Mentoring Woman: Mentoring Woman: "GET BACK ON THE HORSE"

Mentoring Woman: Mentoring Woman: "GET BACK ON THE HORSE": Mentoring Woman: "GET BACK ON THE HORSE" : When I was around 6 years old, my cousin and I, were riding my brothers horse on the fa...

HOPE IS NOT A FEELING!

 We've all heard the sayings:  "Keep A Stiff Upper Lip", "It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn",  "Behind Every Cloud Is A Silver Lining" "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" and  "Look For The Bright Side Of Life".  Okay, so perhaps those last two were songs, but you get the road I am traveling on today.

Some things are just hard in this life and telling yourself that you can  "pull yourself up by your boot straps" sometimes just doesn't cut it!  This week I heard that one of the women who attended my bible study is losing her battle with cancer.  It sounds like it won't be long until she is trading her physical home for her eternal home.  It is a hard life that we live down here!   What about last week when we witnessed on TV the devastation of the earthquake in Nepal?  All the happy and good thoughts fly out the window in that light.   There can be no silver lining to cancer, for even if the sun does come up tomorrow, things will never be the same!  Where is the positive thinking behind thousands of people losing their lives under immense rubble? Where is the "bright side" to that? Serious thoughts I am having this week, huh?   But you know, King Solomon, had some of those same thoughts so I am in good company.  He wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecc. 2:11, NIV).  I just love that the writers of scripture were human just like us with real human emotions.  For in reality what Solomon said is true and this does convey our life on this earth.

I admit that as a kid, I counted on most of the above cutesy sayings to help me get by.  I had several surgeries as a result of polio and I reminded myself each time, that things would get better and I could make it through all the pain and gain the will to learn to walk again .  But now, as an adult Christian, and one who believes in the promises and truths of scripture, I find the source of all my comfort comes from this glorious book that God has written to us.

So today I find myself needing comfort in its timeless pages and hopefully if you do as well, we can glean together from it.  For what we need in this crazy mixed up world is HOPE!

HOPE is not seen.  "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:24-23  Paul tells the Roman Christian's right before this verse, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."  Rom. 8:18  Paul suffered from beatings, imprisonment, riots, sleepless nights, hunger, and in the end his life.  (II Cor. 6:4-5)  But he never lost HOPE.   Neither should we, for we can be assured that the one in whom we have placed our HOPE, will be revealed to all of us one day!

HOPE produces the characteristics of Christ in us.  "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."  Romans 5:3-6, NIV  Christ died so that we might HOPE not of a temporal life on this earth but of an eternal life forever with Him!  And as this verse indicates He did not leave us hopeless on this earth. He sent the great comforter to come along side us. Suddenly I want to shout Hallelujah!!  Thank you God!

HOPE can and will remain.  In I Corinthians 13 "The Love Chapter" we tend to look over the other two components that will remain in this Christian life.  "And these three remain; faith, HOPE, and love.  But the greatest of these is love." I Cor. 13:13, NIV.  When the valley we are traveling through is at its darkest, when things look the bleakest, we don't just need the "light at the end of the tunnel" we need God traveling right there beside us through it all.  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me."  Psalm 23:4.  He never leaves us, for His HOPE remains!

There are are many other scriptures that have to do with hope and so this brings me to my mentoring challenge today:  If you need to refresh or remind yourself of these truths of hope, please go to www.bible.com.  Select read, type in the version you prefer to study and in the search line type the word HOPE to begin studying for yourself.  We don't have to despair, we don't have to wonder, we don't need to feel alone because He is the God of All HOPE!

Mentoring Woman: "GET BACK ON THE HORSE"

Mentoring Woman: "GET BACK ON THE HORSE": When I was around 6 years old, my cousin and I, were riding my brothers horse on the farm.  Now I admit that I was not skilled in hor...

"GET BACK ON THE HORSE"

When I was around 6 years old, my cousin and I, were riding my brothers horse on the farm.  Now I admit that I was not skilled in horsemanship, but my cousin was the one who had the reigns of "Lightning" (the horses name).  Before I knew what happened, she had somehow reigned the horse into the barbed wire fence.  She evidently wasn't a skilled horsewoman herself! The horse ended up bucking us both off and she required 7-8 stitches in her leg.  (Today, they would probably have simply butterflied it together with super glue!)  Since I grabbed the barbed wire, (I know, bad idea) I had a deep cut and still have a mark to this day on the palm of my right hand.  It was very hard for me to get back on that horse, but I did it.  I am sure this is a hard concept to understand for you knowledgeable equestrians.

That is the way I am feeling this week.  After taking a week off to visit my mother, it is hard to "get back on the horse" of writing this blog.  I feel the enemy telling me "it really doesn't matter, no one would really miss it anyway".  But then the Spirit says, "You have had over 4,400 hits since you began a little over 1 year ago and it is now reaching as far as the Ukraine!"  So with that reality in mind, I will get back on this imaginary horse of writing and persevere, for that is what the Lord has called each of us to do.  "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming.  See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."  James 5:7-8, NIV.

Perhaps you are experiencing the same thing because this isn't your first rodeo with God.  You also are having a hard time "Getting Back On The Horse".  You suddenly stopped attending church because your feelings were hurt by someone.  Isn't it time to let the hurt go and allow God to carry you? Maybe you have failed at studying the scriptures and praying like you know you should.  Isn't it time to dust yourself off and get right back in the saddle? Maybe you have fallen into sin and are scared to really trust that God will and can forgive you.  Isn't it time to take Him at His word and ride off into the sunset with Him?  ("If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9)

Your life can be different but you have to allow yourself to "Get Back On The Horse!"

Mentoring Woman: TRAVELING LIGHT

Mentoring Woman: TRAVELING LIGHT: I'm packing my suitcase to visit my mom next week and this time I vow I will travel light.  I always pack way too much and it is...

TRAVELING LIGHT

I'm packing my suitcase to visit my mom next week and this time I vow I will travel light.  I always pack way too much and it isn't as if she doesn't have a washer and dryer to do laundry.  My reasoning for accomplishing this, is so I can take a smaller bag, not have to check it at the gate, and I won't have to wait at the carousal for my luggage to magically or not so magically appear.

Along with planning this trip, my husband and I have been talking about making some vacation plans for the summer.  We have tossed around some ideas and even mentioned camping. (Which we did plenty of times when our children were little.) However, being realistic at the age of 65 and the fact that we do not have a self contained camper with all the luxuries of home, we nixed that idea pretty quickly! Once I began making a list in my head of all things we would need like blow-up mattresses, dishpans, camping stove, coolers, etc. we just shook our heads and said to ourselves, "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

This got me to thinking about this whole idea of packing lightly.  In Matthew 10, Jesus is sending out the twelve disciples to be witnesses and healers to the lost sheep of Israel. (vs. 6)  He goes on to tell them in verses 9-11:  "Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.  Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave." (NIV)

Talk about traveling light!  No money, no suitcase, no clothes or shoes, not even a staff!  Why in the world would Christ tell them to do that?   The text doesn't say, but perhaps for several reasons.  Could it be that Christ wanted them to experience what it means to really count on God for their daily needs?  Could it be that Christ wanted them to appreciate the total hospitality of the people they encountered along the way?  Could it be that He did not want them encumbered with all the stuff that you and I are encumbered with each day?  Like coffee pots (ouch), hairsprays, body sprays, shampoos or curling irons (now hold on there...those are necessities!) And just could it be that when they had to skedaddle (Missouri term) out of town, for their own safety or because He wanted to use them elsewhere, they didn't have a lot of stuff to gather up and be responsible for?  Hmmm...things to think about.

My mentoring challenge for all of us today is this:   You've heard the expression, "You can't take it with you"?   Just perhaps we all have a tendency to hold on too tight to our possessions, our comforts, our stuff, and God is asking us to trust Him that He will care for us.  I learned that lesson very quickly when my husband was laid off from a job he had held for 37 years.   But I can undoubtedly say, Our God was faithful!  Sound like another passage you've heard?  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matthew 6:23-26, NIV)

Well, "My bags are packed"....(just had that song running through my head) and yes I am taking my curling iron because I don't want to scare half of the state of Missouri with my wild and crazy hair!  But I will keep close to my thinking this idea of packing light and just what it is that I am carrying a lot of.  I won't be posting next week since I will be giving mom my undivided attention, so I will get back to you the following week.  Who knows what lessons God will be teaching me in between?

Mentoring Woman: EASTER PREPARATIONS

Mentoring Woman: EASTER PREPARATIONS: Spiral Ham....check Ingredients for Cheesy Potatoes and Green Bean Casserole...check 1 dozen eggs for Deviled Eggs...check Pecan Pie Ingr...

EASTER PREPARATIONS

Spiral Ham....check
Ingredients for Cheesy Potatoes and Green Bean Casserole...check
1 dozen eggs for Deviled Eggs...check
Pecan Pie Ingredients...check

As you can see, I am preparing for Easter dinner and it's all about the preparation.   Making out the menu, going to the store, cleaning the house, setting the table, and cooking the food.  I am in the midst of preparing a feast!

Every year, for 25 years our church, performs a drama production called "The Living Last Supper." It is a depiction of Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting come to life but with the timeless story of the life of Christ told by the Apostle John.  We went to the performance last night and as I was watching it, I began to think about the preparations it took for that meal so long ago...

There had to be someone to get the upper room ready for the Passover Feast. The account in Matthew says that the disciples were told to "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, "The Teacher says: My appointed time is near.  I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house." So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. (Matthew 26:18-19)  Little did the disciples know that when they purchased the ingredients for their passover meal just what they were preparing.  The bread which symbolized Christ's body that was soon to be broken for mankind. (I Corinthians 11:24, NIV).   The wine which symbolized the blood of Christ shed for the forgiveness of mankind's sins. (Matthew 26:28) The Lamb, the perfect sacrifice, sinless, and that which was slain from the creation of the world.  (Revelation 13:8, NIV)  Yet the disciples did as they were told and performed this age old ritual that God had commanded them to do in Exodus 12.  It wasn't until later that they realized the full implications of just what they had prepared.

And how about the women who were preparing to anoint the body of Jesus after his death?  Mark 16:1 (NIV) says:  "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body." Luke 24:1 says: "they took the spices they had prepared" and Luke 23:56 says: "then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes."    I always thought it said they BROUGHT the spices to the tomb but the word is BOUGHT, the women had to go through some kind of preparation to extract the oils and make them ready to use.  Little did those women realize that there would be no physical body in that tomb to anoint. Hallelujah!

My mentoring challenge for us today is this... Are we preparing not only for the celebration of Easter but for the eminent return of Lord and the meal we will soon enjoy with Him?  The Bible says in Revelation 19: 6-7, (NIV) "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!  For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready."   Sounds like preparation doesn't it? "Then the angel said to me, "Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!"  And he added, "These are the true words of God." Revelation 19:9, NIV   What a feast we will enjoy that day and we only say:  "Come Lord Jesus!

For those who may be diabetic or on Lo-Carb diet.  Here is a great Pecan Pie Recipe:

Crust:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup almond flour (or use all almond flour)

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

Mix together and pat into a 8" pie shell

Filling

3 beaten eggs

1 cup Splenda

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 cup sugar-free maple syrup (Walden Farms makes one with no carbs!)

1 1/2 cups pecans either chopped or halved

Blend filling together and add to pie crust bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set.