Powerful Weakness

“Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ ” II Corinthians 12:9a New Living translation
Remember the Pop Quiz? Out of nowhere the teacher announced a test. Do you remember your reaction? Favorable or negative? No matter what age we are there remain tests for us to take. We cannot escape them.

The other day I faced a pop quiz from God:

As back drop, I must tell you that my body battles low blood sugar and anxiety regularly. I need lots of water, lots of rest and lots of food evenly distributed daily to function at any normal capacity. Otherwise, sugar shock and passing out can ensue. This is the physical weakness I live with in my body. Read on.

A coworker on the next shift after mine had some car trouble. She wasn’t sure she could make it in to work. Being low man on the pole, even after 28 years, meant working 12 or 16 hours straight for me. The shift had to be filled.
My first reaction was to pray for someone else to want or need the work. “No” was the answer to that prayer. Then I prayed someone would split the shift with me. 12 hours was certainly more acceptable than 16. Again the answer was “No”. So the test for me was 16 hours of busy work followed by little sleep to come in the next day for another busy shift.

God’s pop quiz tested my commitment to trust in His goodness, His provision and His grace. Temptation did not take the night off.

The first question on the test entered my mind as fear. Would I be able to physically handle working such long hours? I answered by recalling God’s faithful help in the past with forced lesser amounts of overtime. I decided this was the correct answer and steered my mind to trust in His help. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 New International version

Next question on the test. Will I complain to my husband, friends or coworkers? I felt the strong urge to complain to my husband. I wanted to seek his pity. But he could not help me though he wished he could. I had to rely on the only One who truly could help. I remembered the many times God spared me from being forced to work double shifts in the past. Gratitude swept over my mind. “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good: For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” I Chronicles 16:34 New American Standard Bible

Third question. Would I allow self pity to pool in my mind? Or resentment and anger to settle in my soul? By His grace I resisted the negative and reminded myself of God’s sovereignty in my life. He had allowed this to happen. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 New Living translation

So I began asking for more of His grace.

Grace is what I needed to make it through 8 more hours when my back and feet were already hurting. Grace is what I needed to maintain a kind attitude toward my customers as I grew more tired. So I asked for grace over and over throughout the night. The more I depended on receiving grace, the more it washed over me in waves.

I completed 16 full hours on a busy friday while maintaining a good frame of mind. For me this was a huge improvement from years past when I gave in to fear and fretting, whining and complaining, anger and resentment.

I went to bed that night trusting He would give me good rest on little time and He did! Saturday proved busier than friday but His grace continued to flow as long as I continued to ask for and depend upon it. I knew I had passed His test.

“So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” II Corinthians 12:9b New Living translation

An A plus is given to a student for great work being achieved.

May your next test be a perfect score!

Shine on. . .

karan k

Fan Out Your Figures

If your household is like mine, everybody works. Our combined finances keep the home fires burning. We’re down to a family of two. Our daughter is married now and flurishes in a neighboring town but the empty nest transition continues to challenge us. Needs and wants are different at this stage.

Out of his gracious heart, my husband allows me to handle all the finances. I asked for the responsibility when we first got married. He decided to give me the reins. If it didn’t work after a year, we agreed to try another plan. I appreciate his willingness to give my financial system a chance. After 10+ years I remain in charge and he continues to fully entrust me with the finances. But every now and then budgetary issues can get a bit dicey.

The same amount of revenue comes in most months and we have a working budget that I put together. Every year we make a few vacation plans and set some goals for saving money. But once in awhile I fear I bite off more than our budget can chew, so to speak. It’s sort of like a budgetary binge; perhaps you’re also attempting to do something tremendous for your spouse or your children? Or treat yourself to something over the top? The price tag is a bit higher than your budget’s comfort cushion but you go for it anyway?

And then we have to fight off the vicious serpents of second guessing. Their bite can be deceitful leading us aboard the carousel ride where fear doubt and worry ponies spin out of control if we’re not careful. Can you relate?

How do we justify splurging on ourselves when there are so many dire needs around us?

There are people starving all over the world every minute of every day. Worthy causes and ministries too numerous to number surround us in an age where we have access to give, making financial contributions around the clock.

Are we to live as monks giving up all our earthly pleasures? (Consider the story of Job who was the richest person in the area where he lived and God called him righteous. Job 1:1)

How do we navigate our budgets to be good stewards?

We could give to the poor daily and there would still be more need. Jesus’ own words in Mark 14:7 say: “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have Me.” Berean Study Bible

This is not an excuse from giving but to balance giving with His other desires for us such as; worshipping Him, caring for our bodies, maintaining relationships, interacting with creation and sharing the Gospel to name a few.

How do we balance our own wants with the needs of others? We are God’s stewards of the money HE allows us to earn. We will give an account one day of how we used all of His gifts, including money.

” ‘Well done!’ the King exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.'” Luke 19:17 New Living translation

That being said, how do you handle these financial dilemmas? Share your ideas in the comment section. We can all learn from each other.

When facing such spiritual conundrums, I employ what I call “The Hezekiah Approach” from II Kings 19:14-20. It’s like FANNING OUT YOUR FIGURES BEFORE THE LORD. Read the passage and follow Hezekiah’s example.

Lay it all out and pray for His Spirit to guide you

This is where our relationship with THE HOLY SPIRIT comes into play. His guidance is the answer. Lay your financial life out before Him like individual ledgers. The bills, the budget, the needs, the wants, the giving opportunities. Talk to Him about your concerns, cares and even the things you really want. He cares about the details and He will guide you on how to make decisions specifically for your life. Of course this takes some time.

Time set aside to gather all the info.

Time physically to lay it out on a large surface.

Time set aside to pray over it and seek His direction.

We must be intentional saved followers and stewards of Christ. Definitely slows the decision making process on the front side, but if you’re making better decisions the end result will more than make up for the time spent.

His goals for us are clear but the steps leading to completion of them are usually fuzzy so that we never achieve them without His help. He wants to be involved every step of the way. Working with Him on projects draws you close if you cooperate.

This results in a FLURISHING relationship with Him which is His bottom line. Start budgeting with Him asap!

Shine on. . .

karan k

Blog of Silence

Take the time you normally would to read this blog to pray for our world leaders to receive divine wisdom to know how to successfully battle global terrorism. Thank you. . .

karan k

Prayers for the Pot Roast

“. . . the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41b New International version

A line I remembered from a movie, “The Gift of Love” also appears in the book, ‘Never Forsaken’. It says, ” a house full of love has elastic walls.” Simply adore that line. Sort of goes along with the thinking, “the more the merrier.” This is the philosophy of my heart and spirit. But lately my flesh has not kept up with my spirit in the translation of hospitality in reality.

My husband and I host some of the family functions in our home like Christmas day gatherings or an occasional party. But for the most part we spend our days alone throughout the year in our house like two peas in a cozy pod. We are quite comfortable with this arrangement. But every now and then the opportunity presents itself to host overnight guests.
I enjoy having people stay over at our house and I like to think our walls are elastic. It happens maybe twice each year with one or two people staying for a few days. This year is a little different. We extended invitations to two different parties and they both agreed to come and stay with us. Only one problem;

Their schedules dove-tailed into back to back visits totalling 10 days straight. My husband and I thought better to trust God and His grace rather than disappoint dear folks we’d already invited. Wasn’t their fault that they needed to come back to back. So we said come on and stay.

Things were going well with our first guest until fatigue and stress caused an emotional meltdown between my husband and I in front of our guest! Horrors! Now she could see for herself that we were not Mr. & Mrs. Superman. We were and are indeed made of flesh.

Adamstown Community Days fireworks with loyal friend

Fortunately, she is an old friend and understands the humanness we displayed and loves us anyway. She even asked to come back soon. What grace!

So strip the bed and wash the towels and what to cook for guest set #2? I decided on a roast I could throw in the crock pot while I worked and voila it would be done for the evening meal when they arrived. At least that was the plan. Did I mention I am not a seasoned cook? So I prayed over my pot roast. I wanted our guests to be blessed not made sick by my lack of cooking skills. Seriously, I have always found when I pray and ask for JESUS’ help with cooking, the food always turns out great. Why not? HE is Lord of All, even cooking.

So everything skipped along splendidly with our second house guests, the out of state relatives who we were only now getting to know. Until. . . my fatigue reared its nasty face again. Although this time the result remained strictly physical. No emotional outbursts, thank God! But I felt drained. Again, I experienced grace.

For my current guest said to me last night that she now understands more deeply Jesus’ words to His closest friends in the garden of Gethsemane; “. . . the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41b New International version

She said this after we shared a full day of local sightseeing. Her spirit wanted to do more but her body was saying “Wait just a minute! You’ve done enough”. She had to respect her physical limitations. Oh how I could relate! I didn’t have to give in to the lie that I hadn’t “entertained enough.” So we both called it a night and took our much needed rest.
“Hospitality is not about showing off your house, your decorating skills, cooking abilities or possessions— Hospitality is about God and how HE uses you and your possessions to serve those you come in contact with whether friends or strangers, believers or unbelievers.” Jami Balmet

This levels the playing field so that each of us has something to offer in the way of hospitality whether we live in a small apartment or a large mansion. Each of us can bless those around us when the opportunity arises. Don’t allow pride or fear to stop you from sharing what He has given you. Don’t give in to the lie that you don’t have enough to offer. Like the little boy with the 5 loaves and two fish in Mark 6:41, rest in the fact that He will multiply your efforts to bless others. It’s something I’m learning as I FLURISH with Him in hospitality opportunities. Each one is different, each is unique and each one when offered to Him can bless all involved!

“Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” Romans 12:13 English Standard version

Shine on. . .
karan k

Fond Memories

“So I recommend having fun. . . ” Ecclesiastes 8:15a New Living translation

This is a holiday weekend to remember those who have fought for our country, its freedoms and values throughout the years since our inception. Many ceremonies and celebrations will take place over the course of this weekend here in the US of A. The courage of the men and women who have and are serving our nation afford us many freedoms. One of those freedoms is to have fun.

I am blessed to share this time with two of my oldest friends who travelled from out of state to be here this weekend. There’s something special about people who have known you since childhood. People who have watched you grow up and been there for the good choices and the bad. The ups and downs of your life. They know you so well and yet they love you. What a comfort to one’s soul.

Yesterday, while driving my friends on an errand, we had an incident occur that I knew immediately would go into our book of fond memories.

My husband graciously allowed me to take my friends in our 1979 Pontiac Catalina Safari station wagon. The car is as big and as long as its name.:) It’s the kind that has the flip up backward third seat to sit in and watch out the back window. It’s a fun way to see where you’ve been. Recalling this now I find it an extremely apropos experience in this car with my oldest friends.

So I’m backing down our driveway. The radio is playing “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey. The neighbor’s Basset Hound across the street is standing in the yard staring as this rumbling yellow (technically Montego Cream) beast of a machine with dual exhaust moves toward him. His owner, who I have never personally met, is in the yard, notices us and waves. So wanting to be a friendly neighbor, I push on the horn and begin to wave when the horn decides to continue blowing. It will not stop and I feverishly try to depress the horn again when the cap flies off exposing the wiring which continues to blast the horn. I cannot begin to exaggerate how loud this horn sounds. My two friends are laughing hysterically as we cruise down the street announcing our arrival to every house on the block and beyond.

Friend in the front seat scrambles to retrieve the cap while I discover if I pinch the wire the horn stops. So friend in front seat pinches the wire while I drive and friend in the back seat is laughing to tears and I fear she may wet herself on the vintage upholstery.

By the grace of God we pull over and attempt to get the cap back on which depresses the spring mechanism just enough to silence the horn… thank God. That is, until we pull into our destination’s parking lot and the obnoxious horn goes off again without provocation. My friends and I want to crawl under rocks but instead we laugh our heads off while those looking on stare in bewildered annoyance.

Good times. Good times. To see my friends laugh like this with utter abandon is priceless. Life can get serious and hard for all of us but moments such as these are gems in our book of memories. None of us will ever forget this stupid little incident which will always produce a smile and a laugh whenever remembered.

Happy Memorial Day to us.

I hope you can make some silly, simple memories this Memorial Day weekend and throughout the coming summer months. FLURISH in fun!

“A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22a New Living translation

Shine on. . .
karan k
…………..

Clogged Grace

“The very center of the whole Bible is the doctrine of the grace of God.” —-J. Gresham Machen

In August 1988 George H. W. Bush accepted his party’s nomination for president of the United States. During his speech that day he made this remark, “I want a kinder and gentler nation.”

Some of you may remember hearing his words live that day. Or heard one of many replays of the remark, serious or sarcastic that followed in the news or tv shows such as Saturday Night Live. (Dana Carvey nailed it). Younger readers may not know or care about it but President Bush’s remark has become a catchphrase in the history of American politics.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 5 — Aired 11/10/1990 — Pictured: Dana Carvey as George Bush — Photo by: Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank

A lot of jokes were made about the line at the time. But now almost 30 years later, in light of our escalating violence, wouldn’t it be comforting if we had a kinder and gentler nation in 2017? I’m not here to discuss politics today but to share some thoughts on the words spoken by our 41st president.

What does being a kinder, gentler nation look like? A place where people treat each other with dignity and respect no matter their differences? I’ll take that.

For a country to make a shift from division and dissension to kindness and gentility I believe much grace is required.

Realistically, we know that not everyone in our country sees the Bible as the ultimate authority and so the idea of the grace of God is foreign to them.

But for those of us who have experienced the grace of God, we must put what we know into practice.

Ideally we should accept God’s ultimate grace to save us eternally first and then extend HIS grace through kindness and understanding to others during our everyday activities. Grace should flow freely at home with family members, at work with co-workers, out and about with store clerks, friends, neighbors etc.,

So why have we missed the mark if there are so many Christians in our country filled with His grace? Why haven’t we become a kinder, gentler nation? I think we need to start with our own conduit of grace making sure it’s not clogging the flow.

Remember the flight attendant spiel before every take-off? You have to take care of your own oxygen before helping others. We must intentionally treat ourselves with grace to maintain clear conduits. Do we tend to offer grace to others but not ourselves ? This can cause clogs in the system. . .

I get mad at myself. I get impatient with myself. I get frustrated with myself and disappointed at times with myself. And to avoid all of that, most times I push myself way too hard. Or I beat myself, and in effect my conduit, with the hammer of guilt too often. Does any of that sound familiar to you?

I submit to you that attempting to stream grace to others while our conduits are in such shape will lack power and purity. We cannot flow His pure grace if we are not receiving it ourselves. We have clogged grace. So how do we offer grace to ourselves and unclog the conduit? Here are some ideas I use:

I imagine someone I care about coming to me for help. They explain their issues and how they handle them exactly as I have been doing. Would I tell them to lighten up on themselves or push themselves harder? Would I encourage them to give themselves permission to relax and dump their issues on Jesus? Most times YES! So relaxing, lightening and dumping are in order for myself. (I Peter 5:7) GRACE!
When I feel I’ve failed, I remember the sovereignty of God and that He will use my failure for good somehow. (Romans 8:28) GRACE!
When I feel I’ve let someone down, I remember that I am not to be everything to everyone. Only God can do that. (Hebrews 4:13) Helps me put things in proper perspective. GRACE!

I find that when I offer His grace to myself first that I am in a freer position and mood to shower grace on others. Then I can truly FLURISH while flowing sincere grace wherever I go. Only then can I pay grace forward one person at a time and pray it becomes contagious. Enough of us do this and we become a kinder and gentler nation.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.” Ephesians 4:31 New Living translation
“Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 New Living translation

Shine on. . .
karan k

To learn more about grace, study the life of Jesus recorded in the Gospels.

Sucker Punch Betrayal

“It is not an enemy who taunts me—- I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them. Instead, it is you–my equal, my companion and close friend. What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.”Psalm 55:12-14 New Living translation

How many of you have felt the stab of betrayal? A Julius Caesar moment? Someone close to you, a friend or family member commits something injurious against you? How do you handle it or how have you handled it when it happened? Feel free to share in the comment section.

The closer the person is to us the deeper the pain because we’ve opened ourselves up to them. We let them into our inner world. We allowed our hearts to be vulnerable because we trusted them. How could they do this? WHY would they do this? Questions all of us have asked ourselves without receiving answers. It’s simply an ugly part of our humanity since the Fall.
Sneaky sucker punches coming out of nowhere have been my experiences with betrayal. Just moving through the daily grind, thinking all was well in my world and BAM! Someone pops me in the face with a powerful punch of betrayal causing me to reel with emotional disbelief and damage. Some of these sucker punches had small consequences and others were total life changers. In either case, the betrayal crippled or killed the relationship.

Slander. Lies. Adultery. At worst, Murder.These are painful acts of disloyalty. I wish none of us ever had to face this intimate injury but most likely each of us will face some form of betrayal at some point in our life.

Here are a few thoughts on betrayal from my husband:

Betrayal is something that is common to the human experience. Common as it may be however, it is an experience that one never becomes accustomed to, no matter how many times it’s perpetrated on us. While everyone’s story of betrayal is unique, the soul searing, heart wrenching emotions are basically the same.

My experience was in the context of infidelity in marriage. My spouse’s betrayal and the ensuing divorce was THEE pivotal event in my young life. I grew up in the idyllic environment of a small midwestern town, much like “Mayberry” minus sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife. Cheating spouses and divorce was big city stuff read about in the tabloid newspapers in my Dad’s grocery store. I was taught to trust people, to take folks at face value, especially one who vowed in front of God and family, for better or worse, to love till the end. The discovery of the infidelity and the following years of denial of it’s reality was a cold hard gut punch to my pollyanna world view. My children and I were now a statistic. We were now one of the 50% of Christian marriages that ended in divorce.

Yes, we were professing Christians! The guilt from being a divorced Christian was paralyzing. So much so, I couldn’t go to church anymore. I felt like a complete and total fraud. The pronouncements from my church’s leadership, condemning me to “hell” certainly did nothing to reinforce Jesus’ message of grace for all and draw me back to the very place I needed to be. “How could I allow my marriage and family to disintegrate and still sit in church and worship God” I reasoned?

So I left, not because I was rejecting Christ, quite the contrary. I never stopped believing, I just felt completely unworthy of Him and His attention and love. I obviously knew nothing of grace. From all appearances, no one at my church did either.

This one single event of betrayal started a 15 year downward spiral in my life. Unbeknownst to me I had more control than I realized over my life’s events but, as I often say, “you don’t know what you don’t know”. I know now, that we must not let any incident of betrayal and the ensuing anger, bitterness, resentment and thirst for revenge consume our lives. It hurts, it’s painful beyond description, and can be debilitating. Grieve the loss and pain…yes! But move on in Christ’s healing. Run to Him, not away from Him. He has promised over and over and over to heal our wounds and comfort us in our trouble. Trust Him and know there is life after betrayal. I’m living proof.

Whether you are dealing with any leftover pain from betrayal in your past, or are currently suffering or have yet to face betrayal, you can benefit from David’s insights. I encourage you to take some time and read David’s story in II Samuel 15-19. Then Psalm 55 where he shares his agony with his Lord over what happened.

Remember, our Lord suffered this same pain at the hand of two of His closest friends. Judas and Peter both betrayed Him in different ways. So He can definitely feel and understand your pain. Tell Him your detailed hurts. It will be healing for your soul. You will begin to FLURISH inspite of betrayal.

“Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”Psalm 55:22 New Living translation

Shine on. . .

karan k

Lions and Tigers and Zombies, Oh My!

“Be careful! Watch out! Because you don’t know when the time will come.” Mark 13:33 International Standard version

“Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” Galatians 6:8 New Living translation

As a kid I saw a movie entitled, “The Last Man on Earth” that scared me silly. There are several versions of this movie. I saw the one made in 1964. It stars Vincent Price battling a world where a plague infects everyone turning them into vampiric zombies except for himself. He was immune to the plague. For Price’s character every day was a lonely fight against the living dead to survive. It did not end well for him and the whole thing unnerved me as a 10 year old.

A scene from the movie “The Last Man on Earth” where he was actually the good guy

At least 471 feature length films have been made to date with zombies as the theme. Exactly what is the attraction? Why are so many people obsessed with the idea of zombies and a zombie apocalypse?

Fast forward from 1964 to October 31, 2010. Television channel AMC premiered a new cable series in the U.S. called “The Walking Dead” based on a comic book series of the same name. It was also carried internationally by FOX.

The show is going into its 8th successful season due to consistently high Nielsen ratings. It has won numerous awards and continues to attract more viewers in the 18-49 age range than any other cable or television broadcast series. It is safe to say it has become a phenomenon.

Again I ask, what is the strange appeal of zombies that continues to capture the minds of the masses? Not to mention a new street drug named Flakka or “Gravel” also associated with zombie-like behavior.

“And instead of worshipping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshipped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.” Romans 1:23 New Living translation

I knew the Bible speaks of an apocalypse or complete destruction of the world in the book of Revelation. But when I ran across this passage in the prophetic book of Zechariah, something struck me silly again. I couldn’t ignore it. I kept being drawn back to it and so I throw it out here as a warning for the things with which we occupy our minds.

“And the Lord will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like WALKING CORPSES, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.” Zechariah 14:12 New Living translation

A ccording to this passage, a ZOMBIE-LIKE apocalypse is really going to happen. Not like in the movies, but it’s not going to be something you’ll want to stick around to see!

Don’t wanna run into this guy—for all you ZOMBIE lovers, careful what you extol

Chew on this;

A commentary on the passage from www.biblestudytools.com expounded the verse as;
“Punishment of the foe, the last Antichristian confederacy; (which basically means anyone who fights against those trusting in the teachings of Christ) Cross referencing Isaiah 59:18 “He will repay His enemies for their evil deeds. His fury will fall on His foes. He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth.” CAN YOU SAY APOCALYPSE?
Continuing with Isaiah 66:24 “And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against Me. For the worms that devour them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out. All who pass by will view them with utter horror.”

Apocalypse is not something to celebrate, rather something to prepare your soul to escape. Trust me, you won’t wanna be sticking around for this epoch in history.

“DON’T BE MISLED—-YOU CANNOT MOCK THE JUSTICE OF GOD. YOU WILL ALWAYS HARVEST WHAT YOU PLANT.”

Galatians 6:7 New Living translation

To leave you with an encouraging thought to FLURISH, remember this!

“God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy (book of Revelation) to the church, and He blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, FOR THE TIME IS NEAR.” Revelation 1:3 New Living translation

Christ followers have nothing to fear for what is coming, but everyone else is in danger of their worst nightmares coming true. We need to warn a world in denial!

Shine on. . .

karan k

Pay attention to #6, #3 and # 1 for Zombie-like characteristics.

Mysteries of King and Country

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9 New American Standard Bible

What is your idea of Jesus? I mean how do you envision Him? Think about it a moment.

While traveling abroad in Europe, I met an older woman who loved to explore foreign countries. She showed me photo album after photo album of exotic places she’s visited. She and her husband trekked through many countries across the globe, except for one; the United States.

I found that intriguing so I asked “why”?

“Doesn’t attract me”, she said. So I probed further with another “Why.”

“There is no mystery there” was the answer I got.

Seems she was terribly fascinated with Asia, their culture and all the “mysteries” they held. In her mind the United States bore absolutely no comparison. She had zero interest in seeing my beautiful country because we were not “mysterious.” It saddened me.
What she called mysteries I saw as mere superstitions. Before we became the United States, the American Indians held much mystery in this great land. But along with the mysteries and superstitions came barbarism. Not something I want to embrace and explore on a daily basis. I’m grateful changes came to our country even if it may seem boring to some.

So I could somewhat agree that the USA of the twentieth century is not mysterious as a whole based on her definition. The founding fathers built this country on the principles of the Bible which taught love for humanity and civility practiced authentically. A lot of mysterious questions were answered for them in the scripture and a system of governing was set up in accordance with what they learned.

In time the USA became a powerful and productive nation. We had freedoms and a way of life envied throughout the world. “Why?” Do you believe it’s because we accepted a divine truth and geared our way of life in submission to it?

Why? Or why not?

The attitude of our country is changing quickly with the dissolution of moral absolute thought. No one is sure of anything, let alone what the TRUTH really is. Chaos is beginning to roil and rumble in the undercurrents of our nation. No longer is our nation united as we once were.

Do you agree or disagree?

The woman I spoke with travelled to places like Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and China many times. During her travels she became especially enamored with Buddha and the philosophies he taught.

I asked her what she thought about Jesus.

Same answer. She had no interest in Jesus. My heart sank to a deeper low than over her apathy over the U.S. So I asked her “Why”?

She said look at my Buddha and pointed to a small figurine in her living room.

“See how happy he is? How he smiles?”

Then she pointed to a crucifix adorning the wall, also in her living room. “Look at Him up there, He’s not happy.”

I tried to explain to her that Jesus was no longer on the cross. That He rose from the dead and is happier than we can imagine in this life. That He is ALIVE and seated with the Father in heaven, not hung on a cross on a wall or on a piece of jewelry.

“He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was REVEALED in these last times for your sakes.” I Peter 1:20 New International version

Mystery Revealed! That one day those who accept His sacrifice on the cross on their behalf will live with Him forever in paradise. Can’t get any happier than that.

It seemed to be a foreign concept to her. Probably thought we made it up in the United States.;( She appeared more comfortable with her mysteries and superstitions. I pray for her from time to time that she will seek the Truth of the seed I planted in her mind years ago.

May she find the living Lord before she draws her last breath and it’s too late.

Perhaps there is someone you know who needs prayer to accept Christ’s Truth?

“. . . Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”

Romans 8:34 New Living translation

Shine on. . .
karan k

As always, comments are welcome whether you agree or disagree.

Tales from the Booth: How’s Your Smile?

“A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.”
Proverbs 15:13 New American Standard Bible

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Do you have a healthy inviting smile? I’m not talking about nice white teeth or perfectly shaped lips. More about what your smile conveys to others.

At work one day an older gentleman pulls up to my booth and says, “My you have a beautiful smile! I’m a musician and your heart’s all over your face.” He circled his hand around his face as he said this.

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The guy seemed sincere enough and not just blowin smoke, as they say. I don’t know much about music but I wonder if this musician could recognize a song in my heart from the smile on my face?

Recalling his words in that short exchange now reproduces a smile on my face and my heart because I know the smile I gave him that day was long in the making.

You see, you cannot give what you don’t have. I remember hope dashed every year when my school photos arrived. There I was in living color gritting my teeth or forcing out a smile. I hated the way I looked. One year I decided to do something about it.

I appraised my smile whenever I had a mirror available. I wanted it to be beautiful. My family made fun of me but their insults only reinforced my determination.

I experimented with varying widths of smiles. Mouth open, mouth closed. How many teeth to show etc., In Junior high I had no idea the reality of the problem had nothing to do with my mouth. No matter what I tried the smiles all came out forced and gauche. Why?

It wasn’t due to my awkward adolescence. It stemmed from a deeper issue of the pain and sadness occupying the space in my heart. At that time in my life no song played in my heart to filter through to my face. For years I thought I was smiling but my sad eyes revealed the truth of my private world to the public.

Only after I began allowing Jesus to take over and heal my heart, replacing the sadness with His joy did my smiles flow without effort. A song rang out in my heart and spilled onto my face.

This is a recurring favorite in my heart by Luther B. Bridges, 1910

HE KEEPS ME SINGING
Verse 1
“There’s within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low,
Fear not, I am with thee, peace be still,
In all of life’s ebb and flow.
Refrain
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Sweetest Name I know,
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing as I go.”
Ever hear of a Duchenne smile? French neurologist Guillaume Duchenne conducted research in the mid-19th century on the physiology of facial expressions, specifically on smiling . He identified two types of smiles.

A non-Duchenne smile utilizes only the muscles around the mouth. Whereas, a Duchenne smile engages the muscles around the mouth as well as the eyes and is sometimes referred to as “smizing”, or “smiling with the eyes”. A Duchenne smile is uniquely related to positive emotion which emanates from the heart.

In essence when your entire face engages in the smile, that is a Duchenne smile. What a wonderful thing to have named after you!

So my smile issue began to improve in direct proportion to my heart issue. As my heart healed, the smiles widened.

So I ask again, do you have a healthy inviting smile? Are you sharing a song with your smiles?
“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:3 New Living translations

Shine on. . .

karan k