Love, Loss, and Victory

My husband, Jake, looked at our kitchen clock and said, "It's 5:30. The closing must be done by now."

"The closing" seemed to reference more than the sale of his late parents' house, the home Jake and his siblings had grown up in.

Earlier that day, Jake had walked through the house for the last time.
Instead of family racket, only the faint echo of his boots sounded on the bare wooden floor.
Empty closets.
Empty rooms.
An empty space. 

It held no trace of his parents, or the family they'd raised there.
Jake left the keys, and walked away.

Did Jesus followers feel that emptiness when he was condemned to die?

For three years they'd followed him--the preacher, the prophet, the healer, their friend.
With Jesus' death, emptiness seeped in.
Empty hearts.
Empty dreams.
Empty hopes left at a blood-stained cross.

photo courtesy of dan@freedigitalphoto.com

But victory came three days later.
Jesus rose from the dead.
He left an empty tomb.

That empty grave equaled victory, not only for them, but for us as well.

Jesus rose to fill our emptiness;
to give us victory in place of despair.



Instead of an empty life, Jesus offers us a new life filled with his love.
And it's available to anyone who'll accept it.


New love.
New life.
New beginnings.

If you're tired of the emptiness,
If you want a fresh start, 
If you need a new beginning,
Pray this simple prayer,

"Jesus, please forgive my sins, and be my savior."

 Giving your life to Jesus is the start of your new life.
A life of hope.
A life of love.
A life of victory. 

If you want to know more before taking that life-changing step, please go to Billy Graham's "Find Peace with God" website.

If you've just prayed that prayer, please let me know. We'll celebrate your new life, and your new victory!

Happy Pi Day

Happy Pi Day to all the math whiz kids out there.

According to the Pi Day official website
(No, I'm not making that site up)

"Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159."

(Stay awake, non -math people, because the Pi folks gleefully add: 

"Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point...
Pi’s infinite nature makes it a fun challenge to memorize, and to computationally calculate more and more digits."

I don't think the Pi folks are pulling our legs. They're that giddy over Pi.


In our home we're giddy over pie. Yep, pi with an "e" on the end.

This year we celebrated Pi Day with our 2nd annual Pi Day Pie Eating Contest.

And for the 2nd year in a row, my grandson wiped the floor with me.
His pie eating skills are a family phenomenon.

So go out and celebrate Pi as the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle.
Or bag a bargain on pies--fruit, pizza, and so forth.

This is the day the Lord has made.We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 NLT

Hopefully with pie.

The Virus Varmint Gang

The dreaded winter cold/flu/crud season stampeded into town in all its germ-ridden glory.
Is your family battling those nasty outlaws, the Virus Varmint gang?

Yeah, us too.

Normally we escape its mucus-filled clutches. But for the past several weeks my husband has dragged about like a cowboy finishing a five hundred mile cattle drive.

Not to be outdone, our grandson rounded-up a case of Pink Eye to add to the bunkhouse.

Thankfully we haven't encountered stomach flu. Our grandson's non-stop grazing bears testimony to that.

(Disclaimer: Not an actual photo of my husband and grandson)

My husband is difficult to corral.
He "helps" me by fixing his own snacks and drinks.
Any by "helps" I mean he leaves a trail of germs on everything he touches.

I trail after him with my posse of cleaning products to

• Disinfect the counters
• Disinfect the refrigerator and its contents
• Disinfect the stove, sink, table, etc.

 Right about here in the post I'd normally put in some great tips.

Maybe about illness prevention, like frequent hand washing.

Or "Change patient's pillowcases and bedding daily when dealing with Pink Eye."

But let's be honest Cowpoke, you probably already know them.

So instead I'm moseying to the basement to tackle our twenty fifth load of laundry this week.

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles@freedigitalphotos.net

 
Am I complaining? (It sure sounds like it.)
Here are a few things I'm thanking God for:

I don't have to tote the laundry down the the river and beat it clean on rocks.

The illness is passing.
We have medications.
I'm well, and can care for my family.

So Pardners, if you're standing off the Crud Critters, keep fighting. And thank the Lord for disinfectants.

Here are some great scriptures about healing.

photo courtesy digidreamgrafix@freedigital.com

• Acts 5:16 "Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed."

• Romans 8:11 "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal (Natural, Earthly) bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."  

• Mark 16:17-18 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

• Jeremiah 30:17 "For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds, saith the Lord."

• Psalm 103:2-5 "Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction,Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,Who satisfies your mouth with good  things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."

Christmas Countdown Help

It's three days until Christmas. Are we delighted or debilitated?

Try these five easy tips to make next year's holiday season more joyful than Tiny Tim on Christmas morning.


courtesy of stockimages @freedigitalphotos.net

5) Prep for next year. Get in the habit of post-Christmas and other clearance shopping. 

Watch for new-in-package items at garage sales and thrift shops. 

Keep the gifts in a tote, and you'll have a head start for next Christmas. 
Try it for birthdays and baby showers too. 

4) Limit spending. Set a gift budget and stick with it, even when those mounted singing reindeer heads beckon. 

Re-gifting is great, especially if you've received a mounted singing reindeer head.
When you get a potential re-gifting item, tape a note on it. 
Include the date and who it's from to keep from giving it back to the original giver.

3) Break Tradition. If you always cook a feast for your extended family, ask each member to bring along a side-dish instead. 

You'll save time and money. Plus it assures your guests of one dish they'll enjoy--their own. 

Create new traditions, like taking a special family outing in lieu of gifts. Seriously, how many Xbox games do your children need?  

2) Under-commit. It's OK to say no. "Sorry, I can't host the ... cook the... head up the ..."  No need to explain why. 
A simple, "I'm sorry, I can't." suffices. 

You might need to repeat it several times, or threaten them with a mounted singing reindeer head, but it will work.



courtesy of digidreamgrafix @ freedigitalphoto.net

1) Remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Focus on the joy of Jesus birth. Let cooking, cleaning, and shopping take a back seat to the great news found in Luke 2:11:

"The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!"

Turkey Day? No Way!

CAUTION: this message contains blatant subliminal messages. (Happy Thanksgiving.)
Beware, intrepid readers.


Today is Thanksgiving.
For some indefinable reason, lately I hear it labeled "Turkey Day."

Photo courtesy of tiverylucky@freedigitalphotos.net

 (Happy Thanksgiving.)

Let's stop that insidious madness before it spreads. Okay, maybe that's too strong of a term, but it's kinda' fun to say, "insidious madness."

If you don't believe me, say, "insidious madness" out loud three times. Doesn't it roll off your tongue perfectly?

Photo courtesy of Apolonia @ freedigitalphots.com

( Happy Thanksgiving.)

This is a day to give God thanks. Something that we should do every day anyway.   

(Happy Thanksgiving.)

"Turkey Day" doesn't convey the meaning of Thanksgiving. The message of Thanksgiving. The joy of Thanksgiving. 
 

Chickens giving thanks that they aren't turkeys.

(Happy Thanksgiving.)

"Happy Turkey Day," is misleading to the poor turkeys. C'mon, how happy are they today? 

(Happy Thanksgiving.)

Saying, "Lord, thank you for all you've blessed me with," makes better sense, doesn't it? 

(Happy Thanksgiving.)

Even in the midst of sorrow, trial, tribulation, pressure, flat tires, clogged sinks, and colicky babies, we can find something to be grateful for.

Photo courtesy of Naypong@ freedigitalphotos.net

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thes5:15 NLT 

So friends, whatever your circumstances, I pray you enjoy a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.

 
 

Election Day Encouragement

It's election Day here in the USA. During this campaign season, negativity grew like a brontosaurus on steroids.

Despite the mud-slinging mayhem, we still have an amazing opportunity.

We get to vote.

Yep, we have the incredible privilege of voicing our opinions through the ballot box.

And wherever we stand on an issue, whichever candidates we endorse, people are not our enemy.

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Eph 6:12

What should we do if a rabid wolverine would be a better choice than the elected candidate?

We pray for them.

"Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity." 1Tim 2:2

God isn't pacing around his throne room muttering, 
"Holy smoke, I didn't see that coming! Oh snap, what now?"

God isn't moved.
God isn't worried.
God is love.


Our options: 
A) Fuss, fret, and fume over the election.
B) Draw closer to the Lord, and show His love to others.

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16


In these dark times, let's blaze God's brilliant light across this land, and across this world.

Whatever the election outcome, we can hold fast to Jesus words, 

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  
But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 NLT

Photo courtesy artur84 @freedigitalphotos.net

Simply Happy

Q: What happens to a former Wall Street whiz when she buys the Chicken Soup for the Soul enterprise?

A: She gets Simply Happy.

After reading a ka-billion Chicken Soup stories, editor-in-chief Amy Newmark became happier. Waaaay happier.

The positive messages in the best-selling book series inspired her to write Simply Happy: A Crash Course in Chicken Soup for the Soul Advice and Wisdom.


In my mind, people like Amy Newark exist in a nebulous, far-off land, like the Aflac duck or the Michelin Man. 

But Amy sent me a copy of her book with an enclosed letter reading,



 
 ". . . In this book, I cite some stories that had a big impact on me, and your story is one of them!"


Nice form letter, I thought. 



But as I read her book I came across excerpts from my story "Someone Else's Blessing" in Chicken Soup: The Joy of Less.

Whoa Nellie! Commence Happy Dance!



Amy Newmark won me over earlier this year with a handwritten note on my pay stub for "Made in America" in Chicken Soup: The Spirit of America.

Amy's note read, "Thank you! I absolutely loved this one. I'm telling it in interviews a lot!"


That note felt akin to finding an autographed copy of the Bible. 

 "Dear Jeanie, Hope you enjoy Psalms. Love, God."

  
Realization dawned. 

Maybe people like Amy are like the rest of us--busy with kids and spouses and deadlines and insurance payments and community service. 

And busy doesn't need to equal grumpy.

Amy shares some killer advice in Simply Happy, like  

“Stop listening to that negative little voice inside your head.”

and

“Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing.”

Speaking of great advice, God shares His throughout the bible. 

Try Luke 12: 22-33:

...Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear... 

...Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  
And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?


... Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need."

Embrace this encouragement from the ancient prophet Nehemiah:

"Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!"


Q: Who can we encourage today with our positive attitudes?
A: It starts with ourselves.


Now I'm heading back to the hospital to visit my father-in-law.
Despite the darkness, I choose to bring him joy.