My precious girls,

I think you are incredible!  I smile and thank God for you whenever I think of you. You are wonderful because God made you. You are worth love because you are His creations. He is delighted with you, and so am I. He made you little girls, and you are a wonder and delight! I pray you will grow up to be exactly who you are supposed to be.

I want to tell you something that I have spent most of my life learning. Pretty is a very shallow word. Beauty, when referring to appearance, means little and does not last. It’s not worth much, even though society will tell you it is EVERYTHING! But you know what? Pretty does not mean happy. Pretty does not mean successful. Pretty does not mean intelligent. It is just a word that describes some people’s “packaging.”

Proverbs is totally true where it says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.” (Proverbs 31:30) Many women spend too much time, and money chasing the dream of being pretty. They think their worth is all about how they look. This isn’t true, my little ones. Not true at all. I hope you will not fall for this lie. I hope you will cultivate INNER beauty. Kindness, compassion, and a sweet, unselfish way of dealing with people will be remembered far longer than a beautiful face. Be a virtuous woman. Be an encourager. Be a God lover.

When you think about people you like to spend time with, what makes them special to you? It’s not their body or their face, is it? It is how them make you FEEL! They listen! They treat you with respect and kindness. They are confident and fun to be with and make you feel good about yourself. Be that person.

The world’s view can be so cruel and shallow. There are too many women who have been bruised, used and abused by the lie that they are not good enough, simply because they get pimples, carry extra weight or don’t have perfect teeth or hair. So sad. They believed the lie. Don’t go there, dear children.

My sweet little granddaughters — know this — you are good enough. You are MORE than good enough. You have great value because God gave you life and purpose. You are a treasure to Him (and to me!) whether you are dirty or clean, whether you eat all your dinner or don’t, whether you get good marks in school, or just barely pass. You are precious because you are YOU! You are special for no other reason than that God made you uniquely YOU! He set His love upon you and you are free to be you. Never let other people’s opinions define you. Be yourself. Everyone else is taken. Be true to who you are. If you want to wear denim when everyone else is wearing tiaras, wear the denim! If you want to climb up in a tree and read all afternoon when other girls are going to the mall to shop, read that book and enjoy your tree! Be yourself.

A lot of people spend a lot of time trying to please everybody. You know something? You can never please everybody. There is only one person you really need to please, and that is Jesus. Get to know and love Him. He will help you be the you that you are meant to be. You can always feel good about yourself when He is your best friend, because having His love and approval matter more than anything else. He will teach you to be wise. He will put joy and peace in your heart that the world will never be able to steal. He will help you to cultivate those priceless things in your life that are more important than mere beauty. He will give you purpose. He will give you courage, confidence and strength. He will comfort you.

The world will try hard to force you into the “pretty box.” There will be pressure all your life to meet the standards of society. I pray you will be strong and will not fall for these lies. God has standards, sweethearts, and His standards are the only ones you need to concern yourself with. God gave you life. Your body is just the package that His precious gift comes in. Appreciate your body, and take care of it, but do not let anyone tell you that the packaging is the most important thing. No. The precious treasure is within you.

Sianna, Aliza, and whoever that precious third granddaughter will be, (see you in August!)  — I love you more than I know how to say. There is so much in my heart I want to tell you. I want you to live free. I want you to be happy with yourself. I never, ever want you to think you are defined by what other people think. You are God’s creation. I will be here on this earth cheering for you for as long as God gives me breath, and when I go to Heaven, I will cheer for you from there. You are cherished. You are valuable. You are just perfect!

With all my heart and love,
Grandma

I so love the story in the Bible of the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with precious oil. So much has been written about it, and many songs have been written about it, too. You can read about this event in Luke chapter 7.

This woman was commonly thought to have been a prostitute. She was a woman who could certainly appreciate the message that Jesus came to bring. She was willing to brave the snide remarks and judgmental looks from the Pharisees at the table because she wanted to be near her Savior. She wanted  express her love and thanks to Him.

She cried and cried as she knelt there, and her tears washed the dust from His feet. Then she wiped His feet with her hair and anointed them with expensive oil. What an amazing act of worship! This must have cost her plenty! It was not just the expense of the oil, but also the willingness to brave the criticism of those watching.

Simon, whose home this took place in, was upset that Jesus could allow this woman to touch Him. Jesus was kind in His reply to Simon.

"Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn't offer Me water to wash the dust from My feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn't greet Me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing My feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint My head, but she has anointed My feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown Me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love."

Some people only focused on the expense of the oil, or the sins of the woman. They did not understand this was an act of loving worship. But Jesus knew. He understood. He always does.

I also have been forgiven much. So much. I will never forget how it felt to have the weight of guilt and shame lifted from me. I cannot tangibly sit at the feet of my Savior, but I have decided to spend my life pouring my love out to Him in worship and gratitude.

Here in Denmark, we have LOTS of churches. Sadly, if you go to many of them on Sunday you will find them nearly empty. Although Denmark calls itself a “Christian nation,” the number of people who attend church is about 5 %.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/rel_chu_att-religion-church-attendance     

Of course, attending church does not make you a Christian, but if you ARE one, I would think you would want to go to church!

I love this nation, and it breaks my heart to see how little God is valued here. Denmark is a modern, humanistic country. Materialism is worshiped here. Knowledge and education is valued far above spiritual things.

This nation that has been so blessed honors the “memory” of God, but its heart is far from Him. A passage from 2 Timothy 3:1-5  describes Denmark. (and many other nations, very well.)

“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”

What’s to be done? We are begging God to pour out His Spirit on Denmark.  We are asking Him to “unblind” the eyes of people so they can see they are lost. Along with that, we are working hard to demonstrate the reality of Christ. We are speaking the truth in love. We are building up and encouraging the believers.

I do believe that people need to see the church the way God intended the church to be. A church VICTORIOUS! In many cases, that is not the church currently being modeled before the world. Instead of “tut-tutting” the lifestyles and behaviors of the sinners around us, the church needs to begin to clean up its own act. We need to spend less time finger pointing and more time on our knees. We need to spend less time judging and more time loving. We need to get off our comfortable, padded pews, out of our air conditioned sanctuaries and reach out in love and action to the lost and broken. We need to ask God for a burden. Maybe we could even stop building bigger and bigger churches and rebuild and restore lives instead.

Oh my. I do try not to use my blog as a “soap box,” but this just kinda typed itself. Ha.   I will try to get myself back under control, folks. Thanks for bearing with me.

Blessings on your weekend, and if you have time, please pray for Denmark.

It is easy to use words instead of taking action, isn’t it? Suppose someone shares that their family is experiencing a lot of sickness, or some other hardship. They need our prayers, but along with that, how about asking if we can do anything? Send a meal. Take the kids for an afternoon. Do some laundry or run some errands for them. Prayer with feet, in a way.

The Bible is full of action words. Yes, prayer is an action, but I think sometimes we hide behind our prayers rather than getting personally involved. It is so safe to say, “I am praying for you,” and walk away. Is that always enough?  Along with praying, it would be great if we would ask God what else He might like us to do. Sometimes prayer is enough. Sometimes, more is needed.

There are times when a simple hug has meant the world to me. Other times, friends have stopped by with a bag of groceries, or an offer of help. Getting a “package of love” in the mail from home is so special! All these are love in action.

(1Jn 3:16 -18 NLT)  We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

When you have your devotional time, try asking God to show you where He can use you to show His love through action. It is so easy to get lulled into “comfortability,” isn’t it? We make excuses for why we can’t be bothered. “Oh, if I give money to that guy begging, he will just use it for alcohol or drugs.” Maybe. But, you could take him to a restaurant and buy him dinner, right? You could ask him if he has a place to sleep, and hook him up with a shelter.

(Mat 25:34 -39 NLT)  "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.’
    Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? When did we ever see You sick or in prison and visit You?'
    And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!'”

We have become a people who don’t want to “get involved.”  We cite lawsuits or other legalities. We are busy. We have other priorities. Yet, we serve a Savior who gave everything. We worship a King who even cares about the tiny sparrows.  

What are you doing to put feet to your prayers?

I crouched filthy, alone and wretched in the darkness of my prison waiting for them to call my name. I was condemned to die. I knew it was what I deserved, and it was just a matter of time. My sin weighed heavy upon my heart, and I could not keep my mind from wondering what it would be like to experience the punishment I had earned. My stomach churned and sweat drops rolled down my face as I contemplated the painful death ahead of me. And then what? Is that the end? Death and then.... nothing?

Dear Friends, I hope along with the chocolate bunnies and lilies and all that stuff, you remember He paid the price so you could be free! Have a wonderful and joyous Easter. 

We should really listen to ourselves when we pray and be careful what we say. Prayer is not a time for us to complain or tell God how to do His job. He doesn’t need our help with that. He already has a plan – a good plan! Sometimes I hear myself “suggesting” things to God. I find I do this most when I am praying for my family. I know them so well, and I see the needs. The temptation is there to”help God out” a bit and explain what He needs to do.

One of the reasons I like to pray out loud whenever I can is because there is just something about HEARING what you say that keeps you from getting too ridiculous! So – I hear myself saying something stupid, and then it’s like God says, “Excuse me, little missy!?  

“Uh— sorry God. That was dumb. I will just let YOU do whatever you think is best. That’s what I really want. I want what YOU want, because that is always the right thing.”  We have to make sure our focus is on His Kingdom, and His will. We need to stop thinking we know better than God. That is just plain STOOOPID!

I know I am impatient, too. Oh! Am I! I have a feeling I’m not the only one, either.    But God’s timing is perfect. He wants to teach us what it means to wait. He wants to build trust and character in us.  

If we really are convinced of God’s measureless love for mankind, then we should have no trouble praying “Thy will be done.” He knows what we don’t know. He sees what we don’t see. His purposes are so pure and right, while ours can be selfish and vengeful. He is always fair. We aren’t. He is always motivated by His love. We are not.

(Php. 4:6 NLT) Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

God certainly wants us to tell Him our needs. He wants to hear our problems, and comfort us. But, let’s leave the method and the answer in His hands.

Jesus gave a prayer model to the disciples, and one of the lines goes like this: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Mat. 6:13 KJV)

The MESSAGE Bible gives an interesting take on the verse above. "Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want!"

Think about it. KEEP US SAFE FROM OURSELVES! Do we ever stop to consider that sometimes we are our own worst enemy? I read "Keep us safe from ourselves" and it made me think of how easily I can make a wrong decision or react in a wrong way which ends up causing myself or another hurt. When we forget that God is in charge, we can really blow it. When we make choices based solely on what WE want and how WE feel, we are heading in a bad direction. When we are ME focused, rather than GOD focused, we can be easily led into temptation.

Most of us are not stupid enough to fall for blatant evil. But, what about staying up later than we should playing on the computer? We know this is going to make us tired in the morning, which will affect our job, family and our own health. Or what about making excuses for why we can't get to a church event? We know we should. We know we need to be a good example, and that if we go, we will be blessed, but we choose the lazy way instead. What about griping, complaining and talking bad about other people? God HATES gossip and negative talk, yet we find it comes so easy. Then there are those questionable movies and television shows. Hmmm.... I could go on, but I think you get what I mean.

(Song of Sol. 2:15 NIV)  Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.

We all have "little foxes" in our lives. We all have things that need to change -- behaviors which have the potential to ruin us. In our hearts we know they are spoiling the vineyard of our lives. Maybe the damage is not as noticeable as if there was a herd of elephants galloping through the field, but over time, those little foxes can do a lot of harm. It is usually not the big things which mess us up. It is the accumulated effect of many little things. Little by little they steal our dreams and destiny, they lull us into mediocrity until one day, we look back over our life and think, "This isn't how it was supposed to be! How did I get HERE? I never planned this kind of life."

That's why we have the Holy Spirit. He will guide us. He will warn us. He will help us. But we first have to listen, and then we need to obey. We have to be willing to let Him speak to our hearts, and we must train ourselves to respond to Him. I think we often ignore Him. We harden our hearts and will not listen. But His quiet voice is the voice of hope and reason. He wishes to bring loving correction and direction. He can help us win the battle against the little foxes.

Don't let little foxes spoil your life.

A Sunday school teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible - Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter. Little Rick was excited about the task, but he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line. On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, 'The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know.'

Y’know, maybe Ricky had the right idea!

In scripture, mankind is often compared to sheep. Sheep are quite defenseless and need someone to take care of them. They are not well equipped to fight off predators. They are also fussy about what they eat and where they drink. A good shepherd knows this, and he takes care to lead his sheep to safe places with good pasture and quiet waters.

"Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalms 100:3 KJVR)

"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him. "I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me." (John 10:11-14 MSG) I know Jesus showed His love for this lady by sacrificing Himself, and He continues to show His great faithfulness to me every single day.

I like the idea of knowing that God is my shepherd. I like knowing that He takes such good care of me. I know I am, in many way, defenseless against the enemies of life, and I feel secure knowing that He is looking out for me. I want to be sure I always have my ear tuned to His voice, because I know He will not lead me into danger. I like being one of the Good Shepherd’s sheep. I like knowing I am safe in His arms. Maybe, at the end, that really is all we need to know.

Can anybody say, "Baaaaa?"

I think I have the cutest, smartest, most adorable grandchildren in the whole wide world. If you are a grandparent, I am sure you feel the same about your precious grandchildren. (OK. That is your clue to leave if you do not want to read a proud, grandma post.)

My oldest daughter has two little boys. My youngest daughter has two little girls. Lucas is the oldest, and will be turning 4 at the end of this month. He is an "out of the box" kind of kid. He likes to get up early and get into things! The other morning his daddy awoke to find Lucas staring at him. When he knew daddy was awake, he said "Guess what I've been doing!" YIKES! That can strike fear in the heart of any parent with a precocious four year old!

Well, it turns out, he had been "hatching eggs." Yeah. My daughter had bought four dozen on sale. Lucas had carefully taken every one of them out of the refrigerator and placed them in a couple of bowls under the table in the dining room. I am not sure how they were supposed to be hatching, but it is a miracle that not a single one was broken. He was a little disappointed that he didn't get any chickens!

The other day he asked his mommy, "Where's my wife?"  So sweet. Mommy explained that he can be a little boy for a lot longer before he has to get a wife, but God knows where she is, and when the time is right, He will bring her around.

I could talk about this kid all day. I love him so much! He has an adorable little brother who I do not know very well. I have only seen him in person when he is born. He is over a year old now.

This is my dear family in New York. Love them!

My sweet little granddaughters live in N. Ireland. Sianna is two now, and she is really something. She can read some words,  and she can count. She knows her colors and many shapes. She talks very well. She is also smart about getting her own way, and is very focused on achieving that goal! Sometimes her speech has a real N. Irish accent, and then other times she sounds like her U.S. mommy. She likes to play her piano, look at books, draw on her easel and watch Peppa Pig cartoons.

Here is my son in law with our precious little girls. Aliza is almost five months old now.  I was there when she was born. She is a sweet little baby, but I think she will be able to hold her own. Her big sister adores her. Sometimes she is a little rough about it, but Aliza is usually OK with that.

This week I played with Sianna for a while on SKYPE. We sang songs and did the motions, (The Wheels on the Bus!) I did my puppet show thing, and she made me tea. Then she bit her little sister and the tea party was over!   She had to spend some time on the naughty seat. She protested LOUDLY!

I see my grandchildren as little bundles of potential and possibilities. I pray for them daily, and ask God to protect and guide them. I wonder who they will turn out to be. I wonder how God will use their gifts and personalities. I pray their parents will have the wisdom, strength and grace to be good examples for them, and to teach them to love and obey God.

Another grandchild should arrive in August. My cup runneth over! I also have some wonderful little people here in Denmark that call me Bedste. (Grandma)  We have a lot of fun with them. I am always making things for my grandchildren. I just finished a rug for Victoria's room, and I am working on curtains for Sianna's room. Every so often I send the older ones a letter with a few little toys. I do everything I can to let them know that even though I am far away, I am thinking of them. I can't wait for the next time I get to see them so that we can make some more memories together.

Hope you are having a nice weekend! If you read to the end, THANK YOU!

There is an old song which says, "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with." Doesn't that kind of sum up the sentiments of this age? I see so many who want instant gratification. Morality aside, they expect to have what they want, when the want it.

A while ago, I spoke to a young man who had been to prison for robbery. He explained to me that there were things he wanted, and it took too long to earn the money to buy them, so he took them. This was his justification. I want it. It didn't seem to concern him that what he wanted did not belong to him.

(Pro.1:3 NLT)  "Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair."  I really feel this scripture is especially for parents!

When I had children, I learned that -- surprise, surprise --- you actually have to TEACH these little people to be kind, honest, and faithful. I still remember the first time my daughter told a lie. Thankfully, she wasn't very good at it, and I was able to give her some very good reasons why she should not do it anymore. You see, left to themselves, most children are going to be immoral, selfish, deceiving little cheats! Oh, you think I am exaggerating? Too harsh?  Did you ever have to teach your children to lie? Did you ever give them a lesson on rebellion? These behaviors come naturally. The Bible says we are all sinners, and you can see that sinful nature in children as young as two!

One of the responsibilities of parenthood is to teach children the right way to live. Even the simple things like saying "Excuse me," and covering your mouth when you cough are learned behaviors. But, today we see many who have not been taught much about respect or values and manners. Maybe their parents never learned these things either. If you grew up hearing your Dad brag about how he cheated on his taxes, I would not be surprised if you saw nothing wrong with lying and cheating. I like the saying, "Be the person you want your children to be." Yes!

The book of Proverbs says that a child left to himself brings his mother to shame. Have we been neglecting our children? Have we been too busy to instruct them properly? Have we not taken the time to model right behavior?

Somewhere along the line, have we lost our moral base? Have we adopted the idea that nothing is "wrong" if you want it? There's a song that reasons, "how can anything that feels so good be wrong?" Really? Have we become a people who make our choices based  on how we FEEL? Are morals situational? Are values negotiable?

(Deut. 6:18a NLT)  Do what is right and good in the LORD's sight, so all will go well with you.

To be honest, sin is fun.  Oh, come on now! Don't look so shocked. It is. If it was unpleasant, why would so many be into it? The problem is, it is only fun for a while. It has consequences. Deadly consequences. It is destructive to our body, soul and spirit and to others as well. It can ruin your reputation, your family, and your health. The Bible is very clear that you pay for sin with your life. Not just your physical life, either. You pay for eternity.

(Prov.21:6 NIV) A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.

We need to clearly define what is right and what is wrong. We need to know WHY it is right or wrong, and to diligently share these things with our children. We also need to model right character and behavior, attitudes, proper decision making skills, respect and moral values to them daily. There should also be appropriate consequences and discipline for wrong behavior.  If we do not take care with these things, we shouldn't be surprised if our children end up going the wrong way.