Scripture

I didn't know what to title today's commentary, so have the generic title of "Scripture."
Yesterday, last night, Sunday, my husband and I went up to Cedar Falls for the Bible Conference. Its in its 86th year. Still run by free-will donations. Still a wonderful blessing to us and numerous others. Last night's speaker was Bryan Loritts, pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Memphis, Tenn. He spoke from Matthew 25, specifically verse 31 and his subject was "Engaging the Less Fortunate."

The less fortunate ... those who have less than we do. You may not have much, but there's always another who has just a bit less.

Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep represent the saved, the righteous; the goats the unsaved, unrighteous. It is not the separation of those who care for the less fortunate vs those who do not. For there are many who care (for the less fortunate), but do not know Jesus. And until you do know Jesus, have accepted Him as your personal savior, all the works you do mean nothing. If you don't know Jesus, all the help you provide for another may be good, but it doesn't get you across the bridge ... to eternal life.

~~~~~~~

Today's Scripture reading from Our Daily Bread brought me to James 1:19-20, which says:

"... Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God's sight."

Oh to learn and remember. Remembering is the key I think. When you don't remember, Satan, who is always lurking in the shadows watching and waiting, pounces on you, and then by the time you remember God's words, Satan has succeeded in causing anger in raise its ugly head. Fortunately, Satan's claws don't stay implanted long, and he is crushed until the next time we cave in.

I read all of James 1. About faith and endurance. Always something new to be gleaned from God's word, every time. Verse 2: "...whenver trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy."

Trouble ... trials come in many dimensions. Our finances, our jobs and careers, our health, our relationships. Individually, don't we tend to think we have it worse than another? But then we share with each other and often discover another has it far worse than we do. What have we to complain about... yet we do. An opportunity for joy ... we should be thankful for the trials at the work place? thankful for the pain we undergo in our bodies?

Verse 12: "God blesses the people who patiently endure testing..." Patiently endure. Learning patience in the midst of our trials.

How important is it?

How important is it?
Living as the world lives
or living as God tells us
Knowing one from the other

Having what we need
Knowing what we need
Thinking, wishing
What one has is not realistic thinking
that is what another needs or doesn't need

Each is different
Each person
Each family

Follow the Lord
Follow Him alone
Listen to His words, His widsom
Only He knows
He sees all.
He knows our needs and our desires.

Some will attempt to meet
their needs and desires
by themselves.

Some will succeed.
Some will not.

Some will rely on Scripture, on the Lord
...follow His lead.

The Lord made us.
We are His.

Some have much
Some have little
Some make do
Some falter

Some complain
worry

where does it get you?
what have you accomplished
with worry and anxiety?

Listen, obey, do ...
The Lord will guide you.
He will show you the way

In every aspect of Life,
God is present.

Reach out
grab hold
He is there.

YOU must believe
YOU must seek
YOU must reach out and hold on

Where are you in your walk with the Lord?

Are you walking with Him at all
or
are you walking on your own?

Cathy Orrick Luders

7.28.2007

"With God all things are possible." - Matthew 19:26

Dark ... light

"When it is dark enough, men see the stars." - Emerson

Psalm 42, verse 5 and 11 say:

"Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God!"

I say:

No matter what comes my way
Daytime
Night time
God is always there
ever present
at work
I have but to reach out to him, seek him
always there to listen
He Is Listening
answering,
if we but hear, acknowledge, understand.

Air conditioning

Does anyone out there know of a mechanic in the Cedar Rapids area who can add freon to an older model car? We have a 1991 Olds Cutlais Calaiss with just under 52,000 miles on it. Bought it a year ago. We know someone who has some freon he has never used, so that's not a problem. The problem lies in getting the freon into the car. Don't know how to achieve this or if it is even achievable. If anyone has any anwers or suggestions, please let me know. Thanks.

Good-bye, hello

Thought: once you die and are in heaven, are you aware of those still on earth who have not accepted the Lord as Savior?

I asked my husband about this and after some discussion, we determined that since heaven was a place of joy, there could be no sadness. If a loved one was not saved, that would be oh so very sad, but those in heaven would not be aware of it. That is why, while there is still time, those of us who know the Lord - have accepted His offering of salvation - must actively show others the way to the cross. We can't just sit on our duff and hope someone else takes care of it.

Friday the 13th

Friday, the 13th. It brings negative thoughts to mind I bet. It shouldn't. I was born on Friday, the 13th. A friend also. Many born, many die. Surgeries, tests, job starts and endings. Life goes on.

I especially thought of writing because of individuals requesting prayer. I thought of names and thought I would list them here and perhaps you too would pray for them.

• There is my husband Jim, who is scheduled to have his fifth MRI tomorrow morning. MRIs are costly tests - $2500 for each and this is no. 5 just this year. Of course our deductible has been met. And of course, so far with each successive MRI, the swannoma tumor the doctors are looking for cannot be found. There is one somewhere, because that is what is felt is causing his pain. So I pray the results will be positive.
• A friend, Jan, is having eye surgery tomorrow. She and her family operate a funeral home. She has been told she has to lay flat on her stomach for seven days.
• Jan's husband Short has recently been diagnosed with acute leukemia.
• An elderly neighbor of friends George and Jani has also been diagnosed with leukemia
• Molly McCoy, wife of Steve McCoy (http://www.stevekmccoy.com), whose blog I just happened across, was recently diagnosed with chiari malformation, which affects her brain functions. She is scheduled for surgery tomorrow.

As the Lord leads, His will be done. Amen.

Greed

Luke 12: 15, 21: "...Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own. Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."

Don't live for the moment. This is your income that the Lord has enabled you to make. If the Lord has also prompted you to follow through on something, He will show you how to make it happen.

Money is a necessary component for many things to happen, but it is not the most important component. Our relationship with Jesus is foremost.

All the wealth in the world can not buy true happiness ... joy.

My Anna

My friend
a special one
I've adopted
as my mommy

A relationship
started
nourished
bloomed

She walks
with the Lord
She cares
for the sick
and disabled
She talks
of her childhood
of her years
married to Ray

Of present pain
of past hurts
of a future time
with her Lord

She is my friend
my very special friend
my adopted mommy
Anna

Cathy Orrick Luders

6.12.2007

The proof

In John 10, the Jewish leaders said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."

Jesus said, "The proof is what I do in the name of my Father."

The Jews considered Jesus to be a blasphemer because of his claims of kinship with God, even though they saw (were witnesses to) or heard about the miracles performed in God's name. None of his works mattered to them because they saw Jesus only as a man, son of Joseph and Mary. They did not remember the miracle birth. They had forgotten all the prophecies foretold in Isaiah.

Intervention

Do you ever watch the television show "Intervention?" It's about individuals who are caught up in drugs and other bad life choices and are given a second chance at turning their life around.

We all desire second chances.

I thought of all that after hearing yesterday's sermon message "Divine Intervention." Pastor Dan's text was from Acts 9: 1-9. He made four points:

1. Jesus can intervene
2. How you are treating believers is how you are treating Jesus
3. An encounter with God is costly
4. If you wonder if it's God, use Scripture as your guide

Anna's squirrel

A little thing
bushy tailed
Obstreperous ... into everything
... her flowers
climbing the tree
Causing havoc
and providing endless entertainment
for two years

until one day
not long ago
a few weeks
he met his master
out on the roadway
... hit by a car

Good-bye Mr. Squirrel

Cathy Orrick Luders

7.7.2007

Suicide

People give in
give up
Quit
There are some
who do that
Why?
What have they achieved?!
nothing.

Tired of fighting
of repeated attempts
of trying

Give in
give up
Don't do that.
We were given life
You, me
Everyone of us.
It is not for us
to take it away

Only God.

We must persevere
Persist
Endure
... to make life worth living.

Cathy Orrick Luders

7.7.2007

Death

Death comes
like a thief
in the night
silently
tiptoeing
ever so quietly

We hardly know
it has come

Except
in the aftermath

Our loved ones
family, friends
gone.

Only our memories
will keep them
alive
within us.

Cathy Orrick Luders

7.4.2007

Struggles

On Monday, when my husband came home for lunch, he commented the alternator light came on in the car and we needed to take the car to the shop. I thought that interesting, considering just a few hours earlier after reading the day's devotional, I had written about struggles. Of course, in my writings, I had neglected to mention our vehicles and the struggles we have with them. Following is what I wrote:

Struggles
Always
Never ending
No matter who we are
What we hope to accomplish
God's will
or our own

Struggles
Small or big
All important
to us
individually

Life's challenges
where we work
the place
the type
the accomplishments
the process
the ending
the beginning again
where we live
how we live
the friends we have
the people beyond ... that we meet
at work
our neighbors
at church
at businesses we frequent
Everywhere.
the foods we choose to eat
the words we read
the choices

Struggles
never ending
morning to night
over and over
and over again

Aging
not just in years
But our bodies
wear down, wear out
We can get
new knees, new hips
new legs, new arms,
new teeth, new eyes
new heart, new kidney,
new, new, new
Only a replacement.
Struggles

God waits
He is ever present
He will carry our burdens ... IF we ask
He will show us the way ... IF we seek
He will fill us, renew us again and again ... IF we accept, IF we believe, IF we obey

Struggles can be overcome.

Our God, my God is an awesome God. He is with me always.
But,
unless I actively seek Him,
obey Him,
follow Him,
He waits ...

Cathy Orrick Luders

7.2.2007