain----in flux.

As Christians, we cannot ignore this phenomenon. While it is not new, it is also not going away! We have to teach, preach, disciple and example. We have to not just convert but also mature. We have to guard the hearts and minds of our children, guiding them in their spiritual walk. We have to nurture their affiliation with God, encourage them to have a personal and intimate faith, one that is enduring and consistent. Likewise, we must continue to prioritize our lives, making our relationship with God important, pressing and urgent. We must continually live lives that show we belong to Him, lives of purpose and passion. We cannot allow our spiritual lives to be "in flux" for we are God's people, we are Christian and it is with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit we choose to be affiliated!

Blessings

Neva

Songs in My Heart?

2008-02-23T04:25:00.001-06:00

Lately, I have been thinking about the therapeutic benefit of music. With my recent illness, I noticed that singing and the ability to sing, suddenly became very precious, perhaps because my sore throat and lack of voice prohibited it or perhaps because the soothing effects were sorely needed. I just know that my head and my heart sang the enter time, even when my voice could not accompany them. Singing is such a big part of my life!

I remember growing up in the youth group, going to rallies and Bible bowls, camp etc. Singing played a role in every activity. We sang in the bus on the way, we sang in class, we sang in the auditorium before the service started, and we sang in the bus on the way home. Those songs, the words and the tunes, stayed in my heart, in my mind and on my lips for a long time. I grew to love them and the thoughts behind them. My mother went around the house singing and my dad did too, (even though with Dad, who was less musically inclined, every song was sung to the tune of Jesus Loves Me, sorry Dad :) ) Ned and I often sing together in the car when we go places, but I think we are outside the norm. Today it just doesn't seem like people sing as much as they used to. I think that is very sad!

Statistics tell us that music is healing, that it often calms and soothes the soul. It is the gentle persuasion of the lullaby that tugs down the resistant eyelids of infants. It is the peaceful melody of spiritual songs that often accompanies Hospice patients as they let go of this life and move on to the next. It is with song that we learn our ABC's and that Jesus Loves Us. It is music that takes part in the most important days of our lives. It plays a role in weddings and funerals, in birthdays and anniversaries, in love and in celebrations. It is in that marriage of melodies and words that we find the expression of every human emotion.

I think it is significant that as Messiah prepares Himself and His disciples for the horror of His arrest, scourging and ultimate crucifixion, that they sing a hymn together. (Matthew 26:30) I think it is significant that after the miraculous blessing of the Red Sea crossing, the children of Israel celebrate with song. (Exodus 15) And in the gospel of Luke, when Mary is told of her role in the birth of the Savior, what does she do? She sings a song of praise! The New Testament writers tell us that singing songs of praise is a big part of our worship to God! The Old Testament fathers knew that to be true, also. Obviously, singing is a good thing!

Ned and I have been talking lately about how little we sing. He and I have both been "fill-in" teachers for Sunday school classes. He taught Jr. high and I taught 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Neither class sang and both acted surprised and uncomfortable at the suggestion. I was told by the regular teacher that the "only class that really sings anymore is the cradle roll class". Is this true? I was surprised and a little bit disturbed, perhaps because I know the impact songs have had on my spiritually. My entire life has been and continues to be a life filled with singing.

So I guess, what I'd like to know is "do you find this true where you worship?" and does it disturb anyone else?

Blessings,

Neva

Still . . . . . .

2008-02-12T06:40:00.001-06:00

Still battling the bug---thank you for the prayers!

Did You Know?

2008-02-07T05:43:00.000-06:00

Did you know that you can get the flu even over the blogosphere?
Thanks, Trey! :) http://www.treymorgan.net

Hope to be back soon!
n

The Sprint

2008-02-02T21:39:00.000-06:00

I haven't seen my grandchildren in quite some time. I miss them more than you can imagine. I miss their smiles and their hugs and their innocence. The blessings that come with grandchildren are too too numerous to even begin to count. I am very grateful for these six little ones and I love them all very much! There is no week that goes by that they are not in my thoughts and prayers. Each day as I sit at the computer, I look at the pictures of these six beauitful children and I feel blessed. They live far from me and so I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. But when I have the pleasure of visiting, I am always amazed at how God loves me enough to bless me with them and the experience of being their grandmother. It is one blessing after another. I love every minute of time with them, but one of the most wonderful things about going to visit them is the sprint.

When I drive up to their house, the first thing I see is little faces pressed to the window, watching for Grandma. I know they have been waiting anxiously for my arrival. Before I even have my seatbelt unfastened, they sprint out of the door and right into my arms. They begin talking before they even get to me, loudly and excitedly telling me that "they cleaned their room" and that they want to "show me what they made in school " and that they "have a present for me" and "do I want to hear the new song they learned" and can I "watch them do a somersault". Amidst hugs and kisses, the litany of information continues. When I sit down, they sit on me. When I move, they move. In order to get a drink of water, I must remove a small hand from mine. It is wonderful!
I have prayed that I would love like these children---that I would watch for my Savior. I pray that I will take every opportunity to press my face upon against the windows of my world, watching, looking, anxious for His return. Just as my grandchildren get more anxious as the time for my arrival gets closer, so I want to be anxious for His arrival. I want to have the room of my heart cleaned and ready. I want to learn things that will make Him proud so that when He comes, I will be excited to show Him how I've grown and what I've learned. I know that when He comes, I will sprint to Him, and from that moment on, where He goes, I will go. Should He need to use His hand, He will have to remove mine from it and should He need to move, He will most likely have to move me first, for I will be close to Him, not wanting Him to be away from me for even a minute.
Each day as I spend time in His Word and in prayer, I get more anxious. I am ready to go live with Him forever. I try to keep my heart and mind clean and I work to grow in wisdom and knowlege. I strive to keep a clean conscience and to be a good representative of Him. And each day, as I press my nose to the glass, I watch and look, waiting for His return, readying myself to sprint into His arms of love. I stretch and watch and stretch some more, and I imagine myself running to Him, laughing and shouting, exhilarated by the idea that He is really here and He is here to see ME! How cool is that?

Blessings
Neva

Spiritual Awareness

2008-01-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

Have you ever felt all alone? Have there been times when it seemed God just wasn't hearing your prayers, or at least He wasn't answering them? Do you remember when you just knew that no one, absolutely no one understood? And did it ever seem like you were an outsider at Church and you wondered if your absence would even be noticed? (If you are the preacher, that last one probably doesn't apply to you) (grin). I think most of us can say these emotions are not unfamiliar to us. And yet, intellectually we know that God was there and that He was hearing and answering our prayers. And most usually we can look back on those times and feed our convictions and rest assured that as long as we belong to Him, He is ever and always faithful. It is that faith that sustains us and gives us peace. It is that knowledge that inspires us and eggs us on. It is that belief that gives us purpose and mission. So why can't we always feel it, know it, believe it? I think we often become so busy with living that we become some sort of spiritual zombies--oblivious to the way God works in our lives, the blessings He provides for us and the love that He gives us. We become spiritually unaware. This is obviously not the way God intended for us to be. He wants us to focus on the spiritual, the become more and more spiritually aware. He expects that from His people.

We live in a busy and fast paced world and although we are spiritual beings, we live here on earth. Here on earth, our lives are seldom simple. And yet God calls us to live lives that are spiritually focused. So how can we make that happen? I think it is possible to heighten our spiritual awareness, but it will require some changes.

First, we will need to raise up our heads. Too many people walk around looking at the ground, looking dejected and oppressed, as if they have absolutely nothing to live for. I have been told that those who train guide dogs for the blind will discount any dog who does not raise his head. Typically dogs sniff the ground but if a dog is to be fit to lead the visually impaired, they must lift up their heads. So it is with us, we cannot see where we are going if we are always looking down at where we are. We cannot focus on heaven when all we see is earth. We have to raise up our heads.

We also need to open our eyes. When we look around us, really look around us, we cannot help but see that God is, and that He provides. We cannot help but notice that not only did He make our world functional, He also made it beautiful. We have to get into the Word so we can learn what spiritual things He has in mind. We cannot see what He wants for us and what He desires from us unless we open our eyes.

And then we need to be still. We get so busy working to buy stuff and then working to maintain our stuff and then doing all the upkeep on our stuff that we can't always hear God's voice. I have often thought about little children, how when they are hurt and they cry. They want their parents and yet they are crying so loudly that their wailing drowns out the reassuring voice of their mother. And sometimes when they are playing and having fun, they are expressing themselves so loudly that their father's warnings of danger cannot be heard. Aren't we just like that? Doesn't it seem that sometimes the pain of our heart is crying so incessantly and so noisily that it seems God is not answering, not hearing, when in fact, we are the unhearing ones. If we could just stifle our cries a bit, I am convinced we could hear the Father's comforting and healing words. And aren't there times when our life is moving at such a fast pace, when the noise of life simply drowns out the warnings of the caring Father? Sometimes we just need to be still!

And lastly, we need to be thankful. When we embrace the Father's blessings with a grateful heart and a thankful spirit, we open up our hearts to accept more, to love more, to appreciate more. As we are thinking about the spiritual and thanking God for all He's done, we begin to see more, to notice more and to look for more. We become more spiritually aware.

The Bible gives us many admonitions to look at the spiritual, the eternal, rather than the earthly and carnal. Over and over again the contrast is made and the Christian heart is redirected. God tells us that we are spiritual beings, that He loves us and He made arrangements for us to live with Him for eternity. He promises to never leave us and it is on His word that we hang our faith. There will be times in our lives when we feel He is far away and that He has indeed forgotten us. He tells us that is just not so--it seems that way because we have lost our focus and have turned our eyes from Him. He reminds us that part of maturing is developing a spiritual awareness and that as it grows, our faith will become stronger, our love deeper and our hope more secure.

Blessings,
Neva

The Abusive Church

2008-01-26T20:00:00.000-06:00

Being a social worker and a Christian counselor, I am frequently called on to do work with husbands and/or wives who are struggling with their marriage commitment. Usually in these situations, both partners are mistreating each other, neglecting each other and taking each other for granted, all part of the recipe for an unhappy marriage. There is seldom one partner who is wholly responsible for the assault on their relationship. But occasionally, the problem seems to be one-sided and while the partner does everything in their power to please their mate, the mate simply has already decided to be unhappy with the marriage and continues to look for a way out. There are few things sadder than the struggle of a one-sided marriage. When one spouse has decided it is not worth fighting for, the valiant effort to hold it together is usually as productive as trying to run with a handful of sand, without losing a grain!

I am thinking of a young woman who in my opinion, abuses her husband and his vow to love her. She expects him to spoil her, to wait on her, to be at her beck and call, which he willingly does. She berates and belittles him, which he takes. And although he gives in to anything she wants, he truly can do nothing to please her. She spends very little time with him, always choosing friends and co-workers over her spouse. She doesn't even pull her own weight around the house but rather expects him to bring home the money and do all the chores, including all the parenting. All of the duties that should be shared have over the years have become solely his. When he has had enough and draws the line, she attempts to manipulate him with false contriteness, phony excuses, petulant promises and a reminder that he loves her and has forgiven her in the past. Each time, out of his deep love for her, he forgives again and for awhile she behaves, she co-parents with him, she spends time with him, they work together on household chores, she tells him how much she loves him and seeks out ways to please him. But before long, she is back to her old spoiled and childish ways and once again, he is used and abused.

While she is not hitting him, I believe she is truly abusing him. She is abusing his trust, taking advantage of his love and preying on his mercy. It disturbs me that she behaves this way and I wonder how long her husband will be able to love and forgive her. I wonder how much abuse he can take before he has once and for all--had enough?

And then I think about us--the bride of Christ! I think about how we, the church, treat our spiritual husband. It really is a beautiful love story--even beginning with the typical fairy tale beginning, "Once upon a time". But this is no fairy tale. Scripture says that before He even created us, He saw us in His mind's eye and fell in love with us. He proposed to us not down on one knee but on the mountain called Calvary. He worked out all eternity to get us to the altar, and He gave us the Holy Spirit as the promise and guarantee that He would indeed love us forever and remain faithful and true. Of all of His creation, He loves us best! And we accepted that proposal and all that went with it when in the waters of baptism, we declared our undying love and commitment to Him.

And yet, somehow many of us have become that spoiled young woman. While our groom blesses us over and over and while He provides for us daily, we spend less and less time with Him. We fill our lives with other people and crowd our Groom right out of our lives. We beg and plead for what we want and once we have it, we ask for more. We take full advantage of all that He does for us, the messes He cleans up for us, the sustenance and strength and security He gives us. We claim His name and revel in the benefits that come with being His. When it suits us, we flaunt our relationship with Him and yet, we get so busy pleasing us that we fail to even think about pleasing Him. And when our heart is pricked, we often put on an air of shame and humility and we beg Him to forgive us, hanging our hope on the incredible love He has for us and on His history of mercy. We promise to do better and for awhile we do and then like the spoiled Israelites, we begin to seek out what pleases us and we quickly become our own god--working to spoil ourselves, all the while expecting to be spoiled by His blessings, also.

All too often, I am afraid we are an abusive Church! The Bible teaches us that His love never ends but on the day of judgement, there will be no more mercy--unforgiven sins will be accounted for. The abuse of God's Son will be avenged! All petulant pleas and tearful promises will be ignored. There will be great sadness and fear and the abusive church will be judged. However the day will be a joyful one for the Bride who has remembered her vows, who has worked to please her Husband and who has reveled in His love. For this bride, there will be nothing but joy and happiness, such a joy that has never been experienced, and for her it will be only the beginning. As the Groom takes her home to His Father, this Bride will know that from that point on, her life is the life of happily ever after!

Blessings

Neva

Patience Please

2008-01-17T16:58:00.000-06:00

I know I have not posted in awhile, nor have I been able to visit many of your blogs lately. Please be patient with me! I have not given up blogging nor taken a leave of absence from it.
I am learning a new job and am spending my evenings reading over policies and regs and trying to familiarize myself with my job--(not near as much fun as blogging). My trainer is trying to teach me 20 years of knowledge in 8 days! Tomorrow is her last day and then I am on my own!
Sunday our Gospel meeting starts, also! So please be patient, please don't stop reading dancing in the light--a new post will come soon, I promise!
thanks guys!

blessings
n

Living Room

2008-01-12T21:47:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been so incredibly busy you barely had time to catch your breath? Have there been times when the reason you didn't know if you were coming and going was because there was so much going and very little coming? Times when the 24 hour day needed to be expanded if only to make a dent in your "to-do" list? I have had those days too, sadly too too many of them. We are all such busy people! There is so much to do that taking care of ourselves physically and emotionally and even spiritually requires planning, persistence and prayer.
Lately, I have been making a concerted effort to be an intentional disciple of Christ, one who thinks about her actions, one who tries to see and seize opportunities for evangelism, one who remembers the power of words and makes every attempt make her speech bless rather than hurt. I am amazed at what a struggle this is. Believing that an intentional Christian is what God would have me be, I have been praying that He would help me be just that, that He would help me see what is holding me back, what is blocking my progress.
I know that I do better when I spend time in the Word everyday! I know that my days are less stressful when I talk to God about everything. I know that keeping on track is easier when I put God first! I know this and yet often I delude myself into thinking that I am too busy to read the Bible and I have too much going on to stop to pray and that the things I need to do are so much more important than spiritual things. Sometimes I convince myself that I will do them later, only to find that I either forget or I say a hurried prayer as I drift off to sleep. That is when I find I am most vulnerable to the sins of pride, judgemental attitudes, and impatience and that is when I am tempted to lie and make excuses. I get so busy living my life that I have no room for living for Jesus.
We are a very affluent society but accumulating things takes time and effort, as does maintaining those things. Before we know it we are working for our things. Being involved in activities is a good thing. We can meet more people when we develop relationships with them and we do that by sharing some sort of activity with them, whether it be gymnastics, or tennis, or band or PTA or book club or auxiliary, that is where we meet others. But does it sometimes seem like we spend so much time with others that we forget to spend time with God? It does for me! Somewhere along the line, I bought into the idea that it is wrong to not participate in everything! I must be at every single church activity, I must sponsor every extracurricular event, I must be scout leader, bus driver, Sunday school teacher, and be on every single committee. I think it makes satan very happy when we get so busy doing good that we forget to be good! My house, my heart, my life get so crowded that there is not room for one more thing. There is not time for one more event, not time for one more activity, no time to spend with one more person. How sad that God was not at the top of the list but rather relegated to the bottom, and occasionally not on the list at all.
I have discovered that it is not in this life that I truly experience living but rather in time with Him, in His Word, fulfilling His purpose for me. That is where I will know life! I realize I will need to simplify my life. I cannot participate in everything if I am to fellowship with the Father. I cannot spend time with everyone if I am to have time to spend with Him. I will have to make room for Christ if I am to live for Him. If I am to be an intentional Christian, I will need to clear out the warehouse of my heart and give Him some living room!

Blessings
Neva

Counterfeit Christianity

2008-01-08T14:33:00.000-06:00

We have been studying the book of I Corinthians on Sunday evenings. This week we were on chapter five, the discussion Paul has with that congregation about their seeming acceptance of sin in their midst. As the text discusses the disfellowshipment of the sinful brother, we began to talk about those who "disfellowship themselves". The term is often used in speaking of those who have stopped worshipping with us, thus absolving us from the responsibility of "disfellowshipping" them. That mindset really really bothers me! I searched and searched and could find no mention of "disfellowshipping" oneself. The closest term I could think of was "falling away". And it seems to me that we do have a responsibility to those who have fallen away. Aren't we to go try to bring them back to God? Shouldn't we pray for them? Isn't it our duty to try to restore them? I think so and if I read scripture correctly, so does God!
I believe the principle in James 2 applies here: "Suppose a brother is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed' but does nothing about his physical needs what good is it?" In context this is talking about a working faith, faith in action. James calls faith alone faith without life, a dead faith. So the principle seems to be when we see our brother in need, it is our obligation to do something about it, right? So if we see our brother in danger of losing his soul, do we not have the same responsibility? When we make the decision to "mind our own business" are we not saying that we do not love our brother? For if we loved him, would we not care about his very soul? And if we ignore his sin, are we not exhibiting a dead and lifeless faith?
When God repeatedly tells us to focus on the eternal more than we do the physical, doesn't it seem we should be concerned about sin? I know that it is difficult to go to our brother or sister and tell them how frightened we are about the choices they are making, but that confrontation should be so much easier than just sitting by and watching them be spiritually shipwrecked! Don't you think?
I read quite a few blogs and have noticed a real push toward meeting the physical needs of those around us. I think that is great! We need to be benevolent and care for those less fortunate than ourselves. The authors of these blogs very eloquently remind us that being a Christian is so much more than just attending worship, than saying beautiful prayers and praising God in song. Just doing those things only makes us fakes, phonies, counterfeit Christians, if you will. And I agree, we have to be the church, all the time, in every place!
However, it takes more to be an authentic disciple than managing the food, clothing and shelter of others! We are brothers and sisters in Christ and while it is easier to believe none of us are caught up in sin, that is simply a foolish notion. And although avoiding conflict is usually a good thing, sin is a spiritual problem, it is a salvation issue, one that cannot be swept under the carpet or hidden behind the pulpit! How dare we say we love each other and turn a blind eye to the very sin that will condemn and result in a tortured eternity! To do so is to lie--you cannot love me and allow me to die! Should I try to "disfellowship" myself, love me enough to come get me. Should I get so caught up in sin that I don't see its danger, love me enough to come show me. Should I go out of my way to hide my sin, love me enough to expose it! Please don't say you love me, unless you are willing to try and save me!
God does indeed want us to care for the widows and orphans. But He also wants us to encourage, teach and even rebuke one another. He wants us love one another enough to work for our collective souls! He wants us to be real, genuine and authentic in our love. That may mean confronting sin, it may mean the process of disfellowshipment, it may mean we need to summon up our courage and fight for the very lives of those we profess to love. To do less would make us dead, lifeless and counterfeit Christians.

Blessings
Neva

A Year of Blessing

2008-01-04T10:43:00.000-06:00

Every year at this time, many of us pause to reflect on the year past. We think about our trials and struggles, about our triumphs and victories. We fondly remember the good times and sadly the bad. Then, we slowly begin to move our minds toward the next year. We start thinking about all that we hope to accomplish, about where we want to be at the end of the year and what steps we need to take to get there. We begin to develop goals and make resolutions and we look forward to the new year with hope and high expectations.
Normally, my New Year's resolutions are things like losing weight, exercising more, reading my Bible everyday, and increasing my prayer life. These are good goals and I am usually really really diligent for the entire month of January and sometimes part of February. Then, like many I get distracted and my focus shifts and I forget about these noble resolutions. I have wondered why this happens time after time. Am I just too spiritually immature? Am I totally undisciplined? Am I lazy? Do I have adult ADHD? Am I just too busy? The answer is probably "yes". And yet, I wonder am I the only one who has difficulty keeping my resolutions?
This year after much prayer and thought, I have decided to make only one resolution! Surely I can keep focused on one goal. Surely I can remember this one thought! This year I want to be a blessing! For the next 365 (now 361) days, I want to be a blessing to every person I encounter. I want to smile, to be kind, to be encouraging, to be helpful to every single person I meet. In 2008, I don't want anyone to have an interaction with me and leave worse off than before the interaction.
I want to be a blessing to my husband, to support and encourage and care for him. I want to be a better helper in his ministry. I want him to KNOW everyday how much I love him and how thankful I am for him and that he is always in my prayers. I want to instill in him the assurance that we are together for the long haul and no matter where the Lord takes us, I am at his side. I want him to go to sleep content and happy and wake up content and happy. I want to be the kind of wife he wants to come home to, wants to visit with, wants to pray with. I want to bless his life.
I want to be a blessing to my sons. Though they are grown and gone, there are still frequent phone calls and occasional visits. I want to bless them by encouraging them to be godly Christian men, to provide for their families and parent their children. I want to let them know how proud I am of them and how there is nothing they could do that would keep me from loving them. I want them to know that I pray for them. I want to bless their lives.
I want to be a blessing to my daughter in laws. I want them to know that I love them and that I pray for them. I want them to know that I will always love them and will be here to support and encourage them whenever I can. I want them to know that I understand how difficult parenting is and I admire them for meeting this challenge with love and determination. I want to be available to them. I want to bless their lives.
I want to be a blessing to my parents and my in-laws. I want them to know that I appreciate the sacrifices they made to raise us. I want them to know that I am grateful for the values they instilled, the discipline they modeled and the love they gave. I want them to be confident that the lessons they taught did not go unheeded and to be proud as they see their children walk with God. I want them to know I pray for them, for their health and their happiness and for their daily walk with God. I want to be a blessing in their lives.
I want to be a blessing the Church. I want them to know that I will do my part to help the Body grow, that I will do my best to encourage and uplift. I want them to know that I love them and pray for them, that I will be here for them if they need me, even for yukky jobs. I want to be a blessing in their lives.
I want to be a blessing to my friends, not just those I know personally but also those who faithfully stop by this blog. I want them to know that should they need me to pray for them or with them, I am but an email or a phone call away. I want them to feel sure that when they come to my blog or call me on the phone, I will do my best to encourage and support them. I want them to know that I am committed to learning together so that we can all please our God and Father. I want to be a blessing in their lives.
And so today, as I make my one and only New Year's resolution, I ask for your prayers that I will be steadfast and focused, that I will be able to keep my commitment to make this a year of blessing.

Blessings,
Neva

"What must I do to be lost?"

2007-12-31T09:46:00.000-06:00

Often in blogworld we share great sermons we have heard recently. Being the minister's wife, I am perhaps a bit biased --in that I think every sermon I hear is a great one! But last week, Ned gave a lesson that really touched my heart. Its message has crossed my mind several times since then and I just thought I would share it with y'all.
He began with the title question: "what must I do to be lost?" Kinda catchy, huh? ------a phraseology that sounds so familiar and yet so strange. We are used to our verses, one of which is "what I must I do to be saved?", right? So Ned begins with the question and a reminder that everyone in attendance knows what to do to be saved but few of us think about what it takes to be lost. The answer to the question is simple: "nothing". Absolutely nothing! When your conscience is pricked and you know you have a sin problem, just do nothing! When you have sinned against your brother and know you need his forgiveness, do nothing! When you have tinkered with sin and find it beginning to snowball on you, well you know what to do--right? Yep, nothing! When you are in a situation that is uncomfortable because of the language or the content or the people, just stand there, you don't have to say anything or do anything, just stand there. When you know that you have been a fake Christian, presenting yourself to others as one with high values and high standards, and yet your heart is dark with sin, your thoughts polluted with the evils of the world, your speech tainted with gossip and sarcastic barbs, don't change! When you know that you should repent, should confess, should put on Christ in baptism but feel you have some wild oats yet to sow, just do nothing. When you agree with your minister or teacher that you should pray more and you should spend more time in the Word, don't do it!
When you see someone in need, just ignore them, after all someone else will take care of them.
I am sure you get the point of the message--what must I do to be lost? Nothing. But then don't you just have to ask---------who wants to be lost?

Peace
Neva

Interlude

2007-12-27T08:57:00.000-06:00

This morning I watched with interest as the news reported that a former Pakistani Prime Minister had been assassinated, that one of the persons killed by the tiger at San Fransisco zoo had climbed up on the fence and tormented the animal, and that a young Washington woman and her boyfriend had killed their family on Christmas Day. What a change from the news of the past few days, news of carolers, light contests, best ideas for Christmas gifts, and holiday greetings from soldiers in Iraq. It seems the "holiday" spirit has been quickly replaced by the same old violence, murder and tales of stupidity. The good news, the holiday spirit, seems to have been nothing more than an interlude.
The Israelites had many such interludes. There were times of great persecution, times in captivity, times away from their God, times that I am sure, seemed to last forever. Those times were interrupted by times of prayer and sacrifice, times of repentance and return to God. Unfortunately those times were simply short interruptions, brief interludes.
It seems to me that our society shares a similar experience. Most of the time, most of us are mostly concerned with ourselves, what we do, what we have, how we look and how we can get more. But there are times, times of tragedy or traditional times when we, as a prominently Judeo-Christian society, turn to God for a short time. Times like the 9-11 bombing when we as a nation prayed together, times like tornadoes and storms and fires when we as a society look to God, if only for a moment. Then there are times like the "holy" days, Christmas, Easter, etc, when as a country many sing of God, talk about His Son and for just that season seem to have a more spiritual focus. And so several times a year, we participated in a short spiritual interruption of our lives, lives fraught with snippets of spirituality, brief spiritual interludes.
I am glad we live in a world that has not completely forgotten about the King of Kings, the Creator of heaven and earth. I am glad we turn to Him when our hearts are heavy and our needs are great. But I wonder how we can make the interludes longer and longer until they become who we are instead of what we do? How can we increase the amount of time we think on spiritual things? How much time should Christians spend thinking about God? Shouldn't our faith be more than an interruption in our routine? I am sure for some, even the scheduled worship times are nothing more than necessary interludes, but isn't that sad? What can we as the Lord's people do to make God foremost in our thoughts?
I am convinced that until He is more than a brief interlude in our lives, He cannot be Lord! He will not be King of our hearts if He has to make an appointment to sit on the throne! There is no place in the Word that reminds us to have a sporadic faith--nowhere.
So now that another spiritual interlude has passed, I pray that we, we--God's people, will live, speak, act in manners that example to the world that God is more than interlude with us--That He is the source of all that we are, it is in Him we breathe, we act, we love and we live. His presence in our lives is not fleeting for He is not a guest in our hearts--this is where He lives!
Peace
Neva

What Would Jesus Think of Christmas?

2007-12-21T09:42:00.000-06:00

I love this time of year! I love the snow, the music, the food, and the idea that so many people are thinking or talking or singing about Jesus Christ. Having been raised in the Church, I have heard countless sermons and arguments about whether or not this is the true birthday of the Messiah, discussions about whether we should even celebrate His birth since it is in His death and resurrection that we have life. I have witnessed heated debates about the paganism that surrounds the Christmas tree, about the commercialism that tends to make this holiday more and more materialistic and earthly, and about the hypocrisy that those who have lived purely decadent and self-serving lives all year are now thinking about and professing a belief in Jesus.
I have to tell you how tired I am of all of this! Aren't you sick of it? Just a little bit?
I have been wondering what Jesus would think of Christmas? If He came to walk among us, if He took an opportunity to visit us in person from December 15th to January 2nd, what thoughts would He have? Do you think He would turn over the gift wrapping booths and upset the decorated trees? Would He walk through town destroying the nativity scenes? Would He preach on the street corners, loudly proclaiming this was not His birthday, chastising those who were singing about Him? Would He command there be no "Christmas sermons"? Would He shake His head at our lights and decorations? Would He encourage us all to boycott school Christmas programs where children sing of His birth? Would He expound for hours on the evils of Christmas carols and the faulty thinking behind the holiday? Would He go on Fox News and tell the whole world how this is not a day to celebrate, but only a pagan holiday and should be like any other day. Would He tell us not to give each other gifts, not to take a day off work to spend with our families, and not to even make the effort for such a day? Or would He just sadly shake His head and walk about, then return to Heaven, deciding He'd just had enough of us?
I don't know what Jesus would think of Christmas, but I think He would be glad that so many are thinking about Him. I think He would see the Christmas spirit as an opportunity to teach the gospel message. Perhaps He would be happy that we do not work, but rather spend the day with our families, giving heartfelt gifts. Maybe it would also bring Him great pleasure to see families getting along, to see them laughing and eating and fellowshipping together. Perhaps He would smile as He watched His people revel in the peace that is but one day, precious! Maybe He would tell us about all the gifts His Father gives and how He loves us, not just one day but everyday! Perhaps He would remind us that although we may think of Him but once or twice a year, He has been thinking about us for all eternity! Perhaps, just perhaps, He would tell us that the joy and the beauty of this season will pale in comparison to the joy we will have when He comes again and the beauty of our heavenly home! Maybe He would tell us that what He wants for Christmas is the same thing He wants everyday----our hearts and our souls. And then maybe, just maybe we would grow to truly understand the gift that is "Immanuel".

Peace
Neva

"A History of Integrity"

2007-12-17T10:43:00.000-06:00

Last week, as I tracked the upcoming storm via TV news, I noticed everyone seemed to be anxiously waiting to share the findings of "The Mitchell Report". While I don't watch baseball and have not really kept abreast of the investigation into the use of anabolic steroids, obviously many others are very interested. And so I listened to the list of names, (I think I recognized five of them) and I listened as sportscasters predicted the effect this report would have on the sport. Each "expert" had a different opinion, which didn't surprise me in the least. What did surprise me is that not one of them (the ones I saw anyway) doubted the validity of the report. In fact several times I heard different ones say that Senator Mitchell was chosen because of his "history of integrity".
What a powerful testimony! I don't know Mr. Mitchell, nor do I know anything of him. All I know is that those in the media who are always so quick to report faults and dishonesty have made statements regarding this man's integrity. Evidently this man is honest enough that he has consistently behaved truthfully. It isn't that he just told the truth once or twice, it seems to be a habit with him. That is amazing! I began to wonder how many of us would gain the same testimony?
Could people look back at our lives and say that we adhered to our principles? Could they say that we did not practice situational ethics? Could they? Let me get one thing straight, I don't believe that George Mitchell is perfect, that he has never made a mistake, or a bad decision. But, I do believe it says a lot for his character that his "history" is one of personal integrity. That gives him credibility! That gives his words power and validity!
God says, "The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes the crooked path will be found out." (Proverbs 10:9) This man of integrity, the man who walks upright, is the man God promises to bless, to guide, to govern. The man who keeps his integrity intact in all situations is obviously a man who lives by an unchanging standard---ahhh . . . I know all you preachers are already thinking, "hey, I have preached that before"--- (grin). In a society with ever changing standards, integrity has become a very rare commodity. One of the definitions of integrity uses the phrase, "steadfast adherence to a definite set of moral values". We live in a world where very few things are "definite". God's standards are! They do not change. What He expected two thousand years ago is what He expects in 2007 and what He will expect in 2008. And those who are "walking in the light" are those who are consistently building a "history of integrity".
When I look back on my entire life, I know that my history is less than stellar. But isn't that what the blood of Christ is all about? Isn't it about taking our past and purifying our present? Isn't it about a chance to create or allow Him to create a history for us? Praise God for His patient sacrifice, for His unchanging standard and for His gift of second chance! May we all begin today working on our "history", so that as we share the gospel message, our words have credibility, they are valid because we are the kind of person who is trusted, all because of we have a "history of integrity".

Peace
Neva

Mulling . . . . . . .

2007-12-14T11:25:00.000-06:00

I am reading a new book called "Portrait of God" by Fank Chesser. I am not very far into the book but have been struck by Mr. Chesser's rich language. I find I am reading and then needing to stop and mull some of the thoughts over in my head. So today, I am mulling over this thought:
"Obedience is love moving faith to embrace grace and appropriate its provisions to one's soul"

Hmmmmmm. . . . . .
What do you think of this?

Peace
Neva

Posturing At The Pool

2007-12-11T12:15:00.000-06:00

I have always liked the story of the healing of the paralytic in John 5. The text tells us that somewhere in Jerusalem there was a pool called "Bethesda". It was around this pool those who were blind, lame, ill, came for healing. The writer tells us that occasionally an angel of God would come and stir the waters and the first one into the pool would be cured. Because of its use by God to heal, people gathered around this pool, watching, waiting, and hoping for a healing. The story tells us that there was an invalid, a man paralyzed for 38 years. He is asked by the Messiah why he has not been made well, to which the man replies that he has no one to help him into the pool and since he is unable to reach it by himself, he remains paralyzed. Of course, our Jesus heals him!
Since history tells us that this was a very busy pool, this pool of Bethesda, I have often wondered why someone didn't help this poor incapacitated man into the water? Surely there were people around the pool, people who were there for healing, to be sure, but what about loved ones, family members, curious onlookers? Surely there were others there. Why did no one help this man? Were they too lazy? Did they simply enjoy standing by and watching the chaotic race to the water? Had they decided in their own mind who should and who should not receive healing? Or did they sit and sun themselves selfishly basking in the gift of their own healing?
I began to think about those of us who have come to know healing. We came into contact with the power of the Lord in the waters of baptism and now we, we know health, we know wholeness. But, we are surrounded by those who are spiritually ill, disabled and in dire need of healing. Our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers, some of them are dying. They feel bad every single day. Their lives are lives of spiritual void and pain. They long for healing. Some of them look other places, in new age faith, in prescription medications, in self-help books, or other places, some illicit. Some of them just need some help getting to the healing Water. (John 4:10)
Friends, I don't know why we aren't bringing the sick to the One who can heal. I don't know why we aren't taking the blind by the hand and leading them to the Giver of sight. I don't know why we aren't carrying the lame to the One who can give their feet the ability to "dance in the light". But, I do know if we are content to let those around us perish, if we keep ourselves busy so we can pretend we don't notice them, if we have decided they just don't deserve to be healed, then we should repent! I know that those who are healed are the greatest testaments to those who need healing. I believe we are responsible for the souls perishing all around us. It is not enough that we "look" like Christians. (After all, things are not always as they appear). We must behave like Christians, we must do what Christians do, not to prove anything but simply because we are Christians. We are healed! We are whole! We have access to what those debilitated by sin only hope for! Isn't it time, we brought the sick to the Water, and stopped merely posturing by the pool?

Peace
Neva

A Taste Of The Golden Calf

2007-12-10T07:23:00.000-06:00

Exodus 32:7-8
"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go down, because your people whom you have brought up out of Egypt have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it."
Exodus 32:19-20"When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them into pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it into powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it."

As I read this story again, I began to think about the Israelites and their inability to worship but one God. In our Sunday morning lesson yesterday, we talked about the Ten Commandments, focusing on the first. Exodus 20:1-3 says "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods besides me." We discussed how flippantly our society throws that word, "god" around. We talked about what makes something a "god" and I began to think that the two things that make something or someone a "god" are 1) inherent unnatural power and 2) worshippers. The word, "worship" is defined as paying homage to, feelings of profound love and admiration, loving uncritically, unquestioningly, to excess. Wow! Do those words strike any chords in your heart? They do in mine and when I began to think about it, I started wondering if Moses came down from this interaction with God, if he saw the way we lived now . . . well I wonder how work, money, power, sex, sports, entertainment, internet, television, ---------well, I wonder how they would taste? Idol, anyone?

Peace
Neva

Thoughts on Being Dirt

2007-12-06T05:34:00.000-06:00

Have you ever felt like you were not important to anyone? Ever thought that no matter what you did, nothing would be good enough? Ever knew, just knew, in your heart that everyone else was better than you . . . and they all knew it? Ever felt like dirt?
Most of us have had times in our lives when our self-esteem plummeted, when our sense of self-worth abandoned us and left us feeling useless. During those times, we feel like we don't deserve the love of our family, that while we were blessed to get them, our relationship was simply a cross they must bear. Or perhaps we feel like we can never ever live up to the expectations of those we love most. We will never be smart enough, rich enough, thin enough--or even enough enough! We feel like dirt--like something that simply gets tracked in and swept out, something to walk on, so common it often goes unnoticed.
On one of the blogs I read, a discussion about marriage is taking place. I commented several days ago about the impact a flawed sense of self-worth has on a marriage. That got me thinking about the ways it impacts every aspect of our lives. While there are some who have an elevated opinion of self, there are many, especially women, who see themselves as useless--as dirt. I know that feeling as I am sure most of you readers do also. It is unpleasant, suffocating and debilitating. I was praying this morning, asking God to help us see ourselves the way He sees us, asking Him to restore in us a sense of value and purpose. As I prayed, it occurred to me that while we may sometimes feel like dirt, God---our God knows how to use dirt. Remember in Genesis 2:7? it says "the Lord made man from the dust of the earth". God was able to take some common ordinary dirt and breathe it into a human being!!!!! Not just any human being, but the one from whom not only civilization but also salvation would come! Wow!
This thought has been wandering around in my mental library for several days now. Sometimes we look at our past, we look at our present and we feel depressed, sad and ashamed. Our vision is tinted with our own humanity. Our future is just out of sight, obscured by reality, lacking in hope. Our life seems hopeless when we forget that God has also breathed life into us! It is the breath of God that makes dirt useful! It is the breath of God that makes the common holy! It is the breath of God that gives us life!
I think I am okay being dirt--so long as that dirt has been changed by God, breathed on by Him, made into a useful and eternal being. May we ever be thankful that we worship a God who does great things with dirt!

Peace
Neva

I'd Planned On Being Dead By Now !

2007-12-04T07:44:00.000-06:00

I remember our first Christmas after Eddy died! We had decided we could not be in our house and so with my parents financial assistance, we flew to Seattle to spend the holidays with my brother and his family. I remember packing our suitcases and wondering how many holidays would hurt this much. We drove to Colorado Springs and stayed with my friend, Kelli. She took us to Denver where we caught the plane to Seattle, Washington. We settled into our seats, already crowded and a little bit anxious. As soon as we were at cruising altitude, both boys put on their headsets and listened to the music they'd brought for the trip. I sat in the middle, with my eyes closed willing the tears to postpone their appearance.
The flight was uneventful, a short layover in Salt Lake City, back in the air and a smooth landing. My dad met us at the airport and took us straight to my brother's house. It was the first time I'd seen their home and it was beautiful, decorated like a winter wonderland, gigantic tree, sparkling lights, brightly wrapped packages and the smell of pine everywhere, just like Christmas should be. My entire family tried very hard to make the holidays happy for the boys and I, complete with a visit from the big red Claus, himself. The boys went sledding, played video games and waited for Christmas morning. We adults planned the menu, went shopping, wrapped gifts and visited. My brother and his wife, their two children, both my parents and my maternal grandmother were there so there was quite a houseful. Christmas morning, gifts were opened, hugs and thank yous flowed freely and preparations for a day of eating and football began. I know it sounds like the perfect holiday and it was . . . almost.
The emotional discomfort and emptiness was almost tangible. Everyone was very careful to not bring up Eddy, his death or even his life. Where once we would have sat around and talked and laughed over all the "remember whens", we now sat in a torturous silence, none of us sure what we should talk about, what would be the least painful. It was the Christmas Day that never ended. I had no idea the holidays would bring with them so much pain.
I knew that there would be no quick end to the pain. Our plans were to land in Denver and then spend New Years with Eddy's family--all of them would be there. While I thought it was very important for the boys to be with their dad's family, I knew my heart would break once again. I would see pain in his mother's eyes, I would see the brother who looked just like him, I would watch as they all tried not to think about him and I knew it would hurt. I was right!
After the festivities were all over and the discarded ribbons and gift wrap all in the appropriate trash bins, the food sent home with various family members, cars packed, children bundled up, we all made our way to our respective homes.
As the boys slept, I drove blinded by tears, praying and begging God to help me arrive home safely. During the long drive, I asked Him what possible purpose He could have for a 34 year old widow, single mother of two. After all, by the time His own Son was my age, He had finished His job and HE got to go to Heaven. As I looked in my mirror at my sleeping sons, it occurred to me that someone would need to raise them. And so, (as if I really had the power to negotiate with the Heavenly Father), I agreed to stay until the boys were raised, until they were both out of high school, doing my best to raise them up in the Lord with the morals and values of Christian men. I promised to surround them with godly Christian men who would be their examples and who would help them grow into the kind of young men God would be proud of. And while I was doing this, I promised I would lead my family by example. I would try to teach them about mercy and benevolence. I would try to teach them about love and patience. I would try to teach them about focusing on the eternal. I promised God I would do these things IF only He would take me to heaven when I was finished. I figured I should stay until my youngest completed his first year of college. By then, both of them would be young adults, they would have developed their own support network, they would have formed their own lives and would be busy living them. I would be forty years old and very happily would I die in my sleep, to begin my new life in Heaven with Him, in heaven where there is no pain, no tears and no loneliness.
I laugh now as I look back on those plans, wondering if God just listened to me ramble on, smiling and shaking His head. He must have marveled at how I had let my pain cloud not only my vision but my common sense. How could I even begin to believe I was in control? I wonder if He smiled as He thought about the things He had planned for me? I wonder if He laughed out loud at my reasoning and my feeble dreams. I wonder if He thought about all the opportunities my future would hold, all the blessings He would give me, all the people He would put into my life? I wonder if He wished I would or could believe I was still a child of His, a child with a purpose? I wonder . . .
Now seven years past my deadline, I am amazed at how wonderful my life is! What a gift I have been given! I am awed by the blessings He showers on me daily. I thrill when I think of the Bible studies and new spiritual births He has allowed me to be a part of. I smile when I think of this man, this minister, who shares his life with me, how he loves me and leads me and desires my salvation more than anything. My heart is full when I think about my family, the six beautiful grandchildren and my friends, both those I know and those I only know through the internet. I am blessed so much more than I ever deserved--more than I'd ever hoped or even imagined. I am so grateful to have a Father who plans great things for me, because I had really planned on being dead by now!

Peace
Neva

The GOADS and the Sheep

2007-12-03T11:13:00.000-06:00

No, it isn't typo, it really does say "goad" and I really mean for it to. I have been reading and writing blogs for just over a year now. I have found some that are such great encouragements that I recommend them to everyone. I like that they see maturing the sheep as part of their e-ministry. I like that they promote reading the Bible, studying God's word, seeking the lost and being evangelistic. I am proud that they encourage us to live godly lives. I like that these bloggers seem to be concerned with the souls who might be reading. They seem to care that someone out there, some seeker, may have stumbled on to their site. These bloggers give everyday practical advice about how to be spirit-filled in a world full of the carnal. When I read the posts asking for prayers, thanking God for answers, rejoicing in the return of the prodigal, well . . .when I read those posts, I am thankful there are bloggers out there who use the gift of the internet to share the gift of the Gospel. They encourage me to think, to pray and to study. They remind me that there is a whole world of seekers out there and I need to do my part to win as many as possible for the Lord. I am proud to call these bloggers "blog-buddies" or "e-friends" and brother or sister.
However, there are also others out there---those who are "pot-stirrers", always getting in their little digs, always trying to stir up controversy, using the Word of God as a weapon to maim and hurt rather than build up. These not only spew their own kinds of sarcasm and verbal venom, they goad others into the discussions. Before long, what once was an enlightening, intelligent conversation has become nothing more than a political type mudbath. No one gets out unscathed and unsullied, neither the blog author nor those invited to comment. These "goads" seem unconcerned with the seekers, unconcerned with the sheep who are trying to learn and grow and unconcerned with the picture their comments and posts paint of Christians. (After all, billions of people a day surf the net, billions of people per day develop opinions based on what they read or see). The "goads" simply want to fuel the fire of controversy. Oh, sometimes, they call it "helpful criticism", or "witty banter" or even "thought provoking conversation" with "varied input". Their sole purpose is to 1) make their point, 2) destroy every other point of view, and 3) get as many different viewpoints to argue about it as possible. What purpose can this possibly serve? We all know we can never win with the "goads". Theirs is not a world of logic and civility but rather one of sarcasm and name-calling.
My friend Betty, once said that satan has had the internet long enough, it is time we take it for God. I believe that is true. I believe we can let our light shine even in cyberspace. I just wonder what our readers think? Do they understand that there are some true Christians out here who use their blogs for God? Or do they read and think why is Christianity any different than the world? Why would I want a "religion" full of "goads" when I work with that kind of person every day? Perhaps it is time we started looking at our blogs and our comments and really deciding if we want to be "goads" or sheep. There will come a time when we will be held accountable for our words, whether spoken or "blogged". How will we explain what "goads" we have been?

Peace
Neva

What Am I About?

2007-11-30T07:29:00.000-06:00

My friend, Stacie, gave me a new CD by Sierra. The songs are wonderful and I like them all. However, I find myself playing one of them over and over again. The song, "Make Me" is about the process of becoming what God intended. As the artist sings about this struggle, the lyrics speak of the all too familiar waves of doubt that occaionally surface in every Christian's life. The exact words are "My mind becomes entangled beneath a web of doubt, questioning the question of what I am about." I have played this song many times and each time, I am struck by this simple phrase: "What am I about?" This same question has plagued mankind for generations. I daresay there have been times when we have all wondered why we are here, what we are doing and why we are doing it.
So what am I about? Now I realize the song, though inspirational, is not inspired and should therefore not be the source of some great theological truth. However, the idea that doubt is linked to this cloudy vision of purpose is a concept that is both practical and biblical. For it is when doubt overtakes us that the questions begin to come. It is when doubt seeps into our lives that our faith begins to waver. It is when doubt wiggles its way into our faith structure that our hope begins to wane and all that we know, all that we stand for, all that we hope and believe comes under scrutiny. Doubt is a great modifier of purpose.
As I think about this I began to wonder how we can battle doubt, how we can always and forever have the assurance---the assurance that instills hope in our hearts and compels us to persevere. I began to think about Jesus. Ephesians tells us that before we were even created, He saw us and made plans to redeem us. Our redemption was His sole purpose and all of history led up to the fulfillment of this plan. We walk along with Abraham, the promise recipient, and we see his great acts of faith and also his stumbling doubt. We read of the hardships of the family of Moses and his summon to be their rescuer and we hear his excuses, as if he doubts that God has made the correct choice. We journey through biblical history to the birth of our Savior and we see the miraculous and purposeful announcement by Gabriel and the heralding of His birth by angels and shepherds and wisemen alike.
And then in Luke chapter 2, we see the boy Messiah, in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover with His family and other Jewish worshippers. His family and their entourage have made the long pilgramage and are returning home, only to discover He is not with them. An extensive search finds the 12 year old in the temple with the teachers. He is not worried, seemingly oblivious that He has been left. He is not thinking about how He, at only 12 years old, will find His way home or what He will use for food or water on the trek, which was several days worth of travel. He is not concerned that something will happen to Him. He is not thinking about the physical at all, rather His focus is on the spiritual. When His mother finds Him and reprimands Him for worrying her, He simply states, "Why were you worried, did you not know I must be about my Father's business?" A simple statement of fact--my Father's business---that is what I am about!
It occurred to me as I read this that perhaps that single-minded focus, that unwavering determination, that one purpose would help us combat doubt in our Christian walk. Perhaps if we were not so worried about opinions and traditions, and if we were not so concerned with programs and platitudes, perhaps we could devote more emotional, physical and spiritual energy toward being about our Father's business. If we could take the physical out of the picture, if we could not worry about what other's think, if we could focus on the spiritual, then I believe doubt would find no place in our hearts or minds. If we could do this, then the age old question "What am I about?" would find its answer in "I am about my Father's business."

Peace
Neva

The Devil Dropped In

2007-11-29T04:26:00.000-06:00

The devil dropped by for a visit the other day. I have to admit that I hadn't prayed the day before so I wasn't really prepared for guests. He didn't seem to mind and went right about making himself at home. We talked for what seemed like hours. He'd just returned from a visit to some friends of mine. He told me all about how large their house was and what a nice car they had. At first I felt ashamed of what I had, but satan said if I worked really hard, took extra shifts on Sundays and cut back just a little on my contribution, I could have those things in just a few short years.
We laughed as we remembered the "good old days" and what fun I'd had "sowing my wild oats". I told him that sometimes I was ashamed of the things I'd done. He simply laughed and reminded me that no one had been hurt, and besides, everyone does those kinds of things when they are young. That's what being young is for. He needed a few things and so together we went shopping. I spent way more than I could afford but he told me that using my credit card helps build up a positive credit history, so I worked on my credit history. (grin)
We shopped later than we had intended and I just knew my husband would be upset. So we decided to leave our purchases in the car and bring them in after he went to bed, thus preserving the peace in our household. So we hurried in and began dinner. Satan and I had already grabbed a quick bite so I opened a can of soup for the family, tossed it onto the table and excused myself to the other room.
We watched tv while they ate. After I got the children ready for bed, my husband tried to engage me in a conversation about his day. His days are always the same and so I put him off to go clean up the kitchen. The devil came in to help me. He was surprised at how big a mess my family made out of soup. He said he felt sorry for me because I work so hard to get a hot meal on the table and they don't even put their dirty dishes in the sink. I hadn't thought of that before, but he was right! I deserved better treatment than this! So, I decided I was going to leave the dishes on the table until one of them moved them to the sink. We smiled and chuckled at this great lesson I was teaching my family and then we returned to watch tv. We stayed up really late and watched a violent and trashy movie. There was lots of sexual content, innuendos, bad language and nudity. But, as adults, we decided we were mature enough to not be influenced by such things.
The alarm clock went off and my husband and I were up out of bed. It was Sunday morning and we needed to get ready for worship. We were surprised to find satan sitting in the living room, watching tv already. He told me that I didn't look like I felt well. He said my eyes looked tired and like I had a headache or something and that my voice sounded raspy, like I had a sore throat. I was thankful he brought it to my attention, because I hadn't noticed before. If I was coming down with something, I certainly didn't want to share it with some of the old people at church. My husband planned to go and take the kids. Satan talked to him awhile about the church people. He remembered when they'd mistreated him and how they had gossiped and talked about him. He said if they did that to others, they probably did that to us, too. He also reminded us that we sing the same old songs and hear the same old lessons every time and that church just isn't what it used to be. He stated that since God wants us to worship in spirit and in truth, wouldn't it make sense that God would rather have us stay home and worship him here instead of at the building, doing the same old meaningless rituals with a bunch of phony gossips? That did make sense and so we decided to have a devotional with our children, once they got up.
Later on, the phone rang, satan offered to answer it, looking at caller id, he noticed it was a church member. He picked up the call and smiling impishly, told them we were all ill. He didn't tell them we were already feeling better, but that was okay!
Satan stayed for a few more days. We made lots of changes during that time, tried lots of new things and stopped doing some other things. He smiled and hugged me as he left, telling me he'd had an absolutely wonderful time. After he was gone, I was surprised to find my house was mess and my life was in shambles. It would take months to clean up. As depression replaced the thrill of the visit, I realized that this had not been good. I wanted to cry, not because I would miss him but because I had allowed him, more like welcomed him in. It occurred to me that while satan was here visiting, God hadn't stopped by. I realized how much I missed God and how much better things are when He is around. It seems that the devil always leaves chaos when he drops by. I decided that I would not allow this again. I decided that I would be too busy with ministry to spend time with satan, that I would have my house so full with God that I would not have room for this unexpected guest and should he stop by, well . . . . . next time, I will not be such an accomodating hostess. Next time, satan will not enjoy his visit with me and perhaps he will leave quickly. I resolved that next time I would be ready when the devil drops in again. . .

Peace
Neva

Car trips, Cutie-pies and Killer Coons

2007-11-23T04:36:00.000-06:00

It is very early Friday morning, the house is quiet (for the first time in days). I am the only one up, I did not awaken for the early morning day after Thanksgiving shopping, but rather because I needed some time alone with the Lord. It occurs to me that on this holiday when we remind ourselves of just how blessed we are, that we often get so busy "enjoying" all these blessings that both the quality and quantity of our time with God is diminished. This morning, as I sit and talk with Him, I smile as I thank Him for looking over me, keeping me safe and making me happy. I wanted to share some of the incredible ways, He has blessed me in the past few days.

Most of you know that my friend and new sister in Christ, Stacie, came to Nebraska to spend a few days with me. We laughed and laughed, we painted a bathroom in the middle of the night and laughed and laughed some more. I loved seeing how much she has grown spiritually since her new birth and I loved introducing her to our dear friends here. After a couple of days here, she rode to Texas with me to get the grandchildren. We truly thought we were well prepared for the 10 (turned out to be 13) hour trip with three young children. Well, let me just say it was more than an adventure. You see, Madi is five going on thirteen. She is all girl, which means squeals accompany every emotion. She loves the Wizard of Oz and was totally impressed that Grandma knew where Dorothy's house was. (For those of you just dying to know--it is in Liberal, Kansas). Madi is very smart, she never forgets anything and has an amazing vocabulary. For instance, she was very excited to go to Worship because when she sang, she wanted to show me her "vibrato". Too funny! Kyle is three and as much little boy as Madi is little girl. He is a bit more shy but he loves to sing. He "composed" songs all the way from Lubbock to North Platte. He is ornery as all little boys are supposed to be and has learned the word, "but". Every sentence starts with "but . . ." He loves the Legos and the little cars and seems unmoved by big sister's constant, "Now Kyle, you be the king and I'll be the princess . . . Kyle, you be the Lion and I'll be Dorothy." He simply looks at her and replies "But . . . . . . . Mason is six months old and is not feeling very well. As his antibiotics seem to be working, he smiles and laughs more. He snuggles with Grandma and watches everything. He breathes better when I hold him and so I do. (smile). And although he can't yet speak, he is very able to communicate when he is hungry or needs changed or just plain old tired of being in the car seat, if you know what I mean.
The ride from Lubbock to North Platte should take about ten hours, however this time, it took thirteen. Imagine if you will, thirteen hours in a minivan with Stacie and I, Stacie's teenage son Dusty, and these three little adorable personalities! You are cringing right now aren't you? I am sure there is no need for me to tell you that the trip was very, very long. The children were good but thirteen hours is just too many hours to be in a car. We had many bathroom stops, many food stops and a few, "Let's play the quiet game". We did drive by Dorothy's house in Liberal, where we stopped to get gas and use the restroom. We did get to listen to Kyle sing "Awesome God" several times. We did get to eat and laugh and sing. And although tired and ready to be home, we were grateful to be safe and still reasonably sane. We were less than an hour from North Platte and all of us anxious to be out of the van when . . the most exciting part of the trip happened----and just miles from home. It was very dark and Stacie and I had been watching for deer, per instructions from Ned. Several times, he had reminded us that it was deer season and we should take extra care, especially after dark. We'd been watching and had not seen one live deer. All of the sudden, something darted out of the bushes on the driver's side, ran across the highway and SMACK--right into the passenger side of the van. Minutes before it hit, Stacie and I were both able to make out a GIANT raccoon. Simultaneously we said, "Are you kidding me?", Madi squealed, Dusty asked, "what was that?" and this horrible sound, the sound of a raccoon "the size of an elk" dragging on the van. Finally either it let go of us or the van let go of it. I drove a few hundred feet and then pulled over to the side of the road. By this time, we had Madi calmed down and Dusty, Stacie and I were laughing. We did not have a flashlight with us and so by the light of her cellphone, we got out to examine the damage, which was extensive. The plastic part under the bumper was cracked and dragging on the ground, the windshield wiper fluid hose was pulled off and dripping washer fluid.
Now, I don't know if that was some sort of Al-Quaida suicide bomber raccoon, don't know if somewhere he'd gotten into some plutonium that made him huge and crazy, or if he just wasn't all that bright-----but I do know that anyone or anything that messes with two women who have been in a car for thirteen hours with three little ones and one teenager, deserves to be run over!!!!!
We arrived home safe, happy, tired and grateful to God for giving us a safe journey. My prayer for each of you, if you have to take a long car trip, make it with some little cutie-pies and a good friend. Remember to pray, drive safely and watch out for killer coons!

Peace
Neva

Stuff on my heart-----

2007-11-18T18:56:00.000-06:00

I am leaving tomorrow morning early to pick up three of my grandchildren. They will spend the week in Nebraska with us and my parents, who are travelling from the West coast. I am enjoying my time with Stacie here and am so very happy she is my sister in Christ. I am both awed and humbled at the way my Father keeps blessing me over and over, flooding me, overwhelming me with His special gifts. Worship today was wonderful and I feel at peace, happy to be with family and blessed by their love for us. My face hurts from smiling!

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am reminded how much God loves me and am even more aware of His grace. I may be posting sporadically for the next week but I wanted to share with you all this great video. May we all remember how blessed we are to be "new again".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NaSROohLzs

Peace

Neva

"God Doesn't Even Know Who I Am"

2007-11-16T09:52:00.000-06:00

I had the most disturbing telephone call recently. It was from an old friend of mine. She has been having some real health problems which in turn have caused some overwhelming financial problems. She was despondent, angry and depressed, her pain shouting out every word, as if she were unable to restrain it. I hadn't heard from Sheila* in a very long time. We used to be co-workers and friends. She attended a bible study at my house every Tuesday night for over a year. Sheila was one of the few people I have ever met who truly knew nothing at all about God. She had grown up in a family that did not go to church, that did not pray and in fact, that never spoke of God or religion at all. In fact, she did not own a bible nor had she ever and no one in her family owned one they could loan her. Her desire to learn and her fresh look at the Bible and its characters was inspiring. We knew that every week, Sheila would come with her notebook, having studied the lesson in advance and prepared with three or four pages of questions. She was not ashamed to have so many questions and as we taught her, she also taught us. Her simple questions reminded us that not everyone knows that the Old Testament land of Israel is in the same place we find the Israel of today. Not everyone knows that the Old Testament and the New Testament are both the stories of God and His people. Not everyone knows that Moses was a real life person and the story of the ten plagues was very real. And so, as we learned to together, we grew to love Sheila and began praying for her salvation.
It was not long before Sheila changed jobs and stopped coming to bible study. As her illness became symptomatic, she started to withdraw. She did not answer her phone, nor did she come to answer her doorbell, cards were sent without response. We looked for her while shopping, we looked for her when driving down the road and we asked about her to mutual friends. Sheila, it seemed had chosen to drop off the face of the earth.
So you can imagine my surprise, three years later and three states away, to get a phone call from my long lost friend. The first call was a hangup, but thanks to the modern convenience of caller ID, I saw her name and called her right back. Sheila began telling me about her recent struggles, her chronic pain, the lack of support from her family and friends and the emotional strain she was under. I cried as she told me how depressed and desperate she had become. I cried as she said that her parents did not believe she was ill in spite of the fact that she was losing weight and her hair had all fallen out. I cried as she told me, she no longer knew where to turn for help. My heart hurt so much for my friend and I began suggesting possible resources and services. I gave her phone numbers and contact people. I gave her names of people who knew other people who could possibly offer some assistance. She seemed to listen and I was hopeful that somehow she would be able to find relief, that she would once again be able to work, able to function, able to care for herself and that she would be the happy, beautiful Sheila I remembered.
As our two hour phone call came to a close, we exchanged the usual goodbyes and I ended my call with, "I will pray for you", to which she replied, "Please don't---God doesn't even know who I am." At that statement the phone call abruptly ended. To this day, I am not sure whether Sheila hung up or the phone lost its signal or what happened. I tried to call back several times but got no answer. I was unable to get back in touch with my dear friend Sheila. And now, several months later, I have still not reconnected. Every attempt has failed and I began to feel helpless. And then I remembered the incredible power of prayer. In spite of the fact that Sheila has no faith in it, in spite of the fact that her desperation has shaped or misshaped her view of God and His power, I still believe in prayer. I believe God can heal her, I believe He can use her pain and her illness to help bring her to Him. I believe He can restore her health and bring about a faith that will open the lines of communication between them. I believe in prayers.
So today, my request from you, my friends, is that you pray for Sheila also. I am back in the town where she lives and am looking for opportunities to minister to her, pray that God will open those doors. Please pray for her and although you don't even know who she is, we all know that God does indeed and it was for my friend that He sent His Son!

Peace
Neva

The Funeral Ends Today

2007-11-14T08:38:00.000-06:00

Recently Ned and I rented the movie, "We Are Marshall". For those of you who haven't heard about this movie, it is the story of the 1970 plane crash that took the lives of practically the entire Marshall University football team, along with coaches and some of the booster club. The movie chronicles the attempts of the University to keep their football program alive, despite the inconsolable grief of an entire town. After repetitively petitioning the NCAA to lift their ruling about freshman recruiting, the University begins to rebuild a football team out of young, inexperienced and naive players. These boys do not have the experience nor the determination to win. As they don their new football jerseys, they come under a constant barrage of negative support from those who mourn the ones who once wore those very same jerseys. At one point in the movie, head coach, Jack Lengyel, played by Matthew McConaughey, takes the boys and the coaches on a "field trip" to the cemetery. Coach speaks about those who lost their lives on that horrible day. He speaks of the impact the loss has had on the town and the team. In a moving speech about the oftentimes crippling effect of grief and the team's seeming inability to focus on the game, McConaughey says, "the funeral ends today".
That phrase stuck in my mind throughout the rest of the movie. I thought about how many of us talk about the "good ole days" as if they really were---good. I thought about those who recount the "sowing of wild oats" that took place before they became Christians, and about that little edge of pride hidden behind the smile of regret. I also thought about churches that have been hurt in the past and still carry that pain today, allowing it to keep them from growing and maturing and reaching out beyond the stained glass windows and the steeple's spire. I thought about brothers and sisters whose feelings have been hurt, whose spirits have been wounded and who have let the past hurts cripple them and drive a wedge between them and their church family and ultimately between them and God. Why is it that some of us are unable to live beyond our past? Why is it that though logically aware the past is gone and we cannot change it, emotionally we hang onto it like a small timid child, clutching our security blanket? It seems to me that if we are to grow as a Body, if we are to become healthy, fully functioning Christians, that we must let the past die, bury it and end the funeral.
The past is simply that---passed! We can neither change it nor control it. We cannot rewrite history! Neither can we pretend it did not exist--bad things do happen! People do get hurt and they grieve and mourn. While we cannot control the past, we can decide how much impact it will continue to have on us and how it will effect our relationships with others and with God. We can decide that! We can choose to move through the pain, to grow in spite of the past and to let it die.
Like most of us, there are things in my past that I am ashamed of, things I have done, people I have hurt, words I have said. Would I take them back and undo them if I could? Absolutely! But I cannot. And so I try to remember how much pain they caused and make every attempt to not repeat those same mistakes. There is some of my past I am not proud of! There is some of my past that still hurts when I think about is. But . . . and this is huge--there is a future that I can affect, a future where different choices can be made, a future that is right in front of me. You have heard me say before, "God put our face on the front of our bodies so we look forward." (One of the many things I learned from my brother Tom Washburn).
Perhaps, just perhaps, it is time to look forward. The old Neva, her sins are gone, washed clean by the Sacrificed Blood. The old pain, it is healing, healed by the comfort of the Holy Spirit and the mighty power of forgiveness. I refuse to be crippled by the past. I will no longer mope and no longer grieve. The funeral ends today!

Peace
Neva

A Meager Existence

2007-11-11T15:26:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had a thought that rather than simply passing through your mind, sets up camp in your brain? The thought, though nothing more than a thought at first, expands and grows and the more you think about it the bigger it gets. Finally your mind almost bursting, you know you have to do something with this thought! So here is my mindburst----For several weeks now, I have been thinking about this idea of eking out a meager existence. I know that in physical, worldly terms we think of the man working several jobs just to provide the very basic needs for his family. We think about the elderly woman taking in ironing, not because she likes to iron, but because her medication takes all her retirement and ironing pays for her food and utilities. We think of the single mom who goes without so that her children will not. We think about those in third world countries who eat in year what we eat in a month.The sad part about these situations is that usually the circumstances are not chosen but rather thrust upon the individual. We have compassion for those whose daily existence is hard won, who by every day, all day, sweat and tears and much elbow grease are able to provide the barest of necessities. They learn to make do and get by, not by choice but out of need. And get by they do, but barely. These stories cause us to empathize and the details sadden our hearts.
We cannot imagine anyone choosing to eke out such a meager existence. And yet, isn't that exactly what many of us do? God desires to bless us in abundance, to help us grow strong enough to face whatever satan and his world throws at us. God wants to comfort us, guide us and provide for us. He wants to bless His children with all He has to offer. And yet, we opt to decline His offer.
I don't believe we are sinning when we have friends who are worldly. But, if they are the only friends we have, if we choose to "fellowship" with them rather than God's people, we are denying God a chance to bless us. He says that His children are those who love one another, are those whose words are edifying and uplifting, are those who bear one anothers burdens. God's children are our companions on this life journey toward heaven. We share the same eternal destiny, the same purpose, the same mind and the same object of our affection ---that is Jesus Christ. The journey, the walk in the light, is so much less difficult when we are walking with those who share our faith. To choose only friends in the world is to live below our privilege and we start existing rather than living.
And I do not believe that missing Sunday services together or Wednesday night classes will send us to hell. But I do believe when we choose every other activity, every single week, we are robbing ourselves of one of God's greatest blessings--the fellowship and encouragement of the Body. There are those in the church, my brothers and sisters, who are much stronger, much wiser, much more spiritual than I. These family members can help instruct and teach me so that I can grow. They feed my spirit and nourish my soul and they help me mature and stay strong. Refusing time with them contributes to my spiritual malnourishment. Just as filling our stomachs with junk food lessens our resistance to germs and impedes our growth, so filling our hearts with all that the world has to offer lessens our resistance to sin and impedes our growth. An occasional nutritious meal is just not enough, physically or spiritually.
Likewise, there is nothing wrong with having things. We all like nice cars and nice houses and nice clothes. We all recognize that these things are not free and in order to get them, we must work. We also know that in order to maintain them, we must continue to work. And so we are busy working. Don't get me wrong, work is good. God commands us to work. However He also admonishes us to not get so caught up in things that we forget the important stuff. He reminds us several times that it is not the earthly carnal things that save us but the spiritual heavenly things. Those things are eternal and incorruptible, indestructible. Our focus should be on storing up spiritual treasures.
I believe we as Christians, should take care of our bodies. We should exercise and eat right. We should remain healthy. But not so we can look good in designer clothes or so we can outrun the 20 year olds or so we can pretend to hold on to our youth. We should take care of ourselves so that we can work for the Lord, so that we can go, teach, make disciples without having to take a nap, without having to lie down and rest for an hour after each bible study. We should take care of ourselves so that as long as God gives us life, we can be useful in bringing souls to Him.
We have the Word of God that helps us, guides us and corrects us. It is important to read it. Over the years I have seen numerous little tools designed to help Christians get back in the Word. It isn't important which one we use, only that we get into the Word. We cannot gain the wisdom and knowledge needed to remain spiritually strong unless we spend time listening to God. Spending time with God also requires talking to Him. He is our Lord, our Savior, our Bridegroom and in order to have a relationship with Him, we must communicate with Him more than once a day at bedtime and twice on Sundays. He wants to talk with us!!!!
We short-change ourselves in so many areas of our Christian walk. When we could be thriving, we instead eke out a meager spiritual existence. This should not be! It is not what our Father wants, and it is not really what we want either. Don't we want to partake of all of His blessings? Don't we want to live lives overwhelmed by the love of God, compelled to teach, hungry to learn and eager to accept the glorious and rich life He has in mind for us? Don't we want to thrive rather than simply exist? Just imagine what thriving spiritually would like, imagine what blessings would flood your life and what peace would fill your soul. God never meant for us to have a meager existence but rather abundant life. Its there for the taking--all we have to do is ask!

Peace
Neva

Awwww . . .Those Were The Days

2007-11-09T05:36:00.000-06:00

One of the best things about moving is you get to "find" stuff from your past, stuff you hadn't really missed and had done okay without, but now, are unwilling to get rid of. The past few weeks have been filled with the discovery of such "treasures". Day before yesterday was no different. The treasure was a photo strip, you know the little photo booths in the mall, where you sit and before you can really pose, the camera shoots and then spits out a strip of four little black and white pictures? Remember? I found such a strip, probably taken around twenty-two years ago. The picture strip features two of the very most important people in my life, my sons. Chad looks like he is six or seven and Nathan four or five. Let me just say without being at all biased, that they are two of the cutest kids I have ever seen!
I have looked at these pictures over and over again. I notice how innocent and childlike they seem. They smile for the camera and make silly faces. They appear to have no worries, no cares, no future concerns. I remember those smiles. I remember all the concern I had for them, already knowing their father would probably not live to see them through childhood, I was constantly worried about how they, how we would handle that loss. They'd already spent more time in hospitals that one their age should. They'd become very familiar with the local EMT's and knew where all the vending machines were at our local hospital. They'd already witnessed the struggle to breathe that was part of their father's daily, hourly, minute by minute struggle. They'd already seen their mother cry barrels and barrels of tears, had their playtimes hushed and shushed to accommodate the sleeping patient. And yet, in these pictures, they smile!
In my prayers, I often ask the Heavenly Father to make me more like a child. I ask Him to help my faith be childlike, unflappable and unstoppable and absolutely limitless! I plead with Him to remind me that I needn't worry, He is taking care of things. I ask that He instills in me the courage and determination of youth. And a sense of awe and wonder at every piece of the world around me. I beg with Him to give me a child's self-esteem that comes from the inherent and proven knowledge that He loves me no matter what, that there is nothing I can do that would make Him so angry He would not offer mercy and grace. I ask Him to make me curious and inquisitive and hungry for learning about Him and His Word. I ask Him to make me desperate to please Him, determined and focused. And I ask Him to help me smile!
As I look at the pictures of these beautiful children, I see their smiles and I cannot help but smile back. I see in them the innocence and purity, the faith and love, the courage and wonder that I so desire in my own spiritual life. I pray with confidence that God will help me be what He can use so that when He looks down at the daily snapshots of my life, He sees me smiling and cannot help by smile in return.

Peace
Neva

A Worthwhile Investment

2007-11-07T07:47:00.000-06:00

Lately I've noticed more and more advertisements encouraging us to invest our money wisely in order to guarantee a secure future. While they are advertising for their companies, in an attempt to drum up more business, the principle they promote is very sound. That principle is that in order to guarantee a return, one must invest. Without investment there is no return.
Being a minister's daughter and now a minister's wife, I can't begin to tell you how many times I've heard the excuse, "I don't come to church anymore, I just don't get anything out of it." Comments like those have always irritated me as if "church" is all about "me" and "having my needs met". All rational human beings can refute that statement, or so it seems to me!
However, I began to think about other relationships and life endeavors. I started wondering if that same mindset permeated every part of our life. So I deliberately thought about investments. On a daily basis, I invest emotionally, financially, spiritually, physically and I expect a return on those investments. We all do! But what would happen if we all, in anticipation of a big return, invested more?
For instance, what would happen if I invested more time and energy at work? What if I invested my effort in having a positive attitude, in making my workplace a good place, in being a good employee, almost as if I were working for the Lord? What kind of return would I receive? The answer is obvious isn't it?
So perhaps the way we earn the respect of others is to invest some respect toward them and toward ourselves. We cannot expect those around us to support and encourage us if we are constantly self-demeaning or disrespectful to them. Perhaps the way to teach our children to speak respectfully to us and others is to speak respectfully to them and in front of them. It seems it would be difficult to instill an attitude of respect for authority in young ones who see us yelling at policemen and badmouthing our churchleaders, president, and lawmakers.
And just think about what would happen if we invested an attitude change about worship? What if Sunday mornings weren't a time of yelling at the kids to hurry up and get ready because "we HAVE to go to church" and what if the ride home after services was filled with conversations about God and His blessings rather than the boring sermon, slow songs, and those singing off key behind us? What return could we expect? What attitude would our children learn about worship and being with God's people?
Maybe the way to strong, spiritual marriages to invest our time and energy into making them what God would have them to be. Maybe if I sacrificed my will once in awhile, maybe if I didn't share my opinion every time, maybe if I spoke about and to my spouse like I did when we were dating, then just maybe I would get a return on that investment.
Perhaps the key to good, healthy spiritual friendships is to invest our time in being the kind of friend who promotes spiritual conversation, who encourages self-control and discourages gossip and who examples trust and values the importance of keeping confidence. Perhaps if we we invested in this way, we would find ourselves blessed with an abundance of good relationships.
What do you think would happen if we invested our time and energy in a stronger and deeper and more intimate relationship with God? What if a big part of our day was invested in talking with Him, reading His word, praising Him? What kind of return would we expect? Wouldn't we become stronger? Would we become wiser? Would we feel more confident in our ability to endure and maintain until His return? Would we find our church growing and growing and growing?
Perhaps it is time we examined our investments? Could be that we are not getting the desired return because there is a lack of the required investment! The only free thing is the gift of God's grace--though it cost Him dearly, He was willing to invest the blood of His Son in us. Daily we have opportunities to invest ourselves in pleasing Him! Worthwhile investments are everywhere! What does your investment portfolio look like?

Peace
Neva

HOME

2007-11-06T08:29:00.000-06:00

Thank you for your prayers and well-wishes over the past three weeks. They have been hectic to say the least! We are now back at home in Nebraska, and although our house is littered with boxes, some packed and others empty, and although we have been running around starting checking accounts, getting phones and email service, changing addresses for utilities and greeting old friends, we are happy and at peace.
Transitions are never easy, either physically or emotionally. However, when decisions are right, when there is no doubt that this is what the Holy Father wants for you, when you are met with the love and support and prayers of those who love you most, the transition time becomes less harried and hasseled. It transforms into a time of peace and renewal.
We will miss our friends and church family in Spearman. I will miss being close to three of my grandchildren, but I have to tell you that being "home" feels really, really good! I remember when I was a young married woman. I remember going home to mom's for the holidays. Home was where I could be who I really was, knowing I would be loved and accepted no matter what. Home was where one could be inundated with comfort and overwhelmed with love. Home is where you can take off your shoes, run around in your jammies, tease your family and know that you all still love each other. Home is where people are genuinely concerned for you and your well-being. Home is where you can walk in the door and finish the conversation that you started a few months ago. Home is where you can kiss your mom and sit on your dad's lap. Home is where you can pick on your brother, cry with your sister and listen to grandma's stories one more time, as if it were the very first time. Home is where the heart is!
When I began thinking about the concept of "home". I started to realize that the struggle to not make our "home" in this world is a huge struggle. In the book of Philippians, the author apostle, makes it clear that he is looking forward to being "at home" in heaven. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we are aliens and strangers here in this world and that our real home is one of an eternal nature. We are sojourners, journeying through life on earth, our course set on heaven above, with our Bridegroom and our Father.
And so, I struggle with the feelings of being "home". I have been praying and meditating about this. My thoughts wandered to the Old Testament, to the children of Israel, taken into captivity again and again, as a result of their own actions! I recall in Jeremiah, God's people are once again in captivity, being held by the Babylonians. God, through the prophet, Jeremiah, instructs them to build their houses and settle down, to plant gardens and eat the produce, to marry and to seek peace and prosperity. God reminds them to not forget His word and to remember that He has plans for them. His plan is to rescue them, to restore them and to bring them home. I wonder if perhaps that is the mindset we are to have here on earth. Perhaps it is our duty to settle down, plant gardens and marry. Perhaps we are to seek peace and prosperity, all the while remembering His words to us and keeping in mind that HE has a plan for US--that plan involves a new home, where we can live with Him forever and ever--rescued and renewed. Perhaps this home should be the one that our heart is set on---after all, home IS where the heart is!

Peace
Neva

Don't Outlive Your Joy

2007-10-22T18:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was an amazing and wonderful day! Our dear friend, Stacie, put on the Lord in baptism! Stacie has been an acquaintance of ours since we moved to Spearman and became Hospice volunteers. Just recently though, our relationship has grown. Stacie has been coming to worship and bringing her boys to Sunday school. Stacie and I have been visiting more and more and last Friday night, we went to a movie in Guymon together----kind of a "girls night out". Anyway, on the way home, we began talking about God and salvation. By the time I dropped Stacie off, we both knew her heart was being pricked and that she would be unable to sleep. (Of course, neither would I) We also spent a lot of time together on Saturday and by Sunday morning, we knew she was ready to commit the rest of her life to Christ! I wish y'all would have been there. I am sure you can recall similar scenes---the nervousness, the stepping down into the water, the trembling confession, the immersion and the glorious unrestrained look of joy and peace as the new person rises up from the water! The joy on the faces of the congregation gathered round to welcome this new sister into Christ, the tears, the smiles, the hugs and the love----I know you have all experienced this! Remember?
Friday night after I dropped Stacie at her house, I called Ned. I know my voice was trembling with excitement! I had forgotten the thrill of teaching someone the Gospel and seeing it make an immediate and powerful impact on their soul! He could hear it in my voice and when he came home on Saturday, he could see it in my face! We stayed awake for a long time talking about how wonderfully God's Word changes souls and lives of both the learner and the teacher. On Sunday morning, we both were practically giddy with expectation. Even today, I am thrilled as I see the joy and peace on the face of my friend and new sister.
And on Thursday, I got the pleasure of meeting my blogsister, Monica. It was so wonderful to sit over lunch and talk Bible with someone who obviously loves the Lord and is not afraid to share it. She encouraged and blessed me so much and I left Amarillo with much joy in my heart. God blessed me with both of these events in one week and I was almost overwhelmed with joy! (Had our internet service not been down, I would have emailed everyone of you to tell you about it) That joy was too much to keep to myself!!!!
I have been thinking a lot about joy!!!! If you have ever helped a lost soul find the Lord, you know what I am talking about----that excitement---the Lays potato chip phenomenon--you know ---one just isn't enough--you want more????? If you have ever been blessed to sit with a kindred soul and talk about the love you share for God, then you know what I mean!
I have experienced this same joy many times and yet I am ashamed to say that I get busy and forget. I forget the joy that comes with seeing the planted seeds begin to sprout and bloom and even reproduce. I forget the joy that comes with the assurance of eternal salvation! I forget the joy that comes with encouraging one another with the Word! Too many times I get so busy with life that I outlive my joy!
This should not be! I am a child of God, blood bought, loved, chosen and protected by Him. I should have a joy in my heart that cannot be quenched by worldly cares or squelched by the responsibilities of busyness! I am His!!! And He is mine!!!! And one day, I will live with Him forever and eternal joy will be mine!
So as I say my prayers for you, my friends, I pray that today and everyday, you will remember what you have to be joyful about. I pray that God will shower you will His blessings, cover you with His love and fill you with joy!

Peace
Neva
PS--Join me in praying for our new sister in Christ--welcome to the Kingdom, Stacie!

My BLOG has a birthday wish!

2007-10-16T07:13:00.000-05:00

Today is this little blog's birthday. On October 16, 2006, "Dancing in the Light" was born. Now one year later, I am amazed at how my life has been blessed by all of the wonderful friends I have made through this blog. What a gift you all are to me! I have enjoyed your many comments and insights and I have grown because of you. My site meter says that many of you are visiting this place without leaving a response and that is okay. It also tells me that the visitors are using servers from all over the world. I am curious----So today, please just leave a comment telling me who you are and where you are visiting from.
It is my hope and prayer that your time at Dancing in the Light has blessed you as much as your presence has blessed me. Have a great day!

Peace
Neva

PS. Today is also our 10th anniversary so I am sure Mr. Neva would appreciate any and all expressions of sympathy and condolences! :)

Gone

2007-10-11T04:50:00.000-05:00

I am gone to Nebraska until late Saturday night---I will miss y'all but will be back to blog away!

Have a great week and weekend.

Peace
Neva

Transition

2007-10-09T03:21:00.000-05:00

Tran-si-tion
Function : noun
Etymology: Latin -transition from transire
Date: 1551

1a "to move from one state to another"

We are in transition from the state of Texas to the state of Nebraska :)
Details coming soon, prayers requested

Peace
Neva

How Cool Is This?

2007-10-07T14:09:00.000-05:00

Something very cool happened to me last week and I just wanted to share it with my blogworld friends. My mother lives in Oregon so I don't get to see her as often as I would like. It has been almost two years since we have been together. A few weeks ago she called to tell me that she was taking a trip to Missouri with a friend and they were going to "swing by" and see me on the way. Y'all, Texas is not on the way from Oregon to Missouri. I love my mother and would have loved to see her, but I could not let her spend her entire trip driving, so I told her to look at her atlas and assured her that I would not be offended if she opted out of this twenty hour side trip. We were both sad but made plans to get together at Thanksgiving.
Last Tuesday, coming back from North Platte, we got stopped at Oakley Kansas. A truck was jackknifed on the overpass and kept traffic backed up for over two hours. To break up the monotony of the wait, I decided to use my cell phone and call my mom. She answered the phone with her usual, "hi honey" and I asked where she was---imagine my surprise when she said "Oakley Kansas"!!!!! They had decided they would return on I-70 rather than I-80 just to see new sights! So, we pulled off and spent a wonderful two hours together. How cool is that? God is good all of the time---and I must truly be His favorite child!!!!

Peace
Neva

What Mature Christians Know . . .

2007-10-05T21:50:00.000-05:00

Have you ever met a mature Christian? Aren't they the ones who are a bit different, who every one goes to for godly advice, for comfort, for wisdom? They are invaluable to the Church, and their love for the Lord is very obvious. What makes them such people? What sets them apart? I believe mature Christians have matured in the faith because they have made the effort to do so. They realize that effort is not a one time event and have spent their lives growing up spiritually. And there are some things one learns as they grow in the Lord. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I believe these are some things that mature Christians know:

1. Faithfulness has to do with more than just church attendance.
God expects His children to be faithful in all things, faithful to their spouses, faithful
with their affection, and faithful in their devotion to Him. We are to be faithful just
as He is faithful. Our faithfulness to Him manifests itself in various ways, I believe
attendance is but one way.

2. There is no substitution for mercy and grace.
We cannot claim to love one another and not be merciful and kind. We cannot expect
others to earn our benevolence any more than we are required to earn our salvation.

3. It is possible to disagree in a loving manner.
We will never agree 100% with anyone 100% of the time, however disagreements
should not be used as excuses to verbally harm our brothers and sisters. It hurts
the church and disappoints the Father.

4. Not everything is worth fighting over.
If Jesus would deem the issue not worth fighting over, then so should we. As we
grow and mature in the faith, we should become adept at putting our own opinions
aside and looking out for our brothers.

5. Self-sacrifice is necessary for spiritual growth.
One will never grow so long as they are "looking out for #1". Even when Jesus was
hungry and tired, He stopped to heal, feed and teach.

6. A healthy relationship with God requires consistent two-way communication.
We will never have the kind of relationship God desires when He does all the
talking (through His word) and we speak to Him only when we have a need,
and rarely, if ever, take the time to listen.

7. The things we have are not ours, they are not worth dying for, fighting about or lying to get.
All that we have is given to us. It is temporary and corruptible. There is not one
house, one car, one boat, one rifle, or one bank account that will go with us to
eternity. The time spent accumulating and maintaining these things could be
used in a much more productive and spiritual way.

8. Worship should be joyful.
My dad used to tell a story about a little boy who saw a couple of donkeys grazing in
a field, and noting their "sad" expressions, asked if they were Christians, too. How
sad it is that worship has become a time to simply fulfill duty, to be entertained,
or to socialize with our friends. Worship should be an expression of our hearts to God.

9. God blesses His people here on earth as well as eternally.
There are so many blessings that are unique to God's people. We have the Holy Spirit
to comfort, guide and lead us. We have the promise of answered prayers. We get to
be a part of a family--a family of priests and kings. And we have hope---

10. Death is not something to be feared, it is neither a tragic ending nor a fearsome event.
Death has no power over us. Defeated in the tomb, death is powerless. Death
is simply the stepping stone to life eternal with the Father, not dreaded but
anticipated and yes, even hoped for.

I truly believe that mature Christians think, speak and live differently. They do this because they have the wisdom that comes with growing up in the Lord. They know certain truths and they live their lives by these truths.
Can you think of some other things "mature Christians know"?

Peace
Neva

Regrets

2007-09-30T21:20:00.000-05:00

I am drawn to autobiographical books, so naturally my last trip to that "big famous" bookstore, found me in that section, trying to choose new items for my wish list. (Especially important since there are now only 85 days until Christmas, right Don?) Anyway, I was leafing through this one book, the life story of a very famous man, one who seemed to have it all together, a successful life, a long marriage, healthy and prosperous children, a man well-known and respected amongst his peers. As I scanned the table of contents, I was most surprised to find that the biggest chapter by far, was entitled, "Regrets". Because they frown on one reading the entire book without purchasing it, I do not know the details of his life's regrets, but because I am me, I began thinking about what regrets I have about my life.
At forty-seven years old, I am considered neither young nor old and my life, like that of others, has not gone exactly as I'd planned. Although I grew up in the church, my life has not been exempt from the effects of death, divorce, violence, drugs, illness, sin, or stupidity. Many times have been to the mountaintop but I have also been known to reside in the desert. And yet, I cannot truly say I have a lot of regrets.
While in the desert, struggling with the elements of sin and its consequences, regrets circle like vultures, waiting for one to succumb to hopelessness and despair. The desert heat plays tricks on the mind, trying to confuse one and make us believe that there is a source of Living Water ---a source other than the Savior, but it is nothing more than a mirage, a simple self-delusion. While in the desert, one could choke and die on regrets.
But the view from the mountaintop is different. From there, we can see that God did indeed work good things from our bad choices. We see that the time in the desert made us stronger, made us more reliant on Him, and gave us some practical wisdom. And while we should feel remorse for our bad choices and repent of our sinfulness, I am not sure there is any benefit to regrets.
I often think about Moses, this young Israelite of Pharoah's household. He sees his countrymen being abused and responds with violence and then in fear, runs away. He runs away and spends the next few years as a shepherd----most likely a job he was unfamiliar with. I would not think the son of the Princess would need shepherding is his skill set. But the leader of God's people would----he would need to know how to lead God's sheep, how to protect them and how to get them to follow him. He would need to know how to get them food, how to provide shelter and how to get them to listen. It would be quite a step down from the son of the Princess to a herder of sheep. And perhaps, Moses did regret his time in the pasture. It does not appear so since he made excuses to not lead God's sheep. And it was as a shepherd that he married and fathered children, that he developed what appeared to be a loving and respectful relationship with his father in law. No, I don't think Moses regretted being a shepherd. I believe he was able to see God's divine ability to use our choices to further His mission.
There is great comfort in knowing that God is working in our lives, and even through sinful or unpleasant circumstances He can make something good. Mothers Against Drunk Driving was founded out of the senseless loss of a child. A man who was once a drug and alcohol addict is able to sponsor another as they each struggle with their own addiction. The abandoned mother may not have all she dreamed but she has beautiful children from the relationship. The abused wife is not only able to heal but to help others heal. She has more clarity, she now knows exactly what she wants and what she does not. The widow goes back to school and is able to get a college degree as a non-traditional student and is able to teach others. The young man who is paralyzed in a sports injury is able to go on the speaking circuit, insipiring other youngsters to focus on more than just sports. On and on the stories go--stories of the mountain top experiences that began in the desert.
As renowned philosopher, Jennifer Aniston, (smile) said in American Actress, "there are no regrets, just life's lessons. " And so, as we are faced with more choices, perhaps we can make them with prayerful confidence, knowing that as we are seeking to serve God, He is already planning to work things out for our good and for the good of those who love Him. Perhaps we are to be a people in the process of growing and changing, a people with no regrets.

Peace
Neva

The Simulated Church

2007-09-24T07:27:00.000-05:00

Last week, I took residents from our local nursing home to the city for a doctor's appointment. For two days in a row, I spent several hours sitting in a waiting room, watching television, visiting with other patients, and reading magazines. I looked at the magazine ads and found it interesting that if one has the money, they can simulate anything. We can have enamel veneers over our teeth to make them look straighter and whiter. We can get that sun-kissed glow, not by sitting out or working out in the sun, but by paying money to have a special tint sprayed on us. We can purchase plumper lips by allowing a physician to inject botox (from the same root word as botulism) and this same injection can be injected in our frown lines to make us look younger. We can go under the knife and have liposuction and augmentations to give us the figure we never had but always wanted. We have hair plugs implanted so that baldness is no longer an issue, and if we have hair, we can have it colored, frosted, tinted or even have other hair woven in with it, giving us the kind of hair we want. We can buy colored contacts and have acrylic nails put on at a salon. The "fully simulated package" would show a couple with neon white teeth, an orange tan, hair colored to resemble a burbur carpet, plastic looking faces, and Barbie and Ken bodies---and instead of looking real, they would look like cartoons, out of place in the real world.
I began to think about how we, as Christians, seem to be becoming a simulated church. We have big beautiful buildings with stained glass windows and perfectly manicured yards. The upkeep on such a facility often necessitates a reduction in our missions and evangelism budget. We call it community reputation. In an effort to appeal to the world, we begin offering coffee and then donuts then breakfast. We call it Sunday school class. In order to keep our worship from being "boring", we inject much worldliness into our services. We call it praise worship. We offer social activities that include church league volleyball, church golf tournaments, etc. We call it fellowship. Most of our conversations with others is done via internet, email, facebook, blog, my space, etc. We call it evangelism. We come together with the saints, all dressed up, smiles on our faces, appearing to have it all together. We call ourselves the church.
I am afraid we are becoming less and less real. The real church is a group of people, sinners who were lost and are now redeemed by the Blood. The real church has struggles, they don't live perfect lives. The real church gives no thought to whether worship bores them, they realize it is suppose to be pleasing to God. The real church longs to be together, needing each other, making time to spend with each other, and for them, three times a week is not enough. The real church doesn't need food to entice them to Bible class. They are up early and have already eaten breakfast, they are anxious to come to be fed spiritually. The real church looks for real live human beings to talk to about God. They are concerned about the lost, they are encouraged by the saved and inspired by the Word.
I believe we are sincere in our efforts to be pleasing to God. But, sometimes we go so far that we become a simulated church. We become cartoonish in character. The world does not recognize us as the bride of Christ. All of the trappings that have become important to us have masked the radiance, purity and glow of the Bride. Perhaps we could even go so far that even our Groom would not recognize us. We need to refocus our spiritual lives on that which is important. We need to strive to be real, ridding ourselves of all that is fake or phony. We need to shine with the realness that comes from belonging to Christ. Let's be the real church rather than the simulated one. After all it was a real church He died for and it is the real bride He is coming back to get, taking her home with Him for all eternity.

Peace
Neva

I Remember The Letter

2007-09-18T23:58:00.000-05:00

I will never forget the day I opened my mailbox and found "the letter"---the letter signed by the men of the church, the letter telling me how much they each loved my dad, the letter detailing his sins: the breaking of his vows, the destruction of his and another's marriage, the shaming of the congregation, the abandoning of his family, and the breaking of my mother's heart. I remember that letter, that letter telling me that in an effort to bring him back, he had been disfellowshipped, and that he was not only no longer their minister but neither was he a member of that congregation. I read and reread that letter, crying and confused, wishing it to be untrue. I remember that letter!
I am not sure I can describe how that letter made me feel. Surely, there was hurt and anger. Surely, there were feelings of betrayal and bitterness. But mostly, there was sadness, a sadness bigger than myself, deeper than my thoughts and stronger than my strength. A sadness beyond all sadness. My mother and my sister came to live with us for awhile, and the sadness grew even greater. I saw in Mom's eyes the pain, the anger and the betrayal, and I was powerless to help. In my little sister, I saw mostly rage and disgust and I could offer no comfort or peace. That made me even sadder! I was confused about how I could love him so much and still be angry and hurt. Confused about how I could love my mother and my sister and not hate the one who'd wounded them so deeply.
The "love him or hate him battle" raged in my soul---it kept me from sleeping, it caused me to alternately cry and pray. But, hate doesn't come easily to me and so I sent my dad letters telling him that I loved him and that I was praying for him. I sent him pictures of his new grandson begging him to come and hold him. I left messages on his phone asking him to call me, telling him how much I missed him. The letters and pictures were returned-----the phone calls were not.
It would be February 22nd, almost a year later, before I would see my dad again. Earlier in the week, I'd called to tell him that my sister, his nineteen year old daughter, had died unexpectedly. He showed up at her funeral. He looked so much older and even frailer than I'd remembered. He was grief-stricken, haggard and blaming himself. I hugged him for a long time, his hug so tight, I thought he might break me. As we cried on each other, I realized that he would always be my dad and I would love him no matter what. We grieved together that day, no, not as an entire family, but as a daughter and her father, as a father and a sister. We grieved together not just for my sister, but for all the losses of the past year.
That day would birth a change in our lives. We would talk on the phone and write letters. And eventually the vast sadness would be replaced by the joy of his repentance. Our life could not ever be the way it was before, for neither of us were the same people. My sister would not be there to celebrate my dad's return to his faith. She would have been so happy. My dad, his sins ever before him, would struggle with forgiving himself. And there would be some who would choose to doubt his repentance and question his faith, rather than share in our joy. Twenty + years later, some still choose to remember his past. They choose to remember that letter.
Throughout the years, I have learned a lot from my dad. One of the greatest lessons is that sin is real and that sin causes pain. Sin hurts not only the sinner but those who love them. Sin challenges our faith and our willingness to forgive. But I also learned that God loves the penitent and that love heals. And that love endures, it never gives up, in the very face of sin, love still is. Love does not die, in spite of the past and regardless of what is said in letters.

Peace
Neva

More Than I Am

2007-09-12T21:28:00.000-05:00

My husband is a wonderful man! He is kind and good and thoughtful. He is a true minister and a proclaimer of God's Word. I love being his wife! One of the best things about belonging to Ned is that he makes all my faults seem almost miniscule and my good qualities seem great. He loves me for more than I am.
The Bible tells us that God loves us in the same way. Ephesians tell us that He loved us even before He created us. In his paraphrase, The Message, Eugene Peterson says "Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living . . . " Isn't that beautiful? Before we were made, He wanted us, saw in us the potential for glorious living.
I am humbled and amazed when I read God's words about me--about you---about His people.
Ephesians tells us that God see us as light "For you were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord." We know that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all---and we, we are children of light. Galatians says that we are His sons, His children, His heirs. We were once nothing more than children of the servant but we have been adopted into the Master's family. He looks at us and sees His child. I John 3:1 also speaks of God's lavish giftgiving bestowed on us--His children. II Corinthians 5:17, as well as many verses elsewhere say that we are brand new, the old is gone, the new is here. We don't have to live like the old, sick man we once were. Spiritual health has been restored, we have been washed and we are new! We know from Romans that we are victorious, more than conquerors. The fight has been fought and the battle has been won for us, the victory is already ours. Romans 8:1-2 says that we are vindicated, justified, not condemned! Our guilt has been paid and we walk away as free men.
I Corinthians 1:30 reminds us that we are holy, righteous and redeemed! We are sanctified, pure, good, and paid for! Isn't that just incredible? II Corinthians 5 also says that He became our sin so that we might become His righteousness.
There are hundreds of verses that tell us what God sees in His own people. Not a day goes by that I am not grateful that God has chosen me to be His, that He desires a relationship with me and that He loves me for more than I am!

Peace
Neva

Amazing Jesus

2007-09-04T21:56:00.001-05:00

There isn't a day that passes when I don't think about what an incredible Savior we have. I read the Gospel accounts of His life and I find myself thrilled by His power, amazed by His righteousness and overwhelmed by His sacrifice. What an amazing Lord we serve! There are thousands of posts out in blogland that very eloquently detail this amazing Savior.
A few weeks ago during our public reading of scripture, the first few verses in Mark chapter six were read. You know the passage, Jesus is in His hometown. He has been teaching in the synagogue and the people, although awed by His words, begin to question His authority. "Where did he get this stuff?" "Isn't he that one who works with wood?" "Don't his brothers and sisters still live here?" "He is that hometown boy, isn't he?" At this point, it is obvious they are not ready to accept the deity of Jesus and He tells the disciples that "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." The text then says, "He could not do any miracles there except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith."
Isn't that powerful? He was amazed by their lack of faith. The same lack of faith that amazed God Incarnate, allowed for few miracles and healings. Think about that for awhile! Obviously they knew Jesus. They'd known Him His whole life. They also could see that He was wise and able to do miracles. He could heal the sick and make the blind see, and yet Jesus calls their faith lacking. The nature of their questions suggests that while they accept His humanity, they are struggling with His deity. Is their faith so immature that they cannot see that this Man of Miracles is from God, is of God, is indeed God?
Sometimes it seems our society is a "prove it to me" society! We are very intelligent and accomplished. We have great faith in all things physical. I mean, we get in an airplane don't we? We accept the laws of physics and of gravity. We understand and believe in the rules of mathematics. But, like those in Nazareth, we sometimes struggle with accepting what we do not understand. Those things spiritual oftentimes seem illogical and difficult to grasp. For many it is difficult to admit we do not understand such things, and so we have become the masters of looking for theological loopholes, as if Jesus needed us to prove His spirituality or His deity. Because we cannot comprehend a sacrificial love, we convince ourselves that our salvation is a matter of checks and balances and we become a people pharasaical in nature, attempting to work our way into heaven. Because christian humility is difficult to understand, we put on a mask of false humility right over the top of our self-righteousness. Because we struggle with focusing on eternal life, we work and work to accumulate treasures here on earth. Because we don't fully understand His deity, we spend time and money on our own immortality. We are masters of rationalizing the spiritual---just like the inhabitants of ancient Nazareth.
Doesn't it make you wonder if we ever amaze Jesus with our lack of faith? Do you wonder if that same lack of faith prohibits His working in our lives? If we just accepted His deity, accepted His sacrifice, and accepted His mercy, would our faith grow? And would He look at us and see a heart and soul, ripe and ready for miracles, ready for His workings in our lives? Or would He just be amazed?

Peace
Neva

Nice Matters

2007-09-02T21:59:00.000-05:00

I received this award from my friend, Helen (http://muisto.blogspot.com/)

She is very sweet and kind and I am humbled by her words. According to the rules: "This award is for those bloggers who are nice people, good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration, for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you've received this award please pass it on to seven others whom you feel are deserving of this award."

There are so many deserving bloggers out there but since I must choose seven, these are my picks. (Go check out their blogs and see that they are truly deserving of this award)

1. Kathy (http://beauangelkitty.blogspot.com/) at Beauange's world is a dear. She is always ready with an encouraging word or comment. She is a marvelous prayer partner and I am blessed by her friendship.

2. Monalea (http://monalea1.blogspot.com/) I have known Monalea for a long time. She is one of the few bloggers I happen to know personally. Her blog is a good mix of scripture and fun. She is a dear.

3. Nicki (http://threegirlygirlz.blogspot.com/) Nicki is a new e-friend. She is deeply spiritual and her posts chronicle her life with her three girls and the Lord.

4. Liz (http://lizmoore01.blogspot.com/) We have all seen Liz's comments around the blogosphere. Her kind heart and her spirituality are evidenced in her writings. Check out her blog.

5. Monica (http://mommysmart.blogspot.com/) Monica shares with us the adventures of raising a family in West Texas. She is married to a coach and has recently relocated. Her sweet spirit is obvious in her posts and comments.

6. Amy (http://growingcloser.wordpress.com/) Amy shares her spiritual journey as a wife, mother, teacher and singer. Her blog is always refreshing and inspirational.

7. Charlie (http://candlw.blogspot.com/) I am not sure how Charlie will feel about receiving a "nice award" but he is truly a kind soul. His posts from Canada show his deep love for the Lord, for the lost and for his wife. His comments are always welcomed on any site.

Okay, these are my nominees. They all deserve this award, go check them out and let them know how much "nice matters". Thank you Helen, you are such a blessing to me.

Peace
Neva

"Statement of Faith"

2007-08-27T07:45:00.000-05:00

Having a sleepless night, I got up and sat down at my computer. I was surfing the web, just browsing blogs and church websites. I accidentally stumbled on a website for a congregation in Texas. The website was well designed and catchy. It had tabs for minister, location, staff, youth, contact us and one that said "statement of faith". I clicked my way through each one, impressed with the website's design and thoroughness. However, when I got to the last tab, "statement of faith"---I clicked on it and this is what it said:

Pretty powerful, isn't it? Now to be fair, perhaps they had a glitch in their computer or their website is still under construction. But, it really made me think about the void. I had never heard that term, "statement of faith" before and I started wondering what it was supposed to say. Left to my own, I began to think about my statement of faith. What would I say is my declaration of my faith? Or would I be at a loss and not say anything? I began to wonder if many of us would have to leave that tab blank. What do you think? What is your statement of faith?

Peace
Neva

Event Planning

2007-08-24T07:34:00.001-05:00

This has been a busy past few weeks---every area of my life was just chock full of events! We had grandchildren come and stay, we had good friends come for a few days to visit, we had a birthday party for a three year old, several speaking engagements and a licensing exam. Churchwise, we had VBS, several fellowship meals, singings and a picnic at the lake. At work we had a birthday party for a resident who turned 100 years old, we hosted a red hat rally, several outings to nearby towns, a cake walk and many other events. Everyone I know is tired and ready for some downtime. Personally, I love events! I like the planning and preparing and dreaming about details. (Unfortunately, I tend to be a lot like Clark Griswold in the Vacation movies---usually the event is much more wonderful in my mind than it turns out to be in reality).
It occurred to me that sometimes, many times, very often, we treat Christianity like it is an event. We "pencil" worship in on our calendars so that we don't forget? We figure out what we are going to wear on Saturday and lay out clothes for our children. We plan what we will eat and we remind ourselves to say only good things ---(I mean, there are some things we just don't say when we were are with "church-people"--right?) We write our checks for the offering, we wipe the dust off our Bibles and set them out in the car (that is if we even brought them in from our last "church event"). We plan and prepare and then we attend only to come home tired from our two hour event, relieved that it is over, glad that we are no longer "on", ready to rest. The event is over---oh, it was successful but it is now over! And we begin resting up for the next "event", the next time we are called on to act like church---whether it is going to visit a sick brother or sister, share the gospel with a lost neighbor or just behave like Christ's people should behave.
I really pray that this does not describe most of us. I pray that we all understand that Christianity is not what we do---it is who we are. Ned always says that apple trees don't produce apples to prove they are apple trees, they produce apples because that is what apple trees do! Christians don't worship and behave in a righteous manner to prove they are Christians----that is simply what Christians do! Worship, evangelism, encouragement, righteous living, ministry----these are not events, but rather lifestyles! We don't need to plan to be a Christian---He already worked out all the plans. We don't need to prepare to become a Christian, we just need to do it. Christianity began with an event--the sacrifice of Messiah. That event was planned for all eternity. Now it is up to us to just "be the Church"---all day everyday. every moment, every hour---be the church. Christianity is not an event!

Peace
Neva

Prayer Request---Update!

2007-08-22T06:03:00.000-05:00

I PASSED ! Thank you all so much for your prayers, your comments and the deluge of emails! I am now officially licensed in the state of Texas! Woohoo! Happy and relieved am I! God is good and just as you prayed, He calmed me and gave me ready remembrance of all that I knew. Thank you all!

love
Neva

I have been out of pocket for the past few days. I am sitting for a four hour licensing exam tomorrow and have been studying. Please pray that God will help me remember what I know and make good guesses on what I do not! :)
I will be back on Friday---thank you all.

Peace
neva

Entitled

2007-08-16T05:10:00.000-05:00

Not a day goes by that I am not amazed at what an entitled society we are becoming. I watch as celebrities misuse their fame in an effort to get out of trouble, as if their notoriety has somehow earned them the right to function above the legal system. I watch as parents neglect their children, pawning them off on 24 hour a day daycare or sitting them in front of the electronic "babysitter" for hours, as if by giving birth, they have somehow earned some "time" for themselves. I hear of marriages breaking up simply because one or both partners is not happy, as if their "right" to happiness supercedes any promises or vows they made. I have personally observed elders and elders wives who do not "work" for the church but allow the church to serve them, as if their leadership position has somehow made them exempt from christian service. I have worked with staff who, because they have seniority, relegate any and all jobs to the newest employee, while they spend their day in the break room. Newscasters tell us about executives, physicians, politicians, teacher, and ministers who misuse their power and bring suffering on those around them.
It is almost as if we wake up in the morning and look and the mirror ---and deciding we look really good, we begin to rationalize that we deserve to be treated as good as we look. We begin making plans to "take" what we believe we have coming to us! We behave as if everyone should not only notice how great we are, but should also be grateful. They should jump when we say jump. They should understand when we are in a bad mood and become verbally abusive, after all, we have a lot on our minds. They should forgive us when we don't keep our word, understanding just how busy we are. They should smile and agree when we take credit for their works because after all we are a team, aren't we? They should enjoy waiting on us and serving us, we have worked hard all our lives and deserve the honor. When you are as good as we are, you really ought to be given a little slack as far as law and rules go, right?
Y'all, I am so tired of this attitude. It is counter to everything God teaches, counter to the example of our Savior and counter to simple common courtesy and decency. We know the passage in Philippians chapter two---that tells us that even Jesus (who truly deserved better), willingly lowered Himself to love us! That very passage tells us that we should have that same mind. Romans 12:3 says that we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought but that we should use "sober" judgement in our assessment. Inherent in that sober judgement is the realization that we are all sinners---and our sin separates us from God. Without the blood sacrifice of Jesus, we were lost, as lost as the devil himself. And what were "entitled" to---only a life of eternal torment.
My prayer is that God's people would be people of humility and gratitude, that we would be examples of graciousness and kindness, that we would be true servants, true witnesses of the power of God in our lives. We may be surrounded by an entitled society but do we really have to try so hard to blend in?

Peace
Neva
Galatians 6:3 "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."

Comparative Religion

2007-08-14T07:43:00.000-05:00

The other night, we sang a song that carried the line, "and nothing I desire compares with You." It is a beautiful song and is currently very popular in the brotherhood. During our second time through the song, I stopped for a moment and thought about the idea of comparing any of our desires with our desire for Him. I started thinking about all the things I desire most. What IS nearest and dearest to my heart? Is it Jesus? Do thoughts of Him fill my mind? Is it His word and His wishes I meditate on, hope for, dream about? Is being with Him, the thing I crave? Do I long to please Him? Is it God that I worship?
It seems to me that that which we desire most occupies the most space in our hearts, our minds and our thoughts. That which we long for most consumes the most of our time, our thoughts, and our energy. Imagine what our walk with God would be if we truly desired Him more than anything else. It would require us believing that God is what we need and everything else in the world is both optional and expendable. It would require a discipline in our lives---a disciplined life in which one thinks before actions takes place---a life in which one sees the world as temporary and lives for the eternal. Imagine what the church would be like if every Christian longed to please God, craved His presence and His word, desiring Him more than money, more than self and more than entertainment. Imagine just how encouraging, uplifting and spiritual our worship would be. And what would our marriages be like? Imagine if pleasing God made me kinder to my spouse, more patient with my children, and if my children grew up hungry for God and God's things. Imagine if they begged to go to worship because they loved it and desired being with God's people more than they did sleep or play or television. And what would work be like if everyday we completed our tasks as if we were working for God. Don't you think they days would go by faster? Wouldn't we look forward to work? I wonder if our attitude would rub off on others at work and if it could change our entire work environment.
Today, take a moment and think about the way your life would change if God and pleasing Him were that which you desire most. Today, worship God, think about Him, meditate on His word, long to please Him, desire His presence. Because nothing else you desire compares with Him!

Peace
neva

Thank You !!!!!

2007-08-13T06:28:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for sending birthday greetings my way. Your kind words make getting older much less painful---teehee.
I still have houseguests but they are readying to leave. Tomorrow I will be back with a real post, but today I just wanted to say "thanks".
Love yall
n

The Guards

2007-08-09T04:19:00.000-05:00

I was rereading the story of the crucifixion and the resurrection. As I read, I began thinking about the guards and their role in the salvation story. I thought about how the temple guards came to arrest the Innocent Messenger. I thought about the guards who were responsible for watching the Prophetic Prisoner and I thought about the Roman guards assigned the most impossible of tasks---- make sure the Dead Messiah stayed dead. Each guard was given a job--a very specific job. That assignment was their focus of the day. Theoretically, it was the only thing on their minds. They were not to be thinking about dinner, vacation or the long walk home. They were to focus only on the prisoner and each knew that guarding Him was a matter of life and death.
I also thought about the most famous guards of our time--the guards at Buckingham Palace. Much has been made over the discipline and unwavering single-mindedness of these guards. These guards stand in their crisp, full-dress red uniforms with their red tunics and bearskins. Countless visitors come to see the palace and many make it their goal to distract the palace guards. They try to make them laugh, flinch, move, smile, etc. I would imagine a few are successful. But I have been told that these guards are so focused on the job of guarding the sovereign that it is extremely difficult to distract them. These men are more than ceremonial figureheads, they are true soldiers, known for their bravery and valor and they are charged with but one task, protect the Queen.
We also are assigned the role of guard. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." Our responsibility is just as sobering as that of the guards mentioned above. We are to be single-mindedly focused on protecting our heart. We are to let nothing by us that might be detrimental to our hearts. This would include what television and movies we watch, which cd's and radio stations we listen to, how much gossip we soak up, how much joking and coarse jesting we participate in and how many immoral or ungodly thoughts we entertain. Our task is huge, but it truly is a matter of life and death. The wise king reminds us that our heart is the wellspring of life. If a wellspring is tainted it no longer brings forth life but sickness and death. The New Testament admonishes us that it is our heart that determines our character. We are told that as a man thinketh so is he and that out of our heart our words flow. It does not take but a drop of poison in a gallon of water to make one ill. Likewise, "just a little bit" of sin will contaminate the soul.
We have been given a task, a job, an assignment. We are to be alert, stand watch over, guard and protect our hearts. We must hold unswervingly to our task--guard our hearts. It truly is a matter of life and death!

Peace
Neva

Sometimes Less is Best

2007-08-08T06:54:00.000-05:00

The first week in August is a busy week in New Zealand. This is the time of year that sheep ranchers welcome new baby lambs into their flock. Last week something very strange happened, farmer Dave Callaghan's ewe gave birth to twin lambs! That alone is not so strange, but one of the lambs was born with seven legs. Yes, seven legs. The Methven locals reported Mr. Callaghan as saying that the little deformed lamb seemed very happy, but he fell down a lot. The plan is to euthanize the lamb as his deformity makes a quality life impossible. His four-legged twin, however, is doing well.
I began to think about how we as Americans, as 21st century Christians, seem to have a mindset that more is always better. We work and work and work, to make more money, so we can buy more things. And like the little lamb, we seem happy. Also like the lamb, we fall alot. We fall prey to pride. We look at all our possessions and our chests swell. We feel good about "all that we have done". We stand back and survey our wealth and then we notice that our neighbor has more. And we fall prey to greed and covetousness. In our desire to be the best and have the most, we decide we must have even more. So we take extra shifts, even if they fall during worship times. And we begin to fall---this time, we are falling down before false idols. Our things, our money, our stuff becomes our god and we can focus on nothing else. We reach the point where we are falling so much that we no longer function as God's people.
Sometimes even as the church, we get caught up in the "more is better" attitude. We invite all our friends and all our neighbors to worship with us. We watch proudly as the attendance numbers climb. During worship we look at the big wooden placards up front. We are excited that attendance is climbing as is contribution. We can't wait to get more people in. Unfortunately, our evangelism usually ends at the waters of baptism. Once the commitment is made and we have a new brother or sister, our work is done and we are off to another lost soul. We no longer study with, pray with or work with the new convert. We are happy they are there but we have moved on to other important matters. And so, we raise up generation after generation after generation of wishy-washy Christians, Christians whose faith is a surface faith, whose roots are shallow and who are in danger of falling away. I daresay our pews are filled with such brothers and sisters.
It is sad that this little lamb will lose his life, but he cannot survive in this world. He is an anomaly, a freak of nature. It was not intended he should be born this way. It is even more sad when we become "freaks" and when we begin to live outside the intentions of our Creator. We may seem to be happy but we will fall----all the time. It is sad when we boast large numbers of members ---only to note that few of them bring their bibles to church or read them at home, few of them pray as a part of their daily walk, few of them live God throughout the week, and when the struggles and trials come, the shallow Christian turns somewhere else for comfort.
No, more is not always better. Most of us would be happier and more productive and more godly if we had less. We would have more time to worship God, to work for Him, to become more like Him. And most of our congregations would be better off if we took the time, (however much time it took), to really ground our new converts, if we worked with and prayed with them until their faith was strong and their conviction deep. Even if our numbers only increased slowly, it would be better to have a few strong, convicted Christians than hundreds of shallow ones.
(Now before someone starts jumping on me about judging, please read the message of this post---it is not about deciding who is shallow and who is not, it is about making sure our new converts are fully grounded---please do not read into this what I did not write.) I often think about the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness. They did not have a lot. And yet, they were closer to God than they ever would be in history ---because they had less, they depended on God for everything, for food and water, for guidance and the scripture says even their shoes did not wear out. Less was best for them. Later on in history, they became wealthy and powerful and they began serving idols. We are similar creatures and for most of us, we will need to change our mindset. We will need to accept that sometimes less is best!

Peace
Neva

I'm it--I think, I mean I guess, er . . .

2007-08-07T07:39:00.000-05:00

VBS is over, the grandchildren are back with their mother, the birthday party is finished and so my blog interruption is officially over. While I have a post in the queue, I have promised I would respond to a tag. I was tagged by three e-friends, Chris, Matt and Corinne. So here are the rules 1) I have to post eight random facts about myself, 2) I have to list these rules and 3) I have to tag eight other people---so here goes.

1. I am with Dee Andrews--I hate being tagged. Call me grumbly if you will, but I hate it! I am responding simply because I like the people who tagged me. (Yall could send homemade cookies instead of tagging me next time, okay?)

2. During the summer, when I was 11, I read every book in the children's section at our public library.

3. I used to deliver newspapers on an old bike with big baskets on the sides.

4. I once ran over (in a car, not on my bike) a fire hydrant--they really do squirt up in the air. :)

5. I have a divit in my leg that is supposedly an alien scoop. Evidently while I was sleeping, aliens came, scooped my leg and took the sample to their planet---for cloning purposes? Who can say! :)

6. I don't like bugs or sweat or dirt--so camping is not my favorite past time.

7. My dad gave me a haircut to start kindergarten. In an effort to even up both sides, I inadvertantly ended up with a mohawk. (I wore a cap for the first six months of school)

8. I remember every phone number I have ever had.

Now, in the spirit of tagging---I tag Lisa (Outnumbered), Monica (MommySmart), Brian (Blog prophet), Paula Harrington, Abiding in Christ, Liz (One Woman' Thoughts), Jel (My Place), and James and Kathy (Preacher's House Parables)

I have been told that if you don't respond, something bad will happen---not sure if I believe that or if it is true---but perhaps, just perhaps if you don't respond, you will wake up one morning having been "scooped by an alien" :)

No tag backs!!!!

Peace
Neva

VBS---Our Mission--and Random Rambling

2007-08-02T07:17:00.001-05:00

VBS is finished! The church in Spearman, though exhausted is still on a spiritual high. We had a great turn out! Kids, kids, kids everywhere. Our them this year was "Sonforce kids" and all of the lessons centered around having a mission. We talked about Moses and Daniel and Joshua.

This is a picture of our puppet stage. Isn't it cool? One of our sisters MADE this! Really, she designed it and made it. The picture does not do it justice but it is three dimensional, there are knobs that stick out, colored windows, etc. It is very cool and my friend, Linda is very talented! She is endeared to my heart, not because she has this (and many other) talents but because she uses her talent for the Lord's work. She does not complain, does not play the martyr. There is no sighing or whining or detailing exactly how many hours, days, or weeks she puts into these projects, she just works for the Lord. And y'all, she smiles while she does it!!!!! Even during all the busyness, she makes time to call and check on others, she makes time to love on her grandkids and show her appreciation for the workers behind the scenes. I know that she is exhausted today, I know that she will rest. But, I am just as confident that when the next challenge arrives, she will smile and be ready to work for God again. Every congregation needs more Lindas!

On the sidelines---after work today, I am going to get my grandchildren---three of them, age 5, almost 3 (on Saturday) and the newborn. They will be staying with me for several days. (Mr. Neva is very nervous) James and Kathy are coming tomorrow and on Saturday we are having a birthday party for Kyle. Y'all are invited but if you can't come, please remember us in your prayers. (Ned has never had children and I--well I am an old woman and it has been a long time since I had a baby in the house)

Thanks guys, I love you all

Peace

neva

Guilty As Charged?

2007-08-01T07:43:00.000-05:00

Ever so often, when doing my daily Bible reading, I find myself "stuck" on a particular passage. It isn't that I don't understand it but that it sticks in my mind and I can't seem to stop thinking about it. That happened a few years ago with a particular text in Acts 24. The Apostle Paul is imprisoned and brought before the governor, Felix. Felix listens as the Jews make their accusations. The apostle, then makes his defense. He tells the governor that while he is innocent of the charges brought against him, he is indeed a guilty man. What he is guilty of? Well, Paul informs the court that he worships the God and is a follower of the Way. He says he also believes everything that agrees with the Law and is written in the Prophets. Likewise he believes there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked . . . and he strives to always keep his conscience clear before God and man. Paul tells Felix that all of this guilt can be easily verified!
I am amazed at this passage. (First I think it is very cool that God "outlined" the sermon right there--should any preacher want to preach it. --wink, wink) But secondly, I am impressed that Paul is so confident in his behavior, in his faith and in his reputation that he will stand before a court of law and say courageously that he is guilty and he can prove it.
It is sad that we live in a world that is rife with rumors and gossip. Even in the church, we hear about so and so and what they have or have not done. We read about preachers who have strayed and elders who have abused their powers. The news tells of preacher's wives who take the law into their own hands. We hear of "big names" in the brotherhood being smeared by others. Unfortunately, not one of us who are working for the Lord, I mean truly working for Him, are exempt from the wagging tongues of those who are threatened by our ministry, who are uncomfortable with our mission and who are convicted by our message and choose to turn away. There will always be rumors, always be gossip, always be people anxious to cast dispersions on others.
I pray that we live lives that are exemplary, lives that are reflections of Christ and glorify the Father. I pray that we have reputations that make it difficult for anyone who knows us to believe the rumors. And I pray that we try to live "innocent" lives.
However, I also pray that like the Apostle, we are guilty. We are people who worship God and are followers of the Way. We are people who believe everything in the Law and written in the prophets. We are people who believe in the resurrection. And so, we live in a manner that provides for us a clear conscience before God and man. Of these things, we all should be guilty! And not only should we be guilty---but it should be easy to verify! So the question is "Are you guilty?" and "Can you prove it?"

Peace
Neva