My Beautiful Friend

Dementia. You probably have or have had a friend or family member who struggles with some form of this horrible disease. If not, surely you've heard about someone who does. My mother had Alzheimer's and I know that the grieving process starts at the onset of this disease and eventually, there are only memories of the person you once knew and loved.
My intention in writing this blog is to celebrate a dear friend who is struggling with this nemesis. Today is my beautiful friend's birthday. We have been friends for 50 years now. We raised our children together and although we live 1200 miles apart, in recent weeks, we talk on the phone almost everyday. I often have to read between the lines as she struggles to communicate her thoughts. She laments the fact that she's alone since her husband passed away last year. Of course, this is devastating for any widow or widower, but the disease complicates her ability to process the details. She just can't comprehend how she's supposed to move forward without her soulmate and protector.
Nevertheless, in her typically kind fashion, she has been genuinely concerned about my husband's current health issues. Each time we talk on the phone, she either prays for him or promises that she will be praying. My dear friend firmly believes that God is able to heal our infirmities and her faith never wavers. She prays with clarity and an eloquence that at times escapes her in everyday conversation. Her prayers inspire me to believe that God cares about every detail of our lives and is intimately involved in them.
I can't contemplate my friend's struggle with dementia without shedding a tear, but I try to remind myself of the impact she's still having in my life and the lives of so many others. I think of ‭‭James 5:16 "The earnest prayer of a righteous (woman) has great power and produces wonderful results." Her sincere faith challenges me to trust God with my current circumstances. And I hope that I will always remember that someone with mental limitations may still have the ability to connect to the Creator of the Universe in a supernatural way.
I thank God for the amazing gift of her friendship. She has been and continues to be a source of joy in my life. I pray that God will heal her, protect her from harm, and pour out abundant blessings in her life, on her birthday and everyday hence forth. 

God's Truths Are Timeless

(Preface: I wrote this blog on September 27, 2024. This was the day that Hurricane Helene hit our area and caused massive flooding. Many lives were lost and entire towns were swept away. I wrote this before the devastation, but for me, that exemplifies the fact that God's Truths are timeless.)

I don't think that anything challenges our faith as much as serious trials. It might be health issues, financial difficulties, broken relationships, or even the devastating loss of a loved one...you fill in the blank. For me, adversity sends me into a tailspin of self-doubt and this is where my crisis of faith comes in. I can get so focused on my problems that I forget Who is in control. That is why we have to be intentional about focusing on the Truth of God's Word no matter what our circumstances look like.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." What more could we ask for? God promises to give us His peace in the midst of our troubles. When life's challenges seem overwhelming, "Tell God!" (NLT vs. 7) We can confide in the God of the Universe!  "Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence." (Ephesians 3:12)

This is a much-needed reminder to myself, but I hope that it will encourage your heart as well. Nothing is too big for our God to handle. I appreciate Babbie Mason's lyrics reminding us that, "When you can't trace His hand, Trust His Heart." Because "if God is for us, who can ever be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

Now and Not Yet Book Review

Ruth Chou Simons' previous books have encouraged and inspired me, but Now and Not Yet was probably the most timely for me. I was looking for answers to my "right now" because my husband was struggling with health issues and about halfway through reading this book, he had a stroke. 

Our faith is challenged when our circumstances seem overwhelming. I appreciate Ruth's vulnerability when she admits that "some of my most significant times of communing with God have happened when my life has felt the most out of control." She constantly looks to God's Word to encourage us not to lose heart. I claim along with Ruth that "I'm going to rejoice in the midst of this. This is hard, but God is refining me in this, making me more like Christ." 

Now and Not Yet will fortify your faith because "the truth about who God is and who we are in Him changes everything about how we think about right now."

"Pilgrim" Book Review

God has blessed Ruth Chou Simons with incredible talent, not only as an artist, but also in distinctly communicating God's amazing love for us. As I was reading her new book, "Pilgrim," I could hardly wait to turn each page to see the next beautiful work of art. 

I think we all struggle with grasping the fact that we are made righteous through the finished work of Christ on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). Ruth shares the truth of The Gospel with clarity and encourages us to keep our eyes on Jesus. "Perhaps you've tried to outrun lack and limitation with your own resources. Take heart, friend. God desires for you to rediscover, or realize for the first time, that He alone is your sustainer." (Pilgrim, page 150)

"Pilgrim" is a phenomenal book and I hope that you will take the time to read it. It will encourage your heart, challenge your thinking, and nourish your soul.

Walk by Faith

I was recently talking to someone who was struggling with adversity. They were convinced that God was punishing them for a past sin. I was reminded of my own shortcomings and the fact that we have to be intentional about keeping our minds on what is "true and right." (Philippians 4:8)

2 Corinthians 5:7 says "For we walk by faith, not by sight." That sounds simple, but it takes constant reminders from God's Word for the reality of that verse to permeate our thoughts. If we are constantly dwelling on our past mistakes, we are walking by sight and will consequently live in a state of discouragement. 

The Truth is that we are "the righteousness of God in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:21) And when it comes to our sins, God has removed them "as far as the east is from the west." (Psalm 103:12) In other words, He doesn't even see them anymore. When He looks at us, He sees His precious child who has been washed clean with the Blood of the Lamb. "For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)

Walking by faith involves a constant renewal of our minds. And it reaps a reward of knowing God's will for our lives. What more could we ask for? "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Romans 12:2

My Big Brother, Tom

My biological brother, Glenn, died at birth, so I never had the blessing of knowing him. But somehow, I imagine that he would have been a lot like Tom Green...an endearing mix of annoying older brother with wise confidant and encourager. Tom and Sherry are precious friends and have walked with me through so many phases of life. I would even go so far as to say that their prayers and encouragement saved me during some of the darkest days of my life. For that I am eternally grateful.
God gave Tom amazing insight into the Word of God and he shared it with so much clarity. I was privileged to sit under Tom's teaching ministry for many years in South Florida. I was raised in a very performance-oriented home and had a skewed concept of God's expectations. I could never measure up to my own expectations, let alone God's. But hearing the Truth of how Jesus lived a sinless life for me, because I could never do it on my own was enlightening. The realization that He had to become a man and die a cruel death...taking the punishment for my sin and making me whole and blameless before God seems obvious now, but was a new revelation 40 years ago. I had never known such freedom and began to understand why Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
And so to my big brother, Tom Green, I will always appreciate the amazing gift of your friendship, but most of all, I am grateful that you shared the Truth of The Gospel with me in a way that changed my life forever. I know that Jesus is welcoming you with open arms saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Our Defining Moment

Have you ever thought about your defining moment? Would it be something that makes you proud or brings you shame? Perhaps it involves a diagnosis, a traumatic event, or the demise of a relationship? If the memory causes you pain, perhaps you wish you could have a "do-over."

Peter tells us that "Your great enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) The devil likes nothing more than to remind us of our failures, regrets, and disappointments. He knows this will stifle our joy and peace and cause us to question God's love for us.

What if we choose to make Jesus' victory over sin and death OUR defining moment? "He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities." (Isaiah 53:5a) "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west." (Psalms 103:12)

We can rejoice in spite of our circumstances! God provided the ultimate sacrifice and offered us the amazing gift of His Son's defining moment! His gift supersedes anything we could ever say or do and we have victory over our enemy when we rest in His provision. "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21) We find our true identity in Christ.

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:16)