I discovered another little painted rock that someone placed at our mailbox. The verse reference is “ Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46: I0). This is a reminder and key description of what we need more of in our lives. Just to be still for a few moments in the presence of the Lord can be one of the most rewarding experiences we can have as a Christian. This is a time to stop and turn our cares into prayers and our fears into faith. Unfortunately, we usually do most of all the talking when we pray and spend time alone with God. I am thankful that He listens to us and hears us when we pray. He listens to us, but do we seek to listen to Him?

So, how do we listen to Him speak to us?

When we are quiet and still, it gives us an opportunity to hear God speak to us through reading and meditating on the Bible. Also listening to the thoughts of your heart, considering how the Lord may be leading you in making decisions prayerfully. This gives some much needed time to unplug and clear our head from all the clutter that we have been preoccupied with recently. It gives us time to reflect on specific situations where God has blessed us or been with us in so many ways. Sometimes He affirms and confirms something important to us through other people by their words or by their actions. This experience will recharge your spiritual batteries and give you some needed peace, confidence and strength.

This week or weekend, take some time to be still; and get to know God better and let Him speak to you in a personal way, that will be time well spent.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.” – Psalm 37:7

There are times in our lives, when we can see our path clearly and it is well defined. Then there are other times, when we feel like we are in a dense fog, doing good to just take one step at a time. It seems that everything is put on hold and out of wack. This is not a time to panic, but to pray and trust God. We need do our best each day and take it one step at a time. We have a tendency to want to rush on ahead into the dense fog of the unknown, which can be dangerous. We are always in a hurry to “get over it”. We are slow to recognize that God can even use this difficult time in our lives. We can grow stronger because God is with us in the midst of the mess. This can be an opportunity for Him to continue to build and develop our character and faith by “going through it” while trusting in Him. As we go and grow through these tough times, here are encouraging words from some of my all time favorite verses found in the Psalms…

“I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” – Psalm 34:4 (NKJV)

“The Lord hears His people when they call Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.” – Psalm 34: 17 (NLT)

“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him and He will help you.” – Psalm 37:3 (NLT)

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” – Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT)

“Put your trust in the Lord. Travel steadily along His path.” – Psalm 34:34 (NLT)

” I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, ways and He turned to me and heard my cry He lifted me up out of the pit of despair.” – Psalm 40: 1-2 (NLT)

Someday down the road, we can look back and say with the Psalmist…“ What if the Lord had not been on our side? Our help is from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth.” ( Psalm 124:4,8)

In the meantime, may you and I look to the Lord for the strength that we need to keep going… one step at a time, because that is God’s path and it is our plan.

Patient endurance is what you need right now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that God has promised.” – Hebrews 10:36 ( NLT)

We have never been on this path before now. It will be awkward and some times slow going around some unforeseen obstacles. It will not be perfect or always an easy path, but we will get to a better place one step at a time. Here are some things we need to carry with us for this journey.

PERSEVERANCE. Dr. Steve Arterburn is correct when he said that… “ what is required here is perseverance not perfection.” We need to focus more on perseverance. This starts with pacing ourselves each day. This is a marathon not a sprint we are in right now. Making a realistic and flexible schedule or list of things we need to each today is helpful in properly pacing ourselves.

GRACE. We need to give ourselves and other people more grace right now. This is not the time to give up on ourselves or each other. We must not discount the fact we are all under more stress and uncertainty than we were just a few months ago.

ENCOURAGEMENT. We need more of it and we need to share it with others. We need to seek more of it, find it, and then pass it on to others. Share it with others in conversations , text or other messages with people. “So encourage each other and give each other strength by building each other, just as you are doing now.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Sometimes God uses little things to say big things to us. In the last few weeks, I found some uplifting surprises at our mailbox. There was a small rock painted with the words Faith, Hope, Love. There was also a little bag of Easter candy with a inspirational note, and another handwritten note with encouraging words and a Bible verse on it. Each of these were from some of our neighborhood friends. What simple but wonderful acts of kindness.

It is easy to withdraw into self-pity these days. Instead of just feeling sorry for ourselves…What little things can you and I do to encourage other people in a big way? Instead of just praying mostly for ourselves, how about taking some time to pray for someone else that comes to your mind. Send a note or text, give them a phone call, etc… This would be a great time to let special people in your life know how much you appreciate or admire them. Everybody could use a little extra encouragement these days.

This is an important time for us to share the positive side of our faith. People are realizing the importance of believing in something bigger than themselves. What a opportunity for us to share the Love of Jesus with others, especially because Faith, Hope and Love lasts forever (1 Corinthians 13:13).

I took this photo on the North Carolina coast last year. It reminded me that we can worship God anywhere. That is also true this Easter, with the limitations we all have to deal with staying at home; in order to limit spread of the Corona Virus. We are limited, but God is not limited and we can worship Him wherever we are! Because of what Jesus did for us on that very first Easter, we have so much to be thankful for, such as…

FORGIVENESS. Jesus, who never sinned, took our sin, and died on the cross, so that we could experience God’s Love and Forgiveness. (Romans 5:8)

ETERNAL LIFE. Jesus did not just die on the cross fo us but He is also our source of eternal life. (Romans 6:23)

GOD’S LOVE. The Bible teaches us that in John 3:16… for God so loved the world (that includes you and me), that He gave us Jesus.

JESUS GIVES US STRENGTH. “I an do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

HELP IN DIFFICULT TIMES. “Jesus said, in the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

HOPE. “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God the Father who loved us by His grace, gave us eternal encouragement and good hope.”

( 2 Thessalonians 2:16 )

PEACE of MIND. “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

All of this and much more, because what Jesus did for you and me on that very first Easter…

We have a lot to be thankful for…This Easter!

And don’t forget that..

”Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!” (Hebrews 13: 8)

I Hope you have Happy Easter celebrating Jesus, wherever you are right now.

I like hiking in the mountains with friends. There are times we don’t know what it is going to look like around the next bend in the trail, or how much farther before we get to where we want to go.

Life is like that too. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations we were not adequately prepared for in advance. There is no foolproof way to always know exactly every detail ahead of time. Life is a journey, sometimes with a lot of twists and turns. It is often not a straight line from point A to point B .Even though we are not in complete control of everything in our world, there are some things we can control. One of those, is how we respond and react to situations we encounter in life and trying figuring out what to do next.

One of the great life principles I have discovered through the years is what I like to call the “ Learn as we go and take one step at a time” approach. After dealing the initial shock of encountering an unexpected crisis situation ,take some time to get the proper information and and break it down into taking it one step at a time. Someone shared a great idea at a meeting I attended years ago and It has helped me make good decisions in difficult circumstances. This process is described with these letters “ S. T. E. P.”

S. Stop.

T. Take Time to really Think about the situation.

E. Evaluate your options.

P. Proceed with the best option.

This has been very helpful for me and I hope it be of some benefit to you today. Keep on keeping on. Don’t give up, as “we learn as we go and take one step at a time”…round the next turn.

It is very important for us to find strength in difficult times. I really like this quote from Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S. Olympic Skiing Champion… “Things you don’t expect come up, and you have to adapt. You can’t let it throw you off. You have to cope. Those are really valuable skills in life and racing.” That is so true for us too. Here are some some valuable skills we can develop and do to help us cope:

-One of the surprising things we can discover about ourselves, especially during a prolonged difficult experience, is learning how we can adapt and adjust along the way.

-The process of changing our pace and daily routine and schedule.

– Learning to focus on the the things we can do instead of being distracted about what we can’t do at the present time.

-Acceptance of “It is what it is” for now, and making the best of it in the meantime.

In our instant gratification culture, there is a tendency for us to panic and give up on our faith too soon. Don’t let these difficult times do that. Our strength and confidence needs to be placed more in the Lord than just our limited ability to cope with unpredictable circumstances. Here are some encouraging words for us today:

-“The Lord is my Strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.” – Exodus 15:2 (NKJV)

-“The Lord God is my Strength, He will make my feet like a deer’s feet, and He will make walk on the high mountains.” – Habakkuk 3:19 (NKJV)

-“You will get through this. It won’t be painless. It won’t be quick. Don’t be foolish or naive, but don’t despair either. With God’s help, you will get through this.” – Max Lucado

We will get through this with God’s Help and Strength today and in the days ahead…

because ”Christ gives me strength to face anything.” -Philippians 4:13 (CEV)

We are experiencing now in our lifetime, a place we have never been to before. We are dealing with Social Distancing, a very contagious Coronavirus, worldwide economic concerns, even a shortage of toilet paper all at the same time. We are in unfamiliar territory that is different in so many ways.

When we go to strange places we have never been to before it can make us feel…

Lonely…

Different…

Out of Place..

Weird…

and Wondering What is Next?

Just like the old saying we need to “Get Our Bearings”, in other words we need to take some time figuring out how to deal with our present circumstances. Daniel Boone, was a famous pioneer who spent most of his life exploring and going to unknown places. He was asked once did he ever get lost. He replied: “I can’t say as ever I was lost, but I was bewildered ( confused) once for three days.” I think we call all identify with that, these are also confusing and disorienting days for us too. So it is important for us to “Get our Bearings” as best we can each day to navigate through these crazy times. Here are some ideas I have been thinking about that can help you and me…

STOP and THINK about ways to take the precautions necessary for proper care of yourself and others.

FOCUS on what you can do Today, not just be obsessed about what you can not do right now. Maybe tackle some little home projects you have not had the time to do for a while. Call, email, or text friends and family to check and see how they are doing right now.

STAY informed with the latest updated information but also Keep your Faith updated. This is a time to seek and trust in the Lord by spending some time to pray particularity those infected and effected by this horrible virus and also for the medical and emergency services personnel and other people that working during this crisis to help people. This is also a time for us to be reading and listening to things that will help our faith grow. Dr. Charles Stanley has said “There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms may be raging all around, you will stand firm if you stand firm on His love.”

I have never been to Hyder, Alaska but someday I may get to go there. One thing is for sure, We all look forward to leaving Coronavirusville…

I will be praying for you and please be praying for me too. Thanks, JBH

God is not Quarantined! He is not limited although we may be at this time. He is with us regardless of our circumstances, if you and I will just turn our focus and attention to Him. It is important that we take all precautions to be safe during this crisis and not do anything that would make this critical situation worse for ourself and other people. This a time for all of us to adapt and adjust our schedules and daily habits so that the Coronavirus Outbreak doesn’t escalate.

There have been times in my life that I was not able to do what I normally to do, yet those times became a good time to seek and experience God’s presence and peace in a deeper way. I like this insight from Bonnie Jensen…”Don’t let worry interrupt your trust in God today, they will be wasted moments.” Do not waste this valuable extra time, make the best of it and use it to draw closer to God and grow in your relationship with Him. Use this opportunity to spend some of your time with Him and reading and studying the Bible. Here are some encouraging promises from God’s Word to think about and focus on…

“Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His presence always.” -1 Chronicles 16:11

“The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.” – Psalm 34:18

“God is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1

“For the Lord has said.. I will never leave you or forsake you.” – Hebrews 13: 5

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

Use this time also, to talk with God by praying for yourself and for others. We may not be able to get out and go all the places we would like to go or be with friends as much right now but… our prayers can go anywhere. Prayer changes things, including ourselves and our attitude and outlook.

“The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world not able to do something, and enter God’s realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for His almighty power, nothing too small for His love.” – Corrie Ten Boom

If we will just do these simple things, it will help us to remember that God is always with us… even when we are going through a difficult time.

The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.”- Don Willams Jr.

Late one night, years ago, I was taking a “Short Cut” through the mountains of North Georgia. That was before the benefit of smart phones and GPS technology. I even ended up on a detour and I am still not sure where all I went, but I do recall driving by a monastery at one point. I eventually made it to the Interstate and managed to get home in Tennessee after adding two hours to my travel time.

The road of our life is seldom a straight line without detours, turns and curves along the way. Some of these we have had a choice in… while others not so much. How should we respond to these delays in our lives? Some times delays are just that, a temporary time of waiting. Delays are not necessarily denials. You keep going on a detour knowing that eventually you will be back on the main road. Sometimes disappointments will lead us to new opportunities we would not have discovered earlier. We can learn a lot about ourselves during these times of waiting. Stay focused on what you can do in the meantime is most helpful.

Dealing with delays requires us to slow down, which isn’t always a bad thing. Oftentimes, we can benefit from this by seeing things in a different perspective or to be mindful of things we are thankful for and take for granted. That is where it is good to remember to look to God and get His perspective on our personal journey… “ The Lord says I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you.” – Psalm 32:8 (NCV).

May we have the same attitude that God’s people traveling to Jerusalem to worship as described in Psalm 84:5-7(MSG)…“How blessed are those in who You live, whose lives becomes roads you travel; they wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks, discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain! God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain and at the last turn- Zion! God in full view!”