What is real?

Today I began my Bible Study Class by passing out Hostess cup cakes.  I asked my class "remember those?"  I really didn't have to say a thing.  Many of them had comments about the cup cakes as we remembered how we use to eat them.

My favorite way to eat a Hostess cupcake [since I don't like chocolate cake] was to "roll" the frosting off, peel the chocolate cake part and head straight to the cream filling.  Others had their own stories of how they ate them. 

The issue was not how you eat it, the issue was the Hostess cup cake.  You see, one of the most recognized aspects of that particular cup cake was the squiggly white line on top of the frosting. The cup cake looked real, it looked genuine, it looked like the real thing....but it wasn't! 

Since last week when Hostess announced that they were filing for bankrupcy, there was a mad rush to purchase their twinkies, cup cakes, ding dongs and other favorites.  I could not find twinkies or cup cakes anywhere so I opted for a "counterfiet" a "fake" and tried to pass it off as a Hostees.  The most recognizable aspect of the cup cake was there...the squiggly line.  My presentation of the cup cake made it believeable.

The group liked what they saw, the presentation was right and I [the teacher] sold it.  How could that be wrong?  Too many get wrapped up in the packaging and presentation instead of opening the Word of God.  Truth is not found in a celebrity selling their belief.  It seems that the higher profile the individual, the more believeable he or she is to people. 

Today, there are many claims of who the "true God" is.  I have the answer.  It is in God's Word.  There is only one true God and only He is real.  He is a loving, living, God and Salvation only comes through Him.  Don't be fooled by someone trying to "sell" you anything else. 

Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God... 1 John 4:1-2

Cover-Up

This is never a good way to begin anything...cover-up.  In history, we have lived many allegations of "covering up" in one way or another.  We have had CEO's of large corporations that have allegedly covered up incidents and actions.  We have heard of political cover ups, right up to the Presidents of our country and we have heard of criminal corruption and cover ups.

Today, my cover up is simple.  For over a week I have displayed a black eye from a fall.  I have run from my family, taken detours, missed a family wedding, all in the shame of wearing this black eye.  Well the day came when I had to leave the house.

I had not worn makeup in a week and due to other scrapes to my face wasn't going to start now either.  So...I decided to just go with a concealer over the bruise.  The eye lid looked like a dark eye shadow so no problem there.  It was the area below the eye that was getting all the attention.  I merely took my brush and my concealer and went to work.  I worked that brush around that tender area until the bruise was no longer visible.  I then added a little concealer to the other side for good measure. 

The finished product looked great.  No visible bruise.  I was off to face the world.  The problem came when the cover up began to wear off with time.  Throughout the day it took it's toll.  At one point I went to the ladies room and discovered that the concealer had melted away and the bruise now looked like I had awakened to a eyes smeared with mascara.  The bruising was showing through.  I could tell something was wrong when people began looking at be in a strange manner.  I wondered what they were staring at and that prompted the trip to the ladies room. 

A lesson I already knew was reinforced that day...we can cover-up but we will soon be discovered.  In the beginning, God gave Adam and Eve specific instructions.  Eve failed to adhere to the instructions and was taken in by a crafty serpent.  When their eyes were opened, they discovered what they had done and they tried to cover their sin. I first covered up my bruise; then when the make-up wore off, I walked around trying to hide my face.

With Adam and Eve, God already knew.  He knew then and He knows now...we can not cover up our sin, we can not hide from God.  The good news is that we don't have to.  He died on the cross to cover all our sins...no need to cover up.  

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desireable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.  She also gave some to her husband, who was with her and he ate it.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.  Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden Genesis 3:6-8

X Marks the spot

I am one that will take shortcuts when writing short notes.  I am meticulous in writing but for a short note, I like short cuts.  I will often write "xfer" for transfer or "what x" for what time.  I never consider that someone might think I mean really mean Texas when I write "tx me" and I really mean "text me."  "I need xtra time to fulfill added xpectations with the x change." Get it?

I get frustrated when people don't know my intended meaning....after all, I know!  I got to thinking of what I am really saving by using this short cut.  I comfort myself by saying that doctors do it all the time.  After all, how can you get "prescription" out of Rx?

A few weeks ago however,  I was thrown into a new awakening.  As we were watching The Voice, we realized that Christina Aguilera has changed her team name from Team Christina to Team XTina.  I told my husband that she did what society did with Christmas. 

For years, Christmas was widely recognized when we wrote or read Xmas. It was understood that the word was Christmas.  Being much younger, I didn't really see any negative significance in the abreviation.  In looking at her team name, I told my husband "she almost did what society did.  She almost took CHRIST out of her name."

Isn't that what society did with Xmas?  It began with replacing the word "Christ" with an X. Today, our culture chooses to go one step further by taking CHRIST out of Christmas and calling it Holiday Season or Holiday Parties or Winter Festivities.  Society has chosen to take any idea of the birth of Christ out of Christmas. 

In watching the show, it is very clear that when chosen by Christina the contestants are welcomed into team "X-Tina."  However, when you see the word Xmas, we still say "Christmas."  We may have lost the words but let's pray that we never lose what we say.  Even though it was replaced with an "X" it will never be
"X-mas."  It will always be Christmas because God sent His son to be born so that we could have a chance at eternal life. 

If X marks any spot or makes any statement, let it be in your heart.  Let your heart receive the true message of Christmas regardless of what society does or says.  Like Team Christina, society can make a decision to replace Christ with "X" but they can never replace it in our hearts because we believe the truth of God's Word.

"Do not be afraid Mary, You have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdon will never end."  Luke 1:30-33 

No More Scars

Years ago I was at my parent's home and decided that I wanted to wash my car, a bright red, 300ZX. These were the days before Bubbles and there was a car wash down the street from my parent's house.  I drove there and parked my car in one of the stalls.

I had my quarters ready and plenty of them.  You don't want to run out of quarters in the middle of a wash.  Having washed the car, I moved on to the rinse.  In the process, I held the wand and put my quarters in the machine.  In those days they did not have wands with safety activation triggers either.  Once you put your money in, the water burst forth from the wand.

I was not prepared for the intense water pressure or the temperature.  The wand slipped from my hand and was waving uncontrollably through the air.  The water pressure was strong and it got to my face before I could protect it. 

I immediately drove to my parent's home where mom tried to pamper me and urged me to go to the emergency room.  I took one look in the mirror and was devasted.  I had two cuts from my forehead, across my nose and to past my cheek.  I just knew that my face would never be the same.

Twenty five years later there are no signs of those scars.  Unfortunately because of my recent fall, there are new ones.    As I look in the mirror at the cuts and bruises on my face I have hope.  I have hope that it will not scar me for life.  I have hope because of past experiences.

I can not remember the scars of the car wash, I can not even picture them in my mind....they are gone, kaput...a distant memory.

So it is when Christ forgives us of our sins.  We often want to hold on...to remember the sin even when God has said "If it's forgiven, I remember it no more." 

I will never live sin free-but I have the hope of forgiveness!  With forgiveness, the scars of sin will vanish.  While I may fall to sin daily, it can not hold me captive or scar me because Christ offers that forgiveness.

Although right now I look in the mirror and see cuts and bruising, I know one day they will be gone and I my face will be restored to freshness as my life in Christ is restored through forgiveness.

Let go of your sin, put your hope in Jesus Christ and let him remove all scars of sin!

For as high as the heavens are above the the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalms 103: 11-12

Stay in the light

Today I decided to run with two of my friends.  They have been running together for a while and while I have been running on my own, I wanted to run with them since we will all be running in an event soon.

With daylight savings time, it is much darker in the morning. We took off and it was not long before I realized this was very unfamiliar territory.  I drive past it often but could not anticipate the dips, cracks, or dangers of the route...in the dark!  I had to keep my eye on the surface and watch for these changes.

On the way back, I heard voices behind me, maintaining my pace I glanced behind me to see how close they were. Of course I was going to get out of the way so we didn't crash.  Unfortunately, I took my eyes off the route and did not see the "lip" on the sidewalk. I tripped and felt "slow-motion" fall. Bam! Face-first.  I have never taken such a fall. My two friends stopped immediately to offer assistance.  I was lying on a sidewalk staring at the stars....in pain.

If I had only kept my eyes on the surface! If only I had not become distracted by the runners behind us, if only I had not run in unfamiliar ground, if only I had stayed in the light.

That is the way it is in our Christian walk.  If we walk in the light, if we walk in the truth of Christ, we will always be under his protection. We must not be distracted by voices that try to convince us otherwise. So in your walk,don't lose your focus...stay in the light.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you; God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7

Sin Exposed

The other day we were at our property doing some work.  My husband was working with concrete when he realized he forgot his "mixing drill" to mix the cement smoothly.  It took forever to make this concrete and still it was not flawless. 

In mixing it, there were clumps of cement that had to be broken up much like a cake mix has to be mixed.  He eventually had to use his hands to mix it with his hands.  It was self leveling cement that we were going to spread on one of the floors.  We could do no more than two bags and that took about two and a half hours.  My patience was wearing thin and all because we did not have the mixer!

With that job complete, we moved on to another project.  Within hours, my husband asked for hand lotion.  I looked at his hands and the skin looked cracked and dry....all because he had mixed the cement with his hands. 

I started thinking and wondered "what our sin look like if God exposed it?"  Many times we hide in the cover of darkness, go to another city, or  maybe even hide in our office.  Truth be known, we may be hiding from everybody else but we're not hiding from God. 

If God chose to expose our thoughts, what we view, or our hidden actions, what would that look like.  What if everytime we had an inappropriate thought our hair turned blue or what if everytime our eyes lingered on something inappropriate, the pupil of our eyes turned red, or what if everytime we sinned in hiding we got a rash on our face? 

The whole world would know your sin.  Try as you may, there would be no where to go, no where to hide...your sin would be exposed. 

I praise God that despite our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and remember them no more.  Do not be deceived however; even though your sin is not exposed publicly, you can not hide from God!

For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.  Hebrews 4:13

Vote? It's a priviledge

Today, my father-in-law voted. So what? You might ask. Well, He is 97 years old and this is a "historical" day.  You see, this is his twentieth time to vote! How many of us can say that?

The very first time he voted, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Alfred M. Landon were on the ballot. All of the elections have resulted in a male winner. In his lifetime, he has seen the likes of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Lyndon B, and Nixon on the ballot.

He has seen names on the ballot like Carter and Ford, Regan and Mondale and Clinton and Bush.  Many of us remember those but only he can say he has seen the others.

He has seen the close races (Kennedy 49.7%-Nixon 49.5%) and he has seen "blowouts." He voted in the 1976 election of Ford vs Carter-I missed voting in this election by months. My first opportunity to vote was in the 1980 election-my father-in-law had 13 on me.

While many of those years he held his head and shoulders high and walked confidently, today he shuffled into the building electing to leave his cane behind. He walked in confident none the less and ever so informed.

A couple of months ago, he relinquished his right to drive. He understands that due to the nature of life and aging, he will lose rights and privileges. We all realize that no one can take away his constitutional right to vote.  Today, he proves that by voting for the 20th time in his life!

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.  Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. Ecclesiastes 9:17-18

Casting Call

When I think of the word "cast" I think of fishing. I love to go fishing, especially with my family. We love to see who can cast our line furthest. The three of us girls always compete and then we ooooooo and owwwwww when we cast it far.

We believe that the further we cast our line, the more successful we are. We always feel better when we cast our lines way out there.

This week, my son had his basket ball try outs. It can be a very stressful time at our house when this happens.  We are quite proud of Matthew and pray for the best.  On the day of try outs, I texted him a verse from 1 Peter.

"Cast all your anxiety on Him..." Cast.... Throw it away...far...let it go.  My son responded with two words, "Thanks Mom!" we prayed and believed. Whatever the outcome, we knew we had asked God and the outcome was in His hands.

Sunday evening we went to church to a Pray America.  They handed out a verse at the door. The verse? 1 Peter 5:7. I showed my son and he beamed.  Surely this was affirmation he would make the team.

Today was the big day. I worked today so I had no telephone contact. About 3:30, I received a phone call from my son. I asked "don't you have practice?" his response was simple "I didn't make the team." my heart broke.

How would I explain that sometimes when we "cast our anxiety on God," the outcome may not be what WE want but it will surely be what HE wants and in the end, it won't be wrong.  That's hard to explain to a 17 year old whose heart is in the game.

As I was dealing with that, my husband began telling me about a situation where "evil won over good." my instinct was to ask "Where was God in that situation?" Immediately, I asked for forgiveness. I wasn't really asking that question, I was just expressing my own disappointment because if we are in Christ, evil never wins over good and we unjustifiably define "not getting our way" as evil winning out.

What a disappointment on both counts. Double jab for me bam bam! How could I comfort anybody?I re-grouped and I told my son that God loves his children and if we believe that we can cast our anxiety on him, then we have to believe the second half do that verse.....because He cares for you!

While our hearts break in disappointment, we take comfort in knowing that God is in control. He allowed both of these outcomes for a reason.  We have to believe in His plan and purpose. With that behind us, it is no longer causing us anxiety.  What is God calling you to let go of? Will you listen to that "casting" call and let it go?

When you let it go remember this....He cares for you! You are not alone!

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

The next day...

The next morning I was in a hurry to get to work when I realized my son's truck was parked behind my vehicle. Ugh! I had to run back inside, get his keys and move it so that I could get out.  My mood changed as I got into the truck and saw the card that was handed out the night before at Pray America.  The card with the verse (1 Peter 5:7) was standing on the dash board.  Just a reminder to 
him that God does care for us. 

Stand in the gap

Today, as I was driving home from the mall, I drove into my father in law's subdivision.  I let my thoughts wonder about the voting season.  My husband and I have already voted and I wondered how we could allow my father in law to exercise his right to vote...even at 97.

We voted at the Kingwood library and while the line was long, it went quick.  We waited about 20 minutes then headed out of town. 

My first thought was that we could all three drive to the library and I could go stand in line.  I could then call my husband in the parking lot and he could walk his dad up to my place in line.  Then all the logistics came to mind.  Surely there would be at least one individual that would question me allowing two men to "cut in line."

I would then have to explain how my father in law is 97, and we're trying to make this easy on him because he took a fall last week and is still sore, and he really wants to vote and on and on.   Why would anyone question that when they can see a man shuffling to get in line?  They see the obvious but what they are missing is that I am merely standing in the gap.

I am holding his spot so that he doesn't have to stand and shuffle and stand and shuffle!  After all, even Moses needed someone to "stand in the gap" for him when his hands got heavy.  Even bigger than that, Jesus stood in the gap between my sin and salvation.  He stepped in and took my place so that I would benefit. 

I wish I could tell you that we followed our plan...we didn't.  In the end, we decided we would just take him to the local community center to vote.  We know he would enjoy seeing the faces of the community and neighbors.  Well, it was a good thought.

All I can say is that I will never turn anyone down if they want to stand in the gap for me.

Don't forget to vote!

When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only but in the one who sent me.  When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.  John 12:44-45