Faith Archives - The Ultimate Gift

April 15, 2025

Road Closed

ROAD CLOSED—This is NOT a sign you want to see in the early part of a 1000+ mile journey home after being away for over three months. Actually, I’m not sure it is EVER a sign you want to see. I only know that it was particularly painful yesterday. I wasn’t sure we would ever get out of Florida! All lanes on I-95 N were closed due to an accident just north of Jacksonville. So, we had to exit and find our way back with several thousand of our closest friends. You can imagine our delight!

An Alternate Route

My husband, Todd, doesn’t generally let me do much of the driving, but he succumbed when he had had enough of evading the obstacle keeping us from our intended route. I suggested that I take a turn behind the wheel so he could take a nap. I assured him that I wouldn’t fall asleep in such driving conditions. So, I drove. He slept. We covered 0.8 miles in the process! Finally, we made it back to I-95 and were on our way again. By midnight we had conquered the rest of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, stopping off for the night in Elkin, NC.

Responding to Obstacles

I’m always asking God for writing material. After an altered night of sleep due to our late night, it came in the form of the Verse of the Day in YouVersion first thing this morning. As we reflect on the last week of Jesus’ earthly life, we revisited the story of Jesus going to the Temple in today’s verse. Like us yesterday, He encountered obstacles. Also, like us, He responded with anger. Okay, His was righteous. Ours, not so much. Instead of the Temple being used for its intended purpose—worshiping God, it was being used to take advantage of those who traveled to Jerusalem for that very reason.

Jesus went into the Temple area. He threw out all those who were selling and buying things there. He turned over the tables that belonged to those who were exchanging different kinds of money. And he turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. Jesus said to them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are changing it into a ‘hiding place for thieves.’”

Matthew 21:12-13 ERV

Theft

The people who came to the Temple for worship were being robbed, in multiple ways. First, the merchants were selling animals needed for sacrifice at excessive amounts, priced too high for many of the travelers to afford. That led to a second type of robbery—a spiritual robbery. Those who could not meet the asking price were excluded from worship, unable to pray and connect with God at the Temple. The merchants and religious leaders had filled the Temple with obstacles, keeping the poor and vulnerable from God’s very presence.

Clearing the Path

Jesus would have NONE of that! In His anger, He single-handedly cleared the Temple of all man-made obstacles blocking people’s access to God. That was a temporary act, leading to His ultimate act, one that has eternity stamped on it. Jesus tore down every obstacle standing in our path to God when He went to the cross on our behalf to pay the penalty for our sin. The obstacle is gone, the road is open, never to be closed again. Thank you, Jesus!

If you haven’t yet chosen this road, please know that it is an open invitation and one you’ll never regret accepting. I know how thrilled we were to get back on I-95 and get moving yesterday, yet it pales in comparison to the joy of being in relationship with God, only made possible through Jesus. May you know that same joy!

February 19, 2025

All In

I am not much of a gambler…really. But when Texas Hold’em became quite popular back in the early 2000s, my husband and his game-loving family taught me how to play. They will be the first to tell you that I don’t have much of a poker face. I can’t bluff to save my life, so it’s a good thing there is no money involved. The player who ends up with all the chips simply acquires bragging rights. Until the next time anyhow! I am competitive, so that’s enough to suck me in right there. You know what? Now that I think about it, I believe I still possess those bragging rights.

Ending the Game

As it turns out, there is a limit to my competitive nature. Texas Hold’em just so happens to be the game that revealed that. You see, we generally play it at night when the tank is already running low. I enjoy it for a while, especially when I have a pile of chips in front of me, but then I lose interest. I start taking more risks with my bets, attempting to bluff even. Sometimes that pays off, but not usually. Do you know what the magic words are when you are tired of playing? ALL. IN. That generally ends the game rather quickly!!

The Rest of the Story

If you read my most recent post, you know that the Holy Spirit has me focusing on God’s extreme nature lately, specifically calling my attention to the words all and always. This is Part II to that post.

Self-Sufficiency is Tiring… (and Impossible)

Life is good, yet rarely easy. There are seemingly new challenges that come with each passing day. And they come in all shapes and sizes. If I’m being honest, the control freak in me often tackles life’s challenges in my own strength and wisdom first. God is my last resort more often than I care to admit. Can you relate? It’s tiring!

There’s a better way. His name is Jesus.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”

John 14:6 ERV

Jesus–The Ultimate Gift

God went ALL IN on you and on me when He gave us Jesus, but it wasn’t because He was tired. He simply wanted to be with us, which meant that He had to solve the sin problem. Through the death and resurrection of His one and only Son, we have been made right with God through faith in Jesus. God, the Father, and God, the Son, went ALL IN for us.

Our Response

How shall we respond to the Ultimate Gift? He himself answered that question by giving us what is deemed the great commandment.

Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”

Matthew 22:37 ERV

There’s that word again–ALL. And it shows up three times in that one verse. It seems to me that God desires a reciprocal commitment from us. He wants us to go ALL IN too!

An Invitation to Rest

Are you tired of struggling and striving to do life on your own? I have good news for you. It’s a personal invitation from Jesus himself:

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 ERV

Called to Quit?

I have been described in a number of ways over the course of my lifetime but rarely has the word “quitter” been used. Just ask my mother-in-law about baking Christmas cookies with me! Stubborn—yes, quitter—no. Well, in this case, I am going to condone it because I think quitting is exactly what Jesus is calling us to do in these verses. Quitting, in this case, looks like surrendering your life, with all its complications, to Jesus.

In “The Gambler,” a song made popular by Kenny Rogers, he says/sings, “you’ve got to know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em.” Friends, it is time to fold’em. Lay your cards down and end the game right now by going ALL IN for Jesus! I promise you won’t regret it.

Enjoy your rest.

January 29, 2025

All (Always)

The word all is a short one but packs a powerful punch. As a result, “all” is in the running for my word of the year. In the days leading up to Christmas, I was especially drawn to the words “all” and “always” with regard to God. I find there is no middle ground with Him.

Have you ever taken a test or filled out a survey with the choices “always, sometimes, or never?” They can be tricky! Not so with God. Sometimes is not part of His equation. Unlike me, He is not wishy-washy. God is the same today as He was yesterday. And He will be the same tomorrow too. You can count on it! His character is always consistent, never swayed by circumstances.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
‭‭ Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭ERV‬‬

God is…

- - all-powerful (omnipotent)
    “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
    Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬
    
    There is NOTHING He cannot do.

- - all-knowing (omniscient)

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.”
‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There is NOTHING He does not know.

- - always present (omnipresent).
    “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
    ‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭20‬b NIV‬‬
    
    There is NOWHERE we can go to escape His presence.
    
    No matter what you are going through right now, I pray that these truths from God’s Word bring you comfort…always.

(Part II coming soon)

October 1, 2024

Numbers

I like numbers. No newsflash there. After all, I teach math. Numbers give me a greater understanding of so much.

Concerning Numbers

Thinking back 28+ years to the months leading up to my daughter’s birth, I remember meeting with the head neonatologist at Allegheny General to discuss her case in depth. It was all so overwhelming. All the medical terminology flew right over my head, but a few things stuck. Namely, the numbers!! I understood that much at least. Our baby girl had a 10% chance of surviving, unless she was born in the right place at the right time. I can assure you that we, along with our doctors, did everything in our power to make sure she WAS born in the right place at the right time, increasing her odds of survival to 50/50. Sometimes those numbers don’t tell the story that we want to hear, but, nonetheless, they do tell a story.

The Battle Continues

After months of battling a MRSA infection, I find myself searching for a number again. Please feel free to read my most recent blog posts if you need to catch up on that news.

Multiple infectious disease doctors have told me that once the infection reaches the bone/hardware, it is really hard to eliminate. They are all in agreement on that. If it does return, the doctors say that they will have to open my neck up yet again and remove the hardware. You can imagine how appealing that is after having had 3 cervical spine surgeries in 4 months.

The Million Dollar Question

My question—how hard is REALLY hard? Give me a number so I can better understand what I am up against! When I posed that question at my most recent infectious disease appointment, my doctor could not (or would not) give me a number. She only replied, “I don’t know.” So, I am left wondering. Are the numbers in my favor? If not, how badly are the odds stacked against me?

Achieving (Im)balance

While I have been left pondering this question, the Holy Spirit led me to a passage in the Bible about numbers to give me some much-needed perspective. For the complete story, check out Judges Chapter 7. I am going to limit my deeper dive here to the numbers. In this chapter, Gideon is leading an army of Israelites into battle against the Midianites.

The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

Judges 7:2-3 (NIV)

Calculating

If you do the math, that means Gideon’s army started with 32,000 men and was quickly reduced to 10,000. That is nearly a 70% decrease! Why? Because God did not want the Israelites to take credit for their victory.

However, God was not yet finished…

But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

Judges 7:4 (NIV)

Outnumbered

Minus all the details, God pared Gideon’s army down to 300 men. For perspective, there were 135,000 men in the Midianite army. Whoa—talk about outnumbered! There is no way the Israelites can pull this off, right? That was God’s whole point. When they defeated the Midianites, God wanted them to be certain of why they were victorious. It was because He was fighting the battle for (and with) them! Ultimately, the battle was God’s. And you know…

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26 (KJV)

Instead of searching for a number to which I can cling, I would be better served by clinging to the all-powerful God of the universe. At the end of the day, the number is not very important. If you are in a battle where the numbers are not in your favor, remember this story about Gideon and find comfort in this truth.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31 (NIV)