As of a couple of weeks ago, my husband and I will join the ranks of those being told their place of work is closing. Taylor University Fort Wayne, formerly Fort Wayne Bible College and Summit Christian College, will discontinue classes as of May 31, 2009. My husband works in maintenance at the campus and has a steady work history there. We have faith God will lead him and me, as I look for a job, to other jobs.
http://fw.taylor.edu/home/news/news_detail.shtml?inode=77392


I read these verses today and they really spoke to me about the Taylor University Fort Wayne situation:

Jer 24: 4 Then the word of the LORD came to me:

5 "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.

6 My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.

7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.


The most important thing is for us to have a heart to know God and to turn to Him with all of our heart. Sometimes life doesn't go the way we want. But we can trust Him with our future.


I’m praying everyone at Taylor University Fort Wayne – students, staff, and faculty -- makes the transition well.

The election is Tuesday! Pray about all of these things! God’s will be done. Amen.

A Tribute to Mother's Day

" But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. Ruth

I was reading the book of Ruth today in the Bible and ran across this beautiful passage. Naomi’s husband and two sons (one was Ruth’s husband) have all died. Naomi is telling her daughters in law to return to their own people and start new lives. But Ruth refuses.

Most people who I have heard quote this do it from a viewpoint of a man and woman who love each other and want to be married forever.

But it is actually the words of a young woman who has a beloved mother in law and doesn't want to see her suffer more by being alone.

In tribute to Mother’s Day which is coming up, I want to say what a terrific mother in law I had for 19 years. Jane was helpful, friendly, talented, happy, and hard-working. She didn't offer advice when it was not wanted, nor was she critical of decisions we did make. She loved our children and they loved her. When we lost her to cancer in 1999, it was one of the saddest days of my life. I loved her second only to my own mom of the women in my life.

My mother is still living and has all of the above attributes. She lost my dad a few years ago but has done well at managing that grief and yet still chooses to get up each day and look at the world as a good place. We are very proud of her.

She lives close to me and if I have anything to say about it, always will. I know people who live across the country from their elderly parents and that is not a choice I would make. I want to be with my mom through everything and I know she feels the same about our family.

My husband and children have been blessed with terrific, god-fearing mothers and grandmothers and we know that is worth more to us than money in the bank. Thank you, God, for giving us these wonderful ladies. And Thanks, Mom, for loving us so much.

Thanks to the US Military

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”- Psalm 100:4-5


I’m a day late in expressing my personal thanks to the men and women in the US military. I was thinking of many of them yesterday as I spent the day with family minus a son who is in the Air Force and stationed across the country. He was with extended family members so that made the absence a little easier. My daughter is also living across the country but was able to spend time with her grandpa for Thanksgiving.

But for those in the military who were separated from their families for Thanksgiving and may have to be separated for Christmas, please know my family and nearly all of the people at my church and in my Midwestern community support you and your efforts to bring peace and stability to so many areas of the world.

We know you’re not perfect, but you are willing to go places most of us would be afraid to venture to and you’re willing to give up time with families which most of us don’t want to do.

Thanks from the bottom of our hearts for your courage and strength and willingness to help. You are a tremendous asset to our nation.

God bless. We’re praying for you.

Seeking God's Face-- Part 2

2. We seek God’s face as an act of thanksgiving

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face continually.” I Chronicles 16:11; Psalm 105:4.

After the Israelites safely delivered the Ark of the Covenant to the city of Jerusalem, King David wrote a psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord. He gave the words to the Levite ministers and told them to sing it at the victory celebration, which they did. Later, those words became a psalm.

Notice that those words are smack dab in the middle of that thanksgiving psalm. All around them are words of praise and adoration to God. Why did David take the focus off of the Lord at this point? A possible answer can be found in an episode from the Civil War.

In Sept. 1862, the North was taking a beating in Virginia. No one knew how to stop the defeated Union troops from retreating. Then Lincoln had an idea. Against the recommendations of his highest advisers, Lincoln commanded Gen. George McClellan to head towards the battle and lead the troops to victory.

That’s just what McClellan did. He rode into the midst of his discouraged soldiers on his great black horse and encouraged them to persevere.

That was all. He didn’t try to do their job or offer additional supplies. He simply got in their midst so they could see his face and hear his words of encouragement. Civil War historians agree that this was the turning point of the War, in favor of the North.

Every leader knows that people need to see their leader. The closer the people get to their leader, the more excitement they feel. The Yankee soldiers were inspired to persevere because they had seen their leader’s face.

David knew that, in order for his people to survive and their praise to flourish, they needed to be close to God. In the same way we need to continually look to God for strength and wisdom in the midst of our praise. When we do, we will see God’s face in our lives through blessings that could only come from the Lord.

In Part 3 we will learn how to gain our identity through seeking God's face.
Have a great day! Here's more tulips to brighten your day.

Seeking God's Face-- Part 1

“I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1

Imagine you’re at the mall with a friend and the two of you become separated. You begin walking around, trying to find her. Do you look for your friend’s elbow in order to find her? Do you look for her knuckle as a way of finding her? Do you look for the soles of her feet, shins, or ribs in order to find her?

No. What you look for is your friend’s face.

The words to a lot of choruses used during worship services in churches today often talk about “seeking God’s face.”

What does it mean, to seek God’s face? Is this merely a phrase that’s popular and used so often that it’s become glib? Or is seeking God’s face something that has the potential to deepen our walk with Christ?

The Old Testament uses the phrase “seek God’s face” in several places. A look at some of these verses will show us what God wants us to know about seeking His face.

1. We seek God’s face in order to know Him.

When God tells us to seek His face, He’s saying, “Seek my unmistakable, personal presence. Gaze at me. Behold. Know me intimately.” God wants us to seek His face so we can have closer communion with Him.

The face is what we use to recognize someone. God designed us so that, except for multiples, we all look different from each other. We each have a unique combination of eyes, nose, mouth, chin, forehead, eyebrows, and cheeks. By learning to recognize those combinations, we can pick out a friend’s face from every other in the world.

Are you seeking God's face today? Are you looking to make sure that what you're doing, thinking and feeling are from Him? Ask Him for help in this. He will come through for you.

More about Seeking God's Face in the next entry!

Have a good weekend!

Keep Your Mouth Clean for Health's Sake

“If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”- Romans 10:9-10


I'm off to the dentist this a.m.
Our family has made it a practice to see our dentist twice a year for cleanings and X-rays. We also brush regularly and eat foods that are good for our teeth, such as milk and cheese. In that respect, we have maintained good dental health with a minimum of cavities or dental work. This, in turn, affects our overall body health. Studies have shown that dental health affects other parts of the body, including the heart and circulation.

It is vital to keep our mouths clean. It is just as important to keep what comes out of our mouths clean.

When we let God have control of our mouth, He not only cleans up our talk, but our lives, as well. That helps us maintain healthy lifestyles. When we let Him control our talk, we don't criticize people which extends friendships. When we let Him control our talk, we keep tabs on our temper which can help marriages and careers. When we let Him control our urge to curse, we sweeten our talk with more appropriate words that have meaning and significance to the conversation.

It may not sound possible to let God have control of our mouths, but the next time you feel like yelling at someone, ask God to let only holy words come out instead. He will be glad to do so and you'll be glad you asked Him for help. So will the person you were yelling at.

Take care.

God is the author of our Faith

I've been on vacation. I'm back to reading the Bible online at www.Biblegateway.com. Here's the verse of the day, which I always send to my kids by email:

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”- Hebrews 12:2

This is a beautiful verse. I never thought of God as an author. It says He created my faith. He even perfected my faith! Does that mean I have a perfect faith? It doesn't seem like it at times. I tend to doubt why painful things happen.

But with faith this verse says I can be like Jesus and endure whatever problems I have, knowing it will someday all be explained with joy at the throne of God.

That makes it all worth it, doesn't it? Life just doesn't make sense without God. What questions do you have about your faith? Take them to Jesus in prayer. He'll be happy to show you the way to God.

Take care,
Kayleen