- Marsha Jordan
STORM DEBRIS
After some friends lost their home in a tornado, I helped them clean up what was left. There wasn't much. Where their house had once stood was a refrigerator. That's all. Destruction was everywhere. Debris covered the yard and the nearby woods. All day we sorted through the rubble, hoping to find intact some piece of our friends' lives. We could rescue only a few belongings. We uncovered some important papers, a few small personal items, and a handful of photos - not very much to represent an entire lifetime. I'm sure the family treasures these mementos because they're all that remains from their pre-tornado life.
Like the devastating winds of a tornado, I've felt trouble beat against my life. Hardships blow into every life, threatening to knock down all that we value. In the wreckage, we can usually find some valuable treasures, if our eyes are open to recognize them and our hearts are open to receive them.
As long as we're in this world, we will have tribulation. (John 16:33) But this Bible verse also says, "In me you may have peace." How can we have peace amid tribulation? Peace doesn't result from the removal of unpleasant circumstances. It comes from releasing our own plans and being open to God's plan. Rest comes from fixing our eyes on Him instead of on circumstances. It comes from giving up on living for myself and living for Him instead.
From God's vantage point, there is no true debris. I'm confident that He is in the midst of any storm, and I try to keep my eyes open to see the gift He gives with the rubble. He has promised that, for those who love Him, He'll bring blessings out of storms.
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Additional Thought To Ponder: Adversity is like a strong wind.
You can struggle against it or you can let it carry you in a new direction
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CUPCAKES, CHEETOS, AND COOKIES, Oh My!
Are you the type of person who eats when you're stressed? I am. I eat when I'm stressed, when I'm sad, when I'm happy, and when I'm tired. I believe there's a food for every mood.
I eat for any reason at any time. I eat when I'm watching television, I eat while riding in the car, and I even eat while sitting at the computer. There are enough crumbs in my keyboard to feed a troupe of boy scouts. Every once in a while, I just shake it over the table and announce to the husband,"Dinner's ready!"
I eat too much, too often. Since I was a kid, I've had a weight problem. I could never weight for the next meal. I began wearing a girdle to school in kindergarten, and I've been on diets for most of my life.
I recently began yet another new eating regimen. Forbidden food groups include appetizers and desserts, anything processed or fried, and anything with meat or dairy products in it. I must also avoid all foods seen on TV commercials or restaurant menus. I cannot eat anything prepared by my grandma, Aunt Hildegard, my third cousin twice removed, or any other member of the family. It's called the Oriental Diet. I can eat all I want from the specified food list (celery, kale, bok choi, and those tiny ears of corn), but I must use only one chopstick.
This week, I've failed miserably at sticking to my eating plan. I've had an insatiable appetite for junk food. In addition to a dumpster load of Hostess Twinkies, I've devoured roughly eleven cases of raspberry Fig Newtons and eight and a half pounds of extra crunchy Cheetos. I can't be sneaky about it either. When the husband asks if I've eaten all the Cheetos, how can I look innocent when my fingers and teeth are orange?
Wouldn't you think that after stuffing myself with junk food all week I'd be satisfied? I'm not. In fact, the more I eat, the more I crave. If I continue this way, I'll need a front end loader to lift my carcass out of the Lazy Boy.
To make matters worse, I don't get enough exercise. But I really can't do much that's physical, because I think I pulled a fat cell. I'm barely able to crawl to the kitchen for six square meals a day.
I really need to lose weight. I want to know how it feels to bend over and tie my shoes without cutting off the blood supply above my waist and feeling as if my intestines are being pushed out my ears. It would be great to zip my jeans without fainting from lack of oxygen. So I must get back on track. I'll paste on my refrigerator door that old proverb uttered by some wise sage: "If it tastes good, spit it out."
From now on, I'll plan my meals around a main dish of parsley. Only
nutritional foods will pass my lips, like rutabagas, spinach, and celery -- stuff that takes half an hour to chew. By the time I swallow them, my aching jaws will be too tired to munch extra-crunchy Cheetos or anything else. Now if I could only figure out a way to make veggies taste like turtle cheesecake.
To keep my weight down and my arteries clean, I must eat health-restoring foods. Similarly, keeping my spiritual arteries open and flowing freely requires health food for my soul. Whoever coined the phrase "Garbage in, garbage out" knew what he was talking about. When I dump into my spirit things that I'm better off without, they transform my perceptions, attitude, and actions. The result can be just as shocking as that horror-filled moment when I view my cellulite-riddled body in Wal-mart's dressing room mirror.
So, I've made two resolutions. One is to strengthen my body and fuel it with life-sustaining foods. Also, I'll incorporate into my lifestyle more exercise than just aerobic eating and lifting extra large Hershey bars. I'll start slowly with the goal of working up to three sit ups a day. And instead of walking, I'll jog from my bed to the table.
I also plan to exercise my faith and feast spiritually on the word of God. This will be easier and much more palatable than a physical diet; and it will keep my sin-sick, love-starved soul in tip-top health. Bible study is the meat that gives me strength for handling stress and a clear mind to make good decisions. And, unlike Chinese food, it doesn't leave me feeling empty in an hour.
Jeremiah 15:16 says, "When your words came, I ate them; and they were my joy and my heart's delight." Jesus promised that whoever hungers and thirsts for righteousness will be satisfied, and Psalm 63:5 testifies, "My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods."
I feel better already.
*****
Additional Thought To Ponder:
"Taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8)
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TRUE RICHES
Do you know anybody who gambles on the slot machines in Las Vegas? Most people like the idea of having money spill out of a machine into their pockets, but that's not likely to happen.
Even though I don't gamble and I don't have a high paying job, I am rich because I possess a treasure greater than money. It provides great joy, it helps me get to heaven, and it can change my life on earth. It's free and available to anyone. It's a love letter written from the heart of the all-powerful creator of the world. It's the Bible.
If God suddenly appeared before us and wanted to chat, wouldn't we drop
everything and pay close attention to what He had to say? Yet, we have a
written message from Him and many of us ignore it. We would get excited about meeting the president, famous athletes, or movie stars. Why don't we show the same enthusiasm and awe when we encounter the highest power in the universe through His written word?
Is your Bible hidden away on a shelf? Do you even own one? In some
countries, it's illegal to read the Bible. In others, Bibles are so expensive that only the wealthy can afford them. I have five Bibles in my house, but most families around the globe have none; and they'd be grateful for an opportunity just to borrow one periodically.
Do you appreciate the treasure that's sitting on your coffee table collecting dust? Do you take advantage of our freedom to study the wisdom contained in this book?
I don't need to gamble in Vegas for riches. The greatest treasure in this
world is available to me wherever I am. It may be as close as my corner
bookshelf.
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Additional Thought To Ponder:
"I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure." (Psalm 119:162)
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CAN YOU HEAR ME?
As we age, the hearing and eye sight are usually the first things to go, but my memory beat them to it. My smarts checked out of Hotel Cerebellum long ago.
My four-year-old grandson, frustrated by my poor memory, suggested that I
visit a "head doctor." When I asked why, he told me, "You need somebody to
help you think smarter because you have a bad brain."
It's sad when a preschooler realizes that he's smarter than you are. The
kid's not even in kindergarten and he's outgrown me.
I'm reminded of something the Bible says about people who have trouble
seeing, hearing and understanding.
"Therefore I speak to them in parables," Jesus said, "because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand . . . " (Matthew 13:13) Why do some people not hear, see, and understand what God tells them? It's not a communication problem. It's a heart problem.
"For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of
hearing, and their eyes they have closed, . . . lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them." (Matthew 13:15) Though God speaks to us through the Bible, we can be slow to understand. Our hearts are not receptive. We have selective hearing.
We all need to open our eyes and ears to see and hear not just what we want to see and hear, but what God is trying to communicate to us!
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Additional Thought To Ponder:
A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. (Author unknown)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Marsha Jordan is a disabled grandmother, author, and shower singer who began her writing career on the bathroom walls of St. Joseph's Catholic Elementary School. Now her writing appears in restrooms throughout the country.Jordan has two boys, ages 30 and 55. She's been married to the 55 year old for 31 years.
She's been held captive for a quarter of a century In the north woods of Wisconsin where she shares an empty nest with her rocket scientist husband and their badly behaved toy poodle, King Louie who rules the household with an iron paw. Jordan, who has eaten enough chocolate to make the Guinness Book of Records, spends her days ignoring her dirty oven and dreaming of the things she'd like to do but probably never will -- including overcoming the trauma of class picture day in second grade. Her hobbies (besides eating and napping) include rubber stamping, collecting antiques, riding her pet pig Shirley, and studying do-it-yourself dentistry.
After her grandson was badly burned, Jordan created The HUGS and HOPE Foundation, a nonprofit charity devoted to cheering critically ill and injured children.
Jordan's inspirational and humorous essays are available in her new book, "Hugs, Hope, and Peanut Butter." The book is illustrated with drawings by kids who are battling for life. To learn more visit hugsandhope.org/pb.htm
By combining hope with humor and drawing upon her own experience of living with chronic pain and depression, Jordan shares everyday experiences, lessons she's learned, and practical coping skills. Once active and energetic, her busy schedule came to a halt when she fell victim to a connective tissue disease, causing migraines, fatigue, fibromyalgia, and joint pain. Due to illness complications, Jordan was temporarily struck blind; so she knows how it feels to be sick, in pain and afraid.
In her book, Jordan (Phyllis Diller wannabe) recounts her search for the perfect purse, camping adventures, aging without grace, and dealing with her "very male" husband. Some chapter titles include, "Limburger Attitude, "The Joy of Shopping," "Is Broccoli Hazardous?" and "Life in the Manure Pile."
Jordan has received many awards for her work with children, and was featured in Rosie Magazine as well as on WGN television's Unsung Heroes program. She's had devotionals and stories published in "A Cup of Comfort" and other anthologies. Her articles have appeared in "Heart Light" and "Obadiah" magazines. Jordan is a regular columnist for "Handmaidens" magazine and "My Walk With Jesus" Christian newspaper; and she has contributed to over 50 online newsletters and e-zines, such as "Heart Warmers," "Power to Share," and "Warm Fuzzy Stories."
Between writing, running a nonprofit charity from her home, and enjoying time with her grandson, Jordan devotes herself to three pursuits: white chocolate, dark, chocolate, and milk chocolate
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