I had a couple of conversations this week about leaving a legacy. Over the years, Darrell and I have often talked about our family legacy or inheritance and what that might look like after we are gone. We try to balance between feeling the need to leave the children some monetary or physical treasures with feeling responsible to sow the Word of God in their lives with truth, morals and values by which to live by. I would add that we want our children to know that they are a gift from God, are valuable to Him and loved by us.
 
 Can we agree, that at some level, everyone leaves a legacy whether it is intentional or happenstance? I believe a person is remembered not so much by what they say as to what they do; actions speak louder than words.  A parent might tell their child that they love them but their actions may be harsh and uncaring. They may fall short of demonstrating love or at the very worst they may have created a “warped” sense of the meaning of love. I have seen too many people die alone in the hospital even having been given the opportunity for hospital personnel to call whoever they would care to have at bedside. The answers were all too similar…… “ I am not close to my family…. My kids have nothing to do with me….. I have been estranged from my kids for years……No, I don’t want any of my family to know where I am…..”  Whether intentional or a causality of broken relationships, there was a legacy left for that family. That legacy was created over time and will stick in the minds of the family members left behind.
 
We have been exposed to famous people all of our lives for their contribution to the “betterment” of the human race. Not sure if famous people throughout the years really thought about the legacy they would be credited for by the world.  Was Elvis Presley intentionally working toward being the King of Rock and Roll? What about Mother Teresa? She was a devote Roman Catholic nun and founder of Missionaries of Charity, who spent her life in India selflessly caring for the lepers, homeless and the dying in the slums? Who knows if Mother Teresa ever thought she would receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for being a humble and caring woman that shaped some many lives. Maria Curie’s discovery of two new chemicals, radium and polonium, led her to use the knowledge in carrying out the first research in treating tumors with radiation.  Ms. Curie was the first woman to earn a Nobel Prize. Did Ms. Curie have any idea of the significance of her discovery or the amount of people who would benefit from her actions? It would have been impossible for her to have known the magnitude of her discovery.  In 1963, did Martin Luther King ever anticipate that his “ I Have a Dream” speech would be deemed as the greatest speech in history?  Who knows, but the impact has been tremendous.
 
In the Bible, we can look at several legacies of people. Even though these people were imperfect and committed sins, their actions left a legacy. In 1 Samuel 13:14, the prophet Samuel informs King Saul of his replacement, David “14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” Look at the Psalms.  David penned many of these chapter expressing his devotion, dependency, and need of God. David’s shepherd and rock in which he anchored was God.  
 
Solomon is noted to have a legacy of wisdom.  In 1 Kings 3:10-15 (ERV)
“The Lord was happy that Solomon asked for wisdom. So God said to him, You did not ask for long life and riches for yourself. You did not ask for the death of your enemies. You asked for the wisdom to listen and make the right decisions. So I will give you what you asked for. I will make you wise and intelligent. I will make you wiser than anyone who ever lived or ever will live. And I will also give you what you did not ask for. You will have riches and honor all your life. There will be no other king in the world as great as you. And I will give you a long life if you follow me and obey my laws and commands as your father David did. Solomon woke up and knew that God had spoken to him in the dream. Then Solomon went to Jerusalem and stood before the Box of the LORD’s Agreement. He offered a burnt offering and fellowship offerings to the Lord and then gave a party for all of his officials.” Solomon was the author of some of the chapters in Proverbs, sometimes referred to as the wisdom book.
 
There are so many people who have left legacies for us in scripture but I conclude with the Hall of Faith…Hebrews 11. Spend some time reading of those individuals who left a legacy of faith, an example to all of us.
 
I think, as we consider our actions and what we deem as important in leaving a legacy, assuming we are giving any thought to it, consider what scripture says would be valuable.  
 
In Luke 12:15, “Then he said to them, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in the abundance of possession.”
 
 Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold”
 
Proverbs 13:22, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.
 
Proverbs 20:21, “An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end”
 
We did not even touch the unbelievable inheritance we have been given through our relationship with Jesus Christ.  God our Father is such a loving Father that He planned the best for His children.
 
I would challenge each of you to consider what legacy or inheritance you are in the midst of developing right now.  While money or possessions can be a blessing (only when guarding greed) it may not be possible for many of us.  But I can assure you, we all can leave a greater legacy of character, love, truth of scripture, a model of a life surrendered to God, and a purposeful life in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  These are doable tasks for all of us but are tasks of intentionality.

Blessings,
Karen
 
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We are such an instantaneous society.  I would guess over the last 70 years or more, slowly and in some cases quickly, our culture has moved to a demand mentality.  We chose our service providers on how quickly they can deliver.  We order online and it shows up on our door the next day. The only step we have to take is the one onto our porch to pick up the package.
 
There are still some events that require a waiting time.  My observation is that we don’t wait very well, myself included.  When it comes to a new baby coming, just tell yourself it will be 40 weeks.  But for most of us moms to be or grandmothers to be we always think that precious bundle will arrive early.  From the moment we learn of the “sweet package” coming, we spend time in preparation, anticipation, making ready, counting the days and in a state of high alert and excitement.
 
Having a baby coming is one of the grandest occasions a family can experience.  Now before you give me all the exceptions, I will admit, based on my professional experience as a Social Worker in many different capacities, this is not always true. But with a broad stroke of the brush, so to speak, we will view the occasion with glassy eyes that sees flowers and rainbows full of color and excitement.
 
This excitement is evidenced by gender reveals, which are prevalent and floods the social media.  One of my favorites is the reveal by the mother to be in which her brothers hold a swimming race, one representing a boy and the other a girl. It certainly was a comical event, which had everyone in stitches.  Then there are the glamour shots, mom to be in a beautiful flowing gown and the confetti filled balloon  large as life.  I have a momentary tinged of pain for the gender reveal which “got away”.  The family for different reasons released the balloon before popping it to reveal the colored confetti.  I wondered if they chose to just wait it out like in olden times……revealed at birth.  God was actually the first gender revealer when He told Adam about his helper, Eve in Genesis 2:18. Then there was Hagar, the concubine of Abram who was to have a son in Genesis 16:11.   The following chapter, God revealed to Abraham after having changed his name from Abram, in Genesis 17: 19 that his wife Sarah would have a son. The coming birth of John the Baptist in Luke 1 was announced first to his father, Zacharias and then to the mother, Elizabeth.  There are others but our most significant reveal in history has been in Luke 1:31 when the angel Gabriel announced to the virgin Mary that she would conceive a son and name him Jesus.  Gender reveals have led to preparation, anticipation and excitement of the coming day of the arrival.  Even though the gender is known, the date and time of delivery is still in God’s hands.
 
 There are still some things that we do have to wait for in life and which may actually require preparation.  A doctor does not  have a Dr. before their name without years of preparation, validation of their skills and education.  A judge doesn’t just show up for work one day and begin to pass judgments without years of formal training and practice of law. For many of us, before we entered our chosen professions, we had years of preparation, anticipate and looking forward to the day to begin the new life, with a new identity.  So we have spent time, money and energy in preparation for the new temporal life we have created on this earth.
 
In Matthew 25:1-13, as a comparison to the Kingdom of Heaven, we read the parable of the 10 virgins, who were to prepare and anticipate the coming of the bridegroom. The virgins had their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.   Five of the virgins were foolish, took their lamps however did not have oil, while the other five were prudent and took their lamps with a flask of oil.  In verse 5, we learned the bridegroom was delayed and the virgins were drowsy and feel asleep.  About midnight, there was a shout that the bridegroom was there for the virgins to go meet him.  The prudent virgins arose, trimmed their lamps but the foolish virgins asked of the prudent virgins to give them oil for their lamp because their lamps were going out. In verse 9, “ But the prudent answered saying, “No there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves”.  The foolish virgins had to make a purchase of oil while the prudent virgins (vs. 10…”were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut”. What was the fate of the foolish virgins who were unprepared, not giving thought of the day or hour that the bridegroom would arrive?  In verses 11-13, we learn that the virgins came saying, “Lord, lord open up for us”.  “But he answered and said, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you”.  “Be on alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hours.” This was also referenced in Matthew 24:42, “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming”.
 
The Bible gives us instructions, in many verses, to be prepared for the return of Christ.  As Christians, we are to be like the 5 prudent virgins, prepared and waiting for the return.  Evangelist Billy Graham stated: “We are to wait for the coming of Christ with patience. We are to watch with anticipation. We are to work with Zeal. We are to prepare with urgency. Scripture says Christ is coming when you’re least expecting him. Coming as a thief. He said, ‘Be prepared. Get Ready. Prepare to meet thy God. Are you prepared?” Author C.S. Lewis stated:  “Precisely because we cannot predict the moment, we must be ready at all moments.”
 
I have heard my husband say to people, while he witnessing to them, “We spend a lot of time preparing for this life but very little time preparing for the life to come”. What should you be doing in anticipation of the return of Christ? The very first step would be accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  From the point of salvation, I encourage you to grow in your faith through prayer, scripture, discipleship and sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
Originally published in 1970, Gloria and Bill Gaither with their band released “The King is coming”.  A song that will continue to paint a beautiful portrayal of what His return might be like.
 
The marketplace is empty,
No more traffic in the streets,
All the builders' tools are silent,
No more time to harvest wheat;
Busy housewives cease their labors,
In the courtroom no debate,
Work on earth is all suspended
As the King comes thro' the gate.

O the King is coming,
The King is coming!
I just heard the trumpets sounding,
And now His face I see;
O the King is coming,
The King is coming!
Praise God, He's coming for me!

Happy faces line the hallways,
Those whose lives have been redeemed,
Broken homes that He has mended,
Those from prison He has freed;
Little children and the aged
Hand in hand stand all aglow,
Who were crippled, broken, ruined,
Clad in garments white as snow.

O the King is coming,
The King is coming!
I just heard the trumpets sounding,
And now His face I see;
O the King is coming,
The King is coming!
Praise God, He's coming for me!

I can hear the chariots rumble,
I can see the marching throng,
The flurry of God's trumpets
Spells the end of sin and wrong:
Regal robes are now unfolding,
Heaven's grandstand's all in place,
Heaven's choir now assembled,
Start to sing "Amazing Grace!"

O the King is coming,
The King is coming!
I just heard the trumpets sounding,
And now His face I see;
O the King is coming,
The King is coming!
Praise God, He's coming for me!
 
  Trim your lamps, be on alert, and look for Jesus Christ’s return. 
 
Blessings,
Karen

Last week, we engaged the idea of seeking God for His directions, how He speaks to us now and in ages past.  Today, we will dive into the act of obedience.  I thought it would be appropriate to start off with probably one of the most famous obedience story we learned as children and conclude with the most significant story of obedience that there has ever been.
 
In the book of Jonah, we see a snippet of his life story, the good, the bad and the ugly, of course not in that order.  God is all about solving problems we face.  His heart beats redemption for all of us from our self centered, sinful heart.  There is no life in our fleshly desires today just as it has been since creation and was in the time of Jonah.  From the very start of the book, God speaks to Jonah to “arise, go to Nineveh, a great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before me” 1:2.  As we remember as children in Sunday school, Jonah ran from what God told him to do.  He fled to Tarshish, “from the presence of the Lord” (1:3) and boarded a ship in Joppa. Jonah, trying to get away from the presence of the Lord…from obeying what the Lord told him to do, went below the deck of the ship and fell asleep.  In verse 4, “And the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea, and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up”. Jonah was oblivious to the danger the entire ship was in.  Remember, he was trying to flee from the presence of the Lord but was highly unsuccessful since the Lord knew exactly what sea and what ship Jonah was hiding out in, and was hoping to not be discovered.
 
In total desperation for survival, the crew cried out an appeal to their own gods to no avail. The captain went below, finding Jonah asleep, and wakened him, pleading that Jonah call out to his God to intervene so they would not perish. Meanwhile, the crew implemented a common practice of casting lots, which fell on Jonah as the “guilty culprit” of the storm. Verse 9 is full of questions the crew had for Jonah. He revealed he was a Hebrew who feared “the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and dry land”.  Jonah had admitted that he was “fleeing from the presence of the Lord” (vs10).  With the storm increasing in the sea, the crew asked what they should do with Jonah in order for the sea to become calm.  At this point, we know the rest of the story.  Jonah offered himself up and the crew threw him over board, calming the sea.  It is noteworthy, in the midst of this major storm, the crew tried to save themselves and appealed to their gods to no success. However, they called out to the Lord, asking not to be held accountable for Jonah’s blood and to not let them perish.  As result, the crew feared the Lord and offered sacrifices.  In spite of Jonah’s disobedience to go to Nineveh, the crew of the ship had an encounter with the Lord God.
 
But God was not finished Jonah.  There was the unfinished task…the deliverance of the people of Nineveh. God is so intentional.  In 1:17, “…. the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.  After spending time in prayer to God, Jonah was vomited up on dry land (chapter 12).  Once again this initial issue of obedience was presented to Jonah to go to Nineveh with the proclamation that the Lord was going to give him. Jonah was obedient to the second directive of the Lord and went, proclaiming the word that God gave him to say.  As a result, “the people of Nineveh believed in God; and the called a fast and put on sack cloth from the greatest to the least of them” (3:5).  When the King heard, he too joined the people in entreating God who withheld the calamity from the people.
 
Our discussion last week was seeking God for His wisdom.  As we commit ourselves to Him, it is highly possible He will bring to us directions that we were not seeking.  That’s how it was for Jonah, who was not seeking God about going to the people of Nineveh. Chapter 4, we see that Jonah was actually displeased and became angry with the results of his obedience.  God exposed Jonah’s heart concisely in the final verses of chapter 4 of the book of Jonah.  “Then the Lord said, “You have compassion on the plant for which you did not work, and which you did not cause to grow which came up overnight and perished overnight. And should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” verse 11.  Yes, Jonah was obedient to the direction of God, but not happy.  Jonah really did not understand God’s purpose and plan for people.
 
And now here comes the most significant story of obedience. God, from the very beginning of time, knew where the free will of man would lead him……to the need of the cross. God’s plan A has always been the redemption of man through God the Son, Jesus Christ. The thought of Jesus as the Savior of the world did not just appear in the New Testament in the first book Matthew.  The life of Jesus was foreshadowed throughout the entire Bible beginning in Genesis.  So let’s turn our eyes to the one who, every day of His earthly existence was in obedience to the plan of God our Father.
 
In Philippians 2, Paul exhorts us to have humility.  In so doing, he uses the one and only true example, that of Jesus.  In 2:5-8, we see the extent of Jesus’ obedience; “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (NIV).  Jesus understood His part in the redemption plan of God for humanity…as the sacrificial lamb. In John 1:29, as Jesus approached John the Baptist was baptism, John the Baptist boldly proclaimed to the people, “…. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”.  What was God’s plan A for the our sins?  Jesus Christ.
God’s plan of redemption for the world was centered on God the Son, Jesus Christ’s obedience of death on the cross for all of our sins.  John 3:16-17 says, “16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Leading up to the cross, Jesus lived a life of obedience and mounted a colt for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. People lined the streets waving palm branches shouting Hosanna (Mark 11) only to turn on him a few days later condemning Jesus, an innocent man, in place of a criminal.  God’s plan for mankind…..Jesus’s obedience to the cross, laying down His life for the sins of the world….for you and me.
Of course the story does not end on the cross for Jesus did not stay nailed to the cross.  He was removed and placed in tomb but not to be held there forever.  Easter is coming; the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty.  Jesus was resurrected and is alive!!!
What is the message for us? Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and as a result live a life of obedience to God’s directions.  
I have shared two contrasting life stories of obedience.  One story of a life of a man who ran from obedience, suffered consequences and finally returned to the road of obedience but with anger in his heart. And then there was the story of the other man who knew His life was a road of obedience all the way to the cross.
Has your life been redeemed by the blood of the lamb, Jesus Christ? If so, let’s walk on the road of obedience.  As we sense a “nudging, gut feelings, eyes of compassion, impressions etc.”, let’s be obedient to be the vessel through which God ministers to others. Let us bring forth and share God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.
 
Hallelujah! The story does not end on the cross but with the victory over death, our resurrected Savior who is alive.
 
Do you know Jesus?
 
Blessings,
Karen
 
 

Life has certainly taken a big turn or shift since December when I left the hospital for life of part time work…on my terms.  It was a big risk for me or I should say for us.  I left a dependable salary where I had invested myself into the culture of the hospital, working hard with my colleagues and medical staff to meet the needs of so many patients.  I left, not because I had a hefty retirement awaiting me (because I had no retirement) but because Darrell and I agreed it was the right time to do so.
 
So how did Darrell and I get to the decision of me walking away from a great salary and worthy work of helping people in their deepest, darkest time?  Hospitalization in a person’s life is usually related to health perilous conditions. It almost sounds selfish, self-serving for me to leave but I can assure you it has not been.
 
I only share this process because it is a common pursuit of all people and I might add maybe more specifically for Christian people seeking direction for their life in following God’s path.  It would be so easy if we could be like King Belshazzar in Daniel 5, when during a banquet, a hand appeared and wrote on the wall.  He had to summon Daniel to interpret the message and foretold the King’s fate, which by the way did not end well.  Or even easy if God spoke to us like He spoke to Moses in Exodus 3 through a burning bush that was not consumed. Nope, I have not had that experience.
 
So for us, there was no handwriting on the wall or burning bush.  The process began last July during a bible study on Proverbs that I was co-teaching to women at church. I remember studying the scripture when it was like a light turned on in my mind.  I was working, with one intent, to pay off one small bill and our house.  That was it, no more.  I was about 30 months from getting it done.  I was dumping as much money on both of those bills.  I was actually counting months, which was so motivating. But that day, in bible study, began a different course and mindset.
 
As I was studying Proverbs, and I don’t even remember the specific passage, I had an overwhelming impression that came into my mind.  It was so clear, “stop working to pay off the house”.  Of course my mind raced in so many directions.  Is that from you God?  Do you mean keep working but don’t try to pay off of the house? Or more cynical, is something going to happen to me, or Darrell that we don’t need to pay off the house? Is the world going to end and we will all be raptured so who cares if the house is paid off (I actually have heard that line from people)? Was this my imagination or did I actually hear/had an impression from God.
 
I was very moved emotionally by this statement, ruminating over it for days.  Paying off the house had been my “only” motivation in getting up every day and living in the stress of ICU/Emergency Department.  Not wonderful to confess. While I cherished the interactions with the wonderful nurses and patients, I was so done and spent on the stress of my job. It was showing on my face, attitude and demeanor.  It took me a couple of days to tell Darrell about the thought.  Darrell has always been very supportive of me and his first comment was that we had always planned for me to quit at sometime.  So we set a different course from that discussion; first and foremost, praying. 
 
We declared the month of August a time of fasting and praying.  Of course we did not fast the entire month but we were intentional that we were praying for a clear answer, for me to leave the hospital. We prayed individually and jointly.  At the conclusion of the month, we both agreed that the time was coming to leave the hospital and that we would know the right time.  Our strategy changed immediately. I quit dumping extra money on the two bills and focused on moving it to savings.
 
As the days turned to weeks and then to months, a day finally came that we both agreed on me submitting my resignation.   I actually submitted but then extended for another month or so.  I won’t get in the “weeds” as to how we knew but we did and had peace. I have to say, I had my worries and doubts. I even negotiated part time work 3 days of week however, we got to the point; the right action was complete break away from the hospital which I did the first week of December.
 
Throughout scripture, God has used many ways of communicating His message and direction to people. In 1Kings 19:9-10, Elijah was hiding in a cave when God spoke to him.  In Luke 1:31, Gabriel the angel of God informed Mary that she would conceive Jesus.  Paul, on the road to Damascus in Acts 9:1-9 encountered a light that flashed around him. Jesus spoke, revealing Himself to Paul.  There are so many examples in the Bible that supports and demonstrates God’s involvement in the lives of people. God gives direction, correction, information, encouragement, guidelines and so much more to so many. 
 
In our lives, we have known God’s direction for us just like many of you through an endless list of scripture, prayer, counsel, sermons, invitations, etc.  However, the conversation of God speaking to us, and our ability to hear and respond, would be incomplete if we didn’t acknowledge times of frustration in hearing Him. We have wandered in dry desert times of not hearing God’s voice and the times where these have been void of knowing what we need to do. It’s during these barren times, we cry out, dig deeper and ask others to help us in our endeavor of hearing God.  Psalm 18:6 says “In my distress, I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.  From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.   God has all the answers.  It is to Him we cry out to for help..for wisdom.
 
Are you currently in a time of need direction?  Do you feel frustrated and stressed about which way to go or what to do? In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus, while speaking to the disciples and the multitude, gave a command to “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone, who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened”.  This command was given in the present tense so it is a continual action of every moment of every day.  Praying without ceasing                             (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
 
Please share how God has spoken to you.  If I can pray for you in anyway, please message me. 
 
Blessings,
Karen