Faith – Page 6 – Susan's Reflections

Letting Go of A Dream

Tonight I am contemplating how difficult it is to let go of dreams, even when it is clearly in one’s best interest to do so. This spirit was brought on by watching You’ve Got Mail. I love this movie and have watched it many times. It is a romantic comedy and, as such, it ends on a happy note. Yet, much of the movie deals with the struggle of a young woman to keep afloat the children’s book shop her mother opened 42 years earlier. Eventually she makes the difficult decision to close the shop. She feels that her mother’s dream has died. She expresses her despair to her Internet pen pal as, “People are always telling you that change is a good thing. But all they’re really saying is that something you didn’t want to happen at all… has happened.”

Store closing Different life

The movie resonates with me because I know the feeling of having to decide to discontinue being in business. In our case, we sold our business rather than closing it. Several years ago my husband and I opened a restaurant in a small town. We had high hopes and great expectations that this business would be enjoyable, support our family, and be handed down to our children. The business was profitable but not exceedingly so. We worked hard and it consumed most of our family time. There were days we enjoyed it, but many days it just felt overwhelming. Over time it became apparent that we were not cut out to be business owners, and we decided to sell the restaurant. It was not an easy decision. On many levels, we felt like failures. Fortunately, a buyer was found and we walked away with our finances and credit in order and returned to more traditional employment.

I watched You’ve Got Mail many times during the months we agonized over what to do and the ensuing months between putting the restaurant on the market and closing the deal. We weren’t being forced out of business, yet I empathized with Kathleen Kelly’s struggle and felt her despair. Ironically, after watching the movie tonight, I got on Facebook and saw that a local business woman has decided to close her business after 10 years. I am acquainted with this woman and know how hard she has worked to make her business a success. She is a gifted seamstress and makes unique and interesting handbags. However, her business was hurt terribly when the economy crashed and, although the economy has recovered somewhat, her business has not. Many people in our area are concerned about another government shutdown and/or furloughs. Others have seen their insurance premiums rise as the Affordable Care Act proves to not be the solution to the healthcare crisis. Many others are simply more cautious with their money, having struggled through significant periods of unemployment. I am sure that other factors played into her decision to close the business. My heart aches for her, even as I recognize that this is not the end of the world. It is, however, the end of this particular dream.

My husband and I have had a good life since selling the restaurant. I don’t regret the decision at all, yet there is still a twinge of pain in remembering the death of that dream. Neither do I regret the decision to open the restaurant. New doors have opened for me because I have had the experience of being a business owner. Today I assist others in evaluating whether business ownership is the right decision for them. If they decide to move forward, I assist them in writing their business plans, applying for loans, developing marketing strategies, and making other decisions about their businesses. I have valuable insights to share from my experiences in opening, running, and selling my business.

My friend will move on and find new dreams to follow. I hope that she will look back on her period of business ownership as a good experience and that she will have learned many valuable lessons that will guide her as she moves forward. Someone posted on her Facebook page the comment, “When a door closes…a window opens!” That was certainly true in our case. Closing the door on our dream of restaurant ownership opened other doors and allowed us to choose a path that was better for us. And I believe it will be true for my friend, as well.

My husband and I are blessed to have built our lives on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. We know that God has a plan for our lives and we trust Him to guide our steps. Some times the path is rocky and filled with trials and disappointments; other times the path is smooth and filled with triumphs and joy. Either way, our hope is in the Lord. In Jeremiah 29:11, we read, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'” We don’t know what the coming year holds for us. We look forward to it in anticipation of new dreams and plans as we strive to follow God’s leading.

Whether you have let go of a dream or are trying to make a new dream come true, please know that God has a plan for you. He wants to help you make the dreams He has for you come true. I pray that 2014 will be a year of letting go of old dreams and making new dreams come true.

What dreams is God placing in your heart for the coming year?

Christmastime

A poem by Erica Green –December 2013

A tree in every window;

Shoppers fill the malls.

You hear the distant jingle bells

As people deck the halls.

“Christmastime is coming!”

You hear the people cheer,

“Buy more presents! Sing more songs!

The day is almost here!”

People don’t remember

All throughout the year,

They don’t think on goodwill toward men

Till Christmastime is near.

The baby in the manger.

A gift from God above,

Welcomed to earth by angels,

He was a gift of love.

So please try to remember,

As you trim the tree,

He gave the greatest gift of all,

The gift that set you free.

The Story of the Christmas Guest

When I was a child, we received a Christmas card featurning Helen Steiner Rice’s poem ‘The Story of the Christmas Guest.” This beautiful poem quickly became a favorite of mine. It reminds me of Jesus’s words to His disciples regarding caring for those in need found in Matthew 25:34 – 40

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

I hope this poem speaks to your heart and reminds you that the true joy in Christmas comes from sharing God’s love with those He brings into your life.

The Story of the Christmas Guest

by Helen Steiner Rice

It happened one day at December’s end

Some neighbors called on an old-time friend.

And they found his shop so meager and mean,

Made gay with a thousand boughs of green.

And old Conrad was sitting with face ashine.

When he suddenly stopped as he stitched the twine.

And he said “My friends at dawn today,

When the cock was crowing the night away,

The Lord appeared in a dream to me.

And He said, ‘I’m coming your guest to be”

So I’ve been busy with feet astir,

Strewing my shop with branches of fir.

The table is spread and the kettle is shined,

And over the rafters the holly is twined.

And now I’ll wait for my Lord to appear;

And listen closely so I will hear,

His steps as he nears my humble place.

And I’ll open the door and I’ll look on his face.”

Then his friends went home and left Conrad alone,

For this was the happiest day he had known.

For long since his family had passed away.

And Conrad had spent many a sad Christmas Day.

But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest,

This Christmas would be the dearest and best.

So he listened with only joy in his heart,

And with every sound he would rise with a start,

And looked for the Lord to be at his door.

Like the vision that he had had a few hours before.

So he ran to the window after hearing a sound,

But all he could see on the snow covered ground

Was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn.

And all his clothes were ragged and worn.

But old Conrad was touched and he went to the door

And he said, “Your feet must be cold and sore.

I have some shoes in my shop for you.

And I have a coat to keep you warmer, too.”

So with grateful heart the man went away.

But Conrad notice the time of day

And he wondered what made the dear Lord so late,

And how much longer he’d have to wait.

Then he heard another knock, and he ran to the door,

But it was only a stranger once more.

A bent old lady with a shawl of black,

And a bundle of kindling piled on her back.

But she asked only for a place to rest,

A place that was reserved, for Conrad’s great guest.

But her voice seemed to plead, “Don’t send me away,

Let me rest for awhile this Christmas Day.”

So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup

And told her to sit at the table and sup.

After she had left, he was filled with dismay

For he saw that the hours were slipping away

The Lord had not come as He said He would

And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood.

When out of the stillness he heard a cry.

“Please help, me and tell me – Where am I?”

So again he opened his friendly door.

And stood disappointed as twice before.

It was a child who had wandered away,

And was lost from her family on Christmas Day.

Again Conrad’s heart was heavy and sad,

But he knew he could make this little girl glad.

So he called her in and he wiped her tears,

And he quieted all her childish fears.

Then he led her back to her home once more.

Then as he entered his own darkened door,

He knew that the Lord was not coming today,

For the hours of Christmas, had all passed away.

So he went to his room, and he knelt down to pray.

He said, “Lord, why did you delay?

What kept You from coming to call on me?

I wanted so much Your face to see.”

Then softly, in the silence, a voice he heard.

“Lift up your head – I have kept My word.

Three times my shadow crossed your floor.

Three times I came to your lowly door.

I was the beggar with bruised cold feet;

I was the woman you gave something to eat;

I was the child on the homeless street.

Three times I knocked, three times I came in,

And each time I found the warmth of a friend.

Of all the gifts, love is the best.

I was honored to be your Christmas guest.

T’was the Years Before Christmas

I read this stirring poem tonight. It was written by a good friend Steve Weber. In Steve’s own words, “God gave me a poem that came faster than I could write it for my sermon this morning based on the “silent” 400 or so years before Jesus’ birth. the title of the poem is, “T’was the Years Before Christmas”. Hope this provokes you to realizing that when God appears to be silent in your life it may very well be because He has something climactic planned.”

I am reprinting here with Steve’s permission. I hope it blesses you and helps you to keep your focus on the true reason we celebrate Christmas–the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!

Twas the years before Christmas and all through the land
The people were restless under Rome’s command
God’s silence was deafening in every home
His voice not heard for centuries as His people groaned

Who would deliver, who would set free
These people who once had such vic’try
When would God come to set His people free
When would the King Jesus return for you and me

As each voice rose up with a clatter, Lord Jesus knew what was the matter
The sheep needed their Shepherd so to the throne He did go
Dear Father they need me down below.
The time has come, all is in place, though they know not now, they will soon see my face

So to a young girl did Gabriel arrive, to deliver a message no man could contrive
“Dear daughter of the king, you shall carry His seed, that the world may know I am indeed…
The One whom the prophets spoke of before, the King, the Messiah, the Jesus of lore..
Fear not my dear girl, for you have been chosen, for with God the impossible is what has been spoken

The world as you know it will not be the same, your sins forgiven, no more shame
But He will not come as a prince or a King, but the Savior wrapped in clothes bearing “the Name”.
To Shepherds will I announce his arrival in time, and you will be called blessed because you are mine
Though the world may mock and your heart will be broken,
fear not my dear daughter, for your God has spoken”

Then turning away from heaven above, the seed entered Mary with tremendous love…
Now they shall know, now they shall see, T’was the years before Christmas prepared just for thee.
Now receive Him my friend, do not turn away
Let His love lift you as you surrender each day.
Though the journey be long and troubling at times
I am with you dear child because you are mine

by Steve Weber

Symphony of Prayer

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20

When I read this Scripture, I always envision a group of people joining together in prayer. For example, in our church, we often surround a person who has requested prayer and physically reach out and touch them while praying for them. At other times, we hold hands and pray. Of course, we can agree in prayer over the phone or even through emails. Yet, I tend to think of Christians praying together in one place.

Tonight I was introduced to another way of thinking about this verse. In his book Secrets of a Prayer Warrior, Derek Prince offers a picture of Christians harmonizing in prayers, much as a symphony harmonizes. Prince calls this harmonizing “the prayer symphony” and uses it to build a foundation for effective prayer.

According to Prince, the word translated as ‘agree’ comes the Greek word sumphoneo, or symphony. He also states that ‘gathered together’ literally means ‘have been led together.’ As Christians, we are led by the Holy Spirit. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14) Therefore, Prince writes, this verse is telling us “that any time two or three have been led together by the Holy Spirit into a meeting place, which is the name of Jesus, then they can count on His presence. Additionally, if these ones shall symphonize–come together in perfect harmony–concerning anything that they shall ask, then it will be done for them.”

If we think of agreeing and coming together as being led by the Holy Spirit to pray in harmony , we can come together in the spirit of prayer wherever we are and pray as we are all lead by the same Holy Spirit. Prince likens Christians being led in prayer by the Holy Spirit as a conductor leading an orchestra of musicians through a musical score. The conductor is the Holy Spirit, the musicians are the Christians being brought together, and the score is the Word of God. As the read the score, His will is revealed to us so that we know how He would have us pray.

Prince continues, “With these components in place, the Holy Spirit lifts the baton of His authority and unites the playing of many different instruments.” He then encourages each of us to consider prayer as “taking your place in the orchestra and playing your instrument. You are not confined to one instrument, of course, although you probably have an affinity for a particular one. These instruments are praise, thanksgiving, worship, petition, intercession, supplication, command, commitment, dedication, persistence, blessing, and cursing.”

I am excited to continue to read this book and discover more about prayer and the secrets of becoming a true prayer warrior. As I come to the Lord in prayer, I will be encouraged to think of millions of Christians around the world joining in the Symphony of Prayer and playing their particular instruments as we agree together according to His Word.

A Timely Word

Proverbs 15:23 says, “A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!” That verse sprung to mind this morning as I spent a few minutes on Facebook yesterday. I had awaken up feeling a bit overwhelmed and burdened. The last couple of months have been more stressful than our normal life.

Some of the stress, such as dealing with the declining health of older loved ones, is a normal part of life. It’s not pleasant, but it is unavoidable. Other stress is productive, as it pushes us to accomplish tasks that need to be done. Some other stresses are really external to my life, involving loved ones walking through difficult situations. Those are not really my burdens to bear. I can’t affect those situations except through prayer and offering godly wisdom when I am asked.

Even though I knew all that, I awoke feeling the weight of those burdens. I was feeling a bit ‘woe is me,’ and went so far as to ask the Lord, “Can’t we just have a couple weeks without so much stress?” That’s what I was feeling when I opened Facebook and the first status update I read was from a dear friend Joe:

So………. to all my friends………… remember and repeat after me,
“THIS!……… is the day that our Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad!”Let no one define you today but you. Think about this, if you were writing the story of your life, why would you give the pen to someone other than yourself?

You are valuable and worth much to your Father in Heaven!. and to me too.

jus sayin’

Wow. What a timely word. As if that wasn’t enough to get me back on track, I skimmed down further and read a post from my friend Becky.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Another very timely word. I am so thankful that God knows just what we need to encourage us as we walk through the trials of this life. Sometimes He speaks to me through His word, and other times He allows someone to speak a timely word to me.

Have you noticed God speaking just the words you need to hear at the time you need to hear them?

Miracle Baby

Last week reporters and photographer waited with baited breath to get their first glimpses of the new born Prince of Cambridge as he left the hospital with his parents. Closer to home and with much less fanfare, another recently arrived baby, Baby E, also went home from the hospital. Baby E was born about a week before the new prince. Her arrival was also eagerly anticipated, not only by her parents and grandparents, but by the many people who had been praying for months for her.

Several months ago Baby E’s parents received news from their doctor that no parent wants to hear, “There’s a problem with the baby.” Tests determined that Baby E would be born with spina bifida. The parents were counseled to consider aborting the baby. If she lived, they were told, she would be paralyzed from the waist down, she would have trouble sucking, and she might not be able to breath on her own. Her parents believe in prayer and in the sanctity of life. Word spread quickly among their family, friends, and extended church families. Hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of us prayed diligently for Baby E to be healed of the defects the doctors predicted for her.

When Baby E was delivered by Caesarean section, we got the miracle for which we had been praying. Baby E was born kicking her little legs and breathing on her own. Very soon she began sucking on a pacifier. At a few days old, she had surgery to repair a small hole in her back. The surgery went well and a week later, Baby E went home to meet her big brother.

I am very thankful that God touched Baby E and healed her tiny body. Yet, He didn’t completely heal her. This left me wondering ‘Why.’ Why was she born with a hole in her back and needing surgery? Why will she always be scarred a bit from that surgery? Mothers take care to protect their children from injuries and scars. Boys, on the other hand, are proud of their scars and compare theirs with others to determine who had the most serious injuries (ie, the scene in ‘Jaws’ where the men compare their scars).

God told the people of Israel to erect monuments to remind them of God’s provisions for them. Likewise, scars can be reminders of injuries and illnesses that we have overcome with God’s help. This scar will be a reminder to Baby E and her parents of God’s faithfulness and goodness to them. When they look a the scar, they will remember that the doctor’s dire prediction did not come to pass. I believe the scar also serves to reinforce that the doctor did not make a mistake. Baby E was properly diagnosed with spina bifida; it was the prognosis that was incorrect.

Baby E’s parents serve the Lord God who created each of us and is perfectly capable of healing our infirmed bodies. The Lord healed the parts of Baby E’s body that the doctors were incapable of fixing, but He left to them the repair they could handle. Sometimes God uses doctors to provide healing for our bodies and other times He intervenes miraculously. Only God knows why He moves in the ways He does. Our role is to present our requests to Him, to believe that He is willing and able to answer our requests, and to allow Him to act as He decides is best.

Thwarting Plans

In my devotions currently I am reading through the Psalms. This morning I came across Psalm 33:10 – 11, “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the people. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. ” I’ve read these verses before, many times, and they encourage me that God’s plans will come to fruition. Yet today they struck me in a new way.

Christians often exhort one another to pray that God’s purposes will be fulfilled in our nation and in the lives of our family and friends. And we should. Our nation needs to turn our collective hearts back to serving God–the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christians across our nation pray that our leaders will seek God’s guidance in decision-making, that our nation will repent of its sins, and that we will acknowledge our dependence on God.

Yet, Psalm 33:10 encourages us to do more. It tells us that God will thwart the plans of those who oppose Him. It says to me that I should pray deliberately for the plans of those who do not honor the Lord to fail. I should pray not only for Congress to pass laws that are in keeping with God’s commands, but I should actively pray for the failure of bills that don’t agree with God’s word. I should pray for our President to make decisions that honor God and to be dissuaded from decisions that do not honor God.

On the one hand, this differentiation might seem like mere semantics. However, as I see it, praying for the failure of those whose who purposes are not in line with God’s will puts me on the offensive. Many Christians in America are very passive concerning the government. We pray as Christ taught us through the Lord’s prayer, “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6: 9, 10) We feel that we have done our part by praying for God’s will to be done, and we sit back and watch our nation move further and further from God.

The time has come for Christians to actively pray against the forces that are driving our nation from God. We need to pray for God’s will to be done and we must pray for the plans of those whose purposes are not godly to be thwarted. Our God is strong and mighty; He is fully capable of ‘foiling the plans of the nations’ and causing His plans and purposes to be achieved, if we ask Him.

I encourage you today to go on the offensive. Begin to pray for God’s will to be done and for God to thwart the plans of those who oppose Him. If Christians across this nation do so, I believe American can still be a nation under God.

Honoring God With Our Money: Creating a Budget

Financial Principles to Consider in Creating a Budget

The information below is adapted from Larry Burkett’s book Family Budgets That Work.

1) Use a written plan. A written plan helps keep you on track and provides a reference for you. Adjust your budget as your income and/or expenses change.

2) Provide for God’s work from the first part of your income. God enables us to work and provide for our families. All of our income truly belongs to God. He asks for only a small portion of it back.

3) Limit your use of credit. Avoid using credit cards to purchase items you cannot afford. Use credit only for large-ticket items that fit into your budget.

4) Before buying new items, ask:

Is it necessary?
Is it the best buy?
Is it an impulse purchase?

5) Save regularly, even if it is only a small amount. Setting aside even $10 or $20 per paycheck gets you in the habit of savings. Increase savings as your budget allows until you can save 5% of your income.

6) Set your own goals with your family. No one else’s budget will work for you. And your budget will not work for your family if one partner dictates the budget without input from the other spouse. Work together as team.

7) Get out of debt. Develop a plan to pay off small debts first and continue until all debts are paid off. We will look at strategies for paying off debt in two weeks.

8) Avoid indulgences and lavishness in your family life. However, do include some money for leisure and recreation in your budget. You will not be able to stick to your budget if you never feel rewarded for all your hard work.

9) Seek good counsel if you have a question, preferably from a Christian financial counselor. Crown Ministries (Crown.org) provides many resources to assist you in budgeting.

10) Stick to your plans diligently. Make a plan you can live with and follow it.

11) Balance your checkbook every month or more often.

12) Use duplicate checks if possible.

13) Have only one bookkeeper in the family. This should be whichever spouse is better at record keeping and balancing the budget.

Honoring God With Money: Applying Budgeting Principles

Applying Budgeting Principles

Today’s post fills in the blanks in yesterday’s lesson.

Luke 16:12 “And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?”

Root of Budget Problems: Attitude

Attitudes that lead to budget problems can manifest themselves as greed, covetousness, ignorance, indulgence, or impatience. (Larry Burkett, Christian Financial Concepts)

1) Greed-excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions.

The Bible warns against greed.

Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

2) Covetousness— wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions.

Covetousness is specifically forbidden in the Ten Commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:21 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

3) Ignorance—not counting the true cost of owning an item.

Problems that arise from ignorance include:

Buying things you cannot afford because you haven’t properly considered the purchase price, finance charges, storage costs, maintenance and repairs
Failure to properly balance your checking account and check for bank errors

4) Indulgence—buying something of little or no utility to you

Indulgence purchases frequently wind up in garage sales or collecting dust.

To avoid indulgence purchases:

Identify your need for the item desired
Allocate money to pay for it
Search out the best buy
Pray about whether or not to make the purchase

James 5:1, 5 “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you….You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence.”

5) Impatience— restless desire for change and excitement. Impatience manifests itself in:

Making unwise purchases. Before you buy, identify your need, allocate the money, search out the best buy, and pray about the purchase
Trying to “get rich” quickly

Proverbs 28:22 “The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.”

Two Common Tendencies of Budgeting:

1) Set plans but never follow them.

2) Set unrealistic plans.

Budgeting Involves:

1) Assessing the current situation

2) Deciding where you need to go

3) Making a realistic plan to get there

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