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I’m convinced of it. I believe that God enjoys the glory we give Him for his goodness and his greatness!

When we claim the honor in something that God clearly had a part in bringing about we rob Him of his glory.

God is great, and God is good. He is love and He is merciful. He is the righteous judge.

He has the power to overcome the physical limitations that we are aware of. He acts within and through his creation supernaturally.

Because of this I have utter confidence in His power to bring about the impossible!

I fully believe that Christ literally rose, was resurrected, from the dead 2,000 years back. This is something that goes beyond all mental understanding, all scientific knowledge!

Jesus was dead, for three days, and then he miraculously became alive again—-not just a spirit but a body—a physical body!

The Shroud of Turin bears a fascinating image that suggests an X-ray or radioactively imprinted miracle.

I happen to know that X-rays weren’t around much in 33 A.D..

I know a little history, ya know.

I don’t put anything past the supernatural world, but the Shroud of Turin seems to be one place were it intersected dimensions and left a lasting mark.

The shroud is dated to the time of Christ. The shroud is a piece of woven linen filled with pollen and seeds native to the Holy Land. Scientists can trace the actual path of the shroud, the map of where it has traveled over 2,000 years by analyzing the flora and fauna in the weave.

The shroud bears an image of a crucified man, it has blood stains, which have been tested for DNA.

The wounds of the man fully and completely match the wounds that Christ was reported to have had inflicted on Him while on the cross and before. The man wears a crown of thorns.

I believe, like others, that some type of energy burst imprinted the image of Christ on the cloth at the moment of Resurrection.

The shroud is mentioned in Scripture. It was clearly preserved by the early church, and held in high esteem. Those whom it passed on to also seemed aware of its origin. The Shroud was miraculously preserved through this time, even until now, when we have the joy of using modern science techniques to analyze and understand it better!

What a witness for this age.

Christ arose.

One time someone said that in order to identify with Christ, be saved, one must believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

That resurrection sure sticks in the craw of those who refuse to believe. There are “pastors” who do not believe in the resurrection.

They are the Sadducees of today, refusing to acknowledge the impossible becoming possible.

God gets the glory in Christ’s resurrection.

He alone deserves our praise.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus!

Many people are running after worldly, earthly success. Whether it is fame or fortune, love, fulfilled lusts and desires, satisfaction, security—all the things the mind and body are attracted to, we are in the race to “make it.”

God acknowledges this. He made many of these desires in our hearts and they can be disciplined for His good.

Disciplined desire.

He has promised to provide for our needs, and yet He allows suffering and hardship in each of our lives.

Where is the border between suffering and satisfaction?

Satan knows the appeal of success, and that may his first ploy in tearing the heart from truth.

If that doesn’t work (and it usually does) he may use a frontal attack.

Satan cannot win. He has already been defeated, so in light of that truth we can observe our daily lives with the perspective of the final outcome: eternal life.

It really isn’t about this life after all. It is about the next.

As I ponder the powers of this earth, the global monarchs of tech and wealth, I wonder if they see the fleetingness of this existence, especially compared to the one to come.

He that is faithful in little will be given much.

That is the goal of every Christ-follower.

Being faithful.

What much will be given will be in the life to come.

The life that exists for eternity.

Don’t mess up this one. Get your eternity settled before pursuing the lusts of this flesh here.

God may give you health and wealth, beauty and peace, success and love here on earth. He has given me all of that…

But it really isn’t about this life.

He is preparing us for His kingdom, for His service, for our new role as His own.

The prep is just beginning.

I am coming soon.

Jesus promised this, and He is King. Two thousand earth years to Jesus is a blink. He is coming soon.

In an effort to understand my daughters’ generation better, to relate to the hows and whys of their choices I spent time watching three “K-dramas.” I knew these were popular with my girls over the past few years. I understood that Korean drama was relatively innocent, high school stuff, far more wholesome than American culture television and media.

I didn’t bother to watch for myself.

But now I did. I watched the most popular ones (I think) and saw that they are indeed fairly innocent, that the heroes and heroines are morally good and the plot lines involved fashion and food. It is easy to get sucked into the beauty and the sweet.

The last one I watched (with Cherie) was one called “The King, Eternal Monarch.” Very lush, and an intriguing plot.

As I watched it I thought about the supernatural themes that reflected the promises of our Real Eternal King Jesus.

Not just sci-fi, rom-com, —-the truth is that Jesus IS coming, and He IS King.

Happy endings are for us, the believers.

This hope can give us the strength to “wait a little longer,” as the fictitious king in the K-drama implored his lady. I saw the imagery.

My King is coming. He promised.

My Jewish Carpenter King is coming.

Just wait a little longer.

Are you ready? Are you watching?

Wait.

Maranatha.

Like never before (and I’ve always struggled through March) I am weeping my days through this month.

God has given gentle temps these weeks, but the rains/sleets/snows have come per usual. I, too, have been weeping, and that is a sign that my shock has begun to wear off, as I was just numb for months. I weep like the sky.

Somehow I believe that this heaviness of spirit will once abate. One does not live without hope.

I heard recently from a source that the evil at the upper echelons of our world is waxing so great we’d be unable to comprehend it.

Knowing the spiritual forces of darkness are being restrained right now gives me comfort, but also it gives us a glimpse of that incredible power.

Greater is He who is In you, than he that is in the world.

Jesus wins.

The choice is always ours to pick the winner. Since we know the winner, it seems ridiculous to pick the loser.

I guess people won’t know without a preacher.

So, amidst my weeping I will continue to proclaim the message of salvation. Time is so short. Prophesied events are unfolding all around us and we must be aware of how little margin is left.

Repent. The kingdom of heaven is truly at hand. Weeping will not endure. Joy comes in the morning.

God wins.

Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you today. Commit your life in faith to Christ Jesus, believing He died for your sins on the cross and rose again the third day.

The resurrection is real. The supernatural is real.

God is real.

Get over your own limitations and choose life.

Maranatha!

It’s spring, and I cannot help but reflect on this past year, back to last spring when Brian was chopping down FOUR trees: three oaks and a huge basswood.

Who could have imagined he’d be with Jesus this spring?

Not I. Sometimes I get glimpses of reality through my numbness and the shock just makes me catch my breath.

Yes, I still have trouble believing my fit and energetic husband is not here.

Do you know how many times I’ve had a racing heart and wondered if I was going to join him since then?

More times than I can count. Don’t be surprised if you hear I’m gone! It’ll either be the Rapture or something like what Brian experienced! Well, that is what I think.

Stress can cause many physical symptoms, and believe me, I’ve had my share of symptoms this year.

God has given me rest at night, and that is a HUGE blessing. Someone must be praying for that exactly!

Will you pray for my mom to get good rest, too, now? As we age sleep becomes more elusive at night.

She needs it because she has a heart condition. She needs good rest. Stress has touched her and dad too, of course. Can you believe that my parents have lost FOUR children?

Susan died of a brain tumor in 2006, Jud and Mary were killed by a drunk driver in 2019, and now Brian has passed from heart failure. Pray that my brother and his wife, and I, stick around to care for Mom and Dad for awhile.

I know that I shouldn’t worry. “Cast your cares on the Lord !”

How about the Bob Marley song, “Don’t Worry About Anything!” Clearly he knew the Lord.

Springtime is a time of expectation. I have no idea how I will manage the yard and the splitting of wood for filling the woodshed. I have no idea how it will all pan out with multiple things. Do we, any of us, really know?

Of course not.

I will continue to take one day at a time, hunkering down, managing.

God is always good. Can I trust Him?

Yes. I can trust Him and His promises, even when it seems hard to understand the depth of pain and loss, grief and sin in all of us.

MARANATHA, Lord Jesus. We are waiting.

The time of the singing of birds is come, the winter is past and the rain is here. COME AWAY!

Do you remember that Merv and Merla song? I’ll see if I can find it on YouTube.

There are a few updates for those of you who have been following my chaotic life recently. Last weekend my dad had a stroke. My brother drove out from NY to help us assess the situation, how we are going to manage.

Life changes for all, I’m suspecting.

Dad can walk, he is pretty clear in his mind, too. He had physical therapy for another condition, so those sessions just became more vital to getting him back to a new normal. Someone needs to be with him at all times, so the strain is on my mom and the rest of us to work out our schedules to fill in all the hours.

The real goal is to keep Dad home. Period.

He has been such a good and generous dad, a quiet man, but with keen humor and intellect. He loves his home here among the swamps of Minnesota. (There are more swamps than lakes in this state). We want so badly to allow him his wish of being quiet.

He prays for us, he cares about us, he is concerned for all of his children and grandchildren. His heart breaks when we are hurt or suffering.

There isn’t a town, or road in this state he doesn’t know. If you have ever met him he remembers you. (I, sadly, did not inherit that gene.)

He loves his family, his brothers and sisters, all passed now, and all of his nieces and nephews. He remembers his youth during the depression vividly.

I will be substitute teaching less, as I must be next door with Dad.

I know that he has been looking for the Rapture of the church his entire life, (94 years) and I wonder if he will get to experience it! I know I expect to, and Dad did too. What a blessed hope for us as life passes.

Maybe I’ll use the time to do more music. Dad loves to hear the piano, and Ed goes next door frequently to give a concert. Mom and I also give concerts to Dad regularly. Perhaps I will get to do more art. I have let that slide with the weight of “business matters” I’ve been handling since Brian died. One can only do so much.

I’m glad I’m “relatively” young and strong so I can actually lift Dad if needed. I try to get to the pool to keep fit, but my hotel job (folding laundry) is a great work-out too. Imagine folding hundreds of sheets and towels!

Maybe I’ll have more time to “blog.”

I’ll miss the kids at school. I’ve gotten to know them all, and I have a special place in my heart for each one. Perhaps a day will free up for me to see them again sometime.

Changes.

If you want to come and be with Dad, visit, so Mom and I can have an hour free, we’d welcome you! He is really an interesting person to talk to. He knows so much history! (That was his major in college.) Mostly he needs someone there to make sure he doesn’t accidentally fall if he gets up. He is learning to do things by himself and getting stronger each day.

Let us know. We’d love it.

Some of you have heard that my 94 year old dad had a stroke on Friday morning. He came out of it very well, really, with just a few minutes of confusion, and loss of movement in one of his legs.

He is in the hospital right now, having physiotherapy. Only my mom is allowed in with him, and he really needs her. He hates the hospital.

It was his first ride in an ambulance on Friday.

We have to get him walking again to take him home, even for home care, at least that is what I understand from the ever-changing reports.

My niece has been a pillar of strength and help for my mom. My brother is on his way here from New York to help with decision making.

We are in a time of change, and the only thing I can do is trust the God who allows it and the process of life and even death on this earth.

My dad is a very sharp person mentally, also very sweet and generous. He loves to be HOME. He’s also a very quiet man, private. He hates hoopla.

I want you to know that he dislikes any fuss, but I want you to pray for him. My parents are having their 65th wedding anniversary in May. Perhaps you could send a card if you feel led.

I’ll send you the address if you ask me privately and I can verify you.

I have a rotten headache, since Friday, and I am battling deep emotions. I’m tired.

Thank you for your prayers. Change is not easy for me. It never has been easy for me. I accept it. I acknowledge it. I have hope for the future.

“I know the plans I have for you! Plans to prosper you, and NOT to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.” —-Jeremiah 29:11 CH

This virus and this election have really been a godsend for defining people’s tribes!

If you didn’t know where you stood before, you do now, probably.

For me, death and conflict have added to the definition as refining agents.

I had two choices: fade away, or take a stand.

I guess it was in my character to take a stand. I’m an exhorter/evangelist by spiritual gift, a teacher by trade, and a discerner by default.

I’ll be the one standing in line at the guillotine.

(Unless the rapture…!)

As a believer in Jesus Christ I think that the aspects of the seven year tribulation will not apply to me. Persecution, yes, but God’s wrath, no. Those head choppers might be here sooner rather than later.

I belong to the tribe that will say good-bye to life on earth.

I belong to the tribe that stands on Scripture, and Christ.

I belong to the tribe that values God’s creation, life, and OTHER PEOPLE.

I belong to the tribe that takes a stand for righteousness.

As a believer I am commanded to treat others as I would treat myself: love your neighbor as you would love yourself.

I have been doing a lot of reading this year, since Brian’s death. Although I do not agree with Hannah Hurnard’s theology completely, I do see value in much of what she learned as a Christian living as a missionary. Her books have blessed me with insights about Scripture with concrete application of Christ’s teaching.

I’m reading “Walking Among the Unseen” right now. Right off the bat she defines the power of Christ in obedience to Him through transformation by the Holy Spirit.

When you are transformed you can literally transform—your attitude, your trust, your own outlook.

When you are cursed, you bless back.

When you are hated, you love back.

When you are sad, you praise God.

When you are ungrateful, you thank Him.

When you are angry, you bless.

When you are unloved, you trust.

Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. A heart that loves God will seek to obey Him (keep His commands!) The power of this transformation is the key to joy and living through the trials that will inevitably come.

Forgiving the unforgiveable is extremely hard, but it is possible with Christ. All things are possible through Christ who strengthens me.

Being joyful in a time of death and grief is something to wonder at, but it is possible to grieve and still have peace and joy. When you are anchored in the God of heaven you cling to His promises, his assurances, and you have peace. Complete peace.

This brings joy. It may not look like joy outwardly, to those who watch you, but it is that. It is a deep trust that knows THE END.

I’ve said this so many times: I hate suspense. That is why I love Bible prophecy so much!

We did a unit on John Williams this week at the Middle School. We listened to six of his movie themes. I told the kids how I hate horror films, films that have suspense. I rarely (never!) watch them, but I know turning off the music at suspenseful parts makes the entire film less scary.

I don’t like suspense. I like to know the end.

And I do, thankfully, with God’s Word.

My tribe has been watching the developments in the world for decades, centuries. We know that Christ is coming again, that a world system (entire world system) will be put in place.

Yes, you preterists have your examples of world systems and all sorts of excuses for things that couldn’t have possibly happened yet. There are always patterns!

I will stand on the truths that the world will one day end (at least 1,007 years from this moment) and the reign of Christ Himself on earth will commence after the 49th week of Daniel.

It makes sense.

Have you seen the wolf lie with the kid? The lion with the lamb? The snake with the child? The sky rolled back like a scroll?

I haven’t either.

I’m with the tribe that is waiting for a catching away—-a meeting with Christ in the air! I’m with the tribe that is coming back to earth (on white horses!) to reign with Christ for a thousand years.

Miracles do happen.

It is a miracle when a life is transformed, when one can turn a hurt into a blessing.

It is a miracle when someone joins your tribe, because that is an act of the HOLY SPIRIT.

So don’t be discouraged, dear one.

We know the end, we are a tribe that is standing with joy and anticipation of God’s blessing, even now.

He can turn our mourning into joy, our anger into peace, our hate into love. He transforms.

Love them, serve them, pray for them.

Perhaps the Holy Spirit will open their eyes to the truth. Perhaps they will become a part of our tribe!

MARANATHA!

The cold disappeared, and we are in the 50’s today.

What a welcome change.

I took Corwyn out to the hayfield for a romp, and she rolled in the melting snow, over and over, until she’d given herself a virtual bath. I hope she doesn’t smell too bad tonight. The neighbors spread manure on the field last fall. Corwyn thinks it is the most wonderful thing.

Cherie then took her out for a long walk, and even when Corwyn returned from that she did “zoomies” around the dining room. That’s always good for a chuckle.

Cherie has been having driving lessons from me these past two weeks. She’s learning to drive our two cars with clutches.

After teaching four teenagers to drive I told Brian that I did NOT want to do it again.

I did. Cherie is actually a pretty good driver, and I didn’t have too many frights teaching her three years ago. I thought I was DONE. Brian is a far better teacher for learning to drive manual transmission.

Alas, we were out on the roads, desperately seeking first gear without killing the engine.

The newer manual car is far trickier to drive than the old F-150. The crazy thing is that the old pick-up has fewer miles, but a few more hiccups and quirks. It’s about 6 one way and half a dozen the other: choose your poison. I’m hoping that with lessons on both vehicles she’ll be in business. Her old 2001 Saturn just won’t start anymore. Since we now have three vehicles for three people we are LEARNING NEW SKILLZ.

Says the mom who thought she’d never have to go through that again—-!

Ed must master the manual shift process as well. He’s so busy with school that his lessons are something to consider over his spring break in April. He’ll be driving back and forth to St. Paul all summer to his internship, we think.

I subbed all week, and I’m really tired (and blue) today.

I do feel sorry for myself at times. When I’m over-tired I just want to cry. As I drove home this sunny afternoon I fought back tears.

I cannot grieve for my husband. He is blissfully enjoying the presence of Jesus right now.

We’re stuck down here with fraud and pandemic, crazy politics and uncertain outlook.

If I didn’t know Jesus and Bible prophecy I’d be a total “basket case.”

I know how it ends.

“I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” This is a promise from the Most High. Jesus is coming. He promised.

Are you ready?

Maranatha