Stephanie B. Blake's Blog, page 5

The End of the Journey

My favorite way to travel in Europe is by train. It is vastly more comfortable, less complicated and in some cases actually shorter than air travel. With no security lines, you simply arrive at the train station a few minutes before departure, find the proper platform, look for the your car (the number of the car is on your ticket), get on with your luggage, find your assigned seat, place your luggage in the overhead, get settled and in due time a ticket agent comes round to verify and stamp your ticket. Seats are comfortable, there is plenty of leg room and you can get up and walk around.

Not only is the process of boarding a train more pleasurable than an airplane, so is departure. Arriving at your destination, you simply gather your belongings and get off. That's it. No hassle either way.

European railroads, placed strategically throughout beautiful countryside, enable you to enjoy incredible views. You can easily track where you are as stations are clearly marked. Your forward journey leads from one station to another  - straight ahead - until your final destination is announced.

I believe life is somewhat like my train trips. As my husband said in a sermon, we often view our lives in a cyclical movement like a watch - where time goes round and round and round again - with the possibility of repetition. Actually it is more like a cord that stretches out from birth to death. As each precious moment passes, a little of our time line is cut off so there is considerably less of the cord ahead of us than there is behind us.

Similar to traveling by train, life's time line moves straight ahead - station by station. Each station I leave behind - childhood, teenage years, young adult and so on - makes me realize how short life is. I will never repeat those years. They are all behind me.
As I continue to bury my loved ones, the reality of this hits hard. Tombstones record two dates: a birthdate and the day of death. Just like my train rides, their lives on earth have come to an end. Thankfully, I can say that their destination has been Heaven.

I am still on my journey, but someday it will be over. Like those who have gone before me, God will choose my time of departure.

My prayer is that, like Paul, when I greet the Lord I will have some fruit to give Him in gratitude that this life's journey is not all there is. As a believer, the end of my journey is the beginning of eternal life with Him.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26). For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me.... (Philippians 1:21-22).

Functionality

As soon as my husband and I had a house with a yard, we purchased our first lawn mower. It cost $60 from TG&Y and lasted for about twelve to fifteen years. There was nothing fancy about it. The only thing I ever remember us having to do to that mower was sharpen the blade.

photo from Atkinson Heritage Center archives, Rose State College
When we got rid of it, the mower was still working. By that time, I had finally convinced my husband that I enjoyed doing yard work. He decided to buy me a new self-propelled mower to make that job easier. Since then we have run through six or seven of those shiny, fancy mowers with all the bells and whistles. Every few years, we have to buy another one.

All I really need or want is a mower that works. I have found myself truly missing that first ugly, functional mower. Although it was an inanimate object, I felt like it obeyed my commands. Unlike those other mowers that I could never sweet talk to finish the job, that simple mower did what it was designed to do. It would cut through anything. All I had to do was push.

Just like my mowers, appearances can be deceiving in people. Some of the most unassuming men and women I have known are the hardest workers. They simply get the job done. Others appear to be in charge and successful on the outside, but they are not very productive at all - it is mostly for show.

God knows the difference. He knows those who really trust Him will obey Him and do what He asks.

God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart...."What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (1 Samuel 16:7,  John 6:28-29 NAS).

Physical and Spiritual Hearing Loss

Flying is in my family's blood. My husband's father was a pilot. My husband is a pilot. My sons are pilots. The joys of that profession or sport has a price, though, and that is hearing loss.

Ear protection was non existent during my father-in-law's day. He flew and instructed students by shouting over the airplane engine. My husband did the same. Later, small foam earplugs cushioned some of the noise, but could not and cannot prevent all damage. Headsets do a much better job of protection now, but constant exposure to airplanes ultimately damages one's hearing.

Consequently, my husband has suffered considerable hearing loss. It happened over many years and actually snuck up on him. As his personality leans toward enjoying quiet anyway (to him, silence is truly golden), it took him a long time to notice he could not hear certain things. It was slow and gradual, but now it is undeniable. And even though he still enjoys silence, not being able to hear in many situations is a disadvantage.

Hearing loss is not the only thing that can creep up on us. We tend to ignore those little warning signals God sends us about areas of our lives that are not pleasing to Him. Each time we do, it becomes easier the next time and before we realize it, we have allowed a temptation to sin to grow into sin itself.

Jesus, when confronted with temptation, had a ready response for the devil - the word of God. He did not ponder on the temptation. His response was immediate.

It is the responsibility of my husband and sons to use ear protection when they fly, but they do it because they know its value and have developed that habit.

God promises protection, but we have to avail ourselves of it.  It takes constant vigilance to realize we are in danger of losing our spiritual hearing - developing ears that cannot hear God's nudging.

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear (Matthew 13:16). No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You (Psalm 119:11 NAS).

Three Seemingly Unrelated Stories

Within a twenty-four hour period, three stories caught my attention. The people were not connected in any way - different times, nationalities and circumstances made the likelihood of them meeting each other next to nil. All of the stories were true, but none of them were related - or so it seemed.
The first was in a book about a German Air Force pilot who, during WWII, helped the crew of a crippled American B-17 fly over German territory. That remarkable event was the reason for the book. Later when he was injured and assigned to spend the rest of the war in comfort at a resort facility - with good food, a soft bed and relative safety - that same pilot attempted to hide his injury and instead reentered the war effort. This was not the first time I became aware of men in wartime refusing to leave their comrades.



Next I read of a young American entrepreneur who became enormously successful, took advantage of his newfound fortune by purchasing everything his heart could desire, and then discovered he had trapped himself into a life of maintenance of the things he had acquired. With that realization, he downsized completely declaring that he was now happier with less - much less. The one thing he would not change about that period in his life was spending time abroad with a girlfriend who had shown him how to live very simply and happily.  The last story was of a poor woman from a country rampant with poverty. She lived in a hut with no floor or ceiling. Her daughter, who lived in America, enlisted the aid of a compassionate American Christian who became her mother's sponsor and brought her to the U.S. There, she lived in relative comfort without having to work or struggle to provide for herself or others. She couldn't take it. She was miserable, crying to be with the friends she had left behind. She returned home to poverty and the life she knew so well.
These are just three examples of a little known truth. Contentment does not come from comfort or things, but from relationships. That is how God made us. We are meant to be with and care about others. Choosing relationships over things may involve abandoning personal comfort or a rich lifestyle, but the rewards of that choice far outweigh anything that was given up.
Jesus, the Son of God, set the example for this way of living when He became the Son of Man. He gave up, for a time, all the riches of heaven so that He might provide salvation for those who would believe in Him.
Paul, one of His apostles, did the same thing. When he met Jesus, he left behind a life of privilege, but he never looked back. His relationship to his Lord and his concern for his brothers and sisters was the source of his contentment.
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction (Philippians 4:11-14 NAS).

Three Seemingly Unrelated Stories

Within a twenty-four hour period, three stories caught my attention. All of them were true, but none of them were related - or so it seemed.
The people in these stories were not connected in any way - different times, nationalities and circumstances made the likelihood of them meeting each other next to nil.
The first story was included in a book about a German Air Force pilot who, during WWII, helped the crew of a crippled American B-17 fly through German territory. That remarkable event was the reason for the book. Later when he was injured and assigned to spend the rest of the war in comfort at a resort facility - with good food, a soft bed and relative safety - he attempted to hide his injury and instead reentered the war effort. This was not the first time I became aware of men in wartime refusing to leave their comrades.
The second story was of a young American entrepreneur who became enormously successful, took advantage of his newfound fortune by purchasing everything his heart could desire, and then discovered he had trapped himself into a life of maintenance of the things he had acquired. With that realization, he downsized completely declaring that he was happier with less - much less. The one thing he would not change about that period in his life was spending time abroad with a girlfriend who had shown him how to live very simply and happily.
The third story was of a poor woman from a third world country. She lived in a hut with no floor or ceiling. Her daughter, who lived in America, enlisted the aid of a compassionate American Christian who became her mother's sponsor and brought her to the U.S. There, she lived in relative comfort without having to work or struggle to provide for herself or others. She couldn't take it. She was miserable, crying to be with the friends she had left behind. She returned home to poverty and the life she knew so well.
These are just three examples of a little known truth. Contentment does not come from comfort or things, but from relationships. That is how God made us. We are meant to be with and care about others. Choosing relationship over things may involve abandoning personal comfort or a rich lifestyle, but the rewards of that choice far outweigh anything that was given up.
Jesus, the Son of God, set the example for this way of living when He became the Son of Man. He gave up, for a time, all the riches of heaven so that He might provide salvation for those who would believe in Him.
Paul, one of His apostles, did the same thing. When he met Jesus, he left behind a life of privilege, but he never looked back. His relationship to his Lord and his concern for his brothers and sisters was the source of his contentment.
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction (Philippians 4:11-14 NAS).

Observing God in the Everyday Affairs of Life

This is post #100 on this blog. I have never had to look far to realize the benefit of having one focus - being focused on God.

Seeing God's hand in the everyday affairs of my life is easy. He has always been there for me and He always will be. He cares about the small events of my life as well as the large ones because He is my loving Heavenly Father. If something concerns me, it concerns Him.

Even when I don't understand what is going on, I know He does. Whether circumstances are pleasant, comfortable, difficult, confusing or painful, I know that He has a purpose for it all.

In these posts, I have observed His hand and have heard His voice
as I read the Bible as I read other literature - fiction and non-fictionas I cookedas I walked, hiked or ranas I gardened as I traveledas I reflected on my family.The following is from my very first post in May 2011:
"It is so easy for life to get in the way of Life.  So many things can occupy our time and thinking that we are tempted to have no focus at all. We just flit from circumstance to circumstance, or thought to thought or day to day, never really being grounded in the reality of the Truth.

One Focus - the only way I can handle all the changes going on in this world is to keep my feet firmly planted on the one foundation that I know is unshakeable and never changes.  The love of God is expressed through the person of Jesus Christ, His Son. That Truth is my reality and I hope and pray that it is yours.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV)."

One focus makes all the difference.

The Language Protein

My husband and I have had a bit of a laugh at a recent discovery revealed by scientists that explain why women talk more than men. Apparently there is a good reason. Women possess higher levels of a language protein in their brains than men do.

We already knew that women talk more - about three times more. Previous research tallied about 20,000 words a day for a woman compared to about 7,000 for a man.

I didn't need the discovery of a language protein to know that when I visit with a girlfriend, she is not so aware of my superfluous descriptions as my husband is. In fact, some friends and I can visit for hours on end without realizing it. That would never happen with my husband.

I find this interesting, not only because I have to work hard at toning down my chatter, but because God must have had a plan when He created us all this way. Men, who long for peace and quiet, are attracted to women who long for someone to listen.

This public domain picture (ca. 1892) illustrates the point. The French artist, Evariste Carpentier, entitled his work Conversation Intime. Note that the picture illustrates a young man listening to a young woman. Maybe Mr. Carpentier did not realize that he was illustrating what is common between men and women, but I suspect he might have.

Thankfully, I know that the God who created me does not tire of my conversations with Him. In fact, I think He is pleased. I find that I talk to Him all through the day and hear Him through many means - His written word - the Bible - and the Living Word - His Son - whose Spirit speaks to mine throughout the day. The Bible calls this prayer. I call it comfort. I can talk to Him about anything, anywhere, anytime without interrupting His thoughts. The one who gave me more language protein than my husband actually wants me to talk to Him constantly.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

The Contents of the Cloud

The internet and the world wide web are here to stay. Life is so much easier because of the ability to get information within seconds of a query. I am, however, always having to learn something new. Since I travel a great deal, I know how important it is to know the local language and how handicapped one can be when you don't know the language.

The same is true with computer language. I have barely gotten to the point where I know what a hard drive is on my laptop, why it is important to have certain software and how to check a URL to make sure it is legitimate. When I see a word related to the internet that I don't know, I just google it for a definition. None of these words are in the old Webster's Unabridged Dictionary on my shelf. They are too new.

Sometimes computer language uses an old word in a new way. In that big old dictionary of mine, cloud is defined - among other things - as a visible mass of vapor, especially one suspended in the sky. The newest definitions of cloud refer to cloud computing and cloud storage. Most Kindle Fires only have 8 GB of memory because Amazon offers free cloud storage for all Amazon products.

The kicker is that using cloud storage also means you need a WIFI connection in order to stream the content from Amazon's cloud. If you want to read something on your Kindle Fire when a WIFI connection is not possible (like I do), you need to download the book, magazine, document, etc. onto your device.

Perhaps the oldest use of the word cloud comes from God's word. That "visible mass of vapor, especially one suspended in the sky" was part of God's creation, recorded in Genesis. When He led the children of Israel out of Egypt to the promised land, He used His cloud to guide them. As His chosen people, He had a special connection with them.

I, too, have a special connection with God. I am one of His children. I need His guidance and when He is leading forward, I should proceed. Unless He leads, I should wait for Him to say "go."

In that day, the cloud symbolized God's presence and guidance. As Christians, we have the inner guidance of His Holy Spirit. His people still need to follow Him, wherever and however He leads.

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up.... the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel (Exodus 40: 34-38).

Rising Light and Clearing Fog

I am a fair weather driver. In fact, I am not a very good driver, so I am not confident driving in any condition except a perfect day. I would rather walk and do walk when it is possible to do so. It is necessary, however, to drive in America and so I must take on the challenge.

I am especially uncomfortable driving in the dark. My night vision is not good and the lights of oncoming vehicles are quite a distraction. I have a special pair of glasses just for night driving.

Recently, I needed to take my husband to the airport fairly early in the morning. Not only was it dark, but there was a fairly dense fog. He drove to the airport, but I had to make the hour's drive home. Our airport is in a very large city, so the traffic and construction on the highway was also a factor.

You can imagine my delight when, after dropping my husband off at the airport, I experienced an amazing change. Daylight had come and even though the fog was still evident, it was as if it was lifted in my sphere of vision. The way was clear for me all the way home even though the fog was all around me. I remember thinking, "God, thank you for the light and for lifting the fog!"

There is a real correlation between what I experienced in this driving experience and how spiritual things we don't understand now will become clear someday to those who know the Lord. As Jesus is the Light of the World, He is the light leads us to reconciliation with God. He experienced darkness on the cross so that we might know light in our lives.

Even as a strong believer in Christ, I know that there are some things today that are beyond my understanding. I can't see things from God's perspective. His promise is that someday the fog will clear and everything will be made clear. I am looking forward to that day.

For now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT).

Picture from Jordan Mills, en.wikinews

Things and People

I have heard of families squabbling over possessions when a family member died. Perhaps family members are upset when there is a large estate or much property to deal with and their expectations of inheriting something are dashed. It always makes me sad to hear of those cases and wonder what the deceased loved one would think if they heard the dispute.

Thankfully, that has not been the case when my parents or my husband's parents passed away. The estates were small and there were not many things of monetary value but we each wanted some mementos of their lives.

When my husband's grandmother died, I got a set of her dishes - incomplete, but I was thrilled to have them -  and her button collection. When my own grandmother died, my father gave me a platter and serving bowl that matched the set I had received from my husband's grandmother.

When my dad died, my sister (actually my stepsister but we claimed each other as sisters) and I had no issues at all. She wanted the photo albums and a few items of her mother's. I wanted some things that actually belonged to her side of the family if she didn't want them. She graciously let me have the hand crocheted bedspreads that her grandmother made and the few pieces of silverware that did not go with her set. I have my father's typewriter and some other memorabilia. All these things remind me of the times I saw each of them use the items I have.

When my father-in-law died, his four sons were very thoughtful. They were hesitant to speak up about something they might treasure for fear that someone else might want it. In the end, though, I think everyone came away with the reminders of Mom and Pop they most wanted.

The important thing was that some of these belongings stayed in the family. At the estate sale, I especially hated the thought of my husband's grandmother's cedar wardrobe being sold, especially after learning that it had been given to her on her wedding day in 1920. Having no place for it in my home, I still wanted to take it if no one else would. I was thrilled when my brother-in-law said he wanted it. I think his grandmother would be pleased.

Each of the items that were brought home from our parents' house was not worth much to anyone except us. It was the reminder of time spent with a loved one or their contribution to our lives that gave the item such value.

I often look about and think of how I enjoy the good gifts of life. This includes so many things: sunrise and sunset, moon and the stars, a butterfly, the hummingbirds, a piece of furniture that is well made because God gave someone that creative gift, a painting done by a friend, the things my husband has purchased for me that have made my life easier, gifts from my children and grandchildren that make my smile when I use them (like personalized aprons!) and many more.

Every gift ultimately comes from God. The things He gives contribute to our enjoyment of life, but they are mere representatives of His presence. I am well aware that I am not taking anything with me when I meet Him at the end of my life. The pleasure they bring me today is a reminder of Him - the Creator and Gift Giver of all.

O Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions (Psalm 104:24 NAS). Command those who are rich in this world's goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17 NET).