A KNOWN God

Today, in the wake of a disappointing outcome in the presidential election, a wise man, our uncle Harold Keller, told me, "Do not fear an unknown future when we have a known God."

 No, we don't know the future, but we do indeed have a KNOWN God! He has made Himself known to us from the first verse of Genesis through the last verse of Revelation.He called Himself the Alpha and the Omega--the beginning and the end. Not only does He jump off the pages of scripture to reveal Himself to us, He became a man and lived and walked among us. Our God desires to be known by us! By ME!  What more do I need today?

New Year's in August!

I am beginning to see the new year as beginning in August. When I looked at the high school football schedule, the dates when my oldest grandson will march in the band, I began to remember why.

Last August 8, I was going to exercise at the rec center - (training, I called it) to gain stamina to keep up with my 8 grandchildren and the 9th who was to come in August from China. I needed more energy and I knew it! I had just completed yet another physical therapy course for my long-term hip pain. This time the therapy actually worked! I had lost a little weight and, without hip pain to hold me back, I hoped to enjoy the new rec center's salt water pool. It had been years since I had been able to swim due to chlorine sensitivity. I was so excited about Gracie Joy coming and about being the grandmother to NINE grandchildren, but I knew I couldn't keep up and be a help if I didn't gain some strength.

On August 8, less than a week before Jennifer and Rich were leaving for China. Paperwork and preparation for travel to China had been grueling for Jennifer, and she was stressed about leaving her children during their first week of school. She was concerned about leaving Wesleigh, who was only three, and only home from China for a year-and-a-half.  I went to the pool to swim, came back and began to spin with vertigo. I knew that in just a few days, Ralph and I would be responsible for 4 grandchildren for two weeks with their parents literally on the other side of the world!

Because it was such a ridiculously obvious attack from the enemy, not just on me but on Jennifer and Richard who had stepped out so boldly in faith to make Gracie their child, I began to praise God for His goodness in spite of not being able to stand. You see, I had been studying about trusting the character of God - who He is and how we can depend upon that character as revealed in the Bible --no matter what. As I spun, I decided that this might be just the time to put it all into practice. Might as well praise God and remember His goodness!

With the help of Richard's mom filling in a few days and some meds, I was able to get myself to the Doughty house, but I didn't know how much help I would be. Ralph did so much, but I was able to get the boys off to school in the morning, prepare the meals and do almost my share. There was plenty enough for both of us - and a few more - to do! (It's hard to try to replace a mom!) The dizziness was bad and doing anything at all was hard, but we made it through, even through Bryce contracted mono and had a serious drug reaction.

Gracie Joy was worth it all!

But that's not the end of the story! During the China trip, Joel called to say that they would be adopting a little boy within a month! Another answer to prayer! I thought with joy, "that means TEN grandchildren!" Ever decided to arrive sooner than expected, August 31, and required a life-saving surgery within 24 hours. Now, our job was to care for Rylan and Auden and then take them to Jacksonville, Florida, a 10 hour drive. I was still VERY dizzy. Again, I chose to trust the Lord and to press on. Again, I was able to do more than I thought I could - not pleasantly - but able to do it.  Ever  is an amazingly healthy and happy baby! What a joy he is!

As I continued to battle the dizziness, doing physical therapy that made me even dizzier, I was able to make our planned trip to Washington, D.C. with Madelyn in October. Though lighting and glass in the museums and Metro stations made me so dizzy, we had a great time! I will always cherish that time with my sweet and amazing granddaughter. Another answer to prayer!

Then, on November 29, 2012, lovely Adalie Rose entered this world and our family! Yes, ELEVEN grandchildren. I was physically dizzy, but the three new grandchildren in three months, really "dizzied" me. I still have friends who, after a year of hearing my story, will ask, "You mean there are TWO babies?" Yes, that's what I've been telling you!!

I think of how many times God uses His goodness and blessings to teach and mature us. All year I have wrestled with my planner and struggled with the fact that, no matter how I stretch myself to help, it isn't nearly the help they could use! I see the calendar as a complex jigsaw puzzle. I can never fit the pieces together! I don't want to disappoint anyone or miss out on any time with my grandchildren. The older grandchildren are proof that the time when they are little passes too fast. I want to know each one and to make a difference in their lives.

As school's opening nears, more and more items must fit into each other on the "jigsaw puzzle" that is my life. My BLESSED life. In Malachi, God tells us He will open the windows of heaven and  pour us out a blessing that we don't have room enough to receive. Not only did I gain three grandchildren this past year, friendships and ministry at church have increased also. I am blessed, Lord.

So, as I fill in the spaces on my calendar, many to be whited out and replaced later, I have decided that in this "new year" of August-to-August, I will thank you for my busyness! Yes, THANK you, Lord. I am trying to schedule as well as I can, cut out  non-essentials, overcome the residues of dizziness and, again, exercise to increase my strength.

Back to the high school football schedule. Last year, because of my dizziness and Gracie's adjustment, Bryce marched in many half-times with no one to watch! We are all determined that we will all work together this year to be sure that doesn't happen in his last two years of high school. There are similar concerns and determinations about each of the other ten grandchildren! And, I am always missing the ones who live far away! They grow up fast! And every one of them is SO MUCH FUN!

Lord, I thank you for the fullness of my life! I ask YOU to bless and care for all of my family. I am  limited in time and energy, but you have no limits! Yes, I am so grateful for the busyness! I ask you, Lord, to make each puzzle piece fit into the others. I trust you that a lovely and peaceful picture will begin to form as the pieces fit together--one I can't see yet as I painstakingly try to fit them all together.

This verse in Ecclesiastes must have been written just for me in this season of my life:
"Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor. This is the gift of God. For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart."   Not only does God give the blessings, He gives us the power to enjoy them!

Thank you, Lord, for keeping me occupied with the gladness of my heart (and with busyness!) as I begin this "new year". Looking forward to a great year!

Remembering the Lord

Have you ever been puzzled by trials? Discouraged by unanswered prayer? Wondered if God is still interested in your problems? Asked God “are you still there?

If so, you are not unlike the author of Psalm 77. Many of the Psalms were written by King David, but this one is thought to be written by a man named Asaph. The Bible does not tell us what Asaph, was going through, but there is no doubt that he was in great distress. He did not understand why God was not responding to his prayers. He wrote in verses 7- 9

“Will the Lord cast off forever? And will he be favourable no more?
Is His mercy clean gone forever? Doth His promise fail for evermore?
Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?”

After years of waiting with my son and daughter-in-law through years of the anguish of infertility and multiple miscarriages, I rejoiced that our prayers were being answered. They were chosen to become parents of a baby boy through adoption! The sadness in their eyes faded, replaced with hope. I thanked God that their heartbreak would soon end. They bought a white crib and painted the nursery green. A few days before the baby was to be born, we learned that the adoption would not take place. A mother suffers for herself and for her child. I didn’t understand. Wasn’t this child the answer to years of prayer? What happened, God? “Oh, God, where are you?”

I thought, like the psalmist, “Will the Lord cast off forever? And will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone forever? And doth his promise fail forevermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies.” I could not remember how to pray. I wondered if I knew anything at all about God. I asked, “Will I ever feel joy again?”

As I grieved, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Psalm 77. I certainly understood the writer asking if God had forgotten to be gracious! But as I read verse 10, he seemed to gain new strength, declaring “BUT I WILL REMEMBER the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”

What did the psalmist REMEMBER about God?
The word “remember” is used often in the Bible. Sometimes I complain that I am losing my memory because I lose keys or forget names, but in the Bible the word “remember” means much more than that. It means to recall, to think on, and to meditate on. Remembering was a part of worship. People in the Old Testament often built memorials to help them remember, as Joshua set up twelve memorial stones by the Jordan River to remind the people that God had kept his promise and brought them into the Promised Land. (Joshua 4:7)

If you know me, you remember certain things about me. My name. Am I quiet? Friendly? If you got to know me better, you might begin to observe my character. Am I honest? Am I kind? Am I loyal? Can you depend on me? What is my personality? If I have written you letters, you know what I have said about myself. What would this writer of Psalms know about God to remember? Well, God chose to reveal Himself to and through the descendants of Abraham, the Israelite people. He brought them out of slavery in Egypt, gave them the law through Moses and brought them into the Promised Land. Through these events and the written accounts of them, God revealed Himself. He told them His many names. In Bible times, a name was more than a name—it represented the person’s character. It told you something about that person.

The psalmist, the writer of Psalm 77, would remember:
God’s Word: what God said about Himself through the law and the prophets
God’s character: what God is like: his faithfulness, His love, His mercy…
God’s name: He is Jehovah, the one true God, the majestic and all powerful God
God’s ways: Every story in the Bible teaches us about how God acts

In fact, when this psalmist decided to “Remember the Lord”, he could not help but worship Him! In verse 13, as he remembers the Lord, he declares “who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.” He went on to remember how God parted the Red Sea, drowning the Egyptians and delivering God’s people from slavery.

What did I remember in my own grief over a grandchild that would not be? I remembered that God’s Word tells me that He loves my son even more than I do. I remembered that God has always been faithful, not only to those in the Bible but to me personally. I remembered that God is good and all powerful. I remembered that I can trust Jehovah, the majestic and all powerful God. And when I remembered, I worshipped!

I am thankful that when I decide to “remember the Lord” I don’t have to rely on my own memory. Yes, I study the Bible and feed my mind and spirit, but it is the Holy Spirit who brings things to my remembrance. Before Jesus went to heaven, He promised in John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit will “teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.”

When trials pound you. When pain floods over you. When grief threatens to drown you. When doubt tries to overtake you, REMEMBER THE LORD! Remember: His Word, His character, His name, His ways.

P.S. Less than a year later, my son and his wife did become parents of another baby boy through adoption—the baby boy that God had chosen for them. Their mourning was replaced with joy. I will now remember God’s faithfulness to me in this answered prayer.

Two-way Communication

Sometimes I cringe when I see caller ID. Yes, I love my friend, but sometimes I brace myself for what's coming.

"How are you?"

"Fine," I say hesitantly, "How are you?" Oh, did I REALLY ask that?

The barrage of words, complaints, "prayer request" begins.

After we finally hang up, probably because she arrived at work and has successfully passed the half-hour drive, I realize that she was not interested in anything in my life. I ask, "what kind of friendship is that?" "What do we really have in common?"

Then I think of my relationship with God. Do I really care about His desires and purposes? Is my time with Him a barrage of words, complaints, and prayer requests? Did I stop to listen? Was it a two-way conversation? Do I say to Him with my self-focused prayers and overly busy schedule: "Lord, I'm not interested in You."

Even so, I don't think God cringes when he sees my name on "Caller ID". He patiently listens and finds His own ways to interrupt me and teach me, just like today when he showed me how my friendship with Him is often like the one I have just complained to Him about!

Happy 4th of July

I've never been excited about the 4th of July. I only thought of picnics and fireworks,and it's always been too hot to enjoy them! This year I am excited. Our church offered an inspiring service -- the best in patriotic songs, testimonies from 4 members who had immigrated, and a time of serious prayer for our country to turn back to God. The immigrants told what being in America means to them. I was humbled and convicted by their words. I don't always remember to appreciate the freedom we enjoy. It's all I've known.

Then, I saw Jennifer's blog post with this picture. She said it it is always a joy to take Wesleigh to church. She talked about the church they visited in China--one that Wesleigh would never be allowed to attend had she stayed there. Tourists and visitors could attend but not Chinese citizens. How I appreciate that she is here with us to enjoy our freedoms!

We are closer to losing these freedoms than at any time in the 234 years of our history. Lord, remind us to pray for ALL in authority so that we may lead peaceful and quiet lives! I don't want to let Wesleigh down! She may not know now that she came here for freedom and because of freedom, but some day she will.

An inspiring testimony

Eric has shared his testimony with me several times, but I will copy Eric's testimony as he told it to Max Davis in his book Desperate Dependence so that I will remember all of the details. "Growing up,I naturally adopted my parents' beliefs," Eric said. "Their argument against God made sense to me. 'How could there be a good God with all the evil in the world?' And that's the attitude I picked up." All through high school and college if people said they were Christian, Eric had a good time sparring with them. He would throw at them the same questions his parents used. In addition to the pain and suffering argument, he would ask them, "How can you say Christianity is true? What about Islam? What about the Indian gods? What about Buddhism? Are you saying that they are all wrong?" Eric enjoyed arguing. It was fun trying to convince someone that his faith was foolish. While he was in his sophomore year of college, Eric began to develop a hunger for truth. He sensed something out there was called truth. He had no idea what it was. It still had nothing to do with God at the time. But he wanted to know what truth was. Eric spent some time considering it and came to the conclusion that "goodness" was truth. If you were a good person then you were living in the truth. That lasted for a while, then it evolved into something more. He sensed that there was something deeper than "goodness." Then he came to the conclusion that "love" was truth. So he said he wanted to try to love people. Mind you, everything was still very atheistic. God was still not even a consideration. At the time, Eric had no idea that it was a God who was drawing him to Himself. So he continued for a while to believe that ""love" was truth. Yet he still hungered to make sure that he was living in truth and he still sensed deeply that he was missing something. At this time, Eric had a friend whose girlfriend was a Christian. She asked him, "Eric, do you believe in God?" Eric responded, "No, but I'll think about it." After that, he didn't see her again but the question sparked a desire in Eric to know if there really was a God. If that was the truth, he wanted to know. He was going to college in upstate New York in a quaint little town and would take long walks. While walking he would ponder these questions. One night, he said, "God if You are there, I want to know." If He wasn't there, that was okay by Eric. His life was fine. This was not a crisis. In fact, it was probably one of the happiest times of his life. Nevertheless, Eric said, "God, if You are there, show me." On another night, he had gone to a party and met his roommate from the previous year. Eric really looked forward to seeing him, but his former roommate was as cold as ice to him, and Eric couldn't understand it. This really hurt him, and he walked home that night, dejected. saying to himself, "There is no God. It is true. There is just too much evil and sadness in the world for God to be real. That's it, my search is over." But then something rose up inside of him and he cried out, "God if You are really there, then show me now!" Instantly and surprisingly, there was an unexpected tingling in Eric's head, and it felt as if his brain were going to explode into a hundred pieces. Then, out of his gut--that's the only way he could describe it--came the words JESUS! GOD! At that moment, God revealed Himself to Eric. Eric says, "I had no bias or preconceived notions. If it had been Buddha or Allah, it would have been fine with me. Jesus as God was a complete surprise. I had no previous knowledge that the Bible referred to Jesus as God. My Bible knowledge was nil." From that point on, Eric knew that Jesus was real--there was no doubt about it. Since then he had never doubted the the existence of God. Eric said that he believes that you must have a personal encounter with God to truly believe. This was more than thirty years ago, and Eric is still a committed Christian man. How encouraging to know that our God desires to reveal Himself to any man who is willing to learn the truth!

New Every Morning

Today I saw a six-week-old baby smile. You would think that I had never seen a baby smile before! Maybe that would make some people call me naïve (or should I say “dense”), saying “she wakes up in a new world every morning.” I suspect that my own three children’s first smiles astonished me some thirty+ years ago even though I had read Dr. Spock and every other baby book I could get my hands on, but, when my first grandchild Bryce smiled at me fourteen years ago, I was stunned! “How do they learn to smile so early?” I asked Jennifer. “I just can’t believe they smile at this age!” “How can that be?” Incredulously, Braden did the same just about exactly two years later.
I love surprises. And, you know, I never saw it coming with any of the six grandchildren who followed. “Amazing! How do they smile so early? How do they learn that?” The baby’s smile reminded me that, even at my age, every day is still fresh and new.

“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease.
For His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning.
Great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:23

Imagine a God who created a brain capable of responding to the love in a mother’s face and rewarding weeks of sleepless nights with a smile! Only a joyful God would think to create such an extravagant gift as a smile! As we say in Louisiana,“lagniappe", a little something extra. Yes, every day is indeed a new day. I never want to lose the wonder of waking up knowing that on “this” day God’s lovingkindnesses invite me to be a little “naïve” – yes, even childlike -- and expect to be surprised, even stunned, by all He has planned for me!