Saints in My Life

Tomorrow, the Christian church will celebrate All Saints Day. As I was driving home from errands this morning, I asked myself the question, "Who are the people that have influenced my life?" Who are those "saints" that have gone on to glory?

My mother was one. In the midst of a "soap opera" situation in her life, she showed love, grace and mercy. Those were qualities I learned from her.

Albert Steiner was another. I learned as I watched him loving his children and loving his wife. I learned to begin to trust again. And I learned it wouldn't hurt.

David Potts, a missionary to Central Asia, introduced me to The Mission Society. I am now preparing to move to Ghana to love and nurture children orphaned by AIDS.

There are others, too. But, today I remember and am grateful for these three. I loved them and I miss them. They will never know how much their examples have impacted my life. Someday, we will be together again as we worship before the throne of God.

It's a WAWA Kind of Day

I was reading the blog of a friend of mine who lives in Ghana. She was talking about her day when nothing seemed to go right. It was no one's fault, it's just the way it was. Whether the electricity was off for most of the day, or a flight was delayed for 5 hours, or the drill for the bore hole (well) wouldn't work. That's life in Ghana! The saying is it's a WAWA kind of day. (West Africa Wins Again)

Here, in the US, I am so used to electricity working, water running out of the faucets when turned on and the phone working when it is picked up. Lately, I have had so much trouble - router died, speakers on my laptop not working, motherboard needing replaced, printer dying and replaced & dying again and no phone serrvice for 4 days. I quickly forget that these non- essentials are not to be expected, but are gifts from God. It is a privilege that I have any of these things.

So, for me, I need to smile and quit getting upset, and be grateful that all these things can be fixed or replaced. I can choose to be thankful that I have the friends that can fix things and I have the means to replace the itemsthat need to be replaced. Today, I am waiting for Verizon to come and fix my phone line. I am also packing as I will be speaking at a church tomorrow. And, as I do both, I can say with the Psalmist, "I will praise You, O Lord with all my heart; before the gods (or when everything that goes wrong) I will sing Your praise.

For me, it's been a WAWA month. The good news, God is good and He is still in control!

Lessons From Mark

I am in the midst of an inductive Bible study with my friend, Sally. We live 2 1/2 hours apart, so we talk to each other once a week on what we have studied. We are in the midst of studying the book of Mark.

There are so many things that I have learned from this study. First, the day is a lot more peaceful and a lot more fruitful if I begin with studying the Word of God. Second, God really does speak to me if I will listen! (When I move to Ghana, I will not have access to the numerous Bible Study helps that are available here. So, I am practicing now to look & listen!)

One of the first things that really struck me in this book was in Mark 1: 11. The Father said to Jesus, "You are My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." The Father, Abba "Daddy" loves Jesus just because He is His Son. No other reason. He didn't have to earn it. The love is there just because, with no strings attatched.

We're in Chapter 7 now. And, the lessons learned keep coming. Some days I am blind to them, other days I see them. But, I am changing for the better because of the lessons in Mark. Why don't you try it? You just might change, too!