Storm Clouds

I wrote this one week ago while I was on a very long flight.  At the time I wrote this, Israel was being barraged with rockets.

Have you been taking note of the events in Israel lately?  It seems like the news reports are a coming directly out of the Prophets.  Events are intensifying.   I notice that many people want to ignore what is happening in Israel, but the events there are not insignificant.  It is easier and more comfortable to sleep or be entertained than to be watching and praying, but we need to be on alert.

Things seem so dark and threatening, but even with storms on the horizon I know who walks with me.  I wrote this poem when during my freshman year in college after I had a vision.  I can still see the vision, and the best way for me to describe it is by sharing this poem with you.  

Storm clouds shake
As raindrops mingle with tears
Then it stops.
There is darkness all around
Yet I have to squint as I look up
And you reach down, smile, and hold my hand.         Copyright 1996

This picture of the Lord smiling and holding my hand in the middle of darkness and difficulty has brought me much comfort.  I hope it will do the same for you.

If you are reading this post and do not know Jesus as Lord of your life, today is the day to do that.  Your life will be changed.  Do not delay.  Believe and receive the good news that Jesus (Yeshua) died for you so that you might have eternal life.  

Strength Reality Check

I want to be strong.  We work very hard to be strong, to not show our weaknesses, and when our weaknesses are exposed our egos are bruised.  Just watch children on a playground saying, "you can't hurt me" while they bite their lips to keep from crying.

This week I had a strength reality check (or maybe I should say a weakness reality check).   I was tested by doing a series of functional movements to see which exercise class I would be able to take.  The results were less than stellar.  My strength and flexibility were not good enough to join a class, but will require one-on-one sessions.  This was a bit of an ego-burster--just when I thought I was doing pretty well. 

The truth hurts, but it helps us grasp reality. 

This was another way for the Lord to speak to me about my weakness (physically, emotionally, and spiritually).  He has been speaking to me about weakness for several months, and it continues to be the message of the day (I guess I haven't fully grasped it yet).  Even the sermons at my congregation have been on this topic for the past several weeks.   I need to acknowledge my weaknesses and rely on His strength.

We are not self-sufficient.  We cannot do everything on our own.  We need help.  Recognizing our dependency on the Lord is critical.   "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."  (1 Corinthians 10:12 ESV)


"For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked."   (Revelation 3:17 ESV)

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV)

Taped Up

I had a minor setback earlier this week.  Actually, it happened the previous week.  I was having a hard time sitting for more than 20 minutes at a time because of pain in right side.  I thought it might go away and was inclined to ignore it and tough it out, but I thought maybe this wasn't the best idea.  Last Monday, I was able to get an appointment with my PT and she found that my right sacroiliac joint was stuck, which was causing me the pain.  She got me reset, and then taped my back for a few days.  Wow, I had no idea that a couple pieces of tape across my low back could actually make such a difference in helping me feel more stable, and it was a great reminder for me to sit straight.  The tape is now removed, and I am trying to continue having better posture, so hopefully I don't end up in that place again.  I have to focus in order to counteract the learned behavior of slouching.

I am reminded of how we can get stuck in our spiritual lives and sometimes need a little help from a friend to get us moving again.  We also need some "tape" in our lives to remind us to stay walking on the straight and narrow path.  Maybe this is reading or reciting Scripture or even putting it on your wall.  Maybe this is listening to worship music or meeting with a prayer group.  We all need let ourselves be reminded, so we will continue walking in God's truth.  Life will be better in the long run even though the discipline is not easy.      

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  (Deuteronomy 6:5-9 ESV)