Stimulus Plan

It seems to be the topic everyone is talking about; the topic that everyone has an opinion on. Over these last couple of weeks, our nation has debated over whether to do a stimulus plan for the economy or not. They’ve debated how much we should do and what should be included. Should it include increased spending or decreased taxation? They’ve debated on the effect of the outcome and the consequences of such a plan. They’ve debated on what has caused this crisis and who’s at fault. They’ve considered who should be helped and who shouldn’t be based on who they think caused this crisis.

It’s tiring listening to the conversations going on; the opinions that are broadcast to the masses. So, here’s my opinion, my two cents. Get to the root of the problem and focus only on that!
Here’s the thing I don’t hear much about. Our economy is much like a see-saw kids play on. There’s a balance to it and if the kids weigh the same you could actually have the see-saw stay level. But what happens when one is heavier? They drop to the ground and would have to give a push off the ground to be able to keep moving. If they get off and just let go as they do, the other end drops to the ground and the child on that end can get seriously hurt.

The same can be said of our economy. An 800 pound guerilla got off the see-saw. Home values dropped dramatically; in Arizona some places have dropped more than 50%, most of that is in debt (aka someone else’s money). I’m not an economist and I may be oversimplifying the situation. In my opinion, when that much money has been pulled out of the economy in a relatively short period of time, people will get hurt and they won’t jump back in very quickly; it will take time to rebalance and trust who’s on the other end of the see-saw. In the mean time, there is substantially less money circulating in the economy causing fewer jobs and lower pay.

There are a few ways to off set that cycle whether it’s families, businesses, or government; currently we’re focusing on the government doing it. The entity that can produce more money (i.e. the government) can either spend their way out (increase government debt putting money into the economy now to be paid back later), increase the money flow (print more money which lowers the value of that currency which leads to inflation) or they can reduce taxes (leave more money in the economy and reduce government spending to match). Keep in mind, there still is a balance and each one has a consequence. And with each one of these, we’re trying to fix our money problems with money.

I personally don’t think our government should be fixing the problem in our economy by spending money or printing money. In doing so, they are simply getting on the see-saw. They shouldn’t be on it but govern the way it’s played on to maintain some sort of balance and fairness and to maintain the core values of the founding fathers of our nation. Had it been governed properly before, I don’t believe they would need to get on now.

But we still haven’t got to the root of the problem that we should be focusing on. You can’t buy your way out of a problem, whether it’s our economy, our relationships with others, marriages, etc. Only submitting to God’s plan will fix the problem. God has given us His Word to solve this crisis.

He tells us in Deuteronomy 8:17-20 -
You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.

It is God that gives us the ability to produce wealth when we seek Him. When our nation starts to seek God and His ways, then our nation will be healed and revived; we’ll have new inventions and discoveries develop wealth in our nation that will benefit others first. In the process of discovery and development of new inventions, we’ll increase our national production and cure our financial problems. When we return to our roots and be a nation under God called to be lenders not borrowers, we’ll reduce our personal and national debts and increase our influence in the world.

A Time for Change

We are embarking on a season of change. That has been the mantra for quite some time now. We the people (though not me specifically) voted into the office of the President of the United States, a man who proclaimed he will bring about change. Of course, anytime there is a new Administration, there is change – it sort of goes with the territory.


I hope and pray that the change that comes with Barack Obama will be mostly for good, though I’m not overly optimistic that will happen. He and I appear to see certain things very differently, so I am a bit skeptical. But hey, I would love to be proven wrong. There are many people though who are putting their trust, their faith, and their hope in him. They are looking to him for guidance and direction to get them through this dark time. And he will offer it, because that’s what a President does.


Like others though, I won’t be looking to him. Yes, he will generally be considered to be the most powerful man in the world, but he is still just a man. These are difficult times that we are in, with war, terrorism, the economy, unemployment, etc. but in these times, God is doing something.


God is in control. And I believe with all my heart, that He has not turned His back on America. So things may not be as comfortable as we are accustomed too, so what? Does that mean we are doomed? Of course not! God is still on the throne and He can still make a way where there is no way. He can turn things around, He can take care of His children and He can bring about change.


We are all going through the storm right now, one way or another. But our storm doesn’t scare God, and we should stop making the storm to be more powerful than God. We don’t know what is coming next, but He does. If we know God, know His character, then we need not fear. We can, and should, put all our trust in Him.


Even when things don’t make sense to us, we can trust Him because He does things that don’t make sense to us (forgiveness, walking on water, raising the dead, etc). Our understanding comes from what we see and what we know, both of which is limited. But God sees and knows everything, so His understanding is infinitely greater than ours.


The time we are in is crucial to the Kingdom of God. Will we give Him our prayers, our worship, and our words? Will we give Him the honor and glory He deserves? Will we point others to Him, to help them find salvation? If we do, He will not disappoint us. Though the journey may be uncertain and maybe even a little dark, He will guide us along our path. We may stumble and even fall off the path, but He will hold us up or pick us up and will continue leading us always, patiently and lovingly.


Right now, everyone is clamoring for change. Right now, everyone is looking forward to a savior. But how many are missing the Savior? This is the time to be let His light shine through us to push back the darkness. After all, He is the only one who can really change and correct whatever difficulties we are going through.


“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust In God

Saturday, I was playing with my daughter. She was laughing and smiling, having a good ole time! As we were playing, I was thinking about life from her perspective. She eats, sleeps, plays, explores and learns new things like a sponge. It’s amazing what she picks up! In all her days, she doesn’t have a single worry about where her next meal comes from or what it will be, she just knows that when she gets hungry, she’ll get to eat until she’s full. And when she’s tired, she’ll have a warm, safe place to sleep. And the rest of the day, she’ll have a place to play and her mom and dad will be there to comfort her and play with her when she needs it. Yes, she is blessed as all children should be, unfortunately there are many that aren’t as blessed.


Somewhere as we grow up though, we tend to wander from this state. We go through school, maybe college, get married and transition into a new season of life full of hopes, dreams and responsibilities. Seemingly, somewhere we lose sight of that childlike faith and peace. That sense that all of our needs will be supplied, that everything works out ok in the end. It may not be as we are going through it, but in time, all things work out for our good.


God tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. We often don’t know the end from the beginning. In fact, we truly only know what has happened. At times, God may give us glimpses of the future, but even those aren’t enough to know all that is to come. It’s never like His full, all knowing, all seeing perspective.


So the question is, not really knowing anything that will happen next, do we really trust Him over our thoughts, opinions and experiences? Do we acknowledge Him in all that we do and praise Him regardless of the circumstances? Can we wipe the slate of our minds clear and accept His Word as our compass and trust that the direction it’s pointing will yield the great life God intended us to live? None of these are easy questions nor do I live them they way I believe He desires for me to. I fall short and ask for his mercy knowing that life is a journey not a destination. But hopefully the depths of these questions illustrate the depth of trust that God desires of us.


Reading more of Proverbs 3 from The Message Bible broadens the illustration of what is being asked of us.

Don't Assume You Know It All (The Message – Proverbs 3:1-12)

1-2 Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands. They'll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well.

3-4 Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.

5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this.

Trusting in Him

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6


Sometimes we can read a Scripture verse and like it or love it. We might highlight it or underline it, and maybe, if we really love it, we might even memorize it. And that can be a good thing. But isn’t it also true that familiarity breeds contempt? I mean we can find it quickly and recall it quickly and sound really super spiritual about it, but aren’t we also then in danger of it losing the very thing that made it so special?


There are many verses that I love, that have really impacted me, given me wisdom, or brought me comfort. The above Scripture is one of them (In fact Proverbs is probably my favorite book of the Bible). It has been coming to mind a lot lately, for multiple situations. It has been awhile though, since I’ve really taken the time and effort to meditate on it. Read it again with me. Go ahead, I’ll wait.


Trust in the LORD with all your heart. ~ Really Lord, with all my heart? All my heart? That’s a lot of trust. That is believing with everything within me, that He loves me and will take care of me no matter what. That is understanding I can come to Him with all of my thoughts, all of my emotions and all of my concerns, the good, the bad and the ugly. That is knowing He will always be available to pick me up and clean me up when I fall. That is having all confidence that His mercies are new every day, His judgments are just and that His promises really are for me.


And lean not on your own understanding. ~ But Lord, my own understanding is what I know! How can I lean on something else, understand something I don’t know? I see my situation, my circumstance, my storm; I know what common sense and my knowledge would dictate. But He is God and I am not. He is omniscient and I am not. He is omnipotent and I am not. He is omnipresent and I am not. I see with my natural eyes, He sees with spiritual eyes. He knows everything, and I know enough to know that I don’t know very much. He is everywhere, all the time, and I am only in my own little and limited world. His understanding is infinitely vast and complete, while mine is exceedingly narrow and lacking.


In all your ways acknowledge Him. ~ Do You really mean all my ways? When I’m strong and weak? When I succeed and fail? When I am confident and fearful? When I am going in the right direction and when I am lost? Yes. No matter what state I am in, He never changes. If I seek to know Him and do His will, He will always meet me. Whatever my situation I can, and should, come boldly before Him. And give glory to Him.


And He shall direct your paths. ~ But Lord, but what if I can’t see the path? He will direct my paths. I may misstep, get confused or turned around, but He will set me right. I may even fall and fail, but He is bigger than that and He can hold my hand, lift me up and give me a fresh start. A do-over. His plans for me are for good and the path He sets before me will lead me to those plans. While on the path, I may run into a highwayman, a thief who would come only to kill and to steal and to destroy. But I need not fear this enemy because he is a defeated foe.


When we are walking through the good times and the bad our trust in the Lord should not waiver, because He is faithful and trustworthy. We don’t know what we don’t know, so it is imperative that we don’t lean on what we do. By seeking Him and His will for our lives at all times, we have the opportunity to live the life we were created for. He doesn’t just set us on a path and leave us, but rather He is with us throughout, leading and guiding us like a Good Shepherd. Thank you, Lord!

Foundational Focus

With 2008 now past and 2009 upon us, it’s a natural time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. Last year was a year of turmoil for many and a year of abundance for a few. Believe it or not, some people actually had their best year ever financially! Not that finances represents the full measure of abundance but it is one of many pieces. I can’t say I’m in that boat but somehow it gives hope that there is a better tomorrow and that all things are possible for those who believe. But all these ups and downs where we somehow feel victorious or are reconciling with defeat, I believe are truly out of focus. Somehow, we’ve come to accept how we feel about our daily lives as the barometer of our closeness with God.


Isn’t it strange that when we feel things are going well, our prayer life, our selfless giving, our cheerful attitude tends to fade? (What I mean by selfless is the difference between giving out of your need or sacrificially vs. giving out of your excess.) And when things aren’t so well, we seek some sort of relief from God when what God wants all along is a steady and consistent relationship with us? He wants you to know that He will work it out (Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 8:28). Times may be rough for a season, but keep your eyes fixed on Him and you’ll do well (Eccl 3:1-8, Prov 4:25, Psalm 119:133, Jer 29:11).


It reminds me of some friends that went deep sea fishing. They say one of the first things the captain would tell you is to look out at the horizon. By fixing your eyes out in the distance at the horizon, it will help you avoid getting seasick. The same applies to driving. When you look further out ahead, everything seems to slow down around you and you’re more in control of the vehicle.


God’s Word tells us to fix our eyes on Him and to build on the rock, on a solid foundation rather than the sand of the seashore (Luke 6:48). By no means do I feel like I’ve mastered this; it’s just a lesson that God’s been challenging me with for some time. And every time I think I’m getting closer, it seems a bigger wave comes to try and take me out. Nevertheless, I’ve committed my focus to remain on Him for 2009 and beyond.


Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 – For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

Proverbs 4:25 – Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

Psalm 119:133 – Establish my steps and direct them by [means of] Your word; let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Ishmael, Ishmael, Ishmael

When Jeff and I decided we were going to do a joint blog, I was really excited. We sort of talked about what we wanted it to look like. The idea is to pick a topic or verse and we would both do a separate post relating to that post. Because of his time restraints, we decided he would post first and then the next day, or day after, I would post mine. We are happy to be working on this together, yet separately.

Immediately after planning the way this would work, God spoke Ishmael to Jeff, so that is our fist topic. To be honest, I thought, Ishmael? Why not something easy like Revelation? (Just in case you’re not sure of my sense of humor – that’s a joke!) The topic of Ishmael can be complicated, deep and … But, since God spoke Ishmael to Jeff, Ishmael it is!

In a way, I feel bad for Ishmael. I mean he didn’t ask to be born to the circumstances he was, and he is forever known as the non-chosen one. Thousands of years later, Ishmael continues to remind us of what happens when we try to help God. Just think of how much better off we would be, if we’d only remember that God is capable of bringing His promises to pass, without our help. Examining the whole Abraham/Sarah/Hagar/Ishmael/Isaac situation should make that clear – that battle is still being fought today!

The thing is, when God gives us a promise, we should trust Him. His Word assures us of this. It says in Num. 23:19, “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” Of course the answer to these questions is a resounding “NO!” We have to determine if God’s Word is Truth. And if we determine that His Word is Truth, then that has to include all of His Word.

Now, I will not pretend that I am above trying to help God out a little. I’m just as guilty of doing that as Sarah was. But God, in His goodness and mercy, has covered me with His grace and has patiently shown me, or waited for me to figure out, that His way, and His timing is best. I’d like to say it happened only once and then I’d learned my lesson. I’d like to say that, but it’s not really true. The truth is that there have been many times I’ve had a promise from God or He has shown me what He’s doing in my life and then in my exuberance and haste, I sort of take over. And it never works out the way I’d like it too. Honestly, I don’t mean to take over and I certainly don’t mean to tell God (in not so many words) that I’m better capable of handling it than He is (‘cause that is soooo not true), but really that’s what I’m doing when I take matters into my own hands.

The amazing thing though, is that even when we doubt, meddle, or are unfaithful to Him and His promises, God is faithful to us. Always. We are assured of this in 2 Tim 2:13, “If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.” When I meddle and try to help Him out a bit, I don’t mess things up for Him, I mess things up for me. But even then, God is bigger than my meddling and if I just get out of His way, eventually His will for me, or His promise to me, will come to pass. He can accomplish what I cannot. He can open doors that no man can open and close doors that no man can close (Rev. 3:7-8). If I will let it, His purpose for my life will prevail.

The key to all of this goes back to trust. Do I trust Him to bring it to pass? Do I trust Him to work it all out? Do I trust His timing? Even when it seems to take a long, long, long time? Once more the Bible assures me I can. In Hab. 2:2-3, it reads “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” No doubt it can be discouraging waiting on something that God has promised us or that we want so badly, but if we don’t wait on God, it is then that we produce, or give birth to, an Ishmael instead of an Isaac.

It is easy for me to see in my own life where I did get an Isaac, when I very easily could have gotten an Ishmael. I was unmarried until I was thirty-three years old. I began to think I would never get married. Since I didn’t become a Christian until I was thirty and God had some serious work to do in me, that is really actually a good thing. But I was lonely and I wanted to get married badly. I had had several relationships that didn’t work out. I often say that I dated a lot of frogs (that could have become Ishmaels) but I finally got my prince (my Isaac). God allowed me to remain alone until the time was right, so He could give me the one He had for me – my Isaac, my Jeff. And in the end, he really was worth the wait.

I sincerely hope I’m through birthing Ishmaels in my own life, but I know that if I mess up, and go before God again, or try to help him out, God’s grace will cover me. He knows my heart is to be in His will, and He knows I know that my life works out better when He’s in charge, so He does forgive me when I fail. But I think I’m getting better at waiting on Him, and while I have not yet completely reached this goal, I am on my way!