The sun was just starting to rise as I left for work the other morning.  Doctors like to schedule surgery in the mornings, so my day as a recovery nurse begins early.  As I turned north, I was startled by the dark and cloudy sky I saw.  Angry steel-gray clouds hung low and ominous as if the rain saturated atmosphere was too heavy to hold its place in the sky.  The sky was falling and it was getting scary looking.  The storm seemed to have moved in so suddenly.  I had noticed only a few moments before how the morning sky was brightened by the rising sun.  This storm came in quickly and the murky clouds enveloped every last bit of rising sunshine.  It got so dark that I felt like I was suddenly driving at night.  Before I knew it, the heavy clouds could hold the rain no more and I was driving in a torrential downpour.  Anxiously, I realized that I was going to get awfully wet from my walk (or now my run) from my parking spot at work, to the safety of my building.  Did I have an umbrella in the car?  I wasn’t sure and I couldn’t exactly look around for one as I concentrated on driving through the pelting rain.  My sandaled feet were sure to get soaked.  At least I had grabbed a jacket on the way out the door – at least I could put up the hood and protect myself from getting totally drenched.

As I pulled into the parking lot at work, the rain slowed to barely a drizzle as the sky actually brightened up a bit.  I walked, without an umbrella or under the protection of my jacket, into the building while staying relatively dry.  I was amazed at how things went so quickly from dark, angry, stormy skies to a brighter and lighter sprinkle of rain.

It made me think 😉

The challenges we face in life are like storms.  Many times they come suddenly and unexpected as we scramble to look for protection – an umbrella – to shield us from the unpleasant sting of wet and cold.  But every storm has its end.  Even Noah was told by God to expect rain for forty days and forty nights.  That was a long storm to endure – but God provided for Noah and everyone and everything on the ark.  The story does not talk about them running out of food.  Noah trusted God.  God was faithful.

Storms in our lives are going to happen.  But if we prepare for them by trusting God through His word, the Bible, that He will take care of us and by recognizing that every storm will eventually end, then we can survive and reap the benefits of the storm.    It may be that the strong winds of your storm, or challenge, may break down something in your life – and maybe you needed to get rid of that part of your life?  But storms also bring rain – and all living things need water to survive.  So let the rains of your storm or challenge nurture you as you grow and change.  If things fall apart under the crushing winds of your challenge, just be eager to rebuild things a little stronger – and little better.

Storms are going to happen.
Prepare yourself as best you can.
Trust God to see you through.
The storm WILL eventually end.
Let the winds and rain of the storm change you for the better.

And don’t forget…

Look for the rainbow.

Leviticus 26:3-4 “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.”

Luke 8:23-24 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”  He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

Just Laurel

btw – The photo was taken with my phone after a huge storm in downtown Trenton on the night before the annual Street Fair –  I love rainbows and always look for them – and I got to see one that day!

It’s been a very long and busy week … too busy for me to even blog.  But it’s been a week of fun and blessings and …

Family.

Remember, blog readers, when I told you about Skipper the cat living in my house once again and how I was sure he would help with some funny writing?  Well he did give me a good story with his naughty swallowing episode, but I never thought I’d be writing this latest chapter.  And although this blog is titled, “Family” I think most pet owners out there would include their pets.

Just two weeks or so ago Skipper was not acting quite himself so Kristen took him to the vet.  Short story is we found out he had feline leukemia.  His was quite an advanced case and he was too far gone for any drugs to help him push the leukemia into remission.  Hiding under the couch, Skipper wanted to be left alone as his breathing grew labored and he started moaning as if in pain.  Out of mercy, Ric and Kristen had to have him put down.  Before they took him away to be put to sleep, Ted and I lay on the floor and cried as we spoke to him in his hiding place under the couch.  Darn cat.  How did he make us fall in love with him?  After our final goodbye was said to Skipper, I had to go google-crazy to see what the bible really says about pets and animals going to heaven.  I know – I know – animals don’t have souls.  And some people get seriously too over-emotional over pets.  He was just a cat.  He was the best cat ever.  And my best answer to whether cats go to heaven is this story I found:   An elderly widow whose beloved little dog died after fifteen faithful years was grief-stricken. Distraught, she went to her pastor. “Parson,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks, “the vicar said animals have no souls. My darling little dog Fluffy has died. Does that mean I won’t see her again in heaven?”   “Madam,” said the old priest, “God, in his great love and wisdom has created heaven to be a place of perfect happiness. I am sure that if you need your little dog to complete your happiness, you will find her there.”    I also found comfort in the words of my friend, Donna, who offered her condolences and said simply, “God made us to love our pets.”  

Sadness over the loss of Skipper was squelched by the excited arrival of Jill and Andy, back home to the states after eight months on St. Kitts.  With the completion of her second semester of vet school behind her, Jill was happy to be on a two week break from studying.  And with having lived for the past eight months in a developing country, there was many missed experiences to now enjoy.  Taco Bell, steaks on the grill, air-conditioning, visits with friends, and good beer satisfied cravings for both Andy and Jill.  A trip to the dentist, salon, and optometrist (Jill needed new glasses – her current wire framed ones had started to rust in the tropics!) helped fill the days.  As we quickly moved into the weekend, Ric and Kristen were off for a visit to Grand Rapids, and Andy to a camping trip with his buddies while Jillian joined in the pre-wedding festivities for her best friend Aleea.  And since weddings bring family into town, Ted and I had the opportunity to entertain some of Aleea’s family with a sailboat ride on Saturday.  The sailing was superb and Ted and I were blessed with new friends!  On Sunday, everyone came back from Grand Rapids and camping to enjoy the marriage and reception for the new bride and groom.  The wedding was lovely and also allowed us to reunite with old friends, and further enjoy our new ones.

As I reflect on the past week, I am in awe at the patchwork of activities and relationships that makes life so full of love and rich with blessings.  Broken hearts said goodbye to a member of the family, welcoming hearts greeted family back to the country, friendly hearts traveled to spend time with friends, open hearts made friends with new faces, friends-since-birth hearts celebrated a wedding, and hearts were warmed as old friendships were rekindled.   Donna was right – God made us to love our pets – and He made us to love.

1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Joshua 24:15 But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Thank you God for giving us the ability to love.
Thank you God for family and friends.

Just Laurel

[Part 4 of a mini-series of blogs that describe my recent trip back to Parma, Ohio.]

The time spent in the car during the drive to and from Parma last Saturday gave me plenty of time to reflect on my day.  To go back to my hometown and visit people and places was absolutely a totally positive experience.  It was a reminder of my roots and of where I came from.  Any negative memories were simply chalked up to lessons learned and a polishing of my character with wisdom gained.  The happy memories tugged at my heartstrings and broadened my ability to understand the treasure of old friends and the value of reminiscing.  Even Jesus, at the time of His birth, found Himself in his earthly father’s hometown when Caesar Augustus demanded a census.

Luke 2:4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

The trip to his hometown probably helped Joseph remember his own childhood while it prepared him to become a father to his wife’s firstborn.  However, Joseph did not stay there.  Oh I am sure there are plenty of people who are born and live their entire lives in the same town.  But we are not born to live our whole lives in a childhood.  We are meant to learn and grow.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity.

Eventually we must take on the role of ‘grown-up’ so that we can nurture and teach the next generation.

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

The homes we’ve lived in, places we’ve visited, people we’ve known, and experiences we’ve had are all responsible for shaping us into who we are today.  It makes me think that we are all like rocks getting polished in a rock tumbler.  As rocks get tumbled with progressively finer grits and polishes, a desired shape and shine is achieved.  As we tumble through life, we may get scraped by others or are exposed to some gritty experiences.  Some of us have lives where we get tumbled and broken up pretty fiercely.  Eventually, as things smooth out, we can allow time to mature and polish us to reveal the unique gem that each one of us is.  Forget the excuse that you are an ugly jewel of a person because of all the dirt and rough times you may have had in your past.  There is a beautiful person to be revealed underneath all of that.  Let God polish and refine you.

Embrace your past and recognize the treasures you possess.

Yeah – my family and friends – you are all precious jewels to me <3

Just Laurel

[Part 3 of a mini-series of blogs that describe my recent trip back to Parma, Ohio.]

Now that I’ve shared with you a picture of my first home and the visit I had with an old high school teacher, I shall get to the point of my visit to Parma, Ohio, last Saturday.  The trip was all about my nephew’s wedding!

The only sibling I have is my brother.  And the only child my brother had is my nephew, Erik.  The details are not necessary for you to know, but suffice it to say that my brother was not around for much of Erik’s life.  Sadly, there has pretty much been no father/son relationship for probably ten or more years.  Unfortunately, I was not involved in Erik’s life when he was younger, due to the distance we lived apart as well as the stressful family situations that kept us apart.

And yet…

Erik grew to be a wonderful and respectable young man.  His maternal grandparents moved in with him and his mother to make a loving home for him.  Two uncles and several family friends saw to it that Erik got to go to Cleveland baseball and football games.  They included him on family vacations, and surrounded him with love.

Jesus grew up without his father.  All right – His heavenly Father was always there with him, but not physically there.  However, Jesus had Joseph as His earthly father who taught him carpentry and probably so many other life skills and lessons.  His earthly parents took him to the temple and helped Him learn and grow.

Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

When I saw the photographer set up for the photo of Erik with all the uncles and aunts and friends that helped him grow to be a fine young man, and son, and now husband – it moved me to tears.  Even though his biological father had been scarce through the years, the gap was filled with friends and family who loved him, nurtured him, and provided for him.

We all may, at times, think that we got dealt a bad hand if our childhood was challenged with missing parents, poor living conditions, health issues, or skimpy resources.  But if you trust God, He will surround you with all that you need.  He can bring the people you need to nurture and lead you.  Perhaps it was a blessing that a certain person was more absent than available in your life.  Maybe you learned to be more gracious if you grew up with less.  If your life lessons were hard, maybe you have more appreciation for things today. 

It was a beautiful wedding and lovely reception.  Old relationships were rekindled as I struck up conversations with people I hadn’t seen or spoken to for years.  There was no room for sadness at old broken relationships.  It was a day of celebration for the man that Erik has grown up to be and now the joy of sharing in his wedding day.

When you put your trust in God, He can always make good out of a situation as he provides each of us with just what we need.  He can heal old wounds and broken hearts.  He always has a plan.  It is never too late to turn to Him to change something bad into good.

Congratulations newlyweds!

Just Laurel

[Part 2 of a mini-series of blogs that describe my recent trip back to Parma, Ohio.]

I’ve heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true
But I know I’m who I am today
Because I knew you…

(lyrics from the song “For Good” from the Broadway musical, Wicked)

Our drive from Trenton, MI to Parma, OH took less time than we thought.  After visiting the home of my childhood, Ted suggested a visit to see my old high school teacher before we had to be at the noon wedding.  Back in my high school days, theater became my refuge.  It was the group I fit in to and made friends in.  I was a Thespian and theater was my thing.  Throughout four years of high school, Mr. Mayer taught me to act.  He gave me a love for theater and the arts.  Mr. Mayer made me the dramatic person I am today.

We looked up Mr. Mayer’s address on Ted’s phone and then typed it into the GPS.  His house was just five minutes away.  “Do you want to go?” Ted asked.  “Yes.” I replied.  As Ted drove the short distance, my heart started thumping as I wondered if he would recognize me.  Ted turned down the street and asked me if we were in the right place.  There had been many social theater group get-togethers at Mr. Mayer’s house, and I immediately recognized his house where I pointed to Ted to pull in to the drive.   Leaving everyone in the car in case he wasn’t even home, I boldly went to the front door and rang the doorbell.  A few minutes later, the door opened.  “Hi Mr. Mayer, it’s Laurel Rausch,” I announced.  “Well, you look exactly the same as you did in high school!” he replied as he gazed at me.  I only had a few minutes to visit, I explained, but that I just wanted to say hi.  I also thanked him for teaching me to act and for helping to make me into who I was today.  He told me that he and his wife had just been to a performance of “The King & I” where the singing was very good, but the acting was not good at all.  He said that he had been thinking about me just that night and that, “They just didn’t have any character in the lines they were saying, compared to when you played Anna,” he said.

I called Ted to the front door and introduced him to Mr. Mayer.  Then I had Ted take our picture together.  I hugged Mr. Mayer and said good-bye.  As we drove away the tears of nostalgia filled my eyes again.

Like most of us, my high school days were tumultuous and filled with all the emotions of teenage life.  Mine took place within the theater circle.  Talk about drama!  I remember friendships smeared with jealousies, riddled with laughter, smoking with anger, smattered with fun, and the uncensored, unrestrained, spontaneous joy of the life of a teenager.  Lots of it was good; parts of it I’d like to forget.  But it all happened, and it all shaped me into who I am today.  I can’t begrudge any of it.

That’s how life is – always changing us by the experiences we have and the people we meet.

And that’s how God changes us and molds us into who we become.  He puts us in the presence of certain people who influence us, whether positively or negatively, but gives us the opportunity to learn from the encounter.  Experiences we have will continue to form as us we get chiseled and smooshed into whom we are.

Isaiah 64:8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Here’s the link if you are not familiar with the song above from “Wicked”.  You might want to hear the whole thing.  If you are familiar with it, I know you’ll love hearing it again.  Yeah – it made me cry … again … some more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzrGFQysfYU

Thank you Mr. Mayer.

Just Laurel

[Part 1 of a mini-series of blogs that describe my recent trip back to Parma, Ohio.]

home /hōm/ Noun  The place where one lives permanently, esp. as a member of a family or household.

I visited my old neighborhood this past Saturday and drove past the house I grew up in at 8405 Wainstead Drive in Parma, Ohio.  It was a sturdy little bungalow back then.  The whole neighborhood today still looks cared for and maintained.  It felt good to see it with a new vinyl siding exterior, pretty blue accents, and fresh landscaping.

The emotions of sweet nostalgia started trickling in as I got out of the car and stood in the middle of the street, gazing at my old home.  I looked at all the neighboring homes and caught glimpses in my head of the people I knew and grew up with.  A man two doors down saw me taking pictures (and I also stood out because I was dressed to go to a wedding with heels on – BESIDES the fact that I was standing in the street) and stopped his lawn mower to walk over to me with a suspicious what-are-you-doing-taking-pictures-of-my neighbors-house look on his face.  I struck up a conversation with him and explained that “I grew up in that house.”  We talked for about ten minutes about all the neighbors I knew and discovered that there was even some I knew still living there.  Unfortunately no one I knew was home.  But it was all very friendly as that trickling nostalgia became a waterfall.

As we drove away, Ted turned down streets as I directed him and I got to see where my best friend Kathy lived before she moved away to Arizona.   I recognized buildings and stores that I frequented, and we even drove past the church that Ted and I were married in back in 1979.

Wainstead Drive in Parma, Ohio, was a great place to grow up.  But for as much as the nostalgic feelings wanted to draw me back to those days, I know that it would never be the same if I chose to live there now.  The people are different and I am at a different stage in my life with so many experiences in my wake that have changed me through the years.  At least I can gaze at the past, remember it, and feel good about it.  My old house – it looked happy.

I am now living in the sixth home of my lifetime.  I know that some people never move, and others have moved more than I care to hear about (just ask my Air Force brat husband!).  Contrary to the above definition of ‘home’ I think we could rephrase it to read that home is “where one lives temporarily in a permanent home.”   People are always moving – and home is where your family, job, and circumstances take you.  Yeah, yeah, yeah – I’ll be cheesy and say it – Home is where the heart is.

Home is also that warm, cozy, happy-to-go-back-to, where I want to be, happy, just right, one and only, full of love, unbelievable place that we all desire at times.  So if home is where the heart is, is your heart warm, happy, and full of love?

Jesus said:

John 14:23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

Oh my.  I hope my heart is like a friendly, welcoming home.  I am no good to myself, to God, or to others if my heart is bitter and unfriendly.

As I wallowed in misty eyed nostalgia about my past home and childhood years, this song came to me and had me sitting here in tears.

My heart, Your home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG-A_vaI7Pg

Enjoy 🙂

Just Laurel

We’ve all heard the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  I would have to agree with that.  But what if we don’t know if it’s broke?  What if we aren’t sure if that noise we hear, the pain we feel, the uncertainty that nags at our conscience, or the errors we think we see are just temporary or even normal?

A while back my clothes dryer was making one horrible sound, even though it still tumbled my clothes dry.  It wasn’t ‘broke’ because it was still doing the job of drying my laundry.  I kept mentioning it to my Mr. Fix-it husband, but he was too busy to look at it.  His clothes were clean and dry, so there was no urgency.  I chose to get a repairman out who put a new part in the dryer, eliminated the noise, and probably saved the life of my dying dryer.

And then there is my back.  Through the years I have swallowed probably hundreds of ibuprofen pain pills for back aches and back pains and ouchy-messed-up back-syndrome.  I am to the point where pain pills don’t help and I can’t sleep on my back and I can’t sleep on my stomach.  If I happen to lie down on the family room floor on my back, I feel like a turtle stuck upside down on its shell when I try to get up.  Sheesh.  Just when I get desperate and tell myself to call the doctor, it starts feeling better and I get busy with other things.  I tried therapy.  I still hurt.  I finally told the doctor to order a CT or MRI so we could see if it was indeed broke.  Of course it wasn’t hurting much on the day of the scan, but I did it anyway.  I need to know if it is something that I can fix.

There are usually warning signs before things break:   The squeaky dryer noise.  My back pains.  Pipes often leak before they burst.  Automobiles have warning lights.  Electronic devices may act up.  So the little warnings should give us time to do some repairs before an actual break.

But do we?

If I don’t have the time… If I don’t have the money…  If I don’t have the energy…  If I don’t have the patience…  If I don’t have the desire…  If I don’t have the resources… If I don’t have the support… If I don’t have the knowledge… If I don’t have… If I don’t… If … If …

If we ignore the warning signs – then things are going to break.

Broken appliances, broken bodies, broken relationships, broken marriages, broken cars, broken … everything.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

If it IS broke …

Fix it.

Just Laurel

Psalm 31:12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Proverbs 25:19 Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.

The other day it was so chilly that someone made the comment about how it was such a wonderful fall day – for the month of August.  And just yesterday someone posted a photo on Facebook from their backyard and asked, “What was wrong with the picture?”  What was wrong was that the leaves were starting to change color already!  It is only the beginning of August, folks.  I hope we still get some nice Michigan summer.

When I was a kid, summer used to last forever.  When my own children were youngsters, we relished the summers.  I remember, however, my unintentional motherly way I tried to sabotage one summer.  Our wonderful city of Trenton offered so many activities for kids to sign up for in the hot summer months.  From the library reading program, to swim lessons, tennis lessons, and other activities, I once signed my kids up for all kinds of things – thinking it would for a summer of fun-fun-fun.

It wasn’t fun.

I was so busy hurrying the girls to all the activities that we started resenting having to go places.  They couldn’t sleep in some days since swim lessons were early in the morning before open public swim.  And sometimes, in the middle of playing at home with friends, we’d have to hurry off to somewhere.  I never planned a summer like that again.  We were all happier with summer being spent in its’ simplicity.  That meant sleeping in, playing with friends, running through the sprinkler, riding bikes through the park, finding cool in the shade on a hot day, and just spontaneously letting summer happen.  The school year always came soon enough with all its’ structure and responsibilities.

I think I prefer the simple life that long lazy hot summers remind me of.   And I see a trend these days to returning to that simpler life style.  I’ve seen so many articles about people down-sizing to smaller homes and purging all the clutter that fills closets and spare rooms.  People write about making do with less.   And our children do not need tons of costly, fancy toys either.  The classic example we’ve all seen?  The amount of fun a child can have with an empty box!  One fall day, my own girls got a hold of an empty appliance box and drew a house interior in the inside and played with it in the backyard for hours.  Jillian even found another smaller box to smoosh her butt into!  Simpler is, well, easier, and … simpler.  If I see a picture of a delicious new recipe, I pass on ever making it if the ingredient list is more than six or eight items.  And I am just not a knick-knack person – all that clutter just means more to dust and too much to look at.  Fashion often dictates that “less is more” and warns against over-accessorizing.  Life is just more tranquil when there are fewer flavors to choose from, fewer decisions to be made, an extra hour or two to sleep, a simpler hairstyle to ready in the morning, less pieces to put together, and when life in general is less complicated.

The other day I ran across a bible verse that just may be my new favorite.   Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.   There you have it!  Basic instructions for life.  We need to be content with life and to do all things good that we can.  Amen.  I like simple instructions and that just about sums it up.

I hope the rest of your summer, where ever you live, is simply the best.  Remember to be content with all the blessings you have.

Keep it pure and simple.

Just Laurel

Ecclesiastes 3:11-13 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

I heard a phrase today that I was unfamiliar with.  A co-worker firmly stated to another, “I’ll bet you ten dollars to a donut.”  Huh?  Have you ever heard that before?  I have not.  So I googled it and here’s what I found:  The phrase ‘Ten dollars to a donut’ comes from the phrase “Dollars to donuts” which comes from the almost forgotten terms ‘dollars-to-buttons’ and ‘dollars-to-dumplings’ which appeared in the 1880s, meaning ‘almost certain’.  It was usually used in ‘I’ll bet you dollars-to-buttons/dumplings.’ They were replaced by 1890 with the more popular ‘dollars-to-donuts’ (a 1904 variation, ‘dollars-to-cobwebs,’ never became very common, perhaps because it didn’t alliterate).   From “Listening to America” by Stuart Berg Flexner (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1982).

So how is the phrase used?   Normally, when you’re betting somebody that a certain event will or won’t occur, you bet roughly the same amount in the same currency. However, in the case of “dollars to donuts”, you are so absolutely sure of an outcome in your favour (i.e. you won’t lose and have to pay up) that you’re willing to bet far more excessively than your opponent. Your opponent hopes he’ll win but knows there’s a reasonable chance he’ll lose, so he bets small or insignificantly (1 donut). But you are dead sure you’re going to win, i.e. you know you’re not going to lose, so it doesn’t matter what you bet (hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars, whatever) because you won’t have to pay it.

I’m not a gambling girl and I doubt if I would ever use such a phrase as that.  Besides, there are so few things in life that you can bet on anymore.  A good job used to last forever with a pension in the future.  My husband Ted lost his job after twenty-three years with a company.  No guarantees these days that your job will last.  A house used to be a good investment.  Most of us wish we could sell our homes for what we owe on them today.  Friendships wane and people let you down.  Things don’t always go the way we hope for in life.

The one thing I can count on for certain is that if I live a life of faith, my Lord will see me through and reward me in the end.  Simple as that.  Certain as that.  It’s the only outcome that I know is true.  God promised us “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  There are no bets or wagers involved.

Hebrews 13:6-8 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”  Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

1 Peter 4:16-18 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?  And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

I am so absolutely certain that God will reward your life of faith; I’m not even going to wager you.  I could bet you a million dollars to a donut that He will give believers eternal life, but I won’t.

I can’t afford to eat all those donuts you would be paying me!

Just Laurel

The fastest route from one place to another would be by following the beeline.  Assuming that bees take the fastest and most direct route from the flower to the hive, then the beeline is a straight line.  After a long hard day of work, if I say I am going home to make a beeline for the shower, then I am going straight to the shower as soon as I walk in the door.

If we could always travel to where we wanted to go via a beeline route, we would save a lot of travel time.  Unfortunately, the roads are not always laid out that way.

In the Bible, to follow and live your life in the way of Christ’s directions, means you are on the straight path:

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 11:5 The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

Luke 3:4-6 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:  “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.”

Nobody likes a bumpy road with unplanned twists and turns.  Obviously God wants us on the road of righteousness.

On a sailboat, it can be very challenging to stay on the straight path.  If you want to get from point “A” to point “B” and the wind is behind you, there is no problem.  You can even get there with the wind coming from the sides with the sails trimmed just right.  But if the wind is coming from the exact place that you want to go, there is no way you can sail straight into the wind.  Oh you can get there, but you must zigzag back and forth into the wind to finally get there.

Yesterday, my daughter Kristen and her husband Ric sailed our sailboat back from Put-In-Bay by themselves.  Kristen has sailed with the family many times while Ric is fairly new to the sport (but a fast learner!).  They got an early start and were quite the sailors as they battled strong winds and waves, and Kristen fought back some sea sickness.  They were able sailors for well over half the trip home.  Finally, Kristen texted my phone and said they were trying to tack back and forth as the wind was coming from the exact location they were trying to go to.  She texted, “We have only 5 knots of wind.  It’s slow slow slow!  Thinking about motoring so we can make it to the yacht club by dinner!”

For each of us, life is a journey; a road we must travel; a path from point “A” to point “B”.  I suppose if one lives an easy, uneventful, and faith-filled life then the road has been straight.  A life with many challenges can be described as a rough road.  Sometimes we lose our way.  Many times we get side-tracked.  But thank goodness for that beeline – because as long as we know that the straight and narrow path is there, we can always get back on track and find our way.  And God is always happy to share the road with us and show us the way.  Remember, we have a roadmap – God’s word – the Bible.  And sometimes we can get a little help from our friends.  And if you’re stuck in a rut, maybe you need to adjust your sails?

And if you’re still not making any progress, sometimes you just have to turn the motor on 🙂

Happy trails!

Just Laurel