"Alternative facts" aren't new...(but some are funny!)

Do you know what language Adam and Eve spoke? The Serpent? How about God?  Apparently, a man named Andrew Kempe (who lived in the 17th century) figured it all out.  His conclusion:

God spoke to Adam and Eve in Swedish, Adam replied in Dutch, and the Serpent tempted Eve in French.

I read recently that a Middle Eastern legend thought differently.  According to the legend, Adam and Eve spoke in Persian, the Serpent seduced Eve in Arabic, and Gabriel kicked them out of the Garden of Eden in Turkish.
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In the same century, an orientalist presented a paper with his calculations of how tall some of the famous Old Testament men were.  According to him, Adam was 140 feet tall, Noah was 50 feet tall, Abraham was 40 feet tall, and Moses was 25 feet tall (comparatively a runt!).
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These two may not have considered themselves liars; after all, if they said it, it must be true! (Sound like someone we know?)  Of course, "alternative facts" have been around since the beginning!  The Serpent introduced the practice (if not the euphemism)...and mankind has never been able to disentangle himself from it.  Again and again the Word of God speaks to us about making the effort to overcome it.  For example: "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body."  (Ephesians 4:25)
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But let's cheer up! There are fabulous promises for the future.  As believers, we can look forward to a time when we won't have to worry about falsehood and deception being such an almost-inextricable part of life.  Imagine, once Jesus returns and once we begin the rest of Eternity in Heaven...

"They will never tell lies or deceive one another.  They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid,"  (Zephaniah 3:13)

And...                 "Nevertheless we, according to His promise,
                                            look for new heavens
                           and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."  (II Peter 3:13)
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Father, help us keep on a straight course, living honestly, as You want, and persevering in the hope You give us through your amazing promises.   YOU ARE AWESOME!          
             
                       

"Stand Brave!" ...a poem for when we're not

I was "down"...really "down"!  Too many things seemed to have accumulated, pressing me farther and farther toward "the pits".  It had started with something like a virus or bacteria - but in installments!  I'd get over one symptom, and another would attack, instead of getting them all at the same time.  Week after week.  Not so easy when I already struggle with several chronic illnesses.  Then one morning several other things launched themselves at my mind...particularly, not being able to do so many things I would love to do...that I feel I need  to do...all because of my health  It wasn't easy on  my good husband, and we had quite a time talking, when suddenly he said to me, "We've been looking at this from the wrong perspective."

It became obvious:  our Enemy was having a great time discouraging me...and succeeding!  Then, as Psalm 78:35 says, "And...they remembered that God was their Rock."  After Germán's heartfelt prayers, I started feeling better and better.  Soon...my physical ailments remained, but I had been pulled up...onto my Rock. 

                                                  Stand Brave!

                                       Help me!  My foot's slipping
                                       as pain and fear mock.
                                       "Child, you can't stand firm
                                       unless you stand on the Rock."

                                       So, hand and voice might tremble,
                                       and my knees might knock,
                                       but I can still stand brave...
                                       if I can just reach the Rock.

                                       Lucifer laughs
                                       when my pathway seems blocked,
                                       but he scowls as I skirt it,
                                       still aimed for the Rock.

                                       He smiles
                                       when my path on this shore erodes...
                                       til he sees the courage
                                       your Grace bestows.

                                       He's dismayed
                                       as he watches me grow more bold,
                                       and he fumes
                                       as the powers of your Grace unfold;

                                       for, though the sand where I step's
                                       undermined with each wave,
                                       You pull me up onto the Rock -
                                       and I can now stand brave!
                                                                                                   ----Becky Rhon
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The psalmist wrote:

"Be my Rock of refuge, to which I can always go."  (Psalm 71:3)

"To You, LORD, I call; You are my Rock."  (Psalm 28:1)

"He will set me high upon a Rock."  (Psalm 27:5)
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Two verses which give us really good advice, especially when "Lucifer laughs":

"Trust the LORD forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock." (Isaiah 26:4)

                              "O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord,
                        let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation."  (Psalm 95:1)

A little poem...to clutter!

I had packed away our household "stuff", as we were to be away from home for at least a year, and renters would live here. Returning from this furlough,  I was unpacking in the game room, piling "stuff" up as I emptied boxes and barrels.  Frustrating -  but unavoidable - clutter. So I wrote a little poem:

       The ping-pong table's still piled high.
       The baskets, boxes, games and books
       wait idly to be organized,
       ignoring my accusing looks,
       and deaf to reason as I say,
      "Why don't you put yourselves away?"

(I never gave it a title.  What do you suggest?)
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I've sometimes wondered how neat Jesus would have kept His room...if He'd even had one to worry about!  At any rate, this post isn't about being neat or messy.  Personally, I like having things sort of organized, but my house is very rarely "as neat as a pin"!  One can go to extremes either way, right?

Just one quick comment, in the form of a little story I read.  A little boy noticed that a new family was moving in next-door.  Seeing that they had a little girl about his age, he went over to her and said, "My name's Johnny.  What's yours?"  And she answered, "My name is No-no-don't touch."  The poor little girl couldn't even relax in her own house, for fear of messing it up or breaking something.
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Remember what Jesus said to Martha when she complained about all the housework she had to do...unaided by her sister, who was listening to Jesus?  He didn't say the housework wasn't important, just that priorities should be kept straight. "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."  (Luke 10:42)

 Even more important than clutter (or not) in our surroundings is a heart uncluttered with things that restrict our communion with God (and others).

"Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the LORD.  See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."  (Hebrews 12:14,15)

"The camp must be holy for the LORD your God moves around in your camp to protect you and to defeat your enemies.  He must not see any shameful thing among you,, or He will turn away from you."  (Deuteronomy 23:14)

So if God Himself lives in us to "protect us and defeat our enemies", we'd be fools to not aim for the purity of heart without which we would be pretty much left on our own.  Impossible to attain?  Maybe...IF it weren't for the fact that He makes it possible."

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  (Hebrews 4:16)

"But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  (I Corinthians 15:57)
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        Father, thank You for loving us so much that You refuse to leave us on our
                         own as we strive to have an uncluttered heart!



               

Lovely memories in a time of upheaval? Yes!

A couple more pictures of Germán with grandkids...and Silly String...and laughs and fun.  (How come Eli didn't get any on him? Only Abuelito and Liliana were hit.)

 Noe got more of a head-full!

Looking through pictures of our five cute grandchildren, we remember that in spite of all the political and moral upheaval going on in the U.S., our family, with our shared faith and values, is a God-structured anchor to true reality.

I found numerous Bible verses that I thought would be very pertinent to a description of Trump.  The temptation was there to add them here...but I decided I should not stoop to his level!

Just a couple of suggestions for him, things to keep in mind:

"What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:45)

""A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered."  (Proverbs 17:27)

""Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity."  (Proverbs 21:23)
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But...you know what?  It's not only Trump who should be much more careful what he says (and how he says it).  Especially when considering our interaction with our young children and grandchildren, we would do well to remember the above verses ourselves. Would we have any right to criticize his ethics, insults and massive ego if we don't watch our own ethics, refrain from insults, and remember that, as true followers of Jesus, we should be humble?  It's not always easy, but we have Someone ready to help us with His strength.  (Too bad Trump doesn't know Him the same way.)

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips."   (Psalm 141:3)

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They're crazy!...and I love them dearly!

One thing I really appreciate about our family is that no one is afraid to act a little loony sometimes! (Well, Dan didn't join in with a silly face, but I think he was too busy laughing at the other four!)  

The grandkids know how to be a little crazy, too.  (A little?)  What a joy to have all five of them in the same place for two weeks during the holidays, so we could interact personally.

  (If I'd had a picture of Steve and Debbie being "locos", I would have included it!)

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We are so grateful to God for our children, children-in-law and grandchildren, that this verse resonates in our heart:  "Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.'"  (Psalm 126:2)

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Philosophizing millennia ago, Solomon mused, "I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil - this is the gift of God."  (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13)

True joy is a gift of God, and is best absorbed and processed when we have a personal relationship with Him.  "You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Yes, there are times when we can't quite find His joy, but we can be sure that it hasn't disappeared.  In sadness and trials, we can remember what Job's friend told him about God: "He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.'"  (Job 8:21)

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Thank You, Father, for giving us your Joy...and our family!

"Only Grace" -- a Christmas poem

You have to admit it.  We humans have messed  up time and time again, day after day, year after year, century after century...and we'll continue to do so till He comes again.

Reflect with me on the Hope that the Christ's birth brings after our failure to value his gifts...Hope in our lost-ness. Have we truly, truly understood, deep in the center of our souls, how much we have lost...and how eager He is to restore?
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                                     Reflect...as you share this poem with me:

                                                     Only Grace

                                       We lost your Way's simplicity,
                                       mazed in detours and dead-ends.
                                       Now only Grace can show us
                                       how and where to walk again.

                                       We lost Truth's bold identity;
                                        threw falsehood in its face.
                                        Only with Grace from Heaven
                                        can Truth reclaim its rightful place.

                                        We lost Life's sacred purity;
                                         we failed ourselves...and You.
                                         Father, your Grace alone
                                         can take us back to start anew.

                                         All along You knew we couldn't
                                         hold onto these things!
                                         You knew that fragile Man
                                         can only thrive beneath your Wings.

                                          So, your Grace wrapped up the perfect gift -
                                           no price too dear to pay -
                                           And now..."the Way, the Truth, the Life"*
                                           lies, Incarnate, in the hay.
                                                                                                               --Becky Rhon
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* "Jesus answered, 'I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"  (John 14:6)

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A 45-year-old gift comes home. (Part 2)

If you haven't read the previous post, I suggest you do so now, before reading this one.

After the meeting I told about last time, Germán had help bringing in the Carrot Cake I had brought to share at refreshment time.  I decided to make a change from Banana Bread, and it went over very well.  I was glad I had thought to take copies of the recipe!  It's amusing to be sharing recipes with the Tsáchila - both men and women.  It's such fun!   
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HCJB  (the mission we used to work with) has for many years given away pre-tuned radios, especially to people in the remoter areas of the country.  Germán took down a box full of them to give to the Tsáchila.  There were just enough for each family to receive one.  Here they all hold up their radios for the photo.

See this little cutie?  As I was waiting at the church in our car, this little boy attached himself to me...or rather, to our car!  He had a ball pretending to drive, when he wasn't touching things and asking questions.  Hyper-active doesn't begin to describe him!  I asked him where we were going.  With an infectious grin, he replied, "Home!"
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Already we are looking forward to out next visit, in February or March.  It's so heart-warming to know that our Tsachi brothers and sisters in Christ will form part of the scene described in Revelation 7:9:

"Before me there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, every tribe, people and language, standing before the Throne and before the Lamb."
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