Fashion Week

Revelation 19:14

Hi Gang ~
This time of year is usually a fashion-stressful time for me. There are things I have to attend every year at this time and I never know what to wear! Anybody understand what I’m talking about?

This year is no exception. Sometimes I feel very unspiritual spending so much time and energy trying to figure out if I need something new or if I can revitalize an oldie but goodie. And sometimes I suppose it is unspiritual when it becomes out of balance. But yesterday as I was ironing Ronnie’s shirt, a thought hit me. Hey, God does care what we wear! He totally understands planning your wardrobe for a special event. He already has our outfits picked out for Heaven. The Bible says we will be clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Rev 19:14) I LOVE THAT! He also reminded us not to worry what you will eat or what you WILL WEAR for the LORD knows you have need of these things. (Matt. 6:28-33) He is not telling us it’s not important. He understands we have to wear something and that we desire to represent Him well. He knows…He will supply.

I hope I’m not stretching this, but I think God does acknowledge there are times in life that need special outfits. We’ve already recognized God has already planned a beautiful new garment for us in Glory! And it may be time for you to have some new duds in the here and now. Just remember, you are the King’s daughter. He delights in your femininity and beauty! So honor Him and choose wisely.
Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love
Rebecca

Help! I"ve Fallen and I Can't Get Up!

Psalm 23

Howdy~
Remember that commercial! I guarantee you the group who came up with that little phrase had no idea that years later people would still be referring to it! For all you youngins out there – that commercial advertised a panic button for the elderly who lived alone. It was a low budget commercial of an elderly person sprawled on the floor with their walker tipped over and out of reach. But lucky for them they had the all-important panic device hanging around their neck. They would simply just speak into it the famous line, “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Assistance was on the way in a jiffy! Actually, I think it was a wonderful invention. I hope it’s still around when I’m elderly...
Ever wish you could have one of those now; maybe not for feeling physically helpless, but maybe emotionally or mentally or even spiritually? You know sometimes...a lot of times... we (I) feel cast down. The term “cast down” is used for sheep when they have fallen and somehow end up on their backs. Their stomachs become hard, their circulation is cut off and their windpipe closes up...and if no one comes – they die. They truly are helpless. BUT if they have a good shepherd, he will come and tenderly massage their legs and stomach till the sheep is able to be placed up right again.

Great news! We have a Good Shepherd who tenderly cares for you and me. I love Psalm 23. “The LORD is my Shepherd...he makes me...lie down in green pastures...restores my soul...leads me beside still water...leads me in paths of righteousness... Corrie Ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust a future you don’t know to a God you do know!” Well...I needed that today ~

Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love
Rebecca

It's Contagious!

Oh Happy Day!

Galatians 6:10

Hey Everybody ~

I had the best day yesterday and I didn’t even realize why until I started thing about what to write…which by the way…sorry this is late. I was having such a nice day…anyway…

It all started with a very simple, common courtesy. It was something that any one of you would have done. I simply let this lady go ahead of me in line (I had to get blood work done and the wait is a pain. We’re all fasting…no coffee or TAB) but only because she was truly there first. You would have done the same thing. But here’s the crazy part. This woman was so grateful to me. She just kept telling me that no one has ever done that before and yada, yada, yada…It felt so good to be nice to someone.

There is a lady who works there at the lab. Every time I go I think, “She is so efficient. It’s much more organized since she’s started working here.” I said I THINK it. I’ve never told her – but it was so fun to be nice to the other lady, I decided to tell the woman she does a good job. She really does.

So as I was leaving, I poked my head in her cubby and told her. Her sallow, tired face lit up like a light bulb…oh this is fun… and so my day was one continual observation of others’ jobs well done and telling them!

Here is the point. I was just doing a common courtesy. But the woman was grateful. Her gratefulness made such an impact on me I began looking for ways to be grateful to others who were doing well or being kind. It was contagious. I think I understand Galatians 6:10 a little better. “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith”.

Once again, God’s plan and His words always benefit the one who follows…Imagine if we just obeyed that one verse everyday….Hmmmm…

Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love

Rebecca

Pray for God to make you hungry for Him!

You Were Made to Glisten

A Drawer Full

Hello Everyone ~

Growing up in my parent’s home, anytime we needed something sharp we had to hunt through a drawer full of knives to find the one knife that might actually cut something. All the others blades were so dull; we couldn’t tell the sharp side from the smooth side. No doubt, somewhere in the world sharp utensils existed, but somehow they had all eluded the Anderstrom house!

When I got married, imagine my surprise the first time I about lost my finger on the razor sharp edge of the new kitchen knife. I guess I assumed every household struggled with inefficient supplies. What a treat to simply chop and slice with ease! The theory was true. Sharp knives did exist! No more grunting and pulling and smashing to get things done. I couldn’t help but wonder why in the world we had suffered so many years with dull knives. It all seemed so unnecessary.

I thought about that this week when God allowed me a chunk of time with some special women. Without realizing it, I had become dull like the drawer full of knives, giving out to others without being vulnerable enough to receive; a common but costless mistake among those who minister. This left my heart emotionally isolated and perfect prey for the Enemy. I desperately needed someone to speak the truth into my life, just as Proverbs 27:10 says, “Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Making time to be with these friends took effort, and initially it felt like a frivolous use of time. But within minutes, the companionship of these ladies revived my thirsty heart like a withering plant brightens after a summer rain shower. Listening to their Godly wisdom and perspectives on life dispelled some of the lies I had started believing. I noticed my mental vision clearing as I voiced my questions and frustrations to someone other than myself. (Isn’t it amazing how much clearer things become when you’re not the only one listening?) Suddenly my blind spots felt like glowing neon signs and I wondered how long they had gone unnoticed.

The bottom line is simply this: I need you and you need me. Don’t allow yourself to be isolated, no matter who you are. Take it from me, you will survive, but you will be dull. It’s not necessary nor is it wise to live that way. So commit with me to engage with others of like mind with whom you can share and pray and learn! Ask God to give you a mentor or a prayer partner ~ someone with whom you can be honest and unguarded. Let God use this person to bring out the sharpness and the shine in you! Anyone can be in the dull drawer. You, my sister, were made to glisten J

Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love

Rebecca

Silence...Always Golden?

Silence… Always Golden?

Psalm 37:3-7

Hi Everyone~

Have you ever gone before God with something you urgently needed answered? You go before Him, eyes tightly shut, earnestly praying for directions or an open door or wisdom or something…You know God is able to answer. He’s answered before. In fact, you will not be surprised one bit when you open your eyes (figuratively speaking) to find your answer staring you in the face!

So…you finish your petition – and like the people being shown the first look of their new home makeover by the guest designer – you OPEN YOUR EYES…but all you see is a big, blank, white room with nothing in it! You’ve got zilch…no direction, no supply, no ideas, nowhere to go…you’re just stuck. And to your horror, God is silent.

I’ve been battling that recently. In my Bible study, I read the story about Moses being called up into the mountain to meet with God. He told the people to wait until he returned. They did pretty well at first. But after 40 days of no Moses they began to panic…(Oh no, I’ve never done that before…right) The Israelites decided to take matters into their own hands and make their own god. Sarai also panicked when God didn’t move quickly enough fulfilling His promise of an heir for Abram. She arranged for Hagar to have his baby. In case you’re wondering, those were both – how shall we say it, uh…BAD IDEAS!

This week I came very close to jumping ahead of God. I had just read the Moses story. So I gritted my teeth to wait…guess what? God showed up. He slowly began filling the white room with the things I felt I needed to accomplish the task that HE – for Pete’s sake – had given me to do. The room is still pretty bare, but I’m so glad for His Word that reminded me of the consequences of taking matters into my own hands and jumping ahead of His timing.

Sometimes doing nothing is the hardest thing we’ll ever do. I guess at the end of the day, it really boils down to a trust thing, doesn’t it? “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and verily you shall be fed…commit your way unto the LORD; trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass…Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for him…” He’ll not fail.

Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love

Rebecca

I Almost Missed It!

I Almost Missed It

I Timothy 1:7

Hello Everyone ~

I remember the Friday night well. My mom had come from Jacksonville to visit me in Atlanta. We had planned on going to see a play at the local community theater after dinner, but a busy week had left us exhausted. And did I mention the torrential down pour of rain? We both love plays, but with our heavy eyelids and the H2O quickly and violently descending on the roof, staying home started to sound like the best after dinner entertainment I could think of. Getting ready for the play I had this strange battle going on inside; and an unnecessary battle at that. No one required me to go to this play. No one expected me there. No one would even know if we went. Yet as much as I didn’t want to go, I continued to get ready, almost as if I were moving against my will!

Finally inside the theater, we found our seats, only to endure a somewhat serious and rather boring play. But for me, there’s just something about being in a theater that gets my juices flowing! As slowly as the plot moved, I loved being there. I noticed in the program an advertisement for their upcoming auditions. My mom jumped on it. “Rebecca! Do it. Why not? You’ve got nothing to loose! Just try it!” She was right. I had no life outside of work. Deep inside I ached to give it a try, but I just wasn’t sure.

After days of struggling, I finally identified my hesitation to tryout as nothing other then fear of failure. I knew what the Bible said about fear. “God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind.” I knew that if God hadn’t given me the fear then it must have come from… you know who! I concluded that fear did not qualify as a good enough reason not to try. Suddenly this little decision about trying out for a part became about trusting God and taking risks.

Eventually, God won out and I did audition for the play. I can’t begin to express how thankful I am that I went. To my surprise I landed a great role and had the absolute time of my life! But you know what? I almost missed it.

Well… that was then. This is now! (so profound, eh?) God still hasn’t given the spirit of fear. So I ask myself and I ask you - what are you holding out on because you’re afraid? You just may be missing the time of your life!

Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love

Rebecca

Paper plates at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?

Can You Imagine?

I Corinthians 2:9

Hi Everyone ~
Can you in your wildest dreams imagine what Heaven will be like? The closest thing I can envision is something like, say…Disney World. Even as a little girl I remember being awestruck by the park’s irresistible beauty and charm. Every shrub sculptured to perfection; every nook and cranny blooming with lush exotic flowers. The enchanting glow of Cinderella’s castle lured me to wonder what it could possibly be like to live there. (Yes, I thought someone really lived there. But my husband set me straight on that the other day…just kidding, but I did think someone lived there) And the most amazing thing, with all those people, not a scrap of garbage anywhere! If man can achieve something so magnificent, how spectacular Heaven must be!

Or wait a minute...perhaps God doesn’t really get into all that. After all, He doesn’t need to impress any one does He? Heaven is not looking for an enticing marketing venture like Disney World. Good grief, it’s not like people are going to leave if they don’t like it. So why go through all the trouble? People should just be happy to be there. What kind of person would expect anything more?

I imagine He’ll probably just use paper plates at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It would be a much quicker clean up. Certainly He will choose plastic table clothes. They’re much cheaper, you know, and not near as much fuss as the real thing. Or better yet, why even have any thing at all? What would He be trying to prove anyway? As I recall, it’s the soul of man that is the important issue. I know what the Bible says about mansions and streets of gold and all, but really, what’s the point? Surely God has more important things to do than to create a delightful place for me to dwell, right?
Wrong! Evidently God thinks it’s quite important. Heaven will be, without a doubt, the most enchanting, breath-taking place any human eye has ever imagined! Does anyone picture Heaven as a humdrum, only-the-bare-necessities-of-life décor? Doubt it. Why? Is it because God wants to show us how talented and creative He is? Hmmm...don’t think so. Is He wanting to prove that Heaven is much better than Hell? Hardly. Perhaps He just wants to be sure to remove all doubt of who is really the best designer around. OR could it be that our God so delights in us, so loves and values us that He would create an atmosphere more elaborate than our wildest dreams for our sheer joy and pleasure; a place filled with sensory surprises and delights around every corner? Ahhh...now that sounds more like it! Yes, I believe that represents the God I know.
Some day it’s all going to make sense. Some day it will be worth it all. In one of CS Lewis’ allegory novels, a certain character reaches what is representative of Heaven and says, “Oh! If I had only known this was where I was coming, I would have lived differently down there!”
I don’t want to say that when I get there, do you?...I Corinthians 2:9 – read it and be blessed!
Hope & Glory! to You ~ Love
Rebecca