Pay It Forward

     We were blessed to have a new sister in our prayer group Monday night.  She is a wonderful addition to our little band of sisters.  The next day on our group text she said she felt so blessed and so good after our meeting that she felt like going and doing something to "pay it forward."  That's a fairly popular saying these days and was even more so a few years ago when a movie came out by the same title.  I never saw the movie, but I understand the principle. 
      I know we have talked about it before, but Solomon says in Ecclesiastes that there is no new thing under the sun.  The Bible is always true.  Knowing this, who do you think came up with the idea of "paying it forward?"  Of course you know!  It was God - and His Son Jesus. 
      Think about it --- everything that Jesus did -- all the good He did -- all the truth He taught - was meant to be paid forward.  He taught the apostles about love and service to God.  In turn, He told them to go "preach the gospel to every creature, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."  Get it -- Jesus said - I taught you - now you go teach others.  And part of that teaching is to teach those you teach to teach others also. 
      Jesus meant for His gospel to be preached and taught until time is no more.  He wanted to continue through the ages with people teaching people and then teaching them to teach others.  Again, that is part of what this loving business is all about. 
We should love lost souls the way Jesus loved them.  We should have the same desire the Heavenly Father has - that no one should perish.  We are supposed to sow the seed of the Kingdom.  Then it is up to each individual to choose whether or not they will follow the path they have been shown.
     We talked about love last night -- but again, Jesus wanted His love to be "paid forward."  Did He not tell the apostles - "Love one another, as I have loved you?"  OK - well how did Christ love the apostles?  Well, He loved them so much that He taught them about the Heavenly Father.  He loved them so much that He stilled the raging storm while they were in the boat.  He loved them so much that He fed them as well as the five thousand.  He loved them so much that He promised them a mansion in His father's house.  And then He promised them a Comforter.  He loved them so much that He humbly made Himself a servant to them and washed their feet.  And then He loved them so much He died for them.  But before He died -- He said "Love one another as I have loved you."  I think we can see that our love for one another is supposed to be an active, caring servant kind of love.
      I really didn't mean to talk about love again -- but you see that is at the root of everything we do.  Think of the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew chapters 5 through 7.  A good part of that teaching is based on the pay it forward principle.  Be a light to the world.  Do good works to glorify my Father.  Seek first the kingdom of righteousness.  Go the extra mile.  Because you see, if you are are hungering and thirsting for righteousness and you are being filled -- then go help fill someone else. 
     The point of all this is - if you are being blessed, then please bless others.  It is what Christians do when they realize how good God has been to them.  It is what God expects us to do. When Christians - when we understand that our sins are forgiven and we are walking in the Light and have that hope - the confident expectation of Heaven - then we will share God's goodness with others.  It will just come naturally.  The stronger our faith and love grows for Jesus - the stronger our love will be for others also. 
      I was just going to say the more like Jesus we become -- then the more like Jesus we will act.  Wait - it seems like I just said the same thing twice -- but as we strive to be like Christ - the more Christ like we will be in our actions toward others.  We will have more compassion.  We will want to do good for others - to help others when and where we can.  And as Christians help us -- then we help other Christians and it really does keep moving forward.  Isn't that wonderful?!! 
       OK - let's put it this way.  When I was away from the church - years ago -- it was the kindness and love of Christians that brought me back to the church.  And some of that kindness came from Christian brothers and sisters who were total strangers to me.  Yet, I was literally loved back into the church.  How can that be if they didn't know me?  Well, those Christians knew God.  They knew what God had done for them.  They knew that Jesus had died for them and perhaps they realized that at some point someone had done kindnesses for them. 
      Do you see what I am getting at?  They didn't love Robin - they didn't know Robin -- but they showed love for Robin because they love God!  Thank you!  I am eternally grateful for those precious faithful Christians who did that for me.  So then over the years without even thinking about it - I have done some of the same things for others that those Christians did for me.
     Christians baby sat for me while I took a night class.  Another Christian woman and her teenage daughter baby sat for me while I was an assistant den mother for my oldest son in Cub Scouts.  Flash forward several years later and without even thinking I volunteer to keep a sister's children (whose husband is away)while she works on Sunday afternoons.  My sister in law asked me why I was doing that.  Why?  It just came to me naturally to offer to do this because it was done for me. 
     Just the other day I was buying some toys for a family who had three children.  They had recently lost their home in a fire.  Many people from the church had helped them with things for the home they had just moved into. 
      I knew they lost everything and for some reason I thought of those children.  I figured they probably didn't have many toys left, so I bought the kids something.  It just really seemed like that was the thing I should do. 
      While I was shopping for the toys, one of my Christian friends walked by.  We talked for a few minutes, then both of us went on our way.  It wasn't until I got home that night that I remembered the lady I had spoken to while shopping was one of the very ladies that bought my children Christmas presents during the time I was a single mom all those years ago. 
      I don't know about you, but that seemed almost like a sign to me.  If I had second guessed myself about buying toys instead of buying some household items for the adults - well all that second guessing went right out the window.  Remembering what she did for my children validated my reasoning for doing what I did.  It was a special kind of blessing to get this reassurance.  And I do not think for one second that all that was coincidence. 
      Wow!  I have typed this so fast -- it was like I was trying to say everything in one big breath.  Maybe sometimes I just get really excited when I think about how God works in our lives!
       I didn't tell you all these things to brag on myself; but only for examples to illustrate the point I am trying to make.  Paying it forward is not new.  It's like I said earlier, when we reach the point that we understand we have been given the most precious gift of all -- the gift of eternal life -- then we just naturally want to reach out to others with love and kindness and goodness. 
      Christians helped me because they loved God; it wasn't because of me.  They were just returning the favor God did for them.  It took me a while to gain the maturity and love for Christ to understand -- to desire -- strongly desire to want to do the same thing.  God is good and when we realize God is good to us, then it is the most natural thing in the world to want to be good to others because of that. 
    So I challenge you -- all the blessings you receive from others because they love God -- please love God enough yourself to
pay it forward.

Christ above all things,
Robin

Hugging Won't Hurt

     I did not work at my place of employment today, but that does not mean I didn't work.  I spent most of the day cleaning out a closet in my extra room.  There were boxes of old papers, pictures, souvenirs and well, just things I allowed to accumulate for far too long.  In the process, I found a precious memory today.  It was one that I had almost forgotten.  I found an old notebook that I used as a journal of sorts.  Among these pages was the memory I found.  I am so thankful I did!  
      The journal entry recorded a conversation I shared with my oldest son, Adam.  This was several years ago --actually it was about 16 years ago; but I am certainly glad I have kept it all these years.  I think the incident makes a good lesson for all of us, so I want to share what I had written in my journal.  Adam  was a junior at the time.  His younger brother, Alex was in 6th grade so it was his first year at our local middle school.  
     I must say that Adam has always been considerate of his younger brothers.  He is a good big brother.  Even now, as adults he is a good friend to both Alex and Aaron.  This incident was no different.  Adam was my teen aged son, but he was also my brother in Christ.   He had words of exhortation for me - that really is about the only way you can describe it. The child became the teacher.  He was very kind and tenderhearted as he spoke.  (Read Ephesians 5:32,  we are to be kind and tenderhearted to one another.)  
     Adam came into the living room, sat down beside me on the couch and asked me if I hugged Alex a lot.  That question caught me so off guard!  I was really surprised by him asking something like that. 
      "Well, yeah - I guess I do.  But why do you ask?" I questioned.
"What do you mean?"
     Adam replied, "He's in sixth grade now and he's at the Middle School with the 7th and 8th graders.  And he's 12 so he'll be going through some changes soon.  He'll be in junior high -- and I just remember how confused I was back then and all the feelings I went through - how unsure of myself I was and I just thought that if you let him know ---"
       I interrupted and said, "You think my hugging him and telling him I love him will help?"
     "It sure won't hurt," Adam said.  "Yes you should hug him and tell him you love him and let him know you are there for him as much as you can because he is really going to need it."  
     Wow!  I think you can see why I am so happy that I found this.  It helped me remember that precious conversation.  I could almost see my sweet son sitting on the couch with me that day.  Now he's a grown man and probably would not like the idea of me calling him "sweet."  But I am very proud of the man he has become.  
     The rest of my entry note was a comparison between our earthly families and our church families.  Adam was looking out for his brother just like we should do with our Christian families.  He was blessing me at the same time by showing me how concerned he was about Alex and also by encouraging and exhorting me to show extra attention to him.  That is what we should do for one another - let each other know we care.   --end of journal entry.  
     I know I have written a lot lately about building up the church by edifying one another and about loving one another as Christ loved the church; but this is such a very important point.  We should all remember this all the time.  It is part of letting our light shine.  It is part of the way we glorify our Father.  Loving each other is a commandment.  If we can't do it - if we don't try to do it -- we just won't make it to heaven.  There is just no way around that folks.  
     We really can't fool God.  We can't hold grudges or gossip about one another or be jealous of one another or judge one another. We have to learn to love one another -- and sometimes that might mean doing some things we don't really want to do.  This is a somewhat silly illustration, but I am going to use it anyway.  I do not like to cook.  Anybody that knows me knows that.  But my husband likes to eat.  I love my husband, so I cook for him so he can eat - even though I don't like to cook.  
     We are supposed to show our love and concern for one another. Hard to do sometimes, I know.  It becomes a little easier when we look at our brothers and sisters the way Christ does.  We must understand that Christ shed His precious blood for everyone -- that means me and you and the person you get upset with because they never take the time to speak to you.  
      Like Adam said -- a hug sure won't hurt.  Actually hugs make you feel pretty good.  They can be a huge blessing.  They can warm a heart - lift someone out of their blues.  We should love our brothers and sisters and look out for them.  We should think about their situations - what they are going through.  If we have been through similar situations we can offer comfort and hope.  We can go to that person and say - "I've been where you are.  I  know what you are going through."  We can also go to others, like Adam did with me.  Adam told me what he thought Alex needed - we can do that for someone too.  
      God loves us.  He sent His only Son to die for us.  He wants us to take care of one another.  He wants us to gently exhort one another (when we need it - when the time is right) like Adam did for me.  Adam's exhortation was not to condemn me or criticize me; rather it was to encourage me to do something right.  He was reminding me that I had the potential to be a blessing to someone else (in this case, his little brother).  
      Well, I think I am rambling again.  I just wanted to share a memory and maybe brag on my boys a little bit (they are all 3 fine fellas).  :) The primary goal tonight though was to remind everyone that your church family is important.  God wants us to love each other.  There is no reason we can't enjoy that Christian love.  It really can be a blessing, you know.  And remember a little hug never hurt anyone.  

Christ above all things,
Robin

Behind the Clouds

       About six years ago, the ladies from our congregation were in the middle of preparations for the ladies' retreat we were hosting for the first time.  One of them, a very dear friend of mine, called and said she wanted to talk.  I wasn't sure what it was about, but I had a feeling that she was coming to me for help - for advice.  She is a very good friend of mine and I wanted to help in any way that I could. 
     On the other hand, I was very nervous about it.  She was coming to me for advice - for spiritual guidance.  No one had really ever done that before.  I realized that was a big responsibility. Some one else was seeking my guidance.  I mean, she wasn't just coming to me as a friend.  It's hard to explain, but this was different.  She was depending on me to help her through something going on in her life.  I knew I must be very careful about what I said.  I knew this was a chance to allow myself to be put to use for the Lord.  What if I said the wrong thing to her -- led her in the wrong way somehow? 
       So what did I do?  Well, I went to someone else for advice before I met with my friend.  I went to my Dad for help, as I have done many many times over the years.  Dad was a minister at one time.  He is an elder in the Lord's church now.  He has helped many people over the years.  I leaned on him now to help me. 
Dad, what do I do?  What if I say the wrong thing?  How can I help my friend?
     OK - well this is what he did.  He said, "Come on, let's go for a walk outside."  What???  I had no idea what we were going to do out there, but I knew he had something in mind - so I followed him.  It was night time and already dark.  It was a cloudy night.  The moon was obscured by all the clouds and no stars were in sight. 
       Our conversation went something like this. 
       "Look up," Dad said.  I did. 
       "What do you see?" he asked. 
       "Well, I see clouds, Dad." 
        "Anything else?"
       "No"
       "Where are the stars and the moon?" he asked.
       "Behind the clouds," I answered.
       "Are you sure they are there?"
       "Well, yes Dad.  They are there." 
       "How do you know?"
       "Come on, Dad.  What do you mean how do I know?"
       "You can't see them," he said.  "So how do you know?"
       "Well because they are always there."
        "OK, fair enough."  Then he asked - "Well, who made
         the stars and the moon?"
I'm telling you, I almost felt like I was in the first grade or something.  And I still couldn't figure exactly what Dad's point was.  "God made them, Dad." 
    Finally, hr said.  "OK Robin the same God that made the stars and moon is going to be with you when you talk with your friend tonight.  If you have faith in the power of God and His creation, then you have to know that He will guide you through this and give you the strength and wisdom you need.  Have enough faith, Robin to realize that if you are representing Him - then He is going to get you through it. He will be with you -- just as sure as the moon and the stars are in the night sky."
     I won't ever forget that night or that lesson.  And Dad was right - I prayed before I met with my friend.  I prayed for understanding, compassion and wisdom.  I asked God before we met to help her with whatever problems she might be having.  God did give me the presence of mind to represent Him well - to let her know that He loved her and so did her church family. 
     There is probably more than one lesson to be learned from this.  I guess one of the most important things I learned is that if you ask God to use you in some way -- if you ask Him to give you something to do in His kingdom - then you better watch out because He is going to do just that!  That is one prayer He has never failed to answer for me. 
     Another thing I learned is that Dad was right.  If you are representing God, then He will give you the clarity of mind to deal wisely, lovingly, and righteously with those you are trying to help. 
I am not talking about something miraculous here -- I am just saying He will bless you and be with you as you work for Him. 
      God loves us so much!  He wants us to help Him.  Jesus told us we are the light of the world.  This old world is dark folks.  We need to be praying all the time that we can represent God and bring His glory and His Light (Jesus is the Light, remember) into the world for all to see.  If we are willing to work for Him - He will make a way for that work to take place. 
      I will always be thankful to my Dad for reminding me that God is always there.  Even when we can't see Him because of the clouds, He is there.  All we have to do is reach out for His hand and hold on.  He will bring us through.

      Thank you God for allowing us to serve you and to be lights in this world.  Be with us and give us the strength, discipline. and love to keep shining for you at all times.

Christ above all things,
Robin

How's Your Hearing?

       Aaron was nearly three years old.  He was physically healthy and seemed intelligent enough.  We knew he could understand what we were saying, but at three years old, he still wasn't talking very much.  Oh, he would speak a few small sentences - but really he only said a few words here and there.  Granted he was the youngest child and his brothers were several years older.  Alex was nine and Adam was fourteen.  Aaron never asked for anything.  All he had to do was point and grunt.  I guess that was part of the problem.  But for one reason or another he just didn't say that much. 
     At some point my husband and I agreed he might need speech therapy, so I took him to the Regional Rehabilitation Center to find out for sure.  The first thing they did was test his hearing.  I wondered how they were going to do that since he was so young.  Within just a few minutes I knew.   
     Aaron was taken into a sound proof room.  The technician told him they were going to play a game.  She had him sit in a chair between two rather large buckets.  One bucket was empty.  The other bucket was filled with big toy blocks.  The lady showed Aaron a set of headphones and told him that every time he heard something through the headphones to take a block out of one bucket and put it in the empty bucket.  Oh how Aaron loved playing that game!  He joyfully grabbed those blocks and threw them into the other bucket one by one.  As it turned out there was nothing wrong with his hearing, but he did have speech therapy for a while.  It helped him tremendously. You would never know now.
     So how's your hearing?  Jesus said in Matthew 11: 28-30, "Come unto me all ye that labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  Are we listening to Jesus.  He tells us right here in these verses that He will help us through life IF we come unto Him.  He will give us rest if we will learn of Him - follow Him.  Did you hear him?  He said "I will give you rest."
      He will give us rest from our heavy laden sinful soul.  He will take those sins away if we obey His commandments.  If we take His yoke upon us -- and walk with Him - He will help us carry our burdens.  Remember a yoke is made for two.  So if we take on His yoke -- who else is in there with us - walking along beside us through our lives?  It is our Savior - the Son of God!  No wonder our burdens will be lightened.  It is the King of Kings who shares our yoke with us!
      Jesus say He is meek and lowly in heart.  He has lived here on earth and knows what it is like to go through what we go through.  He loves us so much that He gladly - willingly - shares our burdens with us - if we are walking with Him in that yoke -- if we are learning of Him.  He promises we will find rest unto our souls.  He says His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  We all know that living the Christian life is not always easy.  We are faced with tempta-tions. Life has its everyday struggles. However, when we are walking with Him - knowing He gave His life for us -- understanding the promise of Heaven is eternal -- then oh my! how much easier and lighter that burden is to bear!  Your struggles on earth shared with Jesus exchanged for life in heaven, a life that will never end?  Well that's a pretty rich trade off if you ask me.
       I know there are many other scriptures that we need to hear - really hear.  We can't just listen and say, "Oh yeah - good idea.  I might try that sometime," and then go merrily on our way out in the world.  We don't need to be like those Jesus refers to when he says, "They have ears to hear, but hearing they hear not."  Sad - so sad to say we have heard the story of Jesus and heard His plea "Come unto me" and then just walk away. 
     Taking Jesus up on His invitation allows us to empty our bucket of burdens and fill it up with blessings.  For Jesus has said that He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  John tells us in I John that if we walk in the light (who is the Light?) remember that yoke? -- if we walk in the light - as He is in the Light - and confess our sins, then He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.  He will be our mediator between us and the Heavenly Father.  The burdens of our sins are gone.  We can rest in the fact that Jesus' blood has taken them away.
      Oh yes, we can empty our Burden Bucket and fill up our Blessings Bucket.  It is so easy - if we just listen to His plea.  All we have to do is hear Him --really hear Him.  Learn of Him - obey Him - take His yoke upon us.  His yoke is easy.  His burden is light --He will walk through life with us.  He will help us bear whatever we have to face and then - then we will have that eternal rest unto our souls. 
     So how's your hearing?  Are you listening?  Can you hear Him? 

Christ above all things,
Robin

Stop and Smell the Flowers

       Sometimes when you are allowed to witness a sweet moment, it is just that - a sweet moment.  It brings a smile to your face and then you go on about your day.  But when you witness almost the same sweet moment just a few short minutes apart from one another, then you might begin to think that someone (like your Heavenly Father) is trying to tell you something!  Such a thing happened to me once and I am so glad it did.  I think I got the message, too, Father.  Thank you for the gentle reminder.
     A few years ago, I was in the Dollar Tree store on my lunch break.  I love to go to the Dollar Tree and just look around to see what they might have.  I noticed a young girl somewhere between three and four stop and look at the artificial flowers.  She smiled, leaned forward and just buried her in face in them - inhaling deeply.  She took in a long, deep breath,"Mmmm" and then exhaled with an "Ahhhhh" and another big smile.  Then she turned and went quickly down the aisle with her grandmother. 
      As I watched her I wondered if she knew the flowers were artificial ones and was just pretending - or if she actually thought they were real.  At any rate, the child was quite happy and I was glad I had a chance to see that. 

     I continued looking around.  Not even five minutes had gone by and I was able to witness a very similar moment.
This time the child was a little boy.  He was a cutie pie - a little younger than the girl had been.    

    He was probably only about 2 or so - a short and stout little blonde-haired  boy who was just chattering away to his mother.  As they rounded the corner of the aisle, he too saw the flowers.

      "Oooh Mama, see the pretty flowers.  They are so pretty!"  He leaned toward the ones closest to him and took a deep breath too. 
       His Mom said, "Uh huh - they are pretty."  
            "And they smell good too, Mama."  He took another deep breath.  "Ah, they smell so good." 
       Across the aisle there was also some greenery - artificial plants with some pretty big leaves.  This little sweetheart noticed them too and went straight toward them.  "Oh look, Mama there's grass too."  

      And yes folks, he smelled the grass too. Breathing deeply he asked his mother if she wanted to smell the "grass."  She sweetly declared that she was OK.  He took another sniff of the "grass" and then those sweet little legs followed mother down and around the aisle. 
       Yes, you might think it is silly - but I do think God was sending me a message that day.  I won't say the obvious, because it is such a cliche' BUT then again cliche's are based in truth.  I do think we are supposed to take the time to respect and enjoy God's beautiful creation -- including smelling the flowers. 
      Children are so very precious.  They are pleased with the simplest things - like flowers and grass.  It is no wonder that Jesus said, "Except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 18:3)  

      Children enjoy the clouds and the sky during the daytime and they love to look up at the stars at night.  They respect and love God's creation.  They "oooh" and "aaah" over what they see.  Birds, flowers, trees - turtles, frogs, rocks -- the stars or a full moon, the mountains, the ocean -- all of these delight and fascinate a young child. 
      So many times as adults we forget to stop and enjoy the beauty of the world around us.  We don't notice how bright and blue the sky is on a sunny day.  

     We don't pay attention to all the shades of green God made in the grass and trees. We don't watch the butterflies flit from flower to flower - or watch the birds bathe in the bird bath in your back yard.

      We don't look up at the stars at night, realize there really are too many to be counted and then remember God's promise to Abraham so long ago.  We miss the chance to thank God for that promise.  

    We don't get to think about the fact that we are the recipients of that promise. Do you ever wonder how Abraham must have felt as he looked up the sky and heard God tell him - "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed."  

     That sky - that sky that Abraham admired is the very same sky we gaze into.  How awesome is that?
     Even artificial flowers are beautiful because they are imitating the real thing -- the things that God made.  Have you ever thanked God for colors and our ability to see them?       You know when it gets right down to it, God did not have to give us such a beautiful world.  He could have created everything in grays and blacks.  

     Think how dull and dreary everything would be if it was all the same color.  Think how different it would be if we all looked alike -- like so many paper doll cutouts. 
      There is beauty in diversity and there is so much diversity in God's beautiful world!  Thank you -- thank you so much Heavenly Father.  Have you ever really thought about how much love God put into creating the world in all its beauty.  He wanted us to a have a beautiful world so we could imagine how wonderful heaven would be. 
      So the next time you are outside - look all around you.  Look up at the sky.  Look at all the colors in the world.  Listen to the birds sing -- or the wind blow.  Watch your children or grandchildren run and play and breathe the air God made.  

     Thank God for the beauty of the world.  And remember.  Remember that there is an all powerful Creator who loves you so much -- He made -- well He made everything!  And it was - IS good.  It is very good!!
     And the next time you are given the opportunity to watch a child be amazed at something beautiful and wonderful -- be amazed with him.  Validate his emotions.  Teach him that there is a God that made all these things and that God loves him beyond measure! 
     OK - I am going to say it -- take time to stop and smell the flowers.  Smell them, whether they are real or not. That doesn't matter -- the real ones are God-made.  The artificial ones are patterned after what God made. 
      Remember God loves you!  
      What a beautiful world He made for you to live in!

Christ above all things, Robin

His House Blew Up

        It was another Wednesday night several years ago.  This time I was teaching 4 & 5 year olds instead of  2's and 3's.  We had a pretty big class -- about six students.  Another lady was helping me.  We had finished our lesson and had a little extra time before the bell rang that would signal the end of class time.  We decided to play the "Guess Who" game.  Have you ever played that game?
      It goes kind of like this:  I tried to run away from God and got swallowed by a big fish.  Who am I?  Sometimes the clues are a little more difficult; but with 4 and 5 year olds the clues should be pretty easy.  Although you would be surprised at what they do remember.  And you would also be surprised at the very unique way some of them have of looking at things.  That night as we were playing this game - one of the little boys in our class wanted to take a turn giving the clues.  OK - that was fine by us. 
       This is the clue we got:  "My house blew up and I didn't have a place to live and I had to walk and walk a long way.  Who am I?"  Well the other teacher looked at me and under her breath she said, "I hope you've got this because I don't have a clue." 
      "OK," I said,  "Give me the clue again." 
      "You know, - my house blow up.  And I didn't have a place to live and I had to walk a long time and I finally found a place to stay in the mountains - " 
       Well, with the mountain clue - I made a good guess and asked my little friend if perhaps he was Lot.  "Yes! That's it. You guessed it."
       I still smile when I remember this story.  This particular young man always had a very unique way of looking at things.  He is very smart and has since become a Christian.  I am so very proud of him.  I'm sure his parents are, too.  He was and still is a very sweet and loving fella.
      Lot's story though, is a particularly sad one.  He made choices that ultimately led to much heartache in his life.  Yet he started out doing well.  He went with Abram and Sarai when they obeyed God's command to leave their land.  He was Abram's nephew and no doubt they were very close to one another; but there were family members he could have stayed with.  Instead, he decided to follow his uncle.  Since his father was dead, Abram may have had a huge part in raising Lot.  After all, he and Sarai had no children of their own.  I am just speculating here, but it is clear that they were close to one another or Lot would have never left with him.
       It is also clear that both Abram and Lot were blessed with wealth.  Both of them had plenty of cattle and servants.  So much so, that the servants began to fight among themselves over the wells.  It became apparent that the two families had prospered so well,  they must separate -- go to different places so there would be plenty of room for all.  Abram kindly gave Lot first choice.  He "pitched his tent toward Sodom."  Abram and his household went in the other direction.
      We all know what happened after that.  This was Lot's first bad choice.  Why did he choose to go that way?  The land was better.  He was taking the part of the country that he thought would be the easiest for him to live and thrive in.  How many of us have done that at least once in our lives?  How many of us have taken the easy way out - thinking it would be fine and there would be repercussions?  Sometimes though, the easy way out is definitely NOT the best way out.  When things become too easy for us sometimes we let our guard down.  We forget to be watchful for our souls.  We aren't as vigilant as we might otherwise be.   Lot chose land that would be best for his cattle -easier for him and his servants to work.  It was "toward" Sodom. 
      At some point, Lot and his family moved completely into the city of Sodom.  Something drew them to the city.  That was Lot's second bad choice.  The city of Sodom was a very wicked place.  God wanted to destroy it.  Abram (Abraham) begged God for it to be saved if  10 righteous people were found in the city.  God agreed.  But it was not to be so .. Lot and his family were only four.  The angels of God saved them.  They were told they had to leave the city and then Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. 
       Lot's house really did blow up.  The family really did lose their home and didn't have anywhere to live.  They did walk a long way and Lot and his daughters did find a place to stay -- in a cave in the mountains.  My little friend had his story right.  
      Many times when we think of the story of Lot - we think of his wife and how she looked back and then became a pillar of salt.  Even Jesus told us to "Remember Lot's wife."  There is so much we could talk about in regards to "looking back."  That's a wrong choice too, for many reasons.  It is good to follow the advice of Jesus and "remember Lot's wife." 
       However, we should also remember the events that led up Lot's house "blowing up."  He chose what he thought would be easiest and best for his household.  But living the easy life probably caused Lot and his wife to let their guard down.  They were pulled completely into a city that was steeped in sin.  They allowed themselves to be vulnerable.  They lost their homes because of it.  Lot's wife lost her life.  And perhaps the life they were exposed to in that sinful city of  Sodom is what led his daughters to deceive him. 
       Just remember that easy is not always good.  Don't ever let you guard down.  Be watchful.  Be strong.  Realize that the devil is sneaky.  He rarely ever grabs you all at once.  It is usually little by little.  Don't fall for his trickery.  Keep your eyes open and your heart true to God.  Too many houses blow up even today because of sin.  Don't let that happen to you or your family.  Because after all, we don't want to lose our home in heaven. 

Christ above all things,
Robin

Edifying the Body of Christ

       Tonight after Bible class one of the ladies in our congregation came up to me with a smile on her face, said - "Let me edify you tonight," and then she gave me a big hug.  I enjoyed that.  This sister is full of love; and she is also full of fun.  I just love being around her.  We laughed and spoke to one another for a moment, and then she turned to another sister with the same hug and "let me edify you tonight."  After all, most everyone loves a hug.  And we all need encouragement.  I wasn't in the adult class, but I got the feeling that edification of the church may have been the subject of the lesson for them tonight.  But again, that's just a guess.
        Most of us take care of our earthly physical bodies.  I mean, within reason.  Some of us are in better shape than others and some of us are diligent about eating right and staying fit.  But for the most part we take care of ourselves.  We clothe our bodies and seek shelter to stay warm and dry.  We seek nourishment to keep our bodies going.  We feed our children so that they can grow.  We take vitamins to keep our bodies strong.  So in essence we edify our earthly bodies.
     When we talk about the church we are talking about the body of Christ.  As individual members of this body --His body -- we are to take care of it as lovingly as we take care of our own.  We should love and encourage our fellow Christians.  A hug and a little laugh sometimes goes a long way in "edifying the body."  And when we do this, we are obeying the commandments of our Lord.  Any time a member of Christ's body - which we are also a member of - needs help in any way -- we should be there.  If we cut our hand while cooking, we put a band aid on the cut to stop the bleeding.  We keep the band aid on until the cut is healed enough for the hand to function without it.  So when a church member is hurting or suffering in some way, it is our duty to help them -- we become the band aid - we give that person particular attention until they are able to function without extra help, support or attention. 
       We nourish our bodies with food.  So we nourish the members of Christ's body with spiritual food.  That could come in the form of studying God's word together, or praying together - or perhaps just offering some encouragement to lift their spirits.  When we encourage someone or pray or study with them - we might be giving them the strength they need to continue serving the Lord. 
     I know I could go on with more examples and scriptures -- but it all boils down to one thing.  We are supposed to help our Savior take care of His body while we are here.  Sometimes that might mean being discreet - keeping things to yourself instead of sharing everything you know.  Sometimes it might mean stepping up to take your share of blame if a problem arises.  It means you are supposed to show your love for one another.  And if someone is missing for service more than a couple of times - well, that's like losing a finger or a toe.  If you don't try to help that person -- to bring them back into the fold -- then that it is like not even missing or caring about that finger or toe. 
       Now how weird would that be?  If someone asked you what happened to your pinkie finger  and you looked down and said - Oh, well it fell off a couple of weeks ago and I haven't seen it since.  Well people would probably try to have you committed right there on the spot! 
Take care of the Lord's body because you are part of it.  If someone goes missing - go try to find them and bring them back.  You know, kind of like the shepherd who had 100 sheep and lost one.  Remember he left the 99 to go look for the one that was missing? 
       So let the missing know you love them.  Try to get them back.  Help those who are hurting -- really help them in any way you can and as often as you can - until you think they might be OK again.  Don't say harmful things about your church family members.  That's like cutting your own nose off.  Pray with someone when they need that.  Study with someone - encourage someone -- give them the strength and courage to continue to love and serve our God.  Let the other members of the body of Christ know that they matter to you and most especially to God.  For as one member is strengthened, the whole family -- Christ's body-- is strengthened.

Christ above all things,
Robin