A God Like No Other

Original photo by Author

Our God humbled Himself, becoming a helpless baby dependent on His creation for the very basics of survival. Even more, He chose not to be born into wealth in a royal household, nor even to a well-to-do nobleman but to a humble carpenter.

As written in Samuel 16:7: “…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

As Jesus grew, He had no reason to brag or flaunt who He was. He knew his worth, knew his capabilities, but chose not to lord it over us. “…I am meek and humble of heart.” Matthew 11:29.

According to Merriam-Webster, the meaning of humility is freedom from pride or arrogance: the quality or state of being humble. 

Humility accepts our strength and our weaknesses. “I can do that.” Versus, “I can do that better than you.”

Jesus taught, instructed, and became our Servant.

"But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.” Matthew 20:25-27.

A big turnaround from the false gods so many ancient civilizations worshipped. They were capricious, spiteful, and often violent, demanding sacrifices, even the worshippers’ own children. While our God not only became our servant, He also offered Himself as our sacrifice.  

Let me repeat that.

The Great I Am, the Creator of All Things, sacrificed Himself for us rather than the other way around.

It’s hard to grasp.

Then, as I wrote these words, a brilliant golden sunrise illuminated my room. 

Dear Lord, you are a God unlike any other. Then, there are no other gods but You. Thank you for Your sacrifice. May I never forget and live my life as You have instructed us. Amen. 

Fantasy vs Reality

Photo by Johannes Pleino from Pixabay

I finished reading a well written, intriguing fantasy novel. The premise held my interest and kept me turning pages, but one thing bothered me.

Demons and evil wizards took the souls of the men and women they killed, condemning them to an eternity in hell. No one had the power to save them. Imagine a world where there isn’t any hope of salvation — ever.  


Do I want the author to change her story? No. Not to please me or anyone else. She wrote the novel as she saw it, but I am thankful I live in a different reality. I have a Savior who died in my place, saving me from eternal damnation.  As long as I cling to Him, my faith, no demon, nor the fires of hell, can touch me.

I am thankful I read the book. Stories are a powerful way of expressing ideas, illustrating comparisons, and teaching life lessons. This one will haunt me for a long time. May I never forget the message of how blessed I am to be living in this broken, but beautiful world.   

Just Two Words

Just these two words He spoke changed my life. “Enjoy Me.”   

St. Teresa of Avila

Those two words change my concept of faith.  

Enjoy Me.

Not just joy but enjoy.

Enjoy Me.

Enjoy life, family, friends, passions, home, country.

Enjoy Me.

Enjoy His unconditional love, compassion, and forgiveness.  

Enjoy Me.

No wonder St. Paul described heaven as a paradise and why so many who have had near-death experiences say they wanted to stay and not come back.

Enjoy Me.

For eternity.

These two words shifted my world, changed my faith, changed my life.

Enjoy Me.

Yes!

Christmas Optimist, Pessimist, Idealist, or Realist?

We idolize the holidays, believing this special season changes the entire world and everything and everyone in it. Like Chuck Griswold, we become overly optimistic, believing in the ideal of the perfect family Christmas. Life is built on the imperfect, and we are usually greatly disappointed for one reason or another when our expectations are too high or unrealistic. Then we become pessimists at best and Scrooges at worst. I suggest something else - a true Optimist. An idealist who recognizes and acknowledges flaws, but chooses to focus on what is right, rather than what is wrong.

In the well known story, two boys were placed in separate rooms. One filled with every imaginable toy, the other with manure. After an hour observers went to each room to see the boys' reactions. Sure enough, the Pessimist could only complain. Nothing was right. Every toy had a flaw or defect. Noting this, the observers moved to the next room. To their amazement the Optimist was busy digging in the manure. They asked him what he was doing. His answer, "With this much manure, there has to be a horse in here somewhere!"

This holiday season will not be Courier and Ives perfect, not with family scattered across several states and cities and the usual dynamics causing conflicts and misunderstandings, or other concerns trying to push their way in to spoil it. It will be somewhere between A Christmas Story and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and with a little effort some What A Wonderful Life mixed in, filled with more blessings than I can count. 

I will go one step further. Those visitors on that first Christmas could have chosen to see only a poor family and a cold, dirty stable, but instead they saw the glory of God and the Salvation of Man, Emanuel - God With Us. 

Merry Christmas. May your holidays be blessed with love and joy in whatever form they take. 

Dark Places

Research for my series, Lions and Lambs, has taken me to some dark places.

The first book, And Then Came a Lion, took me into the horrific world of pedophiles. I was shocked at how much goes on, especially the amount of human trafficking. I discovered a wonderful organization working with local law enforcement to find missing children. Posting photos of missing children has led to the rescue of thousands.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

My second book, Lions Among the Lambs, deals with a serial killer, the leader of a cult belonging to the amoral religion of Palo Mayombe. The crimes and cult details were taken from a true story. I can't imagine people capable of this kind of violence.

Adolfo Constanzo Synopsis

The third book in the series, The Lion, the Lily, and the Lamb, explores the world of psychopaths. These characters are as frightening as the pedophiles, human traffickers, and cults.

Portrait of a Psychopath

Now, the fourth book goes into another series of horrific crimes, Medical Fraud and Health Care Serial Killers. If the other books didn't give me nightmares, this group might.

Michael Swango | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers 

Farid Fata, Doctor Who Gave Chemo to Healthy Patients, Faces Sentencing - NBC News 

The redeeming theme of these stories (and mine), God brings good out of evil, and good people work diligently to stop them.

After hours of research, it is good to come back to my own world, which is relatively safe from these predators. I am thankful they are a small part of humanity when you look at the billions of people living on this planet. 

God seems to emphasize this during my devotions, offering extra consolation, and hope., which I include in my stories. I want my readers to know God is everywhere, in everything, and not a single thing escapes his notice. 

There will be justice, and forgiveness, at the end of our lives. We who repent will be welcomed into a paradise where there will be no killings, violence, hate, or fear.

Why, O Why, Can’t I?

It started with the birth of my first son. My brother died of SIDS when he was three months old, and for whatever reason, I became terrified that my son would die at that age too. I didn’t sleep, slipping in out of his room every hour checking for breath. After he survived those first three months, I relaxed, certain the danger had passed. 

But another fear took its place. 

I’ve written about my ex-husband’s abuse before, so I won’t go into any details. However, the residual fear, which I now understand is a form of PTSD, will never completely go away. I will always suffer from occasional flashbacks, nightmares, and panic attacks set off by certain triggers. Bullying is one of them. I vowed once I escaped from that environment that no one would ever threaten or abuse me again.

This last week, a scene in a movie triggered a flashback. Videos of some protestors assaulting pedestrians, torching cars, and destroying property brought on nightmares. The verbal bullying on social media, even though not aimed directly at me, inflamed panic attacks. I couldn’t sleep. I panicked at the thought of going outside. It took tremendous strength not to curl in a corner and sink away to a dark, quiet place where I could escape the terror.

God met me in that pit. He sent my husband to listen, to comfort, and vow to protect. He gave me encouragement through scripture in my daily devotions. 

Psalm 27: 1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation, of whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?”

Gradually, the nightmares, panic attacks, and flashbacks dissipated — for now. They’ll be back when another trigger strikes.

This morning another fear replaced the one I had just conquered, one that happens too often. I lay beside my husband listening for his breathing and watching for the rise and fall of his chest. 

After losing two husbands to early deaths, I know the pain and sorrow of being a widow, and understand it is likely to happen again. My husband is nine years older than I am and although it certainly isn’t a guarantee he will pass away before me, it is a reasonable probability.

My morning devotions listed Psalm 23:4: “Though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me.” 

He will be with me, and just like in my favorite song all my fears will melt away, over and over again until I fly from this earthly home to my heavenly one, where there is no sorrow, pain, or fear.