Rejoice! I Say Again Rejoice!!

How many times have we read those words pinned by Paul in Philippians 4:4? As I reflect on 2014 and some of the problems that seemed to consume me in days past. But here I am, God provided and I rejoice that He is and remains to be Lord.

Life changes so quickly. If we focus on the changing nature of life we may feel afraid, anxious, or discouraged about what is ahead of us in 2015. But nothing should encourage us more than knowing that God is already there. His faithfulness will get us through all those challenges. A friend posted on Facebook, "If God Takes You To It, He will Get You Through It". How true.

It is our "faith failures" that bring on the anxiety and fear as we look to the future. Our failure to truly believe results in those feelings of insecurity and fear. We must, believe.... even when everything inside of us says "don't do it" but we do it anyway...that is faith.

This years ends but God remains sovereign over all that is or will be. He has a beautiful plan for you. Let this truth bring you comfort and peace as you face the unknown. He will guide you wisely and bring you to victory.

So Rejoice!! I say again Rejoice for the One who's love is constant and never changing, never failing, remains Lord and Savior.

"Lord thank you for bringing me through this past year. May I trust and follow you as I begin this New Year." Amen

Peace From the Prince

My heart sometime starves for peace. During this holiday season I might feel loneliness, unworthy, weary and even worthless.I guess it is the hectic season that brings these feelings to the surface. One thing I know these feeling are not from God. My Savior desires for me to have genuine tranquility and peace in the midst of all the conflict and pressures of the season (John 14:27)

You too may feel exhausted and overwhelmed as you make your journey through this time of the year, Each day is filled with the thought that "you have to do this", " you must shop for that" and it ALL DEPENDS ON YOU. If you miss the mark, others will suffer or a
least not experience the joy you visualize your plan will bring.

Take a moment and breath, find that quite place and visit with the Prince of Peace. Find rest that Christ will never forsake you. Nothing that has happened or will happen is a surprise to Him.  Jesus is the one that will bring the victory in all things. What a joy to embrace His love and grace during times of stress. Let the burden be lifted,,,right now,,, as you read these words. That is my prayer for you.

So when the thoughts flow down.....  feelings of anxiety and pressures. STOP and feel His presence. Psalm 103:19 (HCSB) should be on our lips, "¹⁹ The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all." Because our loving Lord is our shelter, praise him in the storm. Find Peace from the Prince.

Psalm 46 - God Our Refuge "¹ God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble."

 In His Service - Eddie

Depression and the Elderly

As I minister in nursing home facilities I am confronted daily with resident depression associated with the aging process. We all get older and there comes a time when we experience the loss of:

• A spouse
• Friends
• Mobility, failing eyesight, hearing
• Major health problems 
• Income

The loss of family, friends and quality of life begins to impact the individual's emotional well being. I have heard many time, "I wish I could just go on and die", or  "There is nothing left for me, all my friends and family are gone on, I just wish I could too."When we were younger growing old was suppose to be a time of rest, a time when we could do some things that we didn't have time to do. But when health, loss of family members and income, our dreams give way to sadness, anxiety and loneliness. In many cases chronic depression takes over.

No matter the cause, depression can have alarming physical effects on older people. The mortality rate for elderly men and women suffering from both depression and feelings of loneliness is higher than for those who report satisfaction with their lives. Treatment programs for depressed elderly patients suffering from cardiovascular disease and other major illnesses usually take longer than normal, and are less successful.
In addition, the feelings of hopelessness and isolation that often spur thoughts of suicide are more prevalent among older adults, especially those with disabilities or confined to nursing homes.

According to the American Psychological Association, "Depression can lead to eating habits that result in obesity or, conversely, can cause a significant loss of appetite and diminished energy levels, sometimes resulting in a condition known as geriatric anorexia. Depressed older adults also experience higher rates of insomnia and memory loss." [1] 

How Can We Help the Aging Person Suffering from Depression? 

Be alert to identify changes in moods, eating and sleeping patterns.Suggest activities that will build their self-esteem. Be sensitive- some efforts could be met with resistance and even reaffirm their thoughts of worthlessness. Finally, consult you physician.

Psalm 71:9  (HCSB)

^"9 Don’t discard me in my old age;as my strength fails, do not abandon me."

  References:

 [1]American Psychological Association (APA). (n.d.). Retrieved December 26, 2014, from http://www.apa.org/

Using Music as a Medicine with Alzheimer's Patients

As a part of Reach Out Ministries I have had the opportunity to interact with many residents who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. A major part of my ministry is done through music. During the past year I have noticed that even those that have an advanced condition seem to respond positively to music. Recently, I was requested by a dear lady to come and pray with her family. Her husband was in hospice and not expected to live throughout the night. Her husband, I'll call him James, was exhibiting behavior similar to dermatillomania, (skin-picking disorder). I agreed to sit with James while they went to dinner. As I sat with him, he was trying to bite and pick himself. I began to gently rub his forehead and softly sing "Amazing Grace". He relaxed and stopped the constant biting and picking. When I stopped he resumed. So if you are a care giver to a family member who suffers from Alzheimer's or a terminal disease I suggest trying music as a medicine.

" Limited Research from the Mayo Clinic suggest that music can:

• Relieve stress
• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Reduce agitation

Music can also benefit caregivers by reducing anxiety, lightening the mood and providing a way to connect with loved ones who have Alzheimer's disease — especially those who have difficulty communicating.
If you'd like to use music to help a loved one who has Alzheimer's disease, consider these tips:

• Think about your loved one's preferences. What kind of music does your loved one enjoy? What music evokes memories of happy times in his or her life? Involve family and friends by asking them to suggest songs or make playlists.
• Set the mood. To calm your loved one during mealtime or a morning hygiene routine, play music or sing a song that's soothing. When you'd like to boost your loved one's mood, use faster paced music.
• Avoid over stimulation. When playing music, eliminate competing noises. Turn off the TV. Shut the door. Set the volume based on your loved one's hearing ability. Opt for music that isn't interrupted by commercials, which can cause confusion.
• Encourage movement. Help your loved one to clap along or tap his or her feet to the beat. If possible, dance with your loved one.
• Pay attention to your loved one's response. If your loved one seems to enjoy particular songs, play them often. If your loved one reacts negatively to a particular song or type of music, choose something else." [1]

[1] http://www.mayoclinic.org

What Do You Seek ?

 "My God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You..Your loving kindness is better than life."    Psalm 63:1,3

What will you seek in the new year? There was a time in my life that my every thought was to gain more wealth, a strong portfolio, new car and more possessions. Maybe, you've been there...maybe you are there now. If so I can offer a few words of advise. Seek not the possessions of the world for they are an illusion. They give you false feeling of worth and importance.If you are like me you have a profit and loss statement. Now a P&L does not have to be a detailed business document. It can be something as simple as your check book. You start at the beginning of the year with profit (income) and you have losses (debt) and at the end of the year you either fall into the plus or minus column. When we look closely at our debt we find out what is important to us.

Dependence On Religion Is A LOSS

We cannot depend on religion to bring profit. J.D Greear in his book "Gospel Revolution" suggest that "religion brings about an external change in our lives. It layers on more things for us to do; read our Bible more, go to church more, increase our tithe." [1] Although all these things are important they are not what brings in the windfall of profits in life. Religion just gives us more to do and in time we grow weary trying to gain profit. 

 Dependence On What We Have Done  Is A Loss

All of us have a a "Glory" moment. We have stood in the limelight and been praised for a job well done. For me it was success at work, manager of the year, community service and certifications. Oh, I had a great "I love me wall". I valued myself highly to the point of arrogance. Those who know me well will testify to the truth of those words. Billy Graham says it best, "Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle." [2] The higher the pedestal that we put ourselves own the longer the fall.

Dependence On Anything Other Than Christ Is A Loss

 We all have our idols. I am not talking about bronze gods that we bow down before and sacrifices to. Answer this question, "What in your life can you NOT live without?" Common answers might be family, employment, financial security or that vintage 1957 Chevy. Anything that you cannot live without other than your relationship with God is idolatry.

 Dependence On Christ Is Our Only Profit

In Matthew 22:37, Jesus taught us of the only profit  " ³⁷ He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.^" When we place anything between us and Christ we will experience loss. Loss of blessings, the ability to truly love others, peace, and comfort. The list is endless.  "Within the heart of every man and woman there is a place that only God can fill. We may try to satifsy our longings with different thing; but until we come to a point of full surrender to Him we will remain vulnerable to fearful thoughts, feelings of discontentment, and selfish desires, as well as pride and lust." [3] (Charles Stanley) Seek God over everything and you shall be blessed.

Bibliography 

[1]  Greear, J. (2011). Gospel Revolution. Nashville: LifeWay.

[2]  Billy Graham. (n.d.). Brainy Quote.com. Retrieved December 23, 2014, from Brainy Quote.com Web site: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/billygraha446511.html

[3]   Stanley, D. (2015). Every day in his presence. Place of publication not identified: Thomas Nelson Pub.

Thy Will Not My Will 

by Eddie Turner

Christmas is just a few days away and I was thinking during my pray time about the phrase, "Thy will be done." How many times do we say this but when we ask that our Lord's Will be done, do we really understand the weight that these words carry?

We the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her that she would conceive in your womb and bear a son and she would name Him Jesus. This would have been a lot for her to wrap her mine around. She was a single young girl and I am sure that she thought "What will people think? What will Joseph do?" Despite all this we her answer in Luke 1:38 "I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered, May your word to be be fulfilled."
Without any reservations she declared "Thy will be done."

When God tells us to do something we can be assured that a blessing will follow, but sometimes His will comes with a personal price tag. Then the question is raised, Are we willing to invest ourselves and follow God's will? Mary was not interested in her reputation, Joseph's response  or personal comfort she replied, "May your words be to me be fulfilled."

Max Lucado poses the question in his book, "It's Not About Me", "What would happen if we all took our place and played our parts? If we started living like "Son" reflectors rather than individual stars and suns? If every person's priority became a divine pursuit, not a performance?" But you say, "But what if?" Yep, that is the problem for us. The BIG, What If?

I do not know how many blessing I have missed over my 60 years because I said "What if?" or "I have to do this? Christ made it clear that there was a price to pay to follow Him but what of the return on our investment? 

John Rodman wrote in his internet article about the earthquake in Haiti, "On January 12 a 7.0 Richter scale earthquake struck the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti, bringing widespread death and destruction to the western hemisphere’s poorest nation. The earthquake killed at least 200,000 people, injured at least 300,000 others, leveled at least 250,000 residencies, and destroyed or severely damaged at least 30,000 commercial structures. It was Haiti’s largest and most destructive earthquake in more than 200 years." Rodman continues, "The Reverend Sam Dixon travelled the world to further Christ’s mission. He was in Haiti on January 12 to find ways to improve health services for the poor people there. Rev. Dixon’s body was pulled from the rubble of what was the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, 55 hours after the earthquake on January 12. He was 60."  When God told him to go to Haiti and work to improve their health care and he died in an earthquake. Sam Dixon pay the ultimate sacrifice.

Sam Dixon left behind family and friends and a legacy of helping people. His death I am sure was a shock and surprise to family and friends but not to God. Nothing happens to us that has not already passed through the hands of God and NOTHING is a surprise to God.

This is your challenge, right now as you read these words, Will you question the will of God? Will you attempt to calculate the return on your investment? Doubt, questions and fear do not build faith. There must be simple trust, the trust of a child. When our father's held out their arms and said, "Jump, I will catch you." We did not doubt or hesitate we jumped into his arms and felt the joy of his love.

Mary believed and exalted God by her actions and the Savior of the world was born. May we all during this Christmas season develop the faith and jump into the Father's arm and say, "Thy Will Not My Will, Be Done."

Bibliography

 Lucado, M. (2004). It's Not About Me (p. 173). Nashville: Integrity.

Rodman, J. (2014, June 1). Christian Missionaries in Haiti Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Retrieved October 10, 2014, from https://www.npfunds.com/about/

Roadside Assistance by Eddie Turner

All of us are familiar with the term “roadside assistance”.  I have had a couple of experiences with calling for roadside assistance. On one occasion, I had a flat so I called for assistance and was told that due to my location there was no assistance for me.

In Matthew 20:29-34 we read the story of two blind beggars on the side of the road calling for assistance. They are sitting beside the road waiting for Jesus to come down the road. I like to think that they probably had been sitting by the gates of Jericho begging for money and they overheard that Jesus was in the city.

 When they heard the clamor of the crowd and knew that Jesus was getting close they started to yell out to Him to get his attention.  Jesus finally made his way toward them with the crowd all around him. They could not see the crowd but they could hear them. They could taste the dust that was being stirred up by this large crowd. So they yelled out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David”.

As the beggars yelled they began to interfere with the crowd’s ability to hear Jesus. We see in Vs. 31 the crowd began to sternly rebuke them. So picture this disturbance. The two beggars were standing on the side of the road yelling for Jesus and the crowd yelling at them to be quite. But they were very determined. So they just kept yelling, “Lord, Lord, have mercy, have mercy on us…Lord have mercy, Son of David”

In my mind I can visualize this becoming almost a riot. These two men were disrupting the meeting that was going on as Jesus walked down the road. Then in the mist of all this yelling Jesus responds to the beggar’s pleas in Vs. 32 and says “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus has spoken, the crowd has settled down and I am sure it has become very quiet on the side of that dusty road as everyone waits and listens. What will these men request of Jesus? What will Jesus say?

Trembling, hearts racing and out of breath said to Jesus “Lord we want our eyes to be opened.” Jesus was moved with compassion and touched their eyes and they immediately regained their sight. If you are blinded by life's troubles, just go to the side of the road and cry out to Jesus. He will answer.

 Don't Let Your Mind Be Turned Against You!

 Acts 1:8 (HCSB)
"8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends[a] of the earth.”

The enemy will try to convince you that you're not good enough to serve Christ. That you are unloved and inadequate and unworthy. I've been there and done that. Satan know that if he can discourage you enough that your service to Christ will be damped or even destroyed. C.S. Lewis said in his book "Screwtape Letters", "By this method thousands of humans have been brought to think that humility means pretty women trying to believe they are ugly and clever men trying to believe they are fools. And since what they are trying to believe may, in some cases, be manifest nonsense, they cannot succeed in believing it and we have the chance of keeping their minds endlessly revolving on themselves in an effort to achieve the the impossible.
(C.S. Lewis, "The Screw-Tape Letters") We must realize that we are in a spiritual daily and Satan's best weapon against us is our mind. In Philippians 2:2-5 Paul reminds us to maintain the "Mind of Christ". Let your mind be on Christ always. Do not listen to your accuser. God can do so many things with your life. Now is the time to speak up and he heard for Christ. During this Christmas time we celebrate our Savior's birth. Celebrate Him by sharing Him. The Holy Spirit has come to give you power. Let that power flow powerfully through you to others.