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SEEKING THE INVISIBLE

During covid in 2020, we learned that an invisible virus was taking so many to their eternity. We cleaned off everything that came into our homes: the mail, groceries and even taking off our shoes before entering the house. My son, who lives with me, had to work during that time, as he was a necessary worker. When he got home I would Lysol everything he touched. I sprayed doorknobs, outside of washing machine handles, handles on the refrigerator and stove. (The Lysol caused my refrigerator door handles to turn yellow and they are still yellow to this day.) We did not want any invisible force in the form of a virus getting in and causing us to get sick, go into the hospital, never to get out alive. We were seeking to protect ourselves from the unknown germ that was invisible and causing the very breath to be sucked out of our chest.

As time progressed, and much study done seeking answers, we have learned more about this invisible virus. Recently there have been several families at church who have tested positive for covid. My dad tested positive for covid. Fear ran through my mind and heart. A few weeks before, I had taken my dad to get the latest vaccine. He lives in an assisted living center and they told him there, that if he had not had that shot his symptoms would have been much worse. He is improving every day and they are taking great care of him there. Also, members of church are improving day by day.  I just went today and got the newest covid vaccine. We know now what will protect us from getting or at least not having, this invisible virus to the degree of death. Thank you, God for scientists who can learn how to treat us! They have the God given knowledge how to seek the invisible virus and get it under control.

Just like the scientists are seeking for an answer to protect us, we should be seeking after the cure for our sinfulness, who or what will keep us safe-protected. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says “We walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “…do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Faith is not a tangible thing we can put into our hands and actually see or feel. We know that the 11^th chapter of Hebrews, is full of examples of faithful people thru history. The chapter starts with these words “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith means we cannot see the outcome. We are not sure what lies ahead. Faith also means, that we do not know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future! Faith means clinging to the hope that God will triumph. He will come back to earth in judgment, to reward those who have sought after Him, thru obedience, and take those faithful to live with Him eternally. Those who don’t have faith in God, can only see the physical-what is in front of them-what they can actually touch. After Jesus’ resurrection, in John 20, Thomas would not believe that Jesus was among them. Jesus told him to “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believe…Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed…these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

But is faith really invisible, to and in a believer? Did you know that our faith is not brought visible, until we go thru a trial and must seek it and lean into that faith and those promises given by our God! The unbelieving world, who are not even seeking the invisible faith, can see faith in our actions-how we react to a situation-what comes out of our mouths-how we reach out in prayer and patience in the storm, even when no end is in sight. James:14-17 reads “What does it profit my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body what does it profit? Thus, also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” The reality is that if you have faith, works will naturally be a product. True faith and righteous works go hand in hand. The world does not have to seek your faith, because they see the works you are doing in your everyday life. Then, faith is not invisible.

Those who do not have faith cannot see past the physical world around them. They are limited by their temporal circumstances and are blind to what God is doing. But those who open their spiritual eyes can see the spiritual realities which transcend this world. Their hope is in God’s strength and in His faithfulness. In that hope they find the strength to endure. Read Colossians 1. This beautiful chapter tells us Jesus “…in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins…He is the image of the invisible God…”  It is with and through Jesus that we can see the very image of the invisible God!

If the faithless would just look around them, they would see God at work. Romans 1:20 reads “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and God head…” How can a faithless person, watch a sunrise or sunset over the wide ocean, or a newborn baby, or the seasons which are the same every year, and not believe in the existence of a seemingly, invisible God. God is in every day-in every second-in every blink of the eye. We just have to open our eyes!

Mankind needs to stop seeking the invisible and realize that God is right in front of us-right beside us-right behind us. Mankind needs to stop their busyness and rest in the reality that there is a God and He is ever present. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. God never changes. He is our protector. Seek Him and you will find Him! Just as in the invisible covid virus, which was visible after all, by the aftermath it left as it spread; have faith in the ever-visible God and let your life shine brightly for Him! The world will see your faith in action and they will no longer need to seek the invisible because they have found our very visible God! I want to close with these verses from Deuteronomy 4:28-31. Moses was talking to the people of Israel before they crossed over to the promised land. “And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things cone upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.”

Till next time!                                 Keela

BREATHING THRU THE FIRE

BREATHING THROUGH THE FIRE

In your life, have you ever experienced trying to breathe thru the fire? I have many times when the trials of this life have seemed to smother me and I feel like I can’t breathe. Times when I have felt like something was at the top of my head and down all the way to the bottom of my feet, trying to squeeze the very breath from my lungs.

Our life is in our ability to breathe. Human beings are merely a piece of clay of the earth without that breath. But the life comes when God breathes into the nostrils of the human. God did it directly and personally. Genesis 2:7 reads “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” When we don’t have those lifesaving breaths, we will die. Psalm 104:29b reads “…You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.”

We start out our lives, when we come out of our mother’s womb and we take our very first breath of air, which fills our lungs and we cry. We don’t have to think about breathing. It is automatic-constant-always a part of life. I have a touch of asthma and especially during our humid days in the summer, I have trouble breathing, trouble physically getting that full breath of life. I use an inhaler during those times and I can get a full breath of air again.

Mentally and spiritually, I have also had trouble breathing-many times when I have been through the “fires” of this life.  One example was when my husband had been in the hospital so many times (sometimes 2 to 3 times a month), that the medical bills just piled up and we got behind on our mortgage. We ended up losing our home to foreclosure. We had to go downtown Kansas City to the courthouse. Our oldest son took us there, because driving downtown is stressful for me and he wanted to be our support system that day. We sat in a room with our lawyer, with so many others whose dreams had been shattered. When they called our names, I remember standing up and it felt like I was walking on coals of fire. That “fire” felt like it was going to smother me. It was hard to breathe. This is not what I had envisioned for our future! We had lived in that home many years. We had spent holidays with family and friends. We had brought home our daughter from the hospital in this home. We had parties where there was much laughter. We had experienced much joy in that home, as well as much heartache. Where were we going to go? What were we going to do? It was so embarrassing! How had our lives come to this moment in time? How was I going to get that crushing feeling-the feeling of the breath being sucked out of my lungs, out of my heart and my life? Well, you know the answer to those questions! God led us to our future. There are so many examples of God working in our lives during that time. Some, that are only a God thing. There are no explanations but that God was at work in our lives for a better future. He knew what we would face in the future and He orchestrated so much during that painful time; during the time I felt like I was trying to breathe through the fire.

There is a song by Jordan St. Cyr called “FIRE.” It speaks to my heart when hard trials come! These are the lyrics.

“I remember how You told me that life may not be easy and everything that I need you’ve already given me. I remember how You told me I can trust You completely, so why am I doubting when You proved that You’d fight for me. (chorus) -You’ve walked me through fires pulled me from flames. If You’re in this with me, I won’t be afraid. When the smoke billows higher, oh and higher and it feels like I can barely breathe, I’ll walk through these fires ‘cause You’re walking with me.- I’m changed by Your mercy, covered by Your peace, I’m living out the victory, doesn’t mean I won’t feel the heat. (chorus) I can face anything ‘cause You’re here with me. I can do all things ‘cause You strengthen me. I remember how You showed me the price of my redemption Lord, how could I question when You proved that You’d die for me. (chorus)”

Physically, we have medication to help us breath when breathing is so difficult. Mentally and spiritually, we also have “heavenly medication” to help us take those hard breaths when we are in the middle of this earth’s trials of fire. We are never told we will be saved from the trials, but rather God will be by our side helping us to maneuver through them. Isaiah 43:1-3a reads “…thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…”

Read the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in Daniel 3. What an amazing example of God taking care of three men who had been thrown into an actual furnace of fire, because they did not bow down to the king. In verse 25 of that chapter, king Nebuchadnezzar said “Look!…I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” God has all power! If He can be by three young men, who were serving Him, who had been thrown into an actual inferno, He can take care of us also! He is always by our side, helping us to breathe through our fiery trials.

The next time you feel like the fiery trials of this life are taking your very breath away, remember God is by your side and He will guide your steps. I am so thankful that I am a daughter of the King, Who will be by my side and guide my steps!

When you are trying to breathe through the fire, take a deep cleansing breath. Fill your lungs with the breath that flows from the One who created you and called you good from the very beginning of time! Trust in the very One who actually breathed life into your lungs!

Till next time!

                                                                       Keela

TEA PARTY

TEA PARTY

Recently, me and three of my Christian sisters, gave a tea party for the young ladies of our congregation. We had ages from 6-17. We had enough fancy hats for us and each of the girls. How fabulous we all looked! We used some china that was my grandmothers and a tea pot that was my mothers. They both would have been thrilled we could use them for this occasion. We had crustless sandwiches, fruit, salad, small cupcakes, cookies and of course, tea (cold tea that is). It was so much fun! We prayed, ate, played games and I gave a little interactive talk to the girls. That is what I want to take a few minutes to share with you.

I first talked about what the world shows us as beauty, by the magazine covers, TV and movies which try to tell us, beauty is on the outside. They each had a mirror and told them to look at themselves. (This is similar to how my published lady’s bible study book, “God’s Beauty Plan,” starts.) We looked at four features on our faces.

First, we looked at our eyes. We talked about that we can see good and bad in this world. We have to be careful what we let come into our eyes. The bad things can be like a piece of dust or an eyelash getting into our eyes and irritating it. Matthew 6:22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.” We talked about the opposite of light and how what we let our eyes see, causes us to be in darkness or in God’s light.

Second, we looked at our noses. I talked about that God breathed life into us, just like He did Adam and Eve. We talked about icky (usually from their brothers) and good smells (when walking in door and smelling roast cooking). Used the verse in Genesis that says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being.” Our breath is our life!

Thirdly, we looked at our mouths. I talked about bad things can come out of our mouths and good things as well. I told them about a time I was bullied as a child. In 6^th grade, I had to get up in front of the class and read a paper I had written. My hands were shaking so badly that the paper was rattling. As I was walking back to my desk, a boy hollered ‘that was stupid.’ Then the entire class erupted in laughter. I sat down and hung my head. I asked the girls how they thought that made me feel. Then, pointed out that we have to think before we speak, because once those words are out of our mouths, we can’t push them back in. We used the verse in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in God’s sight.” Think before you speak!

Fourth, I talked to them about our ears. We talked about that this world is full of bad (cuss) words. I told them about the new doctor we had hired at the animal hospital who, the very first day, back in the doctor’s office, cussed the entire day. I sat in an office close by and could hear every bad word she said. I started thinking, what if I hear that all day, every day? Those words being said over and over again. Asked the girls, what would happen to me. The girls understood that could go into my brain, into my heart and then, I might start using those bad words. (Luckily, she was told by management, not to talk that way. I was so blessed that they were respectful of my feelings about bad language.) Asked them what they could do when someone talked like that on the TV or in the world. I told them it is so important to be careful of the type of friends we choose to be around. Also, we talked about who we need to listen to: parents, teachers, preacher, and friends when they need to talk to us. Pointing out to them, also, that God will listen to their prayers. 1Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers.”

At this point, I had them put their mirrors down. I asked them to look around the table at the other girls, at the moms who stayed and at the four of us. Told them to look at our eyes, noses, mouths, ears and the color of our skin. We were all different! God made us all special when we were in our mother’s tummy. Reminded them that God doesn’t look at the outside but on the inside beauty of our hearts. Also, told them that it is good for us to look our best. Just look at us today, we looked fabulous! God wants us to be our best. 1Samuel 16:7 says, “God did not look at his appearance or his physical stature…for the Lord does not see what man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Told them that “Beauty and the Beast” is my favorite Disney movie. Told them to think about what the beast looked like on the outside. Scary! But by the end of the movie, he showed his loving, caring heart. Then, I asked them what that all meant. The girls got it! From the 6-year-old to the 17-year-old! They understood what that meant!

Told them to pick up their mirrors again and look at themselves and repeat after me. This is what I told them to repeat about themselves.

I AM-SPECIAL

I AM-BEAUTIFUL

I AM-ONE OF A KIND

I AM-STRONG

I AM-COURAGEOUS

I AM-CONFIDENT

I AM-A DAUGHTER OF GOD

For all the guys and ladies reading this, God does not look at our outer beauty but on the inside-our inner beauty! The image we portray on the outside should mirror the image we are on the inside.

Who knew we could get so much from a tea party? I know the four of us who planned it had so much fun getting it all planned out and enjoyed those 9 young ladies who attended!

Sit back and sip some tea (maybe not from your best china), but remember we were all made in God’s image. God looks at our heart, who we are when no one is looking! Our inner beauty!

Till next time!

                                                Keela

GIFT OF YOURSELF

You are saying, wait a minute, the time of year for gift giving is over. Not if you have a grandson whose birthday is in January and son-in-law whose birthday is in February. But that is not the type of gift I want to focus on. The focus for today is on the gift of ourselves. That type of gift requires time. That type of gift requires letting someone know that they are valuable and worth your physical time.

The greatest gift we can give, is of ourself. God has put people in our lives who need us and we need to give the gift of time to them. I have so many people who have mentored me through their lives and the sacrifices they made for me, who have passed on to be with our Lord. They are now in my past, the shadows of my mind. If it hadn’t been for them, I would not be who I am today. They were such a wonderful example of someone taking the time to give me the gift of themselves. I am getting older. (Duh, you say!) Well, maybe, it is time for me to be a mentor to someone else! The mentors of my past were there for me in my time of need, now it is time for me to follow that great example of their gift of themselves, and me be there for others. To be the one who the younger look up to and know if they need someone, I will be there to listen, comfort, hug and pray.

Life is so short! James 4:14 says “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” I was blessed to be close to my great-aunt Lena (Madalyn). She never married. Her fiancé lost his life in the war and she never dated or wanted to marry anyone else. She took care of her father all her life. In fact, when I was little, I thought they were married. I remember when my mind figured that out. It was like a lightbulb moment. Years ago, when my kids were still home and was one of the busiest times of my life, I remember having this gut feeling to give her a call. Well, the night went on, fixed supper-got baths done-pajamas on-sent all to bed. Late that night I remembered that gut feeling to give her a call. I had forgotten and it was so late. I could give her a call in the morning. I did not get that chance. She passed away that night. I had not taken those few moments of time to call and give her encouragement. I will regret that for the rest of my life!

People give excuses of why they don’t go visit an aged person or their parents. I have. This world is such a busy place. So many things demanding our time. I think that the age we live in, with our cell phones and emails, it is easy to all of a sudden realize we have spent hours on our devices. If we are putting off talking to someone who has made the sacrifice of time for us, we need to stop what we are doing and give them a call, text, email, card. Give them the time, the gift of yourself. We cannot lean on the failures of our parents, to feel ok about not being with them. I am one of the blessed daughters, whose parents invested their time, love and energy in my upbringing. But not everyone can say that. If that is you, don’t judge them by what they knew, according to what you know. They may have been doing the best they could! If they were gone tomorrow, would you be satisfied that you had let them know of your forgiveness-your laughter-your love.

I remember hearing someone say at a relative’s funeral, ‘if only I had another chance to be with them, to spend time with them.’ There has been a Christmas movie series called, “Five Minutes.” The main character is wishing they could have even five minutes more with their loved one and what they wanted to tell them. Live your life like it could be your last. But also, remember that life is so unpredictable and it could be your loved one’s last day. Don’t live your life with regrets that you wish you could be with them even for a short time to let them know how much you care for them-that you forgive them for the past. You could make their day, their life, richer by you just taking a few minutes of your time to give them your gift of yourself. When you leave this earth, can others remember that you spent time in giving your gift of yourself to them?

If you knew you only had 1 hour to live, what would you do? Who would you call or go visit? What would you say to them? Don’t take that person or persons for granted that you will do it tomorrow.  Now, is the time to reach out to the aged one who needs the lift that only you can give. Maybe, one who you need to ask for forgiveness. When that person or persons pass away, don’t be laden with guilt because you didn’t spend time or made sacrifices of your time. This will only hold you back from your God given purpose for your future. 

One time, when I had taken my husband to the emergency room, I saw a teenager from church there also. I talked to him to see why he and a friend were there. He told me and then said, he was invincible because he was still young. But even the young-babies-teenagers-young adults, will pass away. Death does not depend on how old you are. We do not know when the Lord will take us home. Have you spent time with someone who is lonely, so far this year? If not, make your New Year’s resolution to start this day, this minute to reach out to another. It might be the last minute you have to give them the gift of yourself! It is not only going to give another a lift, but also give you a lift knowing that you have spent your time wisely and in service to the Lord!

Live in such a way that those who do not know God, will know Him because they know you. If and when, you have that gut feeling you need to call or be with someone, don’t be like me and forget and not end up doing it. Give the gift of yourself! You will be glad you did!

Till next time!

                                                            Keela  

PEACE OF A SNOW GLOBE

PEACE OF A SNOWGLOBE

The year my husband passed away; my daughter gave our family each a snow globe.  It contains a picture of him dressed as Santa. My husband loved to decorate for the holidays. He played Santa at a local store and at many Boy Scout functions around the holidays.  He was a mailman and enjoyed so much delivering packages and cards during this time of year, because he knew how much joy they brought to people.  He has been gone 13 years this last October. Every year I get that snow globe out and shake it, tears flow from my eyes. Memories swirl around my heart, just like it is swirling around inside the globe around his picture. But yet when that “snow” swirls around, somehow, it helps bring me peace.  How can that be? Those flakes that are floating and swirling around also remind me of hard times-of sad times-stressful times. Times when I felt like I was being tossed around like those little representations of snow. But then I bring my mind and focus once again to his picture and the joy playing Santa brought him. The joy he felt delivering those packages to the people on his mail route and that, gives me peace in my heart!

You are wondering what the point of this blog is going to be. Why is my mind going down this path of thought. Let’s think for a little bit of when I shook that globe and the feelings it brought to my heart.

1. Snow globes have so many different scenes in them. Most have a representation of what or where you have been or visited. We buy them when we go on vacation. We buy them during the holidays to bring us joy. The scene becomes alive when we shake it and watch the “snow” floating. It takes us back to a time of traveling or makes us joyful with the scene depicted. Remembering those times of joy, is like when the Bible Christians remembered their forefathers.  “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets…” Hebrews 1:1.
2. That swirling “snow” reminds me of our lives. I can see through that “snow” and see trials-heartache-busyness and stress. We are so distracted by the reality of life. We can’t focus on what is important. We feel like we can’t even stop long enough to just breath. But then that “snow” holding us captive, settles and we once again can see what is truly important to us. We have time to stop and reflect. Even when our “globe” of life shakes up and once again blurs our vision, we can still find peace because we have the hope of a future in heaven one day. Those “flakes” can still be beautiful when they are floating around because we know that God allows those times to strengthen us-to help us remember what is truly important in our lives. “My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2
3. Have you ever wondered why snow is white? What do you think of when you look out your window and see those beautiful white flakes falling from the sky and the beautiful blanket it leaves on the bushes, trees and ground. It is clean and pure. Sometime read, Psalm 148. It celebrates creation.  Snow being one of them in verse 9. It is pure from heaven. it covers the earth with a covering of white-a cleansing. God tells us in Isaiah 1:18, “…though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” There is cleansing power from our sins, just like in the refreshing falling white snow, in our Saviors saving powerful blood! He died on that bloody cross-was buried and then arose so that cleansing can happen! Just like that white snow!

Have you ever noticed that at the end of a holiday movie that the couple kiss and all of a sudden snow falls from the sky. Almost like that kiss produced a spark in the atmosphere to bring on those beautiful flakes! Happiness-peace-joy! A gift of purity from heaven.

Now that I am retired, seeing those snowflakes falling from the sky does not bring on uneasiness of how I am going to get to work. That uneasiness is like those flakes in the snow globe, swirling and dancing obscuring the true focus of that snow globe. In my retirement, I can now look out the window and look at the beauty of that snowfall. I can thank God for that cleansing power that snow brings. I also pray for those who have to get out and go to work or appointments they can’t miss. Remember the cleansing power and beauty of that snow, even when you have to get out in it.

When the “snow” in the globe falls to the bottom, we can once again focus on the object in the globe.  In the globe above, it is the memories of my husband. I stop and praise God for the trials-the stress-the love I experienced being married to this “Santa.” You ask, how can I be thankful for all those trials. The answer to that is looking back, I realize God allowed those times so I could learn patience-learn that God had a plan for my future that I could not see at the time-to help strengthen my faith in God because, at times, I felt that God was the only one who knew exactly what I was going through and He had my back! I learned to focus on Him and His strength!

If you happen to have a snow globe, get it out now and shake it. Look at the beauty of that scene while the “snow” is falling. Even when those hard times come, we can still see the beauty of the scene because we know that God has a plan. God NEVER stops loving us, no matter how unfaithful-no matter how pained-no matter how far away we feel from the scene in that snow globe or our God. We can find peace, even in the “blizzards” of this life. Our focus of God, is always there for us during and after the “blizzards” settle down.

Jeremiah 10:23 “O Lord I know the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord…”

Peace of a snow globe! Who would have thought!

Till next time!

                                                   Keela

(To all of you who took their time to ponder my blog throughout this year, I thank you for your continued encouragement! May you have a wonderful and blessed holiday and a new year of serving our God and Savior!)