PEOPLE NEED THE LORD: LOVE THEM UNTIL THEY ASK YOU WHY

WOMEN IN THE WORD WEDNESDAY

You say that you want to be

MORE LIKE HIM?

.

You know that

PEOPLE NEED THE LORD?

.

Then, LOVE LIKE HIM!

Love like He loved in the Old Testament!

.

Then, LOVE LIKE HIM!

Love like He loved in the New Testament!

.

Then, LOVE LIKE HIM!

Love like He loves today!

.

LOVE PEOPLE UNTIL

THEY ASK YOU WHY!

.

OLD TESTAMENT: Psalms 136

GOD IS GOOD
1Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
.

GOD IS GOD

2 Give thanks to the God of gods,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

.

GOD IS THE CREATOR

4 To Him who alone does great wonders,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

5 To Him who made the heavens with skill,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

6 To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

7 To Him who made the great lights,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting:

8 The sun to rule by day,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

9 The moon and stars to rule by night,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

.

GOD IS THE MIGHTY DELIVERER

10 To Him who smote the Egyptians in their first-born,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

11 And brought Israel out from their midst,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

12 With a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

13 To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

15 But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

.

GOD IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND TEACHER

16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

.

GOD IS THE MIGHTY DELIVERER

17 To Him who smote great kings,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

18 And slew mighty kings,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting:

19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

20 And Og, king of Bashan,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

21 And gave their land as a heritage,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

22 Even a heritage to Israel His servant,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

23 Who remembered us in our low estate,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

24 And has rescued us from our adversaries,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

.

GOD IS THE BREAD OF LIFE

25 Who gives food to all flesh,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

.

GOD IS LOVE

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

.

.

.

NEW TESTAMENT - Mark 12:28-32

.

"What commandment is the foremost of all?"

29 Jesus answered, "The foremost is,

'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;

• and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,


• and with all your soul,


• and with all your mind,


• and with all your strength.'

31 "The second is this,

• 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

There is no other commandment greater than these."

.

NEW TESTAMENT - I Corinthians 13

.
Love is...

• patient,
• love is kind,
• and is not jealous;
• love does not brag
• and is not arrogant,
• does not act unbecomingly;
• it does not seek its own,
• is not provoked,
• does not take into account a wrong suffered,
• does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
• but rejoices with the truth;
• bears all things,
• believes all things,
• hopes all things,
• endures all things.
• Love never fails

.NEW TESTAMENT: 1 John 4:7-18

.
7 Beloved, let us love one another,

for love is from God;

and everyone who loves is born of God

and knows God.

The one who does not love does not know God,

for God is love...

...if we love one another, God abides in us,

and His love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in Him

and He in us,

because He has given us of His Spirit...

...God is love,

and the one who abides in love abides in God,

and God abides in him.

By this, love is perfected with us,

that we may have confidence in the day of judgment;

because as He is,

so also are we in this world."

.

LOVE THEM UNTIL

THEY ASK YOU WHY!

.

Then,

you can tell your GOD STOPS...

your REMEMBRANCE STORIES!

.

.
I read this comment yesterday on Terry Rush's blog:
"Jesus called us to love our neighbors, enemies, and those who persecute us. And He meant it, trouble is a lot of us listen to talk radio and our fears and we easily forget the Master's command."
.

PEOPLE NEED THE LORD: PARENTS, CHILDREN, AND EVEN MARINES.

There are some things about this post today that might make you think that this is FAMILY FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY. This post would certainly fit there! You are welcome to come back each Friday and join us in sharing ideas for family fellowship within our own little families, our extended families, or our church families. For today, though, join me as I share with you about some parents and some children who I saw this past weekend on my trip to Alabama and why I am so grateful for how they do family fellowship! I must confess that I did not do a very good job taking pictures and the pictures that I did take got washed in the washing machine in my cell phone (which is now no more). Oh, Patti!
.


This is my brother Steve and his wife Sandi in a picture taken several years ago. This weekend I had the privilege of "relieving" them for a few days of their care of Mom.

• They got to go to a play as a family on Friday night.
• Saturday they headed out in early afternoon for #1 Alabama's televised football game in uncommonly cold weather. They returned around midnight with great memories of being there to see their team win another one in the final weeks of the college football season.
• Sunday morning, Sandi was able to attend worship services WITH Steve (where he preaches) because someone Mom was comfortable with was able to stay with her.

.

Steve and Sandi have three young adult children and one daughter-in-law who have all born part of the challenge of caring for their grandmother. Thank you, Eric/Lindsey, Sommer, and Katie.

.
Mom is 80 years old, has lived a rich life, and now has Alzheimers. For caretakers of those with Alzheimers, days are often referred to as 36 hour days. Steve and Sandi have "baby monitors" throughout their house so they can hear Mom whenever she calls. Mom calls often. That is not the Mom I know. Our Mom is a non-demanding servant-hearted woman. Yet, Mom also seems aware that she is losing herself little by little and her face becomes overwhelmed with sadness. It seems to some extent that Mom's mind is intact, it just has holes in it (maybe like a sponge) that make it very difficult to make clear thinking connections.
.
As Mom digresses, it can be much like taking care of a two year old or younger. If you remember what having a two year old looks like, you get a glimpse into what a day might look like for caretakers of those with Alzheimers: they're often awakened before they're ready to be awake; "accidents" in the bed might be common; changing sheets, giving bath/shower, getting ready for the day; fixing and feeding breakfast; getting things set with "activities" for the morning; fixing and feeding lunch; naptime (maybe); aches, pains, needs met; fixing and feeding supper; evening "activities"; staying awake until at least nine so maybe the nights sleep will be good; bedtime routine, pills, pajamas, questions, aches, pains....sleep (maybe or maybe not)...up and down throughout the night....
.
I have always loved and respected Steve and Sandi but as Mom's illness progresses and I have spent a few days as her "semi-caregiver", my appreciation and gratitude for them has grown enormously. I offer my thanks for both Steve and Sandi and for the thousands of children who are Alzheimer caregivers. May those in these circumstances realize how much THEY NEED THE LORD! I know that Steve and Sandi do! I know that Mom does! May GOD bless all of you richly!
.
.
*****************************************************************************
I am also grateful today for a family of four who I just met in the summer of 2007 when my husband, Steve, was considering the preacher opening at Pitman: Ross, Benja, Johnna, and Liam. I feel like I've known them all my life and we were only together for last school year.
.
In May, they moved from New Jersey to Alabama (not far from Steve and Sandi). We made so many connections in such a short time...I feel like I'm related to them. Oh, I am! We're family because of Jesus! Although Ross got his new job early in the year, they waited to move their children from New Jersey until Johnna starred in her school play "Fiddler on the Roof" in May. Here are two pictures their last few days in New Jersey:

• Pic 1: Johnna is taking her bow on the last night of her Fiddler on the Roof performance
• Pic 2: Her face shows that she is not wanting to leave NJ for Alabama in two days.
• Pic 3: Shows a few "transformed moms" who went that night to support Johnna and say "goodbye" to this very special family. Her daddy, Ross, is in the background in the green.
  .

This past Saturday afternoon while Steve and Sandi and their daughter Katie were at the Alabama game, Benja, her daughter Johnna, and friend Sherri (who happened to be visiting them from Pitman) came over to visit with Mom and me. Now, to know Benja is to know laughter, joy, stories, connection, compassion, high energy, higher-level thinking...I'm smiling as I'm writing this!
.
Here is a mom who has been through a huge move...is still helping kids adjust to new schools...is back in school herself because teacher's licensure is different in each state...they're paying two mortgage payments because their New Jersey house still hasn't sold...feel the stress yet?!?!?! One thing I know about Benja is that she has her priorities straight: FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDS... She knows that PEOPLE NEED THE LORD...starting with her own children.
.
As we sat there on Saturday, she vivaciously told a Veteran's Day story that would touch any heart. School was to be out on Veteran's Day and Liam thought that the reason why was very cool. Then, he heard that the day before was the 233rd birthday of the US Marine Corps. That was amazing to him and he got excited. "Mom, we have to do something! We have to let the Marine's know how thankful that we are for them. We have to wish them a happy birthday!" Benja, being the mother that she is, did not write this off. I am so grateful for mother's who go the extra mile like she did that day. She made phone calls all around the Huntsville, Alabama area. This is a big military area with NASA and Red Stone Arsnenal there. It took time. She heard, "You want to do what?" The plan finally came together.
.
Last Tuesday, Veteran's Day, Benja and Liam went to a bakery and picked out a birthday cake. They put the number candles 2.3.3. on top of the cake and headed for the Marine Recruiting office. It was the morning of Veteran's Day in a big military city. There were many in the office preparing for the parade. On the way there, Liam insisted that they practice singing, "Happy Birthday to the Marines!" Did I mention that Liam is seven years old?
.
They entered the office with cake in hand, candles lit, singing "Happy Birthday to the Marines!" Liam had been taught to show gratitude. However crazy it seemed, Benja helped him in showing his gratitude. To know the Ringler family is to see a glimpse of Jesus. They know that they need the LORD...they know that PEOPLE NEED THE LORD. One of the most remarkable ways to share the LORD is with a heart of gratitude.
.
Before I forget, Liam was a hit at the Marine recruiting office that day. He left with stickers, Marine memorabilia, and a new experience of putting his gratitude attitude into action.
.
Thank you, Benja and thank you Liam!





Whoever the person... old parent, young parent, old child, young child....
.
Whatever the circumstances...to be served...to be honored...to be encouraged...
.
Wherever you are...in your home...at school...on the job...
.
Please know that PEOPLE NEED THE LORD! Let Him shine through you today with a GRATITUDE ATTITUDE!
.
.

PEOPLE NEED THE LORD: LET'S TELL THEM OUR REMEMBRANCE STORIES!

MEDITATION MONDAY

.
Last night, as our plane lifted off from the Nashville, Tennessee airport, I marvelled at the size of the city below. What a sight! This week's theme song came to mind as I peered out the window and began to quietly sing this part of it:
.

"WE ARE CALLED TO TAKE HIS LIGHT

TO A WORLD WHERE WRONG SEEMS RIGHT

WHAT WOULD BE TOO GREAT A COST...

FOR SHARING LIFE WITH ONE WHO'S LOST?

THROUGH HIS LOVE OUR HEARTS CAN FEEL

ALL THE GRIEF THEY BEAR

THEY MUST HEAR THE WORDS OF LIFE

ONLY WE CAN SHARE...

PEOPLE NEED THE LORD..."

..

I turned to talk to the person sitting next to me in the plane. It's amazing how many times I run into someone that I know in an airport. Unlike most times, I had arrived at my gate in plenty of time to sit and enjoy a little snooze and some people watching until time to board the plane. I had seen alot of people with guitars over their shoulders, western attire, and big smiles. After all, we were in Music City U.S.A. the weekend after the Country Music Associations awards.

.

Over the intercom I heard someone say that the boarding pass of Rachel Cooper had been found...would she please come to the gate. Well, that perked me up because that is the name of one of the young adult daughters of one of our transformed moms. Sure enough, that's who it was. Rachel and her friend had been visiting friends in Nashville and had already made arrangements with my husband, Steve to pick them up when he picked me up.

.

Yes, Rachel was the person sitting next to me on the plane that I turned to talk to. I asked her about her interest in connecting with a christian group for CHRIST at a local university. She has done this recently in a quest to find out how to reach out more for CHRIST to college students. She shared with me that soon she will begin leading a women's Bible study on campus. What a great conversation we had...what a heart for JESUS. I could not help but think how wonderful it was that Rachel was wanting to share JESUS with people she did not know because she knows that PEOPLE NEED THE LORD.
.

After awhile, our pilot said that we had been put in a holding pattern over Washington, DC for about 15 minutes. As I looked down over the vastness of lights, I looked for familiar landmarks in the distance and thought of the wonderful gift of FREEDOM OF RELIGION that we have in this great land of ours. Yet, as we circled the capitol city, I wondered how many of its people did not know THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD....had not taken advantage of the freedom given them to intimately know the Creator of the universe. All of those five million or so people in the greater Washington DC area NEED THE LORD.

.
.
The pilot came on the speaker again to say that we would need to go in another holding pattern...this time over the city of Baltimore, Maryland. More lights...same thoughts....THE PEOPLE OF THE BALTIMORE AREA NEED THE LORD.
.
As we approached home, we circled over Wilmington, Delaware, then we circled over South Jersey, then we circled over Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ...lights everywhere...people everywhere...PEOPLE WHO NEED THE LORD.
.
There are many people who are ready to hear. There are people right now who would listen to you and me tell them the great gospel story. They would listen to us tell about what JESUS has done for us. We have a different view than they do. Just because they don't see Him the same as we do does not mean that they don't need Him.
.
Some of you who read this may have never been on an airplane, so you've never seen the view of a city below that I referred to...looking from an airplane at a city below in the daylight or with its bright city lights. You can certainly learn more about it through my experience and my description.
.
Some of you have heard stories told but have never experienced running into someone in a faraway land or city who was a "sight for sore eyes" like Rachel was for me yesterday. You can certainly imagine how I might have felt through my description.
.
Some of you have never been to Buena Vista, Colorado but if I keep showing you the pictures from my brother-in-law Stanten of this town in which he lives and / or tell you some of his inspirational stories of living there...you can begin to imagine the grandeur and breathtaking experience that it might be...so much that you might want to plan a trip to the Colorado Rockies soon.
.

.

All of us have a little different view of JESUS because of what we have heard about Him or actually experienced with Him. Others will never know unless we share our stories with them. They deserve to hear.

.

Steve told me last night that Danny, a new brother in CHRIST, just keeps marveling about his "new life in CHRIST" of the past six months. Danny can already look back and see the difference that JESUS has made in his life. He's had a dramatic change for the better in his quality of life! Part of that has to do with moving in with a wonderful family who live and breathe Jesus. They are loving him, nurturing him, giving him boundaries, grace, and mercy. He is thriving! Thank you Cooper family (Rachel's family) for letting JESUS shine through you.

.

For some, our changes won't be quite so dramatic. Yet, each of us can share our view of JESUS and what He has done for us - no matter how long it's been since our first experience. Last year, I remember people at our Pitman church sharing their stories and we called it "Seeing GOD in my rear view mirror!"
.

So, what will you do with JESUS today? Can you view all the things that He has done in your life and then share Him with someone else? PEOPLE NEED THE LORD!!!!

.
.
Yesterday morning, I know that the Pitman church heard a sermon about “HOPE for the Hungry and Thirsty”.
.

• JESUS is the BREAD OF LIFE for the hungry.
• JESUS is THE LIVING WATER for the thirsty.
• JESUS is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD for all of those living in darkness.

.

We can all REMEMBER something that JESUS has done for us and tell that story. It will give someone else HOPE. So, let's start digging up some of those REMEMBRANCE STORIES, dust off the covers, open them up, REMEMBER our blessings IN CHRIST, and start sharing our stories......... because PEOPLE NEED THE LORD.

.
Yesterday at Pitman, in our women's Bible class, Melva shared more remembrance stories of raising her children for the LORD. These are stories that she has TREASURED IN HER HEART. Since I was not there yesterday, to hear her part two, I would love for some of you to share comments here. If you were in Melva's class to hear her "treasures" or "stories" ...let us know some of them. Thank you, in advance.

.

PEOPLE NEED THE LORD

SUNDAY IN THE SON

.

Everyday they pass me by,
I can see it in their eyes.
Empty people filled with care,
Headed who knows where?

.
On they go through private pain,
Living fear to fear.
Laughter hides their silent cries,
Only Jesus hears.

.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize, people need the Lord?

.
We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong seems right.
What could be too great a cost
For sharing Life with one who's lost?

.
Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear.
They must hear the Words of Life
Only we can share.

.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize that we must give our lives,

For peo-ple need the Lord.

.
People need the Lord.

.

MORE LIKE YOU, JESUS: A MUST DO!

KETCHUP AND MUSTARD SATURDAY

*Catch-up and Must-Do*

.

I'm with my mom, brother-Steve, sister-in-law Sandi, and their family this weekend.

.

No "catch-ups" today. I can think of only one MUST DO. Michele asked me the other day if I had ever seen the YouTube "Dancing with Jesus". What a great time to "resurrect it" on our last day of the theme MORE LIKE YOU, JESUS. ENJOY!

.

MORE LIKE YOU, JESUS: IN OUR FAMILY FELLOWSHIP

FAMILY FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY

.

Christmas games at Grandma Klein's!

.

One of many Sikes' games!

.
Since it's getting close to the holidays,

think of some game(s) that you have played together,

during the holidays with family,

that still brings back great memories.

Share it with us here or better yet,

post about it.

.

Sorry that my Mister Linky is not up and running today

but we'll link to you via your comment.

.

My mind has lots of memories hooked to games

full of talking, laughter, listening, and loving on one another.

We have many memories with my extended Klein family

and with Steve's extended Sikes' family,

but for today, I'll list those that we've played pretty consistently

with our kids as they have gotten older:

• 
  
  
  Rook tournament




• 
  
  Monopoly marathon






• 
  
  Phase 10
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  Apples to Apples







• 
  
  Cranium
  .

I'm smiling just thinking about it!

BTW, many games nowadays can be

bought in a junior edition for the younger ones.

BLESSINGS...

May your Holidays be filled with family fun and fellowship.
Thanks for stopping by... and keep remembering to say:
"MORE LIKE YOU, JESUS!"

MORE LIKE YOU, JESUS: TRANSFORM MY PARENTHOOD

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY:

HOW GOD DOES FAMILY

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

"Now the Lord is the Spirit;

and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18 But we all,

with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror

the glory of the Lord,

are being transformed into the same image

from glory to glory,

just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

.

.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, do you see the Lord in my parenting at all?

.

I have been on my knees so many times begging the Lord to give me His wisdom as a parent. I have pleaded with Him to help my kids to forget all the times I messed up. Unfortunately, I did mess up a lot! I've asked Him to give my children a huge spirit of forgiveness!

.

We talked about some things in our HOW GOD DOES FAMILY class last night that are good for all of us to consider. Two of the ways that GOD models His parenting are in the area of POSITIVE COMMUNICATION:

1. He asks questions and listens – allowing His children to explain their actions.


2. Repetition! Repetition! Repetition! He keeps hooking back to or building on what He has previously taught us saying, "Remember! Remember! Remember!"

.

Steve showed a video clip of a couple working on their communication skills! It was funny and full of something that most of us tend to do... ASSUME... MAKE ASSUMPTIONS. We do that with our spouses...we do that with our children. Two ways to correct that problem is with more open communication full of positive questioning, positive listening, and positive repetition - just like GOD modeled in Genesis. I'm sure GOD already knew what had taken place but He patiently asks the questions to give Adam a voice. Notice His questions highlighted in bold...

• 
  
  
  Genesis 3:9-13
  “Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him,
  "Where are you?"
  10 And he said, "I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."
  11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"
  12 And the man said, "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."
  13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"
  And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
  .

In class we looked at some scenarios with parents and children. In these scenarios it would have been easy for the parent to jump to conclusions quickly and do some negative questioning like, "What in the world were you thinking?" "Are you crazy?" "What do you think your father will do with this information?..." In the case of a conflict, it's often best for the parties to seperate for a little while and then come back together and discuss via positive patient questioning.

.

GOD also models the use of positive REPETITION over and over and over and over again in scripture. He uses the word REMEMBER. He knows that we are good at forgetting! Unfortunately, too many of us have heard or said negative phrases along these lines like "If I've told you this once, I've told you a thousand times!" or "If you don't remember this correctly, I'm not sure that you are ever going to amount to anything." This, of course, is not how to repeat or remind!

.

GOD wants us to make the connections with what we've learned in the past and how it applies to the present situation. He did this in Ephesians to remind christians of their past...where they'd come from and where they were going. Here it is in part...

.

"Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands — 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ..."

.

I am so thankful that our Heavenly Father is such a positive communicator. He listens! He asks questions! He reminds us when we forget! In His great love, He wants us to stay focused on what's important, so He reminds us where we have been, where we are, and where we are going! That's called exhortation! I want to be more like Him!

.

.

Join us tomorrow for FAMILY FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY

.

Since it's getting close to the holidays, think of some kind of game that you have played together during the holidays with family that still brings back great memories. Share it with us tomorrow OR better yet, post about it on your blog and link back to it.

.

Thanks for stopping by... and keep remembering to say:

"MORE LIKE YOU, JESUS!"

.