CONTROLLED BURN

by Barbara Chadwick

 

This week as we turned into the gates of our subdivision there was a sign “Controlled Burn in Progress” 

Since we are one half mile from the Roosevelt National Forest we were concerned especially as the smoke began to fill the air. But we do understand the need for a controlled burn.

The forest gets tangled up with dead trees, bushes and vines and if the forest rangers don’t carefully get rid of this undergrowth then we have an unhealthy forest. When lightning strikes a dead tree we can get an uncontrollable forest fire. Colorado had twelve forest fires in 2012 and they were made worse by this very factor.

Our lives develop bad habits and undergrowth just as the forest does. If we don’t pay attention to the junk that grows and develops our actions can become ugly and uncontrollable. We can destroy people in our path.  Occasionally we need to have a controlled burn in progress!  

Zechariah 13:9 says, I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them.

In Isaiah  48:10-11 we read:  See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Then in Psalm 66:10-12  - For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

“There is no question that trouble and trials are both fiery and painful and there’s no question that they also challenge our relationship with God. If our faith is true and pure that relationship is improved and dross comes to the surface where I can be removed.” Bryan Kimsey,  Ministerial Alliance, April , 2008  (Find his excellent sermon based on the hymn “How Firm A Foundation” at www.fbcdesmoines.org)

When we go through the fire and we call on the name of the Lord our God He will answer.
He will guide us through it and in the process refine us. We will become healthy Christians, not like the unhealthy forests that burn uncontrollably and destroy people in their path.

DIET

by Barbara Chadwick

This time of year lots of people have started a diet. Me too!

You remember the scripture that talks about your body being God's temple? So we do want to keep it in the best condition possible.
     Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple
     and that God's Spirit lives in you?
     ...God's   temple is sacred, and you are that temple. I Corinthians 3:16-17
So I want to share a diet with you.  :-) HAPPY NEW YEAR!

     Recently, I went to my local grocery store to buy a large bag of Purina Dog Chow for my loyal pet Jake, the Wonder Dog. While standing in the checkout line the woman behind me asked if I had a dog. (Did she think I had an elephant?)
     So, because I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I said, "No, I don't have a dog. I'm starting the Purina Diet again, although I probably shouldn't."
     She had a confused expression .
     Breaking the silence, I said, "Yeah, the last time I ended up in the hospital. I lost 50 punds, but I woke up in the intensive care unit with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms."
     Her jaw dropped.
     I continued, "Essentially, it's the perfect diet. You load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete and the results are good. I think I'll try it again!"
     By now practically everyone in line was enthralled with my story.
     She looked horrified. "Did the dog food poison you?" she asked.
     Matter-of-factly, I said, "No, I stopped to pee on a fire hydrant and a car hit me."
     (Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say.)
                      by Chuck Lavelle - taken from Colorado Life magazine

Why Do I Sing About Jesus?

by Barbara Chadwick

 

Sometimes when I think about Jesus - about His goodness to me; then about His mercy and grace to me - I try to analyze and reason it out. Here are some reasons:

He loves me:  

             We love because He first loved us. 1John 4:19   

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  1John 4:10 

He saves me:

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him

            shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16 

           The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I  

           will praise him.  Exodus 15:2

         
          But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  Psalm 13:5
 
          The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold
          of  my life— of whom shall I be afraid?  Psalm  27:1 

         Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my
         strength and my song;  He has become my salvation.  Isaiah 12:2 

         Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by
         which we must be saved.   Acts 4:12 

He knows me:
        
         But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. 
         Job 23:10

         … He understands and knows me… declares the LORD.  Jeremiah 9:24 

He sees me:    

         …You are the God who sees me… Genesis 16:13

His eyes are on the ways of men; He sees their every step.  Job 34:21 

            When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.   John 12:45 

The song, Why Do I Sing About Jesus  by Albert A. Ketchum has become precious to me. 

Chorus:
Why do I sing about Jesus? Why is He precious to me? 
He is my Lord and my Savior; dying He set me free!

Verse 1:

Deep in my heart there’s a gladness; Jesus has saved me from sin! 
Praise to His name, what a Savior! Cleansing without and within!

Verse2:

Only a glimpse of His goodness; that was sufficient for me.
Only one look at the Savior; then was my spirit set free.

Chorus:

Why do I sing about Jesus? Why is He precious to me? 
He is my Lord and my Savior; dying He set me free!

Celebrate Jesus

by Barbara Chadwick

Recently we went to Dallas Jackson's first birthday party. He is one of our great-grandchildren. What a cutie. When it came time for the cake his dad stripped him down to his diaper, sat him on a plastic tablecloth on the floor and put the cake in front of him. He put his hand on the cake and, of course, it was covered with frosting. He looked at his hand then started crying. His dad wiped his hand and the action was repeated! Lots of smiles and laughter from all of us, "how cute!" remarks and lots of pictures taken. Throughout the party a DVD showed pictures of his life and the people who surround him.

We are celebrating Jesus' birthday this week. What if we celebrated each word picture we have of Jesus instead of focusing on what presents to give or what we'll get?

     The baby Jesus in the manger
     the 12 year old Jesus in the temple
     Jesus at the wedding in Cana
     All the scenes of Jesus showing mercy and grace to people
     At the end when He promises, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you...do not let   your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)

He showed us how to love and treat others through the eyewitness accounts - the word pictures - if you will, of the gospels.

Let us celebrate His life and the incredible gift He is to us. Let us use our voices to encourage as He did, give as He gave, love as He loved.

On His birthday let us recall the pictures of His life.

Love Is What It's All About

by Barbara Chadwick

 

Have you finished your Christmas card list yet?

Last night I addressed 80 cards to women inmates incarcerated in a facility. Each one has a number and their number has to be on the front of the envelope.

As I was writing I was struck by the fact that Jesus knows them by name not by this number. Because of His great love He came into the world that beautiful night in Bethlehem for each one of these ladies just as He did for me. Isaiah 43:1 says:  Now this is what the Lord says – (I am)  the One who created you, Jacob, and the One who formed you – Israel. Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; You are mine.

These ladies in this facility are kept in cells – in bondage. This is a picture of all of us before we ask Him to forgive us and heal us. We are held by the chains that bind us until we call on the Wonderful Counselor, until we give our hearts to the King of Kings and until we bow down to the Prince of Peace.

They have made some wrong choices, as we all have. But God doesn’t leave us or forsake us. He’s still there when we call on Him.

Jesus says in John 10:28 that when we belong to Him,  No one can snatch them (us) out of His hand.

We were watching a movie last night after I finished the cards and the protagonist said, “Love is what it’s all about.”

Absolutely!  It’s all about how much He loves us.

NATIVITY SCENE by Barbara Chadwick

Is the nativity scene still special to you? 

Does it remind you of all that God has done for you?

Remember when God brought the Israelites out of Egypt? Remember how He parted the Red Sea and they walked across on dry land? Remember all that God did for them?  Then He told Moses to tell them:

On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.  Exodus 13:8-9

When we see a Nativity scene we can remember that God loved us (His creation) SO much that He sent His only Son into the world to save us, to redeem us, to heal us and to lead us. For God so loved the world that He gave His only son so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. John 3:16

So if your Nativity scene is one from the Arctic Circle like the one below

Or a traditional one like the following

Let it be on your lips that the Nativity Scene is a sign to remind you that He loves you with an everlasting, awesome love!  And tell your children and everyone who comes into your home what it means.

Check out this out: The Nativity as seen by children = )

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=ki8EcnVbd-Q

CHRISTMAS REMEMBERING

by Barbara Chadwick

 

Putting up Christmas decorations some years has been a chore
and other years, like this one, it was a sweet remembering.

Our first year in seminary was pretty bleak financially speaking. We got by on $300 a month – a student missionary salary that school year of 1965-66. We would not be able to buy our three children Christmas gifts nor would we be able to get anything for each other.

From the kitchen window of seminary housing I saw a car pull up. I went to the door.

“Merry Christmas!  We have brought gifts from someone who wants to remain anonymous." The couple started bringing in gifts of all sizes. Some were wrapped in towels and sheets.  My eyes filled with tears.

When I remember that Christmas day in 1965 I echo what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:3, I thank my God every time I remember you – whoever you are.

Paul often remembered others and how they touched his life; Romans 1:8 …I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you; Philippians 1:4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy;  Philemon 1:4  I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers; 2 Timothy 1:3  I thank God, whom I serve,…as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

Remembering how God  has reached down and touched our lives through other people and the blessings they brought to us fills our hearts with gratefulness and joy. We can only hope that we have passed it on.

            Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the sky a parchment made
           Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade
          To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry.
          Nor could the scroll contain the whole,  though stretched from sky to sky
              (Verse 3 from the hymn, The Love of God by F.M. Lehman 1917)

Our most elegant gift was Jesus Himself. From the manger to the tomb He touched lives with blessing, grace and joy.  We could never write a thank-you note that would equal that elegance.

We are reminded by James in chapter 1 verse 17 that…Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the first fruits of His creatures.

We finished putting up our Christmas decorations Thanksgiving weekend.  The angel on the top of the tree in the living room is the one we bought for our first Christmas 55 years ago. Every ornament brings a memory of a loved one or a place where God has used us in ministry.

What a journey!  Lord Jesus, thank you for the memories, the gifts and the blessings!