This is too much...

© 2012 Julie Crane All rights reserved

Yikes! Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11: 24-28)

Who among us is not feeling a litany of pains ourselves right now? Bullied in school, barren as a not so newly married, unexpected death of a loved one, divorce, car wrecks, joblessness, cancer... and now a pandemic and cruelty between those who should be brothers and sisters.

 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Yes. The burden many are facing of how to reopen the church building. How to live daily as Christians without "normal" Sunday morning worship as a guidepost, a launching pad for the week ahead.

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh... (2 Corinthians 12:7)

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  (2 Corinthians 12:8)

(Jesus in Gethsemane) When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing (Matthew 26:43-44) "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will. (Matthew 26:39)

Have you prayed and prayed over your situation (maybe more than three times)? Jesus, please release me? 

Jesus knew and accepted. And then Paul:

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Sufficient defined - enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end.

Both Jesus and Paul prayed three times, and then surrendered to God's will. They moved on. They chose to walk the walk despite the difficulties.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you...? (2 Corinthians 13:5)

While it all feels like too much... you are promised by an Almighty God that you will be provided strength to power through whatever it is. He is the God of sufficiency. A God that provides. A God that meets every need. The God that will sufficiently carry you through. The same bible account God that Paul trusted in - is the God of your today and tomorrows as well.

And now: may the grace (that all sufficient grace) of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love (the abundant, unending, all sufficient to meet every need love) of God, and the fellowship (you are not left weak and all alone but have sufficient power provided to you by the indwelling fellowship) of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Knit 2 Together

© 2018 Julie Crane All rights reserved

 I've been knitting alone all through this  pandemic. Now granted, it is a hobby that can easily be done alone. It can be a quieting, comforting and peaceful way to pass the time. But oh, how I miss knitting with a group of friends! There is such affirmation, support, encouragement, cheerleading - joy and love and laughter - just by spending time together. Sometimes it's good to quietly knit. And other times it's wonderful to just bubble up in joy with everything and everyone you see when together and sharing. Living it out together.

It got me to thinking about my approach to God. Is it always in quiet prayer? Solemn. Respectful. Alone in a prayer closet. That too, can be comforting and peaceful. But do you think God time can also be spent - joyfully?

Kicking the waves on the shoreline. And when was the last time you lifted your face and your arms to the sun and turned around and around (think the Sound of Music!) 

Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. (Job 22:26)

Roll the windows down and let the wind blow through your hair. Oo, oo.... swing high in a swing at the school yard! Crank up the music. Spending time with God doesn't have to be so solemn, serious to be reverent.  The Lord longs to be gracious to you (Isaiah 30:18) He wants you to experience joy, love, and laughter - with Him.

Picture yourself standing next to a giant waterfall, waters crashing, splashing...

a peacock spreading out its amazing feathers in full array (perhaps strutting to the tune "Oh Happy Day!"), birds happily calling (to God?), singing (with God?) as loud as they can. Even a big field of flowers seem to scream joy in a riot of color, bobbing their heads in time with God's song.

God is not always quiet and reserved.

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior Who saves. He will take great delight in you... will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. (Psalm 16:6)

He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. (Psalm 18:19)

He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of His birth... (Luke 1:14)

Can you stretch yourself beyond just thoughts of gratefulness and take delight in being with the Lord?

Will there be joy in the Lord in your life today?

Church bulletin bloopers

© 2016 Julie Crane All rights reserved

Not gathering for corporate worship? Here are some bloopers you may be missing to lift your spirit:

Don't let worry kill you off - let the church help.

 

The scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

 

The sermon this morning: Jesus walks on the water. The sermon tonight: Searching for Jesus.

 

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of old, useless things. Bring your husbands.

 

At the evening service, the topic will be "What is hell?" Come early and listen to the choir practice.

 

Potluck supper will be Sunday at 5:00pm. Prayers and medication to follow.

But just as humor can lift the spirit and soul, God's Word also has the power to do the same. If you need your spirits lifted, seek to know Who God is. His characteristics. They are truth and light. Remind yourself over and over, every day, that God HAS been good to me. We've all had challenges in the past. God has never given up on us. God will see us through - again and again. God is present in the highs and the lows of this life. His promise is to carry us through and into heaven. Eternal life with God includes this present life, this very day. Eternal is characterized by abiding fellowship with God; continued without intermissions; seemingly endless and existing at all times. With God! God is forever faithful. Mighty. Strong. Powerful. Wise beyond belief. And loving toward you. Caring about you. At your best. At your worst. God does not change His love or action toward you. You are loved - beyond your understanding. Hold that in your head and heart and know for certain... Almighty, Most High God of all - is holding you in His.

 

 

 

 

 

I stopped praying

I know, I know! I've been a Christian for quite a while now. And I'm a preacher's wife, for crying out loud! Shouldn't prayer be as effortless as breathing by now? Yet I found myself in a place where I just couldn't pray anymore. (Now, to clarify, I mean I drifted from my regular routine of starting each day off with some "only God" time. I was still calling out to Him throughout the day with 15 second popcorn prayers.)

I stopped praying. My list of concerns over others grew and grew. More names added than lined out with a PTL. And I had my own ongoing, personal issues. Seemed like I needed to use up my morning quiet time with less bible reading and more whining / pleading. Who wants to hear that every morning?

I tried gratitude. Really I did. But it felt like some rote script about food, clothing and shelter.

I dreaded mornings. I dreaded feeling like there was so much to be sorry about to God:

• not praying
• not regular bible reading
• not lifting others up
• feeling sorry for myself
• being selfish
• not trusting in God enough

My imaginings of how God would respond got bigger and bigger.

Then a heavy, weighty concern over a friend came - crushing my heart.

And I HAD to pray. NOW. It woke me up. Early, early...

I had to go to the One Who hears prayers and answers them. (Psalm 66:19-20)

To the One Who is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18)

The God I've always known is still faithful, loving, kind and good. Despite my lapses, God is forever faithful in character.

So I did open my bible and prayed the words of hope, life and strength I found  into this friend's situation.

All my worries about guilt and being frantic with concerns - did not come to mind. What I found was a good, good Father with comforting reassuring arms . My heart rate settled. My overactive mind settled. I slid down in my chair and put my feet on the coffee table.

Has it happened to you?

Not reading your bible anymore?

Too guilty or distracted to pray?

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. (Isaiah 44:22)

... I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

(Love)... keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Corinthians 13:5)

God of wonders - indeed.

God of love - yes!

Who among the gods is like You, Lord? Who is like You - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? (Exodus 15:11)

Who is a God like You, Who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. (Micah 7:18)

Taking an "only God" time can be healing, strengthening and assuring.

Now I'm only sorry I stayed away so long.

The way it is... right now

© 2018 Julie Crane All rights reserved

"I'm sorry. The cat food at the grocery store - the brand that you prefer - was all gone. This stuff is in a blue bag just like the other. It's chicken flavor, just like the other. We're in the midst of a pandemic. We all have to try new things for awhile."

Noooo! They cry. And cry. And paw at me with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry," I say yet again. "I'm not purposely trying to upset your norm. I'm doing the best I can. This is what we have available."

Maybe you don't have a finicky pet. But you may remember the moans and groans of family in the days after Thanksgiving. After: turkey sandwiches, turkey quiche, turkey casserole and turkey on a shingle...

And then there are these passages from the bible:

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onion and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna! (Numbers 11:4-6)

My cats version:
If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." (Exodus 16:3) (emphasis mine)

So, it's plain to see that having to make some adjustments for a season of time is not a new thing. And yet:

The cats cried.
The family cried.
The people cried.

And for what purpose?
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

As we enter yet another day of limitations, let us remember from past teachings. Let us remember spiritual food, spiritual abundance, and feast on what is truly God-given goodness.

The Sustainer of all life - past, present and future.

I haven't been myself lately

© 2018 Julie Crane All rights reserved

Unsteady. Wobbly. Uncertain. I sure miss my normal, comfortable routine. That basic structure I had to my days and weeks, while allowing flexibility as I deemed necessary.

But now for the benefit of all - I am living under much different circumstances. Much of it out-of-my-control circumstances. For the sake of others, I am limiting my own free will, participating in a greater good.

For the greater good.

I know many of us have been spending whole days with messy hair, no makeup and switching from our nighttime pajamas to our daytime pajamas. In this we have transitioned quite well. And yet the bible calls us to:

clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14)

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12)

clothe yourselves with humility toward one another (1 Peter 5:5)

For the greater good as well.

We've been finding new and different ways to show love during this pandemic. It may indeed feel like we've been clothed in something else. How else would we be able to exhibit such patience and kindness beyond what we could have ever imagined before? Where does that strength come from?

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, Who has given me strength, that He considered me trustworthy, appointing me to His service. (1 Timothy 1:12)

As I long for my old comfortable routine, I am reminded once again:

You are not your own; you were bought at a price. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

I haven't been myself lately.

Maybe it's time to realize I am a part of a whole. Not just say it sincerely, but to be more consciously aware that I have a God-purpose for being in the here and now. A real and divine purpose. (But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth. (Exodus 9:16). It's not all about me and my comfort zone and ordering my life as I see fit.

Ouch. Those are some painful words to write out. Even as I write, I'm trying to think of a more comfortable and appealing way to share them.

But those are God's words and not my own.

One minute I'm joking about daytime pajamas and the next it's some very sober thoughts about living under God's rule. Loving all others, despite the circumstances. Spreading the love of Christ around as we ought and not just when we feel like it or when it's convenient. That His name might be proclaimed...)

I haven't been myself lately.
I am not my own.
I am God's.
And Christ's ambassador.
As though God were making His appeal through us. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

I am a servant.
I am an instrument.
I am clay.
And I have a calling. God-assigned things to do.

Perhaps I am learning that my selfish self needs to take a back seat for it is also written as a reminder to us:

He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30)

Lord, help me to NOT be myself today.
Clothe me with compassion of Christ, the kindness of Christ, the humility of Christ, the gentleness and patience... of Christ.
Day time. Night time.
Ordinary times. Inconceivable times.

Clothe me with Christ.
What a humbling thought...

I had cancer

Four years ago, I was on a cancer journey. I'll never forget it. But the memories of comments I made during that time keep popping up on one of my social media accounts.

I do remember considering the fact that I just might die from it. Yes, I cried. Yes, I was angry. Fearful too. But I resolved right then to pay attention to the kind of legacy I would be leaving. I wanted faith, trust and hope in God; peace and love - to be my banner. I would rest in the Lord. Be confident in Him. In reviewing my memory posts, I hope I conveyed that to my family and friends. The picture you see above is of a garland made of all the love, support and encouragement messages people sent me when I first found out. Those thoughts and prayers carried a lot of the burden I felt at the time.

Back in 2003, I went through the bumps and bruises of a divorce, at the same time as caring for my mom dying of cancer, at the same time as my only son was preparing for a tour of duty in Iraq. Numerous other problems piled up on top of all that regarding my health, home and car. Yes, I cried. Yes, I was angry. Fearful too.

Yet a dear friend kept telling me to say aloud and repeat as often as necessary, "Even so, I will trust in the Lord and praise His holy name." I spoke those words over and over - every time a new dilemma arose. My mantra to seeing myself through. Once again, letting Christ rise and shine in this life of mine despite all the problems.

And now we find ourselves in the midst of a world wide pandemic. Yes, I cry. Yes, I am angry. Fearful too.But my thoughts return once again to - what will my legacy be? How will people remember how I journeyed? Did I forever rant and rave the whole time? Panic. Fearful. The whole time?

Or will I again speak the words given by that dear friend:
Even so - I will trust in the Lord and praise His holy name.

For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. (2 Corinthians 2:15)