How blessed we are to have friends who lift us up, who speak truth to us, who listen, give advice, encouragement and their constant prayers. This is richness; this is true treasure to have such wonderful women in your life.




Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Joseph, Me and Covid19


We will mark this year, remember this crisis as the time when the world stood still, so still that air pollution cleared, wild animals roamed city streets, packed freeways lay empty, and our cities looked apocalyptic with barren, lifeless stores, theaters, and businesses.  Someday we will reminisce. We will compare stories and debate the mistakes and misunderstandings and lament the "if onlys."  We will wonder why we couldn't see more clearly the answers that seem so obvious to us in our future "now." But the thing is when you are in the midst, you can't see the end or even imagine it.  This can be fear producing for sure, but God, (Don't you just LOVE those two words?) in His goodness, brought some sweet assurance to me from the life of a man who lived over 3,000 years ago.
 
Mid-March 2020 brought me two constant companions, the specter of the looming corona-virus pandemic and the patriarch, Joseph. In the midst of a fearful cloud beginning its heavy descent on me, Joseph came walking into my Covid, shelter-at-home mornings, and Oh, am I grateful he did.  He changed my attitude completely.  I will always thank the Good Lord above for His faithful servant Joseph. I doubt that Kelly Minter had Covid or anything remotely like it in mind when she began to pen her "Finding God Faithful" study a few years ago.  I know that when this study came to me through two dear friends before all this began, I had NO idea God would speak so clearly through this study EXACTLY what I and many others would need to hear, especially in these first few months of this Covid19 crisis.

Do you remember? (See, we are already reminiscing!) At first, we were all for each other. Social media was full of ways to help us cope with this stay at home, new normal life of quarantine. Our pages were filled with fun ideas, encouragement and ways to help those who were "at risk."  But as the weeks went on, there were less posts to help and more about blame and motive, and TONS of conflicting opinions.  Have we EVER heard so many exactly opposite opinions on what we should do?  It was and still is crazy making.  Then came the theories.  We have all heard them, read the articles and the blog posts, watched the videos and the news stories.  Everyone has an opinion on what is happening,  and who is in control.  Frankly, some of these could be flat-out frightening.  Let's see if we can make a quick list of who is in "control" during this time of Covid19:  Bill Gates, the Deep State, the ultra-conservatives, the World Health Organization, China, Russia, the Democrats or maybe its the Republicans, President Trump, Dr. Faucci, Big Pharma, The "Elite"...  I am certain you can probably come up with more.  The blame game is dividing friends, families, churches and THE Church and THAT is worth some thought and some sorrow.  Each side see the other as evil.  So they scramble to either wrest control or keep control.  You see, they think power over others is theirs to control.

As these views would pepper my social media and news streams like the spray of machine gun fire...Every. Single. Day...at the same time, I was refreshingly immersed in the life and story of Joseph.  Joseph who was betrayed by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold to a traveling caravan, then sold into slavery, lied about by a scheming and scorned married woman; though completely innocent, he was  thrown into prison, and then left...seemingly forgotten.  All along the way I could see that people truly thought they were in control of Joseph's life.  I am sure his father, Jacob, thought he was in control.  The brothers definitely thought they were in control when they sold him into slavery.  Potipher, his master, thought he was in control of Joseph.  Potipher's wife, certainly thought she was in control when Joseph was thrown into prison.  The  jailer, probably thought he was in control with Joseph in his prison.  Even the lowly cupbearer seemed to be in control of Joseph's life.   

But were they really?  NOT. FOR. ONE. MOMENT.  Throughout all of Joseph's life there was only One who was in control and Joseph knew it.  Constantly, he referenced God as the One who gave him everything: interpretation of dreams, favor, wisdom, the ability and position to save the people.  He knew who was in control the entire time.  He flat-out tells his brothers after their father Jacob dies and those guys are afraid that all kinds of well-deserved retribution is about to fall on them:  "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result--the survival of many people." (Genesis 50:20)

So here is what Joseph has taught me and it has given me SO MUCH PEACE...People think they are in control, but it is just an illusion.  It very well could be that some of those people, countries and entities mentioned above think they are in control of all that has been unleashed on this world through the corona virus.  They think they are in control of the us and our future. But just as many thought they were in control of the life of Joseph, here's the truth:  God is in control, He is a good, and His plan is always redemption.  Evil can happen and will happen, but in His hands, it turns to good.  Kelly's has a great analogy in her study: Evil and good run on the parallel railroad tracks of our lives, but evil has to bend to God's perfect and good will.  I don't know how He is going to turn Covid19 for good anymore than Joseph could see how his being sold into slavery could be turned for good.  Certainly it never occurred to him that he would go from prison to the second highest office in the country and save not only his own family but all of Egypt and the surrounding countries as well.  But that is JUST how God works...it is ALWAYS MORE! 

Joseph has turned my perspective from fear and dread for what is ahead, to a wonderment of what He is doing and will do.  I am beginning to look for it.

The real question is:  What should I do during a time like this when there is so much fear, turmoil, confusion, and constant pressure to "choose a side"?  The answer I see from Joseph's life is pretty simple.  He remained faithful to God, stood unwavering on His promises, and even during the midst of the worst, he served whoever was in his life at that moment with the best he could give.  He called evil "evil" but just as quickly held no one in judgement or for retribution because He knew His God was working for good.

During this Covid crisis God is working.  Evil can be thrown at us, but God has promised that His ultimate plan of redemption will go through and it will be good PERIOD. All is in His good hands. Fear not!  Be faithful and watch what God will do.  




Monday, December 9, 2019

An Early Morning Lesson in J*O*Y!

Well, my friends...Last week was pretty silent here on the blog!  It was "Christmas Tea Week" at my church and our week is pretty much SLAMMED every. single. day.  This did two things:  First, it put us right on time with the actual celebration of Advent, AND it had me thinking about PEACE all week long. Which, by the way, God came through sweetly in the midst of all kinds of crazy last week.  Now I am ready to sink my soul and heart into some J*O*Y!





















There is a wonderful phenomenon that happens most mornings.  Whether you are in the country or the city, if there are birds and trees around, you can witness something awesome.  But you have to get up early.

 I love to get up before the sunrise.  It really is a peaceful time of the day. I feed my animals (The LAW I was taught from my father, the son of a South Dakota rancher: "Your animals eat before you do," and it has stuck to this day), get a bit of breakfast, make a good cup of coffee and then settle in with my Bible on the sofa in my living room.  On nice mornings, I open the windows and the doors because I know something is coming with the dawn, and I wait for it.



As soon as the sun just peaks up over the horizon, the birds begin to sing and I mean SING!  ALL of them!  Dove and ravens, finches and quail, sparrows and orioles, blackbirds and chickadees, mockingbirds and meadowlarks...  It only lasts for a moment, but it really is pretty spectacular because for that moment sunrise has this beautiful, overwhelming sound of JOY coming from creation itself! 



The Light has come!  This is a resounding message I have heard over and over this week!  The Light has come into our darkness and we have reason to celebrate with great joy for this simple reason we are reminded of EVERYDAY:  There is NO darkness the Light cannot overcome...ZERO...NONE...NOTHING IS TOO DARK. 



Can I encourage you to set your alarm clock this week early enough to sit in the stillness of that darkness before dawn and wait for it?  Wait to see how God has given us this beautiful reminder that Light invades the darkness and watch the darkness flee.  

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His light brought life to everyone. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:4-5

Celebrating with great joy!

Cherri 

 

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Finding Peace

Hello, dear sisters!!

My husband has, from time to time, asked me, "Is it painful in there?"  It is his humorous way of helping me realize that my mind is spinning pretty much out of control at the moment.  Being inside my head is often anything BUT peaceful, and the truth is, I yearn for peace. 

This is a crazy time of instant "connection" never known to mankind in the millennia past.  We are connected to every tragedy, every possible horrible expectation, every "what if" circumstance, every bad news story out there from across the globe.  No wonder we have no peace or at least very little of it.  We have all seen tragedy from all over the world played out in front of our eyes, many times as it is happening and in living, breathing color.  It is overwhelming.


If peace was just a feeling, we would have not one hope of finding it at all.  But there is one quote from Mary C. Wiley that I LOVE.  

In the beginning was peace.  Peace wasn't equated with stillness but with nearness to God.  God walked with His people in the garden in the cool of the day, and all was just as it was meant to be. 

"Peace wasn't equated with stillness but with nearness to God." Alrighty!  That changes EVERYTHING.  Jesus made it possible for us all to have nearness to God.  And that is EXACTLY what  I wrote in my book.  "Walk with God, Cherri, EVERYDAY!"


If peace is what we want, we have to spend more time connecting with God and less time connecting with those things that make us less peaceful.

I know a sweet lady who spent her first hours of everyday in the Word with God.  She did not have an easy life, but peace came to her through her connection constantly, day by day, to the One who loves to give peace.  As the years went by, she gradually got out of the habit and began watching the news for hours each day instead.  Anxiety and fear took over and made her miserable.  Here is the odd thing...she knows where peace comes from.  She has experienced it, but the draw of the screen is so strong, she will give all kinds of reasons why she does not reach for connection with God anymore.  It is heartbreaking to watch.

This is a lesson my friends, if we want to find peace, we have to spend time to be near God.  The nearer we are to Him, the more peace will invade our lives no matter what is going on in the world or even in the "painful" space of our own minds. 

When the angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!" they knew something no one understood at the time.  Peace had just come.  The bridge had just been built.  And it was through a brand new baby just born over the hill!  

We can find peace...the nearer we get to God, the more peace that becomes ours!

 Lean in, my sisters, to the warm embrace of a God who loves you and wants you to know His peace!

I am praying for God's nearness to you all throughout this busy season!

With Love!

Cherri

 

Friday, November 22, 2019

A Thrill of Hope!

Hello, my friends!  

Have you ever thought about how often you say the word "hope" throughout your day.  "I hope you feel better."  "I hope you get the job."  "I hope the lines are short at the Costco gas station today!"  The word "hope" should pop up on the predictive text on most of our phones.  We hope for A LOT!

The "hope" our study this week focused on is far deeper, a more long-reaching type of hope...hope in the waiting...hope when the unexpected happens...hope when God is silent...and the great truth that our HOPE is Jesus.  He is the Light that brings hope to our lives no matter what is going on at any given moment. 

Wade into these deep waters of hope and  really consider where you are.  Are you in the midst of waiting, or maybe you are in the middle of something you did not see coming at all?  Are you feeling distant from God?  Does it seem to you that God is not hearing one word of what your heart pleads?

 Wherever we find ourselves, this week of Advent is about remembering God's faithfulness.  He was faithful to bring the Messiah after 400 years of complete silence as this "weary world" waited.  He is our "thrill of hope"!  

What spoke to you this week?  Please take a few minutes and share what God is speaking to you.  You never know if it is exactly what someone else needs to hear and you are the instrument of God's message of hope.  

Or maybe you want to reach out for hope.  Your heart right now wants to hear from others about God's good faithfulness in times of silence or difficult circumstances.  Reach toward your friends and ask for help.  That is exactly why we are here!

You can post your thoughts in the comment section of this blog or you can comment on the post on Facebook.  Either way, we would love to here from you!

Come Monday I will post on Peace!

Also if you make the spice wreath (I am going to give it a try!!!) Do any of the other activities, let us know how they went for you!  

Love you all dearly...

Cherri

Monday, November 18, 2019

Advent-Waiting Expectantly

Today I want to take a moment to welcome you to this Advent study!  Welcome to our friends in Russia!  France!  Indonesia! South Korea! Australia! Columbia! Czechia, and Kazakhstan! Your sisters from the States are honored to have you join us!  It is the wonder of  this age that women from all around the world can celebrate Advent together!  So let's get started!

The word "Advent" means "the arrival" or "the waiting". From the moment Adam and Eve stepped out of the Garden, "the waiting" began.  They stepped out of perfection and into pain, fear, decay, death, and evil, but God (Don't you just love those two words "BUT GOD" in Scripture?) had a plan of rescue, and it was already in the works! 

Advent helps us to focus, week by week, on a different aspect of the magnificence of God's great rescue story...a story that continues to this moment.  Hope...Peace...Joy...Love.  These four will helps us connect with those who waited before Jesus came and helps us as we walk together toward His coming again to finish it once and for all.  

This week "Hope" will be our emphasis.  For those of you who have the book "Advent, The Weary World Rejoices," you will do the Daily lessons beginning today (Monday, November 18).  There is an ebook available at Lifeway.com for those who would like to join us right away. On Sunday, November 24, if you have an Advent wreath of some kind, you will light the first candle, and consider all you have learned this week.  On page 142 in the book is a short devotional for that particular day. 

Throughout the week, we will be talking about what God is showing us about "hope" as we wait expectantly for His arrival.  You can comment here on the blog or on the Desert Vineyard Women's Ministry Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DVWomen/ 

I am looking forward to spending these weeks together and am praying the Lord would speak sweetly to you all, wherever you are.

Blessings this week as we hope for what is to come and remember that Jesus was the hope those before His birth anxiously waited for!

With love!

Cherri