Strawberry





Wednesday, July 6, 2011

God is enough!!

In church this past Sunday, the pastor spoke about Job (that’s Job the man… not job as in employment ;-) I came away with some good insight and a deeper appreciation for the fact that no matter what storms may come our way, God is ALWAYS in control!

For those of you lacking in bible story who’s who…Job was a wealthy man in olden bible days, the richest man in that area. When one day Satan approaches God and begins to exclaim that the only reason Job loved and trusted God was because of all the wealth and good fortune bestowed upon him. So God tells Satan to go ahead and test Job. He allows Satan to take away all of Job’s riches, his children are killed and his animals and servants are destroyed. But Job, in his grief, simply says, “ I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”

Now, I don’t know about you, but I would be asking the Lord a lot of questions at that point and would have been too busy asking the Lord WHY??? But not Job. He did not sin by blaming God for this tragedy in his life.

The story goes on… Satan approaches God once more and says that the only reason why Job is not cursing God is because he still has his health. Take away a man’s health and then he will surely curse God. Up until this point God only allowed Satan to remove the things… property and people… that were given to Job. But now the tide shifts and The Lord tells Satan he may go a step further and remove Job’s good health short of killing him. Satan then struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot. The agony so severe that the only relief was in scraping the boils from his flesh with broken shards of pottery (it makes me wince just thinking about that pain). Not only is Job suffering the loss of his children and the shattered ruin of his vast fortune, but now his health is affected. He’s in pain and his suffering is physical as well as mental. Job’s wife approaches him and tells him to curse God and die (I guess her pain and suffering due to the loss of all her children left it’s bitter mark). Job cursed the day he was born, but he never cursed God.

Job is then visited by several of his friends. At first they share his grief and do all the visible acts to express their anguish, like wailing loudly, tearing their clothes and throwing ash or dust over their heads. But the tide quickly changes and even they begin to insinuate that Job must have said or done something to bring this suffering upon himself. Friend number one says Job has sinned and needs to go to God to petition his case. Friend number two says he continues to suffer because he refuses to admit he’s guilty of sin and his suffering will continue until he admits his guilt. Friend number three says Job deserves far worse pain and suffering (with friends like these, who needs enemies). In their eyes Job must have sinned or done something to justify the terrible events that have shattered his life. A fourth man was listening to the conversation and criticizes the three friends by saying Job was a good man but had allowed himself to become proud… and this was why God was punishing him.

The story of Job is 42 chapters long and it’s not until chapter 38 that the Lord approaches Job, in a storm no less, and speaks to him. He doesn’t really give good reason for why all these things have happened, and Job knows nothing of the conversations between God and Satan, but instead challenges Job with questions no human can answer. Job is humbled by what the Lord has said and in the end he did ask for forgiveness and repented for questioning God’s sovereignty and justice. Job repented of his attitude and acknowledged God’s great power and perfect justice.

The Lord also goes on to rebuke Job’s friends… they were quick to judge Job and lay blame at his feet for all his woes when in the end we discover that he did in fact have no sin or cause for suffering. Job then prays over each of them and is able to put aside the anger and feelings of betrayal or hurt from their accusations against him (how many of us are willing to forgive those who hurt and accuse us of wrongdoing when we are innocent??). In the end the Lord restored to Job his wealth and family. He not only restored it… he doubled it! Job had ten more children (seven sons and three daughters… and I love how the bible mentions the fact that these daughters were the most beautiful in all the land) and went on to live a long and prosperous life.
The story of Job is one where our response is often one of WHY??? What was the point of Job’s suffering. Where is the cause and effect that we are taught as young children… if I do something bad I get punished, but if I do good I get a reward. Job was a good man doing right and his entire existence was wiped out in an instant. His wealth, gone… his family, gone. Often it is based on cause and effect. Not only do our actions bring about results, but the actions of the people around us have an impact on our lives as well. This was not one of those times.

God alone is in control of the world and only He understands why the good are allowed to suffer. We need to accept what God allows to happen in our lives and continue to trust Him. In spite of the storms that come our way and the pain and anguish we sometimes experience… God is enough!!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Gratitude

With the approach of Fall I eagerly anticipate the pending holidays. I love Christmas with the carols and presents... who can resist the excuse to go shopping? Halloween has always been exciting because of all the sweets and fantasy. But my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. No not just because we gorge ourselves with the best food of the year... but because of its emphasis on gratitude for all things big and little.

Sometimes I wander in and out of each day without even recognizing all the wonderful opportunities I've had to thank God for his goodness and blessings. Sometimes I allow my humanistic negative attitudes to shroud my vision. Unfortunately I find all to often I've neglected to stop and recognize God's presence in my daily walk.

Fortunately for me He is not one to hold grudges. He understands my weakness and forgives me for my failings. Of all things... that has to be what I'm most thankful for. Not only does my Savior continue to protect and nurture me, but he is capable of seeing past my ugly shortcomings.

Now there is something to be thankful for!!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Tempting Tuesday, but on a Wednesday




I wanted to make something sweet to share with you, or in reality share with me... since I'm the one who ate it, lol.

I made white almond sour cream cupcakes. I frosted them with vanilla butter cream tinted green and added some green sugar sprinkles as well as a little eight legged friend in the center. It was quite yummy if I do say so myself!

A straight path...

Even though I'm a stay at home wife, at the moment, I never seem to be able to stay on task or keep order in my home. You'd think it would be easy since I have no real obligations outside the home. I make lists and give myself assignments to complete tasks but often, at days end, I'm discouraged to find I've accomplished little. Why is that?

I have good intentions and tell myself that if I do A, B, and C then I can reward myself with whatever excites me at the moment. I may start off on the right foot, but quickly lose my focus. I get on the computer to check something really quick, and the next time I look at the clock two hours have passed by. How can that be?

I think sometimes I allow distractions to fog my present state so that I don't have to deal with anxiety or frustration or whatever the emotion of the day may be. It's much easier to just slip into a false reality or daydream. It's very easy for me to be sidetracked.

So... I've decided I'm not a leader! I can't even lead myself. But at the same time... I've decided that's not a bad thing. As a christian I need to be led by the Spirit and guided in the path to take. That doesn't mean I throw my hands in the air and resign myself to failure. I think it means instead that I allow Him to direct me in my daily walk.

Proverbs 3:6 says, "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." That's what I need. A straight path!

I'm willing to acknowledge that I can't do it on my own. I need the direction and guidance of a loving Savior who is patient enough to gently nudge me in the right direction when I get sidetracked. I need to resign my leadership and submit to a higher authority. That's what I want. That's what I need!

So... today I acknowledge your authority Lord. I submit to you and ask that you lead me and direct my path. Guide me in the direction I must go... in order to be a better wife, a better person, a better servant.

The start of something big... or little... or just for fun

I've often visited blogs of friends and family and contemplated having one of my own. Well, here it is. I figure in order to make this meaningful to me I should write about what I know and enjoy. The only things that come to mind are my love of cooking/baking and my love for the Lord. So why not combine the two?

We have to eat... and we need the Lord!

If I can keep myself grounded and focused on planning a good meal or preparing a dish that not only tastes awesome but looks pretty good, then I've done my job. As a wife, I desire nothing more than to take care of my husband and share intimate moments of love and adoration for a Savior who has given me more than my heart's desire. I am blessed!

Sometimes money may be tight. Sometimes daily stresses or obligations get the best of me. Sometimes I'm not at my best. And sometimes I lose sight of what's important in life... but only for a moment.

When all is said and done, I can count on my husband to help me gain my focus and point me in the right direction once again. I can rely on my Savior who nudges me forward with that still, small voice. And I can persevere with the knowledge and confidence that I am not alone. I am NEVER alone. He is always there with me. Whether I am in the kitchen baking some cuppies, or contemplating His Word.

That's what this blog is about. Not just the techniques and ingredients that get you from point A to point B in a recipe. But the process of discovery when you attempt something new (or old) and achieve, by faith, the outcome you desired.