My current home is an apartment building with a great view and great neighbors. Out of the eight units that make up the two halves of the building, only three of them have children living in them. The kids who live here range in ages from roughly three to twelve – and they are all great kids.

As I sat down to do some writing tonight, there was a lot of noise in the little parking lot which I can see from my balcony. It was “happy noise,” and I just had to see what was going on out there! As I opened the sliding glass doors and walked outside, I observed a pick-up game of baseball. One of the dads was pitching, and the kids were encouraging one other with “come on, you can do it – try again,” and “way to go, T–, great hit,” and “awesome hit, J–, I knew you could do it!” I stood there, arms resting on the wooden railing, lingering longer than I had intended as I talked with their moms while the kids rounded their makeshift bases. Though I was only a spectator, I was smiling, and I had been reminded of a great truth.

Friends encourage friends.

Dictionary.com defines “encourage” with the following three meanings:

1. to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence;

2. to stimulate by assistance, approval, etc.;

3. to promote, advance, or foster.

Following the loss of my job, my family and my friends have encouraged me as never before! As seen through the definitions above, they have 1. inspired me by their courage and confidence and have therefore given me greater courage and confidence; 2. stimulated me with their loving assistance on so many different levels; and 3. promoted me to advance and to do new things in better ways.

However, these verses from the book of Proverbs say it best, and remind me of the type of friend I long to be in return.

10:21a – “The words of the godly encourage many….”

17:17 – “A friend is always loyal….”

18:24 – “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”

27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

Yup. That’s what friends do.

Friends use their words to encourage others. They are loyal. They build up rather than tear down. And they sharpen the hearts of their friends – motivated by sincere concern, a desire for godliness, and a heart of love.

With family and friends like that, it’s certain to be a winning team!

So . . . is anyone else having a sudden craving for peanuts and Cracker Jacks?

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Thanks for taking time to  read “Backyard Baseball Buddies!” Please feel free to leave a comment or question.

“Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.” – Joshua 21:45

This verse amazes me. In fact, I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since I read it last week!

Part of my daily time in God’s Word right now is being guided by a suggested reading schedule I was given at church. Because the readings all week lead up to the preacher’s sermon, it’s been another great way for me to go to church on Sunday with a prepared heart – ready to learn and to apply the message.

The recent readings have been from Joshua and Judges, and I have been struck anew with the whining and grumbling of God’s people. These people had GAZILLIONS of amazing things happen right in front of their very eyes. I mean, seriously – TWO times God parted massive amounts of water and held it in place while they walked across on dry land! Weaponless, they conquered a city secured by a seemingly-insurmountable wall – and from a human point of view they did it with nothing but their voices and some trumpets! Over and over and over again their needs (and wants) were met! Their response? They gave Him short-lived gratitude and worship followed by a long-term pattern of selfishness and complaining.

You are probably a much better person than I am because I confess that if someone responded to my kindness and love in the way that God’s people responded to His kindness (unfailing mercy) and love…well, it would not be pretty. They can really upset me . . . until I realize that I am just like them.

Over and over and over again my needs (and often wants) are met. I have the completed Word of God from which to read and learn. I have health. I have salvation from what I deserve. I have life. And yet, I complain. And in so doing, I literally question His promises and His love.

BUT, His unfailing love and mercy never fail! He didn’t just tell me that they wouldn’t – He PROMISED that they wouldn’t!  He keeps His promises – in His time, in His way, and for His glory!

Because of His great mercy, grace, and unfailing love, and because the God of Joshua is MY God, too, I can take an Old Testament truth about God and apply it in a personal way to my life today:

“Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to Brenda was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true!” 

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Thank you for taking time to read “He Promised!” Please feel free to leave a comment or question.

I recently wrote a post sharing that I probably could win awards for being the world’s most directionally-challenged person! In fact, when I first moved to my present location, instead of giving me a “house-warming gift,” some friends gave me a Garmin to help me find my way around the new city! [My personal thought is that the inventor of this marvelous device should receive . . . well . . . whatever the biggest, most important, and most prestigious award there is!]

Though I know my GPS friend (I called her “Greta” for “Greta the Garmin!”) will eventually get me to my location, I do tend to panic for a brief moment when I hear the word “recalculating.” In fact, with my inability to ascertain directions, my poor little “Greta” often says “recalculating” several times in succession in her computer-like voice!

I recently came to a point on a short trip where, because of highway construction, I hit a detour. The familiar “recalculating” came blaring out at the 80% volume selection. I took a deep breath and thought, “Okay, Greta – I need you to guide me through this because I don’t have a clue where this new road will take us.” The highway I was so comfortable in driving was literally torn up and blocked off because of potholes, repairs, and problems with the road. So this path was assigned to me by those who knew the dangers of the road and who knew a safer path for drivers to take.

The bright orange signs, carefully posted by the construction crew and complete with arrows, combined with the help provided by Greta, were actually a blessing rather than a frustration! In what seemed to be no time at all, I was back on the main road – safely around the construction zone.

Right now, my life’s “GPS” is repeatedly saying “recalculating – recalculating – recalculating” in tones hard to ignore. Yet I know that this detour is for my good. I know I will arrive on the other side of the detour at precisely the right location. However, just as in my travel illustration, I must watch the signs, listen for the directions, and in blind trust, I must follow where I am led to go.

The God of all creation is fully aware of every need that I currently have and of the path I must take. I will read the Scriptures for His instruction, listen for direction from the wise counsel He has placed in my life, and in complete trust, I will follow wherever, whenever, and however He leads. No need for panic. No need to chart my own path. Just joyfully follow – because, along with the prolific hymn writer, Fanny Crosby, I can gratefully say:

“All the way my Savior leads me, what have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?

…This my song through endless ages, ‘Jesus led me all the way!'”

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Thank you for taking time to read “Recalculating….” Please feel free to leave a comment.