No substitute will do

One of our Christmas traditions it to make caramel apples. Lovingly creating the caramel, gently coating the apples with caramel, chocolates, and various toppings. Each apple is then placed into a festive bag and delivered to a friend.  Although I love making them they take time and apples this year are more expensive than usual. As I was scanning the delicious pictures on Pinterest, I saw what appeared to be an answer to my apple making season. It seemed so simple!

apple

I washed and sliced the apples then began to love them up with the toppings. They look so pretty! I covered the apples and refrigerated them.  The next morning I took out the Christmas themed tray to take to work with me and I was sadly disappointed. The apples had turned rather soggy, not a good option for caramel apples!  I learned a lesson, faster-is not always better!

To read about making my caramel apples enjoy this post  

I went back to making whole apples and I am much more pleased with the results!

Cutting corners, trying substitutions and looking for other things or people to fulfill can have disastrous results for us as Christians as well. 

There are no substitutions for a relationship with Jesus! 

There is No person that will meet our needs.

There is No career that will satisfy our longing to belong.

There is No food that will fill us with joy.

There is No game that will provide us with peace.

There is No drug that will take away our pain.

There is No amount of money that will give us eternal life.

There is only One Savior, Jesus Christ.  We need no other!

John 14:6: Jesus said to him, "I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Memories of Jesus

I saw something this week that brought back a flood of memories! A picture that was created for Crossroad Youth ministry took me back, way back to 1976!

From 1976-1980 while I was in High school, this greeted me each time I entered into the building. It holds a deep, deep place in my heart! I have incredible memories! Memories of hundreds of high school students declaring their love for Jesus and encouraging others to do so also!  I remember the first night that I came into this room and by the end of the evening I was a part of God's family! I remember silly dramas, deep conversations, convicting messages and learning what it means to fall, deeply, madly, whole heartily, un-embarrassingly in love with Jesus! I remember the evenings of competitions, team chants and cheers. I remember all of it! 


This picture is how I envision Jesus. I know that it may completely false, but it is a part of me. Actually I attribute more feeling to this picture than what is portrayed. 


The Jesus I know is kind and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and grace.  He is the one who has saved me from my sins and from myself.  He has changed me and remade me! He is everything to me!


This picture represents the beginning of a life spent with the savior! Thank you Lord that on that warm summer day in 1976 you asked me to come and be a part of your family! Thank you! Jann

Don't text "Jesus" in Pakistan

Pakistan has declared that 1600 words are forbidden to be text on cell phones! 

The name of Jesus Christ has also been banned. 

His name is offensive to Islam.

Cell phone companies were told to begin blocking any text message containing outlawed words, including “Satan,” “nude” and “athlete’s foot.” Many of the banned words had sexual connotations.

Pakistan blocked Facebook for two weeks in May 2010,  after a competition was held to draw pictures of the Prophet Mohammed — this is forbidden under Islam. In 2008 YouTube was blocked temporarily because of a similar competition that appeared on the site.

Photo taken by Allison Stuby

I am reminded of Jesus riding into Jerusalem. The people and the disciples praised God for all the miracles that they had seen! They even shouted 

"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord" Luke 19:38

Like in Pakistan, the officials there also tried to silence the peoples praise of Jesus.

Jesus responded, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!" Luke 19:40

As Jesus looked over Jerusalem He wept for them.  I believe that He weeps for Pakistan as well. 

"If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes." Luke 19:42

Pray with me for the name of Jesus to be lifted high in Pakistan. 

This garden needs tending

We planted a garden before summer began. Before I knew it there were bright red plump tomatoes hanging on the vines, long yellow squash gently lying in the dirt as they grew to maturity, hot red peppers sticking out, just begging to be put to use in homemade salsa and green zucchini that seemed to double in size overnight. In addition to these veggies there were oregano, basil and chives that filled in the planting area.

When the garden was planted it seemed like there would be plenty of room, but as the plants grew and grew not only did I have more tomatoes than I could figure out what to do with, but also the vines of the zucchini and squash plants began to intertwine and co-mingle. I didn’t know this was possible. They were in a sense mating! :) We had some interesting looking vegetables this year.

In the beginning of the season both my husband and I would go out to the garden and pull weeds that were close to the vegetables and we would give them additional water in the afternoon. This tender caring continued for quite a long time this summer. That is until we went to Kenya. During the 3 weeks that we were gone the garden wasn’t given as much attention and when we came home there were weeds growing in and through the tomatoes, zucchini and squash. Even though the garden was not as taken care of, the produce is still coming and so are the weeds. Now the zucchini vines have spread across the beach and are looking for new territory. It seems that now I check for the produce, when I feel like it and occasionally I may pull a weed. The truth is that I got out of the habit of tending the garden and now it seems like too large of a task to begin.


This happens to me spiritually as well.


When I get out of sync with Jesus, sometimes I do absolutely nothing!
Just like with the garden I tend to my relationship with Christ, a little here a little there. Sometimes I do nothing because it seems like such an insurmountable task.

I feel frozen,
                  unable to do what it takes to get going.

This usually means that I have to come to Him and apologize for failing again.

Here is the truth of the matter.

No matter how often I go back to the master Gardener (Jesus) He welcomes me home and says. "let’s do this together".

Now, I am not saying that some pruning doesn’t happen and occasionally it may hurt, but I need someone to help me pull the weeds and set my life back into the order that it was meant to be. I cannot do it by myself! Believe me I have tried and tried. I usually succeed for a while but then I realize that I wasn’t meant to live this life alone. I end up back in the arms of Jesus.

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15

 

How about you?

What in your life have you been trying to do alone? Why not ask for the help the He alone can give?


Are there weeds that have crept up and have taken residence in your life?

I know an awesome gardener that wants to take care of them.

Father, Take this mess of a garden and make it beautiful again.  Restore order and fruitfulness.  Make my life what you intended it to be.  Thank you for giving me grace even though I don't deserve it.  I love you.   jann

Waiting, waiting, waiting!

Waiting!

It seemed that all over Kenya people were waiting. Our trip started with lots of waiting in airports and in the airplanes. Throughout our trip we were in periods of waiting. Waiting for things to begin or to finish, Waiting to go somewhere or to arrive somewhere, Waiting for the generator to start and waiting for the last moment that we would have light, Waiting for coffee or chai, Waiting to see what God would do in every situation.

It is something that we as Americans have a difficult time with!

When we arrived in Kenya one of the pastors told us to leave our watches behind because now we were on Africa time! He wasn't kidding. Things happened as they needed to, not when we scheduled them to. Our waiting was going to be a lesson that we would not soon forget.

God was whispering that he was in control and that I didn't need to be. He had this covered!

I hope I am not the only one who struggles with this!

 Everywhere you looked in Kenya, people were waiting. Waiting for the bus, for their children, for the sun to go down, for food, friends and healing. There were some that were waiting for the touch of the Holy Spirit. There is a deep hunger and thirst for the touch of Jesus in Kenya.

 

While we were walking down a path in the village children who were playing by their mud houses saw us coming from afar and began yelling, "wazungu" (white people), as if they had been waiting for our arrival. Each time this happened they came running to us. They were waiting to shake our hands, to examine our skin, to play with us. We were the ones that they had waited for. Talk about pressure! They giggled as we tried to greet them in their language.

I talked in the previous blog about church services being 4 hours long. There is an expectation that God will meet them in the service and that they are to wait for Him. To wait upon Him. They expect it and are blessed in their waiting on Him.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary.

 Father, I don't want to forget this waiting lesson. I know that you have a plan that you will carry out. Strengthen us as we wait for you. Jann

Wisdom from above is first pure

Image by spurgeon1888 via Flickr

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17-18

pure

peace loving

considerate

submissive

full of mercy and good fruit

impartial and sincere

Jesus showed how to live these out.  Wisdom that comes from heaven. 

Jesus came from heaven and modeled these for us.

Pure- He was the sinless, spotless lamb.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

 The sacrifice was to be a young lamb, depicting innocence.                           It was to be pure.

The verse states, "first pure".  It is the most important thing! There is no wisdom without this. 

How pure is your life? What things are contaminating your witness?  

Looking through the lens of purity how pure is your:

language

television viewing

thoughts

actions

Spotless Lamb of God, I confess to you that I can not do it alone.  My sins are too great to atone for. Your word says that you will wash me and make me white as snow. Cleanse me and surely I will be clean. Today I ask for your guidance to change my language, thoughts and actions. May my life Reflect your purity.

Jann

The bike ride

Let us then approach the 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

We went for a bike ride today. Kent Trails has some beautiful spots and it always takes my mind away from the energy that is required to do complete a 10 mile ride. Today as we were riding I was fully aware of the beauty of the trees. Yes they were green and lush and smelled fresh and sweet, but there was more than that. They reminded me of worship. The trees were standing and stretching to the heavens and yet they were bent and touching together as if they were bowing in reverence. I think I heard them singing,

" I stand, I stand in awe of you"

It was a majestic picture of what we as believers have the privilege of doing.

Jesus gave us full access to the Father. We can have complete confidence that we may approach the throne of grace. Don't miss this important invitation. We can go before GOD himself. We can be confident because of Jesus and all that he has done for us;

• No matter what we have done
• No matter when we became a Christian
• No matter what.

The keys have been given to us and an invitation has been given. "Come".

When will you enter into the throne room?

Father,

Thank you for using nature today to remind me of yourself. I am in awe not only of your creation but more importantly of how you woo us to yourself. Help me to enter into your rest and into your presence as I long to worship you. Thank you Jesus for giving us the ability to enter in confidence because of your sacrifice and love. Lord I come and bow before you now.

Jann