Press On, My Friend

The experts have now observed that every human on earth came from just two people. But they don’t understand that we are created in God’s image and that sets us apart from all the other animals that God created. We (all) are unique and special in that we reflected God’s character when God created us, perfect in every way. And God said “we” were very good.

Don’t get too puffed up for we were not content in that state and thought we could have it even better so we listened to a liar, the chief of deception. And sin was brought into the world, the perfect world but immediately God had a plan for redemption. But then the door was opened to two kinds of people: sinners and those who repent often.

Have you ever had to teach a small child how to bite or to grab a toy away from another child? No, of course not! We are now born with a sin nature and need a Savior to not only take that sin away but also to guide us each and every day to do the right thing and to treat one another with respect and love. Even when that child or that adult is being downright ugly and certainly not being a bit nice to you, your friend or a group of people, remember that without Jesus we too will be selfish and nasty. We all are!

When we can remind ourselves of where we’ve been, we can then be more compassionate towards those around us, those on TV (especially in the news) and show more grace (favor) towards them. We still have laws in the United States that must be obeyed so showing another person kindness does not mean letting them get away with sin…that’s not love, that’s hate. We should want to guide them towards a relationship with Jesus. We show them this by the way we live. Show them we care by unconditional love that leads them to eternal life.

And yes, there are some who are not interested in knowing Jesus. That is their choice. If you continue to value them as a person, even when you disagree, you are more likely to bring them closer to truth. When we stand and call people names, screaming at the top of our lungs, that only proves to turn the other person away. Doesn’t it turn you away?

We all have a choice to love the Lord or to reject Him. We all have a choice to whom we are going to serve: God or ourselves. “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15b)

How are you doing with your Bible reading? Please share how I can encourage you. I always look forward to hearing from you! Oh, one last hint to get you through that boring list (we all have those in Scripture), skim it or skip it for this time and keep reading. Move on and move ahead and be inspired!

America, Land of the Free

“I left the United States in 2014 to do missionary work and came back three years later to a different America.” I recently made this statement along with my experiences of living in a former communist country to a close friend. That person told me I need to write my experiences down. To share them with people who have only known America, the land of the free and home of the brave.

First, I shall go back to 2014. I had just arrived on the island of Tobago, where I was going to be doing volunteer work in a government school. I arrive just days after Ferguson happened (in the U.S). When I saw the news on TV, I thought that could not be America. We don’t riot like that. We just don’t act like that! But to my breaking heart, it was happening and I could not understand why.

Trinidad and Tobago used to be two of the wealthiest islands in the Caribbean because they have oil. And with the revenue the government hired their own people to fix roads, be security guards, clean the countryside, and so on. Sad part is that many of these government workers didn’t work their hours and had someone else clock them in and out. They took turns at this and scammed the government. The government has the money was the attitude of many of the people. Meanwhile, the government could not pay me to work with their children. And I worked hard.

I got chikungunya, a mosquito borne virus, and after a week in bed, went back to work. I could hardly stand. The children were so happy to see me back that they hugged me and touched my arms constantly, almost knocking me over. I loved the children and loved what I was doing, I didn’t need to be paid because I knew God would take care of me. And when I had to leave for a short while because of immigration, I came back. I was still weak but I loved the children.

As the years wore on, many of the locals were telling me I needed to go to the Ministry of Education and tell them I wanted a paying job for they would never work for free. What they didn’t understand is that life isn’t always about money or what you can get out of others but what you can give. Their government had taught them a different lesson.

The government had taught these people to go after what you can get and put as little effort into it as possible. They had good paying jobs and didn’t have to pay for their medical needs…it was all free because the government can afford it.

Now I will take a jump backwards, to August 2006 when I went to Moscow, Russia as a missionary and worked in a Christian School where many missionary kids were able to go to an English-speaking school. This “former” communist country was modern in many ways and backwards in other ways. I had a nice apartment that reminded me of my grandparent’s house in the 1950’s. Modern is a term we know here in the United States and many would have said my apartment was anything but modern but it was sufficient for my one semester that I would be there.

We walked much of the time in both Tobago and Moscow. Yes, they have cars but who on short term assignment can afford such a luxury? We did get rides from Russian and Tobago teachers or a landlady or sometimes from a parent.

Grocery shopping in both countries was a challenge, to buy what you needed without buying too much because you had to carry it all home. In Russia, they use a different electrical current and I made the mistake of “frying” my curling iron and had to buy another. I went to a store, hoping that someone would be able to speak enough English that I could replace my curling iron. Sadly, I left that store without buying a thing because I found that even though they have employees at the store, they are not overly eager to help any patron. Why you might ask? Because under communism they got paid the same wages whether they worked and helped someone or whether they just stood around and ignored you. But even though they were a “former” communist government, the people’s mindset had never changed. And guess what? They still get paid no matter how they treat the costumer.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the people of Moscow, Russia from the produce lady to the teachers at school to our drivers, they were kind but they still had a romance with Lenin and the communist way of life. And many said they would like to go back to that former rule. They had forgotten about the food lines and lack of work and meager housing and lack of medical attention but hung onto being cared for by the government.

Now I will jump forward to March 2017, living in Tobago and getting sick, being taken by ambulance to the hospital. Yes, it was free and no, I didn’t pay a cent. I spent twelve hours in the emergency room on a small table so cold with just a small sheet to cover me. They took my vitals when I arrived, did an EKG and deemed that I could wait. In the next few hours I got very little attention, when I needed to use the restroom, I got off the table by myself and went on my own. They did nothing for my headache because I told them I could not take a pain pill since I’d not eaten since the night before. After being their six hours, they finally gave me a drink of water and oxygen and finally an IV because they suspected that I was dehydrated. That evening my landlady brought me some food to eat and she started asking questions. We were told they could not put me in a room or do further testing because it was so expensive. After twelve hours, they released me. No answers and finally I had to fly home to find out that I have a rare type of angina. That, my friends, is socialized medicine.

But, when I got back to the states, I found a different country. I found a country where you can’t speak your mind because you might offend someone. But yet, when I lived in Tobago, the dark-skinned people used to ask me “white” questions all the time and I’d ask them questions as well. The children wanted to touch my skin and my hair and I got to touch their hair. We grew ever closer because of our curiosity and love for one another by talking about our differences.

I came back to a country where people no longer show respect for their elders and to the office of President of the United States. We have lost manners and kindness and are told that what we are “thinking” is not appropriate. We no longer have people who can talk about their differences but insist that we all think alike. We have forgotten about communism and how bad it was and now use socialism as something to look forward to. To get all sorts of free things without working…in other words, teaching people how to become lazy.

I may not have as much education but have experienced a lot in my 70 years, I do know that we are going backwards because it is hard work that makes for good character. It is reading the Bible that teaches morals and to know right from wrong. No, not everyone is right and yes, we need to go back to the 10 Commandants to know how to behave.

We can never go back to the “old days” but we can get in the Word daily and start behaving how God commands. You can use “Faithful Promises of God” to help guild you along that journey and learn how to apply the Bible to your life. It is for today…believe me, it is!

You Can Do It!

Here we are, a little over a month into 2019, with a new challenge for the year. Reading through the Bible is quite a task! I’ve gotten several messages from people who share how hard it is to get into reading the Bible daily and they have “gotten behind”. I got another message saying that “Faithful Promises of God” has encouraged them to dust their Bible off and start reading.

I want you to know that “Faithful Promises of God” was truly written with His guidance. When it was all finished, there was only 321days…yes, 321 days! I really prayed about that number but felt that God wanted to take the pressure off each of us as we read His Word. Yes, it is nice to read through the Bible in a year but I used to “get behind” all the time…that is very defeating. This book is designed so you can take a day off most weeks and still get through the Bible in a year. Or, you can take your time and do your Bible readings in two days and perhaps take two years to read through the Bible. Even if it takes you five years, you are successful in getting the Word into your heart each day you read. It is not about the amount of time it takes you, it is about reading the Bible and letting God speak to you.

I would love to hear from you. Have any of you tried to send an email? I also have A Fae Original facebook page but it is a closed group, so my manager will have to approve you before you can join in. I want to hear from you…to share your successes and to encourage you in those hard to read times.

And speaking of hard to read times…Numbers! I love Leviticus and all the laws but Numbers is quite another story. It is hard to get through so much repetitive wording…my secret is to read the first set and then skim through the others for they say the same thing only using a different name. Please share how you get through those difficult passages that don’t really speak to you. And that is okay! Not every passage of Scripture will “speak” to you…I have read passages over and over and only on my 20 time (a made up number) does it finally touch my heart.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my page! We are here to encourage one another. I look forward to hearing from you…