Embracing the Snail in You - or Time to Slow Down!

This article wasn't specifically written for this blog, but it does seem to fit quite well.  Truthfully, as I am finding out personally, a great many things are not changed in the slightest by living with cancer.  It is true that some of the things we obsess about change with cancer.  For instance we wonder about the outcome of the cancer treatment.  We wonder about the chance of the cancer coming back.  We worry about extra bills.  But most things are the same.  We find something to spend our time doing or thinking about instead of appreciating our down time as a gift from God.  We still want to be busy.  We still want to get ahead financially and possibly socially.  Because of the forced down time in most cancers, it is a very good time to make some adjustments to living at a snail's pace.  It can change your life dramatically and for the best. 

Finding the Snail in You – or Living Life in the Moment

Barbara Henderson

Life sure does move along slowly sometimes doesn’t it?  In fact, it moves along slowly most of the time.  Then – Boom!  Life takes a quantum leap in change, and then goes back to moving at a snail’s pace.    These quantum changes often jump up in the way and surprise us.  I am sure you can think of an unexpected change that jumped up in your life; sort of slapped you in the face; left you to make all the adjustments necessary to the change, and then left you to get back into the routine of living life in the snail’s lane.  The bigger the storm of change, the more you begin to appreciate the snail’s pace of normal life.

The snail is one of the slower creatures that is common to be seen by human beings. You can go on a three mile hike and see a little snail crawling along at the start of the trail.  Two hours later you come back by and notice the little creature is still crawling along at the same speed and in the same direction.  He is just keeps plodding along.  For the individual it often seems like he or she is living like the snail.  People are coming and going at a much faster speed doing exciting things.  Living in the snail’s lane can seem like a very boring existence.  The truth is quite the opposite.  Living life at a snail’s pace, or in the snail’s lane, gives individuals the time to improve and actually enjoy life.  Routine is a blessing and a gift from God. 

Unfortunately, instead of enjoying the blessing many people fill their lives up with busy work. A constant stream of activities and engagements take up all the spare time, and there is never a moment spent just enjoying the time God has given them.  They have dreams of achieving certain goals.  If those goals are met, then they dream bigger dreams and set bigger goals.

But, not everyone falls into the trap of trying to get out of the snail’s pace trail.  They set out instead to enjoy the moment.  They set out to live their lives thanking God for the time He has given to them to enjoy the life He made for them.  A Bible example would be King David, although of course he wasn’t a king when he was young.  He was a simple shepherd boy.  He cared for the sheep in a lonely and dangerous place.  I think I would be correct to say that David was a cautious youth.  He didn’t defeat a lion and a bear by being unaware of his surroundings.  Living in the moment, enjoying the moment, even redeeming the time, doesn’t mean avoiding the reality of the moment.  When settling the sheep down for the night David probably placed the sheep in a boxed canyon or draw.  He checked for varmints.  He built a fire. In other words he made the sheep as safe as possible.  Then, he set in to enjoy the moment.  He wrote songs.  He probably played songs on a flute or small harp.  He enjoyed the solitude that God had given him.  Perhaps he might have preferred a little company at least part of the time, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying the time he spent alone.  He drew closer to God. 

Here we are today without a herd of sheep or the solitude of a wilderness. We know life is going along at a snail’s pace, but we don’t like it.  Instead of drawing closer to God like David did during his slow time, we fill up the empty time with silly things.  We are continually connected to tv, internet, social networks, or even social gatherings of people we barely even know. There is never enough time to get to know God better.  Well, actually there is a lot of time to get to know God; but instead, we fill up our spare time with nothing important.  Christians are as caught up in busy work as anyone else.  Now might be a good time to consider our own lives, and whether or not we are spending time that belongs to the Lord doing silly things.

First, are you being cautious like David was when caring for his sheep?  Before you begin to rest at the end of your day ask yourself if you have done everything that needs to be done within your power for that day?  Have you taken precautions to see that your family is as safe as is humanly possible?  Have you done everything within your budget to prepare for tomorrow and an uncertain future?  Is everyone as safe as can be managed at the moment? If you can say, ‘Yes.  I have done everything I can possibly do today,’ then you are free to spend your time relaxing and doing things that draw you closer to the Lord. 

Second, are you dwelling on things that are beyond your power to control?  Are you worried about your health, retirement, meal planning next week, laundry that can’t be done at the moment, car or home repairs that aren’t in your budget, wayward children or family members, or past mistakes? Are you so worried about the political and social conditions of today that you can’t relax and enjoy your slow time?  Forget it.  Watch a small child enjoy the moment.  When they are playing with a kitten or a puppy do you notice them worrying about feeding the little creature, or finding it a new home, or cleaning up after it, or anything at all?  You just see them enjoying the little animal.  We are supposed to spend a great deal of our slow time doing the same thing.  Just enjoy the moment. Thank the Lord for your blessings.  Draw closer to Him.  Don’t pile worries on top of worries on your down time.  Live in the moment.  I guess you could say, ‘Embrace the snail in you’.  It is a gift from God.

Third, are you simply avoiding spending your free time with God on purpose?  Are their things you would rather not consider or discuss with God or anybody for that matter? 

I wonder if sometimes the sudden and dramatic changes to our boring lives are gifts from God, or at least used by God, to get us to at least spend a little time talking to Him.  After all, there is nothing like a crisis to get God’s children talking to Him.  When we are slapped out of the blessing of living a life at a snail’s pace Christians invariably develop a sincere and determined prayer life.  It may be as short lived as the crisis, but at least for the moment God’s children are talking to Him. 

Seriously, don’t let God’s gift of spare time to spend with Him be wasted in busy work.  Do all the work that is truly necessary, and don’t shirk your responsibilities or your duty.  Then make use of that time God has given you.  At the very least don’t spend time worrying about stuff that isn’t within your realm of authority or control. Live in the moment for at least part of every day.  I’ll mention it one more time  -  ‘Embrace the snail in you – it is a gift from God.”

Thinking About Heaven...

Heaven – What is it Like?

Barbara Henderson

Heaven is the home of God.  God is utterly and continually perfect.  Christians naturally have a curiosity about heaven because that is where we will spend eternity.  But can we know what it is really like?  How about all these people who have ‘been to heaven’ and came back to tell us what it is like?  The first place we go to evaluate anything is the Bible.  It gives us the base by which everything else is evaluated.  So, what does the Bible say about heaven?  This is important because Christianity stands or falls on ‘scripture alone’.  The experiences of man, no matter how unusual or interesting, have no place in Christian theology.  This is what the scripture says about heaven.

^‘ But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.’  1 Corinthians 2:9

Mankind simply does not have the mental capacity to understand what heaven will be like.  We know it will be wonderful beyond comprehension.  We know John saw heaven, but he didn’t spend any time describing it.  I believe there are two reasons for this.  First, John’s goal and the goal of the Bible is to give individuals the information they need to actually get to heaven.  It isn’t to satisfy our curiosity.  Second, John could not describe it effectively because we can’t comprehend it.  I suppose a third item would be glory to God.  It isn’t about how John perceived it, as in the devil looked like this, and angels looked like that, and I saw family members, or anything like that.  It would be overwhelming awe in the presence of God.

We don’t need human descriptions of what heaven is like.  There is no way to interpret personal experience in light of scripture.  Many people, my self included, have had experiences that are without explanation.  I don’t know what to make of it.  I am sure I am not crazy.  But, how does that fit into Bible teachings?  It doesn’t.  To try to make something out of an experience without explanation is to step into the whirlpool of emotionalism and feelings over facts.  It moves us into the group of those who never have enough evidence.  They are always looking for ‘signs and wonders’ instead of just taking the Bible literally. 

However, Jesus did give us a big clue regarding heaven when He blessed the little children and said, ‘such is the kingdom of heaven’.  There are wonderful things about children that we can comprehend on some level.  What is about children that would be the same as heaven? 

Innocence.  Children are born sinners like all human beings, but they do have an innocence about them.  They haven’t been hurt or disappointed. 

Enthusiasm.  Children can be happy in the moment.  Whatever comes up gives them enjoyment.

Unconditional love.  Kids just love you.  They love everybody. 

Trusting.  Kids believe you.  I understand that kids gradually become adults and lose their innocence, their trust, their enthusiasm, and many wonderful attributes that seem to belong only to children.  But as little children they give us a very dim picture of heaven.  Just like the Bible says, now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.  We just don’t have the capacity to understand it all. 

Joy.  It is a joy to grownups to watch children, probably partly because children are joyful. 

Adaptability.  Kids adapt to new things. 

Basically, when you have the privilege of holding and rocking a baby, you have a taste of heaven in your arms.

And the list could go on.  If you are wondering about heaven, think about children.

We do have some descriptions of things in heaven.  The throne of God is pretty interesting.  Those little flying creatures are flitting around the throne.  They cover their faces which I suppose is because God is too wonderful for them to actually look at.  There will be streets of pure gold.  There will be a river.  There will be lots of jewels!  The walls of the city are made of jewels.  I love jewels!  I can’t imagine how fabulous it will be.  Oh, that’s right.  The Bible says I really can’t imagine what God has for those that love Him.

Now, let’s just suppose for a second that sometimes there are cases of someone getting a glimpse of heaven.  What should their response to this be?  Let’s look at people who did get a glimpse of heaven.  The dead guy Lazarus was dead four days.  I don’t know what he happened to see or experience during those four days.  The reason I don’t know is because he didn’t tell us!  He probably figured out there was no way to put his experience in a context that people could understand or relate to.  He also knew his personal experience was not as sure as the word of God.  He didn’t want people relying on his experience to prove anything.  He knew there was a more sure way to know about heaven.  That way is through the written word of God.  John saw heaven.  He doesn’t bother telling us about his experience either.  He preaches the gospel.  He tells people about the things will happen on the earth, and how they can escape the wrath to come through Jesus Christ.

What about all these books and even movies about people who died and went to heaven, and then came back?  I can promise you that you best take every single account with a grain of salt.  In other words be very skeptical.  And definitely do not let their experiences sway you in anyway.  You don’t need to hear about someone’s experience in order to believe in heaven.  The very title of the latest movie ‘Heaven is for Real’ is insulting to people of faith.  Of course heaven is for real.  Based on the word of God Himself, heaven is not only real, it is our eternal home.  No matter what sort of experience this child or any other person has had, it is not relevant to the message of the Bible.  Jesus saves.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

Messages about ‘my trip to heaven and back’ do not give any sound theology.  They do not proclaim that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven you must be born again.  They do not call people to repent of their sin.  They don’t do anything except stoke a ‘feel good’ religion.  Such stories promote the idea of heaven without any direction on how to get to heaven.  Of course heaven is real, but to get to heaven you have to believe in Jesus Christ.  Where is the most important message of all?  Where is the glory to God?  Where is the awe and wonder?  If the angels around the throne cover their faces, what is a human being doing gawking at what is going on?  These stories are simple distractions.  That is all they are.  Did these people experience something unusual?  Probably.  Does it have any relevance regarding taking the gospel message to the lost?  Absolutely not.  The Bible is sufficient, inerrant, and relevant to every single human being.  Don’t confuse the message with a lot of extras.  Cut to the chase.  Make the message clear and plane.  Christ receiveth sinful men.  All this ‘my trip to heaven’ is just confusion for the most important issue in the world. 

And I would like to point out a very important point here.  People wonder why God didn’t make it clearer.  Why didn’t/doesn’t He give us access to heaven?  Why didn’t He tell us what it was all about and what it would be like?  Why does it all have to be about faith?  Consider this.  He did give the angels direct access to heaven.  They knew God.  They knew all about heaven because that is where they lived.  And all that knowledge didn’t matter in the slightest to 1/3 of the angels.  They still rejected God and rebelled.  God gave the first people very long lives.  It didn’t matter.  Some of them still refused to turn from sin and turn to God.  And these people had eye witnesses to God to tell them what was true and what happened.  These stories of what happened to other people did not cause them to turn from sin and repent. 

During the thousand year kingdom, the devil will be chained away from mankind.  Mankind will still fall away from God and sin.  After the thousand years, the devil will be set free for a short time.  And what will he do with his freedom?  Will he repent and beg God for mercy?  Not hardly.  He comes out of the pit doing the same old thing.  He seeks to destroy. 

So, God has tried it every way.

The angels had direct access to heaven.  Some still sinned.

Adam and Eve had direct access to God.  They still sinned.

People lived many years and still rejected God.  A long lifespan didn’t make any difference.

The devil is beyond repentance.  This explains why God only gives people one chance. If they had a second chance, they wouldn’t take it.

What has not changed and never will change is that salvation is by grace through faith.  What heaven is like in detail is not relevant to how to actually get to heaven.  Taking personal experiences seriously is not helpful to maintaining sound theology.  Sound theology IS IMPERATIVE in keeping to the theme of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This other ‘stuff’ serves as only distractions.  We don’t need people’s experience, no matter how interesting or sweet.  We have the word of God. 

FInding the Good in the Valley You Are Going Through.

The ‘Lily of the Valley’, ‘The Lily in the Valley’, and ‘The Lily in MY Valley’

Barbara Henderson

Have you heard the songs, ‘The Lily of the Valley’ and ‘I Found the Lily in My Valley’?  The Lily of the Valley’ was my favorite song when I was little.  We attended ‘Bible Baptist Church’ in Anchorage, Alaska.  Although we were supposed to be quiet except when singing, we actually got shout ‘Hallelujah’ while singing the ‘Lily of the Valley’.  The song is also very fast paced, which children love: and it tells a story.  I love songs that tell stories. ‘ Amazing Grace’ of course tells the most amazing story of all time and creation, but ‘The Lily of the Valley’ tells part of the same story in a wonderful way.

The ‘Lily of the Valley’ is a classic hymn praising Jesus for his wonderful blessings to the children of men.  It is a happy song praising God. (lyrics and link to music at the end of the article)

Then there is the newer song ‘I Found a Lily in My Valley’.  It is the story of man who had hit bottom as we say here in the USA. It means his life was at a low point and that he had given up. Then he found Jesus.  (lyrics and link to music at the end of the article)

Both of these songs preach Jesus Christ – who is the Lily of the Valley.  I suppose the song that goes with the real Jesus is ‘Jesus – the One and Only’.  There is only one Jesus Christ.  There are a lot of false saviors, but only one who is actually Jesus Christ – the only begotten Son of God.  I know  that is off topic for this article, but it does seem more and more necessary to clarify that you worship the God of the Bible, and that you don’t worship a so-called ‘Jesus’ that people make up to suit their own idea of what exactly the want in a Jesus.  See my next article on ‘Identifying Jesus’.   But – here is the song ‘Jesus – the One and Only’ so you can listen to the music now.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCSVNSi-UzY

Since my diagnosis with cancer, I have been clinging to the Rock of Ages, who is The Lily of the Valley.  Since I have been saved for many years now, I may sometimes take Jesus for granite, but Cancer is a wake up call.  I started taking Jesus quite seriously. I would already be in the lunatic asylum without Him.  So, while I personally know the Lily of the Valley, I am looking for a lily in my valley.  What good things are going on in my life even though I have a very serious illness?  I am looking for lilies of goodness as I go through this trial.

Many of the things going on in my valley are the same good things that were going on before I was diagnosed. 

I suppose the obvious blessing or ‘lily in my valley’ is that I was diagnosed while there is still hope of being cured.  I mean, one day I had a stomach ache, and the next day I am fighting for my life.  However, what if I had not been diagnosed?  I would still have a stomach ache and have no idea that I was dying.  That is like being lost isn’t it?  People who don’t know Jesus may be just like people who don’t know they have cancer.  They are still dying.  So it is a wonderful blessing to find out you are sick because knowing you are sick is the first step in being cured.  It is the same with being saved.  First you have to know you are lost before you can fix the problem.  So the first lily in my valley was to find out I was sick in the first place.  Thank you Jesus for letting me know I was even sick to begin with. 

The next lily in my valley was to find out how many people care enough to pray for me.  I know everyone is busy busy busy.  That seems to be the world that we live in now.  So taking time from their world to pray for me is wonderful news.  I do pray for others.  I am really good at short sincere prayers.  God doesn’t need a long wordy  prayer.  A simple God bless this person or this situation when prayed sincerely is all it takes to have actually prayed for someone.  I do thank God more and more that short prayers are just as good as long prayers!

It is also a great lily in my valley to reflect on the daily benefits from God that don’t change regardless of the state of my health.  God is still in control.  Heaven is still my eternal home.  Despite the ‘save the earth’ crowd, the earth already has Jesus Christ as its Savior.  None of Christ’s promises are null and void because of dire circumstances.  None of His plans for a new heaven and a new earth have changed.  His power has not diminished.  His call to sinners to repentance has not dimmed.  His power to save is the same.  His love of people has not changed.  Psalm 68:19 says, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.’  Take time to reflect on God’s daily benefits.  Whether your life is going along perfectly or you are trying to get over one of those dreadful bump (or mountains) in the road, take time to consider God’s daily benefits.  Give thanks for the things that do not change regardless of your circumstances.

Another lily in my valley is to see how my family has rallied around me.  They are all praying for me, asking their friends and church family to pray for me, and just helping me with everything without complaining at all.  Life long friends and newer friends have made a special effort to let me know they are praying for me as well.  People from Prophezine.com – people I have never met in person – have let me know they do care about me and are praying for me.  This is a comfort for which I am very thankful,

Another lily in my valley is to be the one sick instead of watching a loved one go through this.  When I thought Jerry had cancer early this year I almost fell apart.  God held me together, but it was rough.  And that was just when I thought he might have cancer.  Thank God it was a false alarm.  Recently Jerry said, ‘I wish I was the one sick’. I said, ‘Not me!  When I just thought you might be sick it was awful!’ So that is a blessing.  Also, Jerry is the one with the insurance.  I know people get through cancer treatment without insurance, but I know it is very hard.  So, it is definitely a lily in my valley to have insurance.  Please pray for Jerry.  He is seventy years old and it is getting harder for him to put in those ten hour days.  Also, he needs to work 3 more years until I am able to get on medicare.  He needs prayers that he will be strengthened and encouraged.  We have to leave that in the Lord’s hand.  But, he is working and not complaining about any of it.  But he is just so tired. I Thank God for him.  By the way – today is our 43’d anniversary. (August 20)  I can’t even believe that I am 43, much less that I have been married 43 years.

There are light hearted blessings as well. I practically never have to do dishes.  When I cook I cook enough for several meals.  That makes for less kitchen clean up.  And, it seems like every one is fine with eating warmed up food.  If it was good in the first place it is going to be good in the second place.  When I recover I expect our new ‘I love left-overs’ mentality will remain with us. 

Many of you know that my daughter and I raise Siberian Forest Cats.  They are amazing creatures, and we love them.  We have kittens now which are a wonderful comfort and blessing.  I can’t tell you how nice it I to have kittens just hopping into my lap all day long.  They want some attention and I want to pet a kitten.  I also have to feed them, but it is even fun to watch them learning to eat by themselves.  They are definitely a blessing.  My Grandsons do litter box duty almost every day. 

Another lily in my valley is anti-nausea medicine.  It works very well, and there has been very little stomach upset with the chemo.

Another lily in my valley is the shots they give you in the stomach to keep your immune system working  I haven’t really been sick at all.  Cancer is hard enough to fight without adding colds and flu to the problem. 

As I have mentioned before, I am positive there are many more illnesses or life events that are worse than or equally awful than cancer.  God gives us what He knows will fulfill His purpose and plan as well as be of some benefit to us.

If you already know real Lily of the Valley – which is Jesus Christ – thank God that you already have your eternity settled.  Remember that you can’t even pass through a rose garden without encountering thorns.  Sometimes it seems like you are in thorn patch.  I have actually been through a thorn garden so to speak when trying to catch my black and tan hound  many years ago. He was an amazing fellow, but calling him in from the hunt when he was on the trail of a deer was close to impossible.  I did chase him into a thorn patch once, and I honestly thought I might need a blood transfusion before I got out of there.  After that I told my dog Rebel that he could just sleep in the cold before I would chase after him again.  I also stopped buttering his biscuits!  (Silly dog – he wouldn’t eat his biscuits unless I buttered them first.  He was a bawl mouth hound – meaning he had the long bark instead of the short bark.  I did love that dog.  And I never did stop buttering his biscuits.  I knew the dog needed to come when I called him.  He disagreed.  He got hit by a car when he was age seven.  I still miss him)  Anyway – back to the subject,  whatever is going on in your life right now, now is the time to begin looking for the lily in your valley, meaning the blessings of God in the middle of everyday life.

God bless you.

The Lily of the Valley  OR I Found a Friend in Jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgkoGXOJzcE  Shout halleluiah at the end of the verse.

                                         

 I have found a friend in Jesus
He's everything to me
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul
The Lily of the Valley in Him alone
I see All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole
In sorrow He's my comfort in trouble He's my stay
He tells me every care on Him to roll (hallelujiah)
He's the Lily of the Valley
the Bright and Morning Star
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul
He's all my grief has taken and all my sorrows borne
In temptation He's my strong and mighty tower
I have all for Him forsaken and all my idols torn From my heart and now He keeps me by His power
In sorrow He's my comfort in trouble He's my stay He tells me every care on Him to roll
He's the Lily of the Valley
the Bright and Morning Star
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul
He will never, never leave me nor yet forsake me here While I live by faith and do His blessed will A wall of fire about me I've nothing now to fear With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill
In sorrow He's my comfort
in trouble He's my stay
He tells me every care on Him to roll
He's the Lily of the Valley
the Bright and Morning Star
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul

‘I Found the Lily the Valley’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XWY2K77RyE

All alone and broken hearted
Trying to calm the raging battle in my mind
In the search of many answers
That my troubled soul just couldn't seem to find
I saw a flower blooming
Where there was no rain or sunshine
And I knew not that this flower
Would change the rest of my life

(Chorus)

I found the Lily in my valley
I found strength when I was worn
I found a place to leave my burdens
I found refuge from the storm
A place where I trade my dark skys
To beaming rays of sunshine
I found a lily in my valley
And He blooms all the time

So if you're down and broken hearted
And you just can't seem to find peace of mind
You're searching for your answers
But your problems are getting worse all the time
Just reach your hands to Jesus
He'll take you in and break the ties that bind
He'll be your Lily in your valley
You can watch him bloom all the time

He'll be your Lily in your valley
He'll be strength when you are worn
He'll be the place to leave you burdens
He'll give you refuge from the storm
A place where you trade your dark skys
To beaming rays of sunshine
He'll be your Lily in your valley
And He'll bloom all the time

I found the Lily in my valley
I found strength when I was worn
I found a place to leave my burdens
He gave me refuge from the storm
A place where I trade my dark skys
To beaming rays of sunshine
I found the lily in my valley
And He blooms all the time
Yes He's the Lily of my valley
And He blooms all the time