I Remember

 

Today is the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America.  "We will never forget" was the constant refrain.  A generation has been born since that day.  They have nothing to remember, only stories told them.  

 

 

I've written about 9/11 many times.  On the 10th anniversary I wrote this: "It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since the terrorist attacks. Growing up, I remember hearing people say, "I remember exactly where I was when I heard that JFK was shot" and I didn't understand. Unfortunately, now I do. The flood of emotions will not be forgotten."

 

 

I was working at Amgen at the time and was on my way to work when I first heard the news. Both Towers had been hit, along with the Pentagon. What in the world was going on? What an eerie feeling, so sobering and frightening. I looked into the shocked faces of my co-workers and knew that's what I looked like as well. I don't remember getting any work done that day. Just staring at the images on my computer, reading over and over reports of the attacks.

 

 

We in California were blessed that none of the attacks occurred in our state, but the impact was still felt. As the day progressed, word spread that an Amgen Clinical Development team had been in Washington, D.C. The team was there for meetings with the FDA regarding approval for a new drug. Later in the day, team members checked in, reporting they were okay, but stranded in D.C. for the time being. They had been scheduled for a Tuesday afternoon flight. Then we got word that Dora Menchaca, the team leader, had changed her flight to Tuesday morning. She was on American flight 77 that flew into the Pentagon.

 

 

I remember the first time we flew after 9/11. We flew from the Burbank airport and I was a nervous wreck. The sight of guardsmen did not give me comfort, it just reminded me of all that was lost on the day.

 

While I remember, I also know where my hope is found.  Governments and armies can't give me hope or peace, but there is a Rock that I can stand on.  Psalm 18:2 says, "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."

 

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
by Edward Mote, 1797-1874

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Iris Morning

 

While I was out running this morning I saw several irises in bloom.  These were my mother-in-law's favorite flower and as we are heading towards Mother's Day I thought they were such a sweet reminder.

I do not believe that our loved ones are looking down on us from heaven.  The Bible says there is no sorrow nor crying (Revelation 21:4) so if they were to look down on this earth they would see plenty to bring them sorrow.

I think God sends us signs - little reminders that HE is looking down on us.  He cares about us.  Just as the iris blooms each year, there is joy and hope for those who walk with Him.

A Future Filled with Hope

We had our monthly youth service last night and Bro. Jonathan Hale preached.  His text was Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."  He told our young people that God has plans for them, but the enemy also has plans.  Choosing the right path will bring a bright future.

My Bible reading this morning also included this verse and it is the verse of the day at the top of my blog.  It is a favorite of mine.  I love that God has plans for me and also that He is thinking about me.  I searched my blog and was surprised to find that I had only blogged about this verse ONE time!  Amazingly, I blogged about it on October 13, 2011, exactly 11 years ago today.

The Pulpit Commentary had quite a bit to say about this very.  I really liked this part:

What God Thinks About Us is of Great Importance to Us

1. God thinks what is true and wise and good. If, therefore, we can know God’s thoughts about anything we shall see the thing in its true light. Our thoughts are blinded by prejudice, colored by passion, limited by ignorance, broken, fragmentary, perverted. God’s only are clear and perfect as truth.
2. God’s thoughts are the prelude to his actions. If we know what He thinks concerning us we know how He intends to act. God’s thinking is not the contemplation of the philosopher, it is the consideration of the king. We forget this when we are so very anxious about what the world will think of us and so very indifferent about God’s thoughts concerning us. A brave man will learn to dare the world’s misjudgment, its scorn, its condemnation. But who can face God’s thoughts if they mean evil to us?

God Thinks Thoughts of Peace Concerning Us

So Jeremiah saw in the case of the Jews; so we may see for all mankind how that Christ "has broken down the middle wall of partition between us." Even when God finds it necessary to punish, His desire is to bless, and when He chastises it is in mercy, that He may reclaim. But this is not seen at the time. There are things which prevent us from seeing that God’s thoughts are of peace. Thus—the peace is not yet enjoyed; when God chastises us it looks as though He meant evil to us, because we feel the blow before we see the good fruit of it; we cannot see God’s thoughts, and must accept them in faith, waiting for a later confirmation of experience. Yet if God does think thoughts of peace concerning us, is it necessary for us to know the exact nature of them? They are known to Him if they are not known to us, and he can carry them out without any previous understanding of them on our part.

Here are a few other translations of the verse:

Amplified ~ For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

The Message ~ I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

NIV ~ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

GOD'S WORD ~ I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.

Jesus said something similar in John 10:10 ~ I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I love that God has plans for me! God has plans for you!

If you're a teenager and don't know what path to follow ~ God has plans for you!
If you're a single adult and wonder if your future includes a mate ~ God has plans for you!
If you're trying to raise a family and making ends meet seems hard at times ~ God has plans for you!
If you're in the ministry and facing dark times ~ God has plans for you!
If you're retired and wonder if your days of usefulness are behind you ~ God has plans for you!

He's already thought it all out. Our final outcome is a future filled with hope. Peace and not disaster. Taken care of, not abandoned. Smile ~ God's thinking about you today!

Hope Came at Christmas

I received this poem from my aunt yesterday:

Twas a month before Christmas, and all through the town,
People wore masks, that covered their frown.
The frown had begun way back in the spring,
When a global pandemic changed everything.

They called it corona, it brought with it fear,
It didn't bring good time. It didn't bring cheer.
Contagious and deadly, this virus spread fast,
Like a wildfire that starts when fueled by gas.

Airplanes were grounded, travel was banned,
Borders were closed across air, sea and land.
As the world entered lock down to flatten the curve,
The economy halted, and folks lost their verve.

From March to July we rode the first wave,
People stayed home, they tried to behave.
When summer emerged the lock down was lifted,
But away from caution, many folks drifted.

Now it's November and cases are spiking,
Wave two has arrived, much to our disliking.
Front line workers, doctors and nurses,
Try to save people, from riding in hearses.

This virus is awful, this Covid-19,
There isn't a cure. There is no vaccine.
It's true that this year has had sadness a plenty,
We'll never forget, the year 2020.

And just 'round the corner - the holiday season,
But why be merry? Is there even one reason?
To decorate the house and put up the tree,
When no one will see it, no-one but me.

But outside my window the snow gently falls,
And I think to myself, let's deck the halls!
So, I gather the ribbon, the garland and bows,
As I play those old carols, my happiness grows.

Christmas ain't cancelled and neither is hope.
If we lean on each other, I know we can cope.

- by Shawna Hickling

Shortly after receiving that poem, our monthly church bulletin came out.  This came from our pastor:

During the best of times when God brings to us extra special blessings, the righteous say that God was with us. However, the blessing that was laid in Bethlehem’s manger, did not come during the good times. Challenging government edicts were bringing much hardship to the people of God, and the Light of the World was revealed in the darkest of night.

This year we celebrate the birth of our Savior, in the midst of a world-wide exhausting plague. Our normal routines of church, home, and school have left us with a fatigue, that begs for things to get back to normal. Our cause for celebration is that through the gift of the Holy Ghost, we have Immanuel (God with us) all the way through a pandemic.

~ Pastor White 

In spite of the many, many, many ways the government has pushed and pulled us through COVID-19, hope isn't cancelled.  Jesus came to bring hope!

Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins... Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us... For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  (from Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 2.)

Peace-filled Posts

Well it's been an interesting few weeks, hasn't it?  Les and I traveled to Hawaii on Sunday so he could spend some time working in the office.  He found out on Tuesday that all employees would be working from home starting on Wednesday.  Thankfully, no one has COVID-19, but they are taking precautions to keep it that way.  We have a nice condo here, with food and necessities, we're together and healthy, so we're doing fine.

The headlines can be quite disturbing.  Panic buying is real.  While I was out for a run this morning, I was thinking about other times when life was uncertain.  I've blogged about many of those.  I've also always tried to make my blog a place of encouragement.  That being the case, I want to share links to some of those posts today:

Peace that Passes Understanding
Casting Down Imaginations
Everlasting Arms
Changing Seasons 
What Mean These Stones?
Commitment
Thoughts on Osama bin Laden and 9/11  
A Future Filled with Hope
Trusting in God or Riches 
Smiling During Losses
The Curse and the Scarlett Thread 
What is the Will of God 
Rainbow Reminder 
Already There
Great Peace
The Ultimate Battle 
Safe Zone 
According to His Purpose
The One Thing Everyone Needs 
Is He Your Shepherd?  
Under the Shadow of the Almighty
Jesus is the Answer
We Have An Anchor
Exhale 

I wanted to share one full post here.  It is what I wrote after Les took his current job here in Hawaii and all that I had thought and prayed as we journeyed through that time.

The Peace of God that Covers

My post yesterday was really the end of a chapter.  Today, I'll tell you about the chapters we have lived since September.  In September we had our annual Youth Alive services.  That Friday night the choir sang "Cover Me" by Mark Condon:

Peace of God, cover me
Cover me, cover me
Peace of God, cover me
Through the storm, cover me.

Only in You I am safe
Only in You I'm secure
Only in You I find peace
So cover me, cover me 

Cover me when I am hurting
Cover me when I'm not strong
Cover me when I am going through the storm
Cover me when it all seems hopeless
Cover me when my faith is gone
Let the peace that passes all I understand

As I stood on the platform singing, I thought of friends who were hurting.  I sang for them.  But sometime in that song I felt like I was singing for me.  I didn't know it that night, but my life was getting ready to be stormy and I would need peace like never before.  I haven't blogged about every part of the storm we went through, but here it is...

Peace of God, cover me

Cover me, cover me

On the following Saturday, September 15th, Dad was hospitalized in Fresno, then transferred to San Francisco.  This started a very long journey that we are still on today.  Dad spent 7 1/2 weeks in San Francisco (hospitals and rehab center) before returning to Fresno.  He was back in San Francisco in December for surgery and is now back in Fresno.

Peace of God, cover me

Through the storm, cover me.

On the weekend of October 7-8, Les and I traveled to Fresno.  That Saturday Kim and I drove to San Francisco to visit Dad.  On Sunday morning, Les and I went to church in Truth Tabernacle.  We drove home that afternoon with plenty of time to make it to church that evening.  When we got home, we discovered that our house had been broken into.  Nothing was taken, the police said they were looking for cash and jewelry.  But it was a horrible feeling!

Only in You I am safe

Only in You I'm secure

Only in You I find peace

On October 22nd, Les was laid off his job.  In today's economy, we knew it might be a while before he found something else.  That ended up being three months.  But during that time, everyone of our needs were met.  We paid our bills, we had food on the table.  We were covered.

Cover me when I am hurting

Cover me when I'm not strong

Cover me when I am going through the storm

The same week that Les was laid off, Dad had his worst week in San Francisco.  For several days we were very concerned that his body was just shutting down.  His chemicals were completely out of balance.  The doctors were concerned about his heart.  After a few days back in the hospital, he started doing better and returned to the rehab center.

Cover me when it all seems hopeless

Here we are four months later and the peace of God has covered us through the storm.  There were days that I felt I was barely hanging on, but the peace would come.  Days when I worried, until I prayed and found peace again.  It's been a journey, but one that I never walked by myself.

Cover me when my faith is gone

Let the peace that passes all I understand

 Peace of God, cover me

Cover me, cover me

Peace of God, cover me

Through the storm, cover me.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 4:7

Finally, this is something I have posted before.  While it is called What Cancer Cannot Do, I believe we can also read it as was the COVID-19 or Coronavirus Cannot Do:

What Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendships
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit.
-Author Unknown

Now, if you've made it this far, I have a favor to ask.  I know my blog has readers, but you've all been very quiet lately!  I haven't had a single comment in months.  Now is the time to reach out!  Please tell me how you're doing.  Is your family healthy?  Is your community quiet or in full on lockdown?  Is there something I can pray for?  We all need each other, now more than ever.  Take the time to reach out to your friends, family members, and bloggers.

One more thing!  I follow quite a few Christian authors.  Right now, a group of them have Kindle books for FREE.  So if you're housebound and need some new reading material, go HERE.

Woman of the Week ~ Mom

My Mom would have turned 79 today.  In honor of her birthday, I thought I would write her in as my first Woman of the Week for 2019.

Verses: 
Obviously, there aren't any verses in the Bible with her story, but oh how her Bible has blessed me!  I have blogged from it and about it for over ten years.  It is my dearest earthly treasure.

Background
She was born on January 1, 1940 to Hogan and Luella Pearson.  She was the first baby born in Tulare county that year.  She was the second of four children - she had an older brother, Dean, a younger sister, Joyce, and a younger brother, Don.
She married Robert Fultz on October 3, 1958.  They produced four offspring - Kim, Rick, Rod and Kathy.  They celebrated their 40th anniversary one week before she passed away.

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her? 
Oh my!  There are so many things I can list, here are a few:

Baking - Mom was not a great cook, she would have told you that.  She was rather picky and didn't enjoy trying new foods.  But when it came to baked goods, especially chocolate, she couldn't be beat!  She definitely passed that gift on to me.  What I didn't get was her decorating ability.  She was a master at beautiful cakes, but she could also make beautiful cookies.  I remember her using a paintbrush to get food coloring on turkey cookies before they were baked.  They came out with a glaze of beautiful feathers.  I also knew that Les had received her silent approval when I told her how much he liked brownies and the next time he came for a visit that is what she made!

Kids - Mom loved kids.  She was able to stay home with all of us because she babysat little ones in our home.  For years she preferred newborns, then she seemed to switch and really enjoy the two to four year old age range.  She taught Sunday school for decades and Pre-K at the Christian school for several years.  She loved her own four kids and was ecstatic when she became Grandma!

Nursing - Mom didn't have a nursing degree, but with Rod's health issues she became a pro in her own right.  Rod broke his femur two different times in less than 12 months.  Because of his hemophilia the healing process was a little more complicated.  He spent about 6 weeks in the hospital in traction so the bones could start mending.  He then came home in a body cast.  Mom tended to his needs daily.  Mom and Dad both knew how to mix Rod's medicine and give him injections.  Her experiences allowed her to become the youth camp nurse for many years.  She loved going to camp and taking care of all the kids there.

Animals - We nicknamed our home "Fultz's Funny Farm" for a reason!  Mom loved every type of animal and our home was never without at least one dog. I wrote about it in detail in this post, but there is one story I have to share here.  Just as she did with children, Mom nourished and nurtured every animal that came her way. Dad was very patient, but every once in a while he put his foot down. One peaceful Saturday afternoon, we kids were playing at home, Dad was trying to relax, maybe even take a nap on the couch, when Mom came home:

Mom (rushing in the house): Bob, I need a box
Dad: Huh? A box? What for?
Mom: There's a little animal I need to rescue.
Dad: Where?
Mom: Around the corner.
Dad (knowing it is now useless to argue): I'll go with you, let me get my shoes on.
Mom: Well hurry!
Dad (when they get to the animal): It's a mole! We're not taking that thing home!

Friends - Mom had some very close friends in our church family.  Friends that she could talk to for hours!  She loved talking on the phone as much as any teenager.  I know there was laughter, but I also know she shared tears and prayers with these dear friends of hers.

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?
I'm sure there were many times Mom needed to reset, but the most significant happened when she was about 20 years old.  She was raised going to church, but after Kim was born our family moved away from Visalia.  I believed they lived in Selma for a time, then they moved to Fresno.  Some time after their move, Irene Wilkinson asked Mom if they could pick her up for church.  Kenneth and Irene took Mom to church for many years (she didn't get her driver's license until she was 23 or 24.)

By the time I was born, Mom was firmly planted in Truth Tabernacle.  It was her church home for about 38 years.  I can never remember a time when Mom chose to stay home from church if she was not sick.  I know there were times that she was tired, but going to church was not optional.  She loved God and His Word.  I flipped through her Bible and found so many quotes.  I tried to find a couple to use, but there were just too many.  I finally settled on this one, written in large all caps letters:

HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT

That is the key that she found to go through whatever joys or sorrows life brought.  Trials and victories, hurts and hopes, Mom knew that HIS grace was sufficient.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Look Where You Are Going

Runner's World magazine featured the oldest marathon finisher ever this month.  Fauja Singh, completed the London marathon last October in 8 hours and 11 minutes.  He thought it would take about 9 hours, so he was very pleased with his result.  It didn't say how long he has been a runner, but he said, "I lost my son when I was 81; running helped."  Would you like to guess how old he is? 



He ran his first marathon in 2000 at the age of 89.  He completed last year's marathon, his eighth, at the age of 100!  One Hundred years old!  That's amazing!  He had this to say about injury prevention:

I look where I am going.

I thought about that last night as Bro. Brown was preaching about heaven. No one is going to stumble into heaven by accident. Our eyes must be on the prize! 

Hebrews 12:1-2 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

I Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

Philippians 3:13-14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

I'm planning on going to heaven.  That's right, planning.  It won't happen by accident and I have every intention of making it.  I'm looking where I'm going.  Revelation 22:20 "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

Smiling During Losses

I saw this picture on Sarrah Dillon's blog the other day:


It is from a Bible Quiz Tournament this year ~ Fresno vs. Rialto. I left a comment that said, "I have a picture of two of those fellas when they were Junior Quizzers themselves and my brother was their coach. I carry it in my Bible and it always makes me smile." Here is that picture from 20 years ago:

Coaches ~ David May and Rod, Quizzers ~ Kari, Rachel, Josiah, David and Caleb.

It reminded me of something Les use to tell the quizzers we coached. "People should not be able to tell if you won or lost by the expression on your face." In other words, if you win don't gloat and if you lose don't fall apart!

Have you ever seen someone who smiles no matter what is going on in their life? They've been through losses ~ the loss of a loved one, a job, a friendship ~ but they carrying on with such peace and joy. They've also experienced blessing, but they don't allow the blessings to change who they are.

The key is where we place our hope. When our hope is in Him, the storms of life can blow but we can smile knowing He is in control. Psalm 146:5 says "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:" Romans 15:13 says "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."

We can be happy and abound in hope when the God of Jacob is our hope.

A Future Filled with Hope

My Verse of the Day today is one of my favorites, Jeremiah 29:11:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Here are a few other translations:

Amplified ~ For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

The Message ~ I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

NIV ~ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

GOD'S WORD ~ I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.

Jesus said something similar in John 10:10 ~ I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I love that God has plans for me! God has plans for you!

If you're a teenager and don't know what path to follow ~ God has plans for you!
If you're a single adult and wonder if your future includes a mate ~ God has plans for you!
If you're trying to raise a family and making ends meet seems hard at times ~ God has plans for you!
If you're in the ministry and facing dark times ~ God has plans for you!
If you're retired and wonder if your days of usefulness are behind you ~ God has plans for you!

He's already thought it all out. Our final outcome is a future filled with hope. Peace and not disaster. Taken care of, not abandoned. Smile ~ God's thinking about you today!

Saturday Morning Restart

I took a rare Saturday off from exercise this morning. I didn't sleep well last night - I was awake much of the night with someone on my mind. "Did I say too much? Did I say enough? Should I have said anything at all?" On and on the questions swirled in my brain. Finally, "Lord, please touch them and send someone smarter than me their way." I had this conversation with myself and the Lord just about every hour.

Les got up around 5:15 to get ready for a bike ride. I stayed awake until he left around 6:00, thinking I'd get up in a few more minutes and go for a ride myself. Next thing I knew it was 7:25. That is sleeping in for me. I still don't feel rested, but I got up and maybe I'll catch a nap later.

I spent some time in prayer and playing my piano. I love going from chorus to chorus, worshiping and feeling God's presence. Being reminded that He is in control, He loves me, His grace is enough.

I was then sitting here reading blogs, finishing off a pumpkin muffin and sipping on hot chocolate. Hot chocolate that I SPILLED ALL OVER myself, my desk, my chair, and the floor! Ow!! It was hot and hurt. At least I hadn't showered yet! I cleaned up the mess and made my way upstairs for my shower wondering if I should just go on back to bed.

Lamentations chapter 3 comes to mind this morning. Specifically verses 21-23:

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Great is His faithfulness - even when I'm a mess. It's a new morning filled with His compassion. Lord, thank You for hope!

I Have Hope

Chorus:

I have hope, when trouble comes my way

I have hope, since Jesus has come to stay

I have hope, oh yeah, when things are not well with me

I have hope, it's a beautiful hope that sets me free

Verse 1:

Now, when in distress, He said, "Come unto me."

If you're oppressed, I know, He'll give you liberty

Times may find you, at the end of your line

Just keep the faith, don't ever doubt, the Lord'll be on time

Verse 2:

The darkest night is just before the dawn

But, the hardest fight, I know, is just to keep holding on

When you get weary and each hill seems hard to climb

Keep looking up, don't ever doubt, the Lord'll be on time

Think I'll go back to the piano ~ I've got another song to sing!