A Day to Remember

April 30th always brought special remembrances while growing up overseas. It was our Crown Prince’s birthday. For me it was extra special because we share the same birth year, 1946. Carl XVI Gustaf is now the King of Sweden. His beautiful daughter Victoria is the Crown Princess, married to a common man from my hometown of Örebro. They have the cutest little girl, called Estelle.

April 30^th is the day in Sweden when they celebrate the arrival of spring. They light bonfires and sing songs of spring, and have all kinds of celebrations. I have very few memories of this day because I have lived only a few years in Sweden. I do remember the year it was freezing cold and snowing.

When my granddaughter Brianna was just a tiny little girl, she described summer for us as “freezing hot”!

Since 2010 April 30^th is a day I celebrate. I became a “free” person! No more time-clocks to punch! I retired! That was the day I started taking on heavier workloads then I ever had. I have never before been as busy as I am as a retiree. I’m busy for my Lord!

As I’ve done all my life, I continue doing: Trusting in the Lord! Have you ever read Proverbs 3:5,6 in Arabic? Read it now!

 A souvenir from missionaries in the Middle East

This is how Proverbs 3:5,6 reads in English:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. 

This is how it reads in Spanish:

Fíate de Jehová de todo tu corazón,
Y no te apoyes en tu propia prudencia.
Reconócelo en todos tus caminos,
Y él enderezará tus veredas.

This is how it reads in Swedish:

Förtrösta på Herren av hela ditt hjärta,
förlita dig inte på ditt förstånd.
Räkna med honom på alla dina vägar,
så skall han göra dina stigar jämna.

I’ve loved these verses since I was a young girl. To trust in the Lord is like the signature of my life. Do you trust in the Lord? The lessons I’m working on for orphans teach them to trust God; to trust God with their life. That’s the only thing worthwhile.

It has been a beautiful and sunny day, with Spring showing off its brilliant colors. I need to remember this day because Winter is hanging on around the corner. This Old Man doesn’t want to let go. The temperature is going to drop at least 30 degrees (F).

White and pink, two beautiful spring colors!

I’m going to spend two of the best Spring weeks in Peru, the days when the temperature is most comfortable in this part of the country. It will be fall in Peru. For my friends in Lima I will have a reunion on May 25^th at Iglesia Refugio in Magdalena del Mar. I’ll post some more information later on.

Tomorrow is another day to remember in my life’s calendar. I’ll take a break here and see you tomorrow.

I trust in the Lord with all my heart!

The Children at ICCO

What is ICCO? Iglesia Cristiana Casa de Oración. That’s where I preached yesterday. It stands for Christian Church House of Prayer. It was a special service for the entire family. The highlight of the service was the baptism of two of the children. The children participated with songs and working as ushers. One of the boys, the young man who was baptized, helped me with the projector for my PowerPoint.

My message was about Jehoshaphat and God’s Battle. Read about it in 2 Chronicles 20. The formula I hignlighted was:

PROBLEM + PRAISE = VICTORY

What to do when you don’t know what to do? Do what the King Jehoshaphat did! Go to the Lord in prayer, then praise him. I guess I need to change the formula somewhat.

PROBLEM + PRAYER & PRAISE = VICTORY

Let me show you some pictures. The quality is not the best since I was taking the pictures from a distance and i only have a small pocket camera.

The children sang some songs and then the parents were invited to come stand with the children to pray with them. I really liked that gesture. These two children were baptized. As you see below, the parents came forward to pray for them. The pastor expressed a desire that the young man be the future pastor of the church and the girl be a missionary!

Whatever happens this week, let’s remember that we never have to stand wondering what to do. We go to the source for victory, we PRAY and PRAISE God. The Apostle Paul admonished us to give thanks in every circumstance. That is the key to live a victorious life. Prayer and praise brings victory.

I will praise God and be victorious!

Are you Rich or Poor, Hot or Cold?

My sister posted the following story on Facebook. It’s thought provoking. I think I’ll pass it on. Let’s consider what really matters. It’s not the material riches, but rather the riches that our friends offer us.

Jesus had something important to say to those who consider themselves rich in their own eyes, but are not rich before God. We’ll get to that at the end of the story.

One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”

“It was great, Dad.”

“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.

“Oh yeah,” said the son.

“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.”

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, “Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are.”

In the book of Revelation there is a letter from Jesus to the church in Laodicea, that reads:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!

¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

²¹ To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  (Rev 3:14-22,  NIV)

How important that we have the right view of the riches that really matter. Nothing is more vital than to have our heart right with God. Otherwise he will spit us out of his mouth!

 

 

Unalterable formulas

I’m very excited because I have been asked to preach this coming Sunday. It doesn’t happen often. Last time I preached in the United States was two years ago, to celebrate my 65^th birthday. Some people don’t believe in women preachers, but I do. I have to, because I am one!

My late husband believed in me. He liked to use my outlines; of course, he added his own flavor to the subjects. We were both called by God to preach the Gospel. He would have been happy and proud about the invitation I have for this Sunday. I’m preaching at an Hispanic church called the House of Prayer.

I believe we are going to have children in the service, so I will make it simple. I hope to impact the families present. I will be using formulas, especially the unalterable formulas God offers in his Word! I’ve already written about one yesterday!

We all know that 2+2 = 4, 8×8 =64, 10-10 = 0, & 70 ÷7 =10. No one would dispute that because it is an unalterable fact. Mathematics has its formulas and if you don’t stick to them you will not get to any reasonable result. Why do we as kids have to learn the multiplication table? Without that knowledge we cannot solve any mathematical problems. I don’t think anybody would think about calling a meeting to change the mathematical values. We accept them, because they work!

God has some awesome formulas for our life, and if we follow them, things will work out for us.

Take this one: The Lord + My Shepherd = I shall not be in want
The formula I’ve been practicing this week is:

There is a number to that formula: 1P5.7 (1 Peter 5:7)

Remember some days ago, that I wrote about God’s cell phone number for direct calls: 5015? What’s that formula?

Trouble + Call on God = Deliverance ÷ Glory to God

There are several unalterable formulas I’ve been thinking about. I went out to eat this afternoon and decided to show the waitress my latest one:

PROBLEM + PRAISE = VICTORY

She came back to me with this quote:

If you pray, don’t worry.
If you worry, don’t pray.

Sure! If you’re going to worry, why pray? When you pray, really pray, you leave your burden with Jesus. There is a song I remember hearing, “Why worry, when you can pray?” That’s right! Prayer is the key!

Here is the first and foremost formula:

JESUS + (your heart) = ETERNAL LIFE

Without Jesus everything loses its value. With him everything multiplies.

LITTLE x GOD’S BLESSINGS = MUCH

Through prayer these formulas work, but prayer is no magic wand to banish our anxieties. It is the means by which we communicate with God our Father. It is the conversation of the soul with God. As it has been said many times, it’s “oxygen” for the believer. Without prayer our spiritual life dies.

Stick with the formula: Anxiety & worry + JESUS ​​= REST

No matter what your circumstances, if you’re going through something that seems impossible to solve, God has the answer. I am currently going through a painful situation. It’s not something that affects me directly, but something that affects a loved one. I’m repeating the formula, time and again. I’m casting my cares on Jesus, because He cares for me. This is his promise:

Matthew 11:28
“Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

With God nothing is impossible. The 1P5.7 formula is unalterable. The Lord takes care of us, at any time of anxiety.

What’s the secret? To cast our anxiety on Him! It’s the secret but it’s not a secret formula. God wants it to be disclosed. Otherwise it would not written in His Word. Practice it and spread the word about it! It’s indeed an unalterable formula. One of the many!

I’m excited about sharing these formulas. I have lots of preparation work before Sunday morning. Will you pray with me for God’s blessing on the message?

With God’s help
I will trust him completely!

Winter is Back

If I was from another planet and visited the Ozarks in Missouri, United States of America, I might be confused and lose all hope. On Monday I was excited, enjoying a beautiful spring evening, sitting on a balcony, breathing sweet evening air. Springtime in the Ozarks is wonderful because the temperature is very comfortable—not too cold and not too hot.

On Tuesday Old Man Winter was back! I had hoped to enjoy a few delightful evenings on the balcony, but that is not to be. The Weather Man even predicted some snow! But I need not worry, spring will come again, and then it will be summer. I know this for sure, because God has promised,

“As long as the earth endures,

seedtime and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night

will never cease.” (Genesis 8:22)

I need not worry! There is an article in a women’s magazine I subscribe to, titled “Stop Worrying, Star Living. Do it Now!” Good advice, but the author missed the most important point, that we have a Heavenly Father who cares for us, just like he cafes for the lilies in the fields and the birds in the trees! (Read about it in Matthew 6:25-34.)

This little bird was perched in the only tree
I have to enjoy from my kitchen window.

There are two formulas in approaching worry.

Worry + Worry + Worry = More Worry

Worry + Jesus = Rest

Just as we know that Winter will be followed by Spring and that after Spring there is Summer, we can be assured that if we give our worries to Jesus, He will give us rest.

Jesus promise is true! “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Here is another formula:

Heavy burdens + anxiety + Casting them on Jesus = He cares for you

Never forget the promise in 1 Peter 5:7,
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

As I am writing these words I get a very devastating message. Because it is a private matter I cannot disclose the details, but I realize I have been writing prophetically, if only for myself. Spring was on its way, I felt happy and confident. Then Winter showed and ugly face. But there is hope! I have to practice the formula.

Worry + Jesus = Rest

I have a loved family member who is in great distress. Unimaginable things have happened in her life. The “formula” is her only hope. To cast her cares on Jesus is all she can do, the best she can do. As it is for any of us who believe in Him!

Winter might be back for a few days, but it will not stay. Spring WILL take over. And Summer is on its way. Of course, if you are on the other side of the Equator, you know Winter is coming.But then you also have the hope of Spring and Summer.

As sure as nature follows a pattern, the formula for rest in the Lord never changes. Life circumstances will bring us many a “winter,” but we can always rely on the assurances that “spring” will come again! Worry + Jesus = Rest

I will practice not to worry,
but to rest in Jesus!

Lost and Found

A few weeks ago I lost my stamps, my postage stamps. I had taken them with me when I visited my daughter and arriving home I could not find them. It was not just two or three; it was a whole selection of stamps.

You know how it is when you lose something, I’m sure. We spend time and energy looking for what is lost. What joy when we find it!

If I could feel such overwhelming joy for finding some lost stamps, how must the heart of God rejoice when a sinner comes home! Jesus told the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. He said there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents!

I have many “lost” friends and family. They are constantly in my prayers, that they will come “home” to God. We all belong in the presence of God. That is how he created us; but sin has come in the way. We all, like sheep have gone astray, each one of us has turned to his own way. Jesus invites us to come back to God, where we belong. He even paid the price to open the way.

Are you Lost or Found? Have you let Jesus, the Great Shepherd, carry you in his loving arms back to the fold. Jesus talked about the shepherd that went all out to find the sheep that was lost. My heart feels like it is going to burst of joy thinking about being Found! I was lost but now I’m found!

I was just a little girl when I let the Good Shepherd find me. I will never forget the wonderful day when I gave my heart to Jesus. I love him more every day! This morning I was reminded of a wonderful truth, that the Lord daily bears our burdens. Even such a trivial thing as some lost stamps he cares about. He heard my prayer and helped me find them!

This evening he painted some gorgeous pictures in the sky. Let me share a few with you. God is so good. Whatever burden you have, he will carry it. We can cast all our worries on him, because he cares for us.

May God bless you with a lighter burden.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” said Jesus. (See Matthew 11:25-30.)

I will place my burdens
in the loving arms of God.

A Place of Abundance

Psalm 66:12
“But you brought us to a place of abundance.”

This is what captured my attention in my Bible reading for the day. Who doesn’t want to come to a place of abundance? My previous blog was about the Psalm of the Shepherd, which starts out with “… I will not be in want.”

Let me first give you the story of a lonely cloud. I captured the pictures yesterday as I went to make a very unusual bank deposit. I have received payment a year in advance! The numbers sure gave me a feeling of abundance, but I will have to exercise very strict discipline to make it last.

When my parent first went to Chile as missionaries they received their allowance from the church every six months. They really had to exercise discipline. In my first years as a missionary I received my allowance every quarter. Then, when we came to the States, I started receiving payment every week. What a difference! Now I get my Social Security check once a month.

This check I went to deposit is for the work I will be doing on lessons for orphan children. Many of these children feel like the little cloud I made a photographic story of yesterday. Today I feel a little bit like that cloud. My life is rather lonely. I could be out and about trying to pursue friendships, but I’ve never been the type to “intrude” into people’s lives.

I didn’t say I was sad, just lonely. God has brought me to a place of abundance. I rejoice in his love and in the privilege of spreading that love around the world through the Internet.

Whenever you come to a BUT, you know there was something before, in this case BEFORE there came abundance, there was testing.

• You, O God, tested us
• You refined us like silver
• You brought us into prison
• You laid burdens on our backs
• You let men ride over our heads
• We went through fire and water

BUT you brought us to a place of abundance.

When I think of abundance it has nothing to do with money, but rather with the abundance of love, joy, peace, mercy, grace, comfort. confidence, faith, and so much more that Jesus has to offer. He himself said that he came to give us life, and life more abundant (see John 10:10).

I told Mary (my dad’s wife) that I feel like the lonely cloud. She encouraged me, that even if I don’t’ have friends in person at my side, there are many that are with me in thought and in spirit.

That reminds me of the time we were pastors in Huancayo. My husband would ask people why there were not in church. “Oh, yes,” they would say, “we were there in spirit!” But it’s not fun to pastor a church full of “spirits”!!

We can get to the place of abundance, but many time through fire and water. There is a promise that the Lord will be with us even in those times. To talk about that would be a blog of its own!

I pray that you will be brought to a place of abundance. I don’t wish you all the hard testing, but it’s worth it.

I will rejoice in God in his place
of abundance!

The Shepherd’s Psalm

Psalm 23 is known as the Shepherd Psalm. It was written thousands of years ago by a shepherd of Bethlehem. He learned valuable lessons in shepherding while tending to the sheep of his father, Jesse, lessons that would serve him well when he had to shepherd the people of Israel. For forty years he was their king. I’m referring to David, the sweet psalmist of Israel.

Since childhood I became accustomed to repeat “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” every time we asked the blessing for the food. It became part of a routine, and was often repeated not thinking very much about the meaning, but that trust in the Lord as my Shepherd has followed me all my life. “I shall not want” … neither good nor evil, because we all get our share, but in all circumstances, the Lord is my Shepherd!

This week’s story is about a boy who learned the meaning of these words: “The Lord is my shepherd.” You can read it under Stories for Children at:

www.MX1414.wordpress.com

The boy learned the words using his fingers, which is not a bad idea. One finger for each word, repeating it over and over. That stays with you! THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD!

Here is a direct link, maybe you have some child to read the story to:

Lost in the Big City

The Lord is my shepherd.
The Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, the Lord of the universe, THE LORD is my shepherd.

The Lord is my shepherd.
He IS my shepherd, present tense (not only was not only will be, but it he is). Now, today, at this moment, Lord IS my shepherd.

The Lord is my shepherd.
My Shepherd, as if we were the only two in the universe. The Lord is My Shepherd. I am the apple of God’s eye, I am His treasured possession. He is MY shepherd. (Every person who takes to heart this truth can feel the same way.)

Lord is my shepherd:
The Lord cares for me. The Good Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep, is my SHEPHERD.

This is a wonderful Psalm. There is so much comfort and joy in it. I’ve made a list of twelve special blessings or promises.

12 promises in Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd
1. Provision… I shall not be in want
2. Rest… He makes me lie down in green pastures
3. Refreshment… He leads me beside quiet waters
4. Healing… He restores my soul
5. Guidance… He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake
6. Protection… Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil
7. Faithfulness… You are with me
8. Encouragement… Your rod and your staff they comfort me
9. Hope… You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
10. Abundance… You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows
11. Blessing… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
12. Eternal life… I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever

Let the Good Shepherd speak to your heart, let these wonderful truths be as gentle ointments in your soul. What a glorious truth, that the Master of the universe wants to be MY Shepherd!

David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, must have gone back to this psalm over and over. If we read his psalms and the accounts in the Books of Samuel, we see that he had some tough times. This was his confidence:

Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?

From his boyhood years as the tender of his father’s sheep until he was old, he had never seen the righteous forsaken (see Psalm 37:25). From the days of my childhood until now, at retirement age, the Lord has never forsaken me. And he never will.

I will trust the Lord as my
Shepherd forever!

The Persistent Dandelion

My back yard is covered by dandelions. A few years ago I was able to pull them out and do my best to keep the yard as free of them as possible. Nowadays it’s not possible for me, so these beautiful yellow flowers, considered weeds, are taking over.

According to D. Christophers’s Herbal Legacy, “There are so many uses claimed for the plant that it takes place among the herbal cure-alls. Its most frequent use, however, is a herb to heal the liver. In Europe, many scientific experiments have been undertaken which prove the traditional belief that the herb truly does cure hepatic ailments.”

Today Mary (my Dad’s wife) and I discussed this little persistent flower.  In fact, she was the one who came up with the description of “persistent.” Let’s say you have your grass mowed. The lawn looks like a pristine green, o so beautiful. You barely turn your head and those little persistent dandelions shoot up again. If you’re battling them, the fight starts anew.

I’ve given up! I’m just going to enjoy them. I can see them through my window as I’m writing, that is, if I remove the snowmen. They need to go! I’ve had a bunch of them on the window sill to help keep some of the cold out. Since winter is gone, they need to go back in their box.

What’s so great that these little dandelions merit a blog? They can teach us a lesson! Be persistent! Be tenacious! Don’t give up!

Have you ever tried pulling dandelions out of the ground? There are special tools to push deep into the soil to try to get the roots out. I’ve done that over and over. It is hard work. Those little flowers can sure teach us persistence.

The Apostle Paul wrote about being “rooted and established in love” and about being “rooted and built up in Jesus.” If we let out roots grow deep into God’s love, Satan can try his best to destroy us, and for a second it might look like he has succeeded, but we will show up again with the true color of God’s love, brightening our surroundings, just like the little dandelions do.

I’ve never tried it, but I know you can made dandelion soup. Just look it up on Google and find recipes. You can make tea. You can use it for all kinds of healing properties.

Isn’t is funny how we can have our back yard full of good, nutritious herbs, and call them weeds just because they multiply and “ruin” our green lawns?

Let’s be persistent in spreading love and cheer just like those little flowers are bringing joy to my heart. Yellow is one of my favorite colors. The sun is shining on little yellow “dots” all over my lawn. I can either get irritated or I can enjoy them. I’ll enjoy them while they last. A few more weeks and most of them will be hiding in the ground, the roots digging even deeper.

Next year, they’ll pop up again!

Ephesians 3:14-21, NIV

For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ₁₆ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Colossians 2:6-7, NIV

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

I will be persistent like a dandelion,
rooted and built up Jesus!

In God We Trust

This is the day when many Americans scramble to put their final touches on their tax return to get it in the mail. It has to be postmarked before midnight. Today I am one of those!

I usually get my tax return done in good time. I’ve had the help of a friend in Colorado for the past 18 years. That’s amazing! This year I was so busy with the Fire Bible project of translating the New Testament notes for children and the lessons for orphans for David C Cook that the tax return was pushed to the side. But I will get it in the mail by midnight, and hopefully my friend will be able to file it electronically.

I have to obey the laws of the land, but I put my trust in the maker of the Universe. I love it that IN GOD WE TRUST is imprinted on the money. Our tiniest coin—one cent—is a constant reminder. I have a special collection of pennies, just to remind me, that I trust in God.

I not only trust IN God, but I TRUST GOD! That’s what the Reverend Alvar Blomgren, the man who baptized me, used to say. In any situation he faced, he would declare, “I trust God!”

I have put together some scriptures to read about trusting God. You can download them in a Word file. I hope you enjoy the reading the scriptures and that these words from the Word of God will inspire you.

Click below on TRUST GOD and then you will have to click on TRUST GOD scriptures to get the file.  TRUST GOD

• When you are afraid
• When you are lonely
• When you have decisions to make
• When friends or enemies hurt you
• When you are sad
• When you are facing loss
• When times are tough

TRUST GOD! He will never leave you nor forsake you.

To TRUST GOD is to go a step further than trusting IN God. Just Trust Him!

TRUST HIM
Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee;
Trust Him when thy strength is small;
Trust him when to simply trust Him
Seems the hardest thing of all.

Today, I will trust God!