Are you the Vapor of 2007?

Every week I attend church services at the First Church of Christ with my family. Our preacher, Larry Sprinkle, is an amazing man. He memorizes his sermons and always presents them well without notes or any aids. I don’t know how he does it.

The sermons are always filled with meaning and pertinent to our present-day lives. He ties in scripture verses to help us see how the Bible is relevant to our daily living. I often get tapes of his sermons to transcribe and read back over again.

Not long ago, he was talking about how our lives are insignificant without God. He referred to Psalm 90:10: “The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.”

“After a person dies, the world forgets about them,” he said. “Life goes on.”

He said we are like a vapor or fog. “Think about fog. It impedes our progress for a short time, then it moves on.”

Then he said, “We’ve all heard of the Flood of 1937, the Chicago fire, and the San Francisco Earthquake. But who has ever heard of the Fog of 1996? Or the Vapor of St. Louis?

“Nobody has heard of them because they are not significant.”

Then he added, “But God gives meaning to our lives and makes our lives valuable.”

I know I could not live a day without God. He is a part of everything I do and has been a part of my life for over 35 years. I’ve had a happy, satisfying life with Him and wouldn't trade it for anything.

How about you? Is He a part of your life? If He isn’t and you’d like Him to be or you have questions about this, let me know. If I don’t know the answer to your question, I’ll find someone who does.

This is too important of a subject to not address. Don’t let your life become the Vapor of 2007.

Take care,

Kayleen

Persevering through disappointment

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-3

It’s hard to be joyful and thankful when things don’t work out the way we want them to. Whenever I get a rejection letter from an editor for a proposed article, I’m disappointed. “That would have moved my career ahead so much!” I lament to myself.

At those times I think of the words Christian singer Twila Paris said to me during an interview for Power for Living Magazine a few years ago. This singer/songwriter has written tunes that for over two decades have been widely recognized for their unique worshipful quality, underscoring her reputation as a modern- day psalmist.

It could be easy for someone of Twila’s stature to be sidetracked by pride, but with the Lord’s help she has kept her focus where it ought to be—on the Lord and on ministering to his people. More than two decades after her first recording her sense of mission remains strong.

“One of the most meaningful things to me—way beyond whether an album sells or whether a song goes to number one on the charts—is when people take a song that God has given me and returns it to Him in worship,” she says. “Then it’s being used for its ultimate purpose—to return worship back to the One who gave it in the first place. That’s incredible.”

Genuine, heartfelt worship is the chord that runs through all of Twila’s music. Since the beginning of her career, she has drawn strength from the poeticism of the psalms and other verses that exalt the Lord’s name. She finds instruction for worship in Romans 11:36: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” (NAS)

“For years, whenever I read that Scripture, I pictured a cycle of giving,” says Twila. “My particular gifts and everyone’s gifts are all good things that come from God. When those things are offered back to Him, I feel like our lives are properly aligned.”

From this I remember that my writing is my gift to God. As long as I keep that firmly in place, He will honor it in His time and place. When I get discouraged, I remember He is developing perseverance in me to help me get through life by depending on Him.

What encourages you to keep trying as a writer or towards any goal you’ve set for yourself?

Take care,
KR

Live for the Spirit

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”- Galatians 5:16

I’ve been reading a series of books which has a romance in it. The girl and guy seem to be hitting it off. But she also is interested in another guy, even though the first guy says he loves her and she thinks she loves him.

The problems begin when she starts fantasizing about Second Guy. Eventually, she is unfaithful to First Guy with Second Guy and doesn’t seem to regret it.

No doubt, she was living to gratify the desires of her sinful nature so she got what she wanted, but how can it turn out well? If this were true in real life, I wonder how much of her relationship with First Guy who loved her would be affected if he found out what she had done. I had a friend who was promiscuous and when she finally met a guy who she wanted to marry, he had a problem with her background and broke it off.

I know some people might say he didn't love her enough. Whatever it was, he had his reasons and it kept them apart because she had not been willing to keep her relationship with her future husband pure.

I’m not reading the books in the series any further to find out what happens to Girl and First Guy. I’m too disgusted to delve into her personal life any more. If she couldn’t be faithful to him now before they’re married, who’s to say she will be after they are married? I'm not even a guy, but I see the distrust that could build up in a marriage. Of course, I mean this for both sides -- men and women should be loyal and faithful to each other.

Something to think about in your own lives. Be faithful. Look and live for the Spirit. You won't regret it.

Take care.

KR

Interview with Jeremy Camp

I interviewed Christian Singer, Jeremy Camp today as part of an assignment for the Ft Wayne News-Sentinel newspaper on Winter Jam 2007, coming to our area soon.

That was my first interview with Jeremy Camp. He was courteous and apologized for calling four minutes late, due to another interview just before us. I thanked him for that.

Jeremy is just one of several celebs I’ve interviewed in the past few years while writing the Ticket! column for the Ft Wayne News-Sentinel newspaper and other assignments.

Other interviews have included Steven Curtis Chapman, various band members of Audio Adrenaline, Newsboys, NewSong, The Afters, Hawk Nelson, Michael W. Smith (a backstage picture of this guy and my friend Aimee and me is posted at my website), tobyMac and Michael Tait from dc talk, Dick Smothers, and actors of traveling theater troupes coming to the area.

These are always fun, but challenging, interviews. For one thing, I have to be available for them to call me. This means looking at my schedule for a time that would work (a challenge when working full-time!), staying by the phone, possibly for a good part of a day, waiting for a call.

Sometimes there’s a problem with the time change. I always emphasize to whomever I make the interview appointment with what time it is where I live and ask what time it is where they live. That way, hopefully, they will translate the difference to the person I’ll interview.

Then there’s the challenge of not being nervous. I admit, I still get nervous when I know I’ll be speaking to someone famous, even if they are half my age, but as soon as I pick up the phone, I’m calm and collected (at least I think I am). It’s strange.

The third thing that is a challenge is trying to think of questions that are not the same old hash for the interview subject. The answers can sound rehearsed for typical questions. I start out by asking them where they are calling from and move into the questions I’ve prepared that will make them think.

Yes, despite having done hundreds of interviews, I still research and write down my questions for each subject and fall back on them if the conversation lags. Usually I’m allotted just 15 minutes so that isn’t enough time for conversation to lag, but the questions are there, just the same.

I love to interview celebs, especially ones who are polite and considerate of my time and effort. Thanks to Jeremy for making the interview a real pleasure. I look forward to writing this article. It will be published on February 1, 2007, in Ticket! in the Ft Wayne News-Sentinel newspaper.

Check out Jeremy Camp’s website and listen to his music posted there. It’s deep stuff and very soul-full. He’s young but definitely has his head on straight. www.jeremycamp.com


Take care,

“That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.”- 2 Corinthians 5:19-20

Forming a MasterMind group

I’m in the midst of forming a MasterMind group. This is a new venture for me. I’ve never been in a MasterMind group and had never heard of it until someone in my Toastmasters group gave a speech on Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich . The speaker said the book, written in the early 1900s, had helped him focus on his goals as a lawyer. These were not just career goals, but personal, spiritual, and relationship goals.

Mr. Hill mentioned the importance of meeting with people around you who are in a similar mind-set with their lives. He calls these MasterMind groups. They have certain directions they want to head in and things they want to do in their lives. Getting together with people like that on a regular basis to share dreams and work towards them together, offering encouragement and advice, should help your goals be reached, according to Mr. Hill. Plus, the group will hold us to be accountable to striving toward our goals.

So I checked the book out of the library and am currently reading it. But because that may take a while, due to writing assignments, and since it is the beginning of a new year and everyone is talking about goal-setting, I figured it would be good to get a MasterMind group going, even before I had finished reading the book.

A couple of people from a writer’s workshop I started attending last year have agreed to be in a MasterMind group with me. We’ve already begun to meet. It is a challenge finding a time to meet, but at least the mild winter weather is not a problem.

We’re meeting about once a week for a few weeks to share notes and information we’ve found about goal-setting, then we’ll settle into a monthly meeting.

I’m excited about the possibilities with this MasterMind group. Already we’ve contacted a couple of other people to join. The ideal size is 4-8 people. More than that can cause people to stagnate, I’ve read.

What about you? What plans have you set in motion to reach toward some goals in 2007? You can read Think and Grow Rich online at http://www.sacred-texts.com/nth/tgr/index.htm.

It’s never too late to start reaching for your goals. What are you waiting for?

Here’s a gracious promise from God to help us on our way:
Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Take care.

A Mother's Pondering

Though I may have said it before, I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year. Ours was splendid.

Now we are back to work and school and the sun is shining so it is a good day. Yesterday my son, daughter, and I took a 4-mile walk along the river in our town. It was brisk but beautiful.

I treasure such times with my family. We are all busy so when 2-3 of us are available and interested in similar pursuits, it warms my heart. I know such times won’t always be possible. I even wonder how many of my kids will be home next Christmas. Several of my friends were separated from their children this year, due to jobs and other commitments.

It says in Luke 2 in the Bible that when the shepherds arrived at the stable to worship Baby Jesus, Mary pondered those things in her heart:

Luke 2:10-20 (New International Version)
10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

I don’t think mothers ever stop pondering things in their hearts when it comes to their families. We want them to be healthy, strong, faithful, ambitious, gentle, loyal. We always wonder if we’ve done our jobs right. Yet, in the end, it is their personal decisions that will affect their lives. All we can do is pray for them.

Before Christmas, I met one mother who was separated from her child over Christmas and surely pondered grievous thoughts about the separation, but still relied on God to see her through.

I edit a jail chaplaincy newsletter and am invited each December to tag along with the volunteer jail chaplains when they go caroling at the jail. I’ve done it several times and it is very moving to see how much our singing and distributing of cookies means to the men and women imprisoned.

One of the female volunteers told me she was not a chaplain, but her son was in that very jail and she wanted to carol there to let him know she supported him. She could not carol on his cell block, but she was OK with that. She said he had gotten his life straightened out with God just before he was sentenced (we have a terrific jail chaplaincy program. Contact me if you’d like to know more about this program).

Her son would be leaving the jail to go to serve his sentence at a major prison soon, possibly before Christmas. The rules of transporting prisoners would keep this woman and her husband from knowing where their son was being taken for a few weeks and from corresponding with him over Christmas.

That must have been such pain for this mother! I couldn't imagine going through this experience. (She didn’t share what he had been convicted of and I didn’t ask). But she shared how she relied on her faith in God to help her through. She attends church regularly and helps women who have been released from jail to get adjusted back into regular lives.

During the three hours we caroled, she went up to each window and pressed her hand up on the glass and mouthed “I love you.” (the windows were tiny so all we could see were the heads of the individuals inside). Many of the inmates placed their hands over hers on the other side. Some sang along and others shouted “Thank you” after we were done.

This woman didn’t know any of the men and women we visited, but her mother’s heart ached for them and I’m sure for their mothers as well.

Mary didn’t stop pondering about Jesus after the Wise Men left. She continued to ponder about Him and His life and death on the cross and afterward until she took her last breath. That’s a mother’s prerogative and challenge.

What relationships do you ponder about in life? I suggest strongly that you call on God to help you with the troubled relationships. He can change hearts and souls as he did this mother’s son who went caroling in the jail. I’m praying for her and will pray for you.

Take care,

Kayleen Reusser