SelahV Today by hariette petersen

HOLD ON! IT'S NOT THAT BAD...

You are bought with a price.  You are secure.  You have all you need.  Life does not depend upon you.  You know the truth.

"So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgment of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word." Hebrews 10:23 Amplified

The sky may seem to be falling, friends.  The world may come to a screeching halt.  All those things you thought you could trust may shrivel up and blow away.  All those people you thought would be there for you in thick and thin may fade into the recess memories of your mind.  That little nest egg you'd stashed away may not be dependable any longer.  But Jesus is real.  His word is true.  His promises are certain.  Seize this moment to rekindle your faith in Him.  Hold fast to Whom you know is true.  Retain the hope you have in Him without wavering.  Do not be afraid of outside circumstances and buffeting waves.  Jesus is faithful even when others are not.  Jesus is faithful even when life seems lost.  selahV

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]

 

WINDS OF CHANGE ARE IN THE AIR

OIL PRICES DROP!!  GASOLINE PRICES FALL!!  DRILL BABY, DRILL!

If you ask me, and no one is, they oughta take that 700-billion dollars and pass a massivie energy bill.  Begin drilling offshore and in Alaska.  Erect new nuclear plants, build new refineries, construct more windmills, dig more natural gas pipelines, make more biofuel stations, help automakers design more fuel-efficient cars, invest in more algae-oil production ponds.

Yeah.  Then the whole wide world will be dumping their money into our ingenuity and the American workers who gain from jobs and a robust economy that is NOT dependent on 700-billion dollars a year going to overseas countries who hate our guts for our capitalistic democracy!  selahV

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]

BAILOUT BUCKET SPRINGS A LEAK

Well, well, well.  Seems the bucket had a hole in it.  I am a bit weary of Pelosi blaming everything from my hangnail to the rising of the sun on George Bush and every other Republican since the beginning of time.  Sorry, sweetheart, but if you'd simply took Barney Frank and Chris Dodd and sent them on a trip to Guantanamo and assigned someone with bipartisan brains to oversee this deal, you might not be searching for a new bucket.  But nooooooo.  You're right back out in front of the cameras blaming us again.

Americans are not stupid.  What in the world are they thinking?  The very people who put us squarely in the middle of all this are still pretending to protect the taxpayer.  If the Democrats want this to be bi-partisan, then I'd say she needs to turn down her partisan rhetoric and apologize for her hormonal attack of the brain today.

Yeah, yeah.  I know.  Republicans want the economy to tank.  Republicans don't care about the little guy.  Excuse me.  I am a little guy.  My husband's "to-date" earnings is 6,700.00 right now and here it is only three more months to go.  We get a paltry 14,000 from his well-earned Social Security and has to pay 1,200 dollars a year back to the Medicare Insurance that everyone seems to think is free.  We did hope to be able to start drawing on our measly annuity next April when my husband turned 66.  But here we go with the Wall Street spectators and billionaires and government mishandling of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and over one third of our money is gone.  GONE.  We have no clue if we'll draw enough now to pay the grocery bill for two.  Forget yachts, homes, gasoline and medicine.  I am a little guy.

Right as I sit here typing, Ms. Pelosi is speaking in such soft tones of being bi-partisan.  Barney Frank is mocking deeply offended Republicans.  Well, Barney.  There you go again.  Democrats could have passed this stupid, ludicrous bill all by yourself.  Why didn't you pass it yourself if we Republicans are so hurt?  You are simply the worst Congress we ever had.  A 12% approval rating.  I figure the only reason you have that good a rating is because of the Republicans who are dissing this bill.  If we lose every dime we have, I wouldn't vote for this bill.  We don't need a bill that is wrong.  We need a bill that gets it right.  American voters have spoken.  We're calling our Congressmen and women by all-time records.  Change your attitude.  Get out of the way.  Get a new bucket.  The one you have is full of holes.

BTW...Thanks, Ms. Pelosi for such an inspiring speech today.  You warmed my heart. (Yeah...I'm being facetious!) selahV

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]

IS YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER?

I just told my husband we needed to do a Mom-is-coming-cleaning at our house.

His grandmother and mother use to do Spring-cleaning and Fall-cleaning.  And I mean they cleaned.  Furniture was taken outside to air.  Mattresses taken into the sun.  Woodwork and walls were scrubbed.  Every single solitary item in the house was not dusted; it was washed in soapy water.  Curtains and drapes were taken down.  Windows were cleaned with amonnia and vinegar.  Closets were cleared out and painted.  Cupboards were emptied and old shelf-paper ripped out and replaced with new.  That's what my house needs.  A good old-fashioned Mom-cleaning.

It might behoove us to clean out a lot of houses this way.  Politically speaking we could strip those Congress seats and instead of spraying them with Fabreeze, we oughta wash them down with Lysol.  Some may need reupholstering.  Religiously speaking we should strip those pews of all that comfy upholstery and wake up those hineys so they can hear the messages of God's annointed.

Spiritually speaking?  Well, we should start by taking a long look at our committment, our allegiance, and the cluttered rooms of our lives.

"By this fresh (new) and living way which He initiated and dedicated and opened for us through the separated curtain (veil of the Holy of Holies), that is through His flesh, and since we have [such] a great and wonderful and noble Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith,... having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water." Hebrews 10:20-22 Amplified. (emphasis mine.)

Folks, we have a wonderful Priest who rules over the house of God.  That is me.  That is you.  We are indeed the house that needs a Holy Spirit-cleaning on the level of my mother's-in-law each Spring and Fall.

"But Christ was faithful over His [own Father's] house as a Son [and Master of it].  And it is we who are [now members] of this house..." Hebrews 3:6  "Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who live within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God?  You are not your own." 1Cor.6:19

So, as members of the Big House, our temple should be continually kept free of the dirt and grime of bitterness, anger, vindictiveness, laziness, idleness, apathy and faithlessness.  These are only a few of the particles of dust that fill our hearts on any given day and cover our spirits.  How in the world can we serve the fruit of gentleness, peace, tolerance, love, kindness, goodness, self-control and joy when our tables are covered in this soot?  How can we cook up a pot of Christian witness when our pots and pans are covered and caked with envy, strife and hatred?  How can we offer the lost in this world a welcome through the front door of our house, when the doormat says, "You aren't good enough.  Go away."?  How can we clothe anyone with our coats of grace when we give them our least favorite moth-eaten garments of condemnation?

Yeah...we need a Fall-cleaning.  And then maybe we will be forced to our knees to pray for the revival of our souls which lives within the house of God that He has purchased with His only begotten Son's blood.  selahV

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]

   

WHEN THINGS AREN'T QUITE LIKE YOU'D LIKE...

A few weeks back I shared with you that my husband needed one of those air-breathing machines because he has sleep apnea.  I told you Medicare wouldn't cover it.  Well, turns out we were able to get one through VA and Medicare does cover the cost.  Thanks so much for praying for us.  After I asked for prayer, the doors opened for an appointment with two doctors and it all came together without one hitch.  The machine has helped my husband's breathing quite a bit.  Some folks say they hate the thing because it attaches to your nose and forces air into you like a hydraulic lift.  But so far, my man is doing fine with it.  Thanks for your prayers.

Last week I shared how VA had canceled their contract with my father's nursing facility.  I told you that he would have to be moved to another facility and all that had been familiar to him for several years.  I'm sorry to share that today at 1:00 p.m. Daddy will be transferred to a new place of residence without his longtime roommate, Avery.  While this saddens me a great deal that he'd have to go through such an extremely difficult transition at this stage of his life, I want you to know that your prayers for his peace of mind have been answered.  Daddy is okay.  He's accepted it at this point and says, "This place won't be my home much longer anyway." I just ask you to keep praying for him as he adjusts till the Lord calls him to his eternal home.

Life is strange.  Things don't always go like you'd like them to go.  But that's okay.  God is bigger than the tiny living-room of our lives.  He's got a plan.  As long as we trust Him, we don't need to change the blueprint.  When we think a window belongs in the place of a door, it's best to turn to the Contractor and let Him direct the construction site.  selahV      

WHEN DISASTER MEETS US...

There is only one place to look for help.  And it is not to our government, nor our leaders, nor our so-called experts.  Our country's leaders are poised to vote on measures to allow Wall Street gurus, bankers, lenders, and speculators to place their economic mistakes, deceitful practices, and manipulations squarely in the laps of American taxpayers.

With disaster comes a dependency upon God superceded only by His grace to survive it.

"Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?  Or who can show forth all the praise (that is due Him)?  Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who observe justice (treating others fairly) and who do right and are in right standing with God at all times.  [Earnestly] remember me, O Lord, when You favor Your people!  O visit me also when you deliver them, and grant me Your salvation!--that I may see and share the welfare of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your heritage." Psalm 106: 2-5. Amplified.

My hope is not in the world and its economic successes.  My hope is not in the leaders of the world.  My expectation of truth, righteousness, justice and protection in perilous times is in Christ and Christ alone.

As I watch this debacle of human panic, I am reminded of ants on an anthill.  They build it up around their hole to protect themselves from the rains.  As a child I use to love to kick over that anthill and flatten it.  I loved to watch those ants scurry about trying to build it back up again.  Sometimes I wonder if like the tower of Babel, the Lord says, "Hey, you are trusting in the wrong things, folks.  On all that money you have minted and are tossing about are four words you have forgotten:  'In God We Trust.'"

Maybe this is God's way of kicking the anthill and flattening it so we all take notice of what is truly important in life.  Him.  selahV

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]    

SWIMMING AGAINST THE STREAM, OR GOING WITH THE FLOW

Ever been in a place where you have nothing to say?  Do you flounder for words or witticisms to fill the silence of the air?  Do you look at the river of words and think, I swam upstream for this?  I don't know about you, but that seems to be what I am thinking these days.  I wonder where all the rhetoric is leading.

I love the "Lazy River" in water parks.  You get on a float and just let the current take you down the river, around and around.  You don't worry at all about the speed.  When you bump into another's inner-tube, you exchange smiles and move on.  You can close your eyes and drift without a care in the world.  Giggles and laughter waft in the wind.  The warmth of the sun soothes and comforts.   Every now and then you get doused with a soaking beneath an umbrella of water from above and refreshment from the heat is welcomed.

Ever tried to swim against the flow of that Lazy River?  For me it is futile.  I don't have the strength to swim against that tide.  We can battle the streams of life and try to oppose the currents that push against us with all the strength of will we own.

Like the Lazy River, life can be as calming as we allow it.  We can set our spirits adrift and rest completely in the arms of Christ.   We can let God carry us in His sovereign embrace and trust His way as best.  selahV

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]      

DIRE TIMES

Friends I do believe our country's financial crisis is much greater than we can even imagine.  The last time I saw President Bush clench his jaw and take a deep breath like he did yesterday was when he came to the podium to speak to the nation about the destruction of the Twin Towers.  These are dire times.

Think of a world wherein we waken to much of what Galveston Island has now.  No water.  No electricity.  The stench of rotting animals.  Consider that mankind in our greed for more, more, more reaches the bottom of the proverbial pot of soup.  If there is no money, there is no services.  If there is no services, there is no gas to move the food.  Life is no longer as we know it.  When a family goes bankrupt, most times they still have a house for a while.  But when a family loses their income, they soon find themselves without a home.

I believe we are living on borrowed time, my friends.   

"Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.  For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain." Isaiah 26:20,21.

I sit in my comfortable home.  I have a refrigerator with a bit of frozen food.  I have canned goods in the cabinets.  I have flour, oats and rice.  I can turn on the faucet and out comes water distributed by my municipalities.  But what if.  What if none of these things were available tomorrow?  What if all communication were shut down?  What if this were my last post?

Friends, our government is scrambling for answers.  Our leaders need our prayers for wisdom and discernment.  We may very well be temporarily diverting a castastrophic calamity in our country and throughout the world this weekend.  You do not know.  I do not know.

I sat in my recliner last night railing at the talking heads.  Wondering if they were lying?  Stupid?  Insane?  Why were they laughing?  Why are we pointing fingers of blame?  Why aren't we holding hands and bowing our heads in consternation?  Do we really think our "Gimme, gimme" attitudes can last forever without consequence?  Instead of seriously considering how it will be on folks if they get kicked out of their homes, we wonder if we are going to have to hand them our loaf of bread as they move to the streets.

My heart is heavy.  Truly heavy.  Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Cuba.  Do you think for a moment that the governments of these nations care one whit that we are in this state of panic?  This coming week, that nut-case from Iran, Ahmadinejad, will come to our country and speak in the United Nations building in New York.  He will spew his hatred for us and Israel.  Make no mistake; he seeks to wipe Israel off the face of this earth and you and I are infidels who deserve no better in his mind.   Are we praying for God to move in the hearts of the world leaders?

We are living in dire times.  People are getting married.  People are living in sin without one shred of shame.  People are scoffing at the heart of someone who would dare have a child with Down's Syndrome and praise God for the privilege.  Mockers are laughing at all the voices who dare to lift the name of Jesus as the true King.  Today may be the last day you have to share your King's promise.  Will you?  selahV

 

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF YESTERDAY'S STORMS

I am so blessed.  Yesterday I shared with you, my readers and friends, the tumultuous situation regarding my dad.  Bless his heart, he's such a champ.  Today, I talked with his wife and she'd told Daddy I was working with his congressman to try and keep him in the room he has come to regard as home.  Daddy told her, "I'll be okay.  It's gonna be fine."

Daddy is hoping if he moves that his roommate, Avery, will be able to move with him.  A representative from the nursing home that is suppose to be Dad's new destination, came by this a.m. and asked Avery if he'd like to be moved with my dad.  Of course Avery said yes.  Anyway, I do not know what is going to come of it all.  Everything is very much up in the air.  But I am at peace and it appears that your prayers have set my father at peace.  I have an email I want to share with you all.  A sage friend of mine sent it to me when I was in the throes of my deepest anguish over all of this.  Such words brought comfort we all need to hear in such times:

"SelahV,  How deeply I regret this and I will pray.  If worse comes to worse and it happens, turn it on end.  Tell him, “Dad our God is pretty amazing.  Usually people that have your physical problems and years, God let them retire.  But someone is on the way to hell in the new place where God is allowing you to be sent and the only chance he has to go to heaven will be your witness.  Consequently, you have no choice but to go as cheerfully, if fearfully, as a 24 year old kid going off alone to an obscure African village to labor alone for the next ten years.  Can you believe that God still has a plan and purpose for you that is so important?  One more time in life, you must ride Dad.  I know you can do it.  Eternity is depending upon you.”  This will not help you, but it is probably true and may help him.  Our Lord will heal your heart." 

My friends, this did help me.  It helped me envision the awesome God perspective I often have when I encounter such things in life.

I intend to share this with my dad should he be transferred to another facility.  This email reminded me of the man I call Daddy.  My dad is a man who went back into a burning ship off the coast of Africa to rescue fallen comrades during Operation Torch in World War II.  In that crossfire battle, Daddy's ship of 1200 men came out of the battle with only about 126 survivors.  He and a handful of men shared a tiny dirt floor cell with a latrine running down the middle of it.  They were tossed dogmeat and worm-ladened mush to eat.  Daddy is a strong, resilient man.  Age has robbed him of most of his dignity but it will not rob him of his character.  Of this I am certain.

I thank you for your continued prayers.  selahV

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]

   

WHEN LIFE IS CRUEL AND NO ONE CARES...

Very few things happen to me that can really break my heart anymore.  Life has not been very kind the last few years.  I've come to accept that life is quite cruel as I lean on my Lord and Savior for strength through each day.  Today is one of those days that kinda reached inside my heart and twisted till the tears came tumbling down my cheeks.

Let me explain:

I received some rotten news about my 88 year-old father today.  The VA has canceled their contracts with Lifecare Center of Elizabethton, Tennessee where my dad has lived for around 6 years. (Of course, VA didn't bother to check with the Veterans to see if they'd like the idea.  They just did it.) So next week they plan to move Daddy out of his familiar nursing-care center. I suppose if this were to have happened a few years ago, it would not have mattered all that much.  Daddy was a bit more mobile and aware and even capable of adapting to newer surroundings.  But today, my dad knows his present nursing facility as home.

He knows the nurses by the sound of their voices and the way they clear their throats, cough, giggle or sneeze.  He knows the routine by the sound of the carts moving up and down the hall and the smells that waft through his room.  He knows the custodial assistants by the steps they take when they walk inside his room.  But the VA doesn't care what he knows.  Next week they plan to uproot him and move him to a strange environment, with strange people, all familiarity ripped from his life. 

Daddy is blind.  He gets to the bathroom by knowing exactly how far to reach his arm to get to his wheel chair and wheel to the shared facility.  He knows how far it is to his sink to wash his hands.  He knows by the sound of his roommate's breathing if he needs to call a nurse.  He passes the long hours of each day and most nights, talking with his friend, Avery.  They know everything there is to know about one another.  They've learned to live with one another's habits.  And they pray together.  They cry together.  They rejoice together.  And now Daddy will be separated from his buddy (whom he calls brother) he has had for over 5 years and sent to a facility filled with strangers.  New nurses.  New routines.  New custodial folks.  New food.  New schedules.  Everything.

I'm furious and I know I should not be.  But my heart is grieving for him.  He is 100% disabled due to his heart condition and blindness.  You'd think they could let him live out the rest of his days where he is familiar with his surroundings.  Daddy is extremely upset and wants to just die and get it over with.  He can't imagine being where he knows no one.  Where no one loves him as his nurses do where he is now.  His wife is beside herself with worry because this is happening to him.  She has to drive nearly an hour to see him when she goes to see him and so with the price of gas (it was 6.00 a gallon in E-town last week), she's had to cut back going to see him.  And now VA wants to take him out of his home and move him along with 5 other VA patients.  Pity them all.

Personally, I think this is cruel.  Truly cruel.  And I really could use your prayers as I deal with this.  But more especially for my dad and his wife, Shirley as they cope.  Thanks.  selahV 

AFTER THE STORM SURGE--TO WHOM CAN WE TURN?

She'd had to leave quickly when Hurricane Ike barreled ashore in Highlands, Texas. When Ike left the area, she returned to find her house drowning in four to five feet of water from the storm surge.  Just before the storm, she'd washed clothes and placed them on her bed.  After the surge, her bed was upside down in the water.  Now she has four to six inches of muddy gunk covering everything with strange things slithering around in the muck.  She never thought the water would get that far up in her house.  She may salvage a few things, but much is lost.  FEMA may eventually help, but of course there are things you lose that can't be replaced.  As she surveyed her losses, a jewelry box floated into her yard.  It wasn't hers.   

Yesterday, a church family was trying to help her find a place to wash the clothes she'd managed to grab.  When they found a place which had electricity and a washer and dryer, she was thrilled to have five days of clean clothes to wear.

I wonder.

Today, do I dare grumble because there's too much laundry?  The carpet needs vacuuming?  The lawn needs mowing?  The bed needs to be made?  Today the stores are closed in Highlands, Texas.  But I can go shopping and murmur about the high cost of coffee and gripe because the strawberries are not fresh.  Today thousands of homes are destroyed or ruined in Galveston, Highlands, Port Arthur, New Orleans, and more. But I can turn on my lights, fill my tub with water and take a hot bath.  I can sleep in my bed without the smell of mold, mud and sewage permeating the air.

The Wednesday night before Ike roared into the Texas, Louisiana coastline and demolished homes, David Brumbelow, pastor of Northside Baptist in Highlands, led his folks in prayer for those already affected in Cuba and Haiti.  He led them to pray for a weakened storm, and for God's protection on those who would be affected in Texas.  He led his church to give an offering to the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (NAMB & IMB).  Perhaps we should all do that in light of all the disasters our country has faced in the last few months.

David has shared with me a series of his thoughts about Ike--before and after.  Some of the posts below do not tell about an elderly man who fell off his roof yesterday while trying to remove a limb.  They do not share that he died and that people are mourning that loss.  But these thoughts do give us an idea of specific things for which we can pray for those in these storm-ravaged areas.  I've decided to post those thoughts on separate pages so you can get an up-close and personal peek into what they are experiencing in the Gulf of Mexico into his area of Texas.  Please feel free to come back here and comment on any of the four posts you read.  selahV

HURRICANE IKE, 2008~~Part 1 of 4.

HURRICANE IKE, 2008~~Part 2 of 4.

HURRICANE IKE, 2008~~Part 3 of 4.

HURRICANE IKE, 2008~~Part 4 of 4.

To donate to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief efforts, phone toll-free 866-407-6262 or visit www.namb.net.

DO YOU REMEMBER? CAN YOU RECALL? WILL YOU FORGET?

Today we focus on the loss our nation had 7 years ago when 4 planes were hijacked and flew into the heart of our democracy, our freedom and our way of life.  9-11-01.  A day that changed the course of American routine.  American politics.  American spirit.

Today I consider all the things that encompassed the lives of those who lost loved ones that day.  I think of the incredible vacuum of those left behind and what may have filled it through these years.  The regrets.  The guilt.  The pain.  The anger.  The bitterness.  The love.  The inspiration.  The dedication.  The hope for a future where this would never happen again.

Did they have an argument with their spouse, their son, their daughter that morning?  Did they kiss them good-bye before they left on what none could have predicted would be the last chance to do so?  Did they say a prayer for their safety?  Had they reconciled their anger over differences they held?

As I consider the unrelated loss of my dear son on May 8th, 2005, I am reminded of my own relationships.  All the little aggravations we'd faced days prior to his death, paled in significance to hearing the news that he was gone.  Never again would I have an opportunity to tell him I loved him.  Never again would I have a chance to say I am sorry. Never again would I need to be annoyed with a habit he had not changed.  Never again would I need to loan him some money, or bale him out of a situation. Never again would I need to pray for his needs.  Never again would it be necessary to worry, fret or be aggravated with his behavior.  Never again would I feel the comfort of his bear hugs, hear the sound of his voice, nor have to search for a Christmas gift. 

Today I am reminded that life is fragile.  Treasure it.  Life is limited.  Savor it.  Life is not a guarantee; it is a privilege.  With the privilege comes incredible responsibility:  A responsibility to respond to the Creator by loving the people around us.  A responsibility to have compassion where none is seen from others.  A responsibility to encourage where we find discouragement.  To give generously as we have prospered.  To hope when others are hopeless.  To forgive when others hold grudges.  To love when others do not.  To praise when others condemn.  To build up when others tear down.   

Today, this is what comes to mind when I consider the terrorists who sought to destroy America's spirit and resolve.  This is what comes to mind when I consider the significance of my son's life and the vacuum of his loss in mine.  I want to fill my heart and mind with these things.  This is what I never want to forget today.  I may not have another chance tomorrow. selahV

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]       

WHERE I DRAW THE LINE WITH WORKING WOMEN SUCH AS...

MY FRIEND FREDDIE. 

She is one of those working women who makes all women long for a tenth of her energy and enthusiasm.  Nothing ever slows her down.  She's a marvelous cook.  Fabulous homemaker.  Great mom, loving grandmother and devoted wife.  She is a community organizer's dream volunteer.  She's a servant--in the world, and in her church.  She visits the sick, comforts the grieving, gives to the poor and is bold in witnessing.  She is an example of superwoman that few can equal.  In fact, when the Holy Spirit was doling out gifts, I do believe He lingered quite awhile over Freddie and decided to give her a chunk of many.

HOWEVER...

while I might follow her lead in many areas, and long to have a large portion of her drive and tenacity, there's some places where I must draw the line.  When Freddie decided she wanted to do this to celebrate her 60th birthday, I said, "No way, no how, no SelahV."   

PARABLE OF RIGHT AND LEFT

Once upon a time, two friends walked side by side in a field of dreams.  The field was given them to till, to plow, to tend.  One sowed his seed on the right side, the other sowed his on the left side.  The rains came and the sun shone, each given equal sustenance.

But something surprising occurred.

As they sowed their field of dreams, they found that one friend's seed grew taller and higher than the other's.  Upon closer inspection the one with the taller plants discovered their seed was different.  And so he told his friend and offered to share the superior seed.  But his friend didn't care.  He chose to continue to sow his seed though his was inferior and never grew taller, and only yielded blemished fruit come harvest time.

Year after year the friends continued to sow their seed and tend the same field.  Year after year, one had less and less seed to resow the following year.  Each year the friend whose field was on the right and who yielded more and more seed than he could possibly plant, offered seed to his friend.  But with each offer, he was rebuffed.

On the ninth year, the friend with superior seed found his side of the field yielded 100 times more than his friend's on the left.  In fact, his friend had only enough to survive for the winter, and none left to replant the following year.  He knew his friend would not take any of his seed, so he decided not to bother him with an offer.  But he planned in his heart what he'd do.  He could not possibly use all his seed and if he left it stored in the barns, it would rot.  So he decided to take some of it abroad and share it with those who would accept it.  He left word with his servants what to do with the remaining seed and the field if he did not return before harvest. 

The following Spring, the servants went out and began planting the field of dreams.  While they were sowing the right side of the field, the friend with no seed became angry.  He had nothing to sow in his side of the field on the left.  So he went into the byways and hedges and gathered darnels, thistles and dandelions that produced thousands upon thousands of seeds faster than his friend's field could grow.  Late one night, he sneaked out to the field and sprinkled the darnels, thistles and dandelions throughout the entire field.  He knew the seeds would grow and multiply and fill his friend's field and choke out his harvest.  If he could not achieve his dreams, then he was not about to allow his friend to achieve his.

The rains came and the sun shone on both sides of the field all summer.  When the right side grew, each plant was choked out by the thistles, darnels and dandelions that grew. 

Harvest time came and the friend didn't return from abroad.  None of the plants his servants had sown had survived.  The servants fell to their knees and wept.  Soon the friend who had sown the weeds came to the right side of the field to gloat over the destruction.  When he found the servants weeping, he asked, "Why do you weep?  It is not you who will starve this winter, but me.  Surely your master has more seed stored in his barns to survive the winter."

With tears streaming down their cheeks the servants replied, "No, he took all he had to give everyone else and left instructions for us to plant both sides of the field with his superior seed.  He knew you wouldn't accept his seed, so he told us to sow both sides of the field with his seed so you would have all the bounty you needed.  Only now it appears all that is left is thistles, darnels and dandelions.  And those weeds have sprouted and grown on both sides of the field, so neither of us had any yield."  selahV

WHEN SOME SEEDS FALL ALONG THE WAY

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]

    

         

RAILIN' FOR PALIN

Gotta love this lady! She's got more moxie in the new-growth of her pinky toe than I have had in my entire lifetime of 60 years.  Whew!  Did you hear her speak tonite?  Rah, rah, Sarah!  She reminds me of a polar bear protecting the rights of every mama polar-bear's cub.  She'll go where she has to go--into the cold depths of parting Alaskan waters, to the sewer-soaked tides of the Potomac River.

If I had an inkling that she would kow-tow to that crowd up there in D.C., or that she thought for a second that John McCain planned to do so, I'd stop typing right now.  This lady is no barracuda.  She's a piranha.  May those elitist legislators with their bridges to nowhere take notice.  Sarah Palin builds bridges between all Americans and all women around the world.  She's gonna take those conservative stereotypes voiced by the liberal left and give voice to the unborn, the born, and the brave born-again in the fires of diversity and trial.

The spotlight upon her shoulders at this time was needed.  We needed a real live picture of hope for the unborn placed on the world-stage.  We needed a picture on how teenagers need our love, forgiveness, grace and mercy in the hours they find themselves seeking Planned Parenthood for options.  We needed the world to know that just because a baby is imperfect by scientific standards, that baby is perfectly formed by God's standards. Her contribution to the world at this hour cannot be over-exposed, under-rated or easily dismissed.  selahV

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]

   

IF YOU COULD ASK ANY QUESTION OF...

John McCain, Cindy McCain, Barak Obama or Michelle Obama, what would it be?   To see my questions and leave yours in the comment sections, follow the links to each post below:

MASCULINE MATTERS:  John McCain, Barak Obama.

FEMININE MATTERS: Cindy McCain, Michelle Obama.

WORD OF CAUTION:  BE NICE. [GREAT DIALOGS GOING ON IN EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE BLOGS ON THE INDIVIDUALS LISTED ABOVE.  FEEL FREE TO JOIN IN.]

MACARONI FAITH

I made radiatore for supper last night.  Good stuff.  When I boiled that pasta, it softened and gave us such a delightful dinner. This morning I went barefooting into the kitchen to hit the button on my coffee maker and stepped on a piece of hardened pasta.  Ouch!  One piece had escaped the colander when I'd drained it last night and landed on the floor.  Had I been wearing shoes, I would have crushed that chunk of pasta.  Instead, it hurt me.  I picked up the offending pasta piece and chucked it into the trash.  Then I considered the similarities of pasta and Christian faith.

Christians need the fullness of Living Water to be edible food for the world.  We need the salt of other Christians to add flavor to our lives.  Just as various sauces keep each chunk or noodle separated to avoid a pile of mush on our plates, various experiences and gifts set each of us apart as individuals for the Lord's purpose. 

If left on the counter uncovered, lying on the floor unnoticed, pasta hardens and returns to it's former state.  Just as the little piece of uncovered pasta dries out, a Christian left without covering, can harden and be easily crushed by the circumstances of life.  When covered by prayer and bathed in the Spirit of God, Christians remain pliable in His hands.  When we remain faithful in assembling together with other Christians we absorb their salt when we are lacking in some area of our lives.  The battles they've endured inspire us to persevere. Together we are able to face the trials and challenges we each must endure in the world.  We are laborers together.  We are one in the Spirit.  We are God's plan and purpose for a dying lost world.

As the deer panteth for the water, my soul panteth after Thee, O Lord.  Psalm 42:1  selahV

WHEN I AM DRY....

[© SelahV Today, hariette petersen, 2008]