Kemah Boardwalk Celebrating Elijah's 3rd Birthday

Connor has just turned 16 and Elijah is now 3 years old. Notice how tall Connor has grown!

Lilibeth Eve

The Loss of Lilibeth

I had to fly to Texas to be with our daughter, Monica, suddenly on July 5th. She had a miscarriage in her tenth week of pregnancy. I stayed for two weeks to help her through the pain, shield her from well intentioned people she was not prepared to see just yet, and help her with our three year old grandson, Elijah. There was sadness to be sure but also joy and even moments of laughter. A three year old can do that for sure. Especially when he crawls into my lap and asks his Grandma the Magnificent (a title he gave to me) to read a story or two to him.

Although she could not easily voice her feelings, Monica did write about them. Here is what she said:

"Tuesday, July 08, 2008
There are so many things that I've been wanting to write about and share. But, there either hasn't been time, or it's been consumed by other things. This weekend has been no different ... definitely consumed by the unexpected: I lost my baby on July 5th. Though I've not been capable of 'talking' about it with anyone just yet, I do feel the need to express my feelings, and here seems to be the right place to start. This was my third pregnancy. My mother had difficulty with her pregnancies (note the plural and that I am an only child). Because of her history, I had fear during my first pregnancy that I'd miscarry easily. But, that fear gave way to joy as I progressed without concern. Connor will be sixteen this month, and Elijah three. Though thirteen years apart, my pregnancies had been easy. I had no reason to expect anything different. On July 4th, I began to spot just a little. Despite knowing that some women experience this in pregnancy, I was only slightly worried in that this had never been my experience. So, I began praying that everything would be alright. At first the spotting seemed to lighten, but then it reoccurred and this time looked more like bright red blood. Now I was concerned. I continued praying and tried to rest. Later that night I awoke at around 4:15am blood soaked and ran to the bathroom. Some tissue fell from my body ... an eerie feeling I'll never forget. Sam insisted that we wake Elijah and go to the hospital. We arrived there at nearly 4:45am. The staff checked me in and two nurses began to treat me. Though they had few words, their somber expressions screamed what I didn't want to hear. A doctor came in about an hour later and asked me, "Do you understand what's happening?" As I barely choked out a faint "yes", my throat ached and tears flooded my eyes. It had been the first time I admitted to my heart what was happening. I was losing my baby. The hospital sent me home with instructions on how to monitor my symptoms. I continued to bleed, near hemorrhage, for nineteen hours before returning to the hospital. They contacted an OB from a nearby city to get instruction as to how to treat me. They opted for a drug called Methergine to control my bleeding, but they had none on site. I waited for two hours for the drug to be couriered from another hospital. As soon as it had been given to me, my uterus began to painfully cramp. I was nearly doubled over still bleeding, still clotting and now in agonizing pain. They gave me a heavy pain reliever and released me for home again. The car trip was excruciating ... every bump, hole and fissure magnified my pain and I writhed by the time we were there. The painkiller allowed me to sleep through the night. Sam made me comfortable and waited on me like a prince throughout. He called the same OB that the hospital had spoken with to make an early morning appointment for Monday. We arrived at 9:15am. The receptionist knew to expect us, but in my mind seemed to be graceless with regard to our condition. She was so matter of fact, and concerned mainly with how we'd pay than with how we felt. Ugh. I am not a hateful person, but thoughts of love and joy were not being stirred towards her. After a few moments, the doctor saw Sam and I. He explained that he was going to look at me and see if I had passed everything I needed to. Sam took Elijah and went back to the waiting room. And, I headed to a small dimly lit room that had a very odd, very stiff, and very uncomfortable looking chair in it. It wasn't the usual bed you see in a doctor's office ... this looked more like something you'd sit in for a dental check-up. I felt chilled. The nurse told me to completely undress and slip on a paper shirt, open in the front, and to cover my legs with a paper sheet. I had trouble opening the shirt, and was dreading sitting in that odd chair as I was still bleeding and couldn't bear the thought of making a mess let alone being uncomfortably exposed. A few moments later the doctor walked in. He told me to set my legs in the calf clamps at either side of the chair. They were more like awkwardly positioned round metal tubes than easy leg rests. As I tried to sit as he instructed, a wave of insecurity washed over me. He pushed a button and the chair began to motorize and tilt backward. He pulled a light close, inserted a clamp, stretched me open and then began to poke at my insides. The pain was unbearable again. I was already consumed by layers of mental, emotional and physical anguish. The humiliation of the procedure along with realizing that I hadn't yet passed everything and would need further surgery completely broke my countenance. I couldn't help but mournfully and bitterly sob, upside down, barely covered in paper, foreign objects inside and with two strangers a foot length away. I was covered in grief. Sam (Monica's husband) took me to get checked in to the hospital. We arranged for all the paperwork, had more blood drawn and my surgery was scheduled for 2:30pm. We went home for about an hour-and-a-half before returning to the day surgery unit. They prepped me with an IV and Sam I waited for an operating room to open. It turned out that two other surgeries before us ran in to complications which delayed my procedure by nearly four hours. In a way, I was glad to wait knowing that the others before us were being cared for so well. But, I was also weary of laying on an uncomfortable stretcher, hooked up to an IV pole and freezing. Finally, the time came. The anesthetist came to speak with me, then two nurses came with pre-surgery medication. A few moments later I was whisked to the OR where the anesthesiologist placed a mask over my face, and I drifted off to black silence. That was the last thing I remember prior to waking woozy in the recovery room. Sam was still by my side. He was always by my side. I love him so. I was able to leave within a half hours time, and am glad to be back at home. I'm still hurting, though more mentally and emotionally than physically. My mom flew in yesterday and is here with me now. I'm so glad. My best friend Tami helped with Elijah, and picked my mom up from the airport while Sam and I were at the hospital. Tami, thank you for your friendship. You're so good to me. And, Sam, thank you for being so tender toward me for every moment of the last four horrific days. You have made my love for you grow. Despite ailing from your own bout with bronchitis and being severely deprived of sleep, you have sacrificed continually for Elijah's and my comfort while ministering to our every need. You really shine as the hands and feet of Christ. I'm sorry for the loss of our child, but I am so glad to have gone through it with you. Your love, care, compassion and ministering have meant the world to me. For anyone that might wonder, no I have never once blamed God nor been angry or upset with Him in any way for what has happened. This world is given over to sin, and sin has brought death ... not God. I know without question, and without hesitation that our loss was in no way God's doing, nor His will. However, I do know that our child rests in the arms of our Lord now and that we will see her in days to come. My Father has been of absolute comfort to me throughout this time. I've leaned on Him and He has covered me with His grace. This world is broken. He is not. Everything is right with Him and I claim victory and life in His name. Thank you Jehovah Rapha for being my great Healer and El Shaddai, my All Sufficient One. I love you and praise you through this storm.
Job 6:10Then I would still have this consolation— my joy in unrelenting pain— that I had not denied the words of the Holy One"

"Thursday, July 17, 2008
I feel like adding a final post about the loss of our baby on July 5th. As hard as it's been to go through, amazing good has come from it. When I woke up blood soaked early Saturday morning, I knew that something was terribly wrong. Though I hadn't been in pain at that time, Sam insisted we rush to the hospital. We did. Two very tender and sweet nurses began taking care of me. They had such kind expressions, but laced with sorrow. It was difficult to look in to their eyes. As I lay on the stiff white bed, in the cool and sterile hospital room, I simply closed my eyes and prayed ... and prayed ... and prayed. The nurses had gone for a least a period of an hour. During that time I prayed Jeremiah 32:17, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." I kept saying over and over again ... "nothing is too hard for You. You can do this. You can fix what's wrong and make it right." I not only said those words, but believed them deeply. There was no way that I'd give thought or voice to loss of hope. When the nurses returned, the doctor followed. He had a serious expression on his face, a mix between stern and grave. When he asked if I understood what was happening, there was only one reply. Yes ... I did. Despite, acknowledging his words my hope had still not been lost. I asked if we could listen for the baby's heartbeat. The doctor began to speak very clinically, and said that we could try, but doubted that we'd hear anything. Despite his pessimism, I insisted. The nurse slathered my belly with cool gel, and began to carefully search for the baby's heartbeat. But only mine was heard. It seemed that my baby had already been gone ... now it was time for 'biology' (as the doctor put it) ... to take over. There were so many layers to my experience at that time. Despite being physically and verbally engaged with the nurses, and doctor; despite my own discomfort and tumult of emotion, I had been fully gripped in prayer. It had been when I heard no heartbeat other than my own that I immediately switched gears and conceded to God, "It's a no. I know that nothing is too hard for you, but You said no. So, instead I'm going to praise You through this storm. I don't know why this is happening, but I know that You are faithful. I will still love You no matter what. You are still on the throne. You still love me. And, now I have a child in heaven ... with You." As I had been praising God, another line of thought crossed my mind. I had been thinking, while praying, how glad I was that despite the torment of my circumstance that my first reaction was to PRAISE HIM!!! That alone gave me peace and joy. And, while this peace surrounded me like a blanket, another thought began to enter. I thought, could this be pride? Am I feeling pride now ... at this moment, while my baby is literally falling from my body? Ugh. Though the thought of it repulsed me, there remained a deep satisfaction that yes! ... praise had been my first response. I had praised God at the most difficult of times, and in my most vulnerable state. After arriving home from the hospital that morning, I immediately turned to the Word. I had been searching for the verse in Jeremiah 31:13, 'I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.' I had been set on claiming that passage to get me through the day and days to come. However, As I had been searching for that passage, God revealed another to me. It was Job 6:10, 'Then I would still have this consolation - my joy in unrelenting pain - that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.' In the King James Version, the verse reads, 'Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.' The word harden in today's language seems to give the verse the exact opposite meaning of it's true translation. In Hebrew, the word 'harden' means to 'leap, jump or spring for joy.' So, Job, in his inmost heart still leaped for joy because he hadn't denied God ... even after losing all of his children, his livestock, his home and his health. He continued to praise God. I knew at that moment that God had given me a special word. The experience I had with Him in the hospital, praising Him first despite enormous loss and pain, was not pride but simple joy. I had been joyful to praise Him even in the midst of despair. I'm so glad. Thank you Father, for holding me then and now. You always do. I pray that I will be endlessly thankful for your goodness. I feel that it is important for me to share this experience, if for nothing else than to give others a ray of hope. This experience has not been easy. It's been heart wrenching. But, despite the mourning, there has been gladness. We can survive our 'worst thing imaginable' with God. He will carry us. And, though we may never know the 'why' on this side of heaven, we can know the truth. And, the truth is OUR GOD IS GOOD!!! He has plans for us .... 'plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future.' - Jeremiah 29:11. Our daughter may be in heaven, but that is where I'd want her to be anyway .... despite wanting to selfishly hold her in my flesh and blood arms, on earth. She is where we all want to be ... in the loving arms of the one who loves like no other ... our true Father in heaven. Praise be to Him. We named her Lilibeth Eve. In Hebrew: Lili means 'pure and innocent.' Beth (short for Elizabeth) means 'God is my oath.' And, Eve means 'alive or living.' So, all together she is an innocent daughter of God, alive and living because of His oath of faithfulness to us.Praise Him for He is Good!"

I told Monica I could not tell her that she would in time forget the pain of loss. I have never forgotten my miscarriages. But I did tell her she would move beyond the pain with time and that Elijah would be instrumental in that as well as her strong spiritual beliefs.

While I was away, my husband also felt compelled to write about Monica's loss. He did so in a letter he wrote and sent to Sam and Monica. This is what he wrote:

"Dear Monica and Sam, I am writing you a few lines to let you know how I personally feel about the loss of your baby, my special grand baby. As long as will live on this earth, there will always be a special place in my soul for the gift of life God gave me of this grandchild. My Christian belief is life starts with conception, when the baby's first heart beats are started by God's miracle of life. Then the child also will be given a soul by its heavenly father, Jesus, and by its heavenly grandfather, Jehovah. For some reason this miracle of life was cut short of existence to be born to a loving mother and father on earth. My faith tells me that this child will have a special place in the heavenly kingdom. I like to believe that the baby was taken by angels to heaven to be raised by them and when fully grown be presented to the heavenly father Jesus and its grandfather, Jehovah, to be welcomed by them into eternal service as a fully grown angel. Yes, I believe your baby will be an angel in god's kingdom. So when I pray to Jesus and Jehovah, I will always ask for permission to pray a few words to my personal angel, your miracle baby. Lots of love to you, Monica, and to you, Sam, for being such a kind and loving dad. My prayers are with you at this time."

My husband, Arno, is not one to write about or speak about his feelings. They are a very private part of him. That is why these words he wrote are so moving to Monica, Sam, and to me.

The Words of Obadiah

Obidiah is the shortest of the prophetic books of the Bible. The name means Servant of Jah. As with other books by the minor prophets, there are themes of judgment and restoration for God's chosen people. Historical references indicate the book was written during the year 607 BCE when Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem.

The main thrust of the prophet's ministry, reflected in the themes of his book, is the ultimate victory of the people of God if they maintain their faith. Edom is used as an example of failure to manifest love toward one's neighbor in times of need, (Obadiah 1:1-17) and the eventual victory of Israel is declared in a vision of the future. (Obadiah 1:18-21)

Edom had a close relationship with Israel through Esau, son of Isaac, who sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew. Yet the Edomites rejoiced at the destruction of the Israelites and did not offer help. "You ought not watch the sight in the day of your brother, in the day of his misfortune; and you ought not rejoice at the sons of Judah in the days of their perishing; and you ought not maintain a big mouth in the day of their distress." (Obadiah 1:12) Are we sometimes guilty of rejoicing when someone we dislike seems to be "getting what he deserves"? Is that a view our forgiving God would want us to cultivate?

Clearly that is not the attitude we should have. Obadiah goes on to say, "For the day of Jehovah against all the nations is near. In the way that you have done, it will be done to you. Your sort of treatment will return upon your own head." (Obadiah 1:15) Jesus spoke a similar warning for us to heed in today's world. "Stop judging that you may not be judged; for with what judgment you are judging you will be judged; and with the measure that you are measuring out, they will measure out to you." (Matthew 7:1,2) If we call upon these words, we will be less likely to take joy in the calamity others face, even though we may feel that person has wronged us personally or wronged mankind as a whole. Jehovah measures our words and thoughts against his perfect scale of justice.But there is a promise for those who stay with Jehovah. Obadiah comforts us with these words: "And in Mount Zion is where those escaping will prove to be..." (Obadiah 1:17) Mount Zion is a name given to the heavenly Jerusalem, God's special place. Loyal followers of Christ always find refuge there during good times and bad. That is why Christ promises He is never far off from those who follow Him.

The Prophetic Words of Amos

Amos was not born the son of a prophet. He did not belong to the organized society known as the the Sons of the Prophets. In his early life he was a humble sheep raiser and also took seasonal work pruning fig trees. Jehovah chose him to be His prophet, calling him from his flock of sheep. He was sent north to the idolatrous ten tribe kingdom. Jehovah's spirit moved Amos to use simple, direct, picturesque language so people of all backgrounds could understand what he said. Amos was the first biblical prophet whose words were recorded in a book. He was active in 750 BC during the reign of Jeroboam II. His major themes were about social justice, God's omnipotence, and divine judgment.

Amos points to Jehovah when he says, “The Lord roars from Zion.” (Amos 1:2) God has been Israel's shepherd. Like a shepherd, God is supposed to take care of Israel. But Amos, a sheepherder himself, says God is now like a Lion to Israel. The lion was the most feared animal of that time. It could attack and devour a flock of sheep while the shepherd watched helplessly. That is why Amos says the shepherds will mourn.

This roar of judgment (1:3-2:16) Amos is pronouncing is judgment on the surrounding nations, listing the evil things Israel's enemies had done and what God was going to do to Israel. Israel was anticipating a day when God would deliver them from their enemies. They failed to recognize God would also judge them according to their deeds. Amos starts with foreigners, then denounces Israel's neighbors, and finally prophesies against Judah. The justice system was corrupt. The law said it was OK to sell a debtor to pay the debt, but they were abusing it. The rich and the powerful may have been able to bribe judges to decide in their favor in a false lawsuit and that allowed them to sell the “righteous” (the one who was innocent but declared guilty) into slavery to pay the fine. “Selling the needy for a pair of sandals” shows that the people were being sold into slavery for small debts or pledges even though The law commanded the Israelites to give to the needy. They took Jehovah's forgiveness and salvation and provision but did not pass it on to others. They had no commitment to God and had no respect for those who did. Why does God consider Israel to be worse than all the other nations? It is because God requires more from those to whom He has given more. (Luke 12:48) "Everyone to whom much was given, much will be demanded of him; and the one whom people put in charge of much, they will demand more than usual of him."

God had given the Jews the law. They knew better. That was God's complaint against Judah because Judah rejected the Law. And it is God's complaint against Israel. What do all these sins of Israel have in common? Love of money and things had replaced love for people. Money had become their god. Israel's sins are worse because they knew better. Theirs was the sin of hypocrisy. How does this apply to us today? Love for money and material things can distract us from serving Jehovah as we should.

One obvious problem in Israel was the sin of materialism. We certainly face this problem in our society. We can see how the Israelites compromised God's laws and principles to achieve success. We need to be careful that we do not fall into the same trap. The Israelites did something else. They told themselves that their prosperity was God’s sign of approval. There are those who say the same as they preach prosperity to their congregations.

We see how the Israelites abused people in need. How concerned are we for the poor? What are we doing for them? Are we ignoring them or ministering to them? God expects more out of His people. We should not gloss over what we think are little sins, or what we have rationalized away as not even being a sin. Because Israel was chosen by Jehovah, the Jews thought they were immune from judgment. They thought it didn't matter what they did. They took their relationship with God for granted. But to God, being chosen means having responsibility.

How does this relate to us since we are not under the covenant blessings and curses given to Israel? We are children of God. We can't remove the relationship no matter how much we sin. What we can change is whether or not He needs to discipline us or whether He will continue with His planned blessings for us. When Israel was bad, they were still God's chosen people; they just didn't get to enjoy His blessings. Instead, God had to discipline them. And He disciplined them for transgressions that didn’t seem as bad to us as the other nations. But they knew better than to transgress against the Law. Despite all the warnings given to Israel and the fact that they are ignored for the most part, shows God's patience and His mercy.

Chapter five points out the nation would be judged by God, but individuals could yet repent and live. God's plan was for an eternal kingdom for them. They hated the one who pointed out their wickedness. People don't want to be told that they are sinning. Darkness hates the light. Their worship and singing was just noise in God’s ears because their worship was only external and did not come from the heart. God desires justice. How you treat your fellow man is what is important to God and that is what shows that you love God. Over and over again we see the theme repeated that we are to love God and show it by our love for our neighbor.

Chapter Six addresses another problem in Israel. Everyone felt they were better because they were the chosen people. They thought they were invincible because they were God's people and because of their own strength. The rest of this chapter shows how wrong they were. “you have turned justice into poison.” The judicial system which was designed to preserve the nation's health had become a lethal poison within its body.

In Chapter Seven, Amos goes on the relate three visions to Israel: The vision of the locust swarm (7:1-3), the vision of fire (7:4-6), and the vision of the plumb line (7:7-8). The contrast of the third vision with the first two is meant to show that Israel is “out-of-line” and doesn't measure up to God's standards. The prophet had asked for mercy in the first two visions, but when he was shown just how bad the people were with the plumb line, he didn't ask for mercy because he could see that the judgment was deserved. God's people did not measure up to His standards. Amos sees the nation as God sees it. He looks at the situation theologically (the plumb line) and from reality (Amaziah's response) and sees that the judgment is deserved. Too often we respond to bad things emotionally and blame God or think that it isn't fair, but we don't see what is going on from God's perspective.

The vision of ripe fruit in Chapter 8 showed the time was ripe for executing judgment. They went to worship on the Sabbath, but they resented the Sabbath because they couldn’t go to work and make more money by cheating others. If the law can be summed up by loving God and loving your neighbor, the Israelites showed that they did neither. If you don’t love your neighbor, it proves that you don’t love God. It is worse to go without hearing the word of God and then doing His will than to go without food.

In Chapter 9, Amos tells us God will shake the nation to separate the wheat from the chaff. And when God shakes, no chaff will remain. God will sort everyone out in the end and He will determine who will be saved and who will not. We have a tendency to want to judge others and determine if they are saved, but that is God’s job. Hope is also given. The ultimate purpose for God's judgment is not revenge, it is restoration. God punishes us to bring us back to Him. This is always the purpose for discipline. In Matthew 18 Jesus talks about reproving your brother. The goal is to bring him to the point where he sees his sin and repents. Peter understands this and asks the question about how many times we must forgive. Jesus’ answer is... always. There will come a time when God will restore the Israel of today. Godly people from other nations will be included. That was Israel's purpose all along -- to be a testimony to the world of how great God is and lead the nations to Him. It is the believer's role to attract the nations to God and bring them into the kingdom.

Amos' prophecy comes to a close with verse 15 which says they will not again be rooted out from their land. Although the unbeliever's sins often appear worse to us, in God's eyes the sins of the Christian are worse because we should know better. Just as God was patient with Israel and gave an opportunity to repent, God also is patient with us and gives us time to repent. But we should not abuse God's grace because we don't know when He will finally bring judgment. We must rest our trust in Jehovah's ways. God is faithful in His promise as long as we are faithful in our committment to him. Our faithfulness should be seen through our words and the way we live our daily life.

More About the Book of Joel

Much can be applied to us today from the warnings issued in Jehovah's judgment of mankind in Joel's day. The plague of the caterpillar, locusts, and cockroaches noted in Joel 1:4 have symbolic meaning.

The caterpillar is the first or larval stage in the life of a locust. In order to avoid detection, caterpillars tend to blend in to the background. The same can be said of false Christians and their leaders who at first appear to be sincere followers of Christ. They blend in with the true believers, much like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Acts 20:29-30 warns of this happening: "I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tendernesss, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves." The appetite of caterpillars is voracious, eating as much as twice their weight in vegetation daily. So,too. is the voracious appetite of those who speak twisted things to draw members of the congregation away.

Biblically the locust has been used to represent God's judgment. The invasion of locusts can transform a paradise-like place to a wilderness. Among believers, there is a similar devastation in God's congregation when false teachers tear apart true believers, dividing them into groups and causing such dissension among the members of a congregation that what once was a spiritual paradise has become a desolate wilderness of doubt. In the Book of Romans Paul was inspired to warn of those who like locusts were stripping away the faith of true believers. "For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who are suppressing the truth in an unrighteous way. Because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings and their unintelligent heart became darkened." (Romans 1: 18, 21) Too many times these "locusts" have come into a congregation and through their sowing of seeds of doubt have devastated or even destroyed a congregation.

The cockroach is an insect which prefers to only come out under cover of darkness to consume whatever has been left behind by the others. Peter warns us about these "cockroaches" who come among us in times of spiritual darkness to consume whatever is left behind that may be weak or vulnerable in our spiritual state, ''...There will also be false teachers among you. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects...many will follow their acts of loose conduct and on account of these the way of the truth will be spoken about abusively. Also with covetousness they will exploit you with counterfeit words." (2nd Peter 2: 1-3) If we are not watchful, carefully guarding our hearts and minds with the truth of God's word, we can be consumed by false words and leave the teachings of the true teachers of the congregation. The litmus test for truth is the Bible. If a person's teachings cannot be clearly supported by Bible verses, those words are false.

The Prophet Joel

The Book of Joel, a prophetic book of the Old Testament of the Bible, derives its name from the prophet Joel. Nothing other than his name is known about the prophet. The date of composition was probably between 400 and 350 BC, although some scholars place it much earlier (9th - 7th century BC).

The book falls into two sections. The first (1:1 - 2:17) gives an account of a plague of locusts and a drought that ravaged Judah as a symbol of divine judgment. The second (2:18 - 3:21) promises the gift of the spirit of the Lord for the entire population and declares final judgment on all nations, with protection and fertility for Judah and Jerusalem. The passage on the outpouring of God's Spirit (2:28 - 32) is cited in Peter's sermon in Acts 2:17 - 21. Later, Paul applied these prophetic words (Joel 2:32) to both Jews and non-Jews who call upon Jehovah in faith. "For everyone who calls upon the name of Jehovah will be saved." (Romans 10:13) It is this portion of Joel which I have chosen to write about since it has importance for us in the current times we live in.

In Chapter Two, verses 28 and 29, Joel speaks of God's spirit being poured out resulting in prophesy, dreams, and visions. Peter told the early congregation that the same things would occur again in their time. What does that mean for us now in these days for modern Christians? Are these gifts of the spirit still active today or have they been done away with?

This can be a bone of contention for some. It is true there was an outpouring of holy spirit at Pentecost and miraculous gifts were granted to Christians to aid them as the number of true believers began to grow and establish congregations. However in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul clearly points out that these gifts would be done away with. "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." The evidence is that with the death of the apostles, these gifts stopped being transmitted, having served their purpose because by that time the books of the Bible which had been inspired by holy spirit had been completed. Nothing new needed to be added to an already perfect and completed book from Jehovah. But we do continue to learn from the past prophets as well as the apostles who followed closely the teachings of Christ, and the laws Jehovah has given us.

What is significant about Pentecost? This was a later name used to denote the Festival of Harvest. when first fruits were offered to Him. That fact is appropriate to our time, for there is no greater harvest at hand than the harvest of new believers of the teachings of Christ and his father, Jehovah. In turn, we too gather fruit for harvest to bring glory to God and His son.

Looking at the Prophets: Hosea

Inspired by my son-in-law's journal, I have decided to look into the lesser known and read books of the Bible written by prophets. Following the book of Daniel, which contain a number of prophcies which relate directly to our times, is the book of Hosea.

We know practically nothing about the life or social status of Hosea. According to the Book of Hosea, he married the prostitute Gomer, the daughter of Diblatayim, at God's command. He lived in the Northern Kingdom in the period 740–725 BCE. Hosea's family life reflected the "adulterous" relationship which Israel had built with polytheistic gods. His children's names made them like walking prophecies of the fall of the ruling dynasty and the severed covenant with God. Hosea is often seen as a "prophet of doom", but underneath his message of destruction is a promise of restoration. The Talmud claims that he was the greatest prophet of his generation.

Restoration is vital to Christians today as each of us strive daily to be more like Christ in our actions and our thoughts. It is far from easy to imitate Christ, even though we are commanded to do so. Paul tells us, "Become imitators of me even as I am of Christ" (1st Corinthians 11:1) Speaking figuratively of the restoration by Jehovah of his people who had strayed from Him, Hosea speaks to us as restored believers, who "...will certainly be collected together into a unity and will actually set up for themselves one head.." (Hosea 1:11) He goes on to promise to those restored to Jehovah, "...I will engage you to me for time indefinite, and I will engage you to me in righteousness and in justice and in loving-kindness and in mercies. And I will engage you to me in faithfulness; and you will certainly know Jehovah." (Hosea 2:19, 20) Consider all of the qualities God promises us we will have one we are restored to Him in a proper relationship: righteousness, justice, loving-kindness, mercy, and faithfulness.

Obviously, if we are to cultivate these qualities, we must also consistently demonstrate these qualities toward others in our daily life. Now, that is not too difficult when dealing with those with whom we already have a close and harmonious relationship. But, if we are to be truly restored to Jehovah, we must also demonstrate these same qualities with those who fall short of our expectations or even are in direct opposition to us. There is the rub, as Shakespeare might say.

But, Hosea does not leave us desolate and discouraged if we have not proven true to the qualities Jahovah has called us to emulate. He ackowledges that his people will stumble and even fall short. Hosea tell us that Jehovah calls to us. "Do come back, O Israel, to Jehovah your God, for you have stumbled in your error. Take with yourselves words and come back to Jehovah. Say to him...may you pardon error; and accept what is good." (Hosea 14: 1, 2) The promise continues with these words: "I shall heal their unfaithfulness. I shall love them of my own free will..." (Hosea 14: 4)

In his closing words, Hosea asks, "Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Discreet, that he may know them? For the ways of Jehovah are upright, and the righteous are the ones who will walk in them; but the transgressors are the ones who will stumble in them." To walk in them connotes action on a daily basis, making these qualities an everyday part of our lives. To stumble in them indicates a need to improve our way of thinking, speaking, and acting alligned with the examples of Jehovah and His son, Jesus Christ. This is a work in progress that will take a lifetime of effort and patience, but it is achievable because we know God promises not to ask of us more than it is possible to do.

Stormy Weather

What a week it has been for us in northern California! We have had five inches of rain, strong winds, loss of phone service, and now frequent electrical outages. That is why I have not been writing in my journal. Last night we had a three hour low voltage brownout with just a trickle charege, enough to allow a glow barely visible from our lamps. So we unplugged all our electeical appliances and went to bed. Today we have had four brief power outages but the last of the storms have come through and we have a dry week ahead in our forecast. Hopefully things will settle down.

Storm of the Decade

I have not written for two days due to the three day storm we have experienced here in northern California. They are now calling it the storm of the decade. We had a total of nearly four inches of rain, sustained winds (on Friday) of forty-five MPH with gusts up to seventy, and power and phone outages. We even had thunder and lightening...a rarity here...on Saturday. Today we awoke to sun for an hour or so but now it is cloudy and we are expecting more rain...mostly passing showers.

Yesterday we found that our land line was out and we could neither call out or receive calls (I used my cell phone to call our neighbor and ask her to call us). Then I spent a very frustrating hour and a half attempting to reach ATT to report the problem with our phone. First, I tried the number given in our bill. I reached a person in India (I could tell by the sound of his heavily accented voice coupled with a cacophony of voices in the background). He gave me a nunber which directed me to a universal phone repair bank. He told me he could not help me. So back to ATT. First, I tried the internet but could not gert past the required password which I did not have and could not get through registering for one. It simply would not allow me to do so. Using my cell phone I called the new service line which took me through a chain of "push this number". The first time the computer voice gave to repair the problem would be Tuesday because of all the service calls caused by the storm.

Here is where it gets very interesting. Just before four AM this morning my husband was awakened by the sound of our doorbell. Half asleep, he opened the door to find a very tall Petaluma policeman standing there. He asked who lives in our house. My husband answered, "My wife and I." The policeman said, "I need to see her." When my husband turned and began walking away, the policeman said, "Sir, I need you to let me in. I will accompany you to your wife." My husband walked into the family room adjacent to our bedroom and called to me to wake up, put on a robe, and come out because a policeman was here. In a fog, I did as he said. When I came up to the door of the family room I was greeted by a very tall policeman whose hand was on his pistol in his holster. He appologized for waking me and explained that the Petaluma Police Department had been receiving 911 calls from our house but when they called back all they heard was static. That is why they sent the officer and why he demanded to see me. He wanted to be sure I was alright and not the victim of foul play.

Now the thing we cannot figure out is how our nonfunctioning phone dialed 911 automatically and why it did so. We unpluggged all our land line and digital phones to stop the system from dialing 911. I called ATT this morning and this time I spoke directly with the repair representative. I told her what happened and that the police department wanted the peoblem resolved. She said the earliest they could come was Monday. However, two hours later, the ATT repair truck arrived and began working on the problem.

Keeping Our Children Close

Parents have a great reponsibility to train up their children according to the ways of God. It is a responsibility that does not end at a certain age. It is a lifetime responsibility. We just recently returned from a visit with our daughter and family in Texas. Our daughter, Monica, is going to be thirty-eight in June. She and Sam have been married since June 2003. Monica has a fifteen year old son, Connor, from her first marriage and she and Sam have a toddler, Elijah, who is nearly two and a half.

Sam and Monica work very hard to train up their children according to the ways of God. This is no easy task. There is the challenge of reaching the mind and heart of a teenager. There is the careful balancing required by Sam as a step father who is attempting to take the spiritual lead in the teaching of Connor in spiritual matters. There is the physical stress of a busy, daily life for Monica as she attempts to keep a household runnung smoothly, keeping the household and business accounts, caring for an energetic toddler, getting Connor to and from school, preparing meals, and running errands. There is sleep deprivation for both Sam and Monica as they cope with not enough time in the day to accomplish all that needs to be done.

So many couples cope with these things every day as they struggle to hold the family dynamic in the world today. Without the guidance and support of the creator, this would be a daunting task. Both Sam and Monica at times find themselves overwhelmed and even discouraged. It is hard for them to see first hand the progress they are making. But as an observer in their home during our visit, I can clearly see that they are doing well and deserve praise for all they are accomplishing.

Their success is the due to their relationship with God and their determination to continue following the guidelines in the Bible for training their children in the ways of God. As a result, their children can say as David did, "Make me know your own ways, O Jehovah; teach me your own paths. Make me walk in your truth and teach me." (Psalms 25: 4 and 5)

An essential attribute for a teacher is patience. This is not an easy attribute to cultivate. It is only human for us to want to see immediate results...obvious successes. But God's timetable is not our timetable. And we can be most thankful that He is so patient with us. "Jehovah is not slow respecting His promise...but he is patient with you..." (2nd Peter 3:9) As teachers, especially, we should imitate God in his patience when teaching, whether it be our children or those we are teaching the Truth. Sam feels especially discouraged but when talking about this frustration with him, I pointed out that he should continue his daily Bible studies with Connor even though he thinks Connor is not listening or taking active participation in the discussion because only God can see into Connor's heart. As a teacher, I cannot say how often a student has said to me years after being in my classroom how much he learned from me, even though I thought he had not heard a word. Persevere in all things to God's glory.

Daily Thoughts of God

We are told this is a new age of enlightenment. People seek meaning in life and fresh understanding. But, instead of searching for something new, why not return to something familiar, even traditional, with a fresh veiwpoint? Our Creator has left us a carefully worded blueprint to follow for a successful, meaningFULL life. How much simpler life would be if we would simply look to that blueprint on a daily basis.

Today, I want to consider virtue. Many consider this an old fashioned word. Perhaps even a term indicating weakness. Virtue used to be so clear-cut. It was a term equated with honesty, loyalty, chasteness, and honorable behavior. In today's society, people feel justified in choosing their own values, like choosing groceries in a supermarket. Sadly, Virtue is rarely chosen as one of those values.

Sense of right and wrong is an essential component of virtue. As a teacher spanning a career of nearly forty years, I have personally witnessed tremendous changes in the attitudes of my students regarding their sense of right and wrong. In recent times, increasingly most young people I have had contact with have no idea what I was talking about when discussing how a sense of right and wrong guides how a person thinks and behaves. No wonder our world as we know it today is in so much turmoil!

In earlier times, the Church gave us instruction regarding the importance of maintaining our virtue. Sadly, many churches no longer teach moral guidelines. Rather than upholding righteous principles, they have made themselves part of the world and its evils. The Bible speaks of our present times in the book of 2nd Timothy where it foretold the present moral breakdown, including a lacking of virtue. "In the last days times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money...disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection...without love of goodness, ...headstrong...lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.." (2nd Timothy 3:1-5) Virtue has no place in such a world.

So, what must we do to maintain virtue in a world so corrupt? We need to live life daily as if walking side by side with Christ. How differently we would speak, act, and think if we were walking with Him. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote these encouraging words: "...whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are loveable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things." Peter also gives us encouragement when he wrote: "...supply to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to your knowledge self-control, to your self control endurance, to your endurance godly devotion, to your godly devotion botherly affection, to your brotherly affection love. for if these things exist in you and OVERFLOW, they will prevent you from being either inactive or unfruitful. " (2nd Peter 1:5-8) Cultivate what is virtuous and you will be fruitful in all that you do, all to the glory of God.

2008...a new year Begins

It has been quite some time since I have written in this journal. One of my resolutions for this new year is to write daily and to continue my narrative of my family history in a second journal of mine, titled "Presence of Mind".

This past year has been so violent and troublesome. If each of us could practice the concept of peace within our own heart, the world would know greater peace. It is the little actions done on a daily basis that can make all the difference. At the age of 63 (soon to be 64 in February), I have come to realize that searching for the deeper meaning in life has to start with the little everyday things. Thinking before I speak. Considering the needs of others before my own. Seeking God every day with every word and deed.

I am convinced that the cell phone, modern communication, and immediate gratification has led man down a slippery slope. Remember, when I was a child in the forties and fifties, life was so simple. There was no internet, cell phones, Blackberries, and all the other gadgets that keep us connected twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. We did not shorten our words or our thoughts because we were so busy...we took time to talk directly to each other or to write to each other. Because we could not reach a loved one immediately, we considered our words and deeds carefully, knowing the time we did have together was to be cherished. I admit I do have a cell phone and make use of the internet, but I do not leave my cell phone on and limit my time on the computer. I truly do believe what has made this nation so self-serving is the demand for immediacy in every facet of life. As a result, many do not know how to wait....whether waiting on God or pondering what to do in life or even deciding what to do tomorrow or next weekend. That is what makes a person cut in front of you on the freeway, only to get off at the next exit or be unwilling to give you time to consider their words.

Take time to reflect. Take time to see your surroundings. Take time to remember what your loved one's face looks like. Take time to wonder in the everyday. Time is not meant to be spent quickly but to be savored for every minute aspect of one's being.