I have lived long enough to see a lot of things change. Raised in a small town in the 1950s, I can remember a traditional family – Mom, Dad, me and my younger brother. We lived in a small ranch-style home right by the local elementary school. My family wasn’t well-off, but every night we sat down together to a home-cooked meal. I was one of those “play outside until the street lights come on” kind of kids, riding my bike everywhere I wanted to go. Sunday was church day, and getting the big edition of the newspaper that contained lots of ads and the multi-colored comic pages. Most businesses were closed for this day of rest and worship. Life was simple, enjoyable, and, looking back, surprisingly safe.

Fast forward to today when life is much more complicated and filled with many distractions. We have a multitude of TV and streaming channels, all kinds of ways to communicate via cell phones, tablets, and other devices, yet loneliness and depression are at all-time highs. If you watch the news, the amount of negative reporting about politics, weather emergencies, and world-wide wars is enough to cause that depression. Children are being exposed to all kinds of inappropriate sexual situations and often indoctrinated by teachers and counselors into the mantra of the day, instead of being taught the subjects they need to succeed in life. Truth has become subjective, not reality. Might I suggest that we have lost our way as a society and culture. How did this happen? Simply, because we have turned our back on God and His teachings from the Bible.

A famous quote says that “the only thing necessary for evil to flourish (exist) is for good people to do nothing.” I think that’s been happening for years. Good people, even Christians, have refused to stand for the truth of God’s word lest they be labeled hateful, or in today’s society, cancelled. It’s just easier not to say or do anything.

This reminder from the Holocaust Memorial is chilling: “First they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
– Pastor Martin Niemoller

Isn’t it time for those of us who know that what is going on in our country today is wrong to speak out or at least vote. A recent Barna study showed that evangelical Christians are no more likely to follow the news about politics and government than anyone else, and that around one-third of them do not vote (Family Policy Alliance).Talk about doing nothing!

I pray that people wake up soon and follow the teachings of 2 Chronicles 7:14 that I posted last time. It’s past time to turn back to Him.

God bless – Sue

If you turn on any number of religious programs, listen to podcasts, or read blogs concerning the state of our world, you will find a concerning thread running through them all. Upon observing events happening across the globe, more and more people have come to the conclusion that we are in the beginning of the “last days” of our planet prophesied in the Bible.

2 Timothy 3 references our times: “But understand this, there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

Would you agree that this is what we are experiencing today?

In discussing the truth we learn from the Bible about the end of the world as we know it, I have always maintained that only God knows the day and hour when He will begin the last seven years of earth’s existence. Additionally, I can reference times in Scripture where God has relented calamity due to people’s repentance and return to doing things His way. I just found another example of that truth in Jeremiah when listening to a broadcast program online. A guest pastor taught about God’s promise from Jeremiah 18:1-10. Here’s what I read: “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Arise, and go down to ^qthe potter’s house, and there I will let you hear¹ my words.’  So I went down to ^rthe potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was ^sspoiled in the potter’s hand, and ^the reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me:  ‘O house of Israel, ^ucan I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. ^vBehold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will ^wpluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, ^xturns from its evil, ^yI will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will ^wbuild and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.'”

This gives me hope as I continue to pray for America to once again seek the Lord, ask for forgiveness for falling away from His teachings, and begin to seek Godly ways to live, lead, and govern. May we turn back before it’s too late, because the events of Revelation will take place. God is in control of the timing.

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Sue – God bless

By now you might have seen reports of the part of the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremonies that is garnering all the attention. Among all the festivities showcasing athletes from many nations, the return performance of Celine Dion, and all kinds of hoopla was a reinactment of the Last Supper by drag queens and one child. This mockery of Jesus’ last night with His disciples was totally out-of-place and downright revolting. Just when I think I have seen it all; that nothing could surprise me anymore, something does.

The most disheartening fact in this whole situation is that the very Person these people are seeking to disrespect, died to save them too. Nothing much has changed since the crowd in Jerusalem called for my Savior’s crucifiction, and soldiers gambled for his clothing as He suffered and died on the cross above them. But one day everyone will realize that Jesus deserves worship, not demonic ridicule, and the seriousness of what they did will be apparent.

God will not be mocked!

God bless – Sue

How is your summer going? I think we’ve all been sweating a lot lately as the heat wave travels across the country. It’s also that time of year when everything seems to hit at the same time at my church.

Vacation Bible School is on our church’s calendar next week and some of the same VBS volunteers will also be working to pack and hand out up to 100 bags of food and produce for our monthly food pantry give-away. It’s an exhausting but blessed time. We take our vitamins and do what’s necessary, day by day.

Introducing children to the reality of God’s love for them, and helping to feed hungry families somehow intertwine to fulfill Jesus’ instructions to “do this to the least of these to do it unto Me” (Matt. 25:40). An added bonus is the fun we have with the children, and the appreciation from those we help with food. It really is about serving others, not ourselves.

I hope you enjoy the rest of July. Stay cool and be a blessing.

Sue

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What a strange title! I know you’re wondering what in the world this blog post could be about with that lead-in. Well, a thought came to me yesterday and I’m just getting around to sharing it this morning.

As my husband and I were pulling out of the driveway, the garbage truck came noisily lumbering up our street, stopping at each house to grab the trash container and dump it into the inside of the truck. Smelly, discarded trash – garbage – that once was there, now was gone. Most of the inhabitants of the houses weren’t even home to see this transformation happen, but it occurred to me that in the midst of all that is troubling me in today’s world, I should be thankful for the little things that make my life better. Is that a crazy thought or one that could bring me and others peace in a society that often promotes division and strife?

What other “small” things could I choose to focus on instead of the latest headlines, traffic tie-ups, or the 24-hr news cycle? How about hot coffee and a mini muffin to start my day, the excited wet-nose greeting of my puppy in the morning, a cooling breeze in the midst of a scorching afternoon, time with family during the weekend? You get the idea. There are many daily moments in most of our lives that in reality are blessings in disguise if we only realize it. I’m going to try to notice and appreciate them. I encourage you to do so as well.

God bless – Sue