The Armadillo

The American Armadillo

Cute little thing, right? WRONG. The armadillo is a nuisance. He digs holes and destroys beautiful yards and the best of landscapes. He is mostly blind which means he meanders aimlessly through a yard, stopping wherever he chooses to leave a mess behind for someone else to clean up.
Armadillos don't just live in the States, there is a smaller version of them down in South America where they originated, and they also live in Mexico. Whereas our breed has 9 bands, the S.A. armadillo only has 3 which makes it convenient to roll into a little ball when in danger.

None of them can see very well, and they will flat run into things when in a hurry. They root in shady areas for insects and worms where the soil is moist, hunting earthworms in particular, and use their long tongues to slurp them up. The aggravating part that drives homeowners crazy is that they love to dig. Some holes (dens) that they dig are about a foot or two deep, but some have been found up to 20 feet deep. This is when they begin to annoy Floridians, in particular, because all kinds of OTHER animals can hide in holes that deep, and unwanted critters can fill a yard fast. Our armadillos out here in my neck of the woods seem to travel in twos, exasperating all efforts to keep a pretty lawn.
A female armadillo will always have 4 babies, and they are born with their eyes open. I must admit that they are cute when they are tiny, but before long, they grow up to be diggers.

Armadillos also bleed incessantly when pierced. It is disgusting. They will jump 3-4 feet in the air when they are hurt, and the blood just spurts everywhere. It is almost comical to see them hurl themselves in the air in exaggeration.
See, there is nothing cute about them!
In Psalm 57 we read of David who is once again pouring his heart out to God. David many times went straight to God when facing temptation or when his life was in danger, and it is an excellent example for us to follow. In this chapter David is obviously being pursued. He speaks in verses 4-6 of being "among the lions", giving descriptions of men with teeth that tear and tongues as sharp swords. He describes a net that has been designed to catch him and a hole that is prepared just for him. However, he adds that this hole, in turn, captured the enemy.

⁴My soul [is] among lions: [and] I lie [even among] them that are set on fire, [even] the sons of men, whose teeth [are] spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
⁵Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; [let] thy glory [be] above all the earth.
⁶They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen [themselves]. Selah.

Remember the story where Saul and his armies were pursuing David, yet the Philistines were indeed hunting down Saul? The very cave where Saul just knew he had David captured, he was, in fact, delivered into the hands of David.  God took care of His own, and in a moment of sure defeat, He proved himself mighty to David again as He had done many times before.

Sometimes when the "teeth" of the world tear into our belief in Creation by the One true God or tongues slash our faith in salvation through Christ alone, we get discouraged thinking no one will believe ever again. Yet, in many of our churches we ARE seeing people come to Christ. I have a preacher friend who has not missed one day in well over a thousand days in leading someone to Christ. It is a personal goal of his, and he asks God for a soul every day. Our job is to have faith and share what Christ did for us on the cross. He does the rest.
Sometimes when the sharp swords people use as tongues threaten to tear our reputations, we have to remember that God always wins. It was David's faith that God would deliver him that saw him through the constant fear of losing his life. Why should we be any different? Do you have an armadillo in your life who is constantly digging a hole for you to fall in? Do you have someone who is cute on the outside but they leave a bumpy wake everywhere they go, and sometimes the mess is yours to clean up? Well, to remove an armadillo the proper way, the advice given everywhere is to call a pest control to "re place" them somewhere else. Yes, we could just pick up a shotgun and take care of it ourselves, and I'm sure many who live out in the sticks do. However, the city people have to do it the right way, and not take matters into their own hands lest there be a fine.  So, to "remove" your armadillo in your life, you call God in to fix the problem. We can't just eliminate people who are mean, although it does pass through our minds---I know it has mine MANY times. But that would throw us into the same category as the enemy, wouldn't it? God wouldn't get the glory.
Let's trust God and set the example for those watching us just like David did for us. God thought it important enough that He not only included David's story in the Bible, but he gave us the Psalm that shows David looked to HIM for deliverance.
Have a great day in the Lord!

The Urubu

Urubu in Brazil

Similar to our American Black Vulture

There is an old saying that originates from an Indian proverb, "Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins." Or if you live in South America, "Never judge a man until you have walked 2 moons in his moccasins."  Of course, this reminds us to be aware of a man's circumstances and to consider what he is going through before proposing our simple opinions and fixes. Some of us just offer our "unasked for" opinions anyway, and it gets us into trouble even when we HAVE walked those 2 moons. Like vultures who seize upon something wounded or dead with a purpose, we attack situations with our "cure". How different is God when we are in need....we receive his healing balm and calming words from His Word.

I've learned that I can never go wrong with offering someone Scripture when words fail me. The Word of God is often like restorative ointment to a hurting soul, supplying true peace and comfort, especially when I'm asking the Lord for the right words to say to someone who feels pure despondence. Psalm 147 provides the reader with promise by reminding us that God is in control of all things.

"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."

"He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names."

"He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry."

"He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in his mercy."

While visiting my sister's town in northern Brazil for several summers, I witnessed a couple of funerals.  Their observances are a little more involved time-wise than our services but a lot more simple. It is a common practice in this particular town that the body is laid out on a table or in front of the wooden house for a few days before the actual ceremony. Once the day of the funeral arrives, the body is loaded onto a wagon or the back of a truck and the procession of people to walk behind the cart begins. I was very thankful that my sister encouraged me to attend because with each step I felt as though I was walking in the mourner's shoes. There is time to think of the death and what the person meant to the church, their family, and to the community. The process after the eulogy (and, in our case, a sermon by my brother-in-law) is always long and involved, for the digging of the grave and lowering of the body and pouring of cement over the wooden box is done in front of all attendees. This particular town's cemetary has an endless supply of under-nourished dogs who are always close by, often growling because they are irritated and hungry. It is unsettling but expected. Salt is poured around the burial plot to keep the flies away since the body has somewhat decayed already. And, of course, the udubu are ever lurking in the trees above and in the street curbs, looking for the yuck to devour. You can see how devastating and dark death is to these simple people unless they have the hope of Heaven. Thank the Lord for Mark and Sheri's influence in the town; they brought the light of salvation and the hope of Heaven to many who were believing in shallow prayers to a statue that was taking them straight to hell.

I've learned that it is when I view someone's needs through the Lord's eyes and not my own that I am able to help them in the long run. Like a typical funeral in northern Brazil, many lives are lived out of tradition with no hope of eternity. People with heavy hearts need balm not an udubu. They don't need bandaids of shallow words that cover a wound for the moment, they need salve that heals from the inside out. The only way to truly know the words that our Lord might say is to get them straight from Him. We have to read the Word, ask Him for wisdom, and like Jesus did, walk in people's steps, living where they live, reaching them where they are. If Mark had ignored the call and never sold everything that he and Sheri had and not moved to another continent to share Christ, some of the people they reached might still be in spiritual darkness.

For all of us, we have our own circles of life and people for whom we are responsible to encourage and help without attacking and offering spurts of our own sentiments and assumptions. Give the truth, yes, but in love.

Eleanor Roosevelt said it best. "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart." As Christians, may we all be the kinds of friends who leave a definite mark on people's lives for the good and for eternity because we walk in Christ.

When the pirahnas bite, remind yourself that you matter to God.

Small Pirahna, Brazil

One of my favorite memories in all of my trips to Brazil is fishing in the Rio Negro. Fishing is one of my favorite pasttimes, especially in the summer. However, for the people of Brazil, it is a MAJOR source of income, food, and survival. Brazilians don't casually fish; they fish with a purpose. There is a means to an end, and it is found on the end of a fishing pole.

Pirahna fishing was a new one for me, and I learned that one way to call them to the top of the water is to slap the water repeatedly. I guess we could have thrown a bucket of blood into the water to call them as well, but it would have been a nasty frenzy. :) They don't attack and eat every living thing that dips a toe into the water, but I wasn't ready to risk jumping in the river to find out if that whole theory was true or not either.

BUT, one thing I found true about every pirahna we caught: they had teeth. Didn't matter the size of the pirahna, there were always sharp teeth. My sister once told me that in her town women who gossipped or were after your husband were often called a slang word that meant pirahna. Basically, a human pirahna or a pirahna fish have the same thing in common: they rip, tear, cause pain, and leave scars.

Have you ever felt like you do not matter to anyone? Have you ever felt like you are insignificant and unimportant and your ideas are dumb? Have you ever had a co-worker cut you down to where you doubted your own abilities? Have you ever had your child speak to you disrespectfully and cause pain that you didn't know you were able to feel? Have you ever felt such despair over someone's words that you sat on the bottom of the shower floor and cried until you couldn't?  Have you ever had the love of your life speak demeaning words to you that cut right to the bone? Have you ever had someone make fun of your child because they didn't understand the whole situation?

Well, until you can say yes to one of these or something similar, you may not know the damage of what someone's words can do to the soul. When we experience the cut, the tear, the pain--we get to experience just a little of how Jesus must have felt on our Earth. The Bible tells us that he was despised and rejected, and I imagine that many times it was in the form of WORDS.

Friend, take a moment and read Psalm 64. The first 6 verses explain how the "pirahnas" devise ways to hurt with their bite. But the next 2 verses tell us that God shall shoot at them with an arrow and they will make their own tongues cut themselves. It ends with "the righteous shall be glad in the Lord..." Encourage yourself in the Lord, immerse yourself in the WORD of God, and surround yourself with positive people when you are verbally attacked.

I am currently reading EMBRACING THE WORLD by Mary Ray, wife of Dr. James Ray, former director of BIMI. She gave me a copy of her book at our recent Missions Conference, and I'm amazed to read of how God is using the "little, insignificant people" who used to not matter but now matter a great deal to a WHOLE lot of people. When we are talking about someone's eternal soul, suddenly the "little people" become really important to the lost person who is now rejoicing that he has a place in heaven!

David Livingstone, missionary to Africa in the 1800's once said, "I will place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ." Don't let the "temporaries" of this world shake your faith. You matter to Him. God has a purpose for your life. If you aren't in His will, then get in the Word and get in God's face and ask Him. If you are in His will and just going through the fire because of other people's evil words or demises, encourage yourself in the Lord, and don't see your value in what you possess. Look at the whole picture. If you are reaching people for Christ, if you are living your life to please the Lord, if you are an encourager in the things of right--you matter.

By the way, the pirahnas didn't stay around when we ran out of bait. Don't give the pirahnas in your life any bait, and they will get lost eventually. =)

Have a good day!

Changes

The American Bullfrog

These days my life consists of buying enough air fresheners to cover animal smells in the Science Lab. It seems to be always on my mind. Or keeping antibacterial liquid to clean little junior-high hands after Bertha, Charlie, Carmela and the tadpoles leave their marks. But I wouldn't trade it because those hands represent our future, my future, and I have a small time slot in this life to enjoy my BIG opportunity to be their teacher. I happen to be one of those weird people who absolutely love teaching junior highers.

It would be a perfect world if EVERYONE enjoyed their current job, but we all know that this isn't the case. Sometimes we are at a job until we "find our niche in life." Sometimes a job is used as a stepping stone to THE job. Sometimes we just do the best we can because we need gas in the car. These days, we can find a little of ALL of that in our churches, circles of friends, etc, BUT the key as a Christian is contentment.

Last night we had a LUAU for the ladies of our church, and I sat and chatted with a former teacher of our school who is semi-retired but still comes around now and again to substitute for us. I listened to her stories of people who filled my past, people who at some point were an influence on my life when I was a kid. This woman taught school all those years while rearing her own children, and made such a difference. How does someone teach 6th graders for SO LONG and not tire out? Contentment.

The American bullfrog is just plain gross. I really can't believe that the 8 tadpoles in my room will turn out to look like that ugly picture up top. I'm not sure how I will fake the kids out in my Science classes and hold the things, but I'll have to find the nerve. Even though they are yucky looking, though, we all are anticipating the "change" because the development has been really fun. We have watched those back legs form, then the knees, now the indentions for front legs. It's coming.  But I have enjoyed studying the frog for a little more than just his "change." He is a content creature.

Bullfrogs adapt well to whatever environment they find themselves in. Scientists believe that one reason this is true is because of where they came from, meaning: they swam with fish and other aquatic life in their first "round of life" and learned to work under new circumstances that they carry the same habits into their second "round of life." Oh, that we would do that as Christians.

One of my mentors used to tell her students and workers who helped her, "Never forget where you came from." That means, don't forget that you were poor once you get rich and have pocket money. Help others financially. Don't forget that you were unsaved and on your way to hell before Christ richly saved you. Live your life for Him in gratitude. Don't forget that you used to "need" when you are now filled. Reach out and be a need-filler.  Don't forget that you wanted whatever you NOW have so badly. Be satisfied. Adapt. Make it.

My parents have been married 46 years. I can truly say that it is because they have learned to be content. They just deal with life. I've learned so much from them. We all admire people who are "in it for the long haul." It's Scriptural, Jesus did it, and one day in Heaven we will see just how important it is for us to be satisfied NOW with what God threw in our paths as we are constantly pushing ourselves to do more for Him.

PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13

¹¹Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

 ¹²I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
 ¹³I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Smokey and Forgiveness

Smokey's stitches



Yesterday I picked up my cat from my vet, took one look at her incision, and knew what my next Bible lesson would be. Forgiveness.

About a week or so ago, Smokey came home with some marks on her, like animal bites. The next day she began chewing her fur around the marks, and I began to see the nicks and cuts more clearly. For a few days she kept the chewing up, and licked those places raw. At that point, I knew it was time for the vet. Sure enough, she had been attacked by an animal in the woods around my house, and would need all kinds of shots and medicine. The doctor called me within an hour of dropping Smokey off and suggested surgery. They went in and took out all the damaged, infected tissue from the 9 bites, and stitched her up. Within 36 hours, I had my Smokey back. She isn't happy with the e-collar, but I've found that PetSmart offers a soft version of one. She has to wear it for 2 weeks, so I might as well help her to enjoy it.

However, when you look at Smokey now, you don't notice her beautiful gray and white fur, her half-tail that usually gets a comment from visitors, or even how she smiles when she looks up at you. Not anymore. You see the stitches, the scar. Fortunately, the stitches will come out in a couple of weeks, the incision will heal, and the fur will grow back. But the scar will always be there.

In the Bible, David tells us in Psalm 103 that God loves us and is merciful to us if we fear Him. He remembers that we are just human and that we are going to make mistakes. Once we confess our faults, He forgives our sins and remembers them no more. Specifically we are told in 103:12, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."

I often tell teenagers that God is a GOD of second chances. He does forgive, but we should be thankful to have a scar of our sin to remind us just exactly what He did for us. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. To forgive someone relieves burdens and cleanses the soul. But to BE FORGIVEN is like new life. It is a new start with God, a person who has forgiven you, or a situation for which you finally forgive yourself. Stop dwelling on the mistake, but focus on the healing that has been done. The scar will eventually become faint. The pain is tough now; you may feel as though you just want to die. Sometimes the pain is caused from others who are careless and scar you. But trust God that He doesn't allow anything randomly. Everything we go through as a Christian has a purpose. Maybe it is to get your focus back on God. Maybe it is to know the pain of someone else so you have compassion. Maybe it is to grow you and humble you as far as patience with other people is concerned.

One time I had a heartache and Ms. Belinda stayed up all night with me. We sat outside on an Indiana winter evening for hours swinging and talking about trials that God sees us through. She told me that it would get easier, and that I would eventually get through it, but to never, ever forget what the pain felt like. Basically she meant, don't forget the scar of hurt. I have used that situation literally hundreds of times in these past 15 years.
I've never worried about forgetting. I've never forgotten.The owner of a scar NEVER forgets where the scar is.
Forgive, and move on. Allow yourself to be forgiven. Keep  your scars.

God bless.

My Smokey and Criticism

Smokey, napping on her bed



My cat, Smokey, has been in "cat trauma" in the last couple of weeks. I'm not sure what is going on with her, but she has about licked off half of the fur on her side. She is 11 years old and was earlier diagnosed with some kind of cat mental disorder. She is strange, but she is beautiful. In my rumblings on the internet searching for an answer to her behavior, I stumbled across some information that has helped me understand my Smokey more....and understand critical people.

Cats can become depressed. We all know that. When there is a change in their environment--or another pet is introduced into his environment--it can throw them into a depression. There are little pet daycares out there to help our animals in these situations.

Also, aromatherapy is recommended, especially if your cat has been sleeping too much. A vitamin B shot will benefit him as well. The idea is to diagnose his problem, and jump on it.

"Ahhh," I thought, "her condition needs to be diagnosed."

As Christians, we are going to have dilemmas and trials come our way. When we get into sin and it starts to show up in our lives, we MUST deal with it or it grows. Bro. Hyles used to tell us, "The church is like a hospital. Hearing the preaching from the Word of God by God's man gives the cure, but it is up to you to accept the medicine and use it."

Some medicine that I learned in 1989 from my 3rd favorite preacher in the world, Bro. Jack Schaap, has OFTEN helped me when criticized. It was given in church, we took it, applied it, and it worked. From time to time, I pull out this "medicine bottle" when criticized, and trust my God that He is in control.

"What To Do When You Are Criticized" by Jack Schaap

1,  Read Psalms and Proverbs daily.

2.  Read I Peter and II Peter each evening. (I don't know why the evening.)

3.  Memorize Romans 6 and Romans 8, and personalize them.

4.  Go to sleep quoting Scripture or reliving Bible stories.

5.  Read biographies of great Christians.

Christian, hang in there. God always wins.

My newest angel

Hebrews 13:1-2 states, "Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have enterained angels unawares."

One of my favorite classes of the day is Bible with my 7th graders. I enjoy teaching them some new things as well as the well-known stories of the Bible. However, I go to my pastor often.....and the head Bible teacher too........when I have Bible questions. So, saying that, I understand that my angel stories may seem a little far-fetched for the average ear. However, I am as sure as I have ever been of my 4 experiences with humans who came into my presence for a short time who seemed to have never existed. They were just regular moments when I had a small window of opportunity to show kindness. My mom says that I've had 5 angel moments, but my memory of the experience other than the woman speaking several languages is vague. But I CAN tell of the four that I am 100% sure about.

In the 70's, I attended a Christian school about an hour away from where I lived. My mom taught and coached there, so we commuted the hour daily. We had to travel Paynes Prairie on I-75, and back then that was snake-inhabited. One day my mom had a flat tire just leaving Paynes Prairie heading towards Ocala. It was already late afternoon, and a man on a tractor was mowing the grass on the side of the interstate. He stopped, helped us with our dilemma, got back on the tractor and went on over the hill. He never said a word. We loaded back up, got back on the interstate, and got ready to wave at the tractor man. As you can probably guess, there was no tractor mowing. We believe that God protected us from harm that day.

In 84 or 85, our family was having Sunday dinner. Our doorbell rang, and my mom went to answer the door. Well, out here, the houses are so far apart, people don't walk from one house to the other---they drive. An old man with an accent was at the door and had an old bag or something like that. He asked for food. My dad wasn't too happy, but my mom made him a plate and told him that he would have to eat outside. He did. He sat under a tree, and ate the food. Of course we kept creeping up to the window to watch him because it was so bizarre. When he was finished, he brought the plate and glass up to our porch and began to walk backwards down our driveway to the road. Our driveway is lengthy, and he never stumbled. When he got to the road he turned around normal and started walking. And, as I'm sure you are wondering, we did go try to find him a few minutes later when we realized that we may have just have an opportunity to be kind to one of God's own. He was gone.

One of my favorite memories of working with Miss Hibbard at City Baptist was helping out with the Afternoon Program on Sundays. One Sunday in '97 we were in a dilemma. I forget if it was a banquet or what, but she sent me on a dead run to the Sav-a-Lot just down from the church to get whatever food we needed immediately. Back then there were only 2 registers in that store, and it was frustrating if you were in a long line. I was in a hurry, of course, and it was for Miss Hibbard---so I was even more anxious, so anxious that I became rude. This old woman in front of me made us wait because she didn't have enough money. Here I was in my suit tapping my shoe like I was some queen, angry on the inside at this person who had no money. I still remember how aggravated I was, and it was wrong. Finally, I just told her that I would give her the money she needed if she would just get out of the way. I paid for my stuff and she was standing outside and asked me for a ride. I told her no. She said, "Please." I was so mean and told her that she would have to sit in the back seat. She did. All the streets in that section of Hammond were one way (not sure if they still are), and so OF COURSE her house was inconvenient to get to. I caught her looking at me in the mirror and she spoke to me in some language that I didn't recognize. I didn't say anything. Then she spoke to me in Spanish. I said, "Lady, I only speak English." She told me that I looked spanish and thought that she would try me. She was so kind. I hate that I was mean. Then she told me that she spoke 5 languages. I still didn't say anything. So, by now, I was really late, so I just dropped her off at the end of the street so that I wouldn't have to drive around the block. She told me that her yellow house was only 4 or 5 houses down and that it wouldn't be a long walk. When I got back to City Baptist and dropped off the food, I began to feel really badly, and I went back. The street is only a stone's throw from the school anyway. The only yellow house on that street was boarded up. I knew that day that I had failed profusely when God had given me an opportunity to show kindness.

Today, as I pulled into CVS, I actually had to stop as an old black woman was crossing one side of the parking lot to the other. She almost looked lost, and she was leaning like she was looking to see if someone was in the 2 cars parked in the front. I parked, finished a text to my friend, and opened my car door. She was standing right by my car. Instead of being angry or scared, I actually felt tenderness for the old woman. She was in a long skirt and wore beautiful makeup. I'd put her at about 75 or 80. Her eyeshadow was exquisite, and her lipstick was orange like old-lady lipstick. But her eyes were twinkling and youthful. She actually had sparkling eyeliner which is very odd for an 80 year-old woman. She asked me for 2 specific items. I told her that I didn't have them but that I would buy them inside if she needed them. She only repeated her request and thanked me. She had an accent but I can't place the accent, I just know that she was very kind.

I remember passing a CVS worker outside the store as I went inside. I bought my 2 items and her 2 requested items and walked outside just a few minutes later to 4 cars but no black woman. I went to the sides of the store, and looked across the empty lot separating CVS and Dunkin Donuts thinking maybe she started walking down the hill to the houses on the next street. When I didn't see her, I walked back inside the store to see if she had come looking for me. Didn't see her inside, so I just chalked it up to the fact that maybe someone else had met her need. But something made me ask the CVS guy who was still outside if he had seen her. He said that he had never seen me talking to an old woman when I got out of my car which is impossible because he watched me walked in. I described her, and he said that he never saw that woman. I knew then. I just smiled and said, "Nevermind."

I don't think it was what I was buying her that makes me smile. I believe that I had an opportunity to show the love of Christ through something very small. Thankfully, I had the money to grant her request, and, praise the Lord, I was kind.

But you know, we have daily opportunities to be kind to people in our own homes, our classrooms, our churches, our offices, etc. It's a huge lesson for me. Mrs. Cowling used to tell us in college, "Why do we wait for company to come to bring out our China?" Our families and friends ought to be worth it to give them our "China days" every now and then--just BECAUSE.

When life gets too noisy, think of the Albatross

The Albatross

In college I had a lady professor for English, but she taught us way outside of the classroom. She rode the buses with us in our ministry, prepared us to go soulwinning, worked alongside us in the  youth department showing us how to reach the toughest of Chicago teenagers, and taught me to love to sing even though I'm not good at it. She didn't just tell us how to do things, she showed us. I will never be the teacher Mrs. Belinda was to me and still IS to others at Hyles-Anderson, but she has given hundreds of us an example to follow.

                                  Mrs. Belinda and Bob on their wedding day.

The albatross has the largest wingspan (up to 11 ft) of any bird in the world, and the Andean Condor (a predator) is not far behind him. They mostly live out on the waters of the vast ocean, taking breaks on small islands when necessary. Researching them, I found that many of them are also equatorial as well as traveling as north as Alaska on the West coast and Maine on the East. Their wings are so large, they can soar and glide for hours  on ocean winds without flapping or stopping to take a rest.

This reminds me of my God. He never gets tired; never needs a rest from me or the troubles of this world; never needs to turn around and start over. He has all things under control. Mrs. Belinda gave us many lessons that have stayed with me, namely to always be listening to God's still small voice. I'm stuck right now on Psalm 91. What an amazing chapter.

Psalm 91 teaches us to trust in our God so fully that we are completely covered by His feathers and hidden under His wings. What a safe place to be. The only way to acquire this kind of closeness is to do what verse 1 promises: dwell with Him in the secret place. We can only achieve this when we do what Mrs. Belinda used to teach us, and that is to turn down the noise, tune out the world, and listen to God's still small voice. It is so worth it.

One more thing. The albatross lives a long life. He chooses one mate and shares the responsibility of their one egg, and makes his nest where he was hatched! That's amazing that of all the miles an albatross travels, he finds his way back to his roots to begin his new life.

 I'm so glad that I'm important enough to God that He doesn't turn His back on me. He carries me through the tough times, and protects me when the enemy attacks. Like verse 15 says, he hears me when I call upon Him. It's a promise.

Missionaries,Tadpoles,and Axolotls

The Mexican Axolotl

Looks like a fish/lizard, doesn't it? It is neither.....this cute, little pink thing is an amphibian. He can't really be called a true salamander because he resides in water most of the time. The Mexican Axolotl (ox-so-low-tal) is an overgrown amphibian larva that rarely, if never develops enough to live only on land. He is only found in a handful of small lakes in the Axolotl region. I understand (now) how several lakes can be connected to ONE since my travels to San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. All the towns in this region surround one lake, Lake Atlitlan, but several waters are connected to her via canals and hold the same water life.

The axolotl can also regenerate body parts--TOO cool--and keeps PINK gills that are almost like feathers. Ahh, my kind of amphibian. Scientists come from all over to study this one amazing feat.

The Mills family in my church just dropped off 9 huge tadpoles to my science lab from their nearby pond. A couple of the tadpoles already have small feet, so (hopefully) we won't have to wait as long this time to see bullfrogs develop. Kids love to see things grow and "morph" into new life---caterpillars are always a big hit at our school in the Elementary and Junior high.

But as I researched this Mexican Axolotl with my tadpoles in mind, I realized that there is always an exception in Science. GOD. God created this salamander to just be different and regenerate himself yet only live in one part of the world. To be studied for the amazing little things that he possesses, things that separate him from other salamanders and allow him to NOT be called a lizard, reptile, frog or fish. He is his own kind.

To me, that is a missionary. Missionaries are of their own kind. No, they aren't weird, although they might eat strange foods or learn to dress in different cultures. They might learn new languages and live in unique places, but they aren't weird--they are special. Like the scientists study the axolotls, we read with vengeance the stories of the old missionaries who broke the way for the gospel to enter various parts of the world, amazed at their tenacity. They are special.

We just ended our Missions Conference at our church which is a very BIG deal at Central Baptist, Ocala. We featured Dr. James Ray, former general director of BIMI, and he warmed our hearts every night last week with stories of all of the places he has visited and still plans to visit in the world. I'm in the middle of reading his wife's book, Embracing the World, which gives details about BIMI and all of the people the missionaries are reaching with the gospel. However, a highlight of missions conference is when we get to meet the latest crew of missionaries on deputation as well as some who fly just to be with us for the week. I always have a big hole in my heart the week after they leave, and this week is no different.

This morning, though, I realized that we had greatness in our presence last week, yes, but that I shouldn't be sad and miss them. God has led them on to another place to share their work as they slowly work up their percentage goal before they can get to their country of choice. We had them in our little world for a short time, and hopefully we didn't let the moment pass by to give them our love and support and cash to get them on to the next step.

Missionaries are unique, like the axolotls. The axolotls don't breathe in the same way as other salamanders, nor do our missionaries "make their living" in the same way. They depend on us to give them needs. The axolotls reside in one region, happy to stay right there and feed on what the lake provides. Missionaries choose their land to love, and are happy to serve without a whole lot of "hooplah" and praise.

So let me tie this together.

Our head Bible teacher at OCA gave us a verse in teacher's devotions a few weeks ago: Ruth 2:12. Ruth had already impressed Boaz at this point with her diligence and loyalty to Naomi. He was now giving her permission to go behind his workers and gather what she could to take home. Ruth was pretty amazed at this man showing such kindness, perhaps because she had faced a lot of unkindness and disappointment like we all do. She asked Boaz why was he being so generous and sweet to her. He answered that he had noticed her hard work, her loyalty, her strength to leave her home to help Naomi when she had lost her OWN husband. Then he says these amazing words in verse 12: "The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust."

For the missionaries, God is going to bless them because HE has noticed their hard work and dedication if done in His will. So many of my missionary friends are struggling with LOTS of issues, and I don't say that lightly. To them, I say keep going. God is proud of you, He promises to take care of you, and we notice. You are the special ones doing what the rest of us can't. I admire you greatly.

For me, this verse will help me to cope with my sister and her family leaving in just 97 days. They still need support, but they stepped out on faith and secured the dates, trusting in God to supply the last 8% needed in these few days before heading to Brazil. No, we don't want them to leave. Yes, we do count it a privilege to be a part of helping the "special breeds" get to their land to which they have been called with ONE purpose in mind---to spread the gospel of Christ.

Maybe today you are feeling a little "not very special". Maybe you feel like God doesn't seem to care about your situation. Maybe people have been unkind and have hurt you too deeply for you to deal with. Just remember that God does notice. There is a blessing for those who work hard and do right with the right motives and with God's will in mind.

Hang in there. You have your own pink gills that someone else is watching.

Baleen and Gossiping

Baleen plates in Baleen whales

The 7th graders and I discussed two groups of whales one day this week, most specifically baleen whales. We also had a big 'ole talk about gossiping, and I'm very proud of a few of them who are sincerely trying to make a change in their spreading of rumors. I hope that the few things we learned and how they apply to God's Word will encourage you.

Baleen whales have a unique feature: baleen. Baleen is sometimes referred to as whalebone, but it looks like combs covering the mouth. The purpose is to siphon food from the water the whales inhale. Whales eat pretty much anything that swims in their way since they are so overwhelmingly huge. (They are already 3 tons when they are born, and will grow to 25 tons the following year!)

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly having to "filter" out the bad and consider what needs to be kept as good in my line of work as a teacher. Daily, several times a day, I beg God to seal my mouth when I need to just shut up and listen. However, that depends a LOT on what I decide to "keep" when listening. It's all relative.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 14:7, "Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge." We are supposed to walk with God enough to have discernment when we hear someone who is not wise, and then to get out of their fellowship. But if we aren't in His Word, we won't have that discernment.

Have you ever been around someone who is constantly negative? Or maybe someone who always has unkind things to say about EVERYTHING? It can be so exhausting, can't it! Get away from them. Do the opposite--surround yourself with people who are positive and who uplift your soul instead of weighing you down. It is my job to protect what may come out of my mouth later by protecting NOW what I'm hearing. The only way to do that SUCCESSFULLY is to be immersed in God's Word.

Proverbs 16:28 says, "A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends." Gossiping and a critical spirit can damage the immediate for the hearer but also incur severe loss of a happy soul down the road, including friendships.
Ask yourself: "Do I avoid those who are critical?" I know that I want my friends to have a comrad who will keep their secrets, fill their ears with positive, encouraging words, and give them food to keep--not junk that has to be filtered.

In the last day I have had 3 friends receive very difficult news in 3 different circumstances. In each case, they are people who use the baleen in the Christian life and  choose to surround themselves with positive people, and I think that it has made all the difference in how they have handled their life-altering revelations. I really do. I'm amazed at their testimonies of endurance, and I have utmost admiration for their lives that give God all the glory no matter what. It doesn't happen by accident. We have to guard our ears from hearing things that our spirit is telling us will encumber us.
Have a blessed day!

Ms. Joanie

Meet Ms. Joanie, missionary to Puerto Rico.

When I went to Puerto Rico this past summer, I met a wonderful missionary lady named Joanie. She has been on the mission field for many years working in several BIMI churches starting schools, teaching, playing the piano, etc. My co-worker (Laura) and I noticed right away that Joanie never STOPPED. She awakened early with us, went soulwinning for hours on end with us, stayed up late with all of us and the teenagers, and never complained. She gave of herself that two weeks like she has given of herself for the past 40 years.

One day I started picking at her brain as we were trekking through one of the relatively wealthy neighborhoods to pass out tracts, and I asked her, "Ms. Joanie, what do you do when you've just 'had it' and you need a day off?" She never even looked up as she replied, "Stephanie, I just encourage myself in the Lord like David did." That was not the reply that I was hunting for, so I reworded my question. "Ms. Joanie, I know that you must get tired and just need a day for yourself every now and then. I have noticed how much you do around here."  She "harumphed" a laugh in the typical way that we had come to know her to respond and said, "I don't know. I don't take days off." I stopped my probing as I realized I was hunting for an answer that didn't exist in Ms. Joanie's mind. She was happy in the Lord. Laura and I knew firsthand that week that everything INDEED was not so happy-go-lucky for her, and that there were definite hardships and circumstances she faced. However, she was oblivious to the negative because she focused so much on the positive. I hope that this makes sense.

Sometimes in life we can focus just a little too much on the negative and it totally blinds us from seeing the positive side of anything. Ms. Joanie answered me right the first time: she encouraged herself in the Lord.

We never know who is watching us: our responses, our facial expressions, our words. They completely tell everyone what is going on inside us. When someone is real, it shows on the outside, and everyone knows it.  Thinking about Ms. Joanie today has reminded me to  

be a thankful, satisfied Christian who trusts in her Lord. I hope she encourages you too. =)

College DOES matter.

Everyone else's posts will be on love today, I suppose. Mine will be about a book!

Missionaries are amazing people to me.

The first missionary story that I remember reading was at Southside Christian School in Gainesville in the 4th grade. We were required to read Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot. This was in 1976, only 20 years after the tragedy in Ecuador---so the story was still being told.

I read this particular book about once a year because it encourages me in the Lord to be faithful, and also because it is just plain amazing. I've always been intrigued by Indians. From my sister's Indians in the Amazon with whom I got to trade some money for their artifacts on my sister's front porch, to my missionary hero Marg Jank's Indians in Venezuela, to the Mayan Indians in Guatemala that some of my students and I got to see firsthand. My mom even said that I was obsessed with studying American Indians when I was a teenager. I had forgotten about that.

But this time while reading Through Gates of Splendor, I realized that Jim obtained his burden for WHEREVER God was going to send him---in college. College matters. He was busy working in the ministry in college when God directed him to his calling and to the people who would help him get there.

How sad that we send our young people off to "find themselves" instead of directing them to a place where they can hear God's voice speak His Will to them. I have a renewed burden for this. I think the RIGHT Christian college matters. For if the young adult is not busy working and learning how to prepare in the ministry, how can he be properly trained?

I'm proud of my roots, Hyles-Anderson College. I am so thankful for every minute that they taught us to love to go door-knocking, bus calling, and working in a Sunday School class while we studied to become pastors and teachers. We were taught to work hard and to love God while doing His work to last for the long haul no matter where we served.

College definitely matters.

Smokey's Offering

Yesterday morning I stepped out my front door to a present left on my doorstep from my cat: a baby squirrel. Smokey often leaves me presents...lizards and birds usually....never totally dead, but definitely grasping for that last breath. My dad says that my cats used to do that when I was a little girl too. I asked him why....he says that the cat thinks she is bringing me something special.

Smokey is the only living cat in my neighborhood currently. I live in an area where coyotes have frequented, and they have eaten all the small dogs, cats, and other random animals that inhabited the woods behind my house. Smokey is fast though, and can outrun all the dogs as well as the coyotes. Her hunter instinct takes over when she leaves the confines of the house and enters the night scene going on in the front yard.  She always gets what she goes after--eventually; never completely killing the critter but instead disabling the critter's ability to fight back.

We just finished REVIVAL at our church, and so many people were saved and lives renewed for Jesus Christ. It's a great, unified feeling when church people all get on one page. However, the Devil can't stand it.

Something I've learned about the Devil: he is no respector of persons. He often goes after the "newbies"----the weak, brand-new Christian as well as the seasoned children of God. He preys on their new decision to accept Christ as their way to Heaven and offers hundreds of reasons why they will never make it. He also attacks and tries to disable the Christian who WANTS to do what is right, who steps out on faith to make a right choice to stand for Christ. Like Smokey, he bites for the "thrill of the kill" and throws us---his presents---off to die in humiliation and grief, he hopes.

Sometimes he sinks his teeth into an adult's desire to serve the Lord by tossing something discouraging and evil into his path. We've all been there. So, we have to be ready for it. We have to dig down inside and find that killer instinct--the Holy Spirit-- and use His power to triumph. There is no reason to be afraid of someone who is NO MATCH for our Holy God. Stay prayed up and well-read. We don't have to be constantly looking around the corner for doom and gloom to hit us, but we sure can make sure we are prepared for the fight with God's help. There is no time like the present to make your life count for eternity. No battle in history was ever won without a plan, so prepare. But don't waste another second worrying about the "yuck" that Satan throws in our paths to discourage us. After all, we are on the WINNING SIDE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Di28PzsYWc

Maddie's Still Missing... and Revival at our Place!

We are still missing a hamster in the JH Science Lab. THIS one is not my fault, but alas, one of my students admits to not closing the cage. We are hoping that, like Charlie, she is able to survive a full 7 days.
Charlie used to bite and was cantankerous. He is solid white with glowing red eyes, so I refer to him as the Vampire Hamster. However, since he went missing and was later found after 7 days with no food or water, he really seems to have had a change of heart. He no longer flinches when the kids reach into the cage for him. He enjoys the hamster wheel on the edge of one student's desk while I teach, and every 5 minutes gets to enjoy another kiddo. He is almost docile, and I wonder if the experience didn't traumatize him.
We are in a very happening and spiritual Revival at our church and school with Dr. Tom Farrell and his evangelistic team. Last night I listened to him thoroughly explain WHY we cannot reap blessings from works that we do if we are not filled with the Holy Spirit. Simply put, our hard work of living for the Lord, going soulwinning, trying to live right, being a good testimony, making right choices.......ALL of it.... there is no special reaping if we are not filled with the Holy Spirit when we do it. God CAN and DOES bless His Word when it is given out, but there is no blessing for us personally. I literally melted in my seat after I thought about how many times.....many, many times I have passed through a day without asking for the Holy Spirit's filling and power in my life. I wonder how many extras I've missed because I treated each day like a regular day and let happen what may happen.
Sometimes, like Charlie the hamster, we have to "starve" for a while and realize what a Magnificent and Holy God we have the opportunity to serve and walk with every day. Then our lives will be different. People will know when they are in our presence that we truly walk with God. We won't snap and bite at people; we repair and fix. Instead of getting offended at every other word, we respond with understanding and forgiveness.

Sounds silly, but pray that we can find Maddie before she passes behind some wall in my Science lab. :) The smell could be horrific!
Have a blessed day!

One of my heroes.....

Marg Jank, missionary to the Yanomami Indians in Venezuela.

I'm studying some insects right now that have a short life span, and learning the purpose for their small little lives. Do you know that there is an aquatic insect that lives 30 minutes to 2 days tops? I'm researching it because it is intriguing that God would have something live and then die in such a brief amount of time, and soon I will write about this amazing insect because it can teach us a valuable lesson! Even in its last days...err, moments.... of its life it will lose the ability to eat. How sad to not even eat on your deathbed.

I have a missionary friend, Marg Jank, who has taken her time here on earth for 40+ years to reach the Yanomami Indians in Venezuela. She has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and has begun the necessary process to help stop it, including chemotherapy.
When I think of Marg, I believe her "70ish" years on this earth have been well spent reaching others for the cause of Christ. We are praying for her to have a dozen more. Among her many talents and accomplishments with the Indians, she has translated much of the Bible with the help of her converts into their dialect. They call it The Talking Bible because they had to put it on cassette tape first. Marg didn't waste her short life span on the frivolities of life but rather chose to spend them with in the jungle with a group of people most of us have only seen in a National Geographic magazine. She made God matter.
Yesterday in my Science classes I spoke to my junior highers about this exact thing. We are studying the Sun and the stars in one grade, and Creation in another. Both show the magnificence of our almighty GOD. However, do we REALLY live our lives like He matters to us? We see that we have mattered to God. Of all the planets and perhaps other life that God hasn't allowed us to learn about in some galaxy that will never be discovered until Heaven, He chose us to have an opportunity to have eternal life. We matter to God. We do. But do we make God matter by showing Him that we love Him by reading His Word, crossing the sea to make a difference, or even just passing out a tract? It's so easy to say, but the difference is made when we actually do it.
Have a blessed day!

Happy MartinLutherKing Day

Everyone is homeschooling today at my house. I will miss Sheri's kids a bunch when they hit the road again soon.

Science Fair at my school is this week. I love my science classes, and I love to see what amazing little things the kids dream up. Yesterday afternoon after Spanish church, I was cleaning up my Sunday School mess, and I heard a scruffle noise in the back of the classroom. No one was in the building but me and my hamsters and the rabbit, so I was a little nervous as to what the noise was. I don't mind rodents in the cage, but I don't want to have to deal with a random rat hiding in some hole in my room. I followed the noise and found Charlie, the white hamster with red eyes (our vampire hamster) down in the poster box again. He consistently weasles out of his cage on a weekly basis, and we find him ALWAYS trapped somewhere.

Last night I  heard Evangelist Tom Farrell preach at a sister church in my town. He preached on Psalm 51 and how David made sixteen petitions before the Lord to forgive him. David blamed no one for his sin but himself. He still had consequences to pay for his sin with Bathsheba, lying to his soldiers, etc., but he decided to truly get honest with God and put a stop to his sin.

Every now and then I catch one of my students in the very act of disobedience, and they sheepishly backtrack and start doing the right thing because I caught them. But sometimes they corner themselves in the disobedience because they are trapped....like the hamster...there is no way out. How much better it is when we acknowledge that we are under conviction and stop the sin ourselves before we find ourselves in a "no way out" situation.

Have a good day everyone!

Cormorant Cleverness

I love to go fishing, and I find sneaky little ways to go just as often as I can. But lest I fool any of you, I'm not very good at luring the fish to my hook. When I was a little girl, my grandma used to spend time with me fishing off the bank. I would visit her lake house, and we'd get up before dawn and head down to the bank and fish for hours. I learned to be quiet and not ask questions but just fish. Later, as I became a teenager, dad taught me how to fish off shore, and those were some of the best days of my life. Most Saturdays were spent getting up very early and heading towards the Gulf of Mexico. I'll never forget catching my first shark, snorkeling for scallops, and fishing for grouper. It was always fun to fish with grandma and dad because they had one main thing in common--they didn't talk while their rods were in the water.
Fishing to me isn't a sport or a means to put dinner on the table; it is a means of refuge. As everyone knows, I relish standing in front of a classroom, preparing lessons, and planning some new project. However, I look forward to quiet hours on the riverbank, watching my cork with an eagle eye, and waiting for the mullet that I see jumping to make their way over to my 5-hook line.
My dad told me about a little spot about an hour from my house that has become my "secret fishing hole" because I go there alone most of the time. There I can escape reality, don my fishing cap, and impress no one. I fish with people who are there for the same reason, and it is almost comical to look through the trees and never see a body but see the line and cork emerge from the shrubs into the water. Here I find peace, tranquility, and quietness. Many Sunday School lessons and Missions songs have been written in these calm, relaxed fishing moments.
At my "secret fishing hole" a bird named the cormorant usually makes an appearance. Sometimes there are several of them, but not often. They are loners, sticking to a small area to "work", never far from their abode. As I watched a cormorant recently, I realized how diligent and purposeful their movements and techniques are. Allow me to give you a few facts about this clever bird.
*The Florida cormorant, usually not found in large flocks, is black and shiny, almost oily looking. Many people will mistake them for ducks, turtles and even snakes when they are under water and peeking their heads above the surface.
*The cormorant is VERY speedy under water, and will swim until he reaches his favorite target, freshwater fish.
*The cormorant will perch high as he watches the water for movement. Once he has zoomed in on his victim, he dives with purpose, often swimming deeply until his goal is reached.
*Lastly, after consuming his treat, the cormorant will fly high to his roost and air his wings. He is able to stretch out his wings effortlessly and dry them for hours. His wings are not waterproof, making it imperative for him to dry his wings before embarking another fishing mission, for his wings are useless if they are wet.

The cormorant has some fascinating characteristics from which a Christian can glean some truths.

1.  He has a purpose and will go great depths to achieve it. We don't ever read of Christ just meandering through towns and the desert without teaching. He taught every where He went. We don't find him rushing from place to place; he walked and taught and made time for people. I don't know about you, but I often find myself literally running from one thing to another. But do you know what happens when we rush? We make mistakes; we "miss" people because they are a blur; we stomp over people because they are in the way. Perhaps we should set our eyes on our goal, accomplish what is necessary, swoop with great accuracy, but not forget people in the process.

2.  The cormorant spends a great deal of time alone. Several times Jesus is found ALONE in the Bible. In John 6 we read of Jesus feeding the five thousand but then retreating to the sea for some alone time. The disciples don't find him until much later about 3 1/2 miles out on the water. Jesus knew the value of being alone even when everyone else didn't understand why they could not find Him.
In college, Bro. Hyles often told us, "It's a jungle out there." He warned us that standing up for right in a world of wrong would not be fun, easy, or come with great applause. Many times we have to stand by ourselves even in Christian circles when it comes to choosing righteousness.

3.  The cormorant MUST dry his wings before using them again. In order for the bird to completely dry his wet feathers, he flies to a high perch where he can attain sunlight and wind. He must fan his wings and wait. If he rushes the process, his wings will be of no use.
In Mark 6 the disciples had heard of the beheading of John the Baptist. His head, of course, lay with Herodias, but his body was taken by disciples and buried. They met up with Christ and relayed the whole hideous happening, and Jesus invited them to step away for a while. Jesus always had people around Him, but instead of turning them away, He found a way to retreat and rest when necessary, and He taught His disciples to do the same.
A profesor at Hyles-Anderson used to tell us girls in the bus ministry often: "Refill your well daily. People don't need to come to you for help and find an empty well." We heard Mrs. Belinda say that to us so many times that every time I read about a well in the Bible, I think of her challenge. It's true. Daily we must set some time apart to refill in the Word of God. We are useless, as Christians, without a daily cleansing of His words. What are we supposed to tell people when they come to us for advice? Past experiences and holding onto teachings of our leaders will only last for so long. Jesus' ministry was people. He loved, healed, and taught them everywhere He went, but He taught His disciples to get alone and "push the reset button" as well.

Most of the time we fill our lives with noise. Find time to get away from the "noise" of life and fill up with God's Word.

Have a blessed day!