WHATEVER! In this day and age God is literally being taken out of our society. We can’t say the word “Christmas”, there can’t be any prayer in school, and if you talk about Jesus you are a religious freak. How about taking “Under God” out of the pledge or taking Christian symbols out of public places? I know you can come up with even more examples, it is not that hard. I know people who proclaim to be atheists. I am even related to some. I just don’t understand that kind of thinking.  To those people I say “Whatever!” 

…Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Phillipians 4:8

Thinking about such things is thinking about God! But this verse isn’t just about positive thinking. I mean aren’t those qualities what our Lord stands for? Isn’t that who God is? God is everything that is good. I think if you would ask, most people would agree that they would want “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.”  Yet there are hundreds of thousands who claim they don’t know God. We come across non-believers daily.

 The Bible instructs us to share the Good News of Christ. That is often easier said than done. It is difficult to step out of the box and even if we do we are not sure what to say. How about telling them “Whatever!”  Tell them what Christ stands for and who he is because they truly do not know.  So many people are struggling to find these good things in their life but do not know where to look. Christ is the answer. 

Still not convinced?

Romans 8:31

What then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Share the Good News that God is on our side fighting for us! He wants only good things for us, pure and true. Isn’t that what we all want and need in our lives? Let’s put God back into our society. Now it is your turn to share the GOOD NEWS!

Hebrews 13:2 (KJV): Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Last week I got the privilege of attending a Brewer’s game. It was a warm night and excitement was in the air. I love going to the game to return to my old hometown. I love the sights of the big city, sounds of the crowd and smells of hot dogs and brats. I always have the hope of bumping into somebody I once knew back home. I was blasting old nostalgic music on the way and Elton John’s "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"came on.  Kinda goofy, but in the excitement of the night I prayed that God would do something special for my life tonight since I knew Elton John could not! Maybe I would catch a fly ball, maybe meet up with an old friend, maybe just have a great time with the kids. Silly prayer I thought, but why not?

Our family got free tickets up in the nose bleed section. In fact, to our dismay, we were in the uppermost section, last row, middle. As we made our way up and pushed through I knew that catching a fly ball was out of the question. Then as we excused ourselves past other fans I noticed an old, fairly dirty looking man in the seat next to where I was about to sit. I quickly turned to my husband to have him take my seat. It was too late, he sat on the opposite side with kids in between. “Okay, I guess it is my turn to suck it up,” I thought to myself as we all know there is that less than pleasant person we might have the encounter and must to sit next to. No sooner did I sit down than God began talking to me.

Disclaimer: Yes! I believe God still speaks, we just need to listen.
Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
It wasn’t a loud voice, but a whisper in my soul, yet very audible. “Be kind to the man,” is what God seemed to be saying to me. Now there were two things wrong with God asking me that. First, the old man was alone and things were coming to my head like maybe he is a serial killer, maybe he is a kidnapper and came to stake out his prey. “Be kind,” God told me. Secondly, I always wanted to be outgoing and can be when all my closest friends are around. Not so much in a situation like this. In fact my best friend and I make a great pair, I let her walk in front of me and do all the talking and I do the work. It is hard for me to just stir up conversation with a stranger. Then my son whispered that he wanted a soda. Whew, a chance to escape! But it kept nagging at me, the lonely old man.  I bought sodas for the family and an extra one for him. “What is that for?” asked my son. “The old man,” I told him. “You just don’t do that mom! No, don’t” he yelled out of embarrassment. “God laid it on my heart, I gotta.” And with that we silently walked back to our seats. I offered the man the soda and struck up some conversation about baseball, and some local news, small talk. Once my husband even jokingly texted me from four seats down “stop flirting with the old man!” I found he came all the way from Greenbay by himself I think. Now I wish I was brave enough to ask more questions, maybe tell him I would pray for him, but I wasn’t.    During the 7th inning he left and I called my friend (the talker) to tell her what was happening. She told me to tell him about our ministry, talk about God! Ugh! I didn’t know if I could do it, just small conversation was hard enough. He never came back. Was it enough? Did I do what God wanted? Yes, I met a man, a stranger I can pray for, that I can share this simple story about. Afterward my family teased me about how the man probably came to the game to be by himself and I just bugged him the entire time! Maybe they are right but at least I obeyed God!     This man is in my prayers and I ask that the old man from the Brewer’s game be in your prayers too. I don’t know his story, but it doesn’t matter. We need to be kind to strangers because we may just be entertaining angels. Maybe he was just a lonely old man, maybe he did just wanted to be left alone. It doesn’t matter; we always need to listen to God’s voice.  My prayer was answered; God did something special for my life that night.    If I did get another chance to talk to that man what would I say? I was thinking about it as I drove home this morning. Then a song came on the radio called “The Words I’d Say” by the Sidewalk Prophets . God spoke to me again, this time through song:

If we were face to face,
I'd tell you just what you mean to me,
I'd tell you these simple truths,

Be strong in the Lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say

It is my prayer for you today that you listen to God’s voice because he still speaks, we just need to listen; and for the old man at the Brewer’s game.

   Matthew 25:23
   23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

When I finish my journey here on earth I want to hear from my Lord “Well done , good and faithful servant!”  I want to “finish well” as they say.  We must consider the path we are on, before we ever look at the finish line, toward our destination. Where are we really driving toward in our day to day living?

 About five years ago I asked for a GPS for Christmas.  I like to travel and explore and hoped a GPS would give me a little more freedom…from getting lost.  Yeah, don’t ask me for directions, I get lost- a lot!  I was so happy to get that GPS I thought I heard angels sing! I played around with it getting around town for awhile, then to Milwaukee where I grew up.  I was stunned to learn that it had me exit the freeway and re-enter again at the next point. I thought it was a little quirk but on my next trip to a nearby town  it boldly stated,  in that oh so pleasant voice, “Please make a U-turn  as soon as possible!” Well there is only one main Hwy. to get there and I was on it! “ I’ll follow the GPS though”  I thought,  “it must know a quicker way.”   I drove around small winding country roads and what should have been a 45 minute trip turned out to be a 2 hour wild goose chase.  Once I was trying to get to an IHOP on vacation and it told me to make a u-turn in the parking lot, that GPS said it was still 3 miles away! That is when I officially wanted to throw it out the window! Where is your GPS leading you?

Matthew 7:13-14

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

  Is your personal GPS leading you on a wild goose chase?  If we want to live for God we must follow his road. His road may not be the path most taken, and we may hit road blocks .  That is okay, He wants us to follow him.   Proverbs 3:5-6 New International Version (NIV)

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

In fact I found that there are at least  100 verses related to our PATH in the bible. Don’t trust  me! Dust off your Bible and check it out yourself! The Bible is our roadmap: our GPS that never changes or stops working. It leads us on the right road , shows us detours, and gets us past those nasty road blocks. Open your Bible today!

I often make a five hour car trip to Minneapolis  to visit family.  I usually have the kids in tow and my husband stays behind.  I pretty much dread the drive. I mean five hours behind the wheel for me is tedious, long, and just plain tiring. I feel like I lose a good part of my day. In my mind I am thinking how in just a few days I need to make the trek back again, ugh!  Yet every few months I do it! Why? Because it is worth it! Once I get there I am greeted by warm hugs and familiar faces; a home away from home. I see people I love and who love me. Yet I have to take that long journey to get there.

People have a lot of philosophies about life that can be summed up in a simile or metaphor.  “Life is a cup of coffee”,  “Life is like a beautiful  melody” ,  “Life is like a box of chocolates….you never know what you’re gonna get.”   Well, I’m not here to tell you I have life all summed up into a cute phrase. I am not here to tell you I have all the answers….just one answer actually.  I don’t have it all figured out and you don’t have to either!  I AM here to say life is a journey, but you already know that.

The journey of life can get tedious, long, and just plain tiring. On our trip to Minnesota, I make sure we stop for gas and food. We refuel  our bodies and our vehicle so we can keep going. We need to refuel our lives too. How? 

Read the Word (Bible) Read the promises God has for you in scripture concerning your struggles. It is in there and it WILL restore you!  

1 Peter 1:23 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Pray Ask Him for wisdom, strength, guidance, tell him whatever is on your heart.  

1 John 5:1414 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. -Praise God God calls us to rejoice and give thanks in ALL circumstances and he promises peace.

Why not praise God? It will lift your spirit! 
 
Philippians 4:4-7 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

Obey...  Let Jesus be Lord so he can take authority over your life.  Don’t let the enemy be in control.  

Philippians 4:9 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.  

Be reassured  Rest in knowing God has Victory  

Psalm 46:10  He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  

So what is the one “truth” I know?  Jesus is Lord and  should be our path, our fuel, our all in all through our journey.  Ah, but there is more to the journey, many more roads we can take. Join me next time so we can choose the right path together.

My mom turned 70 this weekend! After a small celebration with family, I had some time to reflect on what a real celebration it was! Her life, although not easy, has taught me how to choose joy and be blessed in my life. Let me tell you a little about my mom;

Mom grew up in a Christian faith based family which taught her to call upon the Lord’s strength she has needed along her journey. When she was about 19 she came down with mono which led to an acute case of hepatitis. The doctor said she would probably not live. She had to drop out of art school and was bed ridden for a year. She gradually regained her strength and health with the grace of God. God had a plan for her life because several years later she married my father, had me, and later my brother. Things weren’t easy for her as we struggled with my dad’s mental health issues. My parents divorced when I was in college and soon after my mom became very weak and very tired all the time. She saw countless doctors to no avail and began to get very depressed. Finally in 1990 she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. There was no cure but at least an answer.

About this time God brought a man alongside her to take care of her and encourage her. He later became my stepfather. They spent time reading the bible together, going to church, and laughing together. Things were certainly looking up. Then in 1994, at the age of 53 she had a severe stroke. They could not tell me if she would live at first. She was hospitalized for 3 months and had endless rehab appointments until insurance wouldn’t pay anymore. Soon it came apparent that the stroke affected her brain that controls speech. She has aphasia, and although she can think normally she cannot form the words to speak her thoughts. She now has about a 20 spontaneous spoken word vocabulary. The stroke has affected her right side and she is unable to use her right hand at all. She has re-learned to walk but she cannot do steps or drive. She often gets confused and frustrated with herself. She is on numerous medications for many health ailments caused by the stroke. Yet, all along her faith remained strong. Her new husband now read the bible to her, prayed with and for her, took her to church and doctors visits. They still laughed together.

She always finds joy in the little things. In fact it always drove me crazy! For example my mom and stepdad would go for Sunday drives and literally drive 20mph. They would take in the awe of the changing color of the leaves or a cow on the side of the road. My mom would squeal with excitement when she saw a beautiful barn or the sun set. Then they would praise God for all the glorious things they had seen that day! I would feel “ stuck” with them when if I was along for the ride. It was a waste of time for me, I snickered at the pettiness (I thought) of their joy. I sneered at their foolish sense of humor they had together. I would explain away this embarrassing, childlike behavior as a side effect of the stroke or old age!

Then in 2004 my mom’s husband got diagnosed with breast cancer. It took a toll on his health quite fast. He was unable to care for her. Soon home health nurses were taking care of both of them. Still, they prayed together, read the bible together, their pastor would visit, and they laughed together. Now I took them for rides on Sunday. Over the next few years his cancer spread rapidly and my mom never left his side. At the end he was in a nursing home. Mom wanted to be by his side every day. She would read prayers to him out of her prayer book hours on end. She would try to convey ideas about heaven and who he would see there, using her limited language and drawings, to ease his anxiety. He continued to praise the Lord in all his pain as well. When he lost his battle to cancer we thought we would lose my mom soon also from her grief and her continuing health issues. We were wrong, that was three years ago! I am blessed to have her here as she continues on as stubborn as ever. She refuses to go to assisted living or a nursing home. She lives by herself with daily home health visits.

Yet, there is more. She was diagnosed with stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer this past winter. The very same type of cancer she watched my stepdad suffer through. She has fared quite well through months of chemotherapy and just recently a mastectomy. Next week she starts quite intensive daily radiation, which they say could cause lymphodema and impair her “good” arm. I cry out to God in disbelief, “How much more can one woman take, Lord!” and “ Why have you put us through so much!” I grieve for her every day. Her health has taken a toll on our family in many, many ways over the years. I try to help the best that I can, yet my heart hurts tremendously. Yet in the darkness God brings us His light. Only recently have I been learning lessons from her; lessons that are echoed from God.

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 : pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.

Mom has always prayed and gave thanks to her Lord. I often get impatient and complain in my own daily life. I get bitter and anger quickly. I always tell my family and friends that if I were in a similar situation to just “let me go.” I certainly don’t thank God in all circumstances. I am quenching HIS Spirit! How sad is it that we do not thank God, pray always, and be blessed by it. I need to do more of that because I want to be blessed. Mom never lost her faith, no matter the circumstance. That is truly incredible!

2. Philippians 4:4-5:  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

My mom and stepdad were always rejoicing in the Lord and his creation. I forget to rejoice and then wonder what happened to my joy. Joy becomes a choice. I snickered and sneered at their simple joy. Now I know how important it really is in life. It is not so embarrassing now.

3. Philippians 4:12-13:  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

My mom laughs at herself when she is trying to get out a message that it isn’t quite right. In fact her laughter is contagious. “The poop by the door” might actually translate to “I want popcorn!” She hears herself say it and she laughs time after time. When I take my mom to the doctor’s office I am surprised to hear her laugh as she stumbles out words or fumbles for something. Every task is tedious for her yet she can laugh. She lights up when the nurses joke with her. At places and times I ( and many others )would be crying in hopelessness, my mom is content. She is happy for those little moments that bring her joy. She and WE can do all things through Him who gives US strength.

Lessons of joy might have come through a lot of pain and heartache for me, but they didn’t have to. God’s promises are laid out for us right there in the bible. I am not perfect and joy for me doesn’t always come easily. In fact I need to PRACTICE God’s teachings on joy. I need to remind myself to pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, rejoice in the Lord always, be content, and find joy in the little things God hands over. Then I won’t quench the Spirit of God but be blessed by Him.. I Hope you choose and practice joy and contentment the way my mom does…the way the bible teaches us. Rejoice my friend!

Hey everyone!
My name is Stacey. I guess you could say I am a student of life. I had my share of laughter and tears: great joy and lots of heart ache. Through it all I have seen God weaving His thread in a master plan for my life.  I’ve lived in 4 other states and even another country and now call Watertown, WI my home.  My house and heart are full with a loving husband, three children AND a cat and dog too!  I love working with children and truly am a kid at heart. I am always up for a new adventure! I love to travel and explore, meet new people and do new things. More importantly, God has me on an a wild adventure called life where I count on him each day to bring me through!  

Have you ever heard the saying, “Be patient, God isn’t finished with me yet”? I have experienced a lot  and know that God has a lot more planned for me if I trust in Him. Phillipians 1:6 says “ He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” We may not know the plan God has in store for us by we can be assured that it is a good one!  I choose to trust in Him to guide me through each new adventure. How about you? I encourage you to trust in Him too! God isn’t finished with you yet!