A Snoodle's Tale

With two kids around, I have plenty of Veggie Tales to watch.  I absolutely love these little cartoons.  My absolute favorite of all the Veggie Tales is "A Snoodles Tale".

To tell you the truth almost every time I watch it, it gives me goose bumps and brings tears to my eyes.  It is so sweet and such a reminder of our self worth and just how much we matter.  That we were created for a purpose and once we realize that we will soar.

Amazing how a cute little 30 minute cartoon can make such an impact on not just my little ones but me also.

I urge you to check them out sometime, even if you don't have little ones around the house, you might just learn something about yourself.

God The Provider

A few weeks ago we again went to family.  This year I was a little leery about going.  I really wanted to go, actually I really needed the break from everything that was going on around me.  Here lately I haven't been feeling 100%.  I think I am just exhausted mentally, physically and spiritually.

For the past few months I have been trying my best to avoid gluten.  I am pretty sure that I have a sensitivity to it.  The problem is at camp the majority of the meals that they make there contain gluten.  Knowing how much I needed this break, I started preparing quick meals to take along.  I knew that there was a store not to far away from where we would be staying in case I needed to restock.  I just thought it was best to plan ahead.

When we arrived at evening worship I realized that one of my favorite speakers, my brother from another mother was our  camp Pastor for the week.  One of his topics for the week was God the Provider.  I was amazed at how each and every message he spoke was exactly what I needed to hear.

Our first morning at camp, I brought along with me my gluten-free breakfast items to the cafeteria.  One meal down and everything went smoothly.  I went back to the cabin the get ready for the day of activities.  My husband came in a little later, and that is when I realized just what kind of week God had in store for me.

It just so happened that one of the staff at camp also was on a gluten restricted diet.  The kitchen would make her a "special" gluten free version of whatever they were making.  Now that they knew that I also was on the same diet they would make sure the make enough for me too.

Needless to say, I spent the entire week  being spiritually, mentally and physically fed.  We only had to go to town once to fill the car up with gas.  I was amazed at how God had provided, and I didn't even ask.

Sometimes we make the mistake of minimizing the power of God.  God knows what we need before we know what we need.  And he always provides  even when we don't ask.

I had an amazing week at camp, in fact I didn't want to leave.  It was so beautiful, the weather was perfect and the one on one time with my family was priceless.  God knew how badly  I needed this break and He made sure it was perfect.

I love these moments when I don't even realize that I am walking by faith, because it is these times that I can actually see.

Matthew 6:31-33

King James Version (KJV)

³¹ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
³² (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The Least of These

I have worked for a few law offices since college.  I have always tried to treat everyone that came through the doors with respect and dignity.  Sometimes it was not the easiest thing to do.

At this one place in particular we would occasionally have this vagrant come by.  It was the same guy every time.  I am assuming that he was a vagrant by the way he dressed and that he always brought with him a duffle bag.  I had also saw him once at our local soup kitchen getting lunch when I was doing volunteer work. He always had some off the wall random story that never made sense asking for an appointment.  I would kindly go along with is story, finally get him to leave and then laugh as he left.  Every so often this would happen and he would stop by as if he had never been there before.

But the last time he came in was different.  As I realized it was him in the lobby, I started with my oh boy attitude here we go again.  I opened the window to "help" him and something came over me.  As I looked at this man, I just felt for him.  The scripture kept repeating in my head, "What you have done to the least of these, you have done to me."  I was set back for a minute, confronted by my own self righteousness.  I felt horrible for all the times that I laughed about him and his "crazy talk."  Instead I saw someone lost and alone and maybe just wanted someone to hear him.  I did go along with his story,  I got the impression that he may suffer from some sort of disorder.  I offered him something to drink thinking that may have just been walking around looking for a place to go.  After informing him that we really couldn't help him as nicely as I could he left.

But this time as he left I didn't want to laugh instead I wanted to cry.

Sometimes even with the best of intentions, we can get so wrapped up in what we think we are that we end up becoming something else.  And this is what was happening to me. We become what we speak against and turn into something we never intended to be.  Surrounded by circumstance, becoming a product of our environment. Doing what is easy instead of what is right.  I am so guilty.

But we are supposed to be bigger than that.  For we serve a God much bigger than our circumstance and much stronger than any environment.   We cannot make excuses for our behavior and hide behind someone else.  We are responsible for our actions, we are responsible for how we treat others.

Self righteousness is a curse and with God's help I hope to one day over come.  In hopes that one day I can say that I did do for one the least of these.

Matthew 25:37-40

New International Version (NIV)

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

In The Midst of Chaos

I got up early Monday morning, earlier than normal.  I was just getting out of the shower when I heard my husband shouting "her water broke!!"  "What?"  I replied.  That is when my husband explained that my sister-in-law, my baby brothers wife was going into labor, she wasn't due for another few weeks.   As panic began to set in,  I took a deep breath and began to focus on the task at hand.

I didn't get much sleep the night before.  My dad was having surgery that morning, at another hospital.  It was a routine out patient surgery, but with my dad's history every surgery with him is serious.  He was having a wisdom tooth removed and sinus surgery to clean out an infection that just wouldn't go away.  The problem is because of radiation damage, the tooth extraction wouldn't be easy and because of his history with cancer, no sinus surgery is routine.  By the time we got news of my sister-in-law my dad was already being wheeled off to surgery.

I called work and told them to just plan on me not coming in that day.  I then called my mom to see where I would be needed.  My mom hesitantly asked me to relieve her and stay with my dad so that she could be with my brother.  My sister-in-law parents live in another state,  so they needed my mom there.  

I knew this day would not be easy.  Before leaving the house, I dropped to my knees to pray.  I prayed for my family and that everything would go smoothly and for the strength to get through whatever came our way.

I had just gotten to the hospital when we were told that they doctors were coming to give us an update.  After waiting twenty minutes my sister called to see  where my mom was, my brother was suiting up.  The baby was breach and because her water broke they needed to do an emergency c-section.  I told my mom to go and I would give her an update as soon as I spoke to the doctors.  She hesitantly and slowly started to leave and then ran to her car.  Another 10 minutes which seemed like an eternity waiting and  the doctors finally came in.

Everything went well, the tooth extraction went smoothly and even better the sinus surgery showed NO RECURRENCE OF CANCER!!  I almost started crying I was so overwhelmed with relief.    But my relief was short lived waiting to hear about my brother and his wife.    As I got back to the waiting room I got a picture text from my sister showing my mom and brother suited up.  She made it in time, another sigh of relief.  I immediately called my mom to give her the good news before she went in.

Soon after my sister-in-law gave birth to a healthy baby girl.  Both she and baby girl are doing well.

When my dad came out of recovery he was disoriented.  When he found out that his granddaughter was born and that he missed it, he was upset.  I reassured him that he would see her soon.  He wanted to go directly to the hospital, but once he got in the car he realized that he just wouldn't be able to do it. He felt better the next day and got to see his precious granddaughter.

But my brother was supposed to work out of town that day, a few hours away.  His wife was feeling good and wasn't due for another few weeks. He didn't realize that my dads surgery was that day, when he found out he made sure he stayed in town to be close just in case.  Because of my dads surgery my brother was in town when his wife's water broke and was able to be there for the birth of his first child.  Had my dad's surgery not been scheduled on that day my brother would have been hours away and would have missed everything.

In the midst of chaos, when we cannot see clearly, God always has a plan.  Sometimes we don't fully understand why we are given such a heavy load, but there is always a reason.   God knew that baby girl would be born that day and he knew that my brother needed to be there.  God knew that my dads surgery would go well, even through we had our doubts.

Remember GOD IS GOOD, ALWAYS!!!!! Some may call all of this coincidence, but I know better.  It is times like these that strengthen my faith, because most of the time I just cannot see.

Proverbs 3:5-6

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

He Never Said It Would Be Easy

To say that the past few weeks have been trying would be an understatement.  Wondering how I am still standing can only be explained by the power of God.

My grandmother passed away a few weeks ago.  She was the last of my grandparents and the one that I was closest to.  I remember spending summers there with her.  Even funnier remembering her fussing at me for something silly.  I can't tell you how much I miss that.  She led a full life, an amazing life at that and she passed at the age of 91.  I will miss her dearly but will rest in the fact that she had such an amazing life.

About a week after that my mom had to bring my dad to the hospital he was shaking and running fever.  She was only back a day after returning from Honduras (that is where she is from) and now exhausted was up for another task.  My dad had pnemonia in both lungs.  What was even worse was he was unable to swallow because of damage done to his tongue.  

A few years ago my dad had a really bad infection in his inner ear due to getting water in his ear (he had holes in his ears from tubes).  The doctors refused to diagnose his infection for over six months insisting that his cancer had returned.  Finally he found a doctor that would treat the infection with antibiotics but by then the infection had already done its damage.  It finished off what the radiation didn't get.  Now his swallowing doesn't work properly and food and water get into his lungs which caused the pneumonia.

So now in order for my dad to get nutrition, in order for him to eat and avoid a relapse, they had to put in a feeding tube.  If felt like such a moment of defeat, like we had lost.  He stayed a week in the hospital and then another week in a rehabilitation facility.

The Monday after he was released, he was back at work, taking it all in stride.  What faith and what a will to live.   He now carries around a bag with his name on it with his food.  While my mother has become a pro at making him meals just for his tube.  Bed ridden, as if, this is my dad we are talking about.  I really don't know how he does it.  As for my mother she has adapted just as well as my dad. "It is what it is,"  is what I seem to hear a lot.

We were never promised an easy life.  In fact this life is hard most of the time.   But I feel like if it is this hard then I must be doing something right.  This life is simply a test of character and how you handle situations and circumstances will only strengthen who you are and your faith.

God never promised easy, but He did promise that it would be worth it.

James 5:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Machine Gun Preacher- FINALLY!!!!!!

I have been waiting for over two years for this movie.  I was excited before it even started filming and now finally I got to watch it.  Anyone who lives in Louisiana knows that we don't get the good movies down here, well usually not anything in limited release anyway.  So Friday while I was shopping I bought the movie as an early birthday present to myself, and over the weekend the hubby and I watched it.

Machine Gun Preacher is based on the life of Sam Childers. If you don't know who Sam Childers is, then you have probably not been reading my blog.  So for those of you who are new, I will give you a little background.  Childers was one a self destructive drug addict, he found God or should I say God found him and helped him find  his purpose.  His purpose fighting the LRA in Sudan and rescuing children.  God definitely knew the man for this job.  He is also a pastor at The Shekinah Fellowship in Central City, PA.

With a star studded cast this movie was amazing.  Gerard Butler and Michelle Monaghan were  amazing. I cried and cried and cried some more.  There are some scenes that are hard to watch, so prepare yourself.  But I always believe that sometimes it has to have violence to get the point across, and this movie was no exception.  I won't tell you anymore but I will tell you that I loved it and it was worth the wait.

If you are a new christian, if you are a seasoned christian,  watch this movie.  If you are struggling with you faith, struggling with your purpose, watch this movie.  Everyone else, watch this movie.

Thank you Pastor Childers,  it is people like you who restore my faith in humanity and strengthen my faith in God.

For more information on the real machine gun preacher click the link to his website: http://www.machinegunpreacher.org

You can also follow the real machine gun preacher on facebook and twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/mgpsamchilders
http://twitter.com/#!/machgunpreacher

After you read this post and visit the websites, go out and get this movie and then watch it, you won't regret it.

Does God Have A Limit?

The other day at church I had gotten into a discussion about forgiveness and whether or not God has a limit to just how much He can forgive.  Of course, my opinion seemed to be a little different from some of the people in the group.

I have done a lot in my lifetime.  A lot of things that I am not proud of.  But through it all I have found comfort in the fact that I have been forgiven.  Even when I seemed to do the same thing over and over.  God's compassion and mercy could see through my sins and get to the root of my problem.  And through my faith my trespasses were wiped clean.

As humans we cannot comprehend Divine forgiveness.  Man may have a limit but God, He does not.  I don't believe that God has a limit and if He does, then is way more then I could ever imagine.  In our humanly imperfect  view of things, we forget the magnitude of who God is and His ability to do the impossible. We see things on a human level not a Divine level.   We are impatient beings, full of judgment and self righteousness. But God is slow to anger and  full of  compassion. His ways are not our ways.

Jesus' plea on that cross "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34) wasn't just for those at that time.  That plea was for every sinner that ever walked the face of this earth, past present and future.  With that plea Jesus interceded for the sins of all mankind.  In the moment He rose from death all sinners were covered by grace through faith. Through a faith that I am not my sin even though I am a sinner.  Through a faith that God sees my heart and can see through my sin.  That He can forgive me over and over a thousands times a thousand.  That if I ask Him, He will toss my sins into the sea, never to remember them again.

So, Does God have a limit?  If He does then there is not hope for me, because I am but a sinner. My faith lies in a Divine forgiveness that my human form just cannot see.

Isaiah 43:25(NIV)²⁵ “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

John 3:17 (NKJV)¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved