Psalm 46:10

Psalm 46:10

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

The Blessing of Family

This last weekend I spent with my extended family, the Kruse clan....four generations were present. It was a wonderful time with memories shared and memories made. We gathered where my grandparents made their home, taking a tour of the area, sharing stories with one another and realizing we are a part of something incredible. Incredible because two people fell in love and throughout the last ninety-some years God has preserved something special....the love of family.

I was reminded of the story in the Bible from Joshua Chpt. 4 (read full story here), when God had the Israelites place rocks by the river and then told them, "When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?' then you shall let your children know...." God wanted His people to know "His hand was mighty." My dad's siblings and their children had a personal relationship with my grandparents, but the next generation (my children) and the generations to come will have the stories passed down to them of the faithfulness of a God that worked and is working in our family.


My grandfather owned a grain elevator and made his children the stockholders. Lessons were learned and passed down. We toured the little town where this elevator is located, and were treated to a history lesson. As I listened I  realized that although my grandparents were gone and the elevator has been sold, God was faithful in all that transpired and we can be proud of the legacy left in that little town. You can still see "Kruse Grain Co." on the side of the elevator. One day it will be worn off, but for now, we could still see what once was.







My grandparents' place is home to another family now and as we drove up it seemed so small compared to what I remembered as a child. The yard is where I saw my first firefly and was enthralled. I placed a few in a jar and it sat on my bedside table that night, a very unique nightlight!




As I thumbed through a scrapbook at the reunion, I came across the Final Will and Testament that was left for us and the generations to come. Material things come and go as attested to the pictures above, but my grandparents and aunts and uncles left us with something much more valuable. We are blessed beyond measure.

Final Will and Testament
Kruse Grain Company

Knowing that neither man nor businesses last forever here on this earth, we the stockholders bequeath the following intangibles to our children and their descendants:

Article I: House

To each of our children, we hope to leave a home built with the solid bricks of faith in God and self-esteem. May your houses have windows of empathy and doors that open both ways.

Article II: Vehicles

May our children be provided with some means of transportation to take them beyond themselves: an absorbing hobby, a service to others that only they can perform, a talent or favorite recreation that renews their spirit.  We leave to you a desire to transport others and leave them in a quiet place of peace with themselves and God.

Article III: Personal Items

We bequeath to each of our children a jewel box filled with glistening memories: of family Sunday dinners, good food, times of working together and times of traveling together. All the things that made us laugh and cry together, of tender moments of birth and rebirth and each talent loaned from God. Long summers filled with picnics, detasseling, beanwalking, vacations, cold winters with hot chocolate, snowmobiling and Christmas.  We leave a bag of tiny diamonds made of things such as: shared personal moments, family prayer, mealtime graces, valentines, school programs and our pride in your smallest acomplishments.

Article IV:  Stocks and Bonds

Finally, we would leave our children and their descendants, enough stock in the bonds of faith to move mountains, enough hope in the promises of God as recorded in His Word the Bible for all future generations. We bequeath enough love, the greatest gift of all, and without which we would be nothing at all.  The kind of love our Lord Jesus Christ has for us.  The kind of love that is patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, and never haughty or selfish or rude.  Love that does not demand its own way and is not irritable or touchy.  This kind of love does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do wrong.  This kind of love is what your grandmother and founding mother of this corporation believed in and strove to have for her descendants.  We want to pass this on to you.

Article V: Taxes

Before taxes are levied on this estate, please deduct (and forgive) cross words spoken, times of being too busy to listen and missed apologies.

Signed by the Present Stockholders


Joshua 24:15 “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, ........But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

I am grateful.....




Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Detox with Gratitude

I am taking classes on my way to a degree in naturopathic medicine. It is fascinating. One of the topics that comes up time and again is the importance of detoxing the body. We are inundated with many noxious substances that are present in the foods we eat, the air we breathe, the products we use, and even the busyness of life releases an overload of stress hormones that can be toxic to us.

God has gifted our bodies with amazing capabilities to rid itself of these substances, but we must take care to implement good habits for the body to do so.

As I have read on this subject (and am trying to implement some of the practices into my own life) I was somewhat surprised to see that the first (and probably most important) step in detoxing one's body, is to detox the mind.

"In a disordered mind, as in a disordered body, soundness of health is impossible." ~Cicero

"It's vital...to cleanse the mind/the brain/the head so we are clearer with our goals and more able to understand ourselves so we can change what we need to change.  A clear head helps clear mind-fog, enhances focus, improves memory, brings mental and emotional clarity and when we're stress free, our body's systems flow optimally.

When stressed and anxious, the body produces the hormone, cortisol, and in excessive amounts, apart from causing premature aging, it's the West's biggest killer and the underlying cause of the majority of illness and disease. Yes, of course sometimes life brings sadness and grief....but by leading a healthy lifestyle, having a calm mind and being grounded, we are able to deal with these situations like the clouds in the sky that come and go." (Angie Newson, The Detox Factor)

For the last two years I have been practicing gratitude, journaling my blessings. I was awed to realize that gratitude is the first step to "detoxing" the mind.

Simply being thankful.

"Practicing gratitude helps us put life into perspective - so instead of wasting time complaining, being negative, gossiping or moaning, start to look for the positive in any situation - it is usually buried somewhere even if you think it isn't. Practicing gratitude makes us less anxious, less depressed and releases tension so we are not always demanding more or wanting something else. The mind and body becomes calmer, our inner workings are less stressed and our digestive system can work as it was designed to. And practicing gratitude can also help you to feel less lonely, it lowers blood pressure and boosts our immune system." (Newson)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7

Yes, lifting our lives to God, with thanksgiving, will bring peace of mind.

The mind becomes clear and calm when we realize all comes from Him, to whom all thanks is due. We can rest in His goodness. Look for it today and begin the journey to a more healthy you!!

"Gratitude is nutrition for a living relationship." ~Steve Maraboli

I have learned and am learning the importance of simply saying "thank you."


**A wonderful resource, next to the Bible, in beginning a journey of gratefulness, is Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts. Also check out her website, aholyexperience.com.










Thursday, May 15, 2014

Transformed..or...Conformed?

We are a relational being. On any given day we will relate to several if not a few dozen people. These relationships are vital to our well-being and can build us up or tear us down.

There are three spheres of relationships that we interact with. We have the public sphere, the personal sphere, and the private sphere.

Our public sphere is those that we are in contact with, but it is a cordial relationship, we don't really "know" much about these people. These may be co-workers, those who are a part of the same social groups we belong to, the clerk at the store, the person we pass on the street, and those we read about in the news. We have anywhere from a familiar to a remote connection with them, and have probably formulated an opinion about them due to our personal views.

The personal sphere consists of those who are close to us: family and friends, co-workers that we meet for lunch, and those we see on a more regular basis that we tend to share life with. These relationships give us a sense of belonging, one in which we feel valued. We come to know one another's likes and dislikes, goals and values. Our support system is established in this group. Trust and loyalty are found in our personal relationships.

Then there is the private sphere. This is simply....private, the relationship we have with one's self. For most people this is the seat of the soul. Our thoughts, dreams, hopes, and fears arise from this sphere. In our lifetimes very few people will be given access to another person's private sphere. In most cases this will be a spouse, very close friend, or a sibling/parent. Trust is vital and must be maintained to share in one's private sphere. Our private sphere controls our other two spheres.

Our private sphere is formed/influenced in one of two ways:

Conformation or transformation.


To conform is to comply with outside influences, to be molded into a shape.

To be transformed is to make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of oneself.

Conformation comes from outside one's self, transformation comes from within.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)  

Conformation takes a natural approach (the consequence of living in a fallen world) to the order of things, transformation is from the supernatural.

God is our Creator, He is the only possible one that could carry out the process of transformation. He is the only one that can change us from the inside out into the person we were meant to be, for only He knows our private sphere as intimately as we do; or maybe I should say He knows it better than we do. God peels back the layers of  "self" and slowly reveals our true inner beauty, the beauty that was redeemed by His Son on the cross.

Any other change other than transformation through Jesus Christ is conformation. All other influences press us into a mold that is not of Christ's design. Our private sphere, when being transformed, will lead to a positive effect on our personal and public spheres. But if we let our public and personal lives conform us, our private life suffers...it suffers because we are not the being God wants us to be. Who do we listen to, who do we follow?

As I became aware of this truth, I realized transformation is freeing...we are expanded with purpose. Conformation is stifling, it presses us into a box. Transformation originates in the Word, conformation in the world. Once we are free to be who Jesus wants us to be, we don't look to others for approval, we already have it, we are free to love others like Jesus did.

In the joys and sorrows of life, look to Him, for all has a purpose to transform us in His glorious design!

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  2 Cor. 3:17-18

I have learned my focus MUST be on Him....my transforming power. To God be the Glory!! 

Thursday, April 24, 2014

A Message of Love, Life, Hope, and Power

Easter is always a special day for me and this year it was no different. I am always taken aback by the Holy Spirit revealing a fresh aspect of Jesus' death and resurrection.

The words carried with me after the Easter service were simple, but profound: love, life, hope, and power. Jesus didn't rise from the dead and take off; He rose from the dead and came back! From the tomb flowed love, life, hope, and power to all those that believe.

The story I share with you is not my own, but one in which a a vignette was shared on Easter Sunday. (I googled the story and found the full-version when I came home.☺) I thank Pastor Nick Mundis from Oak Hill Church, Bloomington, MN, for his heart-felt sermon. Pour a cup of coffee, or pop a soda (it's a long one) and read about the love, life, hope and power that should fuel us all.

Pandemic Love

The swine flu, and the possibility of a world pandemic, is not only in the news, it is unnerving. (This was written in 2009, when swine flu was in the headlines.) One has only to recall history to realize that global killers have plagued human civilization before. Gruesome details abound. But, surprisingly, so do acts of love.

Greek historian Thucydides describes the world’s first recorded pandemic in 430 BC: sudden attack, inflammation of eyes, burning in the stomach and throat, bloody coughing, diarrhea, violent vomiting, livid, ulcerated skin, and then death. Those who survived often suffered the loss of toes, fingers, genitals, sight, and even their entire memory. A third of Athens was killed.

Other plagues mar history. Under Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, disease-ridden fleas killed 40% of Constantinople’s population and a quarter of the region’s population. Another outbreak occurred in France in 588 AD, where an estimated 25 million lost their lives. Under a new name, the disease returned in the middle of the 14th century. It was known as the Black Death, because of blackening of the skin due to hemorrhaging. People fled its path and in so doing aided the spread of the disease across the continent. A quarter of Europe’s population was killed. Asia and the Middle East were also hit. By the 18th century, an estimated 140 million people had died from the bubonic plague. In the 20th century too, the Spanish flu came and went like a flash. An estimated 40 million people were killed, more than were lost in the Great War.

Pandemics are real, and we are not exempt. Our natural instinct is to either worry about what might happen, becoming obsessed with protecting ourselves, or to ignore the doomsday prophets all together, burying ourselves deeper in a life of distraction and diversion. Neither response prepares us.

The history books are full of horror. As it is today, death and the horrid get the headlines. But throughout history, there exist stories of hope, not just horror. I can’t help but think of the early church in this regard.

In 165 AD, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, a devastating epidemic swept through the Roman Empire. The mortality was so high in many cities that Marcus Aurelius spoke of caravans of carts and wagons hauling the dead from cities. In all, during the fifteen-year duration of the epidemic, from a quarter to a third of the empire’s population died. Almost a century later, a second terrible epidemic struck the Roman world. In 251 to 266, at the height of what became known as the Plague of Cyprian (the bishop of Carthage), 5,000 people a day were said to be dying in Rome. Two-thirds of Alexandria’s population most likely perished.

Pagan Rome was completely ill-prepared to help the sick or deal with mass death. By the time of the early church, the people knew that their priests were clueless as to why the gods had sent so much misery to earth, or whether the gods were involved or even cared. Worse yet, the doctors, priests and nobles fled infected areas in droves. Since pagans had no belief in immortality, and Stoicism demeaned any sort of heartfelt compassion, the plagues were meaningless and cruel. The basic response of pagans was thus one of flight.

The best of the Greco-Roman scientists knew of no way to treat epidemics other than to avoid all contact with those who had the disease. And this they did, often evacuating entire towns, being afraid to visit one another. Hence, the famous physician Galen, who lived through the first epidemic during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, got out of Rome as quickly as possible.

In stark contrast to such hopelessness and fear, the Christians showed how their faith made this life, and even death, meaningful. Cyprian, for example, almost welcomed the great epidemic of his time, knowing that it was an opportunity for the church to give witness to the hope that was within them. He was so overwhelmed by a sense of confidence that the members of the Alexandrian church were accused of thinking of the plague as a time of festival.

Instead of fear and despondency, then, the earliest Christians expended themselves in works of mercy that simply dumbfounded the pagans. For them, God loved humanity; in order to love God back, one was to love others. God did not demand ritual sacrifices; he wanted his love expressed on earth in deeds of compassion.

This love took on very practical, concrete forms. In Rome, the Christians buried not just their own, but pagans who had died without funds for a proper burial. They also supplied food for 1,500 poor on a daily basis. In Antioch in Syria, the number of destitute persons being fed by the church had reached 3,000. Church funds were used in special cases to buy the emancipation of Christian slaves.

During the Plague in Alexandria when nearly everyone else fled, the early Christians risked their lives for one another by simple deeds of washing the sick, offering water and food, and consoling the dying. Their care was so extensive that Julian eventually tried to copy the church’s welfare system. It failed, however, because for the Christians it was love, not duty, that motivated them.

The first Christians not only took care of their own, but also reached out far beyond themselves. Their faith led to a pandemic (pan = all; demos = people) of love. Consequently, at the risk of their own lives, they saved an immense number of lives. Their elementary nursing greatly reduced mortality. Simple provisions of food and water allowed the sick that were temporarily too weak to cope for themselves to recover instead of perishing miserably.

Pagans could not help but notice that Christians not only found the strength to risk death, but through their care for one another they were much less likely to die. Christian survivors of the plague became immune, and therefore they were able to pass among the afflicted with seeming invulnerability. In fact, those most active in nursing the sick were the very ones who had already contracted the disease very early on but who were also cared for by their brothers and sisters. In this way, the early Christians became, in the words of one scholar, “a whole force of miracle workers to heal the ‘dying.’” Or as historian Rodney Spark puts it, “It was the soup [the Christians] so patiently spooned to the helpless that healed them.”

In the midst of intermittent persecution and colossal misunderstanding, and in an era when serving others was thought to be demeaning, the “followers of the way,” instead of fleeing disease and death, went about ministering to the sick and helping the poor, the widowed, the crippled, the blind, the orphaned and the aged. The people of the Roman Empire were forced to admire their works and dedication. “Look how they love one another,” was heard on the streets. 

Our time is not unlike the twilight years of the Roman empire. The god of materialism provides no hope, the structures and institutions of society that are meant to address social needs are indifferent and cold, and the current adversarial atmosphere of mistrust, suspicion, and violence breed fear and loneliness.

In an age of impersonal medicine, fear of death, social isolation, and mounting catastrophe, today’s church has the opportunity to go beyond the precautions of quarantine and vaccine and trust in the ultimate protection: Love. Instead of retreating from the onslaught of pain and death, the church has the chance to demonstrate that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Instead of fear, which makes it difficult to look beyond the precautionary, followers of Christ can show the world that it is in giving our lives away that we find life. How we live and how we die is our message. If we would but dare more in faith, here and now, then perhaps, like with the early church, an outpouring of new life and real hope, instead of terror and flight, will sweep the earth.

Charles Moore
May 15, 2009

They didn't run....for the love, life, hope, and power of Jesus fueled their daily life.


Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Cor. 15:57

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Sow the Seeds...and Move On

This morning I read a quote that so resonated with me....

“I know how to get a whole lot of time back. It will be found by eliminating all the time I spend trying to get someone to understand what I mean. They can’t understand this information unless they are already on board and want to hear more. All that time spent trying to explain, defend, coddle, or make them understand - it’s all a waste of time. People are attracted to this information when they are ready to hear it and ready to put the pieces together. You can’t make them change their mind. Sow the seeds and move on." (source unknown)

We try so hard to make someone understand our viewpoint. If it is an issue or belief that is temporary or of little value, it is easy to just move on. But when it is of a significant magnitude to us, we despair, become frustrated, possibly angered at those who "just don't get it."

I am learning it is not our job to make someone understand our viewpoint, much less believe it. Yes, we may not be communicating our thoughts well, but I am not referring to misunderstandings, but rather the "agree to disagree" moments. Those gutsy things in life...our goals, values, deep seated beliefs....those areas we will stand up and defend because our hearts ache with conviction. There are those that simply aren't ready to hear it or don't want to hear it. And really...that is okay.

We can't make someone believe something. That comes from above.

"....for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Philippians 2:13

God works in the heart, not us.

When we don't understand, we trust....and we pray. Pray that the Truth becomes known to those around us...and if we may be in the wrong, pray that the Lord reveals that to us.


Prayer is never wasted time. The time spent trying to make someone understand "our" viewpoint is not time well spent. Sow the seeds and move on. If the seed falls on fertile ground, fruit will spring forth...to God be the glory!






Yes, I need to make Truth known; it is not my work, but His, that makes it believed and/or understood.

I am learning that the frustration of wanting others to understand is really just pride dressed in different clothes. It is a waste of time. May I stand for Truth, simply stand.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Overwhelmed?

You come to that realization that something needs to be changed. But life is so overwhelming you do not know where to start or maybe even what your options are.

A person needs to simply begin somewhere. We are human, we are imperfect, we may not make the perfect change right away, but we need to start.

And start SIMPLY.

I used to think I needed to have it all figured out before I began. I have 30 lbs. to lose. I will go on Weight Watchers (for they have the diet figured out), walk 30 minutes per day, research healthy recipes, avoid all sugar, eliminate soda, and drink a gallon of water each day. Won't be long and I will see results, right? Wrong. A few days into my new regime and I was irritable, frustrated, wanted to eat any food in sight (especially sugar), and the scale looked the same.

Change in and of itself is a stress on the body. Most of the time change happens and we must go along for the ride, we have no say. Intentional change is positive in that we have a choice, but it is still change and induces a certain amount of stress.

We want change and we want change quickly. But life is not an emergency. Our bodies (and mind) were not made to handle large amounts of change without there being a negative effect. Give yourself permission to take the time to achieve a goal.

Make one small change at a time. One small change each week, or each month, and in a year you will be that much further ahead.

Need to lose weight?
*simply watch portion size
*resolve to walk 15 min. per day
*drink 4 glasses a water per day
*snack on fruit not a candy bar

Home chaotic?
*start a quiet time for all members
*regulate TV time
*make a schedule
*develop family prayer time

Too busy?
*prioritize, shed one activity
*Wake 30 minutes early for some personal quiet time
*change and eating/exercise habit for more energy
*set a boundary for yourself, i.e. when someone asks you to do something, ask for time to think about it

The above may be simplistic in nature, your situation much more complex, but think of one change. It is a step forward. You may question whether it is one that will make a difference, but you won't know until you try.


God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. God does not ask more of us than He is willing to provide strength for. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13) Jesus did not move at a frenzied pace, Jesus was never overwhelmed, and He did not stress about the circumstances He was in. Talk to the Shepherd, He will guide and direct.

One step at a time.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Psalm 23:1-3

This Lenten season, I am filling 40 bags (Walmart-size) of items to either throw away or go to Goodwill. One for each day of Lent. The change? Less is better....one bag at a time.

I am learning to make one small change at a time, one step at a time, in His strength.


Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Sustaining Grace

February was a full month for me....emotionally full. (Thus, the reason for the gap in blog posts.) As the days marched on, I simply took each day as it came and really didn't have expectations for I knew God was at work on many fronts. Along the way I read an article on sustaining grace vs. delivering grace. It made me stop and pause...

My circumstances were not the magnitude of the author's. And really, it was not my own personal circumstances that I was experiencing, but walking with others through their pain. God has granted me the gift of empathy, but with it comes hurting when others are hurting. I would much like to "fix" it, but I am slowly learning it is God's work and not my own, thus I pray for sustaining grace for all.

“No” was not the answer I wanted. I was looking for miraculous answers to prayer, a return to normalcy, relief from the pain. I wanted the kind of grace that would deliver me from my circumstances.

God, in his mercy, offered his sustaining grace.

At first, I rejected it as insufficient. I wanted deliverance. Not sustenance. I wanted the pain to stop, not to be held up through the pain. I was just like the children of Israel who rejoiced at God’s delivering grace in the parting of the Red Sea, but complained bitterly at his sustaining grace in the provision of manna.

With every heartache I wanted a Red Sea miracle. A miracle that would astonish the world, reward me for my faithfulness, make my life glorious. I didn’t want manna.

But God knew better. This manna, this sustaining grace, is what upheld me. It revived me when I was weak. It drove me to my knees. And unlike delivering grace, which once received, inadvertently moved me to greater independence from God, sustaining grace kept me tethered to him. (Read full article here.)

As the years of my life tick by, I realize sorrow is a fixture in one's life. It is inevitable. Some experience more than others.Why is not a question that will be answered this side of heaven.
  
Ann Kiemel, who fought a valiant battle with cancer, and who just recently passed away said, “I knew I had a choice; I could make sorrow my friend or my enemy. Sorrow could make me hard and cold and bitter… or sorrow could be my best friend and teach me things I had never known before. I reached out and took sorrow’s hand…” (Focus on the Family)

God's grace will sustain us and propel us toward the important things in life...

I am melancholy in nature...a deep thinker...and it may seem I focus on the negative side of life. Maybe I do; but I prefer to see life as not "positive and negative" for God works for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)...All things are working for our good. We live in a fallen world, but even in the midst of difficulty, He is there, and there is always something to be thankful for.

It is why I journal my blessings....for in seeing the handiwork of the Almighty God, I divert my focus from the trials of life to His goodness in my life. We are told in the book of Phillipians to "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! .... The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Rejoice.

Do not  be anxious...about ANYTHING.

With thanksgiving, pray.

God will sustain with His peace.

Difficulties, trouble, trials, and sorrow are a part of life. Do we allow them to make us cold and bitter, or do we grasp the hand of Jesus and let Him teach us things that will bring a deep growth, a deep joy. His sustaining grace is always near.....

And in the midst of our trials....there are many times He does grant deliverance. But if not, keep on...in His grace.

I am learning to lean on Him....always.