Getting Crowned

It was early afternoon when I was escorted into a room with a chair that looked deceivingly comfortable. The fact was that, if I’d been left alone, I could have had a nap but it was not to be. A paper bib was promptly clipped onto my shirt and then a needle inserted into my gums, to begin the process.

I hear from others that it’s the drilling that gets to them, but for me it’s the curvy trays with the goopy stuff that you sink your teeth into. I don’t know why, but I’d almost forgotten that this was what I was in for on this day. . . maybe it’s called selective memory. Several trays were done, while I was trying to tell myself to keep breathing. A sigh of relief escaped once the impressions were set and the inside of my mouth did not come out along with them. I thought of asking them to save the impressions for future work, but maturely decided against it.

Once my lip and jaw were nice and numb, the young dentist slid into his seat on my right again . . . looking rather much like a miner with his headgear. When did they start this? Another bright light from above was also directed onto my face. While he drilled and the pretty assistant looked on with her little suction hose, I had time to wonder about things not really befitting of a queen to be. Things such as, if my nose was clean or if my brows needed tweezing. And then suddenly . . . you guessed it, more impressions . . . this time for the temporary crown. I didn’t quite get this, but kept my mouth open as told.

So now my temporary crown is on, looking quite nice for being temporary, and I’m awaiting my real crown. What I'm happy about is that, at the next appointment, there will be no more trays.

Faith Equals Grace

Our homework was to read Acts 4. It talks about Abraham being our father – the father of all who believe in God. Why would this be so? Because it was Abraham's belief, apart from works, that God counted as making him righteous.

“Without weakening in his faith, he (Abraham) faced the fact that his body was as good as dead . . . yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God (that he would have a son) . . . being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised.” (Acts 4: 19-21)

Beth shares her story:
She grew up believing that a person’s goodness is what pleases God most. By the time she was in early adulthood, she figured she already had so many acts of unrighteousness credited to her account that it would take the rest of her life of living a perfect life to tip the scale towards God’s approval. She compares our life like a team coming out on the basketball court to begin a new game and the scoreboard beginning with our previous losing score, 0-45.

This is how many of us live, feeling defeated before we begin, but the good news is that faith today still overrides all the good works we aspire to do.

"The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (vs. 23 -24)

This is it in a nutshell. Upon further study we find that true faith leads to works, but works alone can leave us feeling mostly defeated or proud - should we think that we can earn our way. Right standing comes by the grace of God, by believing, as Abraham did.

Hope for the Destitute

We volunteered to serve at a fundraiser for the Cyrus Center. This is a home where street kids can go for a meal, a bed for the night and guidance in making decisions for their future.

The speaker for the evening was a representative from our local food bank. He gave some shocking and uncomfortable statistics about poverty in the world, kids trafficked into slavery and pandemic diseases. Diseases millions die from because they don’t have access to a simple vaccination! He mentioned a stat, I had also recently read about, that as little as two percent of the world’s grain would be enough to solve the problems of hunger. The point he focused on was that it’s not a problem with supply but, distribution.

We hear these things and wonder, “what can we really do about it? It’s obviously in the hands of bigger people.” But this evening was quite a timely setting for us. In the last short while I've noted how a fellow blogger auctioned off a necklace to raise money for an orphanage in Haiti. Other friends packed Samaritan’s Purse boxes for children living in poverty. Another friend's daughter recently left for Haiti to give practical aid. We also have a friend involved with well drilling crews in Africa. Many of you sponsor children. There really are a lot of opportunities.

At this fundraiser we saw how people are making a difference right where we live. It ended with an auction where the ticket auctioned off was a lunch with the mayor. The final offer by a local businessman was closed at three thousand dollars. And to make matters even better, the second highest offer and the final one volunteered to combine their dollars to both have lunch with the mayor. Fifty-five hundred dollars were donated to the shelter in a matter of minutes.

We went to bless, but we were blessed by the generosity that permeated the evening. All of this to say, no matter who we are, if we each give according to what we have, we can make a difference in someone's life.

From a Distant Land

Like cold water to a weary soul,

is good news from a distant land.

Proverbs 25: 25

We waited a long five weeks for them to get connected before seeing these photos . . . a glimpse into their new surroundings. I can tell this is going to be a favorite destination on their walks

and can just imagine the joy of choosing the treat . . .

Will it be a freshly blended fruit drink . . .

or cucumbers, eggs and noodles . . . why, it's practically a store. . . oh it is! And everything is behind glass. A step up from the warungs in their previous neighborhood.

It looks like they made a decision! I think it's a sweet pastry of some kind . . . and water.


For those who have been there, the pink walls and green counter might just help set the right ambiance. They cause me to remember . . . the humidity . . . motorbikes scooting by . . . roosters crowing and a faint musty scent in the air . . . all part of the daily adventure that they are hardly even aware of any more. I love the smiles . . . bright enough to practically shine right across the ocean!

Movie Date

“Do you give the horse his strength

or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?

Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror

with his proud snorting? He paws fiercely,

rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray.

He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;

he does not shy away from the sword.”

Job 39:19

The movie begins with a narration from the book of Job, introducing us to the realm of the breath taking power given to a horse. It is the story about Secretariat, the greatest race horse of all time, setting records in the early 70's, that still stand today.

Now, I’m not into horse racing, but this is just an amazing story about perseverance. It is about believing in a dream and taking ownership of it in order to accomplish what no one thought possible.

Interesting family dynamics, gorgeous ranch scenes and races filmed so close to the horse that you can feel it's strong, rhythmic breathing, all combine to make it real before your eyes. Personally, I love the never ending array of the cute outfits worn by the Mrs. Chenery (Diane Lane). One of my favorite characters is the groom, (Eddie Sweat) who listens to uplifting gospel music while tending to the horse and comes up with some great lines to make you laugh.

The story, like any true story, is not without its hard decisions and consequences, but it ends with a victory that I can only describe as majestic. It gives us just a glimpse into the celebration awaiting us one day, when we finish our race, to hear the words, “Well done!”

Pleasure and Reward

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Have you seen this before? Beth pointed this out. God rewards those who seek Him! Not only has God promised that when we seek Him, we will find Him, but . . . a reward?
May our decision to seek God and to believe Him on a continual basis, bring about rewards that will encourage more faith. Be ready to share! Some of the rewards I have experienced are answered prayer, faith boosted, strength, joy and peace.

Isaiah 54:10
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, God, who has compassion on you.”

Thank you to those who shared what they are believing God for at this time. As I read your comments last week, I could not help but add my prayers for you. In Hebrews 11: 13 it talks about people who died before seeing the things promised to them . . . it says they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. Yes, we can cling to the promise that one day He will wipe every tear.