It seems that the more you read and learn about Scripture, the more questions you have.

Do you have questions that you want to ask God when you get to heaven?

I do!

I’m making a list.  Now, I know that I can’t take it with me but there are so many things I want to know that Scripture doesn’t tell us.

• Why did God create angels that had the capacity to defy him?
• Where is the Garden of Eden?
• What kind of fruit did Eve eat in the garden?
• How does manna taste?
• What do behemoth and leviathan look like?
• In the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, why did God tell them not to look back?
• What kind of fish did Jesus multiply to feed the thousands?

But the truly exciting part of all of this is…once I get to heaven and I’m walking and talking with Jesus, I WON’T CARE!!!

I will consider all Your works and meditate on all Your mighty deeds.  Psalms 77:12 (NIV)

P.S. Oh…and by the way…many scholars say that the fish was tilapia! 

MOVING FORWARD!

It’s graduation time!

…Emotions high

…Excitement in the air

…Energy oozing out of each graduate’s body

…Enthusiasm for what comes next

Yes, all of these things are on the minds of those graduating.  Makes no difference the age of the person, the point is that they are pumped and ready for the certificate or diploma that will be awarded to them as they step up in front of all of their loved ones, friends and family.  It is a very special time. They’re moving forward.

The past is done—over—not to be repeated.  All that has been accomplished is complete.  No one can add to it.

BUT, oh, the anticipation of what is to come—that is the “moving forward” process.

The Apostle Paul felt this same way when he penned these words, “But this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b & 14. 

Good challenge for each of us.  Don’t look back—that is complete and finished.  But look ahead and strive toward the most important goal of all—not a piece of paper awarded by Jesus, but the prize given to us because we have lived according to God’s standard on this earth.  Move Forward—in His strength and finish your course well so that when you stand before Him someday you will hear Him say, “Well done thou good and faithful Servant.”  Come on, get “Moving Forward!”

 

 

Did you know that an old law on the books in Pocatello, Idaho states that a person may not be seen in public without a smile upon their face?

In Ecclesiastes 3:1-14, there is a time for everything under the sun.

In the first 8 verses, Solomon (the writer of Ecclesiastes) lists 28 “a time to…”.   

Some of these “a time to…” are easy to engage in, others more difficult.

Then we get to verse 9: “What do workers gain from their toil?”   

Though, smiling on demand may not be the answer, having a good attitude towards work, labor, things that take effort is.

Relationships, our walk with God, facing fears, etc. can certainly cause us to experience life and all its “times” with a deep joy and peace. 

Let’s face it — struggling, toiling, carrying burdens, hurting, weeping, none of this is “happy”! 

But, happy does not equal joy.  Our joy does not come from the experiences we go through but the God Who holds us as we journey on.  That’s why we can cling to the promise in verse 11.  “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

The second part of verse 11 is an amazing promise!  God has put the desire for eternal life in each of our hearts.  Every person was created with a desire for God.  It’s our choice to believe and follow Him, EVERYDAY! 

The last phrase of verse 14, “I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.”  

This tells us why God does what He does:  So that men will honor, revere, fear, be in awe of Him. 

What has God done TODAY that you can do nothing but be in awe of Him?

Let this knowledge place a joy-filled smile on your face today!  Praise God!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6, 7

There are so many things to be anxious about regarding college: 

As parents:  Scholarships, finances, acceptance, class choices, exams, relationships, future plans, leadership roles, etc.

As students:  Scholarships, finances, acceptance, class choices, exams, relationships, future plans, leadership roles, etc.

Paul’s words in Philippians took me back to my Savior time and time again during those four years. Throughout my college experience, there were days when I was overwhelmed with papers, assignments, and exams.

But it all comes down to my perspective.

Who am I relying on?  When I try to work from my own strength, I freak out because I can’t handle the pressure.

On the flip side, I found that heeding Paul’s words and bringing my stresses to God in prayer did wonders for my attitude and how I responded to tough situations.

As parents, as students, as believers, we can all relate to stress that comes to us daily.

Are you content or anxious? 

Rebecca Tervo (abridged)

Romans 8:31-39

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:  “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When I tell people that I teach the Explorer Girls Conquerors’ class (the High School girls), they often give me sympathetic glances and mention that they couldn’t handle older girls.  But I love working with them.  They’ve learned life lessons and had experiences that helped shape the way they think and act.  And every day, the depth of their life experience grows and broadens, as they add new lessons. 

I enjoy sharing stories of my youth with my girls, to prove to them that there are a lot more similarities between us than they may think. 

We all fight with our friends sometimes. 

We all have moments when we feel less than confident in our abilities or our physical appearance. 

We all have big questions that are hard to answer.

I encourage my girls to go to God’s Word to find the support they need to get through the tough days. 

I try to remind them that no matter what, we’re never alone, because God is on our side. 

This passage brings me great comfort, and I find myself turning to it on days when I feel weak. 

When our lives seem full of uncertainties and questions, this passage is full of assurance, confidence, strength and victory. 

Because if we belong to God, we are never alone. 

If we belong to God, nobody can take us away from Him. 

If we belong to God, we are all Conquerors.