I Shall Not Want

      

     I have always wondered about the picture David the Psalmist painted in his lyrics, portraying God as a shepherd and referring to all of God's followers as his sheep. Centuries later, Jesus, too, called himself the Good Shepherd. 
     I know very little about raising sheep and their characteristics, but in reading A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, by Phillip Keller, the author shared information that opened my eyes to better understand many things David understood and alluded to.
     Mankind was never created to be separated and completely independent from the Creator. This is demonstrated in the routine in the Garden, where in Genesis, it is recorded that God came in the cool of the day to walk and talk with Adam and Eve daily.          
     Many of us are like the sheep Keller raised. We wander off and get distracted. Eventually, we return to the flock for safety, but in the meantime, like sheep straying away, we hurriedly drink from dirty, rancid puddles rather than waiting for the pure, cool streams our heavenly shepherd wants to lead us to. Discord and frustration by some are sown in the flock, and they need to be reoriented or removed so that the rest of the flock can flourish in peace. 
    I learned about a deadly condition that sheep can suffer from in Keller's book, which surprised me. If not for the shepherd's intervention, a cast sheep that is too fat has too much wool or gets stuck on its back as it rolls down in a soft hollow. These sheep end up on their backs, helpless to right themselves to stand on their feet again. On their backs with their feet in the air, their rumen expands. This cuts off circulation to their legs and further interrupts any chance of standing upright again. This quickly turns into a deadly situation and sheep cannot survive without the aid of a watchful shepherd who notices their feet in the air, coming to the rescue.
 
   
     The shepherd turns them over, and as he straddles the sheep between his legs, he soothingly speaks to it. Then, gently, the shepherd rubs its legs to aid in circulating the blood. If the sheep is still too weak to stand alone, patiently, the process is repeated. The shepherd knows it is just a matter of time before the sheep will respond and be able to stand erect again. 
     Once the sheep is restored, it often leaps around in joy to join the other flock members. What a pleasant sight! I imagine the shepherd laughs at these antics out of pure joy at its recovery. 
     Humans who are consumed by themselves become fat with pride. This illusion of self-importance is a recipe for self-destruction. Many individuals consider themselves the end-all, cutting others down and seemingly considering themselves gods and perfection. These have gone astray and turned their backs on the Creator, who brought everything into being. 
     Just like a patient shepherd shears the excess wool that causes a cast sheep to roll over onto its back, so Jesus came to shear mankind of the extreme weight of sin and death that take us on a death roll toward eternal damnation.
    By clipping and trimming us from this self-imposed separation from God, He restores in us our true destiny. Hidden under all that mess, Jesus uncovers the uniquely beautiful spiritual DNA that perfectly suits and fulfills us. 
     This fresh new journey begins once a person surrenders to God's call. Unexplainable joy fills us on these new paths with a deeper dimension of joy, peace, and love that generates compassion to share with others so that they can enjoy freedom. 
      God is the epicenter and source of all love. He is pure in intent and has our best interest at heart. We are his ultimate plan for being catalysts to change the chaos and deprivation on this planet. Plug into the Source and be all you were meant to be! 

     My heavenly Father is a good God. I shall not want.
     

Romans 8:15-17 (MSG) 
This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us--an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!

 
My references on cast sheep are from Phillip Keller*, and the scripture is from The Message Bible.
   *For two months, I studied Keller's book A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23 and Psalm 23 with a group of ladies. We learned corresponding truths in the Bible concerning shepherds and sheep. 

     Keller had degrees and experience in many fields and worked primarily out of British Columbia, but he was raised in East Africa, where he observed shepherds during his childhood. 

     Later in his adult life, he owned and tended sheep for eight years. This gave him an insider's view, allowing him to gain insights into what David, the shepherd king, wrote about in this great psalm. I highly recommend reading both.

GONE WITH THE WIND

     Glancing at my watch, I discovered my afternoon had tip-toed out of sight, but my list stared up at me earnestly. Where did the day go? For that matter, where has my life gone? Have I spent it well or wasted it? 

     As I walk through the rooms of my house, I hear the call of good intentions and unfinished tasks.

     "Finish me!" 

     "Start me!"

     My desk in our joint office has a long list of items in the queue. Bills wait to be paid, and receipts from purchases are stacked, wondering when I will tire of their presence so they can be filed away. My list of "someday I would love to" ideas piles up, waiting for me to research and develop them. 

     Recipes for soaps or foods sit to the side. Other files hold manuscripts that need another edit or rewrite for the first or tenth time.            

     My standing desk, my writing oasis, is up by our media room, and on it, I have outlines and notes for unfinished books and messages.

     My laptop dutifully beckons me,  "Please write something." 

     "Come over here and be creative for a few hours!" the desk cries out." 

     Yes, this is my heart and my dream—to write, to be published, and to share these thoughts that only my mind has put together from my studies and life experiences.

     Early before work today, I chatted with my husband, Jerry, who sat next to me while I got a bite for breakfast. He declared how much he loved me and prayed for me. Before he left the house, he kissed me goodbye; he never forgets. 

     My sweet mama lives with us and is now 93. At lunch or whenever our paths intersect, we chat a bit to sync our calendars and set reminder alarms. 

     Finally, I climb the stairs to answer the calls to edit and write.

     Years before, I raised six children and thousands of other children and teens who belonged to other mothers. Throughout my career as a public school teacher, I taught preschool, elementary, middle, and high school. 

     Back then, between rehearsals, preparing for work, church, sports, theater, and picking up and dropping off kids going to practices or to their minimum wage jobs, it was hard to imagine ever having time for my own personal dreams. Yet now, with the nest empty, I see clearly that in the busyness that my tribe afforded, I did live my dreams back then. 

     But that was then. This is now. Now I am retired. Really? Ha, I wonder sometimes! Last week, I whispered to Jerry, "Hon, I don't feel retired." 

     Yet, today, I am allowed to chase after long-awaited dreams that I teasingly told myself, "When I grow up...I will..." 

     My life is complete but with more balance. What more could I want out of life? God kept me sane and content throughout the challenges and trauma that I have experienced. I am wiser now for all of the wear and tear. 

     I enjoy this front-row seat, cheering on my husband and interacting with Mom, children, grands, and great-grands as they grow and flourish. Many prayers have gone up and were answered. 

      Life is precious. Like sand through an hourglass, it briefly passes through our present, and then it is gone. 

     I discovered the answer to my first question. When I evaluate the total, I have no regrets. I did not waste my time or my life. The bad did not outweigh the good. 

     Time comes and goes. Will it be wasted? Well, that is up to you and me to decide. But when it is spent. Embrace it.

     

     

   

     

THE RATTY AFGHAN

 

     Last night, my husband and I sat on our loveseat to read a book together, which was required for some training for Globe International. As usual, he likes the ceiling fan running, so in my usual fashion, I pulled my trusty afghan over me that has seen better days.

     I read the first chapter, then it was his turn. I tried to keep my focus, but I kept eyeing my afghan. 

     I had not really looked closely at this afghan until now. It was in terrible shape! This beautiful bright afghan I'd purchased years ago had been literally through the wringer of my washing machine dozens of times. I loved the splash of color that it added to the room, and I would not discard it. It was so soft, comforting, and familiar. It had seen me through many ups and downs as I snuggled in its warmth.

     I returned my thoughts to the chapter at hand, but I couldn't help but plot a solution in the back of my head. When we finished our studies, I began my work to restore this old friend to its former glory.

     Never once did I think of stuffing it into our garbage container, and yet it was not in any shape that I would consider giving it away either. 

     I remember the first day this beauty caught my eye as I browsed through a dry goods store. The afghan was a little pricey, but I wanted that tomato-red dash of color to compliment our brown leather couch for contrast. 

     When I placed my new find in our family room that first day, it really set the room off. Cozy and warm under my blanket, on that chilly evening, I stared into flames, jumping and crackling in our fireplace. 

     It was love at first sight. It still is, but I have to work to tame these scraggly pieces of yarn that have twisted and caught and taken others on their naughty journey of disarray. 

     It was nine o'clock, and our reading had finished. My husband headed upstairs to check his email while I went for the scissors. Pulling up the straying strands and snipping, I figured that this might take about thirty minutes.  

     At ten-fifteen, I was just finishing one side. I know myself. Since I have ADHD tendencies, when I have a mindless project like this, I have to stick with it while I am inspired, or I will find more interesting things to do that prevent me from returning to it for a long time. 

     After painstakingly working away for a long while, I admired the transformation of the first side. 

     I thought about how marriage relationships can get frayed over time due to the stresses and responsibilities life brings, especially during the child-rearing years. Couples frequently focus more on the children's welfare and happiness and tend to neglect their own.

        Life is tough and strains relationships over time, mostly because they involve two imperfect human beings. In our modern American society, our culture has made it easy to walk away rather than to stay and do the work it takes to cultivate a healthy relationship from one that is strained merely from lack of attention. 

     Over time, the energy of the relationship sputters almost to a halt, and the temptation is to blame the other spouse when life together is less than you want it to be. If both would remember the "why" of what brought them together, show mutual respect, and express love and gratitude every day, staying committed to the marriage and to each other would not become an issue.

     Other things can factor in like being absorbed by internet content, work, or not making time for moments where you can converse and focus on each other without other demands. 

     Often, I see couples out for dinner on the town, and as soon as the order is taken, the phones are whipped out. No real conversation. No eye contact. Or how about the man who will spend all the time thinking of clever things to say to the wait staff rather than trying to listen and respond to his own wife. 

     Just like allowing those snags to detract from the beauty of my afghan, simply forgetting the wonder of your spouse and looking them in the eye or letting them know they are the most important person to them this evening can bring a spark to keep the deep friendship and love into the forefront. This revitalizes both partners. These simple little gestures reassure each other of their importance. The result will cause you both to have a beautiful foundation for your family.

     For years, I overlooked the rattiness of my originally beautiful blanket. I never stopped to look closely because I was preoccupied with a book I was reading, conversations around me, or just closing my eyes and napping. Nothing was wrong with any of those activities, but I allowed my cherished afghan to deteriorate by not paying attention.

     After taking a few hours to snip and remove the ratty strands that went awry on the afghan, I discovered in astonishment just how beautiful, like new, this wonderful old friend of mine looked. I am no longer ashamed of it. It is a lovely decorative part of my living area upstairs where my red chair, red ottomans, and lamp set off my grey couch and black and white chair. It is such a great feeling to see the result of my work. 

     How much more important are all of our relationships. Things get ratty, I know. Sometimes repairs are not the answer, but for the most part, when both are willing to work; they can unearth the beauty, warmth, and comfort once enjoyed together. 

     Snip away at the misconceptions and embrace the truth. Cut off apathy and be intentional. Don't give up because of a tough spot. Keep at it, and you will find that over the years, you have cultivated a thing of beauty that just takes time. It takes getting your hands dirty. It takes pushing the easy way out and telling it to be quiet. It takes forgiving another; sometimes, the hardest of all is forgiving yourself. 

     It is never too late to renew those vows. It can only get better.   

     

     Isaiah 43:19 (KJV) "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

   

     P.S. I have to add this last part. I have been in abusive relationships. I am not condemning anyone who has experienced anything like that. I know too well about relationships that cross boundaries with disrespect for the covenant of marriage or of the other person. There are times when, due to abuse, whether physical, psychological, or emotional, one attacks another with no acknowledgment or desire on the offender's part to change. Without a resolution or a movement to care for one another mutually, over time this breaks down and is not a safe place to remain. To remain is unthinkable for the victim and the children. 

     In Matthew 19:8, Jesus mentioned that Moses allowed divorce due to the hardness of men's hearts. 

     

     But remember, if you are in a stale marriage or one that is repairable, give it first to God, bless it, bless your partner, and ask God for wisdom, grace, and mercy to love well. As you both work to restore your relationship, I assure you that you will eventually find your lost treasure trove.

     

    

OUR GOD REIGNS

 

       I see the writing on the wall, don't you? 
      In the past four years, the culture of our country and the world has drastically changed. With it, an ominous haze of disbelief and helplessness has attempted to weary most of us. Many of us tuned in or researched to stay abreast of things happening worldwide that could not be found on television.  

     Lately, while reading and studying the book of Daniel, I saw several times that God struck down kingdoms and leaders regardless of nationality due to their disdain and mockery of God and His principles. God allowed captivity, insanity, and death to befall wicked leaders, and calamity also fell on their citizens to wake them up to the fact that they were not gods. Idols are not true gods, but Yahweh is the one true God.  

     In Daniel chapter 5, I read about the mysterious hand that appeared in the middle of a carousing feast and wrote a message that was from an unknown language. Previous to its appearance, King Belshazzar brought in sanctified goblets captured from the Jewish temple when the Assyrians conquered and carried off captives years ago. Daniel was one of them. These sanctified temple implements were initially used for service to glorify the God of Abraham; this day, this raucous crowd desecrated them by serving wine to unholy individuals while they drank toasts to gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone: a sacrilege. This weak king, already faithless in his duty to his citizens, used his position to further himself and satisfy his desires and whims.

     God sent this mysterious message, which caused the king to quake in his sandals. He was unable to stand. Fear enveloped him. Daniel was called upon to decipher the message. First, he scolded the monarch for his negligence of duty and for forgetting the lessons learned by his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, who went through years of insanity foraging like a wild beast for seven years all because he made statues for worship and even made his people worship him as a god. After restoring his sanity, he became a more humble man and acknowledged the One True God.

     Daniel refused any rewards offered for the interpretation because he knew what was happening that evening. He proceeded to let the king know that the Medes and the Persians were even now at his gates, invading because of his folly and immoral ways. 

     I sense a change occurring. The change in the climate today is not the one that so many in the news have been touting. No, it is a swing back to rational thinking leaning back towards nationalism and to sovereign decisions for the good of their individual countries with a rejection of ideas that impoverish their nation's economy and their citizens.

     In my previous post, God Are You For Real?, I paraphrased much of Isaiah 40 from the Message Bible. In verses 23-24, God tells Isaiah that he reduces rulers to nothing. He makes the elite of the earth seem like nothing at all. They barely get planted and take root in their position of power, and the Lord blows on them...they wither away. (TPT)

     Daniel also scolds the king that his ancestors failed miserably by not acknowledging the God who created them and gave them breath. This same Creator can take that breath back away from them. Leaders are in trouble when behaving like they are gods. 

     In recent years, citizens worldwide have stood up against policies that do not make sense for their prosperity or freedoms. I see some world leaders placed in office promoting common-sense policies again. Some are even believers who pray with their policymakers. Then, I also saw leaders who mysteriously perished or were taken out of power who attacked or did not support God's chosen people, Israel.

     New radical leaders are pulling their countries out of violence and spiraling economies. Peace and prosperity have returned. An admiring world looks on. A flicker of hope spreads. People lend an ear to hear the formula for their successes.*

     In the USA, we also see a massive following for common-sense candidates who denounce broken experimental new policies and stand for the rule of law: law and order. The candidates the masses flock to are the ones with plans to rid our economy of the many brakes deliberately placed on it. Candidates who want to see our country united, peaceful, and healthy again are heeded.

     But my thoughts here revert back to Daniel and the calamities these rulers brought on themselves, not due to politics nor due to inept policies that should have been shelved with no benefit to the citizens. Their fall was due to their disregard for God and his holy principles through their idol worship, debauchery, lewdness, and their murder of innocents through human sacrifice. 

     The most recent affront by a head of state to Almighty God was on March 31, 2024, in Washington, DC. The leader of the free world (much like Belshazzar), on this Holy day, Easter, disrespected our Savior, Jesus, as well as the majority of Americans who are Christians. His speech did not mention the name of the day, Easter. Instead, the day was touted as a day to celebrate things contrary to the worship of God. Children who eagerly waited for the egg hunt on the White House lawn were exposed to the lewd and unbecoming behavior of confused adults. All of this was flaunted in the face of a holy God and an unbelieving world.

     Yes, I see the handwriting on the wall. The sinful leaders and elites in this world who want to minimize us to mere slaves are also going to taste God's judgment either here or before the judgment seat of God. They are misled and blindly follow the orders of God's foe. 

     This is a travesty of disrespect toward all of mankind. But believers are on guard as watchmen and women. They stand in the gap in a spiritual war for our right to rule and reign here on this planet rather than the demonic powers that are pulling the puppet strings.

     Back to Assyria. At the end of that unusual evening, King Belshazzar was killed. Darius the Mede, then sixty-two years old, conquered and took over the kingdom. The tables were turned, and an evil despot was removed that quickly. The grim lessons of these monarchs in Daniel are encouraging me today. Hope is flying its banner. All is not lost.

     These next few months may look chaotic, but as millions in the USA and worldwide cry out to God in repentance for mercy and justice, we are being heard. The tide is turning because OUR GOD REIGNS.

*Do you want to read some encouraging news? Search speeches and interviews featuring President Bukele of El Salvador and President Milei of Argentina. Review the Netherlands' new policies and standards that have been agreed upon for candidates and voting in the EU parliament. Read about what voters are saying in France and Germany. Add any additional topics that are encouraging in the comment section below.

     

     

GOD, ARE YOU FOR REAL?

      

     Like you, I have had times of difficulty. Things have happened to me that I did not completely understand. In spite of it, I always had peace and comfort, knowing that I was not truly facing these things alone, for God was with me. He would see me through and turn what was meant for evil in my life for good. 

     I would have despaired and might have even taken my life at one point if it had not been for God. A song would come to my mind, a scripture that I read, or a verse that I wrote on an index card and posted on my bathroom mirror would center me. Peace would flood over me. God's presence was real and helped me to focus on my worth, especially the purpose I fulfilled every day in the lives of my children. 

     This is one verse that I added a melody to because if I sing it then I memorize it more easily. I sang this as I strummed my guitar in my private time of worship. 

     Isaiah 42:3 NIV

     

     3  A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will 

         not snuff out. In faithfulness, he will bring forth justice;

The Message version translates it a little clearer, saying:

     3  He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt, and he won’t 

         disregard the small and insignificant, but he’ll steadily and firmly 

         set things right.

     

     No matter what you have walked through, whatever you are experiencing now, and whatever may come your way in the future, be encouraged that God loves you. If you will only call on his name, trust in him, and repent of sins, then he will abide with you and you with him forever. 

    This is the hope we have. We are like the grass of the field. We wither and die eventually, but we can have the hope of spending an eternity adventuring all over universes forever and ever with our loving heavenly Father God. I give you Jesus. He has been my example and Savior. The Holy Spirit has taught, guided, and reminded me of who I am in God’s eyes. God will also remind you of your worth to him. 

     In this section of scripture, Isaiah wrote a message quoting what God said about himself as the Creator. I was moved by this, and I wrote the gist of it in my journal during a time of reflection. I want you all to hear and consider God’s message and evaluate your response to God. 

     My prayer is that you will open your mind and heart so that the Holy Spirit can speak and encourage you. Feel free to reread this and ponder the words of God given to us through the prophet Isaiah.

      

     Isaiah 40:11-31 (In my words via The Message Bible)

     God, like a caring shepherd, looks after all of the needs of his flock. He 

     gathers the rejected bummer lambs in his arms. He hugs them, sings to 

     them, and carries them so that they know that they are loved. He leads 

     the nursing ewes and their newborn lambs to a good pasture.

     GOD, THE CREATOR OF ALL, THESE ARE GOD’S DECLARATIONS 

     ABOUT HIMSELF

     (God reminds us the stubborn, the blind, the forgetful, and the 

     faithful of who He is.)    

     WHO has scooped up the ocean in his two hands?

     WHO has measured the sky between his thumb and little finger?

     WHO has put the earth’s dirt in one of his baskets?

     WHO has weighed each mountain and hill?

     WHO could have ever told God what to do, or who could have taught 

     him his business?

     WHAT expert would he have gone to for advice?

     WHAT school would he attend to learn justice?

     WHAT god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows or 

     showed him how things work? A man-made idol crafted from bronze, 

     gold, or silver? Or perhaps of olive wood making a base that will not tip 

     over? Really?

     WHY, the nations are but a drop in the bucket: They are a mere 

     smudge on a window.

     WATCH, he can sweep up the islands like so much dust on the floor.

     THERE aren’t enough trees in Lebanon; there are not enough animals   

     in all of the forests to furnish adequate fuel and offerings for his 

     worship!

     ALL nations add up to simply nothing before him. 

     LESS than nothing, a minus (-).

     WHO even comes close to being like God?

     TO WHOM OR WHAT can you compare him?

     HAVE you not paid attention or listened? Haven’t you heard these 

     stories all of your lives?

     DO you not understand the foundation of all things?

     GOD sits high above the round ball of earth.

     PEOPLE look like mere ants to him.

     HE stretches out the skies above us like a canvas of protection, yes, like

     a tent.

     PRINCES and RULERS are nothing in comparison.

     THEY shrivel like seeds when God blows on them. Like chaff, they are 

     GONE WITH THE WIND.

     SO…WHO is like me?

     LOOK to the night skies; who made all of this?

     WHO marches this army of stars out each night? 

     WHO counts the stars?

     WHO calls them by name? So magnificent and powerful?

     WHO never overlooks a single one?

     WHY would you ever complain, whine, or say, “God was not here for 

     me. He does not care what happens to me?”

     LISTEN. PAY ATTENTION! God does not come and go. He is always 

     looking after you. 

     GOD is the Creator of all that you can see or imagine.

     HE does not tire or pause to catch his breath.

     HE knows everything inside and out.

     HE energizes those who are weary with all that this world brings into 

     our lives.

     HE gives fresh strength and forgiveness to those who have dropped

     out for a while to get up and go on.

     YOUNG folk tire and drop out in their prime. They stumble and fall.

     BUT…

     THOSE who wait upon the Lord get renewed strength.

     THEY spread their wings like eagles

     THEY run and don’t get tired

     THEY walk and don’t lag behind.

     

      This is my great God. He’s always been there for me, and he always will be. 

Sunset

      

     Soon my husband and I will be flying off to an island in the Eastern Caribbean for a few short days of rest on the company tab. My husband is quite the salesman and has won another trip in his effort to provide for our family. It will be great to have some alone face-to-face time while tasting and experiencing a foreign culture with a new stamp in my passport. I most look forward to viewing an endless expanse of ocean and waking to bold morning sunrises. The evening bursts of color streak across the celestial easel reflecting all the way from the horizon toward me while I witness Sir Dusk surrendering to the Nocturnal Guard.

     For just a few sacred moments, the rosy hues dance until they fade from sight. I'm reminded of trips with sunsets framed by the Tetons, reflections across the Gulf, the Pacific, and the Caribbean.

     Sunset. This time of life is approaching my ninety-three-year-old mother, the matriarch of our family. 

      At three-thirty, early on Valentine's Day, my phone rang. It was Mom calling me from her rehab to let me know that she was experiencing difficulties with her heart and would soon be at the nearby hospital's ER. 

     A little disoriented due to just a few hours of sleep, I concured and promised to meet her ASAP. I showered, all the time pushing away fear-filled thoughts that darted to and fro to dominate me. In defense, I proceeded to declare healing and peace over my mother. 

     Today was also the anniversary of my parent's first date, so in order to lighten the mood while we waited for more test results and a room for the night, I asked Mom to recall her feelings and events as her eighteen-year-old self. I wanted to hear her tell the story again of how years ago my parents began their romance that propelled them into seventy-four years of life together lasting until last April when my father breathed his last breath.

     I saw the transformation in her countenance. She was transported in time to her younger unencumbered self. Her vibrant self in college that had not experienced a difficult childbirth, the loss of a beloved husband, or failing health. 

    A giggle erupted and a silly grin. She first recalled her roommate's reaction to the momentous phone call that turned Mom's world upside down. 

     "You know, I was expecting a call from another young man to ask me out," Mom started, "but instead, Frank was one who called me." 

     Mom stopped and added, "My suitemate ended up marrying Norm, the young man that failed to beat your father at asking me for a date." 

     Mom was surprised and didn't expect Dad to call her, which explains why she gave a cool 'yes' in response to my father's ardent request for her to be his date to the Valentine's Banquet.

     Innocence and purity were cherished in their circles back then. My mother went on to experience a beautiful romance with this generous admiring human for seventy-four years. They both grew up to enjoy a gentler kinder era. It's been hard for them to comprehend the raging demands that their daughters, grands, and great-grands face in the dating scene today.

     At this sunset in her life things slowed down a bit. No pressing demands for projects to be completed, no punching the time clock, no kids needing a chauffeur, or waiting to be fed.

     Sunset is such a rich time of life. Plenty of time to embrace good memories and savor the conjoining emotions. Now she envisions the people who knew her, she analyzes past challenges, and how together they managed them. In the end, the act of releasing the bad memories and being grateful that she survived them, serves as an exchange for an abundance of peace...before the clock strikes twelve.

 

     

 

     

     

ENGAGE YOUR SPIRITUAL DNA

 

     I remember sitting my biology lab where the lab assistant taught about the ear and the way that it captures sound waves with these intricate bones that send signals through our nervous system to our brain where it distinguishes between music, sounds, and conversation and translates into emotions, meaning, and sorts through millions of possibilities to identify the origin of the sounds heard. 

     "Wow!" I exclaimed. "That certainly did not happen by chance. This definitely confirms that there was an intelligent Creator in the beginning."

     The blueprint in our DNA from conception that determines everything for so many systems and parts of our body is simply amazing. I am convinced that behind all of this is an omniscient God with super intelligence. when you consider all of the systems in place that work to keep the earth on course, the air and water purified, all the ingredients in the earth for us to grow foods, supply us with animals, plants, and materials to build and design inventions of our own. 

     To quote a recent meme a friend posted on social media, "To be an atheist, I would have to believe:

-nothing produced everything

-non-life produced life

-randomness produced precision

-chaos produced order

I simply do not have that kind of faith."

     Neither do I.
     To think that the complex blueprint rooted in DNA evolved separately from an infinite intelligent Creator is difficult to swallow. To think that we exist by chance with no definite purpose. To believe that order came from chaos, which came from nothing is too hard to fathom.      

     I have no alternative but to acknowledge the Creator who called himself, I AM. For his great works and for his messages to us written down in the Holy Scriptures recorded in the Bible of his creation, the fall of man, and God's ultimate plan in love to spare us an eternity of pain and suffering. For this, I worship Him.
     After the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they reaped the consequences of their sin against their God who intimately spent time walking and talking with them in the cool of the day. 

     The first couple lost their provisions in the lush garden and had to leave it behind. Instead of a ready harvest of fruits and vegetables, they had to plant their own crops by the sweat of their brow. Because of their sin, God could not be present with the couple as in the past, but he did not totally abandon them. 

     God loves all that he created. He loves all mankind. We have the imprint of God in our very DNA. He took a chance by giving us free will to choose our destiny, but that was not the end of the story. God also had a plan B in mind to redeem all mankind back to himself if  necessary. We were never left alone to our own devices.
     David, the Psalmist, in his lyrics portrayed God as a shepherd and we as his sheep. Centuries later, Jesus too called himself the Good Shepherd. Growing up in towns and cities I know very little about raising sheep and their characteristics, but in reading A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, by Phillip Keller, the author shared information that opened my eyes to better understand the gentle caring overseer that David was alluding to. 

     Throughout my life, through trials and suffering, I have come to know God in a more intimate way. I always felt His love not his condemnation. He constantly cared for me and my family. I know from experience that God provides when I have nothing more. God never failed me. He has always been with me. Nothing separates me from his love and mercy.
     People are like some of the sheep Keller raised. They wander off and need to be drawn back to the flock for safety. They hurriedly drink from dirty rancid puddles rather than waiting for the pure cool streams that the shepherd is leading them to. They cause discord and frustration in the flock and need to be removed or better, reoriented so that the rest of the flock can flourish. 
    One type of sheep however will perish if not for the intervention of the shepherd: the cast sheep. Cast sheep are sheep that due to being too fat, having too much wool, or just lying down in a soft hollow, end up rolling onto their back, helpless to right themselves in order to stand on their feet again. Their rumen expands cutting off circulation to their legs which further interrupts any path of escape from this situation they are in. 

 

   

     Their only hope is that when their watchful shepherd gazes over the pasture at his flock and notices their struggling feet up in the air, that he runs to rescue it. The shepherd turns a cast sheep over, holds it upright between his legs, then speaks in soothing tones as he rubs the sheep's legs to encourage better circulation of the blood to its legs. 

     Even then, the sheep might falter and fall again, not yet strong enough to stand on its own, but the shepherd repeats the above process to restore the sheep until it regains the total functioning of its legs to leap around with the other members of the flock.
     Cast humans are consumed with self and become fat with pride. This illusion of self-importance is a recipe for self-destruction. Some individuals consider themselves the end-all as though they are gods who turn their backs on the Creator who brought all things into being. 
     Just like a patient shepherd shears the excess wool from a cast sheep that is causing it to fall into the cast state of desperation, so Jesus came to shear mankind of the extreme weight of sin and death that would take us on a death roll toward eternal damnation. He said it himself, "I am the Door. I am the Way. I amd the Truth. I am the life. No man come to the Father except by Me." As simple as that.
     Clipping and trimming from us this state of self-imposed separation from our true destiny which hides under all of our selfish mess, Jesus uncovers our beautifully unique spiritual DNA that perfectly suits and fulfills us. 
     A fresh new journey begins when anyone gladly surrendered to this new calling begins. Unexplainable joy transcends these new paths more than anything that we might have previously chosen. Deeper dimensions of joy, peace, and love burst forth and produce compassion. Armed with a vision not only for our lives but also a knowledge of how to reach out to others to bring this joyful new existence and unselfish response into other lives, spreads this goodness throughout the earth.
     My heavenly Father is a good God. He is amazing and we are marvellously made in His image. He is the epicenter and source of all love. He is pure in intent and has our best interest at heart. We are his ultimate plan to bring His design back in exchange for the chaos and deprivation of this planet. I encourage you to plug into the Source today and be all that you were designed through your unique DNA to be!
     
Romans 8:15-17 (MSG) 
This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us--an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!
 
My references on cast sheep are from Phillip Keller* and the scripture is from The Message Bible.
*For the past two months, I have been studying the book A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller as well as Psalm 23 and a lot of corresponding truths in the Bible with a small group of women. Keller had degrees and experience in many fields and worked primarily out of British Columbia, but during his childhood, he was raised in East Africa and observed shepherds there. Then as an adult for eight years, he owned sheep so he has an insider's view of what David, the shepherd king, wrote about in this psalm. I highly recommend this book.