what your smile can do

Be Part of the Humane Chain

In times of confusion, sorrow, frustration and fear, it is difficult to be aware of how one small deed can brush away the aforementioned feelings. The inhumane chain effect of our interactions can be harmful communication and can cause others to experience the same negative emotions that we are feeling.
By the same token, the humane chain of our interactions can rescue others from their negative emotions and fears. Just one small deed at the beginning of the humane chain can be life changing, or perhaps life-saving, for people all along the chain.

           SMILE

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile seemed to make him feel better.
He remembered past kindness of a friend
And wrote him a thank you letter.

The friend was so pleased with the thank you
That he left a large tip after lunch.
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
Gave part to a man on the street.

The man on the street was grateful;
For two days he'd had nothing to eat.
After he finished his dinner,
He left for his small dingy room.

He didn't know at that moment
That he might be facing his doom.
On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
And took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
To be in out of the storm.

That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked till he woke the whole household
And saved everybody from harm.

One of the boys that he rescued
Grew up to be President.
All this because of a simple smile
That hadn't cost a cent.

   Written by: Barbara Hauck

Affirmation for the Week:
"I am part of a humane chain and I am doing my part to make it a life changing chain."
Have a strongly linked week!
Mary Rau-Foster
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary's book "Motivating Moments" makes a great gift for you, your family and your friends. This 200+ page book, with illustrations, is a guaranteed morale booster, as well as thought provoking and inspirational. To learn more and to order online, visit www.motivatingmomentsbook.com or www.workplaceissues.com/motivatingmomentsbook.htm

MY THOUGHTS

I thought and thought of where to post this blog.  It can be about relationships or about being happy or about managing yourself.  Somehow, it didn't feel right.

So, I read the poem again. And again.  Until I realized what a smile is all about - a stream in a desert, something bright to light up something gloomy, something simple that can ease away something complicated.


I thank God for teaching me, everyday, that a smile is so much better than a frown - that a gentle word is so much powerful than a scowl.


I have lost a lot of "battles", because I chose not to smile.  Now I know better.  Thank you, Lord, for helping me see that when I smile, I don't need to go to war.

What LInsanity Has Taught Me

It is true, for me and for many others, that there can be streams in the desert.  In the case of Jeremy Lin, it's a case of streams in his desert called the 'bench'.


You Don't Need to be in Sports to Get 'Benched'. 


Have you ever been 'benched'?  Do you know what it feels like to be put on hold, to be stuck in the sidelines knowing that you have what it takes to throw and shoot the ball?



At home, you can be the one with more brains, but for years, you have to shut your mouth because you are not old enough.  Benched!

With friends, you can be the most talented, but you have to be the support dancer or back-up singer, because someone else looks better or has more money to pay for the expensive performance attires. Benched!


At work, you may have more skills and potential than your boss.  But he got there first, and for years, you sit on the 'bench' while your boss basks in all the glory. Benched!


Believe me, the bench is not a good place to be.  Not if you don't have the patience, perseverance and humility of someone like Jeremy Lin.



The Streams in Jeremy's Bench.


I already know from the countless news about Jeremy Lin, that he is a star.  Linsanity is becoming a by-word because of what he has brought to the court. 

But I never realized, not until after I read an article about Linsanity from Christianity.com, that Jeremy Lin is truly an exceptional Christian.

While most of us will grumble and gripe while in the state of being 'benched', Jeremy Lin found his 'streams in the desert' while sitting on the bench.

He made use of the 'time to be silent' to watch and learn from the bench-from the coach, from the players, from the game itself.

No sulking.  No complaining.  No plotting for revenge.  

Jeremy Lin understood and accepted that God has put him on hold for a very good reason.  He understood that he cannot have everything he wants.  He believed that there is a Higher Being who is in control of his life who will end his 'desert time' in His own perfect time.

 Jeremy's triumph is not in the scores nor in the assists.  His triumph was in the 'bench'.  We have much to learn from him.

Can a Burden Be a Stream in the Desert

Being burdened is being in a desert.  Or so I thought.  A burden can actually be the stream.  We just need to grow up first to realize that.

Being in a Desert.

I haven't been in a real desert.  But I've seen enough movies to know that it is dry and barren and dusty and lonely.  I've read enough about deserts to know that to be stranded in a desert is like having cancer when the only thing you have going for you is hope. 

Being burdened can leave us dry and lonely.  When things get too rough and too tough, we feel like we are stranded in some abyss and only a miracle can save us. 

I was never really one to believe so much in miracles.  Being burdened changed that. 

The Burden of Burdens.

It's stupid to think that some people are free of burdens.  Everybody has some burden to bear - at different degrees at different times. It's up to us to see it as a desert or a stream.

Funny that when I have insignificant burdens, I never really saw it as a stream.  We burden ourselves with traffic, with an insufferable boss, with the black sheep in the family.  We even burden ourselves with the noise the neighbor makes or how they put their garbage at your end of the fence.  We make our lives miserable in the process, living in a desert of dissatisfaction, burdening ourselves with the insignificant burdens.

Multiplying the Burdens

The insignificant burdens never really made us grow up.  We learn to manage the traffic, leave the insufferable boss and avoid the black sheep.  We make as much noise as the neighbor and put our garbage on his side of the fence.  We think we've won this way.  Only, we didn't.  We just multiplied the misery.

The Burden is Not Ours.

I had to go through the most harrowing burdens to realize that I can only do so much.  I can't do it.  I am powerless.  I had to give it all up to a Higher Being whose power is big enough.  He had turned my burdens into learning experiences, a flowing stream in what used to be a depressing desert. 

I am experiencing miracles.  Everyday.  Because the burdens are not mine to bear.  Not anymore.

God told me "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden". (Matthew 11:28).  I did.  And he gave me rest.

You'll Never Know What You'll Get From a Ferris Wheel Ride

You'll Never Know What You'll Get From a Ferris Wheel Ride

I have acrophobia.  Well, sort of.  I don't think it's that serious. I can still go up a building, cross a high bridge, climb a mountain, get on a plane.  Just don't ask me to look down.  

Imagine how I felt when the kids asked me-no, pushed me-to ride this ferris wheel.

It's "117 meter tall and one of the tallest sight-seeing platforms in Tokyo" (source:http://japan.apike.ca/japan_tokyo_kasairinkai_park.html).

It looked menacing enough from way below.

But there were enough people riding it to show that it's safe.  And fun. I also know, for a fact, that the Japanese are one of the most safety-conscious people in the world.  Still, I spent a few endless (for the kids) minutes deliberating whether I should dare it or sit it out.  Maybe I can just go fish-watching?

I dared!  And what was supposed to be scary turned out to be not just fun.  My 117-meters-ferris-wheel-ride reminded me of valuable life lessons I wouldn't have realized (again) had I opted to sit (or lie) on one of the 'safe' benches in the park. 

WE SHOULD LISTEN TO KIDS.  From time to time.  They are the most trusting creatures in the world. And how can we not trust them? They make suggestions without malice.  Not based on preconceived notions.  They have no fear because they have not yet been subjected to harsh realities.  Just look at them. 

They are the ones who know how to be truly happy!  No Fear!

FEAR IS AN ENEMY. Fear robs us of the opportunity to experience life as we should.  Fear has a way of immobilizing us.  We stay where we are because we are afraid of what could happen, of what we will have to give up.  Why are we letting the unknown cripple us when there is so much more to see and live for when we let go of our fear?  Had I stayed on safe ground and not venture into the unknown, I would not have seen the beauty of God's creation from a different perspective.  I would not have this story to tell.  Nor these pictures to share.

FAITH IS THE ANTIDOTE TO FEAR.  When we don't have faith, we fear.  I didn't want to hop on the monstrous wheel because I did not have faith.  I did not have faith in myself, acrophobic as I am.  I did not want to pay Y700 and die of embarrassment because I looked down while I was 383 feet up from the ground.

THE WRONG KIND OF FAITH.  I hopped into the ferris wheel after seeing lots of people hopping on the same wheel.  I decided to put my fate into the hands of the ferris wheel operators knowing that I can trust the Japanese when it comes to safety.  As the ferris wheel started its ascend, I felt a gentle nudging in my heart.  What kind of faith is that? These other people may have ridden for all the wrong reasons.  And the Japanese? They are good. No doubt about it.  Safety-conscious and one of the best cultures when it comes to problem solving.  They have even managed to control their floods. But the March 11 earthquake and tsunami have brought something undeniable into the forefront.  There are things that only God has the power to control.  By the time we reached the peak of the ferris wheel ride, I was already apologizing to God for putting my faith on other things and not on Him. Colossians 1:17 states "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."  What was there to fear?  He has sustained me all my life.  How can he not sustain me during a ferris wheel ride?

MY GOD WILL SUSTAIN ME. While the ferris wheel was on its way up, my hands were busy clutching the bars. My thoughts were full of "what if's" and "maybe's". My heart felt constricted. My head was feeling dizzy with doubts and fear. By the time, the Kasai ferris wheel started it's descent, another scripture started coming to mind. "...He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need." (Acts 17:25, NLT).   I freed my hands from the bars and I started taking pictures.  My heart suddenly felt light, my head giddy with expectations for what God has planned for the rest of my day. For the rest of my life.

I am still acrophobic.  But it will never be serious.  With God in my life, I can go up higher buildings, cross more bridges, climb higher mountains.  Who knows?  Maybe I can fly a plane someday.  I leave it all up to God.

Not Self-Help, But Supernatural Help!

Not Self-Help, But Supernatural Help!
“Seek from the book of the Lord and read…” - Isaiah 34:16
From Right from the Heart Ministries

Ever notice how much self-help information there is in our society? There are books, radio programs, seminars and numerous talk shows that urge you to take a look at who you are and then change yourself by your determined will.

Have you tried all those methods and yet you're still discouraged by repeating the same old habits?

There are some things that self-help cannot help; things like disease, overcoming certain sins, and most of all, death.

But I have good news: God has a plan for us that goes beyond our abilities. It comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who supernaturally changes us where we can't change ourselves. As a bonus to that faith, He promises us victory over death, and eternal life. If you really want to help yourself, look beyond yourself to the only One who can save you and give you the ultimate victory. His name is Jesus Christ.

MY THOUGHTS
"Where we can't change ourselves"-isn't that always the issue? Sometimes we want to change, but we can't. The saddest part is when we don't want to change because we feel we don't have to.  It's that old excuse that we should be accepted as we are-no matter how bad we have become. 

It will be indeed a tragedy if we don't have a Higher, Supreme Being who can change all that for us.  The best gift I have ever received is having God in my life.  Changing myself is still a struggle.  But when in the past, there was no effort, God has now implanted that desire to be a better person.  I still cannot do it on my own.  The 'fruit of the spirit' seems to be a long way off.  But nothing is impossible with God.  He had made a disciple out of a murderer. He's the only one who can 'mold me and hold me' and make me more and more Christlike.

GARBAGE IS GOLD

 See What God Sees In You

Last month, I bought a second-hand car.

The car was a beauty. (Yes, I’m still a guy. As a little boy, my favorite toy was the matchbox.)

I was curious why the owner was selling it—because it was just four years old. The leather seats still smelled nice. The paint was still shiny. The engine was still powerful.

When I visited his home to pay for the car, I realized why.

In the parking lot, he had newer, bigger, better cars. No wonder he was getting rid of his older car.

To him, the car was garbage.

But to me, the car was gold.

It’s funny how one thing can be garbage to one person and gold to the other.

God Chose Me

Once upon a time, I felt like garbage too.

That was how I saw myself.

I was a man with an uncontrollable sin. I was so messed up I was ashamed that I was even alive.

But Jesus looked at me and didn’t see the garbage.

He only saw the gold.

And He loved me so much, He bought me. He said, “No price is too high. Not cost too big. I want you.”

He ended up paying with His life, shedding his blood.

Friend, this is the Jesus whom we follow.

This Good Friday, I invite you to see what Jesus sees in you.

Find the gold that He insists is there in you.

And receive His love anew this Holy Week.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

PS. See You Easter Sunday! Join me for our Easter Grand Feast on April 24, 8am to 12noon, at SMX (near Mall of Asia). I’ll be preaching on Today is Friday but Sunday’s Coming. It’ll be an experience you’ll be talking about for a long, long time. Don’t miss it! By the way, there are no tickets. No cost. Just walk in! And bring your family and friends. Don’t miss your Easter Blessing. For more information, call Tel. 09178424101. See you there!

MY THOUGHTs

God sees the best in people. It's hard to feel that way when all you see is filth. But God's command is for us to 'treat others as we want to be treated'. It's not easy. It's so hard. Until you see it the wasy Bo sees it - that I'm garbage and yet God saw gold.

looking beyond

i've never looked at faith that way - looking beyond this life and waiting for "the city...whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10)

looking beyond. whatever the circumstances. knowing that His grace is sufficient and He had lovingly special place for us.

looking beyond.

"the closer you are to God, the bigger your heart for people"

i have this habit of reading old 'daily breads'. i think this is a 2006 edition.

today's reading is about (guess what?)love (what else?). but it's not about romantic love. it's the scary kind of love. sacrificial love.

have you ever thought of that? scary, isn't it? sacrifice means giving up things, doing the hard part, 'blood, sweat and tears'.

John 15:13 says "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

we may not have to die for our friends, but having a love that is centered on God, means sometimes forgetting our own needs to give way to the needs of others. may be giving up our own plans, our own schedules because someone needs your help?

"we say we love humanity,
but it is only true
if we're prepared to sacrifice-
for those God asks us to" - Sper

BEING THANKFUL WHEN YOU'RE IN PAIN

The Way to Rejoicing
Written by Rebecca Sample

I gave a homeless man five minutes of my time, a smile and a chance to earn a few dollars. In return he taught me a valuable lesson.

Honestly I had tried to avoid him at first. I saw him walking toward me as I pushed my grocery cart across the parking lot. He wore cutoff jeans, a t-shirt with holes in it and some beat-up sneakers. His curly hair hung in a ponytail down to the middle of his back.

“Can I wash your windows for some spare change, ma’am?”

I hesitated trying to remember if I had any cash on me. I finally said “okay.”

“What? Really?” A grin spread across his face revealing a few missing teeth. “Wow.” He shook his head. “You caught me off guard ma’am.”

I wondered how many people had said “no.”

When I drove off a few minutes later, my windows sparkled. He smiled and waved.

Back at my apartment, I unloaded my groceries and wondered, “Do I show God the same kind of gratitude for His good and perfect gifts that this man showed me? If I don’t give thanks in good circumstances, how will I ever manage to do so during the not-so-good times?”

Paul’s Super Power

The apostle Paul gave thanks locked in a prison cell or shipwrecked on an island just as readily as in the company of good friends. In his letter to the Philippians (4:4) he encouraged his readers to do the same. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!”

Paul seems almost super-human in his contentment, doesn’t he? No food? No problem! Imprisonments, beatings, shipwrecks? Praise God! But what about the rest of us ordinary humans? For those who have watched a loved one die, or for those who have known the heartbreak of a lost romance, the command “rejoice always” seems near impossible to carry out. But I have good news. Paul does not leave us stranded on our own islands of discontent. Later in his letter to the Philippians (4:13), Paul shares his secret: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Paul assumes the Christian empowered by Christ can do the near-impossible.

Paul’s “How-To’s”

He also gives some “how-to’s” to help his readers on their way. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil 4:6).

How-To #1: Don’t Worry

We read in Luke’s Gospel where Jesus said, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (12:25–26). In this crazy world we take great measures to protect ourselves from harm. When we buy a car, we check Consumer Reports for the safety rating. When we buy a house, we ask about the neighborhood’s crime rate. When we buy a carton of eggs, we check to make sure none have already cracked.

And yet we know that at some point bad things will happen. So what do we do? We buy insurance: car insurance, health insurance, life insurance, home owner’s insurance, insurance for floods, fire, wind. There comes a time when we’ve done everything we can do. At this point we should sit back, kick up our feet, and give it to God, but instead we worry.

Worrying comes naturally to me. If this describes you too, don’t fret. When that familiar feeling comes, you and I can remind ourselves that we have direct access through Jesus Christ to the God of all creation, and then go to Him in prayer. We can use worry like a string tied around the finger. We can present our requests to God and remember to give thanks.

How To #2: Give Thanks

When I took a typing class, my fingers moved clumsily across the keyboard. I made a lot of mistakes, and I typed slowly. Today when I type, my fingers move of their own accord, apart from any conscious direction from me. The muscles in my hand seem to perform automatically. Our minds work the same way. Once we establish a habit we can use that built-in muscle memory to our advantage. Paul instructs his readers to dwell on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable” (Philippians 4:8) for that very purpose. The more we think about praiseworthy gifts, the more we will give thanks and praise.

Let’s start by thanking God for the small things, the things we take for granted. When we wake up in the morning let’s thank God for our comfortable beds. As we go through our morning routines, let’s thank Him for indoor plumbing and a hot shower. We can thank God for a pantry full of food, and the electricity that keeps our refrigerators cold. When we imagine life without these conveniences, we realize how big these “small” things truly are. Look around your home. For what can you thank God?

Paul Shows Us How

In 1 Thessalonians, Paul instructs his readers to “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (5:16–17). How many times have we prayed to know God’s will or searched the Scriptures for answers? Right in this verse Paul says it plainly: God wills that we give thanks continually. Establishing thankful habits will prepare us to give thanks even in the not-so-good times.

God does not promise His followers lives free of suffering. When Paul pleaded with God to remove a painful circumstance in His life, God answered “no.” But He also said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God did not remove Paul’s pain, but He did enable Paul to praise Him through it.

Maybe like Paul you have experienced a depth of pain unfathomable to most. But God’s truth remains true through any crisis. He commands us to give thanks in all circumstances because in hard times a thankful heart leads us out of our pain.

Noemia Cessito works with Children’s Relief International serving the poorest of the poor in Mozambique. Speaking about the AIDS victims in her ministry, she said, “Here in Africa girls become women early. Many become mothers at age 13 or 14. Real babies suddenly take the place of their dolls. When these women have an opportunity to play, they quickly become children again. They run like they never ran as children. They laugh until their bellies ache. In that brief moment of time, they give themselves over to joy and they forget about their AIDS.”

Acts of thanksgiving will not quick-fix our pain. But like those women who embraced the opportunity to rejoice even in the most dire circumstances, we too can find relief from our grief when we lift up a prayer of sincere thanks to God. When we see God and His good gifts through our pain, healing eventually comes, and through that process we learn worship. That worship turns our suffering into joy, our mourning into mirth.

After my encounter with the homeless man, as I put away my strawberries, my yogurt, my bread, my milk, and especially my ice cream, I thanked God for His provision, and the gift this man had given me. His abundant gratitude for my meager offering made me keenly aware of the meager gratitude I offer to God for His abundance. While I filled my refrigerator, thanks filled my heart, and I realized God’s command to give thanks is a gift in itself.

MY THOUGHTS

to be thankful when everything's falling apart? it's hard. and only God can bring back the song in your heart. no matter what.

in times of crisis

Molten Moments
Editor's page
Marshall Shelley | posted 1/17/2011

Nobody wakes up and starts the day thinking, I hope I find myself in a crisis today. Ever known anyone to write at the top of the personal wish list: "A real crisis"? I didn't think so. Me neither.

While no one longs to be in crisis, that's where we often find ourselves, especially as leaders. The crisis can be personal, or it can be organizational: a financial crisis, a painful conflict, a health concern, a crisis of faith, a public failure, a costly loss, a season of grief, a crucial moment of decision, or some other high intensity defining moment.

And in a church, with the number of people we deal with, someone is in crisis almost continually. In fact, as veteran pastor Alan Redpath once observed, "If you're a Christian pastor, you're always in a crisis—either in the middle of one, coming out of one, or going into one."

Crisis can become the norm for those of us in church life, not unlike it is for those who work in an emergency room or homeless shelter. But we don't often think of it that way. Too often a crisis catches us by surprise.

On the positive side, crisis moments are often the times God does his best work. Ask almost any mature believer, and they will tell you that they grew more as a person, as a Christian, during seasons of loss, pain, and crisis than they did at any other time.

While no one longs for personal crisis, the saying is true nonetheless: a crisis is too valuable to waste.

In one of my favorite PreachingToday.com sermons, Bruce Thielemann calls them "molten moments." He describes work in a foundry and that brief period in which metal has been heated enough to be shaped into something useful. And when things cool, it's too late.

Similarly, crisis is a short-term opportunity to do some long-term good.

And in the current issue of Leadership, John Ortberg writes: "Actually, the wonderful and terrible thing about crisis is that it's the one resource we do not have to fund or staff or program. It just comes. However, pain does not automatically produce spiritual growth. Ghettos and barrios and abusive homes and trauma wards may produce scarred souls; they can cripple more human spirits than they strengthen. Crisis can lead to soul strength, but not if the soul is starved of other nutrients, and not apart from certain responses."

To develop this theme, we've gathered the stories of various churches and the different kinds of crisis, and crisis response, they encountered. And we'll be featuring them on our website over the next few weeks. You'll learn from the responses of the leaders involved.

In some cases, the crises became a "stress test" of their faith, revealing areas of weakness that needed to be strengthened. In other cases, the crisis was a "proving ground" of faith, revealing the resilience and equilibrium that confidence in God can produce.

But what becomes clear in almost every case: The time to prepare for a crisis is before it happens. Jesus' example in the Garden of Gethsemane is instructive. There Jesus does his intense preparation for the upcoming crisis, praying in anguish till "his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." But after that, when Judas arrives and throughout the crisis itself—his arrest, interrogation, trial, and crucifixion—he is steadfast and demonstrates astounding poise.

While crisis may not be your favorite leisure activity, it's certain to come. And when it does, we hope that you'll be prepared to face it in faith, knowing that God is at work.

Marshall Shelley is editor-in-chief of Leadership.

MY THOUGHTS

i call it "crunch time". it's like a tea bag. you see the true color only after it is soaked in boiling water. that is what crisis does to people. you may have glimpses of a person's character through your daily , normal encounters. wait until after a serious problem crops up. then you'll see the real score.

Copyright © 2011 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.

Life Lessons from Women of the Bible

Life Lessons from Women of the Bible
By Claudia Mair Burney
from www.beliefnet.com

For centuries they’ve inspired, enlightened, and empowered us. With their unadorned faith, the women of the Bible continue to teach us how to live authentic, God-touched lives. No matter what our spiritual traditions are, we can find ourselves in their stories.

Here are 11 Biblical women whose lives are as relevant today as they were when they were first recorded.

Eve, the Mother of All Living
Genesis 2:4b and 3:1-24

God created Adam and found him wanting. Enter Eve, formed from Adam’s rib, made of the same raw materials as he, and given the power to choose between good and evil?. In the creation story we find a strong, interdependent Eve, fully engaged with the world around her. She explored the Garden, dialogued with a serpent, decided on the forbidden fruit, and liked it enough to share the experience with Adam.

Eve’s story reminds us that women can be both creative and destructive. She teaches us to weigh our choices carefully, tempering our desires with wisdom.

Hagar, the Stranger Welcomed by God
Genesis 16:1-16 and 21:1-21

After God promised He would make of Abram a great nation, Sarai, past childbearing age, suggested he impregnate her maid Hagar. Be careful what you ask for. Once Hagar was pregnant, Sarai regretted her scheme, and heaped so much abuse on Hagar that the weary woman fled. There, in the wilderness, the slave, whose name means, “stranger,” received a comforting message. “The Lord has heard you. God has answered you.” Hagar returned to her abusive mistress with a promise that her own son’s descendants would be too many to count.

If you are disenfranchised, despised, or despairing, listen for the voices of angels. You may find your courage is only a prayer away.

Rahab, a Harlot with a Heart of Gold
Joshua 2:1-24

Centuries before the tart with a heart became Hollywood fodder there was Rahab’s story. She single-handedly saved two of Joshua’s spies by hiding them, lying to the authorities, and helping the pair to escape. As shrewd as she was gorgeous Rahab knew an opportunity when she saw one. “Swear to me by the Lord, that since I am showing kindness to you, you will in turn show kindness to my family.”

Lest you think her actions were manipulative, consider how offering assistance to the spies put her own life in peril. But Rahab recognized the divine favor that rested upon the men. She boldly asked for and received what she desired. Rahab teaches us to use our wiles effectively and with great love. After all, the life you save may be your own.

Deborah, the Warrior Princess
Judges 4 and 5

In a time in which it was improper for a woman to be alone in a house with a man, Deborah sat outside beneath a palm tree and judged Israel. After 20 years of oppression, it was she who summoned the military general Barak to take ten thousand soldiers and storm Mt. Tabor against their enemy Sisera. Barak answered, “If you go with me.” Deborah agreed, but told Barak he’d receive no glory. “The Lord will have Sisera fall into the power of a woman.” This prophecy would have dual meaning, for not only would Deborah be remembered as the real leader of this victory, Sisera would literally fall because of a woman. (See Jael.)

Deborah inspires us to trust our wisdom and instincts and to humbly accept the credit due us. A canticle (Judges 5) is dedicated to her bravery. Her example admonishes us to always remember and respect the power of a woman.

Jael, the Ordinary Woman with the Heart of a Lion
Judges 4:17-22 and 5: 6, 24

When the war-weary, defeated general of Canaanite forces staggered into Jael’s encampment, he couldn’t have known that through her husband the calculating woman had bonds that obligated her to Israel. She sheltered Sisera, hid him, gave him milk when he asked for water, and comforted him until he slept. Then Jael, tiny in stature compared to the fearsome Sisera, murdered him in his sleep, fulfilling Deborah’s prophecy.

Jael’s story lets us know sometimes a girl has to slay the giants in her life, using whatever crude tools are available. Jael’s hands may have been bloodied in the process, but Israel experienced 40 years of peace because of her lion-hearted act.

Ruth, the Lovely Friend
The Book of Ruth

Their names say it all. Ruth, believed to be a short version of “retut,” or lovely friend, was the widowed daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi, also a widow, was exiled from Moab because of a famine and had returned to Bethlehem after the death of her sons. She told old friends, “Call me Mara, for the Lord has made it very bitter for me.” What Naomi missed is the sweetness of a special gift: Ruth. Naomi had released her grieving daughters-in-law to return to their people, but Ruth declared, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

Fortunately for Ruth, Boaz, a close friend of Naomi’s husband’s family, noticed her charms and blessed her. That got Naomi’s attention, which goes to show you: a lovely friend can turn the heart of a bitter women. Naomi hatched a successful plan to bring her kinsman, Boaz, and Ruth together. The couple later had a son, Obed, the grandfather of David. Ruth disappeared from the story, only to be remembered later as one of four women named in Matthew’s lineage of Jesus.

Ruth’s lesson to us? Steadfast love and loyalty may just lead you into a glorious destiny.

Bathsheba, from Lust Object to Queen Mother
2 Samuel 11:2, 3, 12:2, I Kings 11:31, 2:13-19, I Chronicles 3:5

Beautiful Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, bathed on her rooftop while the king of Israel watched in secret. The country was at war, and David should have been with his men, but the king had grown more self-indulgent in his mature years. He had no qualms about sending for another man’s wife, simply because he lusted for her. And Bathsheba didn’t hesitate to go to him. The king and Uriah’s wife shared a night of passion, but not without consequences. Bathsheba became pregnant, and David had her soldier- husband killed. The prophet Nathan pronounced judgment upon the king. “Thus says the Lord, ‘I will bring evil upon you out of your own house.’” The child Bathsheba carried died a week after its birth.

But God had mercy on the couple. Though they’d continue to have trials, God blessed the pair with Solomon. Bathsheba would be remembered not only for her early indiscretion, but also for her wisdom and leadership as Queen Mother. She teaches us that mercy can be the beginning of a brave new life, and that we all must carry our grief, release it, and live again.

Esther, a Clever Queen
The Book of Esther

Esther was a simple orphan, raised by her cousin Mordecai, until she decided she was destined to be royalty. Hiding her Jewish identity, she became a harem contestant, and after a year of spa treatments, emerged a stunner. The king may not have been bright, but he knew how to pick a beauty queen. Smitten, he rewarded Esther with a crown. It was good to be Esther until a tip from Mordecai forced her into action. The king, who led more by whim than wisdom, was convinced by his evil minister Haman to kill all Jews. Mordecai begged Esther to intervene, even though an unsummoned appearance before the king could be deadly, even for queens. But Esther knew she had to act on behalf of her people. “If I perish, I perish,” she said. In the end her wisdom prevailed, and her bravery saved her kinsmen.

Esther reminds us to be imaginative, as well as courageous. We don’t always have to fight to get what we want; sometimes we just have to outwit our adversary.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus
Luke 1:26-38, 1:39-56, 2:1-7, 2:21-38, 2:41-52, 4:16-30, 8:19-21

Much has been said about accepting Jesus as the personal savior, but no one accepted him in a more personal way than Mary, his mother. She literally “fleshed out” the unthinkable: Immanuel, God with us. The Scriptures tell us that the young virgin, betrothed to a carpenter, Joseph, was granted a very special favor. “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David… and of his kingdom there will be no end.” What is most notable is not the miraculous visitation, it’s that she said an unprecedented “Yes."

Mary was the first disciple of Christ. She had to believe in him before anyone else. Her faith in Jesus was not a product of her extraordinary actions. It was a gift. Her lesson to us is that we must let go of the notion that we create faith based on our works. God gifts us with faith, which makes our good works possible.

Photini, the Woman at the Well
John 4: 1-30

Like Jesus, the Samaritan woman came to the well thirsty. Jesus wanted to quench his bodily thirst; so did the woman, but the story hints at deeper layers of meaning. Perhaps Jesus thirsted for souls, and the woman for at-long-last love. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said, a scandal; Jews were forbidden to share anything in common with unclean Samaritans. When she questioned him he replied, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

Living water must have sounded good to the ex-wife of five, now shacked up with a sixth paramour. She took a long, deep drink, never to thirst again. Photini became one of Christianity’s earliest evangelists, telling everyone she knew what Jesus had done. She teaches us that no matter how parched our dry soul places, love can make a surprising appearance and quench all our thirsts.

Mary Magdalene
Matt. 27:55-56, Mark 14:40-41, Matt. 28:1-9, John 20:18

Poor Mary Magdalene. St. Gregory the Great ruined her reputation suggesting she was a prostitute. Scholars have since rejected his thesis, and today Mary Magdalene is seen as one of Jesus’ most powerful allies. Sure, he may have had to cast seven demons out of her, or at least healed her of an undisclosed illness, but the grateful woman of means in turn led his female disciples and offered Jesus financial support. The four Gospels cite Mary as following Jesus to the end of his life, while his male disciples scattered. It was she who was brave enough to go to the guarded tomb of a convicted felon and chat with angels, and she who first encountered the risen Christ. She became the Apostle to the Apostles, when she ran, not walked, to the men by proclaiming the good news, “I have seen the Lord.”

With Mary as our example, we can follow our passions with everything within us, fearlessly, no matter what obstacles we encounter.

MY THOUGHTS

3 biblical women struck me the most: Ruth with her "steadfast love", Batsheba who "carried her grief, released it and lived again; and Photini whose "soul was like dry parched land but surprisingly found love to quench her thirst".

are you afraid of the unknown?

Are you Afraid of the Unknown?

Uncertainty can be unsettling!!! Who knows what we will find?
- New experiences?
- Changes?
- New needs?

God has a comforting answer.

Deutoronomy 11:11-12
“The land you are to take possession of is land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land that the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.”

What is there to fear? The Lord is to be our "source of supply". In Him are "springs and fountains and streams that will never be cut off or run dry". If He is the source of our mercies. mercy will never fail us.

For sure we will go through valleys and hills - "not flat or forever downhill"!!! Can you imagine a life with boring sameness of smooth plains and valleys protected from the storm? That may be comfortable. That may be bliss - for awhile. Then life will take it's course again. The hills are sure to loom in the horizon. And we wouldn't know how to climb up and down that hill because we got too comfortable in the valley of our lives.

What are the hills and valleys?

HILLS are the "Cold, seemingly barren circumstances" in our lives. They are difficulties, things we question and complain about. They are situations that are "stern" and hard to bear, the "rugged terrains", the steep climb that can sometimes seem endless. Have you experienced "loss, sorrow or trial"? Then, you have been blessed with God's hills of life.

A valley. as defined by the Contemporary english dictionary of Collins Webster, is a "long depression in the land surface, usually containing a river, formed by erosion or by movements in the earth's crust". Valleys are our times of rest, our fruitful years, times of peace and abundance, where blessings, from our human point of view flow like a river. Our valleys can become our wilderness, if we fail to recognize where they come from,if we make them the masters of our existence.

We need the valleys and hills. The hills "collect the rain" for hundreds of fruitful valleys. God’s hills are a "gracious protection for His people against their foes". That's easy to say - especially if you've always been in a valley and have no idea what a "steep climb" means.

The hills will come. And when that happens - Just TRUST, even if you "can’t see what the hills are accomplishing". Our Father is always near to take our hand and lead us on the way.

My thoughts

Life cannot and will never be a “bed of roses”. God has so designed life to have its ups and down. What do we learn by just traveling on a plain of comfort and luxury? It is when we’ve been tested, when we’ve been humbled, when we’ve gone through pain and hardship that we become strong, when we are able to let go of the sin that is pride, when we become more compassionate to the pain and hardship of others and when we most feel that God truly loves us.

It’s not easy to go up and down the hills and mountains of life. Sometimes you feel like giving up. Sometimes you feel like you’re being punished. Sometimes you experience such self-pity you wonder if there’s a God.

But there is a God. We don’t know exactly why God has taken us from the valley and into the hills. We don’t need to know why. We just need to know that God will not forever leave us on the hills. Somewhere, someday, he has reserved a valley for us to rest until we need to climb another hill again, then down another valley. Each hill and each valley a preparation, a sign that God is in control, that He can do as He pleases with our lives. And this is the best thing that can happen to us – to just let go and let God take over. His plans for us are far better than ours. We’re bound to make mistakes. But God never will.

So, look forward to your hills. Wait patiently for your valleys. God will always be there to lead you, to uphold you, to love you. Life cannot be and will never be a “bed of roses”. God loves us too much for just roses. He always has something better for us.

finding a gift in a second hand gift

As I said, "Streams in the Desert" is a daily devotional by L.B. Cowman. It was first printed in 1998. I have the 2007 copy. This was given to me by a dear dear friend when I celebrated my nth bday! (Go ahead, waste your time doing your math!!!). It was a second hand gift. I know because my friend's dedication reads "a gift I must share with you - one of the very best devotional guide that really touched my life". And my friend was right. "Streams in the Desert" has touched my life - from Day 1 of the 366 devotionals. I don't even know how to begin sharing how I found countless of "streams", overflowing hope in the sometimes barren "desert" of our lives. I didn't find a single gift from this second hand gift. I found numerous, valuable, priceless gifts. And these gifts I want to share with you. I hope and pray you will find your own "streams", too.