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Wine or Whine?

“Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.”      
Numbers 18:27

I have seen a few different varieties of wine-presses.  None of them were appealing to me to imagine being a grape and going through the process of becoming wine.  One method I witnessed involved women holding onto suspended ropes from overhead while their bare feet stomped on juicy grapes piled in a long stone trough surface with carved-out little spouts that deposited the flowing juice into a stone trough.   The other process was a heavy wooden block of wood that was slowly lowered onto a pile of grapes and slowly squished down, the juices running into the little “ditches” and flowing into large pots at the end.  Both processes made me glad that I was not a grape.

God’s “picture” language gives us a glimpse of our human life.  “Grain offerings” and “Drink offerings” were visual examples of what God sees as “offerings . . . gifts” to Him.  They were not things that could be bought on a shelf in a market.  They required a process of selection, giving, and removing from the ‘source’ of life from which they had grown.  The culmination of the offering’s destiny was for consumption of people. . . for nourishment and health.

We go through experiences  . . . seasons of life where we feel like we’ve been “stomped on” …walked on . . . used. . . Jesus knew that feeling.  He spoke of being “poured out like wine”. . . kneaded and put through the fire, like bread.  But He always kept before Him the ultimate result.

It was all for us and for our good . . . life-sustaining essentials not only for our own personal world, but for those others in our world as well.

Imagine the grain opting to stay in the field to avoid the threshing floor.  They’d likely become birdseed.  Or the grapes clinging to the vine . . . they’d end up raisins. Or bird food.  Both alternatives end up as _________ on the ground.  (you can fill in the blank)

When we are being “squeezed” by life and circumstances, it’s time to trust our Vine-dresser. . . our Seed-Sower.  He sees the end result of His careful Work in our lives.   It’s not to be put on a shelf or in a sack or left on the ground.  His Purposes are for the good of the people in our world.  It’s the Purpose that we, who have been in His Field . . . and in His Hands . . .are His. 

Be available for Him to use to bring Life . . . Nourishment . . . Strength . . . Healing. . .  to your neighbor . . . your family . . . your world.

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Your Treasure Trove


“Your heart will be where your treasure is.
Store up treasures for yourselves in Heaven,
where moths and rust don’t destroy and
thieves don’t break in and steal.”
Mathew 6:20-21

Throughout my life, I have had a strong tendency to spot and then collect little
“treasures” . . . often treasures that other people may or may not see as anything
special. Something that had caught my eye. And then, later,I would re-discover my
little treasure, having completely forgotten about it. The drawtowards a “treasure” is a
human thing. Children seem to always find little treasures that quickly find their way into
a pocket or a little container, often forgotten in a short time.

As those children grow into adulthood, the “treasures” change . . . often becoming of
greater earthly value, and taking up more space in our lives. It’s a prevalent reality in
our human nature. Our hearts are filled with personal treasures . . . both good and bad.

What “treasures” have come to occupy the precious spaces of your heart? When was
the last time that you took an inventory of the contents of your heart? What are the true
treasures? What are the “treasures” that are more “trash” than “treasure”?

Jesus’ Words, recorded by Matthew, are just as important today as they were when
Matthew was hearing them from the Heart of Jesus, in “real time.”

We would all do well to take a regular inventory of the “storehouse” of our own hearts.
How much rust has accumulated? How much damage has been done by the “moths”
that have taken up residence there? Rust and moths don’t do their damage overnight
… it takes time. Thieves do a quicker job of their damage . . . much more intentional
and sneaky. In and out . . . and it may take a while for us to realize that “something”
of value has been stolen from our hearts. It’s a slow process of realization . . . silent. . .
intentionally secretive.

The only Safe Place in which to place our treasures of this life is in Heaven, into the
nail-scarred Hands of Jesus. That act in itself helps us to consider those treasures with
a deeper awareness of just how precious they truly are.

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“What Should We Do?”

“Crowds of people were coming to be baptized by John.
He would say, ‘Do those things that prove that you have turned to God
And have changed the way you think and act. . .
‘What should we do?’”
Luke 3:10 - 14

Jesus was about to begin carrying out the Mission that His Father had given Him
to do on earth. His cousin, John (the Baptist) was in full swing in preparing the
way for Jesus. John, a Prophet of God, had a significant following of God-
worshippers. His Message was a very unique one to the people of Israel, stirring
and challenging hearts, motives, and actions of the people, exposing their needs
of forgiveness and focusing their attention on God’s Truths for human life.

Luke gives us some insight to the challenges the people of God were hearing
regarding from John about how they had been living. People in all circles of
society were hearing of John’s very unsettling challenges, and raising questions
in their own hearts of what needed to change in their minds and actions. John’s
challenges were troubling within many levels of Israel’s society.
The people were coming to John as they realized the troubling truths of their own
sinful hearts.

● The crowds of common folks were being called “You poisonous snakes” by
John. They had been hanging on to their ancestor Abraham as their way
to please God. They asked John, “What should we do???”
John said, “Do those things that prove that you have turned to God
and have changed the way you think and act. . . don’t go on your
ancestor’s faith …! … Whoever has two shirts should share with the
person who doesn’t have any. Whoever has food should share it,
too!”

● Some tax collectors came to [John] to be baptized. They asked him,
“Teacher, what should we do?” He told them, “Don’t collect more
money than you are ordered to collect.”

● Some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He told them, “Be
satisfied with your pay, and never use threats or blackmail to get money
from anyone.”

● “When all the people were baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized.”
There are so many interesting pieces to this story. It gives us a glimpse of what
was already going on in Israel on the brink of Jesus beginning His public Work in
the Land for the next three years. John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, was laying the
groundwork for Jesus to begin His public ministry. Jesus “went public” with His
baptism by John, and His cousin John was going to become “less” in the public
eye. John’s life would end, not with the crowds and accolades, but in a prison
cell, beheaded.

John had become quite famous in Israel. But he did not hold on to his reputation
or fight for his popularity in his country. He knew his Mission, and had faithfully
carried out the Work that God had assigned John. There was no competition in
him as he watched his cousin Jesus rising in visibility and popularity. His
message was consistent with the Message that Jesus would bring to the people.
That question asked of John so often, “What should we do,” at last had a
definitive, final answer . . . “Follow Him.” The Messiah was now here, and John
turned all the attention to Him.

As we, as followers of Jesus, engage with our world, people are still asking those
same old questions they had asked John. “What should we do?” And like John,
we can point them to Jesus. “Follow Him.”

This is still the ultimate Answer for our lost and questioning world.

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Women of Courage

“Some women were watching from a distance. . . 
They had followed Him and supported Him . . .
Many other women who had come to Jerusalem with Him were there too.”
Mark 15:40-41

They were usually in the background, but they were there.  Women, who had little status in their culture. . . little  to no independence . . .  and were often mere side-notes in history. But Jesus did not hold to that cultural opinion.  He gave them value.  He included them in His inner circle… in His Life.   

Women . . . by nature, having instincts to provide care, to nurture, to love, were included in Jesus’ inner circle.  In the male-dominated culture into which Jesus stepped while physically present on Earth, He modeled His value of women.  In a world that often kept them in the background, Jesus acknowledged and included them.  He accepted what they offered, and treated them with dignity.

Did they struggle with a sense of personal value?  Personal dignity?  Their culture certainly did not give them messages of their worth.  

But Jesus saw them.  Included them.  Accepted what they offered. . . a poor widow’s gift, a woman “with a past,”  women who had nothing to offer, except their gratitude, hope and loyalty.

It’s an old story . . . struggles with personal worth . . . doubts of our value . . . carrying shame. . .   Jesus pushed back on those old cultural barriers.  He accepted what they had to give.  When their world de-valued  them, He acknowledged their dignity.  He welcomed them into His Presence . . . into His world.  Their tendencies to remain at a distance from Him, He countered.  He called them by name.  Despite their stories and past, and the probable lack of a sense of personal dignity, He welcomed them into His world.  

When Jesus faced His most horrific Moment. . . the cross . . . the women whose lives He had changed, were there. . . note-worthy in Scripture.  Not busy “doing something” . . . simply there with Him. . . despite the risk they faced simply by association with Him.   Scripture does not make note of whatever they had done in their past. . . it was the fact that they were there that was noteworthy.

Don’t stay “at a distance . . . watching. . . “  when it comes to Jesus.  He knows you are “there” . . . even at a distance.  He knows you are following Him . . . and lending your support in ways that you assume are not worth very much.  

But His Words, “Follow Me” continue to echo throughout Time.  He welcomes you to be with Him.  

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Lord . . . Do I have to do this? Again?

“Let us go into Judea…
His disciples said to Him,
‘Lord, do we have to go there again?”
John 11:7-8

Jesus’ “ministry team” spent a lot of time in the region of Galilee . . . it was familiar, “home” for most of them.  They were comfortable with how life worked in their surroundings . . . the culture . . . the life-style. . . “safe.”  They could be near the sea that had been such a comfortable part of their normal life.  Life in the Galilee region was quieter. . . slower . . . comfortable.   That is, until Jesus came along and changed everything.

Judea was a different story.  Yes, it was part of “the Land” of Israel.  Yes, their people lived there, but the culture and lifestyle was not like theirs in Galilee.  “Up North” was a slower pace.

Fishing and other livelihoods of living with sea, lakes, and the river nearby was where they knew best how to “do life.”  

Judea was in “The South.”  It was hotter there.   Dryer.  Yes, there was water . . . the Mediterranean Sea, but also the “Dead Sea.”  It was the region of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, key pieces of their history.  

But the worst part of their trip was having to travel all the way through Samaria to get there. Samaria. . . not populated with a majority of their people.  It was more of an Arab culture than their Jewish  people who worshipped Jehovah God.  Just walking through the region meant that they would be  “defiled.”  

They may have had thoughts . . . attitudes . . . hesitations . . .knowing well what that trip would mean for them.  Uncomfortable, “different culture,”  “foreign,”  perhaps hostile attitudes.  Walking.  And they would all have to go through purification when they reached Judea.

But Jesus didn’t seem to notice what they noticed.   He just didn’t look at “life” as they / we do.  

After all, Jesus left all that Heaven is. . . Perfection . . . Peace . . . the very Presence of God.  He chose to leave all of that to come to Earth, willing to go through all that we experience here . . . and far harsher and deadly than any of us have known.  

He came.  Yes, He had His “Moment” of a depth of struggle that none of us can imagine, but He did what His Father asked, for us.  For Love.  

What is He asking of you?   Perhaps even,… again?

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Seeing God in the Desert

“As the truck pulled away, I followed the other visitors toward a low, dark building.
But as I glanced up into the night sky, I stopped abruptly.  The spectacular umbrella of diamond-studded stars overhead was astounding.  . . . Unbroken by trees, or roofs, or power lines or streetlights competing with the heavens, a brilliant spectrum of galaxies, shooting stars, and the moon commanded my full attention.  This was more than declaring.  This was a full-out loudspeaker blast; an incredible splendor unlike anything I had ever seen before.  God had outdone Himself this time.    “OK, God.  I hear you.  I see you.  You are here in a crazy, magnificently big way .  Thank You!“     “Yella, yella!” (“Come on!  Hurry up!”)
 ~ Excerpt from Not Forgotten

Having grown up as a PK  . . . Pastor’s Kid . . . especially in the context of the US, I had  formulated an image of the context of the Bible being set in the tiny nation of Israel  . . . mixed in with my American “church culture.”   I had never imagined a context for God being in a desert . . . much less in an Arab/Islamic culture.  I had a pretty good grasp of God and how He interacted with me, and with the church people of my life’s realities.  

But, being in an all-Muslim nation, situated in the largest desert in the world, I had little idea of how God moved and worked in that context.  I did not yet know much about the Islamic world into which I was now stepping.  I had so much to learn, this PK / PW from the USA about experiencing God in a dramatically different setting.  (PK=Pastor’s Kid; PW=Pastor’s Wife…AKA, silently ‘POW’ in my thoughts.)

It was clear to me that, despite the absence of a known Christian presence on the ground, that did not stop God from being there.  As my time in the desert unfolded, it became more and more apparent that God was there in the desert camps.  It was not dependent on any physical presence, as important as that is.

He has commissioned us to “Go into all the world” with His Good News.  That is unquestionable.   God’s Spirit covers the earth, and we never know who’s heart is being drawn to Him.  “Go . . .”  “GO!” … The world waits for Him. . . He is not waiting for the world.

But God’s Hands are not tied by human failure or absence.  His Spirit knows no human boundaries.  His Love knows no bounds.  

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Waiting is Hard

“Truly my soul waits silently for God alone;
From Him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be shaken."  
Psalm 62:1-2

Anyone who has spent time  with children knows how hard it is for them to wait. . .for anything!  And God’s children carry that same characteristic.  Oh….we can wait for awhile, but, like children, it is usually with wiggles, questions, reminders, growing anxiety,  and pleading that becomes demanding.  

The writer of this Psalm has clearly come to a level of trust  in God that would  not have come easily.   He has experienced realities that required being saved from danger that threatened him . . . whether physically or emotionally or mentally.  

He has needed to find safely in the midst of danger that threatened his life.  He has needed a sense of rock-solid help in coping with whatever was shaking him.  He longed for a sense of protection from whatever was causing his fears.  Something was looming that was shaking him deeply.

It is difficult for us to face experiences that threaten to shake our personal world.  When tragedy or dangers come, we impulsively try to fix or escape the situation.  I remember two such times in my own life when “what was” dramatically changed in my life . . . and I struggled with a sense of hopelessness, unable to picture any future.

The psalmist has fought that battle, and has learned from experience some solid Truths about where to turn when life has been shaken.  He had experienced failed efforts of scrambling for God to fix the situation . . . or to defend himself. . . or plead with God to take it away . . . or to somehow escape it.  

But his conclusion after all of those efforts to “fix” the difficult, probably very painful situation has become clear.  He has learned from experience all the human efforts that do not bring the solution.

The only true solution rests in God’s Hands.  The Rock to Whom we can hold tightly for safety and permanence in the storms of life, and The Defense against all the fears and dangers that shake our life on earth.

Grab on to your Rock, and hold tightly.  He knows . . . sees . . . and will bring you through to Safety and Peace.

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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“Come Up Here And I Will Show You Things . . .”

Revelations 4:1

If God literally came to your door, knocked, and you opened the door and heard Him say these words to you, what would be your honest, initial reaction? Would you ask why? Would you ask for details so that you can make a decision? Be prepared? “Show you things …” is pretty vague. In my Bible’s version, it says, “…I will show you what must happen after this…” Honestly, I’m not a person who anticipates that a looming mystery experience is going to be good. I’d like some details. I’d like to be sure I will be safe.

John’s experience was part of an interaction with God in which he glimpsed Heaven . . . the future . . . and God’s Throne. But his experience was the result of his choice to cooperate with God. It required trust on John’s part. It required stepping into the unknown.

God invites each of us . . . His followers . . . to “Come up Here…” and experience things we would have never otherwise known. The lessons we learn are not simply from a book. We learn by doing. . . whether we have “done it right, or done it wrong.” The Key is that we choose to join Him in whatever lies ahead. It requires trust.

We can choose to say, “No.” But what will we have missed? What will someone else have missed because we did not accept the Invitation to “Come up Here. . .”?

Personally, the most memorable and meaningful experiences in my life were not easy . . . not safe . . . not in isolation by myself . . . not as an observer. They were experiences that often required me to go against what would be comfortable, safe, or personally appealing. I left a lot of “skid marks” along my journey. But in the midst of the struggle, or hardship, or pain, I had the certainty of God’s Presence throughout the experience.

God shows us glimpses of what He is doing . . . in our own lives and in the lives of others. . . as we step up . . . “Come Up” . . . in obedience to Him.

Check out Janet’s new book, Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Shared Worship in a Most Unlikely Setting

“All the inhabitants of the earth will fall down and worship Him. . . “

                                                               1 Peter 13:8

The first time that I went to the desert, it was with a woman who’s local organization had asked our church to partner in their humanitarian work.  She had called soon after our agreement to provide host families for nine children, asking if I would help  pick them up.  What I didn’t realize was that it meant going all the way to Algeria.  And I was terrified.  An all-Muslim nation, and I had no idea what might happen.   I expected the worst.

Our first stop in Algeria was its capitol city.  I had been cautioned to keep my faith quiet, and to not do anything that would draw suspicion to our little team of 3 women.  Our hotel was a lovely place near the city center, with a private garden area, and a large windowed lounge looking out into the gated garden.  Our second day in the hotel, I decided to venture into the garden, passing through a spacious lounge that included a beautiful grand piano.  A man was playing beautiful music, much of it famous classical and popular music which I recognized.  

After my garden stroll, I returned to the lounge to simply enjoy the live piano music.  After a while, as I sipped a cup of hot coffee, enjoying the garden view, I heard the beginning notes of a very familiar old song . . . “Amazing Grace” . . . I quickly looked up and our eyes met. 

The bar pianist gave a slight nod and a smile, as his skillful fingers played that beautiful old hymn through several verses and choruses.  He was wordlessly worshiping.  And so was I.  God’s Presence was there….being shared without a word between two Believers who had this Moment together.  No words were necessary. 

In a place where the Gospel could not be openly spoken, God’s Spirit connected two hearts in which His Presence lives.  The pianist and I never met. Never spoke.  I never saw him again.  But that sacred, secret Moment will stay with me forever.  And I know that God’s Spirit is alive and working in Algiers and all the way to the refugee camps that cover a piece of the Sahara Desert of that nation.  

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Missing the Point

“Jesus said,
‘Dear children, I will still be with you for a little while.
I am telling you what I told the Jews.
You will look for me, but you can’t go where I’m going.
‘I am giving you a new Commandment:
Love each other in the same way that I have loved you…
Everyone will know that you are My disciples
because of your love for each other.’
Simon Peter said,
“Lord, where are you going?”
John 13:34-36

Our human nature always seems to get in the way of a greater Point, doesn’t it!
Jesus was telling His dear friends what He knew to be some of His last words before
His arrest. His priority in those final hours before His arrest included. . .
‘Love each other the way that He loves us.’

But dear Peter had gotten stuck on words that seemed to signal something that he
knew would affect him. With that focus, he seems to have missed the greater Point that
Jesus was making. . . . Love each other.

We all do it, don’t we? We get stuck on something going on in our own minds, our own
emotions, our own fears, and that takes precedence over everything else. We start to
scramble to find a “safe spot” where we can be more comfortable. . . solid ground
where we can get our bearings and know what to do next. Uncertainty is not
comfortable. . . even though we know ‘He is with me.’

Jesus did not scold or ignore Peter, even though he was interrupting Jesus in this very
personal moment together with His “inner circle.”

We can easily get distracted by something said or done, even in the midst of a very
personal, “holy Moment” in Jesus’ Presence. He has a Message that He wants to share
with us, but we can miss it because of other things that have caught our attention.

Take the time to listen to Him. Let the questions wait for a bit, lest you miss a more
weighty Point He wants to speak to your heart. He knows what lies ahead, and will be
there . . .