Old-Time Valentine!

 I am inspired for the real meaning of love in two Valentine’s stories from my church. We are talking Old-Time Valentine, as in love over the age of sixty-five. There are so many images surrounding valentines’s day activities that do not include older people. Yet, do people stop needing love after a certain age? Are they less romantic? Certainly not. Many people in their sixties, seventies, eighties and beyond are less mobile. They are not in and about the societal meeting places as they once were, including many of the societal networking sites which many of them eschew. However, when life has handed you wrinkles, scars, and health ailments, just what should you expect concerning your chances for love? Is it over? What role does family, society and churches play in the tragedy of lonely old people?

This topic was recently debated in Italy after an older woman passed away during the Covid epidemic and no one even knew it for some two plus years. She lived in the vicinity of beautiful lake Como. An idyllic setting that I was able to enjoy on a family vacation a few years ago. But, beneath any idyllic setting lurks the truth of mankind’s failings, i.e.sin. A number of Italian politicians decried the situation citing the not so distant past when Italians were intertwined and interconnected in a vast family network.

Yet, within the last five years, I have been inspired by two couples who pushed through the issues of the senior years and choose a God-centered love story. The first regards, Arnold* and Eloise.* Eloise had a loving husband in Westchester County, New York. They had thriving careers, she teaching music at one of the most prestigious schools in the county, where the Ivy League graduates are legendary. He, was a lawyer for a white shoe law firm in New York City. Tragedy came to roost in this beautiful nest when Eloise’s husband passed away at a young age, leaving her to raise their young children alone. 

Eloise’s strong faith, her career and her husband’s wise insurance decisions ensured that the family would survive and move forward. She became a mighty woman of God throughout the years, teaching many a woman’s bible study, playing piano and directing the music ministry while raising her children. She had been a long-time widow. All together five decades would pass before she meet Arnold. 

Arnold’s widowerhood was of a much shorter time-span, having only lost his wife, whom he described as his best friend, less than ten years ago.He was determined to find love again even though he had passed the octogenarian mark. Many people might wonder why a man in his 80’s would want to be in a romantic relationship again after such a wonderful marriage? Other people questioned why he just did not find a woman for companionship purposes and leave it at that.

But, Arnold was not looking for any hookups, or convenient arrangement. He was a centered Christian man who was looking for a full covenant marriage. He believed correctly that marriage is a representation of a closeness that is deep and meaningful and should not be cheapened since it represented a model for understanding God’s relationship with humanity.

It is my understanding that Arnold made his wishes known to people at his church, in his family and among his friendship. It may have even included a brief stint on the Tinder dating app. Ultimately, it would be his sister who played matchmaker by introducing him to Eloise, whom she attended church with. What an amazing match it quickly showed itself to be.

Eloise, long retired from her teaching job, still headed the music ministry at my New York church. She was the choir master and a women’s bible study teacher. Well into her eighties, she played the piano beautifully. Her love of the Lord was fervent and Arnold shared all of her interests. He sang in his own church choir and played tennis as did Eloise. It has been a match made in heaven and seeing it unfold has been amazing.

They have pictures of his wife and her husband on the mantel as well as all their combined children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. It isn’t just for show either. They have warmly embarrassed each other’s family whole-heartedly. He sings in the choir now at his new wife’s church and happily gets a solo now and again. He still sings beautifully. He and she are the most knowledgeable members of the Wednesday night bible study too. 

He even took Eloise camping and out in his boat, something that she had never done before. A man of 85 driving a trailer to upstate New York. Wow. He showed me a picture of their camping trip. I think he was glamping before it became popular. He has such a joie de vivre too, because in front of his camper he had placed the most beautiful rug and cozy lounge chairs. This helped to make Eloise’s first camping trip a gem of a good time. She had never been in a boat either. What an adventure for her to have in her eighties, don’t you think?

Then there is Pam* and Pete* whose love story began as they both were just entering retirement. Pete was a recent Christian convert. He read the Bible on his own and describes that being his conversion experience. That was six years ago. Pam, on the other hand, made the decision for Jesus quite young. She married a man who was a very Christ-centered man, even having a sign to that effect over his desk in an office overlooking the famed Rockefeller Center in New York City. He had a powerful church ministry over the years with Pam by his side. She playing the piano at church, and he teaching the Bible.

That all changed about seven years ago when he went on to be with the Lord. She was in her fifties at the time. Pam was not looking for love when she met Pete at church one Sunday. No, she was far from looking for love. She had her mind on many other things. She had come up from her home in sunny Florida to the not so sunny northeastern United States to help her sister care for an ailing husband. All of Pam’s family were involved in helping Nan* take care of her seriously ill husband Mike.* This included Pam’s niece who took an extended leave from her job and her family in Connecticut to stay and care for her ailing father.

Pam, now a widow in retirement, seemed like a natural choice to relieve her niece when family life demanded her presence at home. Pam was, as she told me, content with her own company. She had thought that this time of widowhood pointed to a time of more focus on her work for the Lord. That of course meant being available to help her brother-in-law in his time of need. It meant reaching more people for Jesus than ever before. She had truly embraced a godly view of her widowhood.

Even as she started to fall for Pete, she struggled with the biblical passage (1 Corinthians 7:8- But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.”) She reached out to godly friends for wise counsel. She also struggled with being set in her ways. It had been 7 years since she lost her husband and she ate whenever she wanted to eat, and was used to doing things her own way. Could she or would she want to go back to cooking, cleaning and compromising in decision-making? 

One of the things that I gleaned from both the above success stories was the willingness to communicate and compromise. The respect for and inclusion of family and friendships of each partner is also important. Both of these couples believe in God and have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. As a result, the elements of their christian walk are crucial elements which are the foundations of these partnerships. 

Understanding that Jesus is the cord that holds a relationship together is life-changing. (Ecclesiastes 4:12- A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.) Jesus has told us that we are to serve one another. When a man and a woman understands this they can really be of help to one another. Of course, this takes on a special meaning as one faces the challenges of old age. 

For instance both Pam and Pete entered their relationship knowing that they each had some serious health challenges. They agreed to be a blessing to each other as have Arnold and Eloise. All four of them still believe in the institution of marriage. All this as you see many people reject marriage. Many people do not even wish to commit to helping an elderly partner when they become ill and opting instead to enjoying sex, and social events only. Wanting to enjoy only the advantages of marriage and cutting out any of the difficult parts. 

Since Arnold, Eloise, Pete and Pam have chosen to see God’s purposes in the marriage commitment, they are my heroes this Valentine’s Day. They get my Valentine’s real love award! I get happy every time that I think of these two couples. I bet you know a couple like that too!

* the names are changed but the stories have not.

Most Important Decision

The most important decision that we can make today is to follow Jesus, but let’s just say that we decide that Jesus is not for us. Whatever decision that we make aside, we will still have to take out the garbage, walk the dog and get a haircut. Bills have to be paid, etc. We might be pursuing a career in medicine but what kind of health care professional will you be without Jesus? We might still teach, work at a supermarket or be a mechanic but something has changed. You may get married but what kind of marriage will it be without Jesus as the central figure guiding you? 

The life choices that we make indicate our spiritual philosophy of life and ever so slowly that philosophy begins to show in everything that we say and do. The Bible talks of a narrow path that leads to the gates of heaven. If we veer too far to the right or left we may end up in a ditch somewhere. There are many examples of how this actually plays out in people’s lives. 

Take the case of a recent New York City suicide. A thirty year old woman decided that life was just too hard and so she decided to jump to her death from an apartment balcony, mon Dieu! This woman was Miss USA 2019, she had a law degree, and a Masters of Business Administration. She was a correspondent on the entertainment show Extra. She lived a rarefied life hobnobbing with the rich and powerful of the New York City entertainment community. Was she stressed out or an over-achiever? I don’t know her but, after living in New York my whole life, I can honestly say the signs are there. 

Many people in Westchester County New York that I have known were hyper-focused on their career and spiritually dead. The Bible teaches us that it is wisdom to “seek ye first the kingdom of heaven,” meaning put God first in all that you do. This will naturally lead us to a more balanced and rewarding life. With God as the head of your career, and your interpersonal relationships, how can you go wrong? That is what it says at the end of the above bible verse when it proclaims, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”-Matthew 6:33.

This woman had many achievements and yet looking at her life reveals so much spiritual turmoil. As she approached her 30th birthday, she revealed in an article in Allure magazine just how miserable she was. She talked about the prospect of aging and how poorly people are treated as they age. She no longer wanted to practice law because of problems that she felt existed in the profession. 

She was a supporter of the black supremacist groups Antifa and Black Lives Matter and somehow this did not bring her salvation. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel- Jeremiah 3:23. She was looking for perfection, for justice, and for eternal youth in the wrong place for only God can bring us those things.

This made me think of another woman that I knew who had attempted suicide a number of years ago. Her name was Maggie.* Maggie also had many attributes which we think of as great achievements. However, she was not spiritually grounded in the ways of God and no amount of worldly success could make up for that hole in her life where God belonged. 

She had an idealistic approach to life and was disappointed as life and this world unfolded in all their truths. She saw no other way but to attempt suicide after her boyfriend broke up with her. So talented, so beautiful and intelligent yet the world seemed to be driving her mad. Thank goodness Maggie was not successful in her attempt to end her life because just ten months later she had become a Christian, and had met a man who seemed to have more in common with her then her ex-boyfriend Max* ever did. Everything seemed better in her life than it was just a short time before. Things are seldom as bad as they feel at any given time.

We all come to many crossroads in our life and we have choices of which way to go at that time. Should we go right or should we go left? If we choose the world, our life gets more and more twisted in that direction as we continue. Maybe we grew up in church but when we went off to college we thought better of that upbringing and starting living in opposition to it. We dated a few bad boys, “oh those Christians don’t know what they are missing!” 

That reminds me of a Christian camp counselor that I met when I was at a women’s ministry event last year. She was a very committed Christian until her second year of college when she began to date someone that was not a Christian. Not only that but Nick* was not studying as he should, but instead was focusing on practicing for weekends with his heavy metal band. The music that she shared with me was difficult to comprehend except maybe to say they represented downright anarchy. 

When she sat next to me at that Women’s Ministry event, this and much more all came spilling out. Her life was like a ball of yarn that was badly tangled. At moments like this, there is only one thing that I have to give, and that is the clarity that choosing to focus on Jesus Christ can bring. I likewise had the same message for the sister in Christ struggling in her marriage. What I did see in several of the above mentioned stories is how people can so easily be seduced off of the path that they should be following in life.

Just one date with a non-believer and you could be heading to the clubs instead of going to church. Just one episode of any stupid television talk show could have you doubting your husband and not appreciating  all that he does. Then you begin to focus on his character flaws instead of his godly attributes. Or worse, sometimes life without God leaves you feeling empty and reeling from every twist and turn that may befall you on any given day. Without that decision for Christ the daily emotions and events that take place can be overwhelming.

This world is going through some cataclysmic changes. Many feel it is time to change everything that civilization has built. Worse yet, there are many who want to replace the God given values that we have built western civilization upon with something sinister. It is already happening. In New York for example, there are college professors who think there is nothing wrong with pedophilia and politicians who openly call for an end to capitalism. Technology is not playing fair and we let them get away with it. The constitutional freedom of speech is dead because we are so weak and addicted to everything that either big tech entertains us with or that China sells us. We have sold our souls for video games and cheap Chinese goods and no longer have a righteous fear of God.

I believe that decision to follow Jesus will lead us on the right path in our relationships, in our homes, community, schools and world. Without him things are moving along but, not in the right direction. We have many decisions to make everyday, but the most important one is will we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and allow him to direct our path.

* some names were changed to protect privacy. 

Loneliness

Hi Everyone,

I fully expect that I will lose half my audience of readers by just using the word Loneliness! Okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration but, I believe the topic of loneliness is not a popular one. Why would that be? After all, isn’t it one of the panoply of experiences that is felt by every single person on the planet? I relate to Jesus when he asked his friends to stay awake with him while he was praying and struggling with his dark night of the soul in the Garden of Gethsamane. 

All he was asking for was companionship and comfort as he dealt with some agonizing emotions and upcoming pain and suffering. Isn’t that what we all want?  How poignant this passage is. How sad to think that the people closest to Jesus failed him and that those closest to us have too. We truly have a Savior that has suffered as we have. We are not alone.

This blog post began to formulate in my mind over the past several weeks inspired by events and people that I know such as Zane.* Zane is my personal fitness trainer from New York. Even though I have recently moved away from Westchester County, New York, I am glad that I can still continue my workouts with him via Zoom. 

Zane took a plane from New York on Christmas Eve to visit his mother in Florida for the holidays. Despite being “fully vaccinated”, and testing Covid negative before he left, he quickly fell ill upon arrival in Florida. Zane is a Christian. He always operates his business and his personal life in a godly way as far as I have seen. 

Even when he arrived at Jacksonville airport in Florida, he chose to remain masked and sit in the back seat of his mother’s car as a precaution in case he might have picked up a virus during airplane travel. It turns out he was right. He got sick, suspected Omicron and quickly got tested. His test was positive and so he quarantined in a bedroom at his mother’s new apartment.

Zane’s mother had just moved from a large home in North Florida to a smaller two bedroom apartment this past fall. This meant that Zane was housed in a small guest room where he stayed to protect his mother from getting sick. When he cancelled my workout due to feeling ill, I began to wonder if he experienced loneliness isolated as he was in a small bedroom amid the fun of Christmas festivities. He came to spend time with his mother and yet that intimacy was certainly blocked. 

Then, I multiplied the feelings that Zane must be experiencing by a large number in order to contemplate the huge cost of quarantine on the world’s population. There are the elderly people who died alone locked in hospitals and nursing homes.  The pregnant women who missed out on having family and friends present as they prepared and then gave birth to their children. 

Anya* is my friend in Russia. Just as she prepared to celebrate New Year’s and the Christmas holiday she reached out to me with a poignant message of loneliness. Anya is beautiful, smart, artistic and 21 yrs old in the midst of a festive interlude, yet feeling alone. 

Both Zane and Anya helped get me thinking about the meaning of loneliness from a Christian point of view. Christianity encourages us to visit the sick and lonely. Even during these times of contagion, we are to minister to people and take care of them. Throughout history Christian’s have been in the forefront of such care even at great personal risk to themselves. So, don’t let anyone tell you that it is natural to watch your dad die over FaceTime. We should all be holding our loved ones hands, hugging them, praying and talking about Jesus. 

Our faith also encourages us to join together with other believers to form a community, yet the deep meaning of what Christ tried to teach us is often elusive. Again, we can go back to the example of Jesus’ own disciples failing to be able to stay awake and pray with him as he faced the most difficult challenge of his earthly life, going to the cross. 

It only goes to show you how weak we really are and how selfish we can be when someone that we love is going through spiritual turmoil, in physical pain or even facing death. Many people regret their actions later and wish they could have been more supportive. But often we are ignorant about how much some one really needs us or how drastic the situation actually is until later.

I have felt as if I have let people down over the years. It would have devastated me if not for the fact that I know that Jesus forgives me and has covered my shortcoming with his mercy. How precious is that. When that forgiveness comes in, I feel as if I can ask the Lord to help me be stronger and more sensitive the next time so, that I can be more of a help. I have learned how important it is for us to connect and address the issue of loneliness in our life and in the lives of those around us. 

The surprising thing about loneliness is that it effects everyone. Handsome, ugly, very young or very old, black, white, Asian, or Latino we all have to cope with feelings of loneliness sometimes. The Bible continually points us all in the direction of connection with God and one another. Seeking solutions for loneliness has to be a priority in our lives in order for us to improve the situation for ourselves and others. We can not be too busy for this. We can not make excuses for ourselves such as, between my job and kids I just don’t have the time or energy. My answer is you must arrange to visit your parents or grandparents. The Bible does not pull punches when it declares that those who do not take care of the needs of their family are heathen. That ought to shock us into prioritizing, shouldn’t it?

Biblically speaking, we should make sure that if we are missing someone that should be in our life that we work anew to remedy any estrangement that exists. New Year’s is a great time to do that. If your relationship with a spouse or co-worker is less than it can be, this can make us feel lonely and the other person too. What about a stupid disagreement with your parents? How long can we let that go on before we can technically be classed as not honoring our parents as God has directed? A break-up between a parent and child is so unnatural. We may think our lives are full when we are living in estrangement but often we are only in denial of how this has really effected us. 

You can be lonely in a marriage, in a room full of people, at work or in a classroom if there is no intimacy. Intimacy can not happen if we have not apologized for being unkind and have not attempted to make it right with our spouse. If competition is so intense at work or in school that we are always in an adversarial mode we can feel alone in that setting.Team work anyone? Don’t be part of a clique that excludes others. 

You don’t have to be best friends with everyone in school or at work, but we can be mannerly and include them in a conversation from time to time so that they don’t feel left out. If we are talking about our faith with other Christians include people who might be close by in that discussion. They may decide to walk away but, the Bible tells us to, live in peace as mush as it depends on you. In other words, if you try to treat someone with respect and they do not wish to reciprocate than you know that you have done your godly duty and you have certainly planted a godly seed that day. 

There are now whole countries who are moving to isolate the unvaccinated as if they are modern-day lepers. In Jesus’ earthly ministry he made a point to always include and heal those who were ostracized by society. We can not be part of the branding of the unvaccinated as lepers. It is not what Jesus would do. There are currently taxes and fines that governments are poised to place on people who choose not to get vaccinated. This financial burden is ungodly. It is theft which the Bible tells us that we should not do.

Many unvaccinated people can no longer live a normal life. They can not go to restaurants, concerts or birthday parties. There is a terrible loneliness that is being inflicted upon people who choose not to get vaccinated. What is really behind this? It is not only not scientific but, it sounds like the Nazi-like approach as they marched the Jewish people toward genocide. The Jews were treated like lepers as the process of de-monetization occurred. Tell your legislator that you do not want the unvaccinated to be fined or taxed. Have a vision for where this is all leading.

If we do not know the God who created us and that we have a meaning and purpose, then we are merely existentially adrift in a lonely universe. Not to mention that if you don’t know that you have a caring Savior, who has died on the cross of Calvary to pay the cost of your sins, there is an empty void. Through the Holy Spirit and the intimacy of prayer we can feel that comfort here on earth too. Go for it folks, let’s begin to make this world a less lonely place to be in! 

* the names are changed to protect privacy. FYI: Zane like many people both vaccinated and unvaccinated report that Omnicron is a 24 hour virus. He felt better pretty quickly. Also, Anya, is feeling better and attributes her feelings of loneliness as a part of the natural ebb and flow of the holiday. I agree. 

New Year-Can You Relate?

The concept of a New Year is a somewhat artificial construct. Different places in the world even have different dates for celebrating a new year. It is somewhat artificial in that a culture had to pick what they considered a significant marker and assign it to be the moment when the old year ended and the New Year would begin. The changing of the sun’s position in the sky or the moon’s cycle had deep significance to the running of a society, so often these were the significant events.

Knowing that the harvest was about to happen was massively important too. It was a marker of the end of a growing cycle before a new cycle of planting would have to begin. The spring rebirth or new growing season had similar importance. So, it too was a date to be concerned about. Then, we could go on to examine how cultures exploring the concept of a calendar aligned with more precise astronomical measurements effecting the assigning of what was to be known as the New Year’s celebration.

This would bring us to the question, what does all of that have to do with being a Christian? What significance, if any, does the calendar and its’ events, portend for a believer in Jesus Christ? Do we enjoy the various traditions that mark the New Year’s festivities of our culture or should we eschew them? 

What are some of the ways that cultures celebrate the New Year? Certain foods are eaten. Some of those even are supposed to portent good luck, or marriage possibilities. There are bonfires, fireworks, drinking, political speeches and parades. How did these traditions form, and what significance do they have for us today? Many of them began in false religious beliefs.

Am I just being a kill-joy or are there some things that we might do well to reflect upon? Obviously, I think it is the latter, that we might do well to reflect upon a few of these questions. To begin with, from a Christian point of view, every day of the year is a good day to think about the past and make a decision about the future. Any day is a good day to think about turning over a new leaf by turning your life over to Jesus Christ.

The men and women of old always lived on the verge of a disaster. Should they plant their crops at a wrong time, if disease or drought broke out, they would face hard times ahead. So, when one cycle of life ended there was a genuine moment of fear and possibility all at once. What things might they do to improve themselves or what life might hold for them took on a very serious meaning. Many ancient New Year’s practices contained an element of placating the gods that they worshipped and begging that god or gods to make them prosperous in the upcoming year. Sometimes sacrifices were offered on those bonfires. 

Mankind has always guessed that there was something higher than they were and that they needed to talk to that entity. Until God met man in the desert some several thousand years ago and gave his message called the Bible, we could only dream of who and what this superior being was. Now, we no longer have to wonder. The creator of the universe is God Almighty, not Zeus, or Apsu and Tiamat. It is not the Roman god Janus who they thought was the god of beginnings, (hence the concepts of new beginnings at New Year’s).

There is only one God who created this whole universe and all of us. He is the God of the Bible who made his agreement (or covenant) with man a long time ago and it still stands, come what may. The Bible story contains all the elements of what we consider to be the New Year’s resolution. It describes many circumstances of growth and change, and being more Christ-like as a goal. We are to seek God’s grace and help on the course of our life and follow his holy book in all our ways. We must lean into the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

This time, this very moment as we have ended 2021 and are beginning 2022 is perhaps a time when we can relate to the ancient people’s of this world more than ever. As one cycle ends, we wonder what is ahead. More death and destruction from the many viruses plaguing our planet? More disruption of what used to be our normal way of life? What of the political and lifestyle changes knocking at our collective doors? How will we make a stand if called upon to stand up to government tyranny? Fake chicken or beef for dinner anyone? Inflation, election fraud, and a world divided. No, there is no doubt we can relate to what those first New Year’s celebration were all about. There seems to be a lot more to think about than losing a few pounds or giving up smoking. God bless you all as you contemplate this New Year.

Come To The Manger Just As You Are

Luke 2:1-14,

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an Angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the Angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

And this will be the sign to you: you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there were with the Angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” *

What do you think of what happened over two thousand years in that manger in Bethlehem? If you were one of the people in the Christmas story who would it be? Are you like the shepherd? Working hard, but existentially alone in that big old pasture of life. Are you the king or queen of the situation, in a high place and battling the intellectual arguments against Christ? Are you like Mary and Joseph in a difficult situation and you don’t know where to take refuge? Are you an inn keeper? Or, are you King Herod? Come To The Manger Just As You Are!

The shepherds were tending the sheep in the fields, when some angels dropped by for a visit. It was then that they declared the glory of God and announced the birth of Jesus. These shepherds were very frightened! Cold, or hot, always on guard awaiting the next predator that they may have to protect their flock from, the life of the shepherd was not easy. 

I recently saw some well-acted movies depicting the life of lighthouse keepers. In the modern depiction of this lifestyle they show how the lighthouse keepers start out disciplined but, they soon turn to drink, paranoia and even murder. It seems to me that unless one depends upon God in the hard jobs that they must do, this is just what happens. This is what is occurring in our world right now.

The solitary nature of what a shepherd has to do, just like the lighthouse keeper, carry spiritual significance. In the solitude of these jobs one can either go crazy, or one could recognize the deep need for spiritual grounding and thus create the desire to run towards Jesus. Life is raw for the shepherds of life and this is no place for those of little faith.

What of the three kings? Through the study of the night sky they were able to discover that a most unusual star had arisen. A spectacular celestial event which pointed to the birth of a king. Was it God’s grace or their own skill that led them to the infant Jesus? Or, was it both? Does God use our giftedness to point towards salvation? 

These three kings represented the upper echelons of their respective societies. Something significant had occurred and they had to go see about it. They were the elite people of their times who were used of being at all the happening and pivotal events. Sort of like being at Davos or Art Basel but, only old-school. This however, wasn’t just any old event though, it would be the birth of the Savior of the world and the three kings would see that he had enemies in high places. What would they do about it?

What of Mary and Joseph? Can we see their part in the Christmas story and relate to it? Like Mary and Joseph we are asked to carry Jesus to the world, can we say yes, to that. This world, then and now, sorely needs a Savior but you will be persecuted for bringing this message to the world. Will you still choose to bring him into the world and place him in your home, your school or your workplace? What about your politics? 

Then, there is the inn keeper. He was depicted badly in all my church plays. He was portrayed as possibility insensitive to the plight of Mary and Joseph and the fate of their soon to be delivered baby. The inn keeper was in the hospitality business but, perhaps this census arranged by the Roman Empire had taxed his patience. 

The census brought many people into the region of Bethlehem. The infrastructure and resources of this little town were stretched beyond its’ limits. Mary and Joseph needed to get settled in and safely housed for the night. Mary, who was in an advanced state of pregnancy, was surely exhausted after her trip, anyone could see that. So, the Inn Keeper’s famous utterance of, “no room at the Inn;” seemed to ring a cruel tone. 

But, perhaps Mary wasn’t the only one exhausted. Are we like the Inn Keeper? Tired by our job and its’ impossible demands? There probably was no more available rooms and people had been asking the same question all day, “hey, I need a room, anything available?” Business is not necessarily evil because it deals with its’ limitations. Isn’t it unfair to expect the inn keeper to solve the problems brought about by the actions of the Roman Empire and most especially by God whose purposes and meaning were brought out by the birth of our Savior in the most humblest of ways?

I suppose a few of you are wondering how many of us will relate to King Herod in the Christmas story. How many of us have the kind of power and ruthlessness and could be so monstrous. Listen to yourselves, let’s get spiritually serious for a minute. The truth is that we are sinners, that means our nature is to think and do bad things. We have lied, plotted to hold on to our power, lusted, and had murderous intentions. Some of us have done some horrible things, I venture to guess that someone who is reading this blog has.

In our way and with the power that has been allotted to us, we have at times used it in sinful ways. There is nothing too hard for the Savior of the world though, that his atoning death can not cover. That is, if we are truly sorry for our sins and go before the Lord to ask for his grace and his forgiveness. There is a young man who sits listening at the back of the church saying, you don’t know what I have done. God can’t possibly forgive me. Come To The Manger Just As You Are.

So, just who are you this Christmas season? Grab your sheep and head for the manger. Take your journey from a far away land to the Lord. Bare Jesus to those who need him. Tired Inn Keeper, you are not the Savior of the world so lay that burden down on Jesus’ shoulders. Finally, there are lots of King Herod’s wherever I look, please know that your life is heading in a way that is in direct opposition to Christ and you must make a U-Turn before it is too late. Jesus can right the car of your life and send you in a new direction. Keep the focus on the star or you will lose your way. If you follow it, you will meet Jesus!

Special Christmas Greeting: I looked at my blog statistics from the past year to see what countries from around the world have viewed my blog. Below, is a greeting to each blog reader from this past year. I hope these are correct translations. Also, please excuse the fact that my keyboard may not have all the correct accent marks.

Merry Christmas, Buon Natal, Boas Festas, Frohliche Weihnachten, Hristos Razdajetsja, Glædelig Jul, Geseënde Kersfees, Vessela Koleda, Prettige Feestdagen, Shub Christu Jayanti, Selamat Tahun Baru, Mboni Chrismen, Bara Din Mubarrak Ho, Merii Kurisumasu, Maligayang Pasko, Sarbatori Vesele, Sheng Tan Kuai Loh, Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal. Jôyeux Nöel, ¡Feliz Navidad!, Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun, Srećan Božić, Zalig Kerstfeest, Eid Milad Saeid, Feliz Natal, Seun-tan chu-ka-hae-yo, and Frohe Weihnachten!

* to read about the three kings and Herod read Matthew 2: 1-12. Also, please note there are other people in the Christmas story that I did not cover in this year’s Christmas blog. Feel free to read Matthew, Mark and Luke’s infancy narratives and find other people whose stories that you may relate to.

Long Lost Relative

A long-lost relative came to my door in Westchester County, only I was not there. I was out-of-state on my recent real estate hunt. My husband was there though and after driving home after the completion of his errands discovered Megan* and her dog Dexter* waiting on the front step. She had not called nor set up this time to visit. In fact, had Megan come just one week later, she would have found a new woke and fully liberated single woman named Jessica* looking to get pregnant and start her family in my old house. We learned all of this when she sent us a real estate love letter. Have you heard of those? They are letters sent by perspective home buyers hoping to get chummy with the seller through flattery etc, in the hopes of standing out to the seller in an intense sellers market.

The paradigm has certainly shifted when a young woman waxes poetic about the journey of becoming a new mother without the benefit of marriage or as a natural outcropping of a committed and loving relationship with a man. The buyer of my former home does not resemble previous generations of typical house buyers. 

Those couples were moving to the suburbs typically after getting married. Perhaps, they were saving money while living in a cramped apartment. They dreamt of having a quiet life in the suburbs, with a backyard for their children to play in (backyards are seldom used in Westchester today, people opt instead for expensive after school activities away from home). 

Westchester grew to represent the concept of what a suburb should be. In fact the popular 1960’s family sitcom, The Dick Van Dyke show was fictionally set in Westchester County, New York. Then, suburbs were considered a nurturing place to be and thought to be filled with many worthwhile family activities to engage in. It was a place where one got to know their neighbors and became involved in the life of that community. Suburbs grew in locations close to economic hubs making them convenient when work came to be something one did away from home. I make that distinction because there was a time when we were an agrarian society. Then people worked at home so to speak. Now, we have returned to a time where many people are remotely working out of their homes.

Both Megan and Jessica represent a new mindset. For example, Megan’s visit to Westchester County was concordant with the no-planning seat-of-the pants way that she and many in her generation now run their lives. No worries is a mantra. Planning is not necessary, because in the back of their minds they believe that the government will take care of things. What happened to this thoughtful child? Megan was so grounded in all things spiritual, and smart as a whip. The answer is she was broken of everything that was right in her life by the liberal school system, the insane entertainment industry and Generation Y’s twisted spiritual values.

This generation takes the term, generation gap, to a whole new level. They don’t operate in ways that would be meaningful to any of the previous generations. This is no mystery. Parents and churches turned their backs on the true message of the Bible and of history.  Both the vehicle that is the Bible and the history books have been hijacked. Marxists have driven the car of Judeo-Christian Western Civilization into a satanic ditch and it is damaged badly. Although, God will not be moved, our civilization can.

Parents for several generations allowed the popular culture to get into their families and to raise their children. Parents did this by serving two gods, which Jesus warned against. They went to church and sent their children to Sunday school or religious instructions. But, they mixed that message in with watching television, playing video games and doing other activities which had messages opposed to biblical truths. Next, they let these opposing ideas go unchallenged. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said, no one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 

While the verse relates to serving God and money, studying the passage closely points to putting God first in all areas of our lives. That includes understanding the balance of serving God and earning a living but it further points to putting the practice of faith first. Godly relations with family would be one of the results of putting God first.

My husband had to have a serious discussion with Megan. Megan’s approach to life is, it’s all good or don’t worry be happy. However, that approach has left her poor, clueless about the real meaning of family and a future cat lady-in-training. 🐈 🐈‍⬛ 🐈 🐱 

The way that she sees life has sent family relations into a ditch of its’ own too. In a situation like this, I am glad that my husband took the biblical approach. Realizing that she needed to have something deeper and more meaningful than anything that he could give her, he preached the message of the Bible.

My husband, has been a hesitant evangelist. His cultural and religious background have caused a certain privatization of his faith. It has been a source of contention with us over the years. Even, his adult conversion to a more personal faith in Jesus Christ has not entirely moved this shy and hesitant Moses to speak. But, something seemed to have changed when he was unexpectedly visited by our niece Megan after a long period of estrangement. 

He knew that he had tried other ways to reach her. He had done the cool Uncle thing. He had tried to be a friend, yuck. Understanding that he had failed, he turned to God to try and reach this troubled young woman. He went over her life with her and tried to dispel some of the mythology that she had made up in her mind. Megan says that she is a Christian. So my husband finally realized that he needed to try to talk to her about the Bible and godly standards. He made her an offer. He invited her to come stay with us in our new house so that we could begin to rebuild our family and help her sort out her future. 

He asked her to think about a lot of things. First and foremost she needed to think about what place that God currently has in her life. Secondly, she needed to realize that family is important. Our society is breeding a lot of discontented young people who reject family and substitute friendship in its’ place. Megan is at a turning point in her life. Will she reject God, family and tradition. Time flies and she might end up alone and depressed. Jessica can too for that matter, if she continues in her quest to have a baby without a father.  There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to destruction- Proverbs 14:12. I am praying hard for these two young women to find a path to God. I think that the book of Proverbs is a great place for the two of them to start.

* the names of the people, dog are changed for privacy.

Go with the Flo?

As far as Flo* goes. I met her at the local supermarket where she works. I don’t see this relationship working out for either of us because we are so different, or in Christian parlance, we are unequally yoked. I got on her checkout line a few times and we had some fun chats. When I got home and checked my bill, on one of those days, it seems that Flo had put her telephone number on this piece of paper with a message to call her that night. My, oh my, I wondered if I should call her? 

At the time, even though I knew this would probably be a mistake I couldn’t resist calling her since I was lonely. Loneliness as a chief motivator, is always a bad reason to do anything. I had just moved into my new home without my husband. He was busy selling our old house in Westchester County, New York. Now, I have to ask myself over and over again, “what did I get myself into?” 

Here’s the breakdown on Flo: she takes some south Asian plant called Kratom to handle pain supposedly from an accident that she had several years ago. And, she seems to be in pain all the time and not just where she supposedly sustained her injury. Does this seem like some sort of pain killer addiction and rebound effect to you? She is in the process of a lawsuit to get monetary damages from that accident. She is depending upon that money as well as Covid relief funds to financially survive. She is currently underemployed and gets fired from jobs a lot. Hmm, none of this sounds good. 

Oh, and Flo lent $150 dollars to a friend named Yvonne* who happens to also be the wife of an ex-con. This money was supposed to be used to buy concert tickets for the two of them. Flo gave Yvonne $100 for her ticket and she lent her $50 dollars towards the cost of Yvonne’s ticket since this grown woman was going to a concert she could not currently afford. Only, the woman ended up taking the money and buying two tickets for her and her recently released jailbird husband. I wonder if he is violating parole by staying out too late? Anyway, this all came up when she asked me if I knew anything about small claims court. 

I let Flo know that I had no personal experience with small claims court except for what I might have read over the years or heard from others. How can one person have so much crazy stuff going on? Oh, and did I fail to mention that her neighbors have complained about her to her landlord because she feeds feral cats and leaves food on her porch for them every night? Now, her landlord is trying to get her evicted apparently. 

By the way, according to her everything wrong in her life is someone else’s fault. Here are some of her pronouncements: her lack of a job is due to her accident. Her father is to blame for her series of dead end jobs. Men are not to be trusted, it is much better to own a cat. Her landlord and neighbors suck. Finally, no one will tell her “not to take care of suffering cats.”

In this world, God calls us to reflect his message to those around us. Most of those people are lost in a sinful and morally bankrupt life. We are to point to the Savior in that case but, we are not the savior. How good it is to know that I can not solve Flo’s problems but, that I can try to tell her about how knowing Jesus has given me direction and healing in my life.

I am the seed planter and the Lord brings those seeds to harvest. As long as I keep that straight, then I am okay. Still what is a Christian way to handle the mentally ill, the criminal or addicted individuals among us? Knowing the Lord has given me a heart for the poor and suffering but, in the past I got hurt by helping those in need. When you are dealing with the ill who are in need of the great physician then, you are going to run into some messed up things.

But, the Bible gives us practical boundaries which tell us to guard our heart and actions. It also directs us to not be unequally tied to people who are not believers. Therefore I can try to assist her with prayer, and some practical suggestions but, i can not allow myself to get caught up in her dysfunction. This is pretty hard to do unless you are a mature holy-spirit directed Christian. Following Jesus ultimately results in a soft and caring heart which is why I feel for this woman.

It is so abundantly clear to me that Flo would thrive if she had the clarity that only the Bible can bring. But, so far, she never picks up on any of the threads of discussion that I begin about Jesus. There seems to be some ways that I can bless her now. Some of those ways are materially but, they are mostly spiritually. 

She needs a lot of help as regards the practicalities of her daily life. I need to make sure that I don’t pass by an injured person on the side of the road. I need to strive to be a Good Samaritan not someone who see’s people in need and ignores them. This must be regardless of the fact that there are things that I don’t like about her (not unlike in that famous story).

The story of the Good Samaritan shows me two things very clearly. Firstly, that I am a sinner. In reading the story of the Good Samaritan, I always imagined that I would be the good guy who stops and helps a person in need, but the truth is that I am both the one who cares for those in need and the ones who ignore those in need. With God’s help I can be the one who cares. The story secondly makes it clear that we help those whom we love and repel from those we don’t love. It hurts to help those that we do not like. That point seems very poignant as I see the United States in a spiritual divorce. Every day people rage and hurt those opposed to their point of view.

The story of the Good Samaritan balanced with reflections on Jesus’ teachings shows us that it is important to help lead someone to the spiritual truth of salvation and not enable people to do evil as you help them. That will help me not to swoop in and do a lot of stuff that might make me feel like a good person but, won’t help her address the real issues of her life. This way it may be possible, with the Lord’s help, to get her life back on track. 

* the names have been changed but, if any of the folks who this is about read this, they will be mad at me.

Supply Chain Chaos

What do I think of the Supply Chain Chaos as a Christian? That is a good question that I have been asking myself since this worldwide dilemma has unfolded. Trying to discover the meaning of what is happening in our world has been something that we all began doing when the mutant virus first either escaped or was released on purpose from that infamous Wuhan Lab. 

As Christians, we look at life as more than just the here and now. We look deeper, into the spiritual issues that present themselves as life unfolds. So, for instance when we hear that the NIH, i.e. a United States of America health agency, worked to fund a project to create a superbug with the Chinese, what are we to think as a believer in God? What if we had a science degree and were working for an agency when such a Frankenstein project was proposed? 

As a Christian, this is not merely an academic question. Neither is it without moral responsibility. As I see our world descending into chaos, I see the lack of concern about these moral questions and the underlying rejection of God as the primary cause of it all. And, now, I find myself wondering if this Supply Chain Chaos is another example of a man and woman made disaster. In other words. Is this an accident or is it being done on purpose? 

Could everything changing all at once be an accident? We have what many people believe is a stolen United States election and upcoming elections look no better. We have a so-called President who refuses to answer questions. That has never happened in the history of this country. It could not have happened because there was a free press, spiritually and politically active citizens, but that is not true anymore. We now have an indoctrinated press corps. For the most part, they do not see their role as impartial. They are activists, agitators and mouthpieces for only one side. People are busy taking narcissism to all new heights. Sometimes, in those heights, there is a terrible fall while taking a selfie. 

For two years we have had all semblances of a normal life disrupted. Our civil rights have been destroyed. Privacy no longer matters. The constitution and real history are under siege too. So, this is clearly a takeover. |In the place of democracy, we now have a worldwide government forming. In place of faith and tradition, we now have radical paganism with it’s dark traditions forming. The United States was energy independent with economic success in every sector, and now we are just a shell of our former selves. 

The lockdowns have been the final push over the edge for many morally indeterminate Americans. There is a whole lot of drinking, drugging, selfish and lazy behavior going on by spiritually lost souls searching for some form of comfort amid this lunacy. Or, should I say, meta-insanity

We were on our way to paganism already of course but, the insecurities and the constant lockdowns have completed the moral decline of many. Because, without God, many are simply adrift in the chaos that has enveloped our planet. (Note: that means that is a a good time to be all in for Jesus, live your life as if to be a role-model for others and do what you can to tell others about who Jesus is and what he has done for them).

But, back to Supply Chain Chaos. The Protestant work ethic is now being replaced by the Pagan work ethic. I speak to people all the time who think it is a good idea not to work and instead get everything paid for by the government. Is this some type of return to childhood or something worse? You know the answer to that. 

Packages are sitting at the port of Los Angeles and Long Beach with no one to drive them to their destinations. Farmers are dumping their products because workers or drivers are not available to process the produce or to make the deliveries. Lazy people get as many paychecks as they can, oblivious to the economic chaos that this is causing. What seems accidental about any of this? It seems like the pieces of a puzzle coming together perfectly in a puzzle entitled: The Next Revolution. I can see the picture forming.

Some people that I know, have told me that they do not know what I am talking about. Take Randy* for example. He thinks “everything will get better, it always does.” He tells me that he “does not watch any news, or read any news that is not positive.” He lives his life in a book which he chooses, when he is not on his computer programming the code that made all of this radical mess possible.

He works for one of the most corrupt companies in the United States, BlackRock. Randy is just a cog in the wheel that is taking us all to hell in a hand basket. Nothing seems real to him and he has a way of keeping it that way too! When I bring up the G20 summit in Rome or the Glasgow Climate meeting, I can almost see him putting his fingers in his ears and humming so that he won’t hear me discuss it. Where ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise I guess?

Then there is Albert.* Albert is a European friend. His father was a committed Christian but, Albert is more committed to science. He is a man who believes more in science than in Jesus and, that it (science) rather than the Lord will bring salvation to the world. He has the tenets of a faith though. Complete with Ten Commandments and it doesn’t have anything to do with the Bible.

No, Albert is a thoroughly indoctrinated and a smug atheist. He believes that man rather than God will overcome. He lauds the arrival of a one-world currency, and a global governance as necessary to combat poverty, ignorance and disease. When I ask him how the European Union is doing with that universal government thing, he deflects and distracts rather than addressing the bureaucracy and corruption issues that I mentioned.

He insists that life can only go back to normal if everyone gets vaccinated and continues in their booster shots. It sounds like Albert has already taken the soma pill 💊 spoken of in the book, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. He believes that if you show proof of vaccination everywhere that you go whether it is on a plane or on in a restaurant than, magically everything can return to normal. That is religious thinking if you ask me, but it is a false religion. 

Up until the Chinese virus began circulating the globe, Albert was circulating the globe and he is anxious to get back to that lifestyle, desperate to get back to it really. Christmas in Phuket, business in Brazil and sex in Miami. He seems a man willing to do anything to get back that which he has lost, even if he has to pay for it with his soul. The Apostle Paul speaks of this mindset in the first book of Thessalonians in Chapter 5, verse 3- When they say, “Peace and Security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains come on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 

Without God and the correct moral understanding that he alone can give, we have nothing beyond our personal needs for peace and security and therefore they become paramount. That is what you have been seeing this past two years. You are seeing desperate people seeking desperate solutions and willing to overlook anything to preserve their life. People are always looking for a quick fix but now the stakes are too high to overlook the facts. 

Many voices in the compromised media services worldwide blame the current Supply Chain Chaos on that pesky virus. They sometimes blame it on the unvaccinated, however, there seems to be no truth in that. When you pay people not to work, when you force people to quite their jobs if they don’t believe in the jab, and then you fine people for not picking up their cargo, what should you expect? I, for one, would expect the prices of everything to go-up. I expect cargo and produce to rot or be damaged and most of all, I expect people to be at home drinking, and binge watching Netflix. 

When Christianity predominated in the European world, the Black Plague brought compassion to the sick and dying. Many people gave their life serving others. Christianity was pivotal in assuring an economic recovery within a few years after that terrible illness abated. Why? Because the Christian values of caring for the sick, respect for the dead, and belief in the afterlife informed their actions. We can add to that, the concept of a viable work ethic as being paramount to those wishing to live out their Christian faith.

Work had to commence because people knew back than that it was good to work and earn a living plus, no one would pay you not to work. Work was considered the right thing to do. So much for the view that people were dumb back then. They seem to be a little bit smarter than us already. If you don’t work, you don’t eat. We can again go to Thessalonians for a New Testament example of this principle. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11 says, For even when we were with you, this we commanded you: that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some among you who walk disorderly working not at all, but are busybodies. 

As I contemplate the Supply Chain Chaos, I think about how I should conduct my life. I keep thinking of Joseph who knew that the way to prepare for a drought is by storing grain (Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable-Genesis 41:49). I have stored up extra food and supplies for the winter because I believe that our economy is being brought to collapse by those hostility to God, and traditional societies. Joseph knew that a drought would come. I know that one is coming too. The prices of everything is going up. I am trying to prepare for the times ahead by storing food now. Of course I can not do that with gasoline. 

But, just like Joseph, I am ready to assist those in need and share what I already have. Eating and saying my daily grace has taken on a new and poignant importance as our world faces delayed delivery of goods and services. How I thank God for the food and for all the things that he has given. How can anyone take that for granted at this point? Let us all choose to talk about Jesus and his redemption everyday to those around us, and remember that we planting a seed for people’s salvation which God will harvest.

* the names have been changed but the story is true. 

The Mary Statue

Is it a temptation of Satan that I somehow always find myself with The Mary Statue on my property? In my effort to clear out the profusion of weeds in my backyard, I uncovered something behind all the weeds thrust right up against the fence bordering my property. This is the second time that I had to deal with the spiritual issues surrounding The Mary Statue. At times like these I think of two things: my Catholic upbringing and the biblical admonition against idols which lead me to a saving knowledge of the preeminence of Jesus for salvation.

But why does it cause me such angst now? Do I still harbor a vestige of the idol worship inculcated in me from my Catholic upbringing? The girls at my school all fought for the honor to crown The Mary Statue during catholic school events on the Marian holidays. The boys who carried the saints statues on so-called Saints Days were all envied like “homecoming kings.” 

For those of you who do not know, I was handed the Roman Catholic card as a child. My parents both came from catholic majority nations where it was part of their cultural upbringing. I say cultural and not spiritual because both my parents treated their faith as if a cultural accoutrement. They brought it out during the Easter and Christmas holiday season. It was sprinkled in with the ethnic celebrations of their people. I loved the food, the history and the fun of all these events. Being a first generation American also meant a real immersion into the stories and traditions of the countries that my parents missed so much. 

This was all fine and dandy until I was  old enough to read the Bible. My family were not bible readers. I must say that I never saw them engaged in any personal biblical studies nor even picking up the Bible as they did the other books on their bookshelves.* They had two copies of the Bible in our home from as early as I can remember, and they let me know what the Bible was and what it represented. There did seem to be a respect for its’ presence on our bookshelf, even if it lived a lonely existence.

I was a voracious reader as a child. I was already able to read and write when I began school, thanks to my mother’s understanding of phonics and the excellent way that she taught me how to read. My mother read and spoke four languages mostly self-taught. I believe it was her grasp of phonics that helped her negotiate the English language when she came to this country as a “tween.” There was no English as second language classes when she arrived on the shores of New York harbor, only the determination and grit necessary for a family to forge a path in the new land, starting with grasping the new countries’ language. 

I was proud of my families’ stories of coming to the United States and was proud of all the hard work that my family had done to make that happen. I knew that I was blessed to be the recipient of citizenship in a country that had offered safe haven to my family who endured war, violence and poverty on their journey of life. I also knew it gave my parents joy to feel that I would continue the traditions of countries that they had originated in. That was all fine and good, until I started to read the Bible on my own.

As I opened up the Bible, beginning my lifelong love of this precious gift from God, it wasn’t long before I came across concepts that lead me to question the Mariology that was taught in my Catholic school and reinforced in my families cultural traditions. It seemed to me the story of God as it unfolded in the Bible centered around the fallen nature of man, the redemptive power of God and other themes and stories that did not seem to cast Mary as the central figure that I had been lead to believe that she was. Furthermore, every time that I encountered a statue in the Bible it more likely than not had to do with some sort of ”idol worship” situation. 

There was Achan, whose story is found in Joshua 7. This story is connected to the consequences of not following God’s commands. Achan lived during the time of Joshua’s battles for the Holy Land. God had lead the Israelites to a dramatic victory in the city of Jericho against the Canaanite’s. The odds were against this small tribe of people winning a battle against the stronger tribe that they faced. However, when God is on your side, and you are following Him in obedience, the victory is assured. Aye, but there is the rub! 

The battle of Ai ensued and it was all but assumed that this would be an easy win. When this did not happen, Joshua was greatly troubled and went to God to discover the reason for this humiliation. God lead Joshua to the truth that was hidden from him, but of course, not from God. The truth was that God asked the Israelites to do something, i.e, take no trophies of the battle, and destroy everything. They may have questioned or not understood the reason for these admonitions, as we sometimes do, but if experience should have taught the Israelites and you and I anything, it is that God’s purposes and plans are always perfect. Also, when we do not obey God, there are bad consequences.

Then, there was Rachel. When Jacob and Rachel left her father’s home to go back to the Holy Land, Rachel clepped her father’s household idols. When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods.- Genesis 31:19. Did you catch that, she stole her father’s household idols. Stealing is wrong but so is idol worship, so that makes two sins as she moved out of dad’s encampment. Her dad was a wealthy man, she probably had a few choices of things to take, not to mention she could have asked him for it. 

Did she know it was wrong and therefore wish to keep her sin a secret? That is a possibility especially since her husband Jacob was a godly man and did not share her father’s penchant for the sin of idolatry. When her father noticed that they were gone, he even accused her husband of the theft. What did Rachel do when this happened? Why she let her husband be falsely accused. The whole family had their personal belongings searched because of Rachel’s sin, yet she said nothing. She must have really wanted those idols, don’t you think? She wanted them so much that when her father came to speak to her before she left she even used her menstrual period as an excuse to allow her to evade detection. And she said to her father,”Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.- Genesis 31:35.

The sin of idolatry was so great that it lead to the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish people. Much is written in the Old Testament about idolatry. Suffice it to say, that I understand the lure of idolatry coming from the background that I do. But, is so clearly condemned in the Bible that it is incumbent upon each and every one of us to take some time to think over the issue. 

In general, there is a secretive element to all sin. It is no different as we contemplate the sin of idolatry. Things are hidden under the tent, such as with Achan. Rachel hides her idol. However, when sin reaches its’ zenith in any culture, the sin is no longer hidden but flaunted openly. We are seeing this in our day and age when people celebrate their own sinful and insane lifestyles. They try to force others to condone it too. When it gets to that point, God’s judgement is usually just around the corner, as it was in the time of the Babylonian captivity. 

Obedience, is also a factor. Although Achan did not commit the sin of idolatry, I learned a lot about obedience and faithfulness to God in his story. Rachel seems a little bit oppositionally defiant in her relationship to God at times. Remember, Jesus told us that we can not serve two gods. Could it be any clearer than that? 

My journey towards giving up The Mary Statue, all began with studying these stories. Frankly, I was a little dumb-founded as to why idolatry was such a bad thing. Over and over I pondered this question. It was only God’s grace and the study of the full story of the Bible that lead me to the painful answers. Painful because I too would have to give up some things in order to follow Jesus. Things that I was accustomed to just like Rebecca was. Things that my family had for generations, things that calmed me and I thought protected me. 

The sin of idolatry is great in God’s eyes. There are reasons for that. The reasons seem to point to an end-times scenario when idolatry will again become a factor. It is said that an image of the beast will be worshipped in place of God some day. Since we know the Word of God is true, isn’t that enough reason to trust in Him and get rid of our idols? Achan purposely disobeyed God’s directives. 

The Bible tells us that we are to worship the Lord, in Spirit and in Truth.  Here is the exact quote from John 4:24- God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.That leaves no place for statues. We do not need an image or statue to help us focus our attention on God. We do not need to crown any statues as if they are human kings and queens. They are not human so why are we treating them like they are by dressing them up, and carrying them in parades? 

It even seems a little like witchcraft, i.e. trying to create power in an inanimate object. As I write this blog post, I am again forced to confront my cultural and religious roots. I have to go to the Bible and make a stand about my life and practices. I must get a sledge hammer and take this statue off my property. In doing so I am refocusing my attention to the fact that Jesus is the redeemer of the world and there is no other salvation except through him. There is no mediator between me and my God. Mary was a woman who chose to obey and follow her God, not to be part of the Godhead. Reading her story shows that she worshipped God and would never put herself in the position that she now takes in my new garden. 

* the one exception to the “never pick-up rule” was when my mother would pick-up the Bible to show me the family history that was written in it.

New Beginnings

It is not easy to start all over again from scratch. Whether you just dropped your egg on the floor and need to make an omelette or you  just got egg on your face and need to rethink some things. But, being a Christian calls us to face this very type of challenge all the time. It begins when someone decides to accept the fact that they are a sinner in need of redemption and allow Jesus’ atoning redemption to touch their life. Everything changes at that point and it could entail changing jobs, friends or giving up a lifestyle that you had. A true conversion brings New Beginnings.

The Bible recounts how God called Abram to leave everything that he knew for a new beginning. Moses had to do the same. We see people such as Ruth leaving her people and attaching and committing to the vision that God had given his chosen people. What of the tax collectors and fishermen who lived one way one minute and then became believers? They gave up all that they were accustomed to in order to follow Jesus. 

I have never been good with change. Always preferring the familiar over that which is new. It is a personality trait that makes one reticent to change, even if change would be for the better. The person with this type of personality tends to struggle a bit more with the idea of change. I know that it takes me longer to adjust to changing circumstances in my life, such as moving from Westchester County, New York to my new location about 300 miles away. 

 Following Jesus has improved my ability to be more at ease with change by allowing me to see God’s purpose in it. I talk such a good talk about following Jesus but, when push came to shove in my two real estate deals I was coming apart at the seams. I realized, at a certain point in my Christian journey, that no matter how good I try to be, or how hard that I try to work, that I will never be able to do it alone, without God. 

I fail to make the mark and when I do, I am humbled. Buying and selling houses made me reach my very maximum stress levels. Being separated from my husband at first felt like team work because, I knew that he was handling details in our old home whilst I did the same in our new home. But, when the level of regulatory madness resulted in my husband and I being separated for two and a half months, I was literally getting sick over it. 

At times like this knowing that our God has conquered this crazy world makes complete sense. The promises of God were my constant companion and I thought about them day and night. Like the one about God not giving you more than you can handle or, that God would never leave us or forsake us. How about that one? Towards the end of the financial transactions and all the massive paperwork (still not done), I thought that the stress would kill me. It didn’t because I am writing this today. But, even knowing that when our battles are done in this life are done, that we will be with the Lord helped me to feel at peace more often than not. 

As my New Beginnings start to unfold, there are so many answered prayers already happening. Like for instance, having good neighbors. There happens to be self-identified Christians living to my left and to my right. I was showered with kind greetings and all manner of welcome gifts. One neighbor has a green thumb and brought me a vase of the most beautiful dahlia that I have ever seen. Another neighbor brought by some locally made vodka ice tea. It is forty proof. I have not opened that bottle yet but it is a kind gesture.

I drink moderately and never create a scenario at my home for drunkenness. So, I could probably add some more of my cold brew tea to it to create something a little less potent. A man at my church gave me a homemade cutting board. I have been using that constantly. The most touching thing was that my new church prayed every week beseeching God on my families behalf as we went through our real estate transactions. 

There are so many new things to learn, so much paperwork to do but, I see that our New Beginnings have begun. Thank you God for your many promises and thank you that yet again, I can have a New Beginning.