Can You Be Honest?

 

Have you ever had someone say, "Can I be honest with you?" No matter how you felt about it, I'll bet you said, "Yes."

I prefer that people be honest with me. I have a hard time with those who talk indirectly about an issue, expecting me to guess what they mean. My response may seem totally irrelevant. 

When I was fighting cancer, I became deeply aware of the Psalms. Before then I had read them, but never really studied them. In fact, I started with a simple Bible study booklet called *Praying the Psalms.

Today I focused on Psalm 139. There David praises God for His ability to be everywhere at once plus His ability to know all things. These characteristics are listed in the dictionary under omnipresent and omniscient.

In the first six verses, David says God knows everything about him. Then in verse seven, he asks, “Where can I flee from Your Presence?” He shares illustrations of a God that is everywhere; there’s no place to hide.

In verses thirteen through sixteen, David declares the beauty of creation in utero. I found it easy to agree when he said, “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Our life systems are awesome---Skeletal, Muscular, Respiratory, Digestive, and Reproductive, to name a few.

The last four verses are interesting contrasts. First, David declares his love for God, including hatred for those who malign God and speak evil of him.

Then he follows up with a prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV).

Can you be that honest? Can I? If you read David’s life story, he wasn’t perfect. Neither are we, but with God, and people, honesty is the best policy.

 *Bible study booklets by InterVarsity Press are available in the Life Guide Bible Studies Series from ChristianBooks.com or Amazon.

 

We Live in an Awesome World

Reading is a hobby of mine. When my brother brings me magazines, one of my favorites is a bimonthly publication by The Archaeological Institute of America. I generally read articles as I enjoy my lunch.

This week I was fascinated by explanations and photos of a *3,500-year-old ritual pool found in northern Italy.

Just imagine a pool roughly 40 feet long, 23 feet wide, and at least 16 feet deep. Now can you picture it constructed of wooden poles and interlocking boards?

“The Noceto pool is unique in Italy---it’s unique in the world,” says Zerboni.** “Building such a structure implies very careful planning, coordinating the work of many people, and a very clear architectural plan. We don’t expect to find such majestic structures from prehistory.”

Archeology is just one of many types of study which add color and knowledge to our world. Mankind has learned about his world, creatively made adjustments necessary to live in it more comfortably, and passed on knowledge from generation to generation.

I’m learning to Google my questions, so I typed in a scientific study name list and was rewarded with about 25 main categories and way too many sub-categories to count. The site simply said, “from sources across the web.”

I was familiar with major classes of study such as Biology, Physics, Zoology, Geology, Anthropology, Astronomy, Psychology, and Anatomy. People have earned degrees and spent a lifetime of study and research in many of these.

Lesser known to me, but important in their own right, were Physics, Chemistry, Genetics, Microbiology, Bacteriology, Biotechnology, and Embryology.

We live in an awesome world. Can you imagine where we’d be without this information? God even put mankind in charge of the sea, land, and air, so it's no wonder we have pursued knowledge (Genesis Chapter One, Verses 26-28 NIV).

Creation information can be found in Job---Chapters 38 and 39. God begins a conversation by saying, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?”

What follows are colorful explanations of the sea, sky, wild animals, horses and, birds. Interesting reading. Check it out sometime soon.

*Italian Master Builders, Daniel Weiss, ARCHAEOLOGY, A Publication of the Archaeological Institute of America, November/December 2021, pp. 38-41.

**Quote by Andrea Zerboni, a geoarchaeologist at the University of Milan, p. 38.    

Beauty and Contrast

 

I tried my best without success! I practically stood on my head, trying to see how a six-inch metal bolt could go through the new toilet seat riser on down through the original toilet seat holes.

Finally, I sent photos to my Goddaughter who is gifted in household repairs. She kindly said my photos were great, then walked me through the installation process.

OK . . . the right side was done! I tackled the left . . . awkward! I’m not a lefty and, besides, it was by a wall so I had to do it by feel.

I decided to call my handyman neighbor. He came and did it the next day. There's nothing like knowledge, experience, and coordination.

The contrast in personalities and abilities is to be appreciated. Thank God not everyone is a beautician, a banker, or a contractor. I was a teacher, but where would we be without doctors, nurses, and medical technicians?

I learned to use computers and enjoyed office jobs, but along came E-communication and cell phones with apps of all kinds. Thank God for two Goddaughters who are both good with technical know-how!

Have you ever noticed the beauty in contrast? I like to notice various shades of green as I drive down a tree-lined street. Of course, floral shapes and colors are a pleasure, too.

Then there are cats and dogs! Each species varies in shape, size, and personality. Owners will happily tell you about their pet's uniquely enjoyable characteristics.

Integral elements of contrast and beauty include male and female. This applies to plants and trees, animals, fish, birds, and humans. All were created to bear after their own kind and increase in the earth, but it requires both a male and a female to procreate.

For an enjoyable explanation of the orderliness in Creation, read Genesis Chapter One.

Youngster and oldsters, uneducated or highly degreed, east to west and north to south . . . all have access to God's gifts of beauty and contrast. Enjoy!   

Remember to Look Up

 

Since I no longer live in a metropolis, I sometimes try to enjoy the night sky. It's funny how, on a clear night, I think I see more stars from my front yard than from my deck in the back.

When I lived in the southwest desert, I used to enjoy night rides away from our community. We would open the top of our Porsche 914 and I’d enjoy warm summer breezes and multitudes of stars while my husband did the driving.

One night I was really excited to see “the man in the moon.” It was the first time I ever saw a face on the full moon, and I haven’t seen one since.

The daytime sky is enjoyable, too. The sun arcs its way around the world, and clouds of various shapes and sizes float by. Sometimes rain, thunder, and lightning show their power, and winter snows appear on a schedule all their own.

Some people can name all the planets, point out the Milky Way and locate the North Star. Others get to see the Aurora Borealis in all its colorful splendor. I don’t fit any of those categories, but I do enjoy the view above me.

Imagine the beauty of the skies when King David was a shepherd boy. With no city lights to ruin the view, there must have been an awesome display of stars in the night sky.

It’s no wonder he wrote Psalm 19. Verse one says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork” (NKJV). Verse three explains that God plays no favorites. All peoples of the world are treated to the same awesome overhead view.

The Message Bible says, “God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.” Think of that!

No matter where you live, remember to look up. And when you do, take a moment to reflect on the awesomeness of what you see. Even a simple “Thank you, God” will give Him glory.

 

Little Diamonds in the Dark

Diamonds can create a lot of excitement, especially an engagement ring. My ring was not large, but it was mine. That’s what made it important to me.

The birth of a natural diamond can begin even one hundred miles below the earth’s surface. Pressure upon pure carbon creates this finite resource. A full-carat diamond is becoming rarer by the day.

It seems to me that babies are like little diamonds in the dark. I’m pretty sure pregnant moms would verify that there’s pressure involved.  

I’ve never been pregnant, but I have great respect for women way beyond the “baby bump!”

Just like diamonds, babies lie in the darkness of their mother’s womb until they are brought to the light. Blessed is each baby whose family and friends look forward to THE birth day.

Birthing babies and mining diamonds both require effort. Raw diamonds come in different sizes and weights, as do infants. Diamonds are graded on four C’s: Carat, Clarity, Color, and Cut.

Newborns are given an Apgar Score. One minute after birth they are tested to see how well they tolerated the birthing process. Preferably no later than five minutes they are tested in five areas: Breathing effort, heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes, and skin color.

Just like a jeweler, parents are expected to shape their little diamonds in the rough.

Solomon gave some advice: “Train up a child in the way he should go (and in keeping with his individual gift or bent) and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, AMP).

The Message Bible simply says, “Point your kids in the right direction---when they’re old they won’t be lost.” This could include spiritual training, education, morals, and manners. It’s important to fit into the society and culture into which you are born.

If you have been blessed with a little diamond in the dark, consider it a treasure. Not everyone gets to have one.

  

Everyday Miracles

It happened again! I sat down to watch something on tv and fell asleep. Did I want a nap? Yes, but not right then.

When I woke up the tv was still on. How did I sleep so well and not hear it? What caused me to wake up? It was nothing loud or boisterous. 

Sleep seems like an everyday miracle.

Miracles---what are they? To me, a miracle is something good that’s impossible for me to do for myself. My dictionary says it’s something to marvel at, a remarkable event or thing.   

It also says it could be an action or event contradictory to the known laws of science. Things attributed to supernatural causes are often called an act of God.

We all enjoy five miracles on an everyday basis:

1. Seeing---our eyes bring the world right into our life

2. Hearing---auditory signals are always in the air, but somehow our ears sort out what we need

3. Touching---we can explore with our fingertips, but our face and feet respond to touch, too

4. Smelling---it’s nice to distinguish beautiful fragrances from noxious odors

5. Tasting---most of us prefer sweet to sour, but we all have favorite foods in a variety of categories

Each of us is a miracle. I used to get a kick out of the opening scenes of a movie called “Who’s Talking?” A graphic artist had created one active sperm moving up the fallopian tube yelling, “This way guys.” But he was first and slid into an egg, then the human story began.

What could be more miraculous than the beginning of a human being as one tiny sperm and egg combination . . . one cell?

Are you thankful for this variety of miracles? Why not say so? According to Psalm 100, an attitude of gratitude is a great way to enter God’s presence, giving Him praise.

Think about this; then enjoy coming up with your own list of everyday miracles.

A Great Fish to the Rescue

Have you ever heard of a fish called an Ichthyosaur (ik-thee-o-sar)? It shared the seas of the world with other large marine creatures while dinosaurs ruled on land.

This giant water creature is described as having a body eight feet thick, with several flippers. Its eye sockets were a foot across and its tail was twenty-five feet long with six-foot triangular fins at the end. Vertebrae were up to twelve inches in diameter and its head was ten feet long with cone-shaped teeth and a long, pointed snout.

Based on these measurements, scientists estimated the Ichthyosaur weighed forty tons and was sixty feet long. It could breathe air and, like modern whales, lacked gills.

Fossils of this great fish can be found in Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park in Nye County, Nevada, USA.

Children’s books tell the story of Jonah and the Whale. Actually, Bible translations seem to call it “a great fish.” Even my New World Dictionary definition of "whale" begins with "a large fish.”     

Whales have enormous air storage in their nasal cavity, as well as four to six compartments in their stomach. Any one of them could house a group of men.

Some people think the story of Jonah is simply a whale of a tale, but Jonah was a real person.

In the Old Testament Book of Jonah, he is listed by name, time, and place. That separates him from allegories and parables.

As a disobedient prophet, he tried to ship out and avoid God’s assignment. When a great storm arose, Jonah knew he was part of the problem, so he told the crew to cast him overboard. God mercifully provided a great fish to swallow him, instead of letting him drown.

Chapter two shares Jonah’s prayer. He said, “In my distress, I called to the Lord, and He answered me. . . "

Once Jonah repented and was ready to complete his assignment, God commanded the fish to vomit Jonah out on dry land.

Just as a great fish is not imaginary, neither is a God who hears and answers prayer. Call upon Him in your day of trouble. He always hears the cry of a sincere heart.

Just One Little Candle

Have you ever been in the dark? Light is something easy to take for granted. Just flip a switch and there it is---light!

I have rarely been without it in my lifetime. The few times I have been in the dark, I have been grateful for one little candle. It didn't matter if it was a single tall taper or a fat round pillar.

Light has always been a major factor in the world. In the Genesis story of Creation, the first thing God said was, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3).

Read further and you see light specialties---sun for the day, moon and stars for the night. Beautiful, yes, but practical. Their purpose was to mark seasons and the passing of time. I wouldn't want to give up any of them, would you?

God is always into light, not darkness. He expanded light in different ways. He sent His Son who was declared "The Light of the world" (John 8:12). People, who chose to believe in Jesus, would no longer walk in spiritual darkness.

God's light was further expanded as Jesus instructed those who believed in Him to be lights, too. How? By their good works as they followed His teachings. They would bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16).

Over the centuries there have been lights that brightened the lives of millions. For example Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, William and Catherine Booth, Father Michael McGivney, Corrie Ten Boom, and Jan Karon.

Have you heard of Sister Gaynel, Pastor Joe and Carolyn, Grandma Weber, or Mom Mullins? No? Oh, I know why! Their lives of good works and good words brightened MY small world.

All these people have one thing in common---humility. Whether praising Mother Teresa or Billy Graham, each would insist, "I'm just one little candle." Mom Mullins and Grandma Weber would say the same.

Two important principles remain at work: (1) Someone is waiting for just one little candle to shine in their darkness, and (2) I am not called to shine where you can shine, nor vice versa.